The hotel's see-through elevators were large, capable of holding a decently sized group of people. Multiple elevators were available, making them a sought-after option as the most direct way to reach the ground floor.
However, Sandro and his allies were far from the elevators and chose not to compete for a spot. Instead, they decided to use the staircases leading to the lower floors.
Since all the applicants needed to reach the ground floor, the journey quickly turned into a chaotic competition to see who could get ahead. Each member of Sandro's alliance used their unique skills to carve a path or support their teammates.
Curie relied on her sharp analytical thinking to identify gaps in the dense crowd, weaving through them with precision to reach the staircase entrance. Coraline followed closely behind with her cat on her shoulder, moving in a low, animalistic manner, taking advantage of the path Curie had cleared.
Lioness removed her metal bracelets, which matched the color of her weapon. The bracelets rippled and transformed into two simple, circular shields. She handed one of them to Jackson, who immediately understood her strategy. Together, they used their formidable strength and the shields to plow through the crowd, forcing others aside.
Sandro, relying on his raw speed and reflexes, reached the staircase first. To maintain his lead, he avoided the steps entirely. Instead, he vaulted over the railing into the open central space of the stairwell, performing a controlled fall. Straightening his body midair, he flipped into a roll upon landing, skillfully dispersing the impact.
Not long after, the rest of Sandro's alliance arrived at the reception area on the ground floor.
Soon after they had all reconvened, groups that had managed to take the elevators began arriving. They started making their way out of the building and into the city streets in search of the antidote. Sandro noticed that Alexander was among one of these groups.
Turning to his allies with a witty tone, he said, "You should all be fine in each other's hands. Meanwhile, I've got a swordsman to catch." With that, he dashed out of the building in the direction he had seen Alexander moving in.
The other members of the alliance didn't seem particularly bothered by his sudden departure. Curie, however, seemed slightly annoyed. With a sigh, she addressed the remaining allies, "Fine, let's get a move on then."
The group then dashed out of the building in a different direction, also in search of the antidote.
The members of the alliance, excluding Sandro, stood on the rooftop of a building within the city. They had climbed it to get a better vantage point and survey the area more effectively.
Coraline, sitting on the edge of the building with her cat in her lap, asked curiously, though to no one in particular, "How should we go about searching for the antidote, given their hidden locations and the large size of the city?"
Curie, who was on her communicator, answered casually, "I've already found dozens."
The members of the alliance seemed surprised to hear that. Even Coraline's cat's eyes widened—though it might have been due to spotting a bird, so that could have been unrelated. Curie continued speaking to elaborate, "I've taken control of observatory devices throughout the city using my communicator to locate the antidotes faster."
Using her communicator, she projected a hologram that displayed different sections of the city.
Lioness smiled, baring her fangs. "That's great to hear! Point us in the direction we should go."
Curie addressed the group in an analytical tone. "Not so fast. There are three locations we need to prioritize to ensure the highest chance of success. The vast majority of other locations are far too risky. These three spots have the most well-hidden antidotes, but they're quite far apart."
Lioness's smile slightly faded, and she looked to Curie for an explanation. To her surprise, it was Jackson who answered her unspoken question. "I get what Curie is thinking. The other applicants know we're in an alliance, so if we go for antidotes in less hidden areas, they're likely to team up against us to stop us."
Coraline, with a look of realization, added, "Oh, so if we go after the most hidden ones, we're less likely to run into any other applicants."
While Lioness liked the plan, she voiced a concern to Curie. "What about the poison in our systems? We don't know how long it'll take to kick in or what it'll do to us. Isn't it risky to go after antidotes so far away?"
Curie's response was simple, direct, and confident. "Yes, it's definitely a risk... but going after antidotes that other applicants are likely aware of is an even bigger risk."
With those words spoken so confidently, Lioness was willing to trust Curie, and the other members of the alliance felt the same way.
The group traveled to the park where they had spent a night of fun previously.
There were two antidotes at this location, both hidden within the hands of the chess statues—the white and black kings, specifically.
Lioness and Jackson moved to retrieve them. As they approached, Curie came to a shocking realization: the chessboard was an Ascended Object. She tried to issue a warning, but it was too late.
As the two reached out for the antidotes, the closed fists of the black and white queens shot out, backhanding them both across the face and sending them sprawling to the floor.
Curie gritted her teeth and admonished herself. I should have considered that the antidotes would most likely be guarded.