[Ding! The cooldown time for the Second Trial's second round has completed! (^o^)/]
The system's voice rang out, and the UI appeared in front of Maximilian, displaying the timer—now replaced by a button for him to enter the trial.
But then, as he looked more closely at the content of the Second Trial, specifically, the type of trial that gave him pause.
— 2nd trial —
-The Second round of the Trial of Soul -
Type: Trial by Theft
Trial Master Special Rule: No kill
Status: Second round - Awaiting participant
–Trial Master–
Name: Sean Brown
Villain Name: Shadow Thief
EF (Evolution Factor): Shadow Sphere
Skills/Abilities:
- Expert in Security Systems
- Mastery in Security System Bypassing
- Master Lockpicking
- Advanced Hacking Skills
- Mastery in Stealth
- Wildwalker's Wildland Knowledge
- Wildwalker's Bestiary Knowledge
—
[As you can see, Max, the rules can change at the start of a round at the request of the Trial Master. If the Trial Master doesn't exercise this right, the default will be a Trial by Combat. As for the special rule—it will be enforced on both parties. However, the Trial Master can still request a rule that gives them an advantage, even if it's technically applied to both sides.]
The system explained the rules.
"I see…" Maximilian nodded, thinking back to the First Trial, where he fought against Blood Mongoose.
Back then, he didn't know anything. He was suddenly thrown into the trial and died once. Then, miraculously, he revived through sheer willpower and managed to turn the tables on Blood Mongoose. He remembered… he only bit Blood Mongoose on the neck, and he won—because Blood Mongoose died before he did.
But… something about that was strange. During the fight, Blood Mongoose clearly still retained his EF ability. So why didn't he regenerate his neck? The wound was deep, yes, but not beyond recovery if Blood Mongoose had wanted to heal it.
Wait… Blood Mongoose had a scar on his face. That scar clearly hadn't healed through his regeneration ability. It had healed normally, which was why it left a scar.
Does that mean… from the neck up, Blood Mongoose's regeneration ability couldn't be used!?
With this in mind… Maximilian made a small scratch on the side of his head, drawing a thin wound that caused blood to seep out. He walked over to the mirror and observed it. He didn't feel a rush of intense anger, nor did the wound show any signs of closing anytime soon.
"As expected…" Maximilian muttered as he stared at the wound in the mirror.
[Huh? As expected of what?] the system asked.
"Blood Mongoose's EF… it seems it doesn't work if the wound is located from the neck upward," Maximilian said.
[Yes, that's Blood Mongoose's EF limit. After all, his EF is called Frenzy Trance, not Regeneration. The healing factor helps wounds recover faster, similar to an average regenerator ability—but only under the condition that the injury isn't from the neck up,] the system explained.
"I see. It seems like the system didn't bother telling me about that limitation. Looks like you really are lazy."
[How rude! Do you have any idea how much data I have to process!? I'm only at Level 2! This wouldn't have happened if you upgraded the system to Level 3!] The system snapped.
"I see…" Maximilian nodded slowly, but a strange glint appeared in his eyes as if he'd just caught on to something important.
Maximilian shifted his attention to the trial button. He put on his armor and pulled out several weapons from the system storage.
[Max, the trial is Trial by Theft this time, and there's a strict no-kill rule. Why are you taking weapons with you? You can't complete the trial without stealing the item and returning it to your starting point. And if you kill your opponent, I'll have no choice but to penalize you with an automatic loss. (￣～￣;) ] the system warned.
"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing," Maximilian replied as he pressed the button.
[Okay, don't say I didn't warn you…]
The view shifted from his bedroom to a vast space where a single high-rise building stood isolated, surrounded by what looked like a training field. Maximilian found himself confined within a glowing barrier. He couldn't move past it. The barrier displayed a number—10—and it was counting down.
[Ahem… In this trial, participants must compete to steal the target item and return to their original starting point. The one who successfully does so first will be declared the winner. Remember, do not kill your opponent, or the violator will be penalized by default!] the system announced surprisingly authoritatively across the space.
Maximilian smirked slightly. It was the first time he'd heard the goofy system use such a commanding voice. If someone had told him she was once a powerful queen from some far-off kingdom, he might've actually believed them.
[3]
[2]
[1]
[Start!]
The countdown ended, and the barrier surrounding Maximilian disappeared. He immediately gathered himself and sprinted toward the building, ready to ascend.
— Shadow Thief's POV —
One of the greatest advantages of being the Trial Master is the ability to design the trial and its map however I want. And I… the Shadow Thief, have taken full advantage of that.
Yes, of course, the trial must be fair, but even so, as the one who designed the layout and all the traps inside, everything is skewed in my favor. Even if Maximilian possesses the same skills as me, he won't be able to ascend the building as fast as I can!
That's because the traps and security systems at his entrance are entirely different from mine. This is one of the loopholes I've exploited. For example, the first security system may use the same passcode… but the combination on my side takes far less time to decipher!
As for the traps, even though they're technically the same, I'm the one who placed them. I know exactly where each one is, which lets me bypass them much faster. This entire trial was designed so that only I could win!
Now, I've already passed 30% of the course, and there's still no sign of that guy. It seems this victory will be mine.
An hour has passed, and I now stand before the final gate… still no sign of him. This victory is as good as secured!
The gate opened after just a bit of cracking with the tools I brought along. That's another advantage I gave myself—the tools I prepared are the best ones available, optimized for the fastest crack time. I don't know what kind of tools he has, but he wouldn't be able to open the lock if he didn't bring high-grade ones from the outside.
Finally, the item is in my hand. All I have to do now is get out of here and return it to the starting point!
I ascended to the rooftop and deployed my glider to descend from there. Hahaha! The starting point is in sight... I just need to land and walk straight to it.
"Ugh!"
A sharp pain struck my neck… and suddenly, my eyes felt heavy. I wanted to sleep… Did that bastard kill me!? That's perfect… if he did, this round is mine. I'll win by default!
That was the last thought in my mind before I succumbed to the sleepiness.
—
Maximilian watched as the glider descended rapidly, carrying the unconscious Shadow Thief. He rushed toward the glider's landing path and leapt up, catching Shadow Thief's body as it neared the ground to prevent him from crashing fatally.
Thankfully, the glider was of good quality and equipped with stabilization technology. It didn't plummet uncontrollably when Shadow Thief lost consciousness.
Maximilian laid Shadow Thief on the ground and began searching his body. Soon, he found the objective item—a golden trophy that looked more like a World Cup award than anything else.
Maximilian smirked.
"Thanks for bringing this thing to me," he said, teasingly slapping Shadow Thief's face a few times before walking back toward the starting point with the trophy in hand.
He had used a tranquilizer dart to put Shadow Thief to sleep—after ensuring he had obtained the trophy and was heading back to the start.
As Maximilian walked toward the starting point, the system's voice rang out:
[Max… what would you have done if the rule was just to reach the target area and hold the item? (ಠ_ಠ)] the system asked curiously.
"If the rule was to reach the target area, I'd have caught him on the way and cut his legs. If the rule was to hold the item, I'd have cut off his arms," Maximilian replied coldly, a hint of ruthlessness in his voice. "The rule only said not to kill, but it said nothing about sabotaging or paralyzing your opponent from the neck down."
[Somehow… you're becoming more and more ruthless. (＾﹏＾;) ]
"I have to be… My life is on the line," Maximilian said, his tone a mix of resignation and reflection. "If I lose the trial, no matter how kind or decent I am… I'll just die. Erased from existence. End of story."
He paused.
"Besides…" he said, glancing off to the side with a nostalgic smile, "If I lose, I won't be able to talk with you anymore."
[...]