57 Masco

Shesmu made his way through the dark corridor. Much like the outside of the castle, it was ruined. Rotting wood, crumbling rocks, Shesmu wondered how the basement didn't collapse under its own weight.

At the end of the corridor was a door to the right. Shesmu's minimap indicated that it was his target. Light shone from within the room, and Shesmu quickly found its source. An altar was positioned in the middle of the chamber with a magical circle drawn on top of it. The circle glowed with a golden hue.

Shesmu walked towards it when a notification appeared in front of him.

Congratulation on completing the second floor's trial

[May you, who has proven wisdom, prudence, and strength of heart, carve your path through the horrors of this world.]

Shesmu teleported from the ruined castle and into a plaza. The sudden light blurred his vision. The plaza's white, marble floor reflected the sun standing high in the sky.

"Oh, you're finally here."

Sakura was making the sleeping Ryan sit down, back on the door of a palace. Shesmu's eyes worked their way up the giant and impressive building, before looking back at Sakura.

"Was he here when you came?"

She looked back at Ryan with a smile before saying, "Yeah. He was unconscious on the floor when I arrived, so thought might as well let him sit on the door."

Shesmu looked at Ryan for a few seconds then said, "Thank you for that."

"Don't sweat it. More importantly, how did the trial go?"

"It went well," Shesmu swiftly responded. "I mean, I'm here, so… The trial couldn't have gone too bad if I'm standing in front of you."

Sakura chuckled at Shesmu's response. "You're right, that was a bit of a dumb question."

"Woohoo! Congratulation esteemed guests of the golden generation. Lester, here to serve you. Woohoo!"

A short talking fluffy panda opened the door of the palace and greeted the party of five.

"Please, follow me inside. Woohoo! We'll shortly prepare the stage for your third challenge. Woohoo!"

"Is this… a panda?" muttered Sakura.

"Yes, a talking panda," responded Shesmu with a straight face. He entered the palace door while Sakura stood shocked for a few seconds. She soon woke up of her reverie and followed after the two.

The first thing that greeted them was a table full of food and drinks, while on the back of the room a team of musicians was playing a calm tune.

"Woohoo! We have prepared for our guests a welcoming party. Your hard work shall be rewarded. Woohoo!"

Lester then made a gesture with his paw, and next to him a roulette appeared with a poof.

"Woohoo! However, before you shall dine on this feast, let us play a little game. Woohoo!"

Oh, this part finally came.

"Woohoo! The roulette is split into 64 different areas. Each area corresponds to a different game. Depending on what comes out, the challenge that you shall face in the third floor shall be determined. Woohoo!"

By this point, both Shesmu and Sakura's attention was on the roulette. With a flick of his paw, Lester spun it.

The disk spun and spun until it finally landed on area 34.

"Woohoo! And the game you will play shall be… The Deadly Cave Challenge! Woohoo!"

Huh, so this will be the final battle.

Lester's announcement didn't receive the hype that was expected. Both Shesmu and Sakura looked at the panda who still had his paws high up in the air in a weird pose with unimpressed eyes.

"Cough, cough. Woohoo! Anyways, the challenge will be set in a cave as indicated by the name. The goal is to go through the cave branches and reach the target that is on the other side. This challenge is fifty men one, which means that you need fifty participants before the game can start. Woohoo!"

The panda then paused for a second before a smirk covered his face. "Woohoo! One more thing, in the deadly cave, there are a lot of lethal traps and cunning monsters, so please proceed with care. That's it for my explanation. For now, I'll let you enjoy the meals specifically prepared for you. Woohoo!"

With a poof, both Lester and the roulette next to him disappeared.

[The challenge for the third floor has been set]

[Numbers of participant needed: 47]

"A fifty-man challenge, huh. This seems like the perfect place for the monster to start its killing spree."

Shesmu agreed with Sakura's deduction. This was the best opportunity the monster could have ever hoped for.

"We need to make a plan," he murmured under his breath. He looked at Sakura and said with an urgent voice, "We need to make sure not to split up."

"What do you mean? Why?" Sakura stood confused at Shesmu's logical jump. She couldn't understand where his conclusion came from.

"If we split at any point within the game, the monster will pick us apart, no matter it's outward identity."

"But what if it's not a choice?" Sakura asked. "What if we were forced to split by the trial itself."

"That would be the worst-case scenario." Shesmu scratched his chin deep in thought, before looking up at Sakura, his eyes flashing with a brilliant light. "But that's when plan B will start."

* * *

While Shesmu and Sakura were talking within the palace, Leo was in his purple sports car, driving down the street.

"Young master, we have reached Ryan's house."

Calling it a house was an understatement—it was a mansion. The steel gates opened automatically for Leo's car to enter. They made their way through the beautiful garden before parking the car in the parking lot.

Leo opened the car's door and went outside while Albert stayed in his seat. Leo then made his way to the main door of the mansion.

"Master Leo, we're pleased to have you visit us."

Maids clad in full suits greeted Leo and bowed. One of which promptly opened the door and led him inside.

"Has Ryan shown himself yet?" He asked her in a hurry, hoping that Ryan woke up in the time he spent in the car.

"No, Master. I was under the impression that Master Ryan had an appointment with you."

"Yeah," Leo responded absentmindedly. "You're right."

The two made their way through the main hall when a stunning beauty appeared upstairs.

"Hey, Leo. It's been just a couple hours and you're already back? I thought that you and Ryan would spend the night grinding Ashes of Gods."

Her silky dark brown hair reached to her waist. Her emerald green eyes could see through Leo's soul. And her black dress fluttered as she made her way down the stairs.

"Oh hey Sophie, how have you been doing?"