Before Stark could react to Shock's audacious kill theft, a notification panel materialized before him.
[You have slain "Chaugnar, The Inquisitor's Servant." Gained 7,000,000 experience points.]
[You have defeated a Three-Headed Beast. Gained 1,500,000 experience points.]
[You have defeated a Three-Headed Beast. Gained 1,500,000 experience points.]
Ding!
[Your level has increased to Level 112, granting you five skill points and a boost in stats.]
[Experience: 4,357,000/9,250,000] (Level 112)
Stark blinked at the notifications, momentarily stunned.
Killing those beasts had been only enough for one level up?
The experience gain was underwhelming.
But that didn't matter now. The only thing on his mind was vengeance. The bastard had stolen his kill, and Stark was determined to settle the score.
"FUCK YOU!" he roared, launching himself at Shock with such speed that Sora could hardly track his movements.
But Shock was a being of electricity, and in an instant, he vanished in a flash of lightning.
"Not fast enough," he sighed, his voice echoing from the rooftop of a nearby building.
"COME DOWN IF YOU'RE A MAN!" Stark shouted, his frustration boiling over.
"I'd rather not," Shock shrugged, using [Lightning Flash] again to teleport just out of Stark's reach, his prize of the Inquisitor's kill slipping further away.
"I'm out too," Artist murmured, his own dark intentions flickering in his mind. He longed to claim Stark's blood for his masterpiece, but with [Heaven's Spear] still in the boy's arsenal, he couldn't risk it.
"Brush of Life," he muttered, sketching a door on the wall of a building before stepping through it, disappearing into the unknown.
Stark shook his head, bewildered.
"WHAT?"
So let's get this straight, one could move at lightning speed and another could draw things to make them real?
These people were utterly bizarre.
Maybe it was because Stark wasn't used to seeing new domination abilities that he felt that way.
Killing [Chaugnar] didn't grant any reward beside experience, so basically, he had done all of this for no reason.
With a resigned sigh, Stark glanced at his panels, and a warning flashed.
[Warning! Moonscorch level at 50% . Find a safe zone!]
"Let's go," he ordered Sora, and she quickly followed him without saying anything, sensing that Stark was angry.
The map they got as they entered Termina didn't specify what constituted a safe zone or how to find one, but Stark was determined to wait until his Moonscorch percentage decreased, using the time to strategize his next move.
This trial had proven to be far more challenging than the previous two combined—not just in terms of the monsters, but the twisted participants, too.
The first trial had semi-normal challengers, the second had its share of madness, and now, they faced pure insanity.
Each strike was swift and precise, leaving a trail of defeated foes in his wake.
Upon entering the manor, he was met with an unexpected sight.
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"Hello, sir," a butler was at the entrance, greeting anyone who entered, bowing down in a way that made it impossible to see his face, "Welcome to the Mayor's Manor."
"Hm," Shock scratched his chin, "Is there a-"
"Yes, sir, a safe zone is available right next to me."
Shock looked to the right, and indeed, there was a door which was glowing.
He didn't trust that, obviously, but his map came to the rescue.
Ding!
[You have found safe-zone, marking it on your map!]
"Nice..." Shock smiled, this meant he wouldn't have to worry much, plus, this butler seemed to want to help them.
As Shock approached the butler, he couldn't shake the unsettling feeling that clung to the air.
The butler, dressed impeccably in a tailored suit, exuded an air of sophistication, yet his face betrayed his Moonscorched state—skin slowly melting away, draping over his features like wax on a candle.
"Shit..." Shock instinctively took a step back, he hadn't really paid attention to its face before.
"Any problems, sir?" the butler said, his expression shifting, exuding a powerful aura, much more than even the [Inquisitor].
"Hm... nothing much," Shock wasn't scared of it, but this hospitality was probably the only one he would get in the trial, he couldn't waste time.
"Very well," the butler tried to smile, though it was just terrifying, "You can rest, and if you wish, you can meet up with the mayor of Termina, if you feel like it."
"Huh... thanks..."
A panel appeared in front of him as the butler mentioned the Mayor.
[Task #66: Defeat the Moonscorched Mayor.]
Shock's eyes widened slightly.
"You can take your time to enjoy our manor, sir," the butler bowed.
This instinctively made him look around, and he was indeed surprised.
In a trial dominated by squalor and despair, this manor radiated opulence, with ornate chandeliers dangling from the ceiling and rich tapestries adorning the walls.
It felt surreal, as if he had stepped into another world.
But no, he was still in the domination trial.
"Thank you," he said, a sense of relief washing over him.
Without further hesitation, he pushed open the door and stepped inside the safe zone, the air instantly shifting to a soothing calm.
But he wasn't the only one that was inside.
There, at the center of the room, awaited CEO, a knowing smile playing on his lips.