None of the participants could truly understand what "the world watching them" meant.
It wasn't possible that the outside world would have access to the domination trial after all, right?
Right as he thought of that, Stark suddenly felt the pressure of being watched from every direction.
"What the..." his eyes widened, his pupils shaking, "Could it be..."
But the new notification about their next objective snapped him back to reality.
[Head to the Hollow Tower Square - Time limit of 2 hours.]
[Those that don't have 5 tasks completed by then will be instantly Moonscorched.]
Stark's heart skipped a beat.
The Moonscorch threat was serious, and it was the first time this trial actually threatened them with instant death.
Talk about fair, heh?
He quickly checked his own status and breathed a sigh of relief.
[Completed Tasks: 5/5]
"Oh, then I guess it's fine," he muttered, but not everyone was in the clear.
Another panel popped up, showing everyone's current progress:
[Stark: 5/5]
[Sora: 2/5]
[Follower: 5/5]
[Clever: 5/5]
[Lilith: 5/5]
[CEO: 5/5]
[Artist: 4/5]
"Huh," Stark glanced at Lilith's name. "How'd you finish all your tasks already?"
Lilith shrugged, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Did all I could find in the shopping district, which is where I was resting."
"So, you must have gotten some good items, right?"
"Better than you'd think." Lilith tapped a few times on the air, pulling up her inventory for Stark to see.
[Lilith's Items: Cooldown Gem, Double Power, Revive Token, Teleportation Sphere, Moonscorch Cure]
Stark's eyes widened. "Those are... insane items. You should use the Moonscorch Cure, though."
"Good point," Lilith replied, activating the item.
Instantly, the remaining traces of Moonscorch vanished from her.
She flexed her fingers, looking visibly relieved.
But then Stark's eyes drifted back to Sora's status.
"Only 2 tasks completed. She still needs three more," he said, concern evident in his voice.
Lilith nodded, thinking. "There were a few tasks left in the shopping district that I skipped. She could finish them quickly if we work together."
"Then let's move." Stark turned to Sora. "We have two hours. We're going to get you those tasks and then head to the Hollow Tower. Stay close."
The three of them bolted toward the shopping district, finding it easily.
It was a massive street filled with dozens of shops, though most were overrun and had broken windows, shutdown, or covered with wood planks.
They dashed past dilapidated storefronts, overturned carts, and flickering neon signs casting eerie lights on the streets.
Their first stop was an old bookstore, its windows cracked and dusty.
"There's a task here," Lilith informed as they followed her.
Inside, books were scattered everywhere, but a strange panel appeared as they entered.
[Task: Locate the Forgotten Tome. Reward: Teleportation Token]
"It's like hide and seek," Sora muttered, already scanning the room.
Stark and Lilith split up, moving methodically between aisles and stacks of books, knocking aside debris as they searched.
What was the goal of this trial in stopping the monster spawn...?
"Done!"
The store flooded with light, illuminating everything with a cold, artificial glow.
The Protection Amulet appeared in Sora's inventory too
"Got it!" she cheered. "That's all five."
They shared a quick, relieved smile.
They'd done it—Sora had her five tasks completed.
They stepped back out onto the crimson-lit streets, the Hollow Tower visible in the distance, looming over the ruined cityscape.
The clock was still ticking, and other participants were undoubtedly already on their way there.
Stark glanced at the timer on his panel. "We still have time, but we should hurry."
As they made their way through the shopping district, the city around them felt like it was holding its breath.
The streets were empty, an eerie silence pervading everything.
The only sound was the faint hum of electricity and the echo of their footsteps.
When they reached the square before the Hollow Tower, they saw that everyone else was already there, standing at various points across the wide, open space.
The atmosphere was tense, each participant eyeing the others warily.
"Why aren't they fighting one another-" Stark wondered as he stepped foot, after all he was sure any of these people would kill at any moment.
An answer came as soon as he entered.
[Fighting between participants is prohibited currently, anyone who does it will be moonscorched.]
CEO stood with his arms crossed, his eyes cold and calculating.
Follower's face was twisted into a grin, as if savoring the tension in the air.
Lilith shifted closer to Stark, keeping her gaze sharp as she assessed the crowd.
Artist and Clever exchanged brief glances, as if mentally preparing themselves for whatever came next.
Stark felt the weight of the moment.
The silence stretched, everyone seemingly waiting for someone else to make the first move to talk, or just wait for another panel to appear.
Finally, another notification appeared, breaking the standoff.
[Congratulations on completing the tasks. You've reached the Hollow Tower.]
[Now, let us put on a show for all of our spectators.]
BOOM!
An explosion in the distance could be heard, and suddenly, a dark barrier formed around the [Hollow Tower Square], blocking all of them from leaving.
[Escape isn't possible anymore.]
All the participants could feel that what was about to happen was bad.
And the fact the trial described it as the halfway point meant that there were still things to do.
In the real world, everybody was in the edge of their seats, waiting to see what could possibly happen.
No one even bothered doing their work correctly, focusing on their screens and the trial.
The world had one question: just how much would the participants have to go through.
The answer could come sooner than expected.
Businessmen? Who even cares about the clients, they're also watching their screens after all.
Restaurant/coffee shop workers? We'll prepare your food when something dull happens, until then you'll have to wait.
And let's not talk about the powerful families.
Lana's family, Stark's family, Sora's family, all guilds and groups, they all watched it happen with amazed eyes.
This was unlike anything that happened until now.
And so now, the name of the 7 alive participants was known to everybody in Rheria.
They became world-known celebrities in less than an hour.