The air was thick with tension as Stark stood beneath the colossal angel, the massive spear glowing ominously in its grasp.
At any moment, if Stark felt like it, he could order it to throw the spear, killing every single one of them.
Everyone had been frozen, unsure of their next move, weighing their options carefully.
Stark’s crimson aura radiated outwards, making it hard for anyone to look directly at him without feeling overwhelmed.
The Mayor was the first to move, his calculating eyes darting between the angel, Stark, and the other participants.
"Your bluff won’t hold forever, Chosen," the Mayor growled, stepping forward. "Someone will call it. Someone always does."
"And yet," Stark replied calmly, his voice carrying across the battlefield, "none of you have yet."
The silence that followed was suffocating.
No one wanted to make the first move.
No one could, or else it would be instant death.
No one wanted to risk being the one who triggered the angel’s wrath.
In the midst of this standoff, Follower’s lips curled into a sneer.
"Enough of this," he muttered under his breath, reaching into his system inventory.
Stark’s eyes shifted slightly, catching the subtle movement.
From his inventory, Follower pulled out a scroll, its surface shimmering faintly with golden text.
The moment the scroll appeared, an announcement flashed before every participant and on every screen worldwide:
[Skill Canceller: Cancels out any skill, even if it is Immortal or level 100!]
Gasps erupted from those watching both inside and outside the trial.
An object that wouldn’t be powerful under usual circumstances because of the many skills everyone had.
But in Stark’s case, whom [Crimson Spear]’s [Heaven’s Spear] was his lifeline, it was a big deal.
"YOU FOOL," Follower bellowed, raising the scroll high. "NOW YOU’RE ABOUT TO BE MASSACRED!"
Every participant’s eyes widened, realizing the implications.
And they all smiled as well, ready to dash the moment the angel disappeared.
Stark, however, remained unshaken. His calm demeanor only deepened the unease of those around him.
"GOODBYE, CHOSEN ONE!" Follower shouted, activating the scroll with a triumphant laugh.
But as his fingers began to glow, the sound of Stark’s voice cut through the chaos.
"Idiot," Stark whispered, barely audible but brimming with confidence.
"!!!?"
SNAP!
The sharp sound echoed as Stark’s crimson clone, calm until now, snapped its fingers.
Using [Crimson Ball Transmission], it teleported directly behind Follower, the crimson energy of the clone swirling as it materialized.
He gestured upward, where the angel held the colossal spear, its crimson glow intensifying,
"And if any attacks hits me or the girls..." he smiled. "...it’s game over."
The participants exchanged uneasy glances, the stalemate dragging on.
Suddenly, Follower snapped.
"ENOUGH!" he screamed, lunging toward Stark with wild eyes.
Stark didn’t flinch.
The angel’s grip on the spear tightened, and for a moment, it seemed as if the end was near.
But before the angel could act, another participant intervened.
Clever moved with blinding speed, intercepting Follower and slamming him to the ground, while keeping the Tormented One in check with his statue.
"Stop being reckless," Clever hissed.
Follower struggled beneath him, his rage boiling over.
"HE HAS TO DIE!" Follower screamed.
"And so will we if you keep this up," Clever snapped back.
"FUCK... YOU..." Using the entire power he had earned from the [Godless Demon], Follower’s body exploded with aura, sending Clever flying in the opposite direction, "I’M KILLING EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU!"
[Annihilate them all to prove yourself, Follower.]
A panel appeared in front of him, meaning that killing Stark wasn’t the only way to get stronger anymore, he could kill them all.
"Oh?" Mayor’s expression was still serious, "Looks like Chosen didn’t even have to push you that much to begin to go insane, kid, alright, you’re gonna die," Mayor took his stance.
"..." Tormented One also turned his attention, managing to break one of the golden arms that was blocking him.
It went from a [5V1] to a [1V1V1V2] in mere minutes, with Stark, Lilith and Sora able to enjoy the show.
Any movement from the others and he would launch the spear.
The single reason he didn’t do it was because he would need it for later, specifically against the moons.
"Oh yeah," Stark spoke to Lilith, watching Mayor and Follower engage in a battle, "Give me the [Cooldown Gem] you got from your task."
"Huh?" Lilith tilted her head, "Why should I?"
"Lilith," Sora held her shoulder, shaking her head, "Trust him."
For some reason, Lilith was really fond of Sora, her calm face and expressions were enough for her to agree.
"Alright, you saved me twice..." she mumbled, pulling out all of her items instead of only the [Cooldown Gem], "You’re gonna need them more than me, probably."
In front of Stark’s eyes were: [Cooldown Gem, Double Power, Revive Token, Teleportation Sphere, Moonscorch Cure x1]
But Stark decided to only take the [Cooldown Gem], [Double Power], [Revive Token] and [Moonscorch Cure], which he used immediately since his moonscorch percentage was already reaching its peak.
"Keep the [Teleportation Sphere], they’re safety items, I don’t need them," Stark smiled gently at Lilith, and for some strange reason, through the boy’s bruised and tired face, her heart skipped a beat.
"A-Alright," she nodded.
Now all Stark needed to do was sit back and enjoy the show.