-Aiden-: "Don't worry too much, you did better than Finn."
-Finn-: "If you really want to push my buttons, try it with money. Everything else just goes over my head."
-Aiden-: "Were you some kind of corporate worker in your past life? You drain the fun out of everything."
-Finn-: "Mind your own business, Sherlock. You can never be too financially secure."
-Seraphina-: "Does everything have to revolve around money with you?"
-Finn-: "Actually, yes, it does."
-Rey-: "Good luck finding a partner with that attitude, man."
*****
As the gravity increased to x6, Morrigan finally threw in the towel, leaving the remaining members to continue.
While the others struggled through the trial, Jett took the opportunity to reflect.
'Why would they give us such an easy trial? It feels like they're letting us pass. But why?' he wondered.
Jett overheard the others grumbling about how tough the trial was.
'These guys... how can they complain? This is nothing.' Jett mused. 'Maybe if I push them harder, they'll all work better.'
With the gravity ramping up to x8, -Evelina- declared, "Alright, I'm out. Asher, make sure to avenge me."
-Aiden-: "I'm actually surprised that Freya hasn't complained at all."
-Freya-: "I barely feel it. I was actually wondering if mine was delayed."
-Rey-: "That's cheating."
-Freya- : "Considering I don't have an attack skill, this is a decent trade-off. '
'Right, since gravity-based attacks don't affect me, if Clarence had done the same to me, I'd still be standing. Not fair. At this rate, she'll be the one to win.' Jett thought, with a hint of jealousy.
As the gravity increased to x10, Aiden and Rosa both conceded. Aiden stumbled back, exhausted, while Rosa collapsed to the ground. They were promptly sent back to meet with the others, their faces a mix of frustration and relief.
With the gravity escalating to x12, then x14, Asher sighed and said, "I guess this is where I draw the line."
-Elora- added, "What a shame."
-Seraphina- grimaced and muttered, "Damn it, I can't take any more."
'This could have been avoided if everyone had put in more effort,' Jett thought as he skimmed through their messages. 'Ugh, doesn't this thing have a mute function?'
*****
As the gravity reached x16, Cedric groaned, "Yep, I'm done. I can't go on."
'Freya will win in the end, even if I push myself to the limit. I can't resist the gravity forever so there's no point in dragging this out.'
-Jett-: "I'm out. I won't waste my energy on a battle I can't win. You guys better be smart and let Freya take this one."
-Rey-: "The goal is x20. We can handle it."
-Matthew-: "That's right."
[Reward]
[+2 Levels]
A special notification popped up for Freya:
[Side Challenge Reward]
[Winner: Freya]
[+2 Levels]
[Trial Exemption x1]
Along with the extra two levels, Freya was granted a special privilege: she could choose not to participate in the next trial.
*****
"This trial didn't last as long as the previous one, but I'm beat," Rey said, trying to stretch out his sore muscles.
Everyone was feeling the effects of fatigue, though Jett had to put on a show of exhaustion as well.
[Purge]
Immediately, a wave of revitalization washed over them. They felt refreshed, even more invigorated than when they had started.
[Would you like to continue? Yes/No]
"Next week," Rey said, activating his teleportation scroll to return to the academy.
The others followed suit, each using their scrolls to teleport back. But Jett stayed behind, a thoughtful expression on his face.
It's just a thought, but... Jett mused as he walked closer to Alok, "Who is your master? Why does this place exist?"
Alok responded calmly, "Your questions shall all be answered once the trial is over."
"Trial? It feels more like we're being toyed with," Jett said, but received no further reply.
"Then what are you? You don't seem human, but you're definitely not an angel or higher entity," Jett pressed.
As he asked the question, a red notification flashed:
[[Refrain from asking too many questions]]
[[No good will come from this]]
That red notification again. Is the system really threatening me? Or is it just Plausibility?
Well, that only proves how important this information is, Jett thought, pulling out his own teleportation scroll. I should focus on getting stronger for now.
*
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Hehe
The double square bracket again
Let's see if you guys still remembe