Two days later…
The group continued heading forward, they encountered more beasts on the way, only they were not as strong as the horned snake they had faced previously. They had also encountered more people throughout the journey, but they focused on the task ahead of them without getting involved with anyone.
…
“Look”
Klaus pointed towards their right with his mouth wide agape.
When the others stared in the direction, they couldn’t help but suck in a cold breath. An Azure Palace could be seen, floating midair.
“How’s that even possible?”
Reynolds asked in a dumbfounded manner.
The others couldn’t answer since they were just as shocked as he was. Looking closer, they noticed there were already about eight people who were gathered outside the palace. They walked in the direction and soon got close to it.
They hadn’t seen these people before so they knew they were most likely from another empire, but it didn’t stop them from approaching the palace though, they only increased their guards against the new people.
On getting close, they all saw steps that led to the huge golden door of the palace. There were about forty steps in total which were all at least forty inches in length. The group who were gathered there all looked at the new group who were making their way towards the palace.
“What do you think is inside the palace?”
“Well, we won’t know until we enter”
A youth gathered courage and took the first step on the steps. The moment he placed his foot on the step, he suddenly paused, his body shook a little before he took the second step. On seeing one person take the first step, another person also went forward, and then a third. But something strange happened when the fourth person placed his foot on the steps, he was suddenly sent flying.
“What happened?”
Someone suddenly asked with surprise. Nothing like this happened when the others all took the first step. The other youth who was about to step forward immediately stopped on his tracks, an unknown fear suddenly gripped him. He looked in the direction of the youth who was sent flying.
“Could it be some sort of test?”
Grey stared at the steps trying to comprehend what just happened.
The youth who was sent flying stood up from where he landed with a shocked gaze, he still didn’t understand why he seemed to be rejected. Seeing the youth was fine, the fifth person summoned up the courage placed his foot on the step. His body shook a little, but after that, he was okay. He heaved a sigh of relief before he ascended the step like the others who had also climbed up the steps.
Grey was the first among the group to take the first step, on placing his foot on the step, he felt an unknown energy sweeping his entire body which made it shake from the pressure the energy emitted. But he was able to withstand the pressure and took the second step. Surprisingly, he only felt the strange energy on the first step, and the others felt like normal steps.
‘Seems like it’s a test. If one can’t withstand the pressure, then one would be rejected’.
This was the only thing he could surmise from what took place on the first step, but he still didn’t know what the energy was searching for on their bodies.
Seeing Grey successfully passing through the first step, the others all took their first steps, and they successfully passed just like Grey. One more person was rejected from the previous group which meant in total, only ten of them were able to make it to the door. But now, they were faced with a new challenge, getting the door to open.
They had all tried pushing the door, but it didn’t budge, it didn’t even make any sound. They sent out different attacks, but it still didn’t budge, the attacks didn’t even leave a single scratch in the golden doors.
While the others were still thinking of ways to get the door to open up, something by the side of the door caught Alice’s attention. She walked towards the side of the wall and saw some instructions on the wall. Presumably, it was the instruction used for opening the door.
Three minutes later…
Boom!
“Fuck! Why won’t it budge?”
Klaus cursed out in frustration, he wasn’t the only one who was starting to get frustrated. Given the fact that they experienced what seemed to be a small trial at the first step, they all had huge expectations for what might be inside the palace. They had even used their strongest attacks, but the door still didn’t budge.
Grey looked at the door deep in thoughts, he truly wanted to check it out.
After reading the instructions, Alice looked at the group who were all almost out of breath before calling them over
“Hey dummies! Come over here”
On hearing the call, Grey, Reynolds, and Klaus all looked in her direction. She pointed at the walls. The trio curiously walked over, they were not the only ones though, the other six also walked over. On seeing the instructions, Grey couldn’t help but ask,
“When did you see it?”
“Just now”
Alice replied with a slight smile.
The trio looked at her with suspicious gazes, they felt she had seen it for some time now but just wanted them to suffer a little before she called them over. Well, they were right, she had seen it for almost three minutes now. She just wanted to watch them suffer a little. They helplessly shook their heads before once again turning to the instructions.
The method of opening the door was actually quite simple. The door had a mechanism installed in it, there was a small hole at the side of the door where one places their hands and channels their elemental essence. Only then would it open. There were ten holes which meant ten people would have to do it simultaneously.
“Well, that’s easy”
Klaus walked towards one of the holes and placed his hand on it the others soon followed suit. They all revolved the elemental essence in their bodies and channeled it towards their palms, the essence flowed from their hands into the hole, and soon,
Creak!
The door slowly started opening on its own. Some moments later, the golden door opened wide and a cold ancient breeze blew in the faces of everyone as they stood in front of the door. They looked at the dimly lit palace before staring at each other, they all steeled their minds and walked into the palace, as soon as the tenth person walked inside,
Bam!
The door suddenly slammed shut.
‘Well, there’s no turning back it seems’
Grey looked at the current closed door. He stared around to see how the place looked, he noticed they were all in what looked like a huge spacious hall, he couldn’t see the walls of the palace due to the dim light. They all stood on the black and gold floor, which was made of a hard material, which gave a cold feeling. With the groups’ strength, they couldn’t even damage it.
A voice suddenly rang out in the palace,
“Trial: Metal Warriors, Objective: Survival, Time: Four hours”
The voice suddenly disappeared after this.
“What was that?”
A boy spoke out with a tinge of panic.
“Sounds like we’re in some sort of trial palace”
“What are these metal warriors the voice spoke of?”
“I have no idea”
The youth wasn’t the only one panicking, some others also had panicked expressions.
Dang! Dang! Dang!
From the dimly lit side of the palace, a soul-shaking sound appeared. At the same time, a strong aura spread forth.
“What is it?”
Everyone turned towards the side of the palace, but could only see five blurry figures slowly walking out of the dark place.
They all looked puzzled, but the metallic footsteps behind them became closer and closer. The aura from it also pressured most of them, with only Alice and another youth being the ones who didn’t feel pressured in any way.
Dang! Dang!
In the darkness, five black metallic warriors three meters tall appeared, they all had a pair of green eyes that were opened. There was also a pair of dark green wings on the black metal warrior ‘s back which had a two-meter span.
“What is that thing?”
The hearts of everyone trembled.
“Oh my God!”
Klaus’s mouth was agape. He wasn’t the only one though, almost everyone else stood stunned.
“The monsters auras all seem to be in the peak of the Ninth stage”
Alice said after sensing the exact strength of the monsters.
The hearts of everyone tightened, including Grey. Among the group who entered the palace, only Alice and one other youth were in the Ninth stage, the rest all ranged within the Sixth and Eighth stage with Klaus being the only one at the Sixth stage.