In the second Trial, two teams were disqualified, which is to be expected since there were only ten numbered doors. The third trial, however, didn’t force any team out of the competition, at least not in the normal way, per se.
Hypothetically, all teams could possibly complete the trial by either surviving for five minutes or defeating the summoned monsters. Unfortunately, some teams were unlucky enough to face a monster that counters them, or more precisely, their techniques and ability, like what happened with Isadore’s team, for example.
As Gutcha had previously said, each time was to fight for five minutes, or less if the monster defeats the youngsters. A ten minutes-long break was to be held after each fight, so, in total, the trial took exactly 133 minutes. Out of the ten participating teams, two more were disqualified, leaving only eight.
The defeated teams were King Isadore Malfront’s team, named the Green-Leaf Royal Team, and the Blossom Merchant Company Team, which is composed of the bearded but young dwarves that had battled Shu Ru and the rest in the second stage.
The Demon Team, composed of the two demons girls, Cosima and her senior, Marjory, fought last. Their opponent was a two-headed poisonous snake, which, thanks to their high resistance to toxins, were able to defeat with relative ease, hence earning the perfect score, just like the elves.
With the third trial officially done, the host of the competition, Gutcha, displayed a detailed ranking of the teams and their earned points. The Ranking wasn’t for only the third Trial but all three Trials, which means that the points the participants had earned previously also count.
1 The Imoogi Clan: 249 points (5)
2 The PoMo Forest Team: 222 Points (7)
3 The Ancient Federation : 200 Points (1)
4 The MoonStar team : 186 Points (5)
5 The Demon Team : 182 Points (2)
6 The Holy Church Team : 176 Points (2)
7 The Mermaid Team : 170 Points (9)
8 The Dark Blaze Team : 124 Points (1)
The number of participants decreased to 32 but there was a large gap between the first and last place, but that’s to be expected since the Dark Blaze Team only had one member remaining. Nevermind the spectators, even Arthur was surprised to see that remaining youth last so long. He was able to survive for five minutes and inflict little to no damage to the monster.
Actually, the sole remaining member of the Dark Blaze Team wasn’t that talented, at least not like Cristina or Bora. Sure, he was still one of top disciples of his sect but, compared to his talented and skillful peers, he’s, at most, mediocre.
Apart from the Elves and the Demons, who got a perfect score in the third Trial, John was the next, earning a whopping 95 points. He would have gotten a 100 were it not for the time limit, which ended right before he dealt the finishing blow. Relatively speaking, MoonStar’s score was on the lower part of the spectrum, as only two teams have gotten less than they did.
Furthermore, it was only Arthur’s team that had lost a person in the trial. Their overall prowess was weakened now that Cristina was disqualified, however, that doesn’t mean that they’ll fail in the next trial.
“Those reptilian kids are a bit eerie for my taste.” Said Isadore, who somewhat recuperated from the failure of his team. “I’ve never seen them speak as much as a word. Their Guardian, too, is as peculiar as they are. Look at him.”
Isadore glanced at a middle-aged man, beardless, thin and tall, very tall, over two meters in height. His arms, neck, and legs, were covered in black and greyish scales, and so was his meter-long tail, protruding from the lower part of his back.
“I thought your Majesty wiser than to judge people by their appearances.” Replied Arthur, scoffing at the young ruler, who simply snorted.
“Still brooding over your team’s loss? You must’ve known they won’t rich the final.”
“I most certainly did but I can’t help but feel shame. They lost so miserably, and to a White Spawn, at that. As their Guardian and the King of Green-leaf, I have an image to maintain.”
“Your image has hit rock-bottom a long time ago, I reckon.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
Arthur covered his mouth in a vain attempt to mask his wide smile. Isadore Malfront, though, was still feeling bitter over what happened.
“Mister Arthur, would you be willing to spare us a bit of your time?”
Elder Nord, the elder belonging to the Kang Clan, leaned his old body forward and politely asked the parasite.
Kang Amidel, who sat beside the old man, pricked his ears while pretending to be engrossed in the competition, which has come to a halt as all teams were given one hour of rest and recuperation.
Some Guardians joined their teams, offering them advice and providing them with high-graded artifacts for the next trials.
The rules of the competition didn’t prohibit the use of any kind of artifact, including Zen Treasures, which, if used properly, can allow a God-Monarch to injure an Exalted God.
Arthur had delayed his inevitable discussion with Elder Nord for long enough, to when he was politely asked, he did simply nodded his head and stood up. Soon enough, the parasite, Kang Amidel, and Elder Nord were seated in a quiet and isolated room at the top of the tower, completely outside of the competition’s premises, including the plateau.
Truthfully speaking, Arthur didn’t know why the elder from the Kang Clan wanted to talk to him. Nevertheless, it’s high time they sorted the misunderstandings between them and established what their peculiar relationship actually is. It’s already a fact that the Kang Clan wants to help and maintain the safety of the last surviving titan, Astria. However, their way of approaching things is suspicious, to say the least.
“First of all, I’d like to apologize again for my sudden appearance. I’ve been sent here by the Patriarch to clear many things and provide a detailed explanation, which, I believe, would satisfy you and provide you with the answers you want.”
