388 - 390

Chapter 388 - What's So Bad About Past?

Alistair opened his eyes in disbelief. He visibly flinched as he heard ' less than ten seconds '.

Ten seconds was the gap between him and Sophia... But that was with Sophia taking 4 minutes & 50 seconds and him taking 5 minutes!

That was something he could still accept given Sophia's lineage.

But less than ten seconds?!

There was no way he could believe this.

He was not only a Chosen but also someone who has successfully explored another meteorite. As such, he has experienced lots of setbacks and shocks, but nothing like this.

Ten seconds was not even the time under which one could realize the surroundings and setting. Yet, Zed broke out in less than that time?!

How could such a thing even happen?! Was his Will that strong?!

Every single youth refused to believe this. They wondered if the test mechanism was damaged or something, but then they scoffed and chided themselves for thinking of such a thing.

This trial ground was a piece of Celestial Elysian Plane!

Sun can extinguish and the oceans can dry, but the trial ground wouldn't suffer a malfunction!

Then... The only possible conclusion was that he really passed! That too in record time!!

Sophia's eyes were filled with shock and disbelief. But unlike others, she was not bitter at Zed for surpassing her and shattering her record with such a huge margin.

She was happy!

"Mom always said kind and honest people are rewarded!"

Sophia praised her all-knowing mother who has been right about almost everything.

Beside her, Jenina and her companions quivered. They were praying for him, but not even in their wildest dream, they expected such an outcome.

It was like gods not only accepted their prayers, but also added some extra benefits on own! They never knew gods were so gracious!

"Just what is he?!"

Jenina's heart stirred in amazement. Every time she felt she understood him, he would shock her with new things.

She glanced at Willard, Kieron, and others, and when she noticed their pale faces, the corners of her mouth curled up.

"You guys were saying something, right?" Jenina asked mockingly.

Willard and others had unsightly faces. They felt they would get an opportunity to gloat, but instead, it was they who were trampled upon.

Willard wanted to scream and curse... but what purpose would that serve?

"He is being transferred to the second part!" Sophia pointed to the projection.

Inside the white space, Zed opened his eyes.

The first part of the trial was basically transferring consciousness into an illusory world. Even though one would have body, it was just a projection, and not the real body. That was how the illusion would feel so life-like and real as consciousness was affected directly without the hindrance of physical body.

Of course, even though the body was just a projection, it would not be at all different from the real body. The projection would have everything just like the real body, making it almost impossible to realize that the body is separated from consciousness.

Even treasure items, gadgets, and everything owned by a person would remain the same. After all, it was just an illusion, and not reality so creating them in a world of illusion was nothing difficult. This was mainly done so that a person couldn't notice anything amiss during the trial in illusion.

"I basically cheated."

Zed thought while putting a hand on his chest. Fluctuations that only he could feel were continuously emitting out from the center of his chest.

Cosmic Spark.

It has been fused with Zed almost as if it was a part of his body. Naturally, he could feel its existence every moment.

But when his consciousness was pulled into the illusory world, he instantly felt something amiss. The setting and everything else was real, but he felt strange. Like his body was missing something... just like how a person would feel when they can't feel a limb.

It didn't even take him a second to realize that the missing part was Cosmic Spark.

The mechanism of the illusory world could copy everything it could sense. But since it couldn't even sense Cosmic Spark, there was no way it could copy and stuff it into the illusory body of Zed.

This was nothing surprising.

It has to be recalled that even the alien lifeforms he confronted weren't able to detect Cosmic Spark's presence.

So the mechanism of the illusory world couldn't be faulted for this mistake. The trial was basically trying to test a person who has the ultimate cheat item...

The only thing which stunned Zed was that the illusory world involved Felicity.

He was actually expecting a masseur center setting - where husbands would happily bring their wives so that Kiba could provide them deep & personal care...

He wouldn't have been surprised if the setting involved the success story of Wife Pleasuring Ltd or his future career as a doctor. After all, as per the glimpse of the future shown by Pythia, Dr. Kiba was a reputed doctor throughout the world. He was such a great doctor that he has even received many international awards for his contribution to women's health...

"I guess I either overestimated my dreams or underestimated Felicity's importance..."

Zed mused with a smile.

Shua~!

At this moment, with a heaving rustling sound, memories of his life began playing. The trial wanted him to relive every moment which has made him feel pain, despair, and resentment. Perhaps due to his earlier success, the intensity and span of these memories were far greater than those faced by others.

At the same time, inside the hall.

Sophia jumped on the floor, her body trembling. Jenina lost all traces of color from her face as she observed the virtual projection of memories that Zed was reliving from the time he turned four.

On a crowded street, a six-years-old Zed was sitting on a footpath. He has rugged and torn clothes while almost everyone else was clad in sweaters, pullovers, sweatshirts, jackets, and other winter clothes. He was shivering as he requested for alms. He begged and cried...

Maybe, the people have grown resistant to the plights of beggars, or for some other reason, no one helped him. His eyes were filled with despair and tears but he continued to sit there, hoping for a miracle.

He was worried about going empty-handed back to the caretaker as he hasn't eaten anything from almost a day and a half. He knew the caretaker would let him remain starved if he didn't earn enough for purchasing cheap alcohol.

Just then, a bald, bulky man arrived in front of him and handed him a coin. Zed's eyes brightened up and just as he took the coin in his small hands, the man pulled the coin back.

Seeing Zed's tearful expression, the man smirked and threw the coin on the street.

"Take it!" The man laughed and went away.

Zed ran through the crowded street to find the coin. The people on the street were in a hurry and have no time to care about a ragged boy as he ran through them to find the coin.

They pressed him among them, and in some time, he lost his footing and collapsed on the road. The people around trampled on him despite his screams. After an unknown amount of time, he escaped with the coin in his hand.

Despite the footmarks on his body, he smiled and hid the coin as if it was the most precious item in the world.

"He was a beggar?!" Sophia felt her voice choking.

Of everything she has known about him, this shocked her the most. If she wasn't aware of the nature of trials and seen the memories with her own eyes, she wouldn't have believed this.

She stared at the image of his younger self.

Poor and malnourished.

She didn't look down at him for his poor background. Her mother has taught her a person's worth was not decided by family but only by the individual.

Jenina was lost at words.

She recalled how he carried out a dangerous operation with high-tech operational units. Everything so far denoted he was from an influential background...

The memories continued to crash into Zed one after another, filled with despair and terror, but much to everyone's shock, his expression was calm.

Almost everyone in the hall was at least from a middle-class background while many were related to echelons of the society. None of them have faced difficulties like him, and they were sure, they wouldn't want to trade places. While not knowing what hunger and begging felt like, they were more than sure it was something no one wanted to experience.

As Sophia continued to look at the memories playing, her heart sank. She didn't know why, but looking at him facing so much humiliation and pain in his younger days, her eyes turned misty.

"Zed..."

Despite her emotions, she observed the projection. There was no sound and she was grateful for that. Otherwise, she wasn't sure she could handle the scenes of him facing violence from slum dwellers and his caretaker.

In a new memory, a man with a camera was standing outside a ruined building. In front of him were Zed and other poor kids.

He lifted a bread and brought it in front of the kids. His manner was similar to a person showing bone to a dog.

"Want this bread?" The man with camera asked.

The kids instantly nodded, their mouths watering.

He tossed the bread, and the five hungry kids jumped on one piece of bread.

As the kids fought for bread, the man clicked pictures as if he was recording some artistic scene. Zed looked at the man with a bewildered expression as camera flash was projected on them, but he didn't think for any longer and began fighting for bread.

"This is perfect!" The man said with a satisfied smile. "Such a perfect picture would definitely be appreciated in upcoming art auction!"

The scene changed to when Zed was twelve years old. He was in a cage-like prison where he has to face another kid for food. The fight, or play to be precise, was an entertainment for the slum overlords.

At the same time, in the world of white, as this memory resurfaced, Zed let out a yawn.

"Yeah, I faced some difficulties in my life... so what about it?"

There was no way this trial could even make him tremble a little. Akshobhya has already made him relive his life a little over three months ago. That was truly torturous unlike this.

"First that idiot monk and now this trial... why does everyone think past is something to be terrified of?"

His lips curved into a sadistic smile that was unique to his alter ego. As the smile appeared, the memory paused.

His smile was filled with mockery and challenge... as if daring the trial to make him experience despair.

The trial was to test Will. It was to know determination and self-control when one faces the greatest desire and relives the worst moments.

Seeing him smiling, how could the trial make more of his memories resurface? He has already proved his Will!

Swoosh~!

A column of light enveloped him and he was sent out of the portal.

Inside the hall, everyone was flabbergasted. He was being sent out despite him only experiencing a little over ten years worth of memories?!

"This is not right! I almost relived the entire twenty-four years of my life!"

"Same here!"

"The trial is being unfair!"

A few people were still complaining when Zed appeared. They turned silent as they felt powerful energy ripples from above.

The ceiling was covered with an energy cloud, made of myriad colors. The clouds turned into beams of light and rushed at Zed.

Every pair of eye was locked on the crystalline thread wrapped around his wrist. Whether it was male or female, everyone wanted to know just how much merit he would earn.

Even before the actual materialization of the beads, people were sure he would earn far more than Sophia and Alistair!

How could he not after the things he has done?!

He has broken the illusory world in less than ten seconds. And then the memory test stopped in the middle!!

After everything, if he didn't gain more beads then that would be the actual shocking event.

"Please god! Don't let him earn more!"

Willard, Kieron, and others internally prayed.

"If you must reward him, just give a few more beads than Sophia!"

Willard - an atheist- now prayed to every god he knew about. He has muttered dozens of gods' names while repeating his request.

"Please god! Please! If you accept my request, I would recruit more followers for your cause!"

Sadly, it seemed gods had no interest in gaining more followers. Right in front of Willard's eyes, countless beads fused with the crystalline thread.

His throat turned sour, and as he began counting the beads, he lost count after ninety. The beads were the size of a pigeon's eye, so they could easily fill the thread. Plus, now it seemed, more threads have appeared to wrap the remaining beads.

Willard knew how precious even one bead was... Now, Zed was getting these treasured beads one after another.

The scene made the intensities of onlookers churn in envy.

"There is no way this is real!"

"Over a hundred beads!"

"I must be imagining things!"

"My eyes have impaired!"

"Me as well! I'm seeing double threads instead of one!!"

"You as well?!"

"It would mean...!"

"No! That couldn't be true!"

Many youths staggered and lost balance as they counted the beads. A few felt their heads spinning. There were even some who were showing symptoms of a heart attack!

If Sophia's servant - Aileen- was here, she would have said, "My womanly intuition was right! This kid would truly make geniuses cry to death!"

Chapter 389 - Don't Want To Change The Past!

The lackeys of Alistair and Leonardo swallowed their tongues. Their faces were like they have seen a ghost as they counted the number of beads Zed has obtained.

Just some time ago, they were calling Alistair and Leonardo as monsters - rare geniuses which the world has ever seen. Not only that, but they had used dozens of adjectives to flatter their bosses by also saying they have made a record along with Sophia.

Now, after seeing Zed's performance, their faces turned unsightly.

Weren't their earlier flattery and praises actually an insult?! Their bosses would now be only used to show just how badly they performed compared to Zed!

When the lackeys thought of this, they began shaking.

Alistair and Leonardo didn't care about the flattery or praises; they were used to such things. It was a different matter that they were proud of their achievements.

Now, knowing Zed has gained over a hundred beads while they didn't even earn half... they were in a state of disbelief. They refused to believe they were overshadowed to such an extent.

If they were surpassed by a noble descendant, they could have barely accepted it just like they did with Sophia.

Even Sophia has surpassed them by a very small number so it was something they could grudgingly acknowledge.

But now they weren't defeated by a noble by such a huge margin.

Based on what they had seen in the second part of trial, they knew Zed was a former slum dweller. He has no background to speak of. He was barely surviving for almost half his life...

If their influential families learned of it, wouldn't they become a joke? An aristocrat offspring thrashed by a slum dweller. If such a thing happened, they would be in no position to show their faces to others.

"This is just the start!"

Alistair's eyes burned with fighting spirit. He was someone who had explored another meteorite before, and he refused to let this small setback hinder him.

What the trial checked was only Will! Not personal strength, power of bloodline or lineage! They were the things that mattered the most.

Leonardo was the same as he opened a packet of chips with his high-tech mechanical hand. He has full trust in his capabilities and was more than sure how he would fare in the later rounds.

Solomon spun his sharp sword and glanced at Zed. He faintly smiled, as if of acknowledgment and praise.

...

Zed stepped towards the sitting slab. He has crossed half the distance when Sophia appeared before him.

Her eyes were misty and red... almost on brink of crying.

"Are you all right?" Zed asked.

"Yes," Sophia replied, her voice choking. She looked at him for some time before continuing, "I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" Zed blinked in confusion.

"You have lived such a hard life... and people like me take everything for granted," Sophia said while recalling the lavish feasts she would have every day.

He has to fight for just a piece of bread while she would waste food without any care.

Due to her privileged upbringing, she has never faced any difficulty in her life. But seeing his memories, she could barely understand what pang of hunger and extreme poverty felt like. She was sorry that she had everything while he didn't have anything...

Of course, she knew well that it was just his past, and the present him was completely different. That didn't stop her from feeling bad though.

"You are very kind, Sophia," Zed sported a sincere smile. "But there is no reason for you to feel sorry or sad due to my past."

"No! You suffered so much and faced difficulties..."

Zed cut off her in middle by saying, "I have neither suffered nor face many difficulties in my life. Yes, there were days of struggles... but who doesn't face struggles? Rich or poor, everyone has their version of struggles."

Sophia was astonished by his words. She felt anyone in his place would be bitter and at least, self-pitying. He, on the other hand, was completely fine as if his days as a slum dweller were nothing worth mentioning.

"Besides, I have been extremely lucky and blessed," Zed said with the same smile as before.

"Lucky and blessed?" Sophia couldn't believe her ears.

How could someone in his position feel as such?

"Obviously," Zed said in a matter of fact tone. "Despite the era of evolution and technology, every year, millions die due to extreme poverty... But unlike them, I'm not only alive but also living a good life. Even if you compare me to those from a privileged background, I don't think I'm lacking anything. You still think you have to feel sorry for me?"

Sophia shook her head and said, "No."

She said this but there was still a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Brighten up," Zed said as they began walking towards a nearby slab. "Let me tell you something...If I could go back in time, I would not change anything."

"What?" Sophia turned her head at him in shock.

"My past is what made me the man I'm now," Zed explained with a smile. "If not for my past, I would have been different... Something I would never ever want. So if you think, I will ever exchange my past or relieve a different life, you are mistaken."

Sophia stared at him for a long time. As she finally understood his words, every trace of sadness disappeared.

In her heart, she was all praises for him.

Despite his past where he has seen the worst of humanity, his character was so pure.

He was kind, sincere, positive, and a very good human being.

How many people in his shoes could be like him? Sophia knew the answer, and this made his impression even stronger in her heart.

She then recalled her mother's moral stories on how nature bless such kind and sincere people... so far, she never believed in this, but after meeting Zed, she felt her mother was once again right.

Sophia's eyes twinkled and she looked at him.

A warm smile appeared on her face, as she finally replied, "I'm glad."

Zed sighed in relief as she stepped forward and sat on the slab. She has changed back to her normal self, the cute bossy miss, and this reduced the pressure he was feeling.

He could understand why she felt those emotions before.

It was mostly due to a combination of guarded lifestyle, her young age, and her innocent heart factored with the friendship she has with him.

It was rare for him to meet a person like her who would display such emotions due to him. This was why he said what he said so that she would never feel guilty for her privileged background. He didn't want her to change and stop enjoying herself because of him.

He was cynical and knew how the world functioned. It was not an ideal world where a rich person should feel sad for having wealth. People who cared about others without any hidden intent were rare, almost non-existent.

There was only one life and no one had the time to waste it on others.

Zed knew it far better than others.

And when he got rich, he thought the same. He only cared about himself, and no one else, at least from his perspective.

It was something natural despite what someone might find in fairy tales.

He never felt sad about spending his wealth without any thoughts. While he did help others, it was only when he wanted to, and not due to some moral obligation.

Everything he said to Sophia was true including about changing his past.

The personality of an individual was based on events a person has experienced. Remove a single event and the person would change.

It was his past that gave him his worldview, thought process, and dreams... something which ultimately combined to form Kiba.

So by changing his past, wouldn't his very existence as Kiba affected?

If that happened, who would help women around the globe?

Who would share the burden of husbands?

Who would turn unfilial sons into Good Sons?

Who would guide beautiful maidens to womanhood?

Millions of people were relying on Kiba's existence directly or indirectly. There was no could he be cruel enough to disappoint everyone just for the well-being of his younger self.

If Claudia was here, and she came to know about the questions running in his mind to justify Kiba's existence, she would have added another question:

Who would help divorce lawyers in getting rich?

Chapter 390 - You Call Them Precautions!?

A few hours later, the trial finally ended. A little over two hundred passed from the original thousand contestants, and out of which only thirty or so were rewarded with beads. The failed contestants were teleported out of the trial zone.

The passed contestants had no doubt Zed was the allover winner of this trial. While none of them liked the result, they could do nothing in the trial area, as attacking or killing another contestant would result in punishment. No one wanted to be the guinea pig and test what type of punishment such an offense would bring.

As people waited for the next trial to start, Zed retrieved an orange capsule from his storage ring.

Sophia looked on as he stuffed the capsule in his mouth, and she was surprised by the total lack of medicinal aroma or energy fluctuations. She has genetic pills and has seen various types of medicines in her family-owned lab, but nothing like it.

The capsule appeared to be listless, almost as if it had no use. But she knew there was no way it could be true. After all, she has seen Zed performing an advanced operation to save Verna.

So how was it possible for someone like him to consume useless capsule?

In the meantime, as the capsule passed through his neck, it broke into miniature pellets. The pellets were gel-like, emitting no energy fluctuation.

Through his bloodstream, the pellets shattered into gelly particles and struck in various corners of his body. As the gell particles bonded with his body, the life vitality inside him began falling. The loss of vitality was not noticeable but in just an instant, he has almost lost a year of his life.

"Side effects can show up any time," Zed sighed as he thought of the function of the capsules he and Claudia made.

He wasn't worried about the loss of vitality or the side effects as long as the capsule can serve its purpose at the right time.

Sophia stared at him and felt nothing different from him. She secretly wondered just what use the capsule served.

In the meantime, a loud rumbling sound ringed throughout the hall, attracting the attention of everyone.

The ceiling turned transparent before disappearing, exposing the bright sky.

"What's going on?" People began wondering aloud.

The sky was the same as the one Zed and others saw at the entrance of central zone - made of light dots.

As the ceiling disappeared, the walls of the hall began retracing into the ground. The floor and the seating slabs too vanished.

The contestants found themselves in the middle of nowhere. As far as their eyes could see, it was a wasteland - filled with enormous boulders, cliffs, and scarce vegetation.

{{The first trial is over. Cross this land to participate in the next trial.}}

An announcement appeared in everyone's mind.

Along with the announcement, information on the route to the trial area appeared along with the restriction on use of aircraft.

Shockingly, contestants can travel in any direction, and ultimately they would arrive in the trial area. It was like all paths lead to same destination!

"First trial? But then what about those bridges?" A contestant was startled as he thought about the robotic beasts and birds they faced.

"That was not a trial! It makes sense if you think about it! No rewards were announced though the first person to cross every bridge did receive a bead."

"Wait! This land is just a path...just like those bridges to a trial area. Would we have to pass through more paths after passing a trial?"

"Seems so."

Many people became dejected.

Crossing path would have no rewards except for the first person, and in this area, it seems there wouldn't even be any reward as there were countless routes.

It was a thankless task of crossing hundreds of kilometers. All they could gain from this was burning some calories.

While people didn't like it, they couldn't complain or refuse. After all, it was they who wanted access to the treasure vault. This was not some competition from Earth which they could threaten to boycott and the sponsors would have no choice but to heed to their request.

"Restriction on aircraft?" Zed didn't like this restriction as he has an alien-tech hovercraft.

"We should leave!" Sophia said while pointing to a route chosen by no one.

Given the vastness of this plane, there were hundreds of routes one could use. So there was no need to pick a route used by others.

"Sure," Zed replied.

"Could we also travel with you?" Jenina's voice came from behind.

She was standing alongside Divya and Rita.

"Obviously!" Sophia turned towards them and nodded. "When I said we, I meant all of us!"

Jenina and others smiled in relief. They weren't sure if Zed and Sophia would appreciate them joining them despite the friendship between them.

Zed, Sophia, and the other three began rushing through their selected path. Their speed was fast as they disappeared into a distance.

Twenty minutes later.

After Zed and others have just passed through two enormous boulders occupying hundreds of meters, Zed stopped and signaled others to do the same.

"Does anyone of you have levitation ability, or any ability related to the earth element?" Zed asked while taking out a black bag from his storage ring.

"I can control soil mass...but why?" Divya replied in confusion.

"Help me dig holes," Zed quickly pointed to three different sites next to the giant boulders. "We don't have much time so be fast."

He mentioned the dimensions of the holes he needed and then started opening the bag.

Divya was bewildered by his words but she did as he asked. The soil particles parted on her command, and in just a blink of an eye, three small holes were dug.

"Sophia, please plant these on the top of both boulders," Zed gave her two small spherical crystalline cans. "But make sure your speed is so fast that you don't even leave an afterimage...and when you place them down, press on their top surface."

Sophia didn't ask any questions and gave him a nod. Currents of energy erupted under her feet and she vanished under powerful speed fluctuations.

At the same time, he took out three thick tile-like crystalline sheets. He gave two to Jenina and Rita, and by now, they knew what they have to do even without him telling.

He stuffed the tile-like crystalline sheet in one of the holes and the other two women did the same. The moment they did, Divya waved a hand, and the soil particles moved over the holes, making the holes completely disappear.

"What are we doing?" Jenina asked as each one of them completed their task and gathered around him.

"Taking precautions," Zed answered while telling them to rush forward to another boulder some four hundred meters ahead.

Sophia's eyebrows knotted as she thought of something. But she knew now was not the time for discussion.

They dashed ahead and hid behind the boulder.

Five minutes later.

Just as Jenina and others were growing frustrated and annoyed, they heard the sound of quick steps. Surprised, they looked out from the corners of the boulder.

Between the two enormous boulders ahead, a group of around twenty contestants was charging straight. Almost all of them had a smirk on their faces as they rushed through the two boulders.

One of them has a digital tablet in his hand upon which energy patterns were displayed. With a fierce look in his eyes, he said, "We are going in the right direction! Given the disturbance in the energy particles and the record we have of their body smell, there is no doubt they have passed through here!"

"Great!" A youngster with knives in his hand laughed. "We have given them enough time... now the time has come for us to catch them!"

"That man named Zed has over a hundred beads! Each of us would get at least five beads!" A mutant youngster in the form of a mammoth said.

This youth didn't perform well in the trial, and as such, he didn't gain a single bead.

"We are going to make it big!" Another youth remarked happily.

After knowing this land was not a trial area, they were sure the rules of protection didn't apply here. There was no punishment nor the beads could be used here for their miscellaneous purposes. This was a perfect opportunity to grab the beads!

They had a theory according to which areas free from 'rules of protection' were intentionally created by the designer of the trial. Most likely, it was an opportunity for those who lacked merits to catch up at the cost of so-called earlier winners.

As they thought of this, they couldn't help but feel the trial designer was vicious.

The earlier round of showcasing who won how many beads and then appearing on this free area... there was no way the top contestants can ever be at peace despite making it big!

"This place is perfect! I earlier thought traveling through this land was just a waste of time!"

"Same here! The land is a gold mine for all of us!"

"I can't wait to get my hands on those beads!"

As for Zed, well, they had decided to be 'lenient'. They wouldn't kill him but only cripple him by severing his limbs.

"Hehe, we are really going to be kind to that insect from slum! He wouldn't have to face the difficulties of other trials!" A youngster whose body was made of liquid wax said.

"Indeed! He only fared better in first trial because insects have instincts of clinging to life! That trial misunderstood it as a sign of strong Will!"

Each of them was a genius in their respective families and organizations. While they weren't from top organizations or aristocrat families, their backgrounds weren't something that could be undermined.

For years, their parents and elders have given charity to insects from countless slums throughout the world. Now, an insect from those dirty places was trying to compete with them?!

What a joke! He didn't know his true place!

"What would we do with those girls?" A mutant with a rod in his hand asked.

"You need to ask?" Another mutant beside him said with a smirk.

He wasn't worried about Sophia and other girls' strength given the size of their group. They might not be as talented as her, but they were genius and powerful in their own right! There was no way a team of five could compete with the strength of over twenty geniuses!

"Haha! Right!"

"Those girls also have beads! We are going to be very rich!"

"Not only rich but also satisfied if you know what I mean!"

Every single of them extremely happy. They knew they would have to give the most precious items they gained from treasure vault to their respective organizations, but the other treasures were theirs. Then there were the skills and knowledge they could gain if they had beads from upcoming trials. Not to mention, the rewards their respective organizations would give when they learned of their achievements.

Everything depended on those beads! And in just some time, they wouldn't lack them!

While being lost in flights of fancy, they had almost crossed the two boulders which were no less than cliffs.

The mutant transformed as a mammoth passed through the boulders first. Just as he crossed and stepped on the ground, he heard a faint beeping sound from the ground below.

Even though he was excited, he was also on guards. And as he heard the sound, he lowered his head below.

At the same time, the others from behind also caught up. Two more beeping sounds emitted from the ground, much to shock of everyone.

"What was that...."

They were thinking when dazzling radiance seeped out of the ground. The radiance was blinding to the eyes, and they instinctively covered their eyes while retreating.

They were having a very bad feeling from the radiance...

Alas, their speed of retreat wasn't fast enough. They only acted after the radiance sipped out and not just when they heard the beeping sound.

Even if they had, perhaps it wouldn't have mattered as they soon realized.

The radiance broke out of the ground like waves and smashed into the retreating figures. The first to face the radiance was the mutant with sharp knives.

BOOM

The moment the radiance crashed onto him, he exploded into a dazzling mass of crimson. Blood and flesh flew through the air along with pieces of knives.

The mutant transformed as mammoth was terrified as he saw the fate of his companion. As the radiance continued to tear through the air and swipe forward, his scalp turned numb from fear.

"AHHHHHH!"

The mammoth let out a heart-wrenching scream as the radiance engulfed him.

Even though his beastly body has tremendous strength and his skin was no less than an extremely durable metal, it proved useless against the violent radiance. The terrifying radiance tear through his insides before exploding him to pieces.

His final thought was of unwillingness at his untimely demise. All his dreams were brutally ripped apart, and that too not in some trial, but on some random path.

Behind, the remaining survivors scattered and rapidly fleed through the enormous boulders. By now, they had realized that the earlier beeping sounds were from high-tech explosives similar to land mines.

And seeing the explosives were ahead, they obviously fleed behind. They began shoving each other to gain momentum and flee. None of them wanted to be the last one and face the dangerous radiance that was sure shot death.

Sadly, fate wasn't on their side.

The radiance has crashed on the boulders, and by some unknown reaction which they didn't they see, the boulders exploded into columns of explosive flame.

Almost half of the group has almost crossed the boulders range, but sadly, they were just two to three steps far away. Today, they learned for death, a single step didn't make the slightest bit of difference!

"URGHHHH!"

"NOOO!"

Whether it was the mutant in the form of liquid wax or the mutant wielding rod, they were devoured by the explosive flames. A few of them tried to create a barrier but there was just no time. Everything has happened so quickly, giving them no time to do anything.

"No! This is unfair!"

"This was my time to shine!"

Their final thoughts were filled with resentment, disbelief, and regret! They never expected what was supposed to be a very easy task of stealing beads would lead to their deaths in such a horrifying manner.

Half a kilometer further behind, a group of seven was struck on the spot with pale faces.

Their thoughts were similar to the group just obliterated. But unlike the obliterated group, they wanted to make a profit by relying on the principle of 'mantis stalks the cicada unaware of the oriole behind'.

Now, after seeing a group of over twenty decimated to atoms, everyone in the group began trembling. Their entire bodies broke out in cold sweat, and they looked at the explosion flames with eyes wide and jaw dropped to the ground.

Every single one of them wanted to know what the hell just happened.

How the fuck did such an easy task of stealing from a former slum dweller turned into a trip to the underworld?!

In the meantime, as Sophia, Jenina, Divya, and Rita gazed at the explosion cloud, they were similarly shocked. Almost on a cue, they turned towards Zed and asked, "You call this as taking precautions?"