Trial World(Part 2)

Rowan spent a week getting out of the jungle thanks to ambushes, among other things. The jungle was home to powerful beasts and herbs that could improve cultivation. Rowan had collected some to consume, among other things. EM said she was working on several projects at the moment, so she told Rowan to bring back any raw materials that he could. Rowan had accepted and, in the process of being here for the past week, he had even had to expand the inventory he had created. The jungle was a treasure trove for anyone that could survive in it and Rowan had even fought several beasts at the demigod rank that gave him trouble and even wounded him, but at the same time, the berserker in him had never been happier. He had finally found a place where he could truly enjoy himself and his soul trait was reveling in it. It directly translated into him, slowly becoming more and more powerful. His soul force was being refined by his soul over and over again. He had even sacrificed more of his flesh to use soul manipulation and created several more of those objects that he had hidden away. They were aces that Rowan was waiting to deploy when the time was right.

Rowan, in the meantime, had stripped the jungle bare in the meantime. He left no stone unturned as he battled and collected materials. Now a week later his badge read 5000, and he was still dominating the leader boards, but others had begun to rapidly climb the ranks, with Jason Slate only being one hundred points behind him. He had learned that everyone would step through the portal and be teleported to a random area and would need to make their way to the center of the Trial world where they would be able to participate in the true trial in a city that stood at the center of the Trial world. All the points gained before they reached the city were just a head start on what was going to happen later on. Rowan, on the other hand, had been embroiled in battles since the moment he got here. In the process, he had learned a bunch of pertinent information.

There were several zones that were all around the city and all of them were different biomes that held natural resources that could be acquired by the participants. They could work together to fight natives and earn points and materials, or instead they could take the Rowan path and wipe out everyone, turning them into points. There were others still in the jungle, but Rowan was rather confident that he had collected most things of value. It was time to make his way to the city in the middle of the trial world. Rowan walked out of the jungle and realized that the sun was much brighter without the cover from the trees he had gotten used to. He headed in the general direction of the city and started his journey. A week had passed, and it was time for him to see what else the trial world truly had to offer. He had long since noticed the storm point that he had placed on Feng was also making its way towards the center of the trial world.

Feng, on the other hand, had been embroiled in battles as well, but nowhere near as many as Rowan. Rowan had eliminated contestants left and right in a targeted attack, and Feng, on the other hand, had simply been defending himself. He had his shield on his back and a glowing book in his left and hand and his short sword in his right. He was in the middle of dispatching a group of three that had launched a surprise attack on him. A swirling black and white Rune slammed down and dispatched all three. He collected points and watched his points ascend into the top ten. He had been taking it slow on purpose, Him and Rowan had devised the plan that Rowan would paint a target on his back by trying to remain towards the top of the leaderboards and at the same time Feng would hide within the top ten in preparation for a surprise when the inevitable confrontation was coming. Feng too had grown stronger, but for much different reasons than Rowan.

He had incorporated more and more runes into his fighting methods and, in turn, was only getting more adept at using runes in battle. It had made it so that the effects of many of his spells had been greatly amplified, making him more dangerous than anyone would expect upon seeing him. He had also been further reading the book and was in the process of learning elemental mastery through the runes, a fact that made him happy. He had been teleported into a vast desert and the battles here had greatly helped him hone his abilities. He had reached the edge of the desert and was now making his way to the center of the Trial world.

All across the trial world, this scene was repeating itself, but in different ways. Some people left their zones as groups or fully formed parties, but everyone that was still left was taking their spoils from the earlier portion of the Trial and heading to the city in the center of the Trial world. Rowan made it there after only about a day of travel. It would have been faster, but on the way Rowan had collected more rare materials and fought more of the beasts from this world. He finally reached the city and was surprised to see that it was a massive city built upon magic tech. Two guards stood before the only entrance into the city. It seemed like they were taking something from the badges of each participant as they came through the gates.

The two at the gates were demigods based on the mana that they both naturally gave off, while Rowan finally made it to the front of the line and handed his badge to the men, both froze before looking Rowan up and down and then pulling a device from their belt and speaking into it.. "Sir if you can please step to the side someone will be here to receive you momentarily." Rowan's treatment immediately caused whispers to spread through the line as they all began to take notice of the Lone Wolf badge that he still left right in the open on his chest. Someone in the line got entirely too excited and yelled out. "That's the lone wolf badge! That's this year's Lone wolf!" Rowan was able to tell that the voice didn't come from the direction that he actually heard it from. Someone was throwing their voice to roil up the line. It was just about to work when the door guards released the power of their cultivation and spoke out. "Anyone battling at the gates will be executed without mercy. This is your only warning."

This served to calm everyone, but some of these kids had been raised lavishly by the union and thought they were above the words of some guards in the trial world and struck, anyway. A sword wrapped in dark green flames came slashing down with a cloaked man behind it. He had thought he had caught Rowan completely off guard because of his stance, his hands not leaving his pockets, but instead Rowan had not moved for another reason. One of the gate guards had a spear appear in his hand and he stabbed out with a simple jab. In turn, the man before him never even got a chance to scream or for the badge to save him. The spear pierced through his throat and stopped him in his tracks, leaving the dead body laying in the dirt in front of Rowan. The guard who had moved returned to his place and spoke out once more. "There are no exceptions to the rule. There are designated places to battle within Atlantis."

Rowan took all of this in as he focused on the stab from the man from before. For some reason, he could not feel any mana from the strike. Had a demigod just killed another with just his attainments in the spear? Rowan was so interested he was tempted to ask, but right as he was going to a floating car alighted next to the gate and a young woman stepped out. She had long blue hair that hung to her waist and was wearing a white dress that accented her shapely figure and tan skin. Her eyes stood out because they were a brilliant turquoise color and seemed to see through Rowan as she approached him.

"Rowan Raid this year's Lone wolf and disciple of Regius Lowe. Your presence has been requested by the queen of Atlantis. Please follow me." Rowan finally stepped through the gates and towards the vehicle as he saw the magnificent city behind the wall as he sat in the car. The lone wolf badge truly did come with some rather interesting perks, because it would seem Rowan was about to meet the queen of this futuristic city. [Rowan, it would be best to be on guard going forward. I believe you are about to meet the King's true prison warden, but she also has another rather precious identity. She is not only a god, but she is also the king's mother-in-law.]

Rowan deflated at the information as he realized that maybe instead of a boon, he was being walked into the lion's den. Now, for the first time since he got this lone wolf badge he was less excited over what benefits it would bring and more focused on the disaster it may be bringing him to.