The Decennial Trial was no longer just a test of strength—it was a war of survival.
The Verdant Shroud had awakened.
As the first light of dawn pierced through the canopy, the floating screens displayed a message that sent a ripple of unease through the competitors.
“The Verdant Shroud evolves daily. Adapt, or be eliminated.”
A deep tremor shook the land. Then, the flood began.
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What had once been a dense forest floor was now rapidly vanishing beneath the waves.
Rivers swelled unnaturally, flooding valleys, tunnels, and lower grounds with alarming speed. Hidden underground reservoirs erupted, swallowing entire clearings beneath a surge of water.
Panic set in.
Some competitors scrambled for higher ground, while others—too slow or too unaware—were consumed by the rushing tide.
But it was not just the water that spelled doom.
Something was moving beneath the surface.
Large, predatory shadows stirred from their slumber, awakened by the disturbance.
The trial had only just begun, and already, the battlefield had turned into a deadly hunting ground.
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On the floating screens, the spectators watched as the competitors desperately adapted.
Rael Aldreth’s group had anticipated the shift. The previous night, they had scouted an elevated ridge, securing it before the waters rose. Now, they used their vantage point to rain down attacks on struggling competitors, eliminating them before they could reach safety.
Lucian Valecourt, known for his direct combat prowess, found himself out of his element—until he turned the battlefield to his advantage. As enemies swam desperately toward him, he unleashed bursts of lightning-infused energy into the water, electrocuting everyone caught in its reach.
Seraphina ravencroft disappeared before the flood had even begun. The shadows of the forest were no longer a refuge, so he had shifted to the towering trees, leaping from branch to branch like a phantom. Others who tried to follow him found themselves slipping, falling—prey for the creatures below.
Selene Valeheart, rather than escaping the rising waters, adapted differently. With a mere flick of her hand, the surface of the water beneath her feet froze solid. Where others struggled to swim, she glided effortlessly across the battlefield, cutting down those who thought the ice was their salvation.
One by one, the weaker competitors were picked off—not just by their rivals, but by the trial itself.
But then, the floating screens shifted, capturing the scene of a lone competitor.
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The Masked Challenger – Predator Among Prey
He did not run.
He did not climb.
As the water swallowed the land, he stood his ground.
Stranded competitors, desperate for safety, rushed toward the cliff where he had taken position.
They thought he was another survivor.
They were wrong.
The first one to reach the ledge was impaled instantly. A spear pierced through his hand, forcing him to let go. He fell backward—into the waiting jaws of something monstrous below.
The second tried to climb from the side, only to receive a brutal kick to the face.
He, too, was swallowed by the depths.
The masked competitor did not need to fight for survival.
He had turned survival into a weapon.
The coliseum erupted with cheers and gasps.
This was no longer just a test.
It was a slaughter.
And the Verdant Shroud had only begun its transformation.