Chapter 162: Death Desert

Chapter 162: Death DesertThey quickly arrived at the Trial District, heading straight to the designated trial location. When they got there, everyone except Kaleb had already arrived and was waiting. Apollo and the Pussy King joined them, giving a simple nod in acknowledgement before standing quietly to the side, waiting for Kaleb to appear.

A few minutes later, Kaleb appeared, but he wasn’t alone, as with him were three other unknown trialists who weren’t present at the gathering.

As Kaleb approached, the atmosphere shifted. The three unfamiliar trialists at his side immediately drew attention. They moved with an air of confidence, their presence alone enough to indicate that they were no ordinary trialists. Each one carried a distinct aura, suggesting they were powerful in their own right.

Apollo observed them closely, noting their composed demeanours and the subtle way they assessed the group. These were not weak, and it was evident that Kaleb had chosen them for their strength and abilities.

Kaleb’s identity shouldn’t be small, as his strength already showed that, and now that he was able to bring such a strong lineup means that the power behind him definitely isn’t small. The ordinary forces didn’t have many such strong people under the age of a hundred. He didn’t believe that these three were some random trialists, but they should be from the same force or clan from where Kaleb came from.

Kaleb stepped forward, addressing the group. "I see everyone’s here. Good. Before we proceed, I’d like to introduce you to these three trialists who will be joining us for this special trial."

He gestured to the first of the three, a dark, tall man with a muscular build and a stern expression. "This is Aiden."

Aiden nodded curtly, his piercing gaze sweeping over the group. There was an intensity about him, a quiet strength that made it clear he was not to be underestimated.

Kaleb then introduced the second trialist, a little woman with sharp eyes and a quiet, deadly presence. "This is Lyra."

Lyra offered a small, almost imperceptible nod, her eyes flicking from one person to the next as if already calculating their strengths and weaknesses.

Finally, Kaleb introduced the third trialist, a young man with an enigmatic smile and an air of mystery. "And this is Asa."

Asa inclined his head slightly, his smile never wavering. Something was unsettling about his calmness that made them uncomfortable.

Apollo and others carefully looked at the three of them, and serious expressions appeared on their faces as all three almost reached the peak of fourth rank and were very strong. They knew Kaleb was going to bring some other people when he mentioned ten guys could join, but they didn’t think he could bring such strong guys.

With the introductions out of the way, Kaleb addressed the group as a whole. "We’ll need to rely on each other, trust in our strengths, and stay vigilant. Failure isn’t an option."

Apollo exchanged a glance with the Pussy King, who merely flicked his tail in response. The cat had already agreed to join, and despite its usual aloofness, there was a hint of interest in its eyes, as if the trial had piqued its curiosity and was looking forward to what it would see.

Kaleb continued, "We’ll head to the trial location now. Once we’re inside, there’s no turning back. Be prepared for anything."

With a final nod from Kaleb, the group set off toward the entrance of the trial area, each member mentally preparing for the unknown challenges ahead. The tension in the air was palpable, but so was the excitement. This group trial could either break them or propel them to new heights of power—and they were all ready to face whatever came their way.

The group, after some time, arrived at the trial platform, and quickly all of them gathered on it.

"Let’s go." With that, Kaleb activated the special task mark he received.

As soon as Kaleb activated the special task mark, a surge of energy enveloped the group. The platform beneath them burst with power, and in an instant, the ten trialists were engulfed in a brilliant flash of lightning. The air crackled with electricity as the light intensified, and with a sharp snap, they vanished from the platform, leaving behind only a few lingering sparks that fizzled out into the air.

The sensation of being transported was disorienting. Apollo felt as if he were being pulled through a tunnel of pure energy, his body tingling from the intense charge. It was different from the usual teleportation he had experienced in the Sky Tower—this was faster, more forceful, and had an underlying current of danger.

In the blink of an eye, the group reappeared in a completely different environment. The first thing Apollo noticed was the oppressive atmosphere; the air was thick and filled with a weird aura of death and desolation, almost stifling, with a palpable sense of hostility hanging over the environment.

They stood in the middle of a vast, desolate desert landscape. The ground beneath their feet was rough and uneven, composed of jagged rocks and barren soil and sand. The sky overhead was a swirling mass of dark clouds, occasionally lit by flashes of distant lightning. The place was eerily silent, save for the low rumble of thunder in the distance.

"What a weird place." They murmured as they looked around and felt the atmosphere that was gloomy and dark.

"Whatever be careful," Kaleb said and then they were ready to move but the cold robotic sound was heard by all ten of them.

[Special trial (first Task)- Support the Crimson City to survive the Death Storm]

[Time limit-7 days]

Each trialist exchanged glances, the weight of the task settling in. There was no room for hesitation; they knew this was just the beginning.

Kaleb took a deep breath, steadying himself as he looked at the others. "We have our task. We need to find this Crimson City and figure out what we’re up against."

"Let’s go and quickly find the Crimson City." The group quickly moved ahead; they didn’t split up as there was still a week. So remaining together is safer even if they take more time to find their destination.

Apollo remained silent the whole time; instead, he felt the world and its law. Just like the previous one here, he also felt a bit different about law. But when he found the difference, he was a bit surprised, as this world seems to be friendly to the practitioners of the law of death.

His control over the law of death seems to be getting better, and he even has a feeling he can quickly improve his understanding of the law of death. Others didn’t notice this as they didn’t understand death law, and he didn’t mention that.

The group then moved with purpose through the barren landscape. The dark clouds above seemed to grow heavier with each step they took, and the distant rumble of thunder became more pronounced as if warning them of the approaching storm.

After a short but tense journey, they reached the top of a rocky outcrop. From there, they could see a faint glimmer of light in the distance—a sign of civilization in this desolate place.

"There," Apollo pointed. "That must be Crimson City."

The city was surrounded by towering walls, and even from this distance, they could see the activity within—figures moving quickly, preparing for something ominous. The air around the city seemed charged with a strange energy as if the very atmosphere was bracing for an impending disaster.

Kaleb nodded, his expression serious. "Let’s head down. We need to understand the situation and see how we can help them survive this so-called Death Storm or whatever it is."

As they descended the rocky outcrop and approached the city, the sense of urgency seemed to only grow stronger.

There were many people outside who were rushing inside in a hurry, with every single one of them having a grave expression.

As they came close to the city, the city guard and crowd around noticed them, as if their clothes or bearings were all completely different from theirs.

All the groups of people gathered outside had a gloomy demeanour and an unsettling aura of death clinging to them, something that was noticeably absent in Apollo and the others. This difference made the guards even more alert and anxious.

A stern-looking man, clearly a leader among the city’s defenders, stepped forward to greet them. His face was lined with worry, but there was a flicker of hope and determination in his eyes even in the current situation.

"Who are you guys? You don’t look like locals of the Death Desert," the guard leader asked, his eyes narrowing with suspicion as he remained vigilant against the group of unknown travellers who had appeared at such a critical time.

There cannot be any internal trouble at such a dangerous time, so he had to be careful. All the guards had their weapons ready and were intently looking at them.

Apollo and others look at Kaleb, who quickly steps forward to answer the questions.

"We are just travellers; it’s just the weather became bad, and we were hoping to find a place to stay when finally we found this city."