The air on the deck felt thin, weighed down by the hyper-tension of strained nerves.

  After scanning the cold, calculated regulations, the members of the Astra Society congregated in a small circle. Every face was buried deep within the shadows of a hood, their expressions appearing exceptionally grim under the flickering glow of runic light.

  "The difficulty of this trial likely exceeds everyone’s expectations. Prepare yourselves," Xavier remarked, his voice heavy as he surveyed the group. "Beyond the barbarians pushed to the brink of despair, we must be most wary of the colleagues standing behind us."

  Gillian was momentarily stunned, counter-questioning with disbelief, "Why? The rules clearly state in black and white that initiates are forbidden from killing one another!"

  "The rules forbid the stripping of life, but they have never forbidden plunder," Xavier’s rational eyes, bordering on frigid, flickered with a cold light. "In the logic of the Academy, as long as it doesn't result in death, any conflict is tacitly permitted. They will ruthlessly punish those who violate the ban, but they ignore the gray areas outside the rules entirely."

  These words caused the surrounding temperature to drop several more degrees. Everyone realized that as long as the methods were discreet enough, even using force to compel others to transfer points—or causing death through indirect means—could evade scrutiny.

  "Perhaps... the bracelet doesn't even have a transfer function?" Valeria swallowed hard, whispering tentatively.

  "Do not harbor any illusions regarding the Academy's mercy," Xavier interrupted. "The Spire Academy advocates the most primitive law of the jungle. Not only will they keep the transfer function open, they will likely update the rankings in real-time as bait, inciting initiates to hunt one another."

  In the heavy silence that followed, the group reached a teaming agreement. Given the disparity in combat power, any initiate choosing to follow Pierce or Xavier would pay a daily compensation of 300 Gold coins. In the face of survival, this expensive hire fee was the most reassuring contractual security one could have.

  The half-hour interval vanished in a heartbeat.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  Standing at the edge of the deck, Pierce suddenly noticed the surrounding space beginning to ripple with layers of distortion. A brilliant, prismatic aurora gradually enveloped the entire hull of the leviathan—mana leakage generated from traversing the planar barrier.

  After several violent tremors, the rainbow light receded like a tide.

  Pierce looked up, and a deep, oppressive azure instantly filled his vision. On the distant horizon, an island crouched like a giant whale beneath a shroud of dark clouds. Dim sunlight pierced through cracks in the clouds, casting pale pillars of light that outlined the silhouette of the island's primitive forests.

  "Destination reached. The trials officially commence!" the command of Examiner Avery echoed across the sky like a divine oracle.

  In the next instant, Pierce felt a powerful surge of weightlessness—the effect of a large-scale random phase displacement.

  When his vision refocused, the clamor of the deck had been replaced by the damp, putrid scent of the jungle. He found himself deep within an impenetrable forest, surrounded by ancient trees requiring several men to embrace. The air was thick with the heavy, magical atmosphere unique to a foreign plane.

  "Random deployment... it seems the plan for team coordination has been completely disrupted."

  Pierce let out a soft laugh and looked down at his left wrist. At some point, a translucent crystal bracelet had been fitted there. As his spiritual power seeped into it, relevant information was quickly fed back: the bracelet could automatically capture the soul energy dissipated at the moment of a barbarian’s death and solidify it into points, while also providing a real-time leaderboard.

  With a flick of his finger, Pierce activated the translucent ranking list in the void:

  Rank 1: Gwendolyn, Points: 2

  Rank 2: Benedict, Points: 1

  Rank 3: Rowan, Points: 1

  "Someone has already begun the slaughter the moment they landed."

  At that very moment of reflection, three piercing whistles erupted from the thicket behind him. They were forged iron spears, propelled by savage strength.

  Pierce’s body reacted with a speed that surpassed human limits in that instant. His 20.45 Physique allowed him to move like a startled jungle panther; he did not panic to cast a spell but instead drew the steel longsword at his waist. Pivoting with his hips, he swept a perfect arc through the air.

  Clang! Clang! Clang!

  Three crisp metallic strikes overlapped as the spears were forcibly parried away. Taking advantage of the attackers' shock, Pierce waved his left hand. A Mage Hand materialized instantly in the void, transforming into an invisible giant palm that gripped a barbarian hiding behind a tree trunk before slamming him violently into the ground.

  Thud!

  Amidst the dull impact, the barbarian’s ribcage shattered instantly.

  "Kill him! For freedom!"

  A low, raspy roar echoed. Twelve Delo barbarians, clad in hides and smeared with war paint, leapt from the undergrowth. Their knotted muscles exuded a wild, desperate energy—these were the native warriors of the Delo Plane.