Even though someone would have told the farmers that they were going to enter a challenge immediately when they entered the Abyss, they wouldn't have expected this.
"What are we going to do now?"
Chrome, one of Nyra's party who had been silent the entire time, spoke for the first time.
He had only ever entered the Abyss a couple of times, and even though he wasn't that experienced like Nyra he had his ways.
But this, this wasn't something he could understand.
"I really don't know…" Nyra responded.
At this moment, the five hundred farmers who were here stood in shock as they gaze at the beast before them.
It was a regular Arctic Wolf but the size was on another level. Even the common monsters seen in the Abyss were not this massive.
At this moment, a bell song echoed in everyone's ear and immediately they all looked up.
It turns out that ten minutes had already passed making the time 23:49. The timer was set that after every ten minutes a bell would sound, reminding the challengers that they were working with time.
Upon seeing this, fear grew in the heart of the majority and even though there was once hope of working, that had already disappeared.
For a moment, Nyra looked at the image with the three spires, her focus on the first spire with seven rings, then she said:
"We should go and find this Pedestal Crystal thing the voice spoke about, if we do that we could be able to move this ring before the time ends."
Hearing her, a couple of people around turned their attention to her.
"But we cannot do that, not while ignoring a monster of that size. I mean I can't fight that, I'm only an E-rank Famer with an E-rank skill. That monster is like C-Rank, if not more."
The thing is, this person who spoke was somewhat correct and wrong both at the same time.
They had already revealed their talent rank and Farmer hierarchy, which not every person likes doing; meaning they were willing to do whatever it takes to survive.
However, one mistake they made was classifying the monster in their own human form of rank, but that wasn't their entire worry.
Hearing this, Chrome had his finger on his chin while he thought.
Sheila looked around and landed her gaze at him, she asked.
"I know that face, Chrome, what are you thinking?"
Immediately his name was called, it was as if he was brought back to reality, as he raised his head up looking at Nyra.
"I have got it. The rules says we are to take all seven rings from the first spire and placed them into the third spire in the same order, meaning we move the first ring into the third spire, and the second ring into the second, then the first ring back to the first spire and second ring to the last spire; following the rules of not placing a big ring over a small ring."
"If you look at it mathematically, that would mean with only three spires, if we are able to make the first move we are most likely to make the second."
"However, since we have seven rings and three spires it would take…"
He paused for a moment, his eyes wide as if the whole world had just fallen on his shoulders.
"What, it would take what boy?!" An impatient man yelled.
Chrome raised his head to Nyra and spoke; his voice shaking.
"It would take 127 moves to take the entire seven rings from the first spire to the last spire."
Hearing this number, some Farmers spirits left their body as they were already longing for their homes.
At this moment, almost every farmer present had paid attention to what he said. One person even came out and spat on the ground saying he would rather freeze and die, than wait that long.
The thing is, if a single move equals twenty-four hours, then 24 hours multiple 127 would be 3,048 hours; which is over four months.
While it normally takes a single month to be in the Abyss, here it was four times that, this was enough to make a person mad.
"We will all die here!" A female farmer cried out.
"That's true!" Another step in. "If we don't move the first ring before twenty-four hours we would die by the void, or might even die before then, assuming that monster moves. And if it doesn't, we would still freeze to death. We are at a disadvantage no matter the corner you look at."
'She just stated the obvious.' Aegon thought inwardly.
Hearing the lady speak most people felt all hope lost, however a single voice spoke out.
"There's is no need to be afraid we are all going to come out of this alive!"
Nyra was already feeling her feet numb as she spoke, but moving was the only way to keep herself warm.
"If we only follow the rules we are sure to make it out alive."
The crowd was inspired by her words, but there was always that someone who would talk against it.
"And how do you suggest we do that, huh? We are surrounded by nothing but freezing ice, and there is a monster just standing there waiting for our deaths before it feast on our bodies."
Hearing this Nyra's pupils shrank. Here she thought she was about to liberate their spirits, but this man just had to say this.
Suddenly, as if his voice had traveled through the wind, the massive Wolf stood up from its sitting position, raised up its head and let out a strong howl.
HOWL!!!
As the sound lasted it carried with it a great pressure of waves as if it was making a cry, but that wasn't the case.
"It's calling the remaining!" A voice yelled.
In that moment, a line of shadow seemed to appear behind the massive wolf back, and just under three breaths time, a great number of arctic white wolves emerged.
The good news was that they were small in size, the normal size compared to the massive wolf, but the bad news was they were large in numbers.
About times three the number of the Farmers.
This immediately took everyone aback but just then a voice spoke out;
"This is nothing, I might be a D-rank Famer but I'm a top stage D-rank, this monsters would be no problem."
A brave Farmer walked to the foremost of the crowd, proud like he was in his main character moment.
He brought out both hands and instantly a ball of fire appeared in his hands.
With a smile on his face he exclaimed.
"My talent is fire manipulation, and what better element to use against ice?"
He charged towards the wolves running like his life depended on it, but he had only reached a great distance when suddenly a massive wolf came from the side and grabbed him with its teeth, killing him in an instance.
"Oh my!"
"They are two of them?"
Another wolf has appeared, the same size as the first massive wolf. It killed that farmer on the spot, but no one seemed to react as their fear was already built in.
"He could have been a great asset if didn't rush like that." Sinon spoke.
The second massive wolf who now has blood on its mouth howled, and immediately began running towards the Farmers, while the other small wolves followed suit.
It was a battle to begin, Framers versus Monsters, who would come out victorious?
(Ring! 22:59)