It wasn't even up to five minutes when a lot of aspirants arrived at Socrates and Mr. Jaggers' location, their hurried footsteps crunching against the rough terrain as they followed the lingering trail of disturbance left behind.
But unfortunately for them, the place had already turned into their previous location because the duo had left the area without hesitation, leaving behind only faint traces of battle and the residual glow that was slowly fading into the night.
"The golden light did come from here."
"They must've run away."
"Yes.. They must have escaped."
"No. I can't give up on a golden token.. I've to find them."
The aspirants murmured among themselves, their voices overlapping in low, tense whispers as they scanned the surroundings before continuing their journey, chasing after the fading shadows of Candidates 220 and 160.
Meanwhile, the duo that was being chased was running as if their lives depended on it, their breaths heavy but controlled as they pushed their bodies to the limit, their only goal being to get as far away as possible from their previous location.
But the golden token in their hand kept emitting a bright golden glow, pulsating steadily, and it also refused to be stored in an inventory no matter how many times they tried. Socrates had proposed abandoning it but Mr. Jaggers rejected such a proposal without hesitation.
They had come too far and risked their lives just for this token. Giving it up wasn't an option.
"Stick close to me... Stay high on alert.. We might engage in a skirmish very soon." Mr. Jaggers warned, his sharp gaze scanning the surroundings as, with the aid of his monocle, he could sight different shadows moving across the terrain, their presence flickering at the edge of visibility like lurking predators.
They weren't able to take another five steps when a group of aspirants suddenly blocked their movement from the front, stepping out of the shadows with weapons already drawn.
They veered left instinctively, only to be blocked again by another group of aspirants, their path cut off with calculated precision. Their right-hand side and even their back were not spared, as more figures emerged, closing in tightly.
The duo had been surrounded by a dozen aspirants just for the sake of the golden token, their encirclement tightening with each passing second.
"Ganging up against two individuals, how petty are you all?" Mr. Jaggers challenged, his voice steady despite the situation, his grip tightening around his weapon as he sized up the opponents around him.
"There are three types of tokens in Bermutha, Bronze being the lowest, Silver comes next, and Golden being the highest... What you have is the golden token.. So it's worth the hype." Candidate 46 replied, stepping forward slightly, his eyes fixed on the glowing object in their possession.
"Oh, I'm flattered. So what do you want?" Mr. Jaggers asked, his tone calm and almost mocking. Although he was fully aware of the reason they had been cornered, he still wanted them to say it outright.
"To cut the chase, Candidate 160... We want the golden token." Candidate 46 stated bluntly, his words direct and without hesitation, causing Mr. Jaggers to let out a low chuckle.
"Do you speak for yourself or do you speak for everyone? You're fully aware that a token can only be used by two people... That means only two among you all can get the token even if I drop it." Mr. Jaggers announced, his words cutting through the tension as the aspirants immediately began murmuring among themselves.
What Mr. Jaggers had just said made perfect sense.
"Don't be swayed by his words.. After retrieving the token, we will cast lots, and the team that wins will be the one to retain the token while we form an alliance to find other tokens.. Those who are with me should pull out their weapons." Candidate 46 incited the crowd, his voice rising as he persuaded them, and many found his words reasonable as they began bickering among themselves before slowly reaching a consensus.
Mr. Jaggers shook his head slightly. 'Seems like fighting is inevitable.'
Without wasting another moment, he pulled out a frost grenade from his system inventory and flung it forward with force, the object spinning through the air.
Candidate 46 reacted instantly, his body moving with trained reflexes as he dashed to the left while pulling out an Arctic .50—a semi-automatic long-range sniper rifle. He raised it swiftly, directing it toward Mr. Jaggers before firing without hesitation.
The frost grenade landed between two aspirants, and within a split second, a freezing wave erupted outward, encasing them completely and turning them into statues of ice, their movements halted instantly.
Mr. Jaggers retrieved another item from his inventory—it was an alloy shield, a loot he had gotten from destroying those bots. The shield expanded in front of him, solid and metallic, as it absorbed the shots fired by Candidate 46, the bullets striking its surface with sharp metallic sounds.
Socrates wasn't just standing around. He had already pulled out his Desert Eagle and was engaging those behind them, his eyes sharp and movements precise.
He had already been informed about the properties of the combat suit that had been rewarded to him by the system.
It wasn't just a random reward but a specific one designed based on the trial he had conquered.
The suit wasn't made from linen or fabric material but from black alloy materials used in the creation of mechanical bots. It clung tightly to his body, fitting like a second skin, granting him enhanced mobility and flexibility while significantly increasing his defense.
Socrates looked less like an aspirant and more like a mechanical bot himself, his figure blending strength with precision.
The other aspirants fired at him, but their 3.5mm bullets couldn't penetrate the defense of the suit, bouncing off or losing momentum upon impact.
This only intensified their greed, as they became more determined to kill Socrates and loot the equipment from him.
Some were focused on the token, while others had already shifted their attention to the suit, realizing that it might be a reward from the golden token, further fueling their desire to bring him down.
But would Socrates just stand there and watch?
Unfortunately, no.
Socrates wasn't that kind—and he certainly wasn't that stupid.
With his Desert Eagle, loaded with 4mm bullets, and his enhanced defense, it didn't take him long to defeat his immediate opponents, each shot deliberate and lethal.
He turned around and saw that Mr. Jaggers was still battling multiple opponents, though he had already created some distance between himself and the encirclement.
"I've limited stockpile of bullets.. I've to switch mode." Socrates muttered as he returned his Desert Eagles to his inventory and pulled out the Antler Daggers, his grip tightening as he adjusted his stance.
His eyes locked onto a candidate who was attempting to sneak attack Mr. Jaggers from behind.
"Mr. Jaggers claimed I'm much stronger than before.. Let's test that."
With that thought, he dashed forward.
Socrates was amazed by his own speed, as within seconds he had closed the distance between himself and his opponent. The candidate turned around at the last possible moment, raising his weapon to block Socrates' advance.
It was just like before.
The same stance.
The same vertical slash he had previously used on the mechanical bot.
But this time was different.
The dagger didn't just stop.
It cleaved through the weapon entirely, splitting it apart as though it offered no resistance, and Socrates followed up instantly with another strike to the neck.
A clean pincer attack with the other dagger.
The life of the candidate was reaped in a single motion.
The body dropped at his feet, lifeless, but Socrates didn't even spare it a glance as he rushed toward Mr. Jaggers' direction.
"Boy... We need to run. We need to leave this place.." Mr. Jaggers said as he also switched mode to his battle axe, gripping the weapon firmly with both hands, his posture shifting into one built for direct confrontation and rapid movement.
Without waiting for another second, both of them started running forward, their footsteps heavy yet controlled as they attempted to break through the thinning gaps in the encirclement. But unfortunately for them, the commotion they had caused—the gunshots, the clash of weapons, and the ever-present golden glow of the token—had already attracted a lot more individuals.
The situation escalated rapidly.
From the shadows, more figures began to emerge, their silhouettes forming one after another until what was once a manageable group turned into dozens of candidates surrounding them from all directions, their presence suffocating as they closed in.
The duo found themselves surrounded once again.
This time, the pressure was even greater.
Many of the candidates weren't ordinary, as most of them had already realized that in terms of weapons and equipment, they were inferior to the duo. Their eyes, however, showed no hesitation as they turned to their last resort.
Spiritual Energy.
One after another, they released their spiritual energy, and the air around them began to ripple violently as different colors erupted into the night sky, illuminating the battlefield in flashes of green, blue, red, and gold, each aura representing a different cultivation level.
There were late-stage Apprentices among them.
Mid-stage Apprentices.
And even Peak Apprentices.
Mr. Jaggers didn't hold back either. He released his own spiritual energy, a dense and overwhelming green aura that expanded outward, pressing down on the surroundings with authority. The force alone was enough to deter those below Peak Apprentice, forcing weaker candidates to hesitate as they felt the weight of his cultivation.
But his companion had nothing to show.
Socrates stood there, his presence lacking any trace of spiritual energy, his body calm but exposed in a way that immediately drew attention.
"A Peak Apprentice and an ordinary human.. A nice match-up... This fight is as good as over." said Candidate 223, a Peak Apprentice, his voice laced with confidence as he stepped forward slightly.
"Surrender the token to me and I can protect you." said another Peak Apprentice, his tone calm but filled with underlying arrogance, as if the outcome had already been decided.
"In your dreams.." Mr. Jaggers muttered, his grip tightening as he adjusted his stance, his weapon raised and ready for the inevitable clash.
"You can't take all of us together.. You might only be able to hold off two of us while your companion over there is already as good as dead."
"Well.. You're right..." Mr. Jaggers arched his brow slightly, his expression shifting in a way that made Candidate 223 smile, thinking his words had struck their mark.
"Thank the heavens you're aware."
"But you're wrong about one thing..." Mr. Jaggers continued, his tone changing subtly as he lifted his hand and pointed behind them.
"We are not the ones taking you guys... your opponents are over there."
The candidates frowned, confusion flashing across their faces as they instinctively turned back to look in the direction he pointed.
What they saw—
Made their expressions change instantly.
Dozens of red eyes.
Glowing faintly through the darkness.
Silent.
Watching.
Waiting.
The air grew heavier.
The faint rustling of movement could be heard, low and deliberate, accompanied by the sound of breathing that didn't belong to humans.
The realization hit them all at once.
"SOCRATES RUN...." Mr. Jaggers screamed at the top of his voice, his muscles tightening as he exerted explosive strength into his legs before zooming off instantly, his figure cutting through the battlefield without hesitation.
What followed—
Was a sound that pierced through everyone's ears, sharp, primal, and filled with ferocity.
HOWL!!