Awakening: I Ascend As A Legendary Ranked Necromancer-Chapter 31: There he goes

I wanted to sleep. I knew I wasn’t the only one, Litha looked like she would collapse onto anything soft if given the chance. That was all that was on my mind as I walked with the others into the testing arena.

It looked like an oversized football field, massive and wide, lined with numerous gates. Still, for a place holding this many Awakeners, it was unnervingly silent.

The three of us froze just a few steps inside.

Because everyone was looking at us.

I looked up and my breath caught.

My own face stared back at me from the massive projection above. When did I start looking like a beggar? Torn clothes, dirt-caked skin. All three of us looked the same.

As promised, we had forced ourselves down for three straight days with barely any rest, hunting and training, only stopping briefly before running here.

"We’re not late, are we?" I asked, my voice ringing out in the silence.

The arena exploded into loud murmuring.

As if responding to my words, every gate slammed shut, including the one behind us. The projection shifted, and the Host appeared.

"Now.....we are complete! Let’s go straight to the point! The test of Floor 102 will determine whether you are worthy to climb to the next floor!"

She leaned closer to the screen and fake-whispered, "I’ll let you in on a little secret. This test is meant to cut your numbers down. It depends on luck and your own abilities to pass. Currently, there are up to seven hundred thousand of you!"

Seven hundred thousand?

My stomach dropped. And how many do they plan to keep?

"We’ll be cutting you down to fifty thousand!"

The murmuring turned louder, more restless. Awakeners shifted, tension rippling through the crowd. Failing this early would stain you forever. Even if you returned to your world, you’d be known as someone who failed before truly beginning.

And if we failed now... would we ever be allowed to climb again? At the very least they would be forced to wait for another turn!

"Isn’t that a bit too low?" Temur muttered beside me.

"I heard admission is always like this," man nearby replied. "It gets worse the higher you climb. Technically, this is the easiest."

He had brown hair and yellow eyes, but what caught my attention was the green viper coiled calmly around his neck.

Litha eyed him suspiciously. Then again, she looked at everyone that way.

I spoke first before she says anything. "Who are you?"

"A fellow Climber. Josh."

"I’m Torvan. That’s Temur, and this is Litha."

"So you’re the ones who made the grand entrance," he said, studying us. "You look like you’ve been fighting monsters all day."

"If only you knew," Litha muttered.

The Host began speaking again.

"Oh, come on! From the fifty thousand three hundred gathered here, five thousand will earn the right to climb. Isn’t that generous? You simply have to do whatever it takes to be among the five thousand!"

Something shifted instantly.

Faces darkened and eyes sharpened. Awakeners subtly repositioned themselves, measuring one another. The air tightened, thick with hostility as if violence could erupt at any moment.

Above us, the Host’s eyes glowed hot pink as she grinned.

I swallowed and glanced around. Why does it feel like someone’s about to attack me?

"What’s happening?" I asked.

Litha scowled. "The test has already begun. That announcement was intentional. Everyone believes they deserve to climb. It starts now."

Of course it does, I thought.

"Won’t we be doing the same?" I asked. "Fighting for a spot?"

Temur nodded.

"Yes. But there’s no point yet, we haven’t even left the arena. Relax until it officially begins."

The Host continued, "Here’s how the test will proceed!

You’ll be transported to a place containing five thousand platforms. Your task is simple, stand and hold on a platform before one hour passes. That’s all. No two people may occupy the same platform. If they do, both will be disqualified."

"Hey!" someone shouted. "Can we take a platform by force?!" 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

The Host tilted her head. "Hmm? Once the test begins, there’s no such thing as illegality. It’s a free world!"

"Bastards," Litha said coldly. "There’s going to be a lot of blood."

Temur groaned. "More fighting?"

We’d barely stopped fighting as it was for the past three days

I turned to Josh. "What do you think?"

"There will be no friends in this test," he said calmly. "Only blood. And more blood."

I agreed. I would never turn on Temur or Litha but anyone else? I wouldn’t hesitate if it meant securing a platform.

One thought lingered, sharp and uncomfortable.

’If there was only one spot left to climb the Tower... would I give it up for anyone? Even them?’

I didn’t have to think far to come up with my answer. No.

"Since that’s all," the Host announced, "the test begins now! Good luck to everyone involved, and congratulations to the five thousand!"

The projection vanished.

I slapped Temur on the back before he could do the same and shook my hand. It felt like striking solid stone. "Come back alive, big guy and advance too."

Temur grinned. "Why wouldn’t I? I already have a restaurant picked out to celebrate our victory!"

"Idiots. Just don’t die," Litha said. "The monster cores are still in your rings."

Temur waggled his eyebrows. "Are you sure that’s the only reason you don’t want us to die...."

Before he even finished speaking he dissolved into blue light and shot into the sky.

"It’s starting...?!"

All around me, Awakeners transformed into streaks of blue light and launched upward disappearing into the sky.

I turned to Litha but she was already gone without even trying to give any warning. I shook my head.

I looked at Josh. "Well....."

I didn’t get to finish as suddenly, warmth flooded my body. Blinding light swallowed my vision, erasing everything.

Josh rested a hand on the snake around his neck. "And there he goes."