Chapter 88: the original trial part 2

Half an hour earlier, Scarlet was sitting on her throne in total silence, still holding the message brought by the guard earlier.

?The message itself was direct. Just as expected, the Commander at the border front was asking for immediate reinforcements from the capital. He stated clearly that they were under severe pressure and could not hold out much longer without quick assistance. At most, he estimated he could hold the line for a single week. The report implied that if the enemy breached the border, they could reach the capital within a month if nothing was done—putting the entire capital in dire peril.

?As the Queen and ruler of the kingdom, Scarlet was responsible for protecting her citizens. She was supposed to immediately order a mobilization of troops to assist the front line during this crisis. She knew her generals were waiting outside the grand archway, eagerly anticipating her command to sound the horns of war. Yet her hands remained frozen over the parchment.

?After reading the letter, she looked down at what she was holding. How was she supposed to protect these people when they were the very ones who had watched her daughter struggling in that arena? Although she did not know the exact details of her daughter’s death, judging from what she had observed from the injuries from what remained of her, her child must have been torn apart by beasts or slaughtered by sharp weapons. And the citizens in that arena had simply watched her fight for her life. She knew her daughter must have been crying out for help, yet the crowd urged her on in sheer amusement as if she were nothing more than a clown.

?Was she truly expected to protect that kind of people? Scarlet was left with only her daughter after her husband died in battle protecting these exact same citizens. The royal family had shielded them for over eight generations, shedding their own blood for centuries, only for those very people to watch a child of royal lineage be torn apart for entertainment. The tragic irony weighed heavily upon her heart, but that was the harsh reality.

?Scarlet removed her hands from her lap and pulled out a small dagger she kept for self-defense. Sitting alone on her throne, she looked around her empty palace one last time. The cold marble pillars offered no warmth, and the lingering echoes of past celebrations felt like a cruel mockery of her hollow heart. While holding the remnants of her daughter’s body close to her chest, she whispered gently, "Don’t worry, my daughter. Mother will come to see you very soon. You won’t be lonely anymore... we will be reunited with your father."

?Without hesitation, she drove the blade into her heart. She didn’t even flinch from the pain as blood trickled down her clothes. Resting her body against the throne, she closed her eyes, allowing her breathing to grow still.

?Half an hour later, the guard entered the throne room and were greeted by a horrifying scene: the Queen had taken her own life while holding her daughter’s remains, her blood had already beginning to coagulate. Panic erupted instantly. Guards rushed around the palace in despair, and within an hour, word spread across the city that the Queen was dead.

?Combined with the news of the impending invasion, the kingdom fell into sheer terror. Panic spread through the streets like wildfire; shops shuttered, fires broke out in the lower districts, and thousands fled toward the city gates in a desperate bid to escape the impending apocalypse.

?Scarlet, who was observing all of this as a spirit in the trial, remained quiet. She watched in silence as her people collapsed into chaos. She understood this pain all too well.

?The trial fast-forwarded to show the aftermath. The major families whose children had been killed in the arena did not stay to defend the kingdom. Disheartened and grieving, they packed their belongings and quietly left the kingdom for secret regions or foreign lands, abandoning their estates.

?Had their children merely been assassinated by the enemy, these noble families might have channeled their rage to protect the realm. But their children had been murdered in front of thousands of citizens—treated as mere entertainment while the spectators cheered. Who would have the heart to protect people who viewed their children’s deaths as a spectacle? Out of lingering respect for the royal family, the nobles gathered to perform a final, solemn funeral for the Queen, her child, and their own fallen children. Once the rites were concluded, knowing the kingdom was doomed, they packed their belongings and chose to abandon it entirely.

?Without its strongest defenders, the kingdom crumbled from within. When the invading forces arrived two weeks later, they encountered virtually no resistance. Scarlet watched as the enemy forces poured into the city streets, slaughtering those who had not fled. The capital fell effortlessly into enemy hands, and the enemy generals laughed wildly in triumph as their plan succeeded beyond measure—bringing a swift end to a kingdom destroyed by its own cruelty and neglect.

?Suddenly, a brilliant white light engulfed the world, erasing the scene entirely. Scarlet felt her consciousness drift away before abruptly returning to reality.

?When she opened her eyes, she was lying on a soft mattress. Off to the side sat Smith in his wheelchair. The heavy atmosphere of the trial was gone.

?As she tried to sit up, a sudden wave of dizziness hit her.

?"All right, take it easy," Smith said softly, noticing her struggle. "It’s normal to feel uncomfortable. It feels a bit like being dragged down a mountain, doesn’t it? Don’t worry, I understand what you’re going through. Your trial experience was a bit more severe than ours."

?Scarlet paused, taking a breath before looking at him. Smith wasn’t just asking about her physical state; he was concerned about her mental well-being. Watching her daughter be killed in the trial was a traumatic ordeal for any mother.

?Scarlet sighed softly. "How long was I in there? It felt like at least three weeks, though time moved strangely."

?Smith nodded in thought. So inside the trial grounds, roughly one day equals one hour in the real world, he calculated. In his first trial, time rewound seven days, which translated to about seven mhours here. Her three weeks—roughly 21 days—means she was in there for about 21 hours.

?"Have you been waiting for me this whole time?" Scarlet asked.

?"Not entirely alone," Smith replied with a small smile. "At first I was by myself because I didn’t want to leave the area unguarded. Later, Astra and the others came back to help."

?Scarlet looked around, puzzled. "Didn’t the other girls fall into a comatose state earlier? How were they able to recover so quickly to take care of someone else?"

?Smith chuckled lightheartedly. "In our world, we have many items with miraculous effects. You don’t need to worry about that."

?In reality, Smith had used—Aura Essence—to wake them from their comas. It took almost nine drops of the precious essence, an item obtained only by defeating Super Grandmaster rank entities, to fully restore them.

?Just as they were talking, the door opened and Velvet walked into the room. Seeing her, Scarlet’s face lit up with a warm smile. She immediately stood up and wrapped Velvet in a tight hug.

?"I’ve missed you so much," Scarlet whispered, holding her tightly. Velvet was momentarily startled by the intense affection, but quickly understood the emotional toll the trial had taken on Scarlet, comforting her in return.

?Eventually, Scarlet reluctantly let go. Smith smiled and said, "Alright, we’ve rested long enough. Scarlet, let’s go meet the others upstairs—they’ve been waiting for you to wake up"

?With Velvet pushing Smith’s wheelchair, the group made their way to the elevator. Scarlet watched the metal doors close with wide eyes, completely fascinated. In her kingdom, contraptions like this were simple pulley systems used by manual laborers to haul bricks to high structures. The idea of a smooth, automated box powered by electricity to transport people left her in awe.

?When they reached the upper level, they walked through the reception area and into the spacious living room.

?The rest of the group was gathered on the couches, watchin?Smith let out a quiet breath, his expression calm as he looked at the group. "Alright. Let’s go hear them out."

g television. Elder Caesar and Sarafina were there as well, resting comfortably with the team. Upon seeing Scarlet enter, everyone stood up, rushing forward to greet her and check on her recovery.

?After a round of warm greetings, Scarlet sat down with them to relax. But just as the peaceful mood settled over the room, Diana’s phone suddenly rang.

?Diana stepped aside to answer it. After listening for a few moments, her expression hardened. She lowered the phone and turned toward Smith.

?"Smith... the Elders have sent a formal request for you to undertake a new mission."

?The living room fell quiet. Although it was a "request," everyone in the room knew it was necessary to take so as to maximize their time to get stronger. The brief peace they had just reclaimed after their ordeal was officially over.