Nameless King

The rules of the second test were elementary, even a child could understand them, but this test had a second, more complicated side.

In this case, psychology had a significant influence. After all, the lives of others depended on the decisions one made.

Ayla had a way of passing this test, but it was not a fact that the others agreed.

“I propose not to participate in the trial.” Ayla said, “We can just stand still and then, after ten minutes, kill the weakest monster. Since fifteen coins are the minimum amount that can be totaled.”

This was actually the best and safest option. No one was risking anything. In the end, everyone would stay alive and pass on.

However, this plan had one significant disadvantage. No one would get the reward, which didn’t suit everyone.

“I understand that you Elves are always for peaceful solutions and hate bloodshed, but your idea is stupid. We all came here for the treasure, and we will fight for it, so why pretend we are friends and delay it? Sooner or later, we’ll have to kill each other.” Said Finch, and a flame burned brightly on his hands.

“Stop, you shouldn’t be so aggressive.” Ayla said cautiously, “I understand that you want to fight and get the reward, but haven’t you realized yet that all this might be a hoax. There may be no reward, and the mask wants one of us dead.”

“Are you stupid? I could say the same thing. Can’t you guess that the mask might have lied to us about the conditions, and if we have the same amount of coins, everyone will die?”

Ayla frowned. She realized that Finch had an answer for every argument she made. Neither of them had any additional information, so their words didn’t make sense.

“Finch, maybe we really shouldn’t fight.” Dia suddenly said.

“What? Are you getting cold feet?”

“No.” Dia shook her head. “I don’t think this mask can kill us on its own. Before, one of us was pierced by a spike, but not fatally. Also, the mask didn’t respond to your attacks. It also has to obey the rules of this test.”

“I agree!” Said Keya. “Our mates died, but the first time it was because of poisoned tea, and the second time it was because of a revolver shot. These were trials, not the will of the mask. In that case, if we keep the same number of coins, there’s nothing the mask can do to us.”

Finch began to have doubts. He didn’t care for the Elves’ opinion, but he couldn’t ignore Dia’s words, which sounded plausible.

Views were divided, and Finch wasn’t sure how he should have acted.

Then everyone looked at Wain. He was the only one who hadn’t given his opinion yet.

“Say, what do you think?” Said Ayla.

Wain answered nothing and walked over to the table with the coins.

They merged into one, and he tossed it up as hard as he could, then jumped and caught the bouncing coin, which now had the number ‘6’ on it.

“I think you talk too much. Each of you is free to do what you want. To follow the rules or not, to believe the terms of the test or to doubt it, that’s your decision, which can’t affect mine in any way.” Calmly Wain said and tossed the coin up again.

“Bastard!” Shouted Finch and turned into a fiery flash.

He was going to take Wain’s coin away because after it bounced, the value of that coin would be a 9. That was a pretty big value, considering that the trial hadn’t officially started yet.

Wain smirked and turned into a blue flash in response. The next moment they faced each other. To everyone’s surprise, Wain was able to toss Finch aside and catch the coin.

“Huh, why are you standing still? Haven’t you realized yet that there will be no peaceful solution?” Wain asked with a sneer and flipped the coin again.

Ayla frowned and sprang into action. She was shocked by Wain’s strength and was once again surprised that the Inerian man was capable of it.

Like most of his race, Finch was excellent at controlling white flames and specialized in these attacks. Also, Finch and Dia were physically strong and advanced. They were excellent fighters, especially in close combat.

Most Elves were effective at any distance, but Ayla specialized in long-range attacks. When she realized it was time to fight, a large amount of energy piled up around her, and she shot a beam at Wain.

She couldn’t let him catch the coin again, or it would have been a real disaster.

Ayla was sure that the energy beam would be able to knock Wain down and cause him serious wounds. She wasn’t going to kill him, for that was fraught with problems, but she had to stop him.

Whoooosh.

Suddenly the ring on Wain’s hand glowed bright green, and the next moment he swung his platinum sword. The energy beam was destroyed, and Wain caught the coin.

“Miss Ayla… We’ve already lost, and we have to use coins too.” Said Keya and ran to the table.

“That was unexpected, but we still have a chance to pass this ordeal without dying.” Ayla said coldly, staring at Wain.

Ayla had failed to convince the others to act on her plan, but she had another option. She and Keya could score the same amount of coins, in which case neither of them would die and have to fight the monster.

In the end, after thirty seconds, they each took their coins, and Wain already had twelve coins and was going to keep increasing that number.

“Hey, kid, I don’t think you realize the situation you’re in!” Finch said menacingly, and a flame burned brightly on his hands.

He was angry and wanted to tear Wain to pieces. However, he wasn’t going to fight Finch.

Wain tossed a coin in the air and said, “I have no reason to fight you, and neither do you. Our main goal is to increase our coin count, isn’t that right?”

Whooooooosh.

Wain waved his hand and caught a coin with ’15’ on it.

“Finch, he’s right.” Suddenly Dia said and tossed the coin up. “We have to follow the rules if we don’t want to die.”

“Shit, okay.” Said Finch and did the same. 𝒃𝒆𝙙𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Wain wasn’t really against Ayla’s plan, but he couldn’t trust them, and he also wanted a valuable reward. He was sure something was interesting and powerful in the mask’s arsenal.

Besides, Wain wanted to see what his opponents were capable of. He had never met elves before, and one attack from Ayla was not enough to understand the range of their capabilities.

If they fought a monster, Wain would be able to see their strengths and weaknesses.

…

“Miss Ayla, what shall we do?” Keya asked.

“Just as I said. As long as they increase the number of their coins, we’ll just wait for the end of the challenge.

There are no more than five minutes left. You and I each have three coins, which means no one will die. Hopefully, the final monster won’t be too strong, but we have to deal with it anyway.” Said Ayla.

Keya nodded. She would do what Ayla said, even if it threatened her with mortal danger.

Respect was very important among the Elves, and there was a kind of hierarchy. Ayla was stronger and from a nobler family, but that did not mean that Keya was her servant or slave.

However, as the less able and from a simpler family, Keya respected Ayla and did her errands in most cases.

It was like a relationship between a junior and a senior student. There were no strict rules of conduct, but there were certain limits within which they were held.

Ayla also had her own responsibilities. If someone died because of her errands, it would be a disgrace to her as a member of a noble family.

In fact, the Elves were much stricter on the upper class than on the middle and lower classes.

They believed that by their decisions and strength of spirit, they had to justify the power and opportunities given to them otherwise, they were nothing more than zero.

With one minute left in the test, Wain had 99 coins. Finch and Dia were slightly behind, with 81 and 69 coins, respectively.

Finch had already calmed down during this time and didn’t want to attack Wain, but he occasionally glared at him.

Whooooooosh.

Wain made another throw, and it changed when the coin touched the ceiling.

Wain didn’t know what was happening, but the coin suddenly glowed brightly, and various symbols and inscriptions appeared on the ceiling.

The next moment a dark vortex formed in the center of the room, and a smiling mask appeared.

“I didn’t expect any of you to be able to get a coin of the value of 100. Honestly, I thought you’d get in each other’s way and fight to the death, but you chose to act peacefully. Well, that’s your choice.”

“Is something special going to happen now?” Ayla asked.

She was excited. Every time the mask appeared, tragedy struck.

“Yes, normally, the strength of the monster and the quality of the reward would depend on the total number of coins you have. However, since the value of one coin became ‘100’, the rules have changed. Now you have to fight the strongest monster, and he gets the best reward.” Said the mask looking at Wain.

“Huh, doesn’t that mean he’s finished?” Finch grinned. “We’ll just stand by until the monster tears him apart. Why should we help him? Right?”

“You can try if you want, but there’s something I haven’t told you.” The mask said with a wicked smirk.

At that moment, everyone was wary, they knew they had been deceived, and the situation had become more serious.

“Coins have another secret purpose. The more coins a participant has, the less attention the monster will pay to him. Obviously, those with only three coins will be the main targets.”

Whoooosh.

The mask disappeared, and the space shook in the next moment.

Ayla’s and Keya’s faces darkened. They realized that they had put themselves at a disadvantage.

They had managed to avoid casualties, but now they would be prime targets for the monster. This was the worst situation possible.

Wain had the best position of all. Not only would he get the most valuable reward, but he also didn’t need to do anything to get it.

The monster wouldn’t pay attention to him since he had a hundred coins.

Crackle.

The symbols on the ceiling were like a huge seal that cracked instantly. Then a dark hand appeared from there.

It was small, the size of a man. Gradually, the monster’s silhouette emerged from the crack until it fully emerged.

To everyone’s surprise, this monster looked like a person. It was completely dark, and it was impossible to see a face, but other details of its appearance were visible.

The monster had triangular ears, white flames burning on its arms, and a long cloak similar to the one Wain was wearing. The monster also had a sword in its hand, shaped like Forgotten Monarch’s Sword.

‘Is that a copy of all of us?’ Wain thought to himself.

“What kind of bastard is that?” Said Finch and drew the sword from behind his back.

His weapon immediately burst into a bright white flame, as did his ashy hair. Dia did the same. Her weapons were fiery knuckles. They sensed a serious threat emanating from this figure.

“Keya… It looks like we’re in trouble…” Ayla muttered, fear in her voice.

She and Keya specialized in long-range combat, and an opponent with a sword was the worst of them all.

The silhouette looked closely at each contestant and stopped his gaze on Ayla and Keya. As the mask had said, they were the monster’s main targets because of the number of coins.

‘Hmm, he has partially copied our appearance, clothing, and even weapons. I wonder how powerful his abilities are?’ Wain wondered.

Whoooosh.

The silhouette slowly raised his sword above his head. The white flames moved to the dark sword, and the monster made a sharp swing. A wave of flame was created, and it struck Ayla and Keya.

They quickly rebounded in different directions and dodged this attack. Ayla attacked back, pointing her hand at the silhouette and firing a powerful energy beam.

However, the monster didn’t even begin to retreat. It swung its cloak to block the beam and threw its sword at Ayla.

The weapon reached her instantly and grazed her left leg. Ayla managed to dodge the fatal wound at the last moment.

Then the monster snapped his finger, and the sword returned to him, and his hair lit up in white flame like Finch’s.

“Damn, this looks like it’s going to be a problem.” Wain muttered.

He hadn’t expected the monster to have their powers. In any case, Wain wasn’t going to participate in this battle just yet. It was a great opportunity to learn more about the other races’ powers.