Volume Two:
Chapter 43 : "The World of Survival"
The moment Sami passed through the wall, he found himself in a strange scene… a huge circular hall, tiered downwards like a Roman amphitheater, built entirely from white stones emitting a faint glow. At the center of the hall, a pure white fire blazed, surrounded by a group of people, while others were distributed on the amphitheater's tiers, alone, in pairs, or in small groups.
Niko was ahead of him, already starting to descend the steps, while Sami remained frozen in place until his awareness suddenly returned: he was carrying someone on his back.
Viva moved slightly, then said in a quiet voice:
"I think you can let me down now, Sami."
He froze for a moment, then snapped out of his daze and gently lowered her. Viva slid off his back lightly, patted his shoulder, and walked ahead without uttering another word. It seemed she had regained some of her energy during that time.
Sami then stood up and began descending behind them, distributing his gaze among the people present in the hall, trying to spot any familiar faces… but to no avail. Neither the clan Commander's daughter nor Asia was among those present, and they were the extent of his acquaintance in this strange place.
He followed Niko with his gaze as he continued his descent, and at one point, Young Eagle jumped off his shoulder, returning to his normal size, then descended the steps independently.
They reached the final tier. Sami felt the fire's heat touching his body, enveloping him in a comforting warmth that didn't sting but soothed. Niko gestured for him to sit on the tier closest to the ground, so Sami sat beside Young Eagle, who looked comfortable, a wide, genuine smile on his face.
Meanwhile, Niko and Viva sat on the opposite side, in front of the white fire. With them were three others. Sami recognized one of them immediately: the muscular young man he had seen at the opening ceremony, who was the son of the clan prison's Chief Guard. Seeing him reminded Sami of the scene of his father's death at the hands of that devil, so he quickly averted his gaze, trying to escape those memories.
On the other side of Niko sat two people he didn't recognize. One was a tall girl with pink hair that seemed dyed, wearing a white outfit similar to the others but tailored in a bolder way, revealing her excessive self-confidence. Her figure was slender, and her gaze was arrogant and cold.
Beside her sat a short young man, wearing the same white outfit in a normal way, with an ordinary hairstyle and features that suggested he was "average" to the extreme… but Sami felt he needed to be wary of him specifically.
Suddenly, Niko spoke, addressing Sami:
"Alright, let's pick up where we left off. As I told you, we rescued you by chance after you activated your ability and released a beam into the sky. It was a reckless decision, but apparently, Young Eagle thought saving you was worth the risk. So I swapped your locations, and he activated his abilities and returned quickly. Now, we'll explain the situation to you, as we did with the others."
He fell silent for a moment. The attendees exchanged glances and soft whispers, then Viva spoke in a calm, measured voice:
"The first thing you need to know… is that we are now in the second ordeal. It seems we were forcibly transported here after the explosion of that yellow beam."
She summoned something resembling a slide projector and began displaying images and scenes:
"We have been transported to what is known as the World of Survival. Specifically, to an unknown region within a giant forest containing colossal trees whose ends we haven't been able to see yet. The inhabitants of this forest - if they can be called that - live inside the trees, completely shielded from the sky. And this temple is one of the rare places we've managed to explore."
Sami's gaze turned serious.
Viva continued:
"What we've confirmed is that the only ones transported to this place are those who passed their first ordeal this year. Not everyone has been gathered yet, so we occasionally go out in small teams to gather information and search for survivors."
Then she closed the display screen and sat down.
Niko smiled cleverly and said:
"You can now ask the questions swirling in your head… though I can't promise there are answers."
Sami had many questions in his mind, but decided to start with the most important. He said calmly:
"How long have you all been here together?"
Niko placed his hand on his forehead thoughtfully, then answered:
"Mmm… about a week, according to our agreement."
Sami's hand trembled involuntarily… A week?! For him, only a day had passed at most! This time discrepancy confused him.
Sami continued in a more serious tone:
"And where exactly are we? And how can we end this ordeal?"
Niko sighed, then said:
"No one knows our exact location. But it's likely we were transported to areas close to each other. As for how to end the ordeal… that's the question we still don't have an answer to."
Sami expected this answer. He sighed, looked up at those present, then said in a firm tone:
"Alright… that's all my questions."
There was no point in asking more, especially since the feeling of being a whole week behind the others was enough to set his priorities straight. Even though he didn't know these people well, their familiar presence was comforting to him… at least partially.
The World of Survival was known for its brutality, the least merciful of the ordeal worlds… if not the most dangerous of all. Their survival for a whole week was a miracle in itself. The idea of being dragged into his second ordeal forcibly didn't sit well with him, but it was okay…
Niko got up from his spot, approached Sami, and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. Sami stood up immediately and followed him in silence, as did Young Eagle. They ascended the steps again, then turned into a side corridor, and passed through one of the walls to reach a small, isolated room, empty except for the white stone walls.
Sami said jokingly:
"Oh, Niko… you seem to know these paths very well."
Niko smiled and replied in a friendly tone:
"That's to be expected from a professional player, isn't it?"
Then he sat on one of the stone ledges in the room and said:
"I had to memorize these paths well."
Sami sat opposite him, looking at him intently, then said:
"So, Niko… can you tell me what really happened?"
Niko cast a quick glance at Young Eagle, who responded with a small nod, then quietly left, leaving them behind.
Niko took a deep sigh, then said:
"Now, since Young Eagle is guarding us… I think it's time to tell you everything."
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