After lunch, Elysia and the Scholar arrived at the lower edge of the dimensional rift.
Their presence here naturally meant that the Scholar's two probes hadn't detected any "magical artifacts." This wasn't an Attachment-type rift, but an Otherworld Dimensional Rift.
Elysia cautiously reached forward. Though there was nothing visible, she felt as if she were touching a transparent wall blocking her path.
In gaming terms, it was like an "invisible wall," as if the game were saying, "Come back to explore this area later!"
In reality, it was a force field wall projected by the Scholar's probes. "Hold on," she said. "Let me examine what's inside this rift first."
She opened her briefcase, pressed a few buttons, and a thumb-sized metal sphere popped out.
The Scholar's briefcase was actually a storage device utilizing Space Folding Technology, containing a vast collection of her inventions. It was essentially a massive mobile warehouse.
Thanks to the so-called "Space Folding Technology," the Scholar pinched the metal sphere that had just popped out between her thumb and forefinger, gave it a gentle press, and in the next instant, the sphere abruptly expanded more than tenfold.
Cradling the metal sphere, the Scholar placed it on the ground. The sphere rapidly transformed and unfolded, morphing into a drone equipped with propellers. It then soared into the sky.
Normally, the interior and exterior of a Dimensional Rift are completely isolated, preventing any communication. However, during her recent trip to the Sakura Nation, the Scholar had acquired all their technology related to Dimensional Rifts, including methods for exploring them, recording their data, and reproducing recorded rifts.
Yet, after entering the Dimensional Rift, the drone transmitted no video footage. Instead of a black screen, it showed a completely blank screen—a "white screen," one might say.
The Scholar frowned. "Is there something wrong with the equipment? Shouldn't it be capturing a completely static 'world'?"
After all, this was the first Interdimensional Rift Observation Device she had built using the Sakura Nation's technology. Errors seemed only natural.
"What do we do now?" Elysia asked. "Should we just go in?"
As she spoke, another thought crossed her mind. The Scholar was an exceptional researcher, and now that she had acquired the Sakura Nation's technology, could Elysia ask her to delve deeper into this field? Perhaps she could even discover a way to open portals to other worlds.
But asking the Scholar could wait. For now, they needed to focus on the Dimensional Rift.
"Let's inform the White Tower that we might be gone for a few days," the Scholar said. "Then we'll go in."
The Scholar wasn't afraid of Dimensional Rifts. She wasn't the type to cower in fear over a minor malfunction in her observation equipment. On the contrary, she was determined to enter as soon as possible and resolve the matter quickly.
After all, what could two teams of the White Eagle Eight possibly struggle with when handling a single Dimensional Rift?
Well... it was true that the Hunter and Wizard had recently died in one, but that wasn't the Rift's fault. It was those Sakura Nation brats who had backstabbed them.
Elysia pulled out her phone and sent a message to Baldy Burke. The Scholar also notified the White Tower. Then, the Scholar deactivated a portion of the force field wall. They exchanged a glance before simultaneously stepping forward into the activation range of the Dimensional Rift.
Elysia had experienced countless Dimensional Rifts leading to Otherworlds, especially during her time with Firefly, when she could breeze through several in a single day.
After a brief wave of dizziness, Elysia's consciousness gradually returned. She found herself lying face down on the floor.
At the same time, a cold male voice echoed, "Awake? I didn't expect the strongest of this batch of rookies to be a little girl."
Elysia: "???"
She pushed herself up, smoothed her hair, and swiftly scanned her surroundings.
Eleven people were trapped within a milky-white, hemispherical barrier. Through the barrier, they could see what appeared to be a dilapidated living room: a creaking wooden door hanging by one hinge, a dust-covered coffee table and stools, and a sofa riddled with holes.
Of the eleven people present, four were sprawled on the ground, including the Scholar. The remaining six were either standing or sitting, engaged in conversation.
The man who had just spoken was a weathered middle-aged man with a cigarette dangling from his lips. He turned to Elysia and said, "Welcome to the Trial Arena, young lady."
But three other words flashed through Elysia's mind: Main God Space!
The déjà vu was overwhelming.
Where the hell did this Dimensional Rift drag me to? Am I even still in the country?
The cigarette-smoking man continued, "Check your wrist device. Try to recall. The basic information should already be in your mind."
Elysia remained silent.
The sense of déjà vu intensified.
Meanwhile, the other four people lying on the ground began to stir. The Scholar rubbed her forehead, looking around in confusion. Her reaction mirrored Elysia's almost exactly: first observing their surroundings, then examining the people around them, and finally, fixing her gaze on Elysia.
At that moment, Elysia raised her right wrist. A black wrist device had indeed appeared. She glanced at the Scholar and pointed to her own device.
As Elysia focused her consciousness, information flooded her mind:
Name: Elysia
Identity: Apprentice Trialist
Points: 1,000
Current Scenario: Redwood Ghost City
Beyond this basic profile, she received details about the Trial Arena itself.
Random individuals were summoned to this place and periodically transported to "trials." Completing missions and performing well earned them "point rewards."
After each trial, the survivors returned to a communal rest area called the Plaza. There, they could spend their points to purchase enhancements and rest until the next trial began.
Elysia blinked. So... it's just the Main God Space?
And out of the five newcomers recruited by this Trial Arena, two were members of the White Eagle Eight. Is that really supposed to happen?