In a flash of light, a young teenager with curly, brown hair appeared in the middle of a stone brick square. His eyes were scrunched together, the sun’s bright rays momentarily blinding him. Blinking repeatedly, he soon got used to the sudden change and surveyed his surroundings.

Like the first trial, Noah found himself alone. Breathing in, the smell of flowers entered his nose. Lush greenery surrounded him; it was like a well-maintained park. The chirping of birds and the rustle of leaves entered his ears but there were no signs of any other participants.

Noah wasn’t surprised that he was by himself. It was extremely unlikely that anyone had finished the second trial before him. Even the other invaders probably hadn’t as they wouldn’t use the ruthless schemes he did. Judging from their appearances, he was confident they were members of a righteous force.

“It seems I will have to wait quite some time for the third trial to begin. But this is good as now I have more time to prepare and rest,” he pondered, rubbing his aching chest.

Considering that subsequent trials usually increased in participants, this trial could involve hundreds of people. Noah knew with the selection of the previous trial, many of this world’s trash would be weeded out, leaving those with some level of competence or luck. The third trial's difficulty was not to be underestimated.

Looking at the sword in his hand, the corner of his lips curled slightly. It was an unexpected boon that he would obtain such a good weapon. Unlike the real world, killing beings in the tutorial didn't guarantee the weapon they were using. Although something along the lines of a rapier would have suited this body better, Noah took what he could get. He didn't have the technical skill to use a delectate weapon like that anyway.

Currently, hacking and slashing were his limits until he further improved himself. It had been many years since he last used a sword.

Shaking his head, Noah strolled around the square before leaving it and exploring the expansive park surrounding it, taking in the scenery and looking for any points of interest. Half an hour later, he had scanned every inch of the park. A frown could be seen on his face; he hadn’t discovered anything.

Although there were many types of plants, he didn’t recognize any of them. But this was to be expected, he was in a new world, after all. He could only test them himself or preferably, use others to test them.

Animals and humans weren’t the only beings affected by mana. All life, including plants, fungi, and even bacteria was strengthened by mana. Illness, in fact, was the leading cause of death in newly-integrated worlds. With combat came weakness, and in turn, came injury and infections.

Due to this, Noah had to be careful around large groups of people until they obtained their classes. Only then would he be safe due to the presence of priests and similar classes.

By now, he had become well acquainted with the square. Besides the flora and some smaller critters, there was nothing that posed a threat to his life.

The park was split into four sections by an orderly brick path. When he had first been teleported here, he had spawned where the four intersected. Walking to the edge of the park, Noah realized that, unlike the first trial, he could continue into the modern city that surrounded it.

“It seems that the scale of this trial is much larger than I first thought. With a size this large, never mind hundreds, it could host thousands of people.”

A frown formed on his face. His ability to affect things on a larger scale and protect himself would be greatly reduced in correspondence with the population increase. However, the layout of the city gave him a good idea of what the trial entitled.

The city itself was circular in shape and surrounded by large walls. Given its near-perfect symmetry, Noah guessed that this trial was the opposite of the second one. He would have to defend the city from attack.

This was good, as it was much safer for him and it made it easier to obtain bonuses. Doing things like attacking rather than defending when most would stay in the city would impact his score greatly.

It was only the large scale that worried him.

Continuing his exploration, Noah studied the various buildings around the city. Three out of five were residential structures such as houses or hotels, with the highest being five stories high. The rest of the layout was comprised of bars, stores, restaurants, hospitals, and other service-related locations.

It was a fully-functional modern city. Noah first entered a hospital, the grey building’s white tile floors spotlessly clean. Noticing that there were no people at the reception desk, he guesses that it was intended to be manned by the trial’s participants.

He headed upstairs and entered the closest room. Taking off his ragged, scorched clothes and shoes, he tossed them into a trash can, leaving him in his briefs.

Noah didn’t care and quickly opened some drawers, reaching for the bandages and antiseptic inside. However, to his surprise, his hand was blocked and a notification appeared in front of him.

Contribution Points Required: 30

“I see,” Noah thought, rubbing his chin and wincing. It would seem he didn’t have a method of healing until the trial began. Looking down at his burnt-raw hands, he could only persevere until the trial began. The burns weren’t too bad though, and Noah knew they would heal over the course of around a week.

“Nothing I can do about that,” he mumbled and left the hospital. Still lacking clothes, he looked around for a store that sold some. It didn’t take long to find such a building. Entering it, a clean smell enveloped his nose, causing him to breathe in deeply.

Noah walked around, his eyes wandering the displayed clothes. Shirts, sweaters, button-downs, sweatshirts, and all sorts of clothes in every imaginable color lined the walls and racks. Not putting too much thought into it, he picked out a white t-shirt, grey jacket, and black sweatpants.

Unlike the hospital, there didn’t seem to be any restrictions or requirements to “buy” the clothes. After casually picking out a pair of black socks, Noah headed upstairs to the second of the store’s three floors.

“More clothes just with different symbols on them,” Noah thought. “Probably some popular characters or logos.”

There was nothing that interested him on the second story, so he walked up to the third. Arriving at the floor, he sucked in a deep breath.

Rows and rows of armor lined the shelves. From flexible, leather tunics to heavy iron platemail, the floor contained it all. Noah noticed many pieces glowing in different colors, indicating their magical properties. A greedy light appeared in his eyes. He reached for a pair of incandescent boots, only to be stopped by an invisible barrier.

“Contribution points again,” he sneered, almost wishing the trial would begin already. Helpless, he could only head back to the first floor and grab a pair of regular black boots.

He then entered a restroom and used the cold, tap water to wash his hair and face. Supporting his hands on the sink’s edge, he looked up into the mirror at his current appearance.

His face had visibly lost a lot of its former baby fat, probably due to the increase in his body’s metabolism and fights he’s been in. His curly hair stuck to his head due to the water. Feeling it was slightly bothersome, he ran his hand through it, pushing it back and exposing his forehead.

Noah took off his glasses, finding it funny they survived for so long. Although his sight became slightly blurry, it would get better as he grew stronger in the future. Right now, he didn’t want to risk any distractions affecting him in this trial.

Tossing them into a toilet, he dressed himself in the clothes he previously picked and exited the store.

A thunderous rumble emerged from his stomach, prompting him to make a beeline for the nearest restaurant. Entering it, a flavorous aroma ignited his appetite. He sat down at a table and a panel appeared in front of him, displaying the menu.

Looking over the tens of dishes he’s never seen before, his grin widened from ear to ear.

Rubbing his chin, Noah decisively chose three meat dishes. A few seconds after he picked them, three steaming plates appeared in front of him along with a glass of cold water and silverware. Seeing the steam curl up seductively, he didn’t hesitate to pick up the fork and knife and cut a juicy slice of beef.

A moan escaped from Noah’s mouth as the slab of meat slid down his throat. He hadn’t tasted anything this good in over a decade. Such a lavish meal was the stuff of his dreams.

Twenty minutes later, Noah left the restaurant with a full stomach. Despite knowing that none of this world was real, he felt sated to the bone. It was an incredible feeling, incomparable to the night cat he ate back at Fort Nihl.

Thinking back, Noah found it hard to believe that only a couple days ago that he was plotting against fellow slaves to increase his quota. Such a transition felt unreal.

Sighing, Noah strolled down the paved street, heading in the general direction of the park. He soon arrived at the green land but didn’t enter. Instead, he circled around the area until he found a large hotel.

Noah was someone who was cautious. He always made sure to cover his tracks and eliminate any leads to him. Naturally, he wouldn’t wait for the groups that finished their second trial to appear in the park. It would simply be courting death.

A young teenager was the first to complete the trial, alone. How strange was that? Rather than inviting suspicion upon himself, he would much rather watch discreetly from a high vantage point.

After climbing up the six flights of stairs, he arrived at the highest floor of the hotel. Looking at the long hallway, he walked down it and opened the last door at the very end.

What greeted him was a stylish, modern suite. The furniture was primarily black and white, with green plants adding a bit of life to the monochrome room. He found it was very functional and ascetic.

Looking at the white bed, Noah didn’t hesitate to sit on it. Perhaps it was due to his tense nerves, or maybe it was the large amount of food he ate, Noah felt his eyelids droop and not long later, fell asleep.

Muffled knocking entered through his door, causing Noah’s eyes to snap open. The pair of brown orbs swiveled around hazily, his thoughts incoherent and scattered due to his long rest. However, this didn’t last long as he came to his senses and sat up abruptly.

“Shit! I fell asleep!” he clutched at his head, vertigo attacking him. He breathed in deeply. “No, it’s okay. I needed the rest and now that I’ve gotten it, I’ll be more functional and productive. First of all, I’ll have to take a look at what this disturbance is.”

Pulling back his hair, he grabbed his saber from where it had fallen and walked up to the door. He cracked it open, looking out into the hallway with one eye. He heard an exclamation of surprise followed by some hushed whispering.

“Who are you?” he asked the duo in front of him. The female of the two, a plain-looking woman with a low nose bridge replied.

“We are here to ask if your group has taken part in the census. Could you please call them over so we can ask a few questions?” she smiled sweetly.

“So I’ve been asleep for a few days,” Noah frowned. “Given that there are enough people for a census to be necessary, there must be at least a few hundred in the trial by now.”

Finishing his train of thought, Noah’s face sank, tears welling up in his eyes. Shocked, the woman crouched down, nervously asking him, “What’s wrong?”

Sniffing, Noah replied, “I don’t know where my group is. After the second trial, they told me to wait here but I haven’t seen them in a long time.”

The woman’s face turned grim, even the man behind her frowned. The same thought passed through their heads. “He was abandoned!”

The woman put on a façade, chuckling lightly and reassured him. “Don’t worry, why don’t you come with us and we’ll look for your group together. If you stay cooped up in your room alone, you’ll eventually go hungry. How about we go for some breakfast?”

Hearing this, Noah explained that he had to get ready. He closed the door and sheathed his sword, hiding it away on his back. Traveling around the city had given him plenty of time to create a make-shift sheath out of a black shirt. Opening the door once again, he exited the room. The pair didn’t notice any peculiarities.

Having left his suite, Noah got a good look at the duo. Their backs, although strait, carried an air of exhaustion that along with the black rings beneath their eyes, made Noah assume he wasn’t the first door they knocked on.

“Do you know about the system? To think that such a thing is happening to us,” the woman rambled. “Oh yeah, I haven’t introduced myself. I’m Nicole and this is James. We are asking people to join us in the meeting at the park.”

Wiping the tears from his eyes, Noah nodded.

“You can trust us. Although I might not look like much, I’m very strong,” Nicole grinned. James snorted from behind her.

Scoffing, Nicole glared at him before addressing Noah, “Don’t pay attention to him. James is just upset his mana core is just a regular one, unlike my fire core.”

“You shouldn’t tell others your core so casually, Nicole,” James deadpanned, his calm voice carrying a hint of reproach.

Nicole didn’t respond, perhaps realizing that she overspoke. “So they have already discovered the different classifications of cores,” Noah thought.

Mana cores came in all different types. In fact, most didn’t have a defining trait such as Noah’s Soul Core. These cores were known as “traitless cores”. Their mana capacity was no less than a core with a trait, but they lacked the innate ability that a traited core would have. If it was true that Nicole had a fire core, Noah would have to be careful around her. His core didn’t provide him with any combat-related benefits.

The newly-formed trio made their way down the hall and exited the hotel. Noah was surprised by the number of people milling about the street, all heading in the direction of the city center.

“So what is this meeting about? Has the trial already begun?” Noah asked, wondering how long he had slept. It would have been terrible if the trial had already started.

Nicole answered him, “No it hasn’t. So far, these meetings have been about discoveries such as the different mana cores as well as theories about the tutorial and stats and things like that. No one knows when the trial will begin.”

It was then that James asked, “Given the room you were in, your group must have been pretty strong. They shouldn’t have had any problem taking you to the meetings.”

Noah’s face remained the same but internally he frowned. It was impossible to simply point at a group to blame. Just as he was about to open his mouth, speaking his prepared excuse, he heard a bell’s ding ringing out in the air. A white panel materialized in front of him.

The Final Trial will be beginning shortly. Participants, make your way to the Central Pavilion for a brief elucidation.