Chapter 43：Planning (1/2)

The next day, Arthur woke up from deep slumber. The nauseous experience he went through yesterday was mentally draining, making him fall asleep as soon as he relaxed. That happened after the screams of the summoned monster ceased at midnight.

As his memories drifted there, he was again weirded out by the whole event. Since the first moment he saw this group of people, he felt a sense of familiarity. It prompted him to follow after them, and he ended up here. After that, he again met one of them in the forest for a brief second before the beginning of the first round. Next, he met with Miko while taking a stroll and then a voice told him to trust her.

This sequence of events made him feel like something greater was pulling some strings. As he had a skeptic mentality, Arthur started getting more and more conscious of all the accidental things happening. Did he meet with Sier by accident? In an arcade? Was it a coincidence that he met a wolf he helped, that was weirdly attached to him, in a trial ground that happens every thirty years?

There was also the matter of Solomon, being there at that time, asking him for help. Sure, he was grateful to the dead man, who has helped him in an hour of need, but everything felt surreal after yesterday. Why did it feel like someone trying to push him toward taking these actions?

”Are you okay?” Arthur was startled by Miko's question, and he was pulled from his thoughts. He realized he had been staring at the sky for almost half an hour deep in thoughts, replaying each scenario with a different answer.

He may be naïve, but he wasn't dumb. When he goes back to the real world, he would question Sier and Ronin about everything. Was it all a coincidence? He didn't think so.

”Yes, is something wrong?” He answered as he got up. Seeing her behaving unlike usual, he couldn't help but ask.

”We need to plan things out. What are we going to do from now on?” Miko said, surprising Arthur greatly.

”We?”

”Well, yes.” She bobbed her head up and down, another unusual act. It was then that Arthur realized she was acting more natural just like her real self.

”Yesterday, you stood up for me.”

”You could've used your ability to escape alone since the beginning.”

”And leave you? That's not an option.” Miko shook her head vigorously. Arthur realized how honest she was, not ditching him even though she could because he was her benefactor. Maybe, just maybe, he made the right decision of listening to the voice. It didn't seem like Erin would appreciate his cooperation, either.

”Okay, let's stick together until this whole thing ends then.” Arthur raised his fist, and Miko looked at it for a few seconds before bumping it awkwardly. Arthur laughed and stood up, starting to prepare their food. As he did, the two kept talking about their next course of action.

”Since we have created a team now, we need to find a few more members,” Arthur said, rotating the meat to cook the other side.

”My goal is to survive this. I came here unknowingly, and I need to get out of here alive. We either pass this trial, or we end it.”

”End it?” Miko asked with puzzlement as she took the meat from Arthur's hands.

”Yes, end it. It's a long story, but I think I have a way to end the trial early.”

”What about the insignias?” Miko asked, puzzled.

”That… I don't know. Ending the trial doesn't mean passing it, but it's also doesn't mean we'd fail it. Can you tell me how do you specifically pass?”

”That depends on the insignia you're aiming for. There are many types, including The Conqueror, The Slayer, The Saint, The Hero, The Lord, and The Explorer.

”For the Conqueror, you need to conquer the tower. For the Slayer, you need to kill a high-tier monster. For the Saint, you need to heal many but never kill. For the Hero, you need to save others, from humans or monsters alike. For the Lord, you need to lead others toward survival. Lastly, for the Explorer, you need to find the world's cores.”

Arthur listened as he munched on his food, processing everything she explained. To be frank, it was more than a lot. He had no idea it required that many conditions and each insignia had a different name. He should've learned these things much earlier, although they wouldn't change much.

”What if everyone escaped the trial grounds, while not receiving an insignia yet?” He said, hoping for an answer.