– Holy shit, Latarro got completely owned by Artigan. @ Mezhargod123 (Unverified)

↪ Okay, someone really needs to put this elf down. @Relicantoo (Realmer)

↪ You got to admit, he’s pretty freaking hilarious though. @Milococo2 (Unverified)

↪ This isn’t a joke. This guy’s a Destined, you’re really okay with him walking around in your tiny ass planet? Fucking Earthers. @Relicantoo (Realmer)

– Omg poor Latarro, Artigan better survive until realm five. I’m going to fuckin pulverize his head in @Entario (Verified, Realm 5)

Ryan entered the third Trial, laughing his head off. The prank was worth whatever petty payback Gamielle would try. The only regret was not being able to see the look on her face.

His feet landed in the grass, he’d left the clearing of a forest to enter into another one. Though this one was quite different. Instead of a giant fort, he was surrounded by ruined stone with the portal warbling behind him. The trees beyond the clearing were dense, tall arctic pines with fairly heavy snow everywhere.

Something this wide open had to have been a monster hunting Trial. Lucky him.

Just as he thought that the world froze, it was like a still image where he could still see the world around him but the trees weren’t swaying and the falling snow was stuck in midair.

Damn.

That alert would be noticed by the other team. They’d know that another team had invaded their Trial, but that wasn’t as big of a problem as the screen that popped up next.

The world started again as Ryan just stopped and stared at the screen. A damned three day Trial. There was little chance of him being able to complete this one before Gamielle did whatever she was planning.

Actually, a thirty minute speedrun of the third trial would be stupid anyway.

The exit portal warbled behind him. It was tempting to go out, but then he’d have to face Gamielle, and she’d probably throw him back in when the time was up.

The issue was that his Trial completion conditions might as well have ignored the presence of the other adventuring party entirely. Part of the reason why Ryan wanted to invade someone else’s Trial was to lessen the impact of his own previous Trials.

There were hierarchies to Trials but also a dilution effect too. Apparently an S- into an S grade Trial overruled all three of the other adventurers. Despite them having entered first.

So the dilution part of the plan went down the bin.

That was fine, he took a breath and took stock.

Avale’s shield, ten throwing knives, soulsword, two minor healing potions he’d taken from the outpost squad and a bullipede club.

The first order of business was to locate the other team doing the Trial. They would have received a notification of the Trial adaptation and would notice the capacity numbers soon. Ryan was going to scare them off then complete the Trial solo.

A simple plan, one with lots of research.

The team he was targeting seemed like they had a good head on their shoulders, they’d ignored Latarro’s offer and had stuck to their schedule. Ryan could work with that. The other thing?

None of them were Realmbound.

He’d give them the option to survive and if they were too dumb to take it? Well, he wouldn’t hesitate.

It didn’t take too long before he found the heavy footprints in the deep snow.

Convenient.

–

The trek deep into the much more densely forest lasted for thirty minutes. Monster corpses littered the path as the adventuring party had apparently ripped through monsters in their journey. He stayed out of sight as he strained to listen.

“I don’t like this, we’d rather regroup.”

That voice was from Valee, the leader [Rogue] of the group.

“You have no choice, adventurers. This is a monster even the filthy demons have agreed to put down.”

Ryan didn’t recognize the speaker, it had to have been a Trial being.

“I understand, please leave while we discuss our approach.” Valee said again.

“We expect full cooperation or we will demand you to leave, your identity is too circumspect for such a sensitive military operation.”

“We were killing monsters in this damned forest for you guys!” a male voice said in indignation, “you’re the one that changed the rules on us.”

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“Felsley not the time.”

“Hmph, that’s why you’re given this warning at all, we expect your return to the encampment.”

Quiet but quick footsteps paced away. When they seemed out of earshot, Valee called out immediately.

“Regroup, Felsley!”

Ryan smiled at the repeated codeword, clearly their [Mage] hadn’t understood what Valee had meant when she said ‘regroup’ the first time. Either way it was showtime.

Artigan stepped out with Avale’s shield at his side, bullipede club over his shoulder.

“Now that is quite an impressive sensory skill.”

Had he been practicing this encounter in his head? Of course he had.

Felsley, their [Mage] started panicking, his half shield shaking at the loss of concentration.

“Fuck! what the fuck. it’s really him!”

The blue barrier redoubled in brightness, but didn’t turn into a dome, it maintained itself as a half shield.

“Relax, relax. You should know the rules by now, you don’t attack me and I don’t kill all of you.”

Not a single one of them lowered their guard at that. The leader, Valee, an orc [Rogue] stepped forward.

“I’m Valee Dubois, daughter of dragonslayer, Florent Dubois, why have you invaded us?”

Ryan scoffed.

“Really? Using your father’s name as a shield? Now that’s pretty pathetic.” He shook his head as Valee gritted her teeth. “Why am I invading you? To get to the other Realm of course. Now, I do apologize, but I’ll be demanding that all three of you leave.”

Valee did not glance or attempt to communicate with her team. She just met Ryan’s eyes and sighed.

“We’re leaving.”

The other members of her party didn’t argue, that Felsley guy looked angry but also terrified, he was their Destined, probably the least prepared of the trio. The other [Warrior] half elf was better. She was looking at the rest of his body, not matching his eyes. It was a basic defense against a fear skill.

Unfortunately for her, his Epic really didn’t work that way. Ryan nodded.

“Good choice. Now, back this way, I’ll make sure you all leave first.”

Valee was able to meet his eyes without flinching. She shook her head, standing her ground.

“We’re not getting closer to you. We’ll leave, you have my word, I swear on my father’s name.”

Ryan made a face, he wasn’t going to trust the words of a [Rogue].

“I won’t repeat the mistake with Garbolt’s team a second time. I will see you all leave the Trial.”

This time the [Warrior] half elf stood firm.

“We won’t turn our backs on you, teamkiller.”

Valee tensed but didn’t rebuke her teammates, she just nodded in agreement. Ryan chuckled.

“I am a teamkiller, aren’t I? First Garbolt’s team, then Zhenyu’s team…” he trailed off, looking exasperated. “Well, we don’t have to turn our backs on each other, do we?”

–

It was the most awkward walk that any of them had done, Ryan was sure of it. All three adventurers were walking backwards with Ryan walking forwards. Their [Mage] was leading the ‘front’ as Felsley tried to navigate while still keeping an eye on him at the same time.

Ryan really, really wanted to laugh at the absurdity. He wondered what the Trial armies would think if they saw them like this.

Felsley almost tripped over a root in the snow, he righted himself before continuing the walk

“This is ridiculous. He invades us then makes us all leave like this, we’re going to be a laughingstock.”

Valee was just eyeing the tusk he was holding

“Shut it Fels, that’s an order. He got past the outpost team, we’re not dealing with this.”

Ryan laughed. He tried to reassure them.

“No wonder you’re the leader. Don’t worry, nobody’s going to focus on your team after the video I just made.”

They just stared at him.

He coughed as he realized he had broken character.

“Well, I just had a bit of fun, you know what they say, can’t be a [Rogue] without breaking an outpost or two,”

Okay, somehow he went from machiavellian to Ryan to a complete idiot.

Valee wasn’t amused.

“Is this fun to you?”

“Sure why not? Look at us!” Ryan spread his arms and made the adventurers flinch, it made him laugh again. “Look at where we are?! We’re so free here! Outside of any influence and control with only our wits and courage to guide us. How can you not be having fun?”

“Lunatic.” Felsley muttered under his breath.

Ryan gave the [Mage] a grin and shook his head, then he put the club back over his shoulder. Felsley blinked as he focused on the weapon in Ryan’s hand.

“Wait, that’s the bullipede’s tusk.”

Ryan tilted his head.

“You really a [Mage]?”

“I cast magic, asshole. Don’t stereotype us [Mages].”

“Okay, noted. You’re a slow [Mage].”

“Felsley, focus on navigating.” Valee whispered.

They were still making their way slowly through the forest, Ryan heard a monster approach then immediately sprint away once it looked at him.

“You really killed the bullipede and the outpost team?” Valee asked.

“I didn’t kill the outpost team, I just beat them up,” Ryan shrugged, “for the bullipede I just waited for its coil attack and put my sword out as it went past. Sliced it in half, lengthways. It was quite thrilling. I almost snapped my wrist. I can thoroughly recommend it.”

“Lunatic,”

This time the [Warrior] muttered it under her breath, Ryan tilted his head and grinned at her. She froze up. Valee put her hand out placatingly at him and hit her teammate on the shoulder.

“Relax, relax, follow my rules and you won’t die. Feel free to say whatever you want,” Ryan would be lying if he said he wasn’t enjoying the tense banter, “though Felsley?” the [Mage] looked up at him, “walk faster.”

It only took another ten minutes before they were interrupted. Boots crunched on the snow, getting closer, heading directly towards them. Ryan hid behind a tree and called out to Valee’s team.

“Don’t do anything stupid.”

“Adventurers!” A male voice called out, “I heard you were around this area, are you heading back to the encampment? Did you find any traces of the fugitive?”

“Yes we’re heading back. We’ve only encountered monsters.” Valee answered.

Ryan smirked at that, technically she wasn’t lying. There was a spit on the ground.

“I wasn’t talking to you orc,

you should be grateful to even be allowed to work as an adventurer.”

Racism? It wasn’t that uncommon in the Trial System but generally the demihumans would be safe to choose whichever side they wished. But he doubted with the way Valee’s team had completed their Trials that they’d done anything to incite racism. That only meant it had to be him. But how?

When he’d killed the human General the aides had seen him as a human.

It didn’t really matter. Ryan decided he was going to find out whoever was speaking then kill them later. Trial being or not.

“Ahem,” Felsley cleared his throat, “yes, my friend is right, we’ve only found monsters in the forest, we’ve been clearing them like our contract demanded. We’re retreating back to base to get more information on the fugitive we should be hunting.”

“Good call, keep that orc on a leash, you hear?”

“Of course.”

The scouts went off in a different direction, none the wiser that their quarry was listening to them all. They walked in silence after that, Felsley stopped walking backwards and quickened his pace while his other two team members continued to keep up their awkward march.

Ryan checked the time, it had been over fifty minutes since he’d entered. Whatever Gamielle had been planning, it seemed like it hadn’t come to pass. In fact, it didn’t even sound like she knew a team was in the middle of their Trial.

This was progressing too smoothly, something was going to go wrong, he was sure of it.

Valee didn’t notice his turmoil.

“Hey, you’re going for an S Grade right?”

“Probably,” Ryan answered idly.

“Kill that bastard for me will you?”

Ryan chuckled. “You didn’t even need to ask.”

Then it happened. The moment he was waiting for, the moment where his plans inevitably went wrong.

All four adventurers received an alert at the same time.

Ryan froze. The whole Trial had frozen once again. Everything except for the Trial System notifications themselves.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep