It was absolute chaos when Keng, Manny, Liz, Evan, and Olivia made it into the gymnasium. Everyone was on edge. Manny, Evan, and Liz took in their surroundings as soon as they stepped into the gym. It reeked of anxiety and blood. People were obviously fighting amongst each other as if securing a spot in the gym wasn't enough.
"I need this spot more than you do! You don't deserve to be here!" A person shouted. Those who knew each other were grouped up together while the loners stayed away from the rest. The doors closed and locked, leaving a humming noise from all around them to draw the attention of most contestants.
"Well, well, well~" Connie said. "It looks like we got our group! All of you are in here because you made the correct choice: running for your lives and taking your spot. If it weren't for that wonderful brain of yours, you wouldn't be in this gymnasium right now. I can tell you, you might have an easier time as part of the winner's group…
"Who am I kiddin'? You all got in here somehow, right? You should be able to easily floor this next part. After a gracious two hour break, we'll begin the winner's portion of… the Winner's Game." There was a collective groan. People began to complain and Connie spoke over the groans. "Oh, I know, I know. 'How is it fair? I did this. I did that to get here! I deserve an actual prize!' Don't worry, everyone. I wasn't finished yet!"
A flash of light appeared in front of everyone. Keng watched as a strange box appeared in front of him with an outlandish cartoon effect. The box had six sides like a die. It was over the top and clearly some odd spell from the noise it made.
"You will roll the wonderful Winner's die and see what you get! It could be good. It could be great! Who knows what it could really be? Just know that there won't be any ill effects. You've all been here long enough to know the difference between winning and losing. Continue to win and you'll get out while those who continue to lose will eventually die and succumb to… Sweet release~" Connie chuckled. "Roll your dice. See what you get and enjoy the small little rest. Just gotta tell ya, though… Whatever you hear on the outside, don't. Better to be ignorant than curious. Curiosity did kill the cat after all~ See you in two hours!"
"We're supposed to roll this?" Olivia asked, skeptically. She looked at her friends. "I didn't think they'd reward us with anything. It seems like a life or death situation." Loud noises caught the group's attention. People were rolling their dice and hoping for something good. There were groans and there was the occasional 'ooo, awh' but there wasn't pure joy.
"What do we gotta lose?" Keng asked. He rolled the dice and the group watched it. Four. Five. One. Two. Six. Keng had landed on a six!
"Oh, he got a six!" Evan shouted. People began to turn as the group shouted in surprise.
"You got a six! How lucky is that?!?" Liz shook Keng. Keng smiled as the die disappeared and was replaced with a skull key.
[You've rolled the die and got a skull key! I wonder where this goes…]
Keng grabbed the key as the others grew quiet. 'Identify.' Keng thought.
[Identifying the skull key…]
[Identified!]
SKULL KEY
GRADE: ?
MAGICAL AFFINITIES: VOID
EFFECT: Can open any door regardless if it's locked or not. This can only be used six times before the key is destroyed forever. You cannot replicate the key in any way.
"So, what does it open?" Manny asked, arm over Keng. Keng looked up at him like he was used to it.
'A skull key. It can open anything. Has six uses.' Keng lifted the key up.
"Don't know what I can use this for, but you should figure out what your prize is." Keng pointed at the die.
"Come on! High roll!" Evan excitedly threw his dice into the air. It landed on the ground and slowly rolled to six before landing on three. "Awh, so close!" The die faded and was replaced with a bat.
"You got a bat? Thats…" Manny trailed off.
"Neither good nor bad." Olivia finished.
"Let's see you roll then!" Evan motioned at Olivia aggressively. Olivia picked up her die and tossed it. It went further than expected and landed on a five.
"Five. That's high." Liz commented. The die turned to dust and was replaced with a pair of gloves. Olivia reached over for it and looked at them. They were fingerless gloves with nothing special about them.
"Can you look at these, Keng?" Olivia asked, handing it over. Keng nodded and took them for a second.
'Identify.' Keng thought.
[Identifying gloves…]
[Identified!]
FINGERLESS GLOVES OF BALANCE
GRADE: B+
MAGICAL AFFINITIES: NONE
EFFECT: A pair of fingerless gloves that allow the user to keep their balance no matte the situation when worn.
'Wear them and you'll keep your balance no matter what.' Keng told Olivia. He handed the gloves back to her and Evan lifted his bat up. Keng motioned and took it from Evan.
[Identified!]
A BAT…?
GRADE: ?
MAGICAL AFFINITIES: ??
EFFECT: It looks like a bat…? It seems like it can take Dark Matter Energy…
"It's a bat." Keng handed Evan it back. "A strange bat."
"Is that good… or bad?" Evan asked.
"My turn." Liz rolled her dice and watched it land on two. It turned to dust and a half-red potion bottle sat in its spot. "A health potion…"
"Have gone." Manny added.
"Great…" Liz took it and threw it in her bag. "Might come in handy."
"Better than a bat." Manny chuckled.
"Her's seems more useful than this bat. What am I gonna do with this? Hit someone with it?" Evan set the bat on the ground and sighed in disappointment.
"Your turn, Manny." Keng motioned. Manny grabbed his die and rolled it. The group watched as it rolled for a while until landing on a six.
"Whoa!" Liz gasped.
"Another six!" Olivia gasped.
"Lucky…" Evan's face scrunched up in jealousy. The die turned to dust and was replaced with a set of clothes.
"Clothes?" Manny furrowed his eyebrows as he crawled over and grabbed them. "Can you—"
"Give it here." Keng stuck his hands out for them. Manny set them in Keng's hands and watched the Fox Spirit kneel as he identified the clothes.
[Identified!]
GONE ARMOR SET
GRADE: S
MAGICAL AFFINITIES: ADAPTABLE
EFFECT: When worn, the user is able to conjure armor at will. The magical affinity is adaptable, so it will match the user's magical affinity, boosting their skills!
DEFENSES: High magical and physical.
SECONDARY EFFECT: In return for your own Dark Matter, the Gone Armor Set is able to withstand up to two-hundred times the force.
Keng whistled and handed it to Manny. "I would put that on if I were you." He switched to sit on his butt while pointing at Manny.
"Why?" Manny asked. "A-are they good?"
"Yeah, is it?" Evan asked. They were all waiting for Keng to say something. Keng closed his eyes and yawned.
'It's magical affinity is adaptable. Anyone who dawns it makes the clothes adapt to your magical affinities. It also can conjure a magical armor set, too.' Keng began.
'Whoa. That sounds sick!' Evan's eyes lit up.
'It can also withstand two hundred times the force in return for DM.' Keng continued. 'I think it'll be handy for you, Manny, since you like to be up front and a masochist.'
"I'm not a masochist." Manny gave Keng the stink eye. "I just like battle scars…"
"Total masochist behavior." Liz nodded.
"You should slip them on." Olivia told Manny. Manny looked around.
"There's really… nowhere to change…" Manny whispered. Keng sighed and flicked his hand up. A wall of cosmic energy flew up, spooking the nearby groups.
"Change." Keng yawned, again, before lying on the floor. He curled into a ball and smacked his lips. "I'm going to take a nap."
"You're just gonna leave this up?" Liz whispered.
"Yeah."
"What if they… see it as an act of hostility?"
"Then they can. It's harmless. Just a curtain giving us some privacy. Wake me up in a bit." Keng licked his lips and fell asleep instantly.
"I envy him so much." Olivia stared at Keng.
"How can he fall asleep without a care in the world?" Liz asked, settling next to the gym wall with Olivia. Manny stood up and slipped his shoes off. He began to undress and slip on the clothes. No one paid attention to Manny and took a page out of Keng's book and settled in for some sleep.
"Sleep sounds good." Evan yawned. He wrapped his arms around the bat. "I may have gotten a regular bat, but I think after all of this, I'll mount it on a wall."
"You aren't going to play baseball with it?" Olivia asked with her eyes closed.
"No. I must commemorate this moment if we live to tell the tale."
"There he is." Manny smiled. "Our pessimism."
"It's not pessimism. It's lowering expectations in case we were to die." Evan replied.
Foll𝑜w current novels on fre(e)w𝒆bnovel