Last Pact Standing (6)

Amidst the tangled web of colossal roots and beneath the towering, otherworldly trees, a large chest lay nestled in the earth. A thin plume of red smoke curled from its seams, twisting through the dense air like a serpent's tail, a silent signal beckoning from within the shadowed forest.

The forest buzzed with life—bright green leaves shimmered in the sunlight, and the massive tree trunks glowed with shades of bronze and silver. 

The air was rich with the smell of damp earth and flowers, and distant animal calls echoed through the dense foliage. 

Amid all this, a large chest, sending up a trail of red smoke, was a striking contrast against the lush surroundings.

Up on a thick branch, two figures crouched, barely visible among the leaves. They watched the chest below, eyes sharp and bodies tense. Every slight movement was careful, silent, as they exchanged quick looks, planning their next move without a word. 

The wind rustled the leaves around them, but they stayed perfectly still, blending into the ancient trees.

"Shoot immediately when someone approaches the chest." A boy's whisper rang out.

"This might not be the best approach, Ivan." A feminine whisper replied. "If the shot is missed, they'll locate us."

"Kayla, for the love of god, trust my judgment at least once!" Ivan bellowed in a low voice. 

Unfazed by his words, Kayla said, "I would, if you didn't have a history of consistently messing up!"

"Just once, believe in me." Ivan pleaded. 

While keeping an eye on the chest, Kayla contemplated. 

"…you know… if you weren't my twin, I would've ditched your ass long ago."

"Yes, yes. So please listen and shoot, okay?" Ivan pleaded. 

"Okay. Keep an eye out on the surroundings."

"Thank you." Ivan sighed in relief and turned around, paying attention to their surroundings.

…..

"Do you see them?" 

"I see them."

Beneath a tree's giant root, Julien and Jackie were staring at a group of people sneaking closer to the dropped chest. 

The one who couldn't see anything whatsoever, Amelia, was busy feeling the shrubs, soil, and vegetation on the ground. Doing something only she knew of. 

Pact God's Beloved Children had arrived at the scene faster than they expected. 

The reason? 

It was Julien's mass teleportation scroll!

While running through the woods, Julien remembered he possessed this scroll and tried to use it, but failed. 

Teleportation only worked if he could picture the place in mind. 

Julien tried remembering the cave he slept at, and the scroll worked, taking him and the rest back to the same place.

He pictured their place back in the woods, and once again, the scroll worked. 

The scroll could be used endlessly within the trial area and it did not have any range, so Julien held his teammates' hands and began teleporting to as far as his eyes could see in the woods.

100 meters… 400 meters… 900 meters…

In just a few minutes, they were close to the red smoke's location.

Experiencing teleportation was a mind-boggling and adrenaline pumping sensation. It gave a high that would make any mortal lose their mind and crave more of it. 

It was a pity that the scroll could only be used here. Julien knew he had to get himself a similar teleportation scroll outside of the trial for ease of travel. It became one of his priorities after leaving this place. 

Back in the present, Julien and Jackie carefully analyzed every section of the forest. One brave team of five was making their way toward the chest, while three other teams lay hidden in the shadows, silently observing the bold group's approach.

"One, two, three, four…" Jackie counted the number of people. "…there's a total of seventeen Players here."

"Twenty, if we include ourselves." Julien added. 

"Yes."

"No." Amelia's soft voice rang in the two's ears. Having her hand on the ground, she said, "God loves every child equally and gives them similar opportunities. There's more teams… with some special Players coming here."

"Special Players?" Julien asked, but a second later, felt a rumbling and loud roar of a beast.

The answer to his question physically presented itself.

A tiger, a toad, and a rhino appeared at the scene. From top of them, four figures jumped out. 

One's skin was completely blue, one's red, one's green, and one's yellow. 

They looked like power rangers from kids' cartoons, except, in here they were real, and had faces of beasts. 

"Humans, cease your futile attempts at killing each other. We come with peace, bringing some important news that will itch your skin." The red figure with the head of a bull said. 

"Oh, they can speak in human language?" Julien asked in amusement. 

"The Tower translates the speech automatically. Outside, you would need artifacts or translators." Jackie replied. 

Julien nodded in understanding and looked at the people curiously, wondering what they were upto.

The yellow figure with the head of a bird said, "Humans, there is a formidable Player this time around, classified as a threat to all sentient beings on our planet. Christopher Ingress, one of your top performing kin, is rumored to have been eliminated by him." 

"Hm?" Julien knitted his brows. 

"Master…" 

"Master…"

Amelia and Jackie felt something amiss and tugged on Julien's sleeves in concern.

Looking at their concerned faces warmed Julien's heart. He smiled softly, something he has never done before, and said, "Don't worry, if something bad happens, we can always teleport away."

"I hope god puts those lost souls on the right path…" Amelia prayed.