Stage 4 : Penalty Is Death

The waiting room, named by its welcoming appearance, was an upgrade from the damp and dreary cave.

Alex, Elijah, Isaiah and Delilah had finished preliminary discussions and the entire group had settled down around the comfortable sofa. Everyone had used the healing pad, boosting not only their physical well-being but also their drained mental stamina. Alex had been sharing her food with the rest. Considering she had a surplus amount, there was no benefit in hoarding.

Once a stage ended, the challengers would be revitalized, with their hunger satiated and muscles renewed, but they would have to brace through the next stage with only the shop as a reliable source of food. However, injuries sustained would remain unless they employed potions. Fortunately, her teammates had an excess amount and were able to take care of themselves. Alex had attempted to retrieve her chakrams from her cube storage upon reaching the waiting room, but failed. The restriction still held, causing Alex to give up on the idea. A deity was unlikely to leave such loopholes.

"We will maintain the same plan: encircle them, hinder them, and kill them."

"The mystical trinkets you own should be used the moment we encounter something we can not handle. I'll group you based on the trinket you have, so we can boost the volatility. You will be required to stay in proximity to your teammates throughout our invasion. The ornaments are yours, therefore you can decide to not use them. Please show whether you will accept our arrangement. If not, that is reasonable."

Luca and Imani were the only ones who refused Alex's proposal, and she could guess why.

'It is their only assurance. I won't blame them. I was the one who gave it to them, after all. My reliance on the information provided led me to believe I wouldn't need any of those items.' Alex added another thing to her recent list of slip-ups.

Alex paired the items she felt would give an intense reaction. Maria, Luca and Dahlia had seen most of the trinkets in action. They told her what to expect, and Alex based the groupings on complementary elements. Luca and Maria explained they were in the first stage together. They spent a considerable amount of time within the tree, allowing them to witness most of the explosive effects of the items.

After the groupings, Alex shared a few simple hand signals with all of them, just in case they were in a situation that did not allow vocal communication. The enemies of this time around were not expected to be formidable. The game itself would be the thorn in their sides. This fact burdened her teammates with building tension amongst them.

There was absolute silence, but subtle glances and expressions of displeasure were thrown about, mounting another layer of pressure on the entire team.

They had been here for over an hour and yet no further information concerning their upcoming battle had been revealed. Impatience, discord, and fear were a sure recipe for disaster. Disaster would erupt any moment from now, all that was required was a small trigger, yet Alex had no intentions to intervene.

Charles, his expression frigid, suddenly got up from the sofa, the first significant movement that had occurred in a bit. All eyes turned to him, curiosity and anticipation swirling within, as he sauntered over to Luca and Maria.

Alex knew what was coming would only sour the atmosphere more, but she would not prevent it.

'I'm just glad he didn't go for Imani- blood would spill.'

Alex shook her head at those who sat beside her, a subtle indication that they should not interfere. Maria, like the wise woman she was, scooted away from Luca and the approaching Charles.

Charles addressed Luca before even reaching him.

"Luca, it's only right that you contribute to the team with the artifact Alex gave you. She gave one to each of us, and we should be grateful enough to bring them together and support each other." Charles sounded like it was for the good of the team, but most easily deciphered what he truly wanted, Luca was no exception.

"Huh? Just say you're scared and be done with it. You're the weakest here and you want to leech off others, as expected. But you're making it a little too obvious wuss." Luca's height surpassed Charles' by about two inches which seemed to make all the difference as the former looked down on the latter.

Charles' calm facade completely shattered, his expression became unsightly with his volume rising a few notches.

"I'll be the happiest when you dive into your death headfirst. The second will be that little girlfriend of yours!" A snarky look spread across Charles' - still hideous- face.

Maria gasped in horror, confused as to why she was suddenly involved in their dispute.

Luca cast a fleeting glance at Maria, scrutinizing her expression before he gave Charles a sharp punch in the gut.

This time Maria was not the only one to gasp, a flurry of concerned sounds left various lips. Charles was certainly one of the weakest, while Luca had formidable strength. His strength, though meaningless when compared with Alex's, had exceeded man's natural limits. Most of them had various achievements, much like Alex, throughout the stages, but unlike Alex, they had chosen to claim their rewards granting them significant physical gains.

This is why it was no surprise that Charles hunched as an effect of the punch, his expression contorting in pain.

"Talk to me like that again and I'll kill you." Luca cast a scornful look at Charles before walking away.

Maria and Damien turned expectantly towards Alex, only to see Alex's eyes were unflinchingly fixated on Luca, as though she was waiting for something else to unfold.

Realizing Alex was not going to act, Maria and Damien dragged a groaning Charles to the healing pad. Then Alex internally smiled when she saw Avery approaching Luca. Alex's guess was right. Although it may prove inconsequential later on, figuring out the hidden traits and characteristics of those around her would ensure she could anticipate their actions before they acted. Not understanding those around her could arouse misunderstandings, disagreements and many undesirable outcomes. These people would likely be sent to the same world as her, so she needed to understand them as soon as possible.

Avery, the usually silent, aloof, and uninvolved character, was stepping in to defend someone who she felt was wronged.

'A strong sense of justice, an admirable but exploitable quality.'

Imani shot her a questioning glance from his solitary corner and Alex feigned confusion. The impending confrontation was interrupted by screens flashing into their visions.

[ You will be transported into the next battle. As invaders, your mission is to ensure no one leaves alive. The time-limit will not actively seek you out unless you encounter it or everyone else is dead. The Battle begins in 10 seconds. ]

"Please remember we are not here to fight amongst ourselves but to conquer the one who forced us into this cruel game. The punishment for any form of inadequacy is death."

Alex's voice reached everyone amidst the silence, jolting them out of their reverie. The conjured image of a peculiarly harrowing beast flashed across their minds and their expressions steeled. Alex was right, failure meant death.