Stage 01 - Lurking Horrors

Henrietta had disappeared.

Charles glanced around, trying to find a trace of her, while rays of light swept down from the effigy from the tip of his head down to his legs. The few seconds he spent felt like an eternity, for the sweeping rain and endless storms kept on battering his body, making his body feel colder by the passing seconds.

[Name: Charles Thiterith]

[Age: 25]

[Class: Basic Beast Tamer]

[Strength: 15 (D-)]

[Endurance: 10 (E)]

[Agility: 10 (E)]

[Scanning complete]

[Participant's seal has been activated.]

Right after the notification disappeared, the tree-like sigil on his hand started to glow, displaying the number "993" in white letters before it disappeared. When he focused on it, he could see his stats, alongside a number of still blacked-out options.

Right after he thought of the functions, another notification appeared.

[More features of the participant's seal will be unlocked as the game progresses. For now, please gather at the base of the tree.]

The effigy used its wooden stick arm to point at the crowd right behind it.

After glancing around in search of Henrietta for a few seconds, he finally decided to go into the crowd. After all, they had just met, and from what he had seen, she was more than capable of taking care of herself.

When he walked behind the wooden effigy, he felt a wave of strange energy pass over him. It felt like he had just passed a barrier made of soap bubbles, as the sensation only lasted for less than a second before it disappeared entirely.

[You have passed the temporary barrier.]

[Cleansing…]

[Cleansing complete]

A notification appeared in front of his eyes, and he looked up, realizing that the disaster going on outside had all but disappeared within the barrier. The skies looked clear, as if nothing happened and it was just another day.

Better yet, his body was now dry, and the cold had all but disappeared. It was as if all the storms, the rain, and the apocalyptic scenario was nothing but an illusion made by his over-tired mind.

"Heh, are you really that worried about me?" A familiar voice spoke, and Charles turned around to see Henrietta had reappeared. "I only concealed my presence, so yes, I saw everything."

"Okay, sure, but give me a heads up next time," Charles sighed, a bit exasperated, "Tell me, what's up with the weather? Was all that just an illusion?"

"No, the storms and monsters, everything you saw outside are all real," Henrietta explained, "You felt something when you walked in here, right? That is the barrier; it is made to protect the participants from everything going on outside. It would be pretty inconvenient if the participants die from the weather or from the Abyssal Fiends before they reach this place, after all."

"That raises the question on how they got here, though…"

"With the dolls, of course, you saw them before right? It's that doll waiting near the entrance. You were a bit different, though, so you get me instead. Be grateful," She smirked, seemingly proud of herself.

As she finished speaking, a few other participants were escorted in by wooden effigies. After the participants went in, the effigy escorting them dissipated, turning into splinters of wood that quickly burned into ash and scattered away.

"They are coming. I will need to hide my presence again. Do not be alarmed, for our lives are now bound to each other."

With those cryptic words, Henrietta disappeared again.

"It seems that all participants have been accounted for. Everyone, I welcome you to the World Tree Ascension Game!" A booming, yet distinctly female voice spoke from the base of the tree, and everyone turned to look at the source.

It was another wooden doll, yet it was more elaborate than the rest. From afar, it looked like a mockery of porcelain dolls, dressed in fine purple and black silken gown decorated with ribbons. The purple matched the glowing veins spread throughout its body.

Unlike the other effigies, it was able to speak. Considering the questioning gazes of the other participants, Charles was not the only one who was curious of this difference.

"I am Q, and through my vessels, I will be overseeing the first game," The doll once explained, "Now, let us begin!"

The doll made a motion of clapping its wooden hands, and just like that, the participants were one by one transported away in a pillar of light.

[Stage 01: Lurking Horrors will begin shortly.]

[Transporting…]

A series of notifications appeared in front of Charles' eyes, before light overtook his vision.

When he came to his senses, he had landed in a massive jungle. The distinct scent of petrichor hung in the air, accompanying the sound of rustling leaves. However, he noticed there were no other participants in sight.

Then, right in front of him, an effigy appeared, alongside a series of notifications in front of his eyes.

[Lurking Horrors]

[Objective: Slay enough monsters to gather 1000 points within the allotted time]

[Details: The world has become hostile to all life, and thus, kill or be killed is tantamount for your survival. Use any methods available to you to kill enough monsters, and you will be rewarded with points depending on the rank of the monster]

[Rank C: 10 points]

[Rank B: 50 points]

[Rank A: 100 points]

[Bonus mission: A rank S+ monster has been detected within the vicinity of the simulation. Any who managed to find it will be given a special reward.]

Charles read each line of the notification carefully while muttering, "Will doing this together be allowed…"

Another notification popped out shortly after he finished.

[All participants are allowed to cooperate in gathering points. Participants are given the [Party] functionality to form a team consisting of ten members at maximum.]

The effigy's lights shone on Charles' seal, and with that, one of the blacked out options were unlocked.

[Form a party]

[???]

[???]

Then, another notification appeared.

[Any other questions?]

"Nope, not for now," Charles shook his head.

[Good. Should there be anything else, find the wooden effigies. They will address your concerns.]

Then, the wooden effigy disappeared again.

"There is a rank S+ monster, huh?" With a flash of light, Henrietta appeared next to Charles, "This may be fun."

ROAR!

They were interrupted as a deafening roar, similar to that of a lion, shook the foliage all around them. The ground started to shake in intervals, a clear indication of something running closer.