Chapter [12] The Judgement Trials

It was the voice of a woman. Her voice was weirdly luring but yet also stern.

-RING!

The gates burst open with a resounding clan making everyone, myself included, to shield our ears in distress.

A divine aura emerged from within the gate, radiating out of the bright void, her skin shimmering as though it was covered in magical particles.

"Do not be afraid humans...." The voice reverberated like drums in my ears as it approached.

"Looks like she's finally here..." I murmured quietly, looking up at the shining gates above. "The annoying woman."

Glaring up, there was a woman with a brilliant glow in the sky, speaking with such grace that it sent shivers down my spine.

She was dressed entirely in white, wearing a dress and a sheer veil that obscured her serene and lovely face with purple heart-shaped eyes. A crown resembling a halo, suitable for a queen, hovered above her head, and wings resembling those of a white bird emerging from her back.

She seemed almost angelic. Alluring everyone that gazed upon her unnatural beauty.

[ERROR]

[Unable to read stats.]

[Reason: Unknown]

A large, red notification suddenly popped up in front of me as the system tried to access her Stats.

Unable to read her stats? I should have expected that much.

People in the crowd started whispering, "What's happening here?" The men were amazed by her appearance, commenting, "She's incredibly beautiful, isn't she? Is she even of this world."

She stared at us intensely, appearing to be analyzing each person in the vicinity. "What an interesting bunch of humans I got this time..." She whispered.

-Chatter Chatter Chater

Observing that all eyes were fixed on her without moving, she caught snippets of admiration and conversation from the men, and she couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction as she believed they were amazed by her beauty.

She grinned and delicately placed her hand over her mouth. "Just like always, humans fall under my beauty," she giggled softly.

"My my, I forgot to introduce myself. How rude of me."

She gripped her dress and gave a small bow as she began to introduce herself, saying, "I am..." However, Prime Minister Sung Min rudely interrupted the mysterious woman before she could complete her sentence, shouting, "Who in the hell do you think you are?!"

The woman looked down in surprise at the sudden outburst, her expression showing a mix of shock and curiosity.

"Hmm?"

The Prime Minister Sung Min, who was already upset by my previous actions, went on to raise his voice saying that he was dealing with others trying to enter his area and now was dealing with some otherworldly woman. He emphasized that regardless of identity or purpose, permission from the government is required to enter the Safe Zone.

Hearing him speak, one could've sensed and feel that he was beyond stressed at this point

"Or perhaps you could be one of my wives."

"Yes, that should suffice splendidly."

He yelled and made a creepy expression in an attempt to appear impressive, while the woman glared at the Prime Minister with a look of disgust.

She questioned, "Government?"

Sung Min went on to respond, "Oh, really? Are you telling me that you don't understand what a government is?"

This fool is unaware of the situation he is handling.

That woman is not somebody anyone would want to mess with.

In her mind she had deemed the Prime Minister to be weak and arrogant, like a small insect making noises similar to a hungry cockroach on the ground.

She began thinking about how naive Sung Min was before letting go of a dominating aura from within her.

Distortions in space appeared, with a burst of colors emanating from her like smoke. She said, "Stupid human. How dare you interrupt me?"

She pressed her finger to her lips, gesturing for silence. "Shhh." She said, and with a single look the Prime Minister and all around fell silent and couldn't speak.

It felt as though there was an unseen power that we couldn't comprehend or control, causing our bodies to act autonomously as if unable to resist a mysterious temptation or allure, resulting in our lips remaining tightly sealed despite any attempts to open them.

-Mumble Mumble

Disregarding the incoherent muttering of those attempting to speak, her facial expression changed back from disgust to a gentle one as she spoke, "Now that everyone is silent.... I am Amelyst, the Nymph of all things beautiful."

Even though her voice was soft, it resonated in our minds.

Must be a form of telepathy.

-Step Step

She took gentle and slow steps that seemed like she was strolling on the air, with the wind guiding her along the way.

"I'm sure you are all wondering about the current events affecting your world. Well I'm here to answer your questions."

"Your world is currently experiencing a phenomenon known as... The Judgement Trials."

Just by those 3 words, she immediately grabbed the attention of everyone.

She waved with her hands, creating what appeared to be representations of past events illustrating the negative and cruel aspects of humanity. The display seemed to be a blend of magical energy so intricate and deep that it was able to portray the history of humans.

"Throughout history, you humans have been viewed as a destructive force, spreading devastation and hostility wherever you all go."

The images flickered in front of her, showing scenes of war, destruction, and suffering. From ancient battles to modern conflicts, the display captured the pain and horror that humans had inflicted on each other throughout the ages.

As she continued to wave her hands, the images shifted and changed, revealing moments of betrayal, greed, and brutality. It was a stark reminder of the darkness that lurked within the hearts of mankind, a reminder of the capacity for cruelty that existed in every individual.

"The gods observed for millions of years and saw this level of arrogance and hate in mankind, be turned into lies and wrongdoing. The more you develop, the further you all drift away from what is moral and just."

She even demonstrated that throughout history, from ancient times to the era of cavemen, humans have been portrayed as repulsive savages who thrived on feelings of guilt, envy, and lust.

After millions of years of evolving, the gods watched on, wishing for a day when we would change.

To become anew.

But as each century goes by, the quality of the human race has only deteriorated further.

"Humans are now the laughing stock of the universe, looked down upon by all."

"Now the gods themselves have chosen to judge and purify those who commit sins by bringing fourth the Judgement Trials."

The Judgment Trials are seen as a form of divine punishment imposed on the world for its transgressions, and only those who can endure this trial and transcend the limitations of human nature will survive.

Atleast that's how Enhanced Adventure described it.

I have to admit that I was slightly irritated while listening to this. She really frustrates me with her endless dialogue.

Even in the game she was just as annoying.

She raised a single finger and declared, "You will all be taking part in the first phase of The Judgement Trials, a straightforward game of Capture the Flag."

We will take part in a game known as Capture the Flag, in which people will need to collaborate to seize flags.

"A game designed to skillfully evaluate teamwork, mental agility, and effective leadership abilities."

[ALERT]

[#1 Phase: Capture the Flag

Description...]

A popup describing the phase appeared on everyone's system screen.

Various flags have varying levels of significance based on their colors, which can provide a range of benefits or disadvantages.

The White Flag provides no benefits, the Green Flag offers a random buff along with a potential drawback, the Red Flag provides 3-5 buffs without any drawbacks, and the final rare flag grants a single powerful buff but comes with at least 6 drawbacks to balance it out.

The flags are positioned in an area that monsters can enter and where other individuals can also take eachother's flag.

However, the challenging aspect arises when all the Flags have been collected and tallied. That's when the second phase starts.

At that point, we will need to confront a horde of monsters, with victory going to the strongest Teams while the less fortunate ones....

Left behind to attempt to repeat the phase, or they end up dying in a multitude of ways.

Suicide, death by enemy, betrayal, eaten alive by a monster, some people might even just give up and choose to stay in the #1 phase. While others end up repeating the phase again and again without end, because they can't beat it.

That's the reality and grieving difficulty of the game that is turning reality....

Amelyst gazed down at us with a mocking look, saying, "It seems rather easy to accomplish, even for insects, no?"

"If you are unable to complete such a simple task, your race is not worthy of survival and your entire planet will be destroyed."