Fwish! Fwish! Fwish!
Forty glowing squares flickered into existence across the massive panels floating in the sky, appearing one after another like pieces of an invisible puzzle snapping into place.
All around, eyes narrowed and attention sharpened.
Every Chosen One and God currently present lifted their gaze, intrigued by the sudden display.
No one needed to speak, the tension in the air said it all.
Everyone wanted to know what these squares ant.
They didn't have to wait long.
A shimring title faded into existence above the squares, letters forming as though stitched from light itself.
[Participants]
That single word told them everything they needed to know.
The mont the label settled in place, the blank squares began to light up, one after another.
Shadows swirled inside them, forming silhouettes.
Each figure inside a square stood tall and proud, but entirely cloaked in darkness.
Not a single face could be seen, no expressions visible, no identifying features.
Whether they were gods or chosen ones, it didn't matter.
Until they t them in battle, they would remain unknown, hidden behind veils of mystery.
But Alex noticed sothing.
Only two of the squares weren't cloaked in shadow, the one with Kaelios and the one right beside it, his own.
That's when he realized how the layout was structured.
The pattern was clear.
Each pair, god and chosen, was displayed side by side.
The first square belonged to a god, the one next to it to their chosen.
Then the next god, followed by their chosen one, and so on.
Yet even though the forms were visible in outline, all nas remained hidden.
Anyone who tried to interact with the panel would find only one thing when clicking a square, [???]
A thick layer of secrecy wrapped itself around everything.
But then, when the final two squares lit up at the very end, sothing changed.
The shadows didn't cover them.
Everyone could clearly see the unmistakable figures of the [God of the Abyss], Varyn, and his Chosen One, Lorien.
They stood tall in their respective panels, silent but clearly visible to everyone.
Only for two large crimson X's to suddenly appear across both of their squares.
[Eliminated.]
Alex blinked at the sight, letting out a soft, almost relieved sigh.
"Phew... looks like the deeper we go into the [Chosen Gas], the more pairs are going to get knocked out.
Until only one's left."
That thought alone was sobering.
It really was like a ga, except every door on this panel wasn't a level or stage, it was another battle.
A brutal, possibly fatal one.
Until he t them face to face, Alex would know nothing of the other gods or their chosen ones.
Each pair behind those glowing squares represented a potential enemy. A deadly fight.
Still, there was unfinished business.
His eyes drifted back to the previous system ssage he had almost forgotten.
[How will the exempt pair be chosen? Simple, by the participants themselves.]
He frowned, staring at that line for several seconds.
Then he read it again.
And again. At least ten tis.
"So basically," Alex muttered under his breath, loud enough for Kaelios to hear, "we're the ones deciding who doesn't have to participate in this round?"
Kaelios gave a slow, unsure nod.
"Yeah… it feels wrong though, doesn't it? Like… shouldn't the outside spectators be deciding that?"
That was the odd part.
Normally, in cases like these, it was those outside the [Chosen Gas] that would vote or influence outcos in so way.
But this ti, the [Creators] had done away with that.
They didn't even let the spectators see who the participants were yet.
Everything was hidden, even from the crowd.
It was as if the [Creators] didn't care anymore.
They simply wanted blood, survival, and a victor. Nothing more.
Suddenly, another chi rang out.
Ding!
[For the participants, a "Voting Panel" will now appear. Choose the pair you do not want to participate in this round. The pair with the most votes will be granted victory and exempt from the first elimination round. Note: You cannot vote for yourself.]
As soon as the ssage faded, a new panel slid into view before Alex and Kaelios.
This one had no images, only nas.
Twenty lines of plain text.
At the very top, one of the entries was crossed out entirely.
[God of the Abyss] – Eliminated.
The remaining nineteen were still selectable.
[God of Destiny, God of Light, God of Darkness, God of the Abyss, God of Elents, God of Life, God of Death, God of Nightmares, God of Lightning, God of War, God of the Moon, God of Earth, God of Hatred, God of Swords, Goddess of Fate, Goddess of Luck, Goddess of Love, Goddess of Wrath, Goddess of Eternity, Primordial Goddess.]
Alex studied the list, expression darkening.
"I get it now..." he murmured, a wry smile curling on his lips.
A smile that almost said 'those sadistic bastards'.
He turned to Kaelios.
"They're making us pick the one we really don't want to fight."
Kaelios' eyes widened.
That interpretation made too much sense.
If they were being told to choose a pair to exclude, and couldn't pick themselves, it ant that the god everyone was most afraid to face would win the vote by majority.
It was a twisted strategy.
No one knew what the others were picking.
But most would go with their instincts, the god they feared the most.
And in doing so, they'd unintentionally reward that god with a free pass into the next round.
[You have exactly 3 minutes to make your decision.]
The tir started ticking.
Alex scanned the list one more ti.
There were several nas he didn't want to face right now, but one stood out more than the rest.
His finger hovered over the na for a second.
Then he made his choice.
[You have selected the "God of Darkness"]
The panel glowed briefly to confirm his vote.
Alex nodded to himself. It was the right decision.
The [God of Darkness] was a monster.
One of the top five gods in the hierarchy.
A being so steeped in fear and dread that even gods hesitated to battle him.
Alex wanted to fight him eventually, but not in this round.
Not when the rules were still unknown.
But just as he turned to Kaelios to ask what he'd chosen, another panel flashed into existence before him.
One he hadn't expected.
It was darker than the others, black as the void, with eerie white-gloved hands curled around the edges like puppeteers.
A ssage floated across it.
[I guess your past life's trauma hasn't left you yet, has it, FateBreaker :)]
Alex froze.
He didn't reply. Didn't even glance at it again.
He knew that voice. That signature: Vexum.
The way it spoke. The panel's aesthetic, it matched him perfectly.
But Alex refused to give the [Creator] the satisfaction of a response.
He turned his back to the panel, face unreadable.
There would co a mont where he faced the [God of Darkness].
When that day arrived, he would confront it with everything he had.
Until then, he would not let Vexum crawl back into his head.
The three minutes eventually ran out. And then the results ca in.
[God of Death – 12 votes]
[God of Darkness – 7 votes]
[Primordial Goddess – 6 votes]
[God of Hatred – 5 votes]
[God of Destiny – 3 votes]
All the others received only one or two at most.
Clearly, five nas towered above the rest.
Alex raised a brow.
The [God of Death] had taken the lead by a landslide.
"You told his na before," he said to Kaelios, "and one of his powers too. Think that's why?"
Kaelios shrugged, clearly unsettled.
"Maybe. I don't know what the others know… but with a na like that, people don't need much more to be afraid."
Even Kaelios had gotten a few votes, he could tell by the slight tension in the god's expression.
It was a reminder that strength alone didn't an safety.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
[The "God of Death" will move directly to the next round, having received the majority vote.][All other participants must now head to the Elimination Round.][Good luck.]
And just like that, light erupted beneath their feet.
Dark energy wrapped around Alex and Kaelios as their bodies began to shimr.
The teleportation had begun.
The first elimination round awaited.
The two looked at one another in that final mont, locking eyes.
No words needed to be spoken.
A nod was exchanged.
Wherever they were going, whatever trial the [Chosen Gas] threw at them next, they would endure it.
Together. And they would win.
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