Silphie had an ethereal, delicate beauty, like a serene winter morning, soft and enchanting. Lydia, on the other hand, possessed a striking allure, with sharp features and a commanding presence reminiscent of a runway model.
Even Cedrick, known for his aloof deanor, and seen all the beauties out there, couldn't deny that they ranked among the top beauties he had ever seen, second only to the famous Seraphina of the Wingless Valkyries.
"Who would have thought that Horizon, and a group of naless players in a no-na guild, would have two such stunning beauties among their ranks?"
Trisha noticed Cedrick's lingering stare and felt a sudden, unfamiliar pang in her chest—jealousy. She knew she couldn't compete with Silphie's gentle elegance or Lydia's bold, captivating charm. Though she carried a refined, innocent beauty of her own, standing next to these two made her feel . . . overshadowed.
Her hands clenched involuntarily at her sides, though she quickly masked her emotions, maintaining her composure. Yet, deep inside, she couldn't help but wonder—what did Horizon did to her? Why did the re presence of these won with him make her feel so uneasy?
She tried to dismiss the feeling, but the nagging doubt lingered in the back of her mind. For the first ti, Trisha felt an emotion she rarely experienced—envy. It burned quietly, hidden behind her carefully maintained facade.
anwhile, Horizon and his group exchanged amused glances. "They're really desperate to take us down, huh?" Von said with a chuckle.
"Let them try," Horizon replied, his grin returning. "We'll run their Artifacts dry."
Though they acted nonchalant, each of them understood the stakes had just been raised. The next challenge wouldn't just be about survival—it would be a battle against those who now saw them as a threat.
The players were given a full week to recover and prepare before the third challenge began. While it appeared to be a reprieve, everyone knew it was rely the calm before the storm. Those who had barely survived the previous rounds wasted no ti shoring up their weaknesses. Equipnt needed repairs, new strategies were devised, and reinforcents arrived from their main guilds to bolster their ranks.
For Horizon, this was a golden opportunity—not just to strengthen themselves, but to capitalize on the desperation of others. Using the rare materials they had gathered from previous challenges, Horizon crafted new weapons and upgraded their existing gear. Each piece was forged with precision, reinforced with enchantnts that promised an edge in the brutal competition ahead.
anwhile, across the camp, murmurs spread as guilds scrambled to recover. Many teams had suffered heavy casualties, and with several players lost, replacents had to be called in. Weapons that had endured fierce battles were chipped or cracked, and without proper grinding stones, they were practically useless and dissolved into nothingness. The demand for fresh, high-quality equipnt soared overnight.
Sensing the perfect mont to strike, Horizon's group began selling their newly crafted weapons at a premium—ten tis the usual market price. The result? Frenzied bidding. No one cared about the inflated cost; survival was the only currency that mattered.
Von leaned back with a satisfied grin as another deal closed. "Who knew desperation could be so profitable?"
Lydia's eyes glead as the steady stream of gold filled their pouch. Every transaction added to their coffers, a testant to how well Horizon had played this ga of survival—and comrce.
"More sweets," Silphie said cheerfully, her mind already picturing the pile of confections she planned to indulge in later.
Frigid remained silent, as always, chipping his own ice layer for Horizon to use. While Horizon paid no attention to their chatter. His focus remained on crafting more weapons and refining their equipnt in ti for the upcoming challenge. There was no room for complacency now.
Still, in the back of his mind, Horizon couldn't help but think of Nyx. How is she? How long will this hibernation last? But there was nothing he could do about it for now. He had to focus on the present.
Days passed swiftly, and finally, the third challenge arrived. Tension hung thick in the air as players gathered in the wide fore clearing, waiting for the emcee to reveal the next trial.
"Leaders, step forward and draw a number from the crystal ball!" the emcee announced, his voice booming across the arena.
All eyes turned toward the large, translucent sphere hovering midair. No one could see what was inside, but every leader knew that their fate for this round depended on the number they would draw. Continue reading at empire
One by one, guild leaders approached the crystal ball. As they inserted their hands inside, the surface shimred, feeling soft and airy like a cotton cloud. When they pulled their hands back out, they held a palm-sized orb, each containing a different number.
When it was Horizon's turn, he stepped forward, calm and composed. He reached into the glowing sphere, feeling a brief, weightless sensation before pulling out an orb. Turning it over, he revealed the number etched on its surface—4.
"This seems fine," Lydia remarked, trying to stay optimistic. "Four is a good number, right?"
Von, never one to miss an opportunity to tease, smirked. "You sure about that? Isn't four supposed to be unlucky?"
"Shut up," Lydia snapped, but there was a hint of doubt in her voice now.
Before they could bicker further, the emcee raised his hand, silencing the crowd. "For the third ga, the rules are simple. As before, each player can only bring five non-stackable items. And whatever you find in there is yours. Now, let's get to the challenge . . ."
A dramatic pause followed as the emcee's voice dropped lower, heightening the tension. ". . . Defend the Castle! This ti, guilds will face off against one another, based on the numbers you've drawn. Matchups will be displayed on the screen. "The objective of this ga is simple: capture the enemy's flag! How you do it? That's entirely up to you—there are no rules once you're inside there. Victory is the only goal, and yes, surrender is always an option . . . if you're brave enough to admit defeat."
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