CHAPTER 182: EX 182. THE GREAT ALTAR RACE

The Trial Wilds stretched like a vast, unending labyrinth of danger. Towering trees clawed at the skies, their roots twisting like serpents beneath the mossy earth, while the distant roars of beasts echoed through the mist. For trial takers, this place was both opportunity and death. To receive a trial, one had to brave these wilds, locate an altar, and prove their worth before it. But nothing about it was a gift. Every step was a gamble, every shadow could hide fangs, and even the altar itself carried its own brutal challenges.

Within those wilds, the air was restless, thick with the scent of blood and iron. Today, countless squads scoured the terrain, chasing a single mission that had ignited the settlement into frenzy: Finding a Rank D, Tier VII altar. The most elusive kind in the Mortal Zone.

It was Captain Ben Stallion who set the chaos in motion. His order had been simple yet commanding, as his words were deliberate: "This is of utmost importance. Treat it as your highest mission." He had recalled stronger squads from their hunts, pulling them back into the fold. But he wasn’t foolish enough to rely only on loyalty. He had offered a reward so large it turned discipline into hunger, and strategy into obsession. The promise of glory and power had spread like wildfire, thus began the Great Altar Race.

And now, squads moved like predators across the Wilds, eyes sharp, blades ready, each one desperate to be the first.

In one shadowed clearing, five figures clashed against a nightmare.

The beast was a giant lizard, its scales slick and black as tar, six burning eyes glaring with murderous light, three on each side of its skull. Its claws dripped with poison, their edges sharp enough to gouge through stone, and its massive tail lashed the ground with thunderous weight, shattering roots and sending tremors through the clearing.

It roared and lunged.

The squad’s leader, a broad-shouldered man with a scruffy beard, met the charge with his shield. The beast’s claw slammed against him, the impact ringing like steel against steel, but the man gritted his teeth and shoved back. His battle mace swung in a brutal arc, slamming into the lizard’s jaw and staggering it.

"Now!" he bellowed.

The squad’s brawler shot forward, a mountain of muscle and raw fury. His fist, wrapped in glimmering energy, crashed into the beast’s abdomen with such force that the lizard reeled backward, stumbling into position.

That was the signal.

From the treeline, the two women struck. The archer’s bow gleamed with light as she unleashed her skill, Rapid Shot. A storm of arrows whistled through the air, piercing scale after scale. At the same time, the mage lifted her staff, her voice carrying a low chant that ended in a blazing command. A massive fireball roared to life, streaking across the clearing like a falling star.

The twin assaults collided in unison.

The arrows weakened the beast’s defenses just as the fireball detonated. A deafening explosion ripped through the clearing. The lizard’s six eyes widened in agony before its head burst apart, the force of the blast turning bone and flesh into ash. Flames consumed its body in a single sweeping blaze, leaving behind only smoke and burning air.

Silence fell over the clearing, save for the crackle of fire.

The squad stood in a loose circle, their breathing heavy, their weapons still raised.

One of them finally muttered, "That’s another one down... but if we’re running into Rank E beasts here, then we must be close the altar."

And the firelight reflected in their eyes carried more than exhaustion, it carried hunger.

****

Ethan stood at the edge of the clearing, broad shoulders catching the flicker of firelight. His shield rested against a log, his mace laid across his lap as he kept his eyes on the dark tree line. The night carried a heavy stillness, broken only by the crackle of the flames. Then his deep voice rumbled into the silence, directed not at the squad, but at the air itself.

"Caleb... have you found the trail yet?"

A faint shimmer answered him. From the shadows, a man emerged as if he had always been there, long dark hair falling over his eyes. His presence was quiet and deliberate.

"I’ve detected five paths," Caleb said evenly, his tone carrying the weight of concentration. "But I need more time to narrow it down to one."

Ethan grunted, jaw tightening. "Be fast. We don’t want another squad reaching the altar before us."

Caleb gave a short nod, and as quickly as he appeared, his figure thinned into the air, vanishing until even his footsteps left no trace.

The rest of the squad remained around the fire, the orange glow casting hard shadows on their faces. Caleb wasn’t a constant among them, rare for trial takers, but valuable enough that no one questioned it, because he was a scout and trap setter. Tonight had been proof. The only reason their hunt hadn’t dragged into disaster was because of him. It was Caleb who pinned the lizard-beast in place with a restraint trap, allowing Chloe’s rapid shots with her crossbow that tore through its hide, and Zoe’s giant fireball that completed the kill.

Now, silence held the squad.

The fire shifted, embers cracking. Then a voice broke through.

"Captain," Liam said, his head tilting slightly toward Ethan. His hair was a wild, fiery red, but his eyes were covered by a dark wrap, concealing the blindness he’d carried since childhood. Despite it, the strength in his tone left no room for pity. "Why would the commander of the settlement send us on a mission like this?"

"I’m not sure of the specifics," Ethan admitted, "But I heard... a high-ranking officer entered the mortal zone."

Liam tilted his head, the flicker of flame reflected faintly in the black wrap covering his eyes. For a while, he stayed quiet, then his voice came, calm yet edged with disbelief. "But why? Why would they set up such a mission for just one officer? And to offer rewards like this... Captain, tell me honestly, is this high-ranking officer a new Supreme Heir?"

The question seemed to hang in the air, even the fire’s crackle muted as if waiting for Ethan’s answer.

Ethan exhaled slowly, rubbing at the scar along his jaw. "They are not a Supreme Heir."

The words alone were enough to spark unease, but what followed was worse. His gaze flicked to each of them, before settling back on the flame. "They are an Azure Colonel."