Child of Destiny

Chapter 2035: Trials of the Dark King (Part 2)

...

Not long after, the system had finally issued the first notification meant for the first trial of the final stage of the dungeon.

*Ding*

System: The first trial is finally starting!

System: Each team will please assign your first participant.

Seeing the notification, everyone quickly turned to one another, seemingly planning their next course of action.

”This is just the first trial, so we can afford to do anything,” said Laurent while looking at everyone. ”We can just assign anyone to at least get the gist of the situation.”

”Based on the rules that the system has given us earlier, each trial will grow more difficult for each round that has ended. This means that we have to conserve as much strength as possible.”

”We have to save our strongest cards until the very end,” he added while turning to Arthur and Leonard.

He paused for a moment before continuing. ”Moreover, each succeeding round will grant a higher number of points, so it is another reason to save these two monsters as our final trump card.”

”Since this is the case, I should take the lead,” said Riko, understanding her strength.

Even though she was not weak when it came to combat, her class shone brighter in group battles. Letting her be the first to participate was the best choice that they had.

However, Leonard quickly pointed out something. ”Wait, Seniors.”

Everyone turned to him with a confused gaze, making him somewhat awkward. Regardless, he still voices his thoughts. ”The rules have not stated that we can’t send the same person per trial.”

”Moreover, we also don’t know if the next few trials will be an individual or a group trial. I think it is better to send a combat fighter at this stage,” he added.

Hearing his words, the group immediately realized something and suddenly became enlightened.

”That’s right! If we can’t send the same participant for every trial, then how can that mysterious individual participate in the succeeding rounds?” pointed out by Laurent, making the rest turn at the said individual.

At the same time, seemingly having the same thought as them, the other three teams from the other platforms also turned in the same direction almost at the same time.

”I think it is best to send me first,” said Ryoto while stepping forward.

”Winning or losing is not important for this round, but to gather information. Given my class, I can at least buy as much time as I can so long as the trial permits it,” he added with full confidence.

”If we win, then that’s an extra point. But if we lose, then it is what it is,” said Laurent while nodding his head. ”Go and prepare. We will be waiting for the good news.”

Nodding his head, Ryoto went to the magic circle that suddenly appeared at the center of the platform, which should be the spot meant for this round’s participant.

...

In the meantime, a few moments before the system announced the start of the first trial, Chaotic Luck was standing on the same spot while staring blankly at the notification panel before him.

While the other teams were worrying about all the complicated stuff, Chaotic Luck was having his own troubles.

*Ding*

System: Since you have arrived in the trial grounds for more than a day compared to the other participants, you have gained the special right to assign what kind of trial will be conducted first, according to the will of the Great Dark King of the Tang Clan.

*Ding*

System: Please choose the mode of trial: A, B, C, D, E.

Special Note:

”Luck is also a part of strength, so being lucky is also a form of victory.”

- Dark King Tang Hyeon.

...

Looking at this special note, Chaotic Luck could not help but feel a little weird, finding that the attitude of this so-called Sovereign Being for choosing his successor was a bit too casual and easygoing.

It was as if he were doing a lottery rather than finding a successor.

”The design of this NPC is quite interesting,” he mumbled after staring at the notification for a while.

”Since it does not matter which one I choose as the primary mode of competition, then I can just choose whatever,” he added before closing his eyes and pressing a random button among the five choices.

*Ding*

System: The competition mode has been selected successfully!

Hearing the notification, Chaotic Luck swiftly opened his eyes, looking at the next notification excitedly.

However, when he read its contents, he could not help but stare at it blankly once again and felt a bit weird inside.

*Ding*

System: First Trial – Duel Competition!

*Ding*

System: Mode Reorganizing Error!

System: This mode is supposed to be the final trial!

System: Readjusting the Trial Rules.

*Ding*

System: First Trial – Duel Competition!

System: Due to the number of participants being odd, a ’Bye’ will be given to a random player!

*Ding*

System: Bye Selection has been completed!

System: Chosen Bye, Platform Number 1!

...

After skimming through the string of notifications, Chaotic Luck could not help but look at the number of the platform that he was standing on, which was right at the center of it.

Then, the expression on his face suddenly turned weird due to that number being ’1’.

The corner of his mouth twitched repeatedly, realizing something.

However, he also later realized that it was a good thing. Since he was exempted from participating in this round, he could just relax and enjoy the show.

”It is what it is! Since I have gotten the ’Bye’, then let’s wait for my turn later,” he said, trying to comport himself.

...

Back at the present.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

Four figures suddenly appeared somewhere down the pit of the dungeon.

Two huge platforms were floating within the dark abyss, which were going to be the battle arena for this round.

There were two figures in each arena, which signified what kind of trial this was.

...

Looking at the projected images in the air, Arthur and the others could not help but turn to each other before complaining a little when they saw this.

”A duel competition? Isn’t this a bit too boring for a trail to gain such a legacy?” complained Arthur while furrowing his brows deeply.

”Such modes are usually saved for the last stages. I wonder what the Dark King is thinking by designing such a method of choosing his successor?” said Laurent, feeling the same.

...

At the same time, there was another person who was feeling similar to these people.

Troy, who just finished his job, was planning to relax and spend his time watching his favorite players.

Unfortunately, there was a certain alarm in the Monitoring Department, which signified that an emergency had occurred.

They were already familiar with these alarms, which indicated that another ’hidden program’ was triggered.

As one of the main developers of the game, Troy was responsible for dealing with such situations, especially when the chairman had personally assigned him as the special personnel overseeing these occasions.

During the hidden program triggers, whatever was happening within the game was unable to be seen by anyone, including the person-in-charge or even the chairman himself.

It was programmed to be hidden from all the other people, aside from the players doing whatever quests or missions within the game.

After all, these ’hidden programs’ were the so-called secrets that Adam had put within the game, which everyone was looking for and chasing after.

Even the Super AI, Chronos, that was running the entire game, was forced to follow this ’hidden program’ whenever it was triggered. It was not even following the orders of the chairman despite having the supposedly absolute command and control over the system.

It could be considered as some sort of virus when you looked at this in this angle.

The brightest and most skilled programmers of the World Gaming Organization had also tried to decode this hidden program, yet none of them succeeded.

In the end, they could only give up and let this ’hidden program’ run in the background, especially when it was not interfering with the game.

Troy, as the one responsible for handling this situation, could not help but curse after seeing the series of notifications flooding his screen. ”What the heck!? Who the hell is messing with the program now!?”

He knew that it was impossible to interfere with or override the hidden program forcefully, so he was not worried about this.

What made him curse like this was that he knew that there was some variable within the game that had caused such an emergency change from the hidden program.

”Even those in the list of the Miracle Players, only a very few people can force this program to change those ’rules’. I wonder who has caused this,” he mumbled before turning toward a certain virtual screen and pulling out a virtual keyboard alongside it.

At the same time, he started opening a few folders while also running a series of command prompt programs.

Not long after, a series of virtual screens started appearing one after another, which projected the scenario happening within the game and the scene where the hidden program was triggered.

If the other people within the World Gaming Organization saw this, then they would surely be shocked by this scene.

This was supposed to be a hidden program that could not be cracked even by the most skilled and brightest programmers within the organization, or even the whole world, yet Troy seemed to have done it with ease.

Moreover, he had even projected the scene directly coming from the game when it was supposed to be hidden from everyone.

Looking at the scene, Troy could not help but raise his brows when he saw what was happening. ”Oh! It is this interesting guy!? There are also the brothers of the little guy. This is going to be more interesting.”

At the same time, he also realized which ’hidden program’ this group had triggered.

”The legacy left behind by Dark King Tang Hyeon? Now, this is the real deal!”

...