Formless Ascension: My Affinity Is Limitless

He drew a line much further across the table with his illustration.

”Based on what we know of ”zones” on the main continents, I think it’s safe to say that this Age of Hunger trial is merely the entry phase. This is just the first zone, and an entirely separate trial phase will automatically commence the second either we or the ancient variants push into the next zone of Australia.”

Uhtred’s brows knitted together into a hard frown, his fingers tapping against the stone desk. ”So this is essentially a race, and we are losing terribly already.”

”Yes,” Black Sun released a sigh, his gaze going hard and distant. ”It’s a race that involves not just a singular person alone but the entire species as a whole. We have to be a united front for us to even progress... Either that or we find more people like you who can single-handedly deal damage to the ancient variants on a continent-wide scale, exactly like your bounty stunt did.”

”Well, I can tell you right now that a single person dealing damage to ancient variants isn’t going to happen a second time,” Uhtred said with certainty.

He personally knew the crazy feats he had achieved to even have the chance to do this much damage to the ancient variants. Earning 200,000 merits and spending a whopping 135,000 from it was not something anyone anywhere within the trials was realistically going to achieve.

”But that only leaves us with another nearly impossible option,” Uhtred said with a shake of his head. ”Humans uniting together under a singular goal.”

Mateo nodded with the same understanding.

This kind of trial that involved the survival of the species and dealing damage to another faction was something that was supposed to play to modern humans’ strengths.

It was one of the main traits that separated modern humans from the ancient variants on a fundamental evolutionary level.

Throughout history, modern humans had conquered the old Earth by forming massive, highly organized collective systems.

Humans had learned to adapt, organize, and thrive in environments where individual survivability appeared completely impossible. In fact humans hadn’t just survived, they reformed, repurposed, and dominated entire ecosystems, even going as far as to dominate the whole world.

However, before humans could get to that point within this trial to show the strength of their survivability, there was the hurdle that needed to be crossed, and that was a very significant hurdle:

They had to somehow overcome the chaotic, fractured nature of their current leadership and unite under one single banner... a feat that modern humanity had famously failed to ever achieve back on the old Earth.

”And that is the exact reason why I desperately need your help, Uhtred. It is only you that possesses the clout to pull off a miracle like this.” Mateo leaned across the desk, his dark eyes locked onto Uhtred with intensity. ”You are the only human on this entire continent who even has the slightest chance to unite every scattered survivor under one banner before the ancient variants completely lock us out of the race.”

A low groan escaped Uhtred’s lips. He crossed his arms and raised his head to look up at the ceiling.

Deep in his heart, he was unwilling to do this, but he saw the logic behind Mateo’s reasoning. This wasn’t just a matter of his own survival but the survival of the species as a whole.

However, there was still one thing that bugged him about this whole thing. Specifically, it was about Mateo himself.

From what Amanda had revealed to Uhtred on their way here, even though Uhtred waited to form an opinion of Mateo after meeting him himself, he still had this perception of the man as someone very focused on his own interests alone.

Of course, there was the issue of his survival tied to humanity also surviving, but within their discussions Uhtred could kind of sense a deeper layer to Mateo’s urge to unite humanity under a single banner.

It was almost as if the entire talk of humanity surviving, the noble manner in which he had spoken of it, was just a front for something else he wanted more personally.

Uhtred released a low sigh.

”Before we even go further, what’s in it for you?” he asked, staring Mateo dead in the eye. ”Black Sun. Lord of the Black Isles... You don’t strike me as a man that deeply cares about the survival of humanity.”

”If all that you said is correct about the geographical nature of Australia and the trials separated into zones, then even if humanity loses this trial, there must be other trials where we can come out on top. Why are you so adamant on us succeeding within this particular trial? What’s in this trial for you that makes you suddenly become so noble?”

Uhtred had hit the nail right on the head, and from Mateo’s suddenly solemn expression, it was very evident that he had.

Uhtred waited patiently while Mateo seemed to sort out his thoughts. The man looked torn, as if he was considering whether to reveal what he was about to to Uhtred or not.

In the end, he released a sigh and spoke:

”Sofia...” He raised his head and met Uhtred’s eye. ”My daughter, Sofia. She is out there somewhere within this trial. I thought she was dead after the integration. We all know how dangerous the world has become. I didn’t want to get my hopes up, and I had made a sort of peace with myself, but after this trial began, I couldn’t help it and kept checking the rankings every hour...”

”Two hours into the trial, I saw her name appear... My daughter. My one and only blood. She is alive and within these dangerous trial grounds. Now that I know that she is alive, I will be damned if I don’t try to keep her safe by all means...”

”...Even if it means I will keep the rest of humanity safe too. My daughter must not die!”