M-a-z-e

"Subsequent to the cat's introduction. It is now time to set the battleground. Please wait as our arena establish the maze we had chosen." Hassan plead for the crowd's patience.

With the darkness still lingering, nothing seems coming into the view. But some audiences are regular customer to learn that something is undergoing in the dark.

A minute gone by as the surrounding beacons illuminated the arena once again.

In a flash, a circular layout of puzzling and complex passages separated among the walls have magically existed. The arena entirely materialized an environment identical to a maze!

Many of its passages leads to a dead-end corner while only its few passages lead to the to the center of the labyrinth, a "0/20" green numeric hologram floats above the center.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we present you our new simulated map, a variant of our shrouding labyrinth! Although the labyrinth might look plain and simple on the surface, that is because there were hundred of deadly traps hidden in several nooks and is waiting to be activated by our unfortunate subjects." Hassan elaborated.

"First, let me explain the rules. All of you must be familiar regarding the law of the jungle. In the jungle, ferocious predators seek their prey in order to satisfy their hunger. Same concept to ours, the 6 combatants will enter the maze separately and right away start their hunt..."

As Hassan enunciates the rules, Erizalli along with other unfortunate captives were taken-aback after the lights in the arena come back.

The protection glass separating them from the crowd instantly transmute itself, from a see-through ceiling glasses turning to a purple-dark cloudy sky.

Peeking within gloomy clouds, an image of a blood moon directly projects its red moonlight below the maze, inducing a serene, yet bloody environment.

In fact, the removal of outsides uproars and its lifelike atmosphere has beginning to convince the senses of the captives.

To their senses, it is as if they was transported to a different place. Nonetheless, all of them hold still to the fact that they were inside the arena.

Several meters away, they caught the sight of the towering structure of walls that endows three passages. These passages are wide to insert hundreds of people at the same time.

The veering of their way to different directions implies its split endings.

Looking at these wall, several people immediately fostered variety of thinking that everyone differed in response. Some people dropped to their knees and started crying while some remained standing as they could not help to alleviate their thoughts.

On top of their mystic environment, it still struck to their mind the ordeals introduced to them by the Emcee.

Even though the Emcee intentionally did not highlight the true status of those six combatants, his tended deception won't get pass the other captives who truly are keen of what is happening.

Truthfully, the six combatants that made their entrance are all pseudo-transcendent!

Their power and might are approximate to breaking the limit of their mortality. It is observable over the genuine special effects emitting from their weapon. No normal human being will be able to utilize those spiritual weapon except for a psuedo-transcendent or higher than them.

More importantly, just the notion of these players on the move to hunt their heads as well as having no clue of their current whereabouts have already sent chills to their spine.

"T-those type of weapon... they are psuedo-transcendent. We can't possibly defeat them by our hands, we are doomed from the start..."

"With or without weapon, no ordinary human can compete against them. They are naturally too powerful that only a being with the same stature as them can take them down!"

"They are all criminals! Just imagine what would happen to us if we ever come across with them. A criminal who boasted an inhumane capability at all is not wrong to be called a MONSTER!"

Frightening hysteria quickly spread to the captives as more of them listen to the revelation of their true state.

However, dissimilar to these weak-willed randoms, the wiser and those who had the willpower to resist their forthcoming fate have begun pacing forward.

There were stone tables openly offering countless variety of weapons, armor and utility equipment available ahead. It seems that the organizers who implement this feature are encouraging the preys to put up a fight against their predators.

"I am not a prey; I had murdered a whole tribe before I am sent here. Who cares about these psuedo-transcendent, I won't let myself die in their scheme!" a bald and burly man who attained a lot of scars in his face, shouted in a gruff voice.

On the table, he equips himself of some sort of medieval helmet and a medium piece of armor that covered an extent of his body, chiefly on shoulder and chest.

Next he grabbed a used shield and an unmaintained cleaver. Its sharpness and weapon composition are clearly better than other available weapons which are rusty and display a visible brittleness.

He proceed to walk forward at the middle front of all captives. There, he create a loud bang generated by the impact of his axe and shield. He did it in repetitive that one by one captured the attention of all captives.

When all the captives fell silent, he stopped his banging abruptly.

"I am Remario! An arian, a murderer and a criminal such as the likes of you! Don't cower just because our circumstances stay unclear to you, then let me remind everyone here that we are all transported to the prison planet called Skirmyth." Remario reminded.

He paused for a second and was gladdened that his fellow criminals took the time to listen to his words, it seems that all of them understand how undulating the tide of their situation.

"In this planet, the government imprisoned all individuals who committed heavy and grievous crimes. I don't know understand why they built this planet to accommodate to the our likes, instead of just killing us right away."

"There is only one human settlement in the planet of Skyrmyth and that is Gardabulan City. Perhaps many of you knows what is this feared city all about. For ordinary human, it's just a prison for bad guys. But for us criminals, it's a dreaded location we would never wish to end up with. Because here in this city, deaths and brutality are common and liberty. It's a deserving punishment for a criminal like us. Now that we are here, death would come sooner or later and it depends on whether how badly we wanted to survive!"

"Baldy! Time is running, cease your pathetic speech and just tell us what you have in mind." a random man at the back yelled.

Remario grew a mad facial expression as he did not find the man interruptions to be pleasant. But since his life is at stake in his persuasion and he knew that aggravating their ongoing situation will only lead to more worse outcomes. Therefore, he rather dropped his spiteful thought.

"Fine! Can everybody see the hologram projected at the top of the maze?" Remario deliberately pointed his axe at the "0/20" holographic image.

"I've watched this type of entertainment before and I assured that the position the hologram is levitating is our only way out. It turns out that the organizer knows that massacre killing is not fun without plots and stakes."

Hearing that, the people immediately pay heed to the a green holographic image in the far distance, floating and slowly spinning above the walls.

"What do you mean? How can that floating thing get out us here?"

Remario already anticipated that question.

"It's simple, we just have to reach the hologram position and enter its range, thereby securing us from the psuedo-transcendent."

"We don't quite understand, Remario."

A heavy breath aspired from Remario, his patience is pressing more thinner.

"You all have not grasp our situation yet. Remember that we are on a maze and if there is a way in , then there is also meant way out for us! The hologram location already provided us with guidance to our exit!" Remario expounded much further.

Suddenly, several eyes widened after hearing this precise information. Quickly some of them were convinced of his proposed way to out.

Their admission to this idea did not just reinforce Remario's will, but also awaken some reality around the people who listened to his uncovering. Though few people still harbors doubts, but they admit the concreteness of his information after a while.

"So what are you guys waiting for? No one can save us other than ourselves. Gather your own weapons and lets travel in group so that our chance of surviving will increase!" Remario complete his speech with a follow up encouragement.

Hearing his charismatic words, the captives reclaimed their composure and started sprinting towards the stockpile of gears.

"He is right! We should proceed to the maze with numbers. I would rather fight the psuedo-transcedent with many of us than die alone."

"Screw the psuedo-transcendent! I will let these people that I can survive from their clutch!"

"I've decided! I will accompany Remario to the deeper part of the maze. He is smart, so I trust that he what he was doing."

Everyone armed themselves with their chosen comfort armors and select their expertise weapon.

However, within anticipation, a fight was breaking out because of rivalry over a particular item. Greed and envy effortlessly embrace their essence to these people. After all, they were all criminals whose growth contained less discipline.

Remario does not care, he gathers all the people who are willing to accompany him to the maze and they all advanced onward.

In a particular passage, a queer-looking man was holding a long shaft of a wood with sharpened tip on it. On his other hand, he grip a skinny, yet elegant green tome that illustrate a mystical tree as its cover.

Erizalli was the first daredevil to explore the maze. There were trickling sweat on his brows as he run with his heels, clicking in a hasty beat.

It does not matter whether there is an intersection or a lot more passage available on the way. As long as his eyes had set on a passage, thinking twice were out of his option. The three of them accords in this sort of decision in the precondition to get away!

"Run Erizalli, run! We can't trust those people. They are real murderers especially the wicked man and the lady who persistently keep an eye on us. I felt a very strong killing intent coming from them." Ares nervously told them what he sensed.

"I agree, we should not take a risk to come with them. Same to Ares, something alerted in me and I couldn't explain it. but I am sure some of them are aiming for you!" Appollana agreed.

Considering how timid the three of them and felt uncomfortable within the presence of criminals, they heartily pushed the emergency button and run!

But before Erizalli conduct his escape, Apollana and Ares coerce Erizalli to grabbed the spear and tome on the table and blazed inward the maze!

With his collected distance now, he is confident that he will outpace and would not encounter the people he left behind.

"Too slow, we must speed up or else it will only be up to time before someone close the gap on us, Apollana. I promise I won't touch your shoes if you allows me control the feet!" Ares spoke in worried tone.

"Not a chance, hot-head! You won't take the feet off my influence. I am the only one here who is more experienced when it comes to running with heels. Conceding my influence on you or Erizalli will just trip our balance! Just keep yourself on holding the spear and the tome." Apollana took him down.

"Anyway, why would you a grab a spear for us? For as I know, you have no mastery over that weapon, and I suspect it will just become a burden since don't even know have the courage to fight!" Apollana uttered her doubt against Ares.

"I know how to fight! It is my forte. I usher to grab the spear in consideration Erizalli is a Janitor who knows how to handle a stick and that adds a bit of experience to fight with a spear. A slack off woman like you will only misunderstand!" Ares retorted as he justifies his cause.

"Ahm... Why did you pick the tome, Apollana? I can't think of any way it can protect us except by throwing or slamming it on others." Erizalli spoke using his mouth in a doubtful tone.

Appollana heard him but did not reply as quick as usual.

She attempted to go back to her memories and remember that due to the urgency of the situation, she picked the tome unwittingly simultaneous to when Ares grab the spear.

"Now that I think of it, the tome slightly gives off something I am familiar with. It sounds crazy if I told you that I sense that it was mine to begin with." Apollana opened up with uncertainty.

"Nah, you chose the tome since you wanted beautiful and elegant things! Only a materialistic woman like you would feel!" Ares specify her out.

"You don't understand, so shut up!"

Ares and Apollana continuously wrangle with each other and Erizalli tried to pacify them as usual. However, their conflict watered down after their intuition discover an incoming presence that is strongly deviant and distinguishable.

Fredderin is a tall and brawny man. He wore a frost armor and he grip the handle of his sword sheathed on his hip. His sword is prepared to unleash its blow once he found his right target.

Mildly roaming between the maze, the range of his spiritual detection caught a limp and weak spirituality running not too far from his place.

Its spirituality is blended of three different colors. Red, green and purple were sluggishly floating and flows in circulating fashion around its spiritual core. Though Fredderin also noticed how baseless the form of its spiritual core that it appears similar to a liquid.

A spiritual core is the spirituality foundation and only innate in every special living being. It is a basis that determines if a person can achieve trance to the hidden.

Its form varied in color, shape and always invisible to the eye, particularly to the mortal being. But not in the perception of a psuedo-transcendent.

Everybody owned their own spirituality, but only a few percent of these people can reshape and manifested a spiritual core out of their spirituality. It much less likelihood for an individual to evolve their own spiritual core up to the next degree such as being psuedo-transcendent or more.

Psuedo-transcendent, aside from gaining respective inhuman potency and special personal ability, they will additionally be awarded of a spiritual gift that enhance their basic instinct and intuition.

These means can simply obtain them an access to the spirit world. Although this sounds extraordinary, psuedo-transcendent influence in this mysterious world is settled in minimal.

Just as Fredderin will get a glimpse and meet the spiritually weak person, the fellow swiftly turned around and darted out in a much more hurry.

"How weird... He quickly turn away as if he learns I am here," he grunted in disappointment.

Fredderin is not by any means going to chase the runaway. To begin with, this prey is out of his initial interest.

"Well, whatever..."

Yet another presence tingled his senses that entered near his vicinity. But this time, its spiritual core is on another degree. The spirituality Fredderin perceive is indigo-black. While the form of its spiritual core is concealed, mainly intended by its owner. He is firm in his senses that its rigid form conveys its close to solidifying completion.

"Hehe... Finally, this is the particular fish of what I originally reeling for. Screw the small fishes, they are not worth my time."

A grin widened in his face as he finally locked on his target and ready to cast the net in order to catch this fish.

Outside of the maze, Janghir actively commentates on the small clashes commenced by the captives at their starting point of the maze. So far, about fifteen lives were recently killed in the maze. Some fought with other criminals and died while some adversely encountered a psuedo-transcendent on their way in order to avoid the clashes on their starting point.

Although the spilling of blood and suffering of the weak fulfilled the terrible desire of the large audience, it is not what the primary purpose of this event.

The concepts of adding dispensable little preys are just a side dish for the main course. The audience has been itching for a higher action, and the sole treatment to this itchiness is for a psuedo-transcendent to battle against another psuedo-transcendent.

In the meantime, their inclination is gradually happening as another psuedo-transcendent is about to face its only counterpart.

"Ho, ho! It is happening! The Celestial Emperor must be awake for him to grace us with our collective prayers. Two... No! Three participants are about to meet by the pull of fate. It is without a doubt that a threesome battle will be held in this particular location of the maze!" Janghir excitingly commented.

His eyes glows in vitality as he stare at this particular location. In the end, the three participants were finally entangled with each other eyes and learned the details of their opponent.

"Located at the middle is our earliest maze challenger, the queer-looking middle-aged man whose outward look is unsightly... disordered. Our informants immediately briefed us that he is a broke fellow who have ended up shoplifting. But sadly for him, this shop is owned by an influential company that impose a major crime to his name even though his deeds was only a minor misconduct!"

"This is an example of how unjust the culprit above the law to punish a poor man who's also victim of their own corruption." Janghir expressed a little pity to the man he talked behind.

"Continuing on his left, a man who seeks an opponent who can assist him in his obstacle and incite his leap to the path of Astral Gods, Fredderin! In his opposition is our graceful demoness, Heredinza! I presume that their battle is much more exciting, so who do you guys think out of these three would stand a winner?!"

The hype regarding the coming battle rose even more as Janghir continually stimulate the enthusiasm of his audience.

In this moment of time, Erizalli feels like he is a condiment being sandwiched between two force of combat-ready individuals.

He stood in their middle of conflict and acted similar to a cornered cat whose fangs and claws, the spear and the tome shakily points their direction towards the two imposing enemy.

The crowd noticed how his on-guard battle stance look very unqualified and how obvious he exhibit his fear.

"Oh no! We are trapped!" Ares expressed his nervousness.

"IT IS YOUR FAULT ARES! YOU SHOULD HAVE NOT STEAL IN THE BEGINNING!" Apollana raged on Ares.