7 The Scorching Hall

"I've never heard of this reward," Noah thought to himself, racking his memory for any clues about its use. The system's prompt showed no information other than the reward and that he cleared the trial.

A speculative frown formed on Noah's face as he rubbed his chin. The chest was empty and other than the basic wish and the axe he picked up; Noah obtained nothing from the trial.

"Well, it's to be expected as I spent less than a day here, this trial probably would take at least three days for most groups. However, it is strange that…"

Noah's frown continued to deepen, realizing that he never got a notification that the trial was cleared.

"There must be something else here." He looked around, and just as he thought, there was another passageway on the other side of the cavern. Noah's expression was grim; the trial's continuation meant another challenge, one that he lacked the confidence and information to face.

But he didn't have a choice. The tutorial must go on.

Noah entered the tunnel, once again becoming surrounded by darkness. He placed his hand on the wall and recoiled slightly. It was warm.

As if there was magma flowing around the cave, the stone emitted a stronger red glow the further Noah went into the passage. Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, prompting him into wiping his face. The heat's temperature and intensity only increased the deeper he ran.

The walls were bright red when Noah arrived at an iron-bound double door. He placed his hands on it, pushing mightily. Steam curled up from his burning palms. He grimaced, the metal scorching him like molten iron.

However, Noah persisted, the heavy doors grinding open slowly but steadily until there was a crack wide enough for him to squeeze through. A wave of heat caused his wet hair to flutter. He didn't waste time, fluidly grabbing his axe off the floor and slipping into it.

The double door slammed shut behind him, trapping him and the blistering heat. Using his shoulder, he attempted to push the door open.

"It's locked," Noah frowned. Like a mountain, it hadn't budged in the slightest. He turned around, his eyes wandering around the hall in front of him.

Pillars of frozen magma lined the hall's sides, highlighting the grey walls and crimson carpet of some inflammable material. At the end of the hall was a volcanic throne of obsidian and flame. Seated imperially on that throne was a man, his chest bare and head encased in a crude wolf-head hat.

A wry smile appeared on Noah's lips. Out of the frying pan and into the fire, but he had no choice other than to proceed onward due to the wolf pack. They could only be distracted for so long.

Noah walked down the carpet, axe in hand, his expression blank like slate. The man stood up in response, his giant figure towering like an indomitable mountain. The barbarian didn't say anything as he grabbed a thick, curved sword from beside him.

Seeing the blade's length surpass Noah's own height, he sighed in relief. Strength was always easier to deal with than speed; with his small size, he could dodge and weave in between attacks with ease. Noah would have to be careful though, if one attack landed it would be fatal.

Sparks flew along the floor as the barbarian dragged his sword along the ground, the blade's weight cutting through the carpet and scratching the stone flooring. The screeching noise pierced Noah's ears, an atmospheric pressure weighing heavily on his shoulders. However, he merely shrugged it off and grinned, sprinting towards the hulking figure.

The barbarian raised his sword and swung down, cleaving through the air. Noah dodged to the side as he swung his axe, grounding its head into the man's thigh.

The barbarian roared and crouched down. Seeing this, Noah swore and jumped backwards, right before the man spun like a top, sweeping the area where Noah had just been standing. A bead of sweat fell from Noah's face, burning up in the scorching air before it could even touch the ground.

"Too close!" he exclaimed, adrenaline filling him as he swung his axe again. It landed, widening the injury on the man's leg. Blood poured from the wound, increasing the barbarian's rage.

Noah was panting heavily. However, he didn't stop moving as the man continued his heavy attacks. Crouch, dodge, move backwards, Noah's brain issues commands at lightning-like speeds, preventing any injury.

At this rate, Noah knew he would win, and the barbarian seemed to realize this too, as he dropped his sword. The blade fell like a slab of iron, clanging against the hard floor. Seeing this, Noah's expression turned deathly grim, contrary to the barbarian's manic smile.

The man then rushed at him; his right fist drawn back in an anticipatory arc. Noah hurriedly retreated, realizing he was at a disadvantage now. The barbarian made a smart move.

Noah ran back to the hall's double doors. He knew he didn't stand a chance against the barbarian in an upfront fight now, punches were much faster than that behemoth of a sword. By throwing away his blade, the barbarian sacrificed his unnecessary power for a major improvement in speed.

Arriving at the doors, Noah turned around only to find the man had caught up to him. Startled by the speed increase, he quickly dodged to the side, causing the barbarian's fist to slam into the door behind him.

The barbarian recoiled, Noah could see his bones had splintered, sticking out of his fist like a nest of white and red. He knew this was his chance and raised his axe before bringing it down as if he were splitting wood.

The axe's head entered the man's shoulder in a sickening squelch of flesh and liquid. Roaring in pain, the barbarian twisted his torso violently, dislodging the axe and sending Noah flying into a pillar. His back arched, coughing blood as his expression paled. He heard a crack within his chest, some of his ribs were broken.

However, the barbarian's injuries were much worse than his. The large man was reduced to a limping figure, his shoulder disfigured and unusable. Noah knew that the fight was all but won. They both looked to their respective weapons and noticing that Noah's axe was much closer to them, they lunged towards it.

A laugh escaped Noah's parched lips, his burnt hand grasping the handle in victory. The barbarian lunged towards him, but Noah didn't give him a chance to take it back. Jumping backwards, he felt the wind of the man's attack on his face. Noah didn't flinch, and without missing a beat, he cleaved at the barbarian's open neck.

Unsurprisingly, the man swerved out of the way, jumping backwards and creating a distance between them. Tired panting echoed throughout the scorching air as the duo warily eyed each other. Noah habitually raised his empty hand to wipe his sweat but found that there was nothing to wipe. It had all been evaporated.

However, despite his dehydrated condition and heavy injuries, Noah's smile brightened, gleaming maliciously in the orange light. The barbarian was on his last legs, eyes staring at the carpet and wobbling from side to side. Taking advantage of this moment of weakness, Noah rushed up to the man and heaved his axe overhead once again.

A sensation of death engulfed the barbarian, but alas, in his moribund state, his reaction was too slow. The man's head was split down the centre, white brain matter and red blood coating the axe's head. A sizzling sound was created as the gory liquid splattered onto the floor.

A chuckle escaped Noah's lips. Closing his eyes, he spread his arms out wide and fell to the floor. It was truly a dangerous fight.

"I had nearly forgotten that my new body is much weaker physically than my old one. Had I chosen to use my old fighting style, it wouldn't have ended up well for me."

Ignoring the glaring notification panel in the corner of his vision, Noah sat up and with a hefty grunt, stood on his two feet. He had paid a hefty price for his victory, but he was sure that this battle would help him tremendously down the line.

Risk and reward were the most basic rules of the system. A boss such as this barbarian clearly wasn't meant to be fought alone. It was only due to Noah's combat experience that he could snatch away a victory.

Although the fight would have been easier as a group, Noah had no regrets over causing their deaths. He had no qualms over increasing the amount of effort he had to put into something. If the benefits outweighed the demerits, he would do it. It was as simple as that.

Of course, this was much easier to say than to do. Pushing himself to the limit required an incredible level of mental fortitude. He was only able to possess this tenacity due to his past experiences and iron-like will.

Noah dragged his feet along the crimson carpet, trodding heavily towards the throne. Leaning against it, he caught his breath before heaving himself atop the seat. Exhausted, he exhaled a pent up sigh and arched his back, sinking deeply into the cushioned seat.

It was only then that he opened his notifications.

Trial Two Completed – Time Taken: 14 Hours and 12 minutes

Bonuses:

Solo II (Clear the trial with minimal assistance from your teammates)

Warrior III (Display outstanding combat expertise)

Scheming II (Use wit rather than might to pass the trial)

Traitor III (Kill a member of your team)

Self-Serving V (Directly cause the death of your entire team)

Time Until Transport: 9 minutes and 48 seconds

Noah nodded to himself, pleased with the bonuses he got. Especially self-serving and warrior; he doubted too many people on this planet obtained them.

These bonuses were the primary reason for Noah killing his team. Not only did they increase his score, they would also affect his class choices at the end of the tutorial. Someone with his bonuses would be offered combat-type classes rather than a support-type.

Noah prioritized personal strength over everything else. Naturally, he didn't want any classes that relied on others such as 'priest' or 'alchemist'. Those supportive classes, while not totally useless alone, were greatly weakened outside of their respective niche.

A combat class was indispensable for his situation. With his primordial core, he had to maintain a high level of independence, reducing the number of chances for others to find any peculiarities in his abilities.

Of course, inquiring about another person's class or mana core was a major taboo. However, it wasn't actively enforced and Noah couldn't be sure that someone stronger wouldn't notice any peculiarities about him. It was a good thing he entered a newly-integrated world; the level of power was much lower.

"The temperature is falling," Noah thought to himself, realizing he wasn't sweating anymore. The flaming pillars that lined the walls seemed to dim, casting shadows that danced around the hall. Noah slapped his knees and stood, teetering for a second before walking over to the barbarian's large, curved sword.

He wrapped his hand around its leather-bound hilt, only to find that he couldn't fully hold it. A wry smile appeared on his face.

"It seems I won't be able to use this sword for a long time. I'll probably have to trade or sell it later on. It truly is a shame; I didn't get a single treasure I could use from this trial."

There was no chance of him using this sword. Just looking at his stats, this body was more inclined towards magic rather than physical prowess. Using a greatsword was the worst choice for him to make, which was unfortunate because it aligned with his fighting style.

"Hmm?" Noah hummed. The sword began to glow, its iron blade enveloped in a silver haze.

Seeing what happened next, Noah couldn't help but clap his hands together. The sword started to shrink! Before his very eyes, it warped and twisted, reducing in length and width until it was nearly half its former size.

Picking up the sword once again, Noah found that it fit him quite well. Now the size of an ordinary saber, it was closer to a one-and-a-half handed sword. The perfect size for his small physique.

He quickly checked up on the time left before the third trial; there were still six minutes left. Seeing this, Noah sat down and crossed his legs, placing his new sword on his lap. This body was not only physically weaker, its resilience and regenerative properties were much lower as well. He had to pacify his injuries before they worsened.

Noah breathed in deeply; his mind entered a state of tranquillity as he manipulated his osteoclast cells to repair his broken ribs. This was only possible with the use of mana as it increased all aspects of his body, including his internal perception and control.

A few minutes later, Noah disappeared from the room in a flash of white light, leaving the hall and signalling the start of the third trial.