"..."
Mark was too stunned to speak. It was the first time he heard that you can gain attributes, without leveling up. Base on what he knows, you either need to use permanent attribute potion which was extremely rare, or grind up and rise your level.
Gaining something from the fallen beings and from it's teeth, especially an attribute was laughable, like saying one of the world's most stupidest joke.
Right now, he was very ecstatic and jumping in joy. With this, he can turn not only has life around but his little family as well! As long as he survive this trial, he'll surely rise to the top and gained everything he wants.
Looking around for some more, he cannot help but find a torn arm – belonging to some unlucky Aspirant. He cannot help but pick it up and use his Unique Ability. Not minding that he was grasping into a dismembered hand.
[Items value and attributes are very low. Devouring failed.]
Mark sighed, feeling disappointed but still not got disheartened. He then continue to look around for good things for sometime before he stopped, as he found nothing other than dried blood and dismembered part of unlucky humans.
He then give up on finding "good things" from the "battlefield", as he knows it would e all for nought. He should look for it from a place where battles has been fought, or kill one on his own.
Unfortunately, that's impossible for now seeing how weak and useless he still is. After going back towards the rocky terrain and climbing towards a lark rock, he scanned his area.
He didn't have time to gather himself up, he need to adapt immediately or he'll fall like the others. That's why he easily accept his new reality. A reality where he would die if he stand idly and die if he'll still too weak. Such that, he was eager to increase his strength as it was only his lifeline to survive, panicking and zoning out is not on his options.
After he carefully walk and scanned his surroundings, he manage to find a massive cave opening that was near him. As he don't know were to go right now, he decided to go to that direction to plan his next move.
Soon he appeared infront of the cave entrance, he notice that he was not the first on here. There was also other Aspirant that escaped planning to take cover here.
Mark then entered the mouth of the cave under the groups wary eyes, they all didn't know each other and everyone was speaking different languages and nationality, making it harder to trust one another. Especially those countries that were on odds.
After finding a comfortable spot, Mark sat to take a rest. His eyes wandering at others here before him, scanning them up and down, trying to discern if they were good or bad.
Then, after a quick counting, he learned that they are about 8 other people here other than him, five men and three women, hiding from danger.
The deafening silence lasted for sometime before a young teenager finally cannot help himself but asked a question the people around in the universal language. At least a language they all use internationally back on earth.
"Will we be safe, if we stay hidden in a place like this for three months? Why those monsters are very strong and high leveled? Are there more stronger monster out there? Will we survive?"
"Why is this trial so difficult?"
He asked, but no one answered. He only receive silence and stares from the people around.
What can they say? They don't know much themselves. Back on earth knowledge about the Trial World are limited, and only the basics information was shared towards the public, while the real critical information was monopolized by high ranking institutions or other Ascendants.
So that's to say, their knowledge about the System and the Trial World is lacking, other than abilities, ranking, and other basic things. They know none, other than the system would chose few qualified people every year to undertake the trial to become Ascendants. Which only few would survive.
Mark glanced at them, before paying them no mind. He look back and scanned the inner cave to look for possible escape routes if anything ever happened as well as search if anything was hidden here.
As he stand up to walk deeper in the cave, a man stopped him.
"Young man, I advice you to stay and don't delve into the unknown. You'll never know what would happen to you." A middle age man, still on his office clothing adviced. His eyes tired and his mind felt occupied.
"..."
"But if we just do nothing, well going to die without knowing. It's better to take a risk than leaving everything up to fate." Mark replied. Eyes just glanced at him for a moment before he started to walk away.
"Hah...what ever we do, well going to die either way, why waste effort?" The man muttered under his breath. His eyes lacked hope about surviving, like he knows what would about to happen to them.
...
Mark navigate the dark massive interior of the cave, finding it damp with toxic water and weird looking fungi that glow under dark.
He look around very attentively, not letting something just cross his eyes without scrutiny. There maybe somethings that would aid his survival around, as what the trial teaches those Aspirants. Be resourceful at what's infront of you and use everything you have to survive.
After walking around for sometime, he come across a spacious chamber with shiny object that keep glinting under the glowing fungi and organisms around.
He didn't know what it was, but he knows it was massive and cannot help but approach an use his phone's flashlight to illuminate this thing and found something.
This thing was a massive snake that curled up, seemingly in a hibernation. Just one if it's scale was at forearms length and it's body as tall as two–storey tall building, spanning for a hundred meters long.
Mark's know that he cannot afford to mess with this thing, it was much–much more dangerous than the drilling worms he saw the last time. He can only pray that this thing would continue to be dormant.
•••
[Gigantic Terror Phyton (lvl.???)]
Status: Dormant
Rank: ???
Existence Grade: ???
Unique Ability: ???
Attributes: Strength ??, Agility ??, Constitution ??, Intelligence ??, Willpower ??
Skill/s: ???]
•••
The multiple question mark on the panel showed how powerful this thing is. It's rank is most probably much higher than Peak Mortal Rank, the limit of the Beginners Trial Ground.
He don't know why this thing is here nor if there's more, but he knows that a being like that in the beginners ground is a big deal, capable of annihilating every Aspirant.
Mark back away, out of fear. His face was serious as he done his outmost best to not make any noise or commotion that would wake it up.
Crunch!
Unfortunately, fates seems to play tricks on him. A crunching sound echoed through this silent chamber, so deafening that it was vexing. He has stepped on something akin to a plastic or some sort, he can only pray that this gigantic monster would continue to be dormant in which it still was.
Mark then look back to look at the thing he has stepped on and saw that – it was a snake shedded skin, and it was massive! This thing surely belong to this gigantic dormant monster.
Just before he was about to sprint out of this cavern chamber, he stopped. He thought about, can he use his ability on this thing? He was ecstatic as well as not expecting anything to actually go in the way he wanted to.
[Ding!]
[You use your Unique Ability: Devouring on Gigantic Terror Phyton Shedded Skin.]
[Devouring Initiating.....]
Suddenly, black mist emerge from Mark's hand and propagate fast on the gigantic phyton skin. Completely covering it a couple moments later.
[Ding!]