The platform ahead buzzed faintly with energy, markers flickering across its surface in shifting patterns. Participants lined up in small groups, duos, and lone figures, all adjusting their footing as subtle hazards pulsed under their steps. Aerin felt the resonance immediately, a lattice of pressure threads waiting to be tested.
Ryn stayed close, eyes sweeping over competitors and terrain alike. Twin daggers at his sides, he moved almost invisibly, a shadow of calculated intent. Every subtle displacement of the ground was noted, every ripple in the environment measured for risk.
Aerin exhaled, letting his system hum softly. 1.20%. Not much, but the first proper trial in this continent required precision, not raw strength. The land would punish missteps faster than opponents could.
The first wave of obstacles shifted. Floating platforms tilted unpredictably, resonance lines warped, and faint arcs of energy pulsed along invisible paths. Competitors hesitated, some losing balance, others charging recklessly into inefficiency. Aerin mirrored Ryn, adjusting his weight and timing to redirect flow around them.
An opponent tried to cut across the platform aggressively, forcing Aerin to react. He shifted resonance laterally, subtly altering footing and redirecting energy. The competitor stumbled slightly, recovering just enough to avoid falling, but the inefficiency was enough for Aerin and Ryn to advance unimpeded. 1.23%.
Further ahead, a small group attempted coordination to manipulate moving platforms. Their strategy was clever, but misaligned with the environmental pulse. Aerin felt the misstep before it happened, nudging resonance to ease the movement of their own path without causing chaos.
Precision won over force here.
Ryn moved silently, intercepting minor disturbances. A flick of a dagger, a nudge against a rail, just enough to stabilize flow without drawing attention. His system complemented Aerin's perfectly, guiding the duo through hazards that would otherwise force missteps. 1.26%.
The platform ahead split into three lanes, each with different challenges. One had rotating stones, one rising energy arcs, and one a lattice of unstable resonance threads. Choosing the lane mattered. Aerin and Ryn split briefly, scanning and predicting which lane offered the highest efficiency while minimizing risk.
Aerin's hand hovered over the first unstable thread. He let the system pulse, feeling where the resonance bent, then stepped precisely to redirect a slight ripple. The thread stiffened and yielded, carrying him forward with minimal friction. 1.30%. The environment acknowledged adjustment rather than force.
Across the lane, a competitor lunged at a rotating stone, misjudging speed and momentum. Aerin saw the opening and subtly redirected energy, not to attack, but to ensure space remained unbroken. The competitor stumbled, momentum lost, and the platform corrected itself. The strategy wasn't domination; it was subtle control.
The final stretch narrowed. Platforms floated higher, resonance threads tangled, and small arcs of energy forced rapid adjustment. Aerin's heart rate increased, but his system guided each step, each subtle weight shift, each hand brushing stone for micro-feedback. 1.33%.
Ryn mirrored perfectly, matching pace and timing, sometimes creating openings, sometimes absorbing minor disturbances. Their synergy wasn't spoken but felt—each movement a conversation with terrain, competitors, and resonance. The multi-participant challenge tested not just reaction, but anticipation.
At the last section, a competitor rushed the wrong lane, collapsing several floating platforms with poor timing. Aerin and Ryn had to react immediately. Aerin's system flared, lateral resonance shifting to compensate, letting both glide through efficiently. 1.36%.
The crowd of observers, public and registered participants, remained silent but attentive. No applause, no commentary. This was observation as punishment, and reward as feedback. Missteps were recorded in the resonance, efficiency acknowledged through subtle shifts in environment rather than noise.
Finally, they reached the final node, marked by floating runes pulsing in alignment with the environment. Aerin stepped carefully, feeling the cumulative effect of every adjustment. The land recognized forward motion, cooperation, and precision. 1.40%.
Ryn exhaled lightly. "Efficiency over force. Environment first, opponents second."
Aerin nodded, watching participants behind him struggle against both land and pressure. The Trial Grounds were alive, and the first real clash had shown that understanding and adaptation mattered far more than aggression.
The system pulsed softly, confirming progress. Alignment with Ryn, with the environment, and with subtle flow had increased synchronization noticeably. 1.40%, small, but each increment promised the next level of growth.
They paused briefly at the exit platform. The challenge wasn't over—the Frontier Continent always demanded more—but the first test was clear: the trial measured reaction, flow, and cooperation. Force alone would never suffice.
Aerin felt anticipation build. This was just the beginning. The Trial Grounds had opened, and the first wave of real pressure had begun. Movement, strategy, and subtle influence—the future depended on how far he could push all three without faltering.