Looks like I was right... Time to end this,' He said internally as they arrived at the dead end.

Zwwwoooonnnn!

A pair of purplish eyes appeared within the hole on the wall.

The boy avoided making eye contact with the eyes that appeared within the wall. However, he was sneakily observing the entire vicinity.

"YOU IDIOTS! WHY HAVEN'T YOU STILL FOUND GUSTAV!"

Chatter! Chatter! Chatter!

Some of the participants started trying to explain themselves, stating the part of the ruins they visited in search of Gustav.

"YOU ARE ALL USELESS! I WILL NOT SETTLE FOR A WEAKLING THAT MIGHT END UP MAKING THE SACRIFICE UNSUCCESSFUL!"

"I MIGHT HAVE TO DO THIS MYSELF!" 

The rock voiced out and started floating.

The green-haired boy within the crowd stared at the floating rock with a suspicious gaze, 'Who knew that the rock could fly... well anyways this doesn't change anything,'

"RELINQUISH THE STONES YOU HAVE GATHERED SO FAR!" 

The rock voiced out.

The participants started walking forward one after the other and dropping some orange-colored stones in front of the rock creature.

Zwwoooonnn!

Orange-like streams of energy started phasing out of the stones, entering the rock being.

When the energy from the grandstones was absorbed entirely by the rock, the runic patterns on its body turned brighter.

After that was done, the next participant went over to drop the grandstones they had gathered.

"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? GO FIND GUSTAV FOR ME AND BRING HIM HERE!"

The rock being commanded after noticing that the other participant was still standing there after dropping the grandstones he had gathered.

The participant quickly left the place with an expression of fear visible on his face.

After the next participants dropped theirs, they also left the area to go look for Gustav.

They were all spreading out to different parts of the ruins, but no one ever took the path on the left. Unlike other places in the area that had one or two participants with purplish glowing eyes standing around to observe the area, that route was empty.

The participants went one after the other to drop the stones they had gathered. The rectangular rock absorbed these stones making the golden runic circles on its body turn brighter and brighter.

In a few minutes, only about five participants were left, and the green-haired boy happened to be among them.

He had been changing positions all through, moving himself to the back of the crowd to make sure he wasn't spotted.

Now that there were only around five participants left, his figure was as visible as day.

He was still positioned at the side, so it seemed like he would be the last to drop the stones he had acquired among all of them.

'Hmm,' the rock stared at the green-haired boy in particular at the side and stared at the rest.

Unlike the rest, he was the only one who didn't make eye contact. However, his eyes were glowing purple like the rest.

After the next participant dropped the number of stones she had, she moved out of the area, and only four participants were left.

The rock absorbed the energy from the seventeen grandstones in front of it.

At this moment, the runic patterns on its body had become so bright that the entire place was lit up due to it.

"NOW I'M READY! I NEED THAT BOY!"

"YOU'RE ALL USELESS!"

The rock voiced out as it moved forward.

"LOOKS LIKE I HAVE TO GET HIM MYSELF!" 

The rock suddenly stopped moving when it got to the entrance area and turned around to stare at the green-haired boy.

"HEY YOU, COME CLOSER!"

The voice of the rock boomed in the mind of the green-haired boy who complied with the demand.

He walked forward and stood two feet in front of the floating rock.

"WHY IS YOUR MIND BLOCKED FROM MY REACH, UNLIKE THE REST?" The rock asked as the eyes on its body squinted in suspicion.

'Thirty seconds more, it won't be ready yet,' The boy said internally before replying to the rock.

"My Lord, I don't understand what you mean," He voiced out.

"YOU MUST HAVE BEEN AMONG THOSE WHO REGAINED CONTROL OF THEIR SENSES. I WILL PUT YOU UNDERNEATH MY CONTROL ONCE AGAIN!"

"KNEEL!"

The green-haired boy knelt and looked up with a blank expression.

"NOW SUBMIT TO ME!"

----------------------------

[Host Brain Waves are being manipulated by external forces]

[Mental Fortitude needed for blocking Brain Manipulation: 60]

[Host has acquired enough mental fortitude to hindering Brain Manipulation]

[Brain Manipulation has been successfully hindered]

------------------------------

'An entire 60 points? His mind control must be really powerful,' The boy who was obviously Gustav disguised as another thought.

"HMM, WHY ISN'T IT WORKING? WHY CAN'T I SEE INTO YOUR MIND?"

The voice of the rock could still be heard in his mind. However, it couldn't successfully manipulate it as it will.

"I don't know, my lord, you should try harder," Gustav suggested with a blank look.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY? ARE YOU MOCKING ME?"

"No, that wasn't what I meant, my lord... Maybe you're just tired," Gustav replied.

"WHAT NONSENSE! I AM AS ENERGIZED AS I HAVE EVER BEEN. I JUST NEED GUSTAV TO COMPLETE MY TASK!"

The rock responded with a slightly annoyed tone.

'Thirty seconds countdown met,' 

The rock suddenly noticed the green-haired kid's smirk.

"He's right in front of you," Gustav voiced out while standing up from his knees.

"WHAT?" The rock exclaimed with a confused expression, but a large vortex suddenly appeared in front of the entrance in the next moment.

Thhhrrriikkkk!

It was so massive that it covered the entire entrance up, trapping everyone within it.

The rock was still in confusion when the green-haired kid's skin tone, hair color, and height started transforming right in front of it.

Tgrrooomm!

A 5'9 teenage boy with dirty blonde hair and superbly handsome looks was now standing in front of it with outstretched arms.

"GUSTA..." 

[Sprint has been activated]

Zwoooshh!

Gustav grabbed it and dashed forward with immense speed, entering into the massive vortex in the blink of an eye.