“In second place, number 245, Frey Evenkey!”

Freya heard her fake name echo across the beach. It was close enough to her real name that it sent a shiver up her spine. The crowd applauded and chanted her number, but soon moved onto cheering the next contestant coming up to the finish line.

Moving away from the flags, she sucked the tip of her pinkie finger to stop the bleeding. To prove her identity, she had to once again, drip blood into her numbered shell. This was now the fourth time, so she had moved from finger to finger on her non-dominant hand.

Someone rested a hand on her shoulder and whispered, “You should go into the lake.”

Jolting away from the touch, Freya touched her ear. Daveth Cest withdrew his hand and smiled.

How is this guy everywhere? I wonder how long he was watching me.

Daveth’s clothes were soaked, and water dripped from his brown hair. He continued, “It will help you recover for the next trial.”

The lake has magical properties? I thought that was a myth, Freya thought. Still, it looked like the demoniclast had just come from the lake, judging by his wet appearance. Was there some truth to it?

Daveth must have seen the doubt on her face because he explained, “ You won’t see an immediate effect, but the water from Lake Kel does have healing properties. It will not perform miracles, but it will speed up the natural healing process. The next trial will be announced at sundown, so you’ll need to stay around the beach anyway.”

“I see,” Freya said. She thanked him and moved towards the lake. Daveth left to see the next finisher.

Freya silently sighed in relief. It seemed he didn’t suspect anything strange about her yet. She hoped the only reason she kept seeing him was that he was interested in her as a potential demoniclast apprentice. Since he had a Player Card, he could see her level was high for a normal person. Hopefully, that was the only reason.

Small waves lapped the shoreline. There were a couple of people in the water. On a dry sand dune sat a pair of shoes and a large backpack. Not far away, Kartish sat in the water with his eyes closed.

Freya unlaced her boots and took off her socks. If no one else were around, she would take off more, but given the number of people on the beach–plus the fact that her outfit was helping her Misidentify–her clothes had to stay on. Before she got into the water, she looked at the blister on her big toe of her left foot. It hadn’t burst yet, but she was tempted to pop it. If she left it alone, it would probably happen on its own inside her boot.

She waded out into the water. It was chilly but not bad for a mountain lake. Initially, she planned to just stand knee-deep in the water and let the water work its supposed effects. But now, a wave of peaceful tiredness made her relax all her muscles and collapse into the water.

The weightless feeling made her realize how much her legs and feet ached. Floating face up, she closed her eyes.

“Feels good, right?”

Squinting into the sun, Freya wondered who had to talk to her right now. Can’t I get a second of relaxation?

[Mabyn Erlend]

[Lvl 5 Seamstress]

“Hello Frey, do you remember me?”

Her face was difficult to see against the sun, but her voice and text box brought back memories. It’s the suspiciously talkative woman.

“Yes, you gave me directions,” Freya said.

“I’m glad you remember! Oh, congratulations! I thought you’d do well, but second place in the first trial isn’t anything to laugh at!”

“Thanks.”

“I’ll be cheering for you in the next trial!”

“Oh, thank you.”

Mabyn beamed brightly despite Freya’s lackluster responses.

“Please take your time resting in the lake. I wish you luck in the next trial! And, um-” Mabyn brushed her hair to the side and looked away from Freya. “If you ever need any clothes patched or tailored, my shop is located at the end of North Fletchers Street.”

“-Okay?”

Freya watched her dash away. Is she trying to promote her business? Well, I don’t need any tailoring. I already have Yina.

Freya switched between floating in the lake and coming onshore to eat food the rest of the day. Many vendors lined the beachside selling food to both trial participants and onlookers. Smoked fish seemed popular among the locals, so Freya tried some. While eating, she also eyed the other contestants that had finished. She recognized a few.

Locryn Cardew, the local Corrin boy who had swiftly navigated the city streets, finished in the early afternoon. The girl that had been in the leader group finished shortly after him. Just before sunset, Botan crossed the finish line. Shallow scrapes and lacerations covered his arms. As Freya suspected, the shortcut he chose was not a forgiving one.

Once the last sliver of sunlight disappeared, the demoniclasts called an end to the trial. A few stragglers that had just missed the cutoff begged to be counted, but their cries fell on deaf ears.

Enchanted lights lit the beach. This time a much smaller group of participants gathered to hear the announcement. There were still too many to count easily, but Freya estimated less than fifty.

“Congratulations for passing the first trial,” a demoniclast’s voice boomed. It was the same demoniclast that had announced the first trial. Now that she was closer to the platform, Freya could read his grey text box.

[Indrek Penhale]

[Lvl 21 Demoniclast]

That’s the highest level I’ve ever seen for an NPC, Freya remarked in her mind. It’s amazing he got that high without any help from the game.

Unlike other high-level people Freya had met like Hamra or Mecha, Indrek looked strong. His broad shoulders, sturdy legs, and thick arms were intimidating.

“The first trial tested your endurance. It’s one of the basic elements a demoniclast apprentice must possess. But we are not merchants nor messengers. We are fighters.”

Indrek scanned over the crowd and cleared his throat. “Normally, this type of trial is held near the end, but this year we decided to move it up.”

Murmurs ran through the crowd. The locals whispered excitedly to each other in speculation.

“The next trial will begin tomorrow at noon. Those that finished last will be called up first. To pass the second trial, you must kill a demon.”