Vigilant and wary gazes were exchanged constantly across the square arena. This was yet another creation of cultivators who used the space aspect or related technologies within this pocket dimension.

  The area appeared immense at first glance. Nathan estimated it was twice the size of a football field, spacious enough for everyone to stand. This place seemed to have consumed the missing land from outside, following some law of compensation.

  Viewed from outside, the cube seemed no larger than a room. Yet stepping inside revealed a space that expanded dizzyingly. The inner edges of the cube had transformed into solid walls.

  "What are we supposed to do here?" Zahra asked excitedly.

  She received only headshakes in response. There was no doubt it would relate to their scores somehow.

  Having reached the central area, the groups and individuals had tempered their aggression, limiting unnecessary confrontations. Each faction maintained distance from the others, either protecting teammates recovering from traversing the canyons or surveying their surroundings. With PsiLink inactive, some people approached others to exchange information, fingers pointing at contestants present in the arena.

  The competition to enter the top 512 continued outside. Only when even the mountain region was devoured by space would the process accelerate. The battles of latecomers became more ferocious, more violent, until they transformed themselves into one of those standing within this square arena.

  Only a handful of additional people made it through the canyon Nathan had traversed, where Lachlan had spread his electric mist and poison. Most who succeeded were Artificers who crafted protective devices on the spot. They made a fortune from their sales.

  Nathan clicked his tongue in regret. His plan to sell food was now pointless. He barely had enough for himself while his teammates were already eating sparingly—with the exception of Argentius, of course. The aftermath of the Lava Drake encounter had severely impacted his supplies.

  The chaotic, distorted lines hovering in midair vibrated once more. Then, a massive announcement board appeared in the sky.

  CHOOSE YOUR PATH!

  The arena was suddenly divided in two by a beam of light, one side white, the other gold.

  "Path? What path?"

  Murmurs rose from the crowd.

  The display screen answered them by showing the two colors with annotations. White for combat, gold for crafting. Or more simply, one side for competitive fighting, the other for supporting professions present here.

  The three members of Nathan's team looked at him, the only one who needed to make a choice.

  "Do I even have to think about this?" he laughed.

  Their current position already fell within the white zone's border, so they didn't need to move.

  The artificers, alchemists, and herbalists quickly migrated to the area designated for their specialties, not lingering beside the battle-crazed crowd.

  Nevertheless, a small number stayed behind, having chosen a path that didn't involve sitting in laboratories.

  After just five minutes, all contestants had selected their positions.

  Each side retained approximately two hundred contestants, making them roughly equal.

  The screen above disappeared. Then, before everyone's astonished eyes, the arena split in two. The rumbling and instability of the ground made everyone stagger.

  The crafting area was sealed off by a band of golden light.

  On the combat side, a new wall was erected, preventing anyone from looking inside.

  Bewildered eyes stared at one another, not understanding what was happening.

  Another message appeared, seemingly also visible in the crafting competition area.

  NEXT PHASE!

  ONLY TOP 256 CAN ADVANCE!

  WARNING!

  THE AREA WILL BE DEGRADED OVER TIME!

  HIDDEN CHALLENGE AWAITS!

  "What the hell?" Nathan couldn't help exclaiming.

  "Those annoying Artificers from the organizing committee," Zeryn cursed in agreement. "As if the event wasn't complicated enough, they had to do this. Always showing off."

  Meanwhile, the announcement had barely finished when clashes erupted across the arena floor. Explosions from mana techniques rang out from one corner.

  The bracelets were now functioning continuously, allowing contestants to see others' scores and attack strategically, seeking the upper hand.

  In ratio terms, each person needed to eliminate one opponent to meet The Shifting Trials' target—assuming the number of people entering the crafting profession area was balanced with combat.

  Nathan's group faced opposition as soon as a team charged to attack them.

  Bullets of earth and metal flew toward them. Everyone except Nathan used mana shields for protection. But this attack wasn't as simple as it appeared on the surface.

  The bullets created impacts far exceeding what anyone had anticipated. They pushed the three shield-users backward as their mana shields strained to the breaking point. Though Nathan's skin wasn't penetrated, he was still sent flying, pain signals shooting to his brain from the contact points.

  He landed, frowning at the three attackers. A girl standing at the back smiled cunningly. He trusted his teammates' judgment couldn't be wrong. If one could be correct, but all three plus himself experiencing the same effect meant something was definitely off.

  "Momentum again?" he muttered.

  Zeryn shook his head and said, "The speed didn't change. It's Density."

  Nathan's eyes widened. Only now did he truly feel that participating in The Shifting Trials was a valuable experience. It had broadened his perspectives about this world more than before. All kinds of bizarre Aspects could exist, and they could interact to create formidable combinations. A simple skill like mana bullet or elemental projectiles already had countless improvement methods. Most importantly, they didn't need to be fancy to be effective.

  The metal aspect mana user summoned a mass of swords and launched them forward. Zeryn smirked, becoming the vanguard, his hand extending forward. Swords with forms that weren't quite visible due to his Sharp Aspect appeared and advanced to clash with the incoming blades.

  The screeching friction of metal and the whistling of disturbed air resonated around them.

  Zeryn flinched, only managing to shout: "Get out of the way!"

  The metal swords batted away Zeryn's blades with their greater weight.

  Nathan and the two girls had already seen the trouble coming and dodged even before Zeryn's warning.

  "I'll handle these ones," Zahra said, wiping her nose before rushing forward, her four limbs propelling her across the floor like a small beast.

  Evelyn and Zeryn maintained a distance, attacking from afar.

  Just then, a compressed earth mass no larger than a hand expanded directly above their heads, using gravity to attack downward. Its size meant only Zahra remained outside its range.

  Nathan bent his legs, channeling all his strength to punch straight into the earth's surface.

  Triggered [Amplifying Strike]. One credit given.

  Triggered [Flowing Strikes]. One credit given.

  The underside of the earth mass fractured but didn't shatter.

  Sharp Aspect from Zeryn created winding lines across its surface.

  But no one was truly worried. If they could be defeated by such a simple technique, they wouldn't be among the elite. The main concern was conserving energy for worse situations.

  Evelyn wiggled her fingers, firing tiny ice bolts toward the enemies. As they neared their targets, they suddenly expanded. Another variation similar to how the Density Aspect operated.

  But instead of being countered or shrunk, the ice bolts expanded further. Their density decreased, making them more brittle. Metal slashes cut through them, creating crisp shattering sounds instantly.

  Zahra, with her speed, had nearly reached the opponents. She used her gloves to deliver high strikes. Sharp wind cut grooves into the floor when her opponent deflected her arm to the side. With an astonishing maneuver, she bent her body, locking her legs around her opponent's neck before twisting backward.

  The metal aspect cultivator didn't flinch. Mid-flip, he extended a metal rod from his spatial ring to brace against the ground, stopping both their momentum. Then, small spikes grew around his body, forcing Zahra to release him or risk being impaled with tiny holes.

  She was attempting to slip past to attack the earth user, to prevent the attack crushing her teammates, when the metal rod activated. It created a thin film that, despite its appearance, possessed superior durability that blocked her advance. Her opponent had isolated her.

  Back on the other side, Nathan saw Zeryn drop to one knee, hand resting on his sword. He had no doubt his friend could slice the heavy, thick earth mass into fragments. But such attacks should be more effective.

  "Zeryn, let me take care of it," Nathan called out.

  His friend turned, nodded, though his hand remained on his sword.

  With confirmation, Nathan extended his arm, preparing for impact.

  Seeing this, Evelyn slid away, continuing to harass the opponents with her projectiles.

  The girl utilizing Density techniques smiled, pulling out a silk ribbon and wrapping it gracefully around her hand. When she swung it forward, it hardened, becoming sharp as a knife, flying toward Evelyn with intent to slice her in half.

  The blue-haired girl was equally formidable, using water vapor to freeze the fabric. The frozen area was under her control, and with mere thought, she deflected it away, directing it back toward its owner.

  With a sideways movement and reduced density, the opponent regained control, attacking once more.

  Boom!

  Once again, Nathan felt transported back to the twelfth floor of The Pressuring Fall, though he wasn't in a full Berserker state.

  Dust from the impact fell onto his face. The muscles in his arms and legs tensed, burning hot, operating at full capacity. He clenched his jaw, pushing his Berserker state to 5% to maintain his position without breaking. With Phase 7.9 of Physical Cultivation, 5% was sufficient.

  "What kind of freakish body is that?" the earth aspect cultivator exclaimed upon seeing the shadowy figure beneath the earth mass smiling at him in challenge.

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  In response, he swung his arm downward.

  The force pressing on Nathan increased. His knees buckled, and the metal floor seemed to bend under the weight on his shoulders.

  When he saw he was about to hit Zeryn's bowed head, Nathan took a deep breath, pushing Berserker to 7%, just enough to withstand the pressure. His body wasn't good enough to use Berserker extensively, so he had to be precise and careful.

  Just as he was about to increase his strength, the earth cultivator's neck suddenly went cold. The female teammate beside him also froze mid-attack against Evelyn.

  Before they could understand what was happening, they heard only a swish. Blood sprayed from their bodies, which seemed attacked by thousands of blades. Their mana shields twisted and distorted, forcing the protective mechanisms of their clothing to activate. But all these defenses required time, so they still received damage from the lightning-fast attack.

  Zeryn had drawn his sword.

  The result of this action was the earth mass above Nathan collapsing, breaking into chunks before disappearing in a shower of dust.

  Evelyn didn't relent, her attacks continuing relentlessly. But they couldn't harm the opponents. The opponents had used their ultimate density control technique, making projectiles and blades pass through their bodies without causing wounds.

  This technique clearly demanded a lot, as the girl's face turned pale.

  At this point, the remaining cultivator decisively separated from Zahra and returned to his teammates. If he hadn't been distracted, he could have disrupted Nathan's group and made the ambush successful.

  Without further exchange, the three retreated, hoping only to avoid counterattack while they recovered.

  "How boring, I didn't get to show off at all," Zahra pouted, exhaling in relief. They had effectively worked together to achieve victory.

  "What to come now?" Zeryn approached, looking around to ask. Though he could pursue, it wasn't particularly necessary right now—all four of them already had scores in the top 256. Pushing too hard would be excessive.

  "Top 256 relates to the competition requirement," Nathan rubbed his chin. "So next will be the area degradation, like what happened outside?"

  Amid the continuous explosions, the four stayed mentally alert, uncertain what would happen next.

  Attacks came and went, sapping the group's energy not through exhaustion but through irritation, slowing them somewhat. Teams that hadn't secured enough points grew desperate, attacking more frantically.

  All four stood back-to-back, defending themselves. Nathan maintained his role as the damage absorber for his teammates. Wherever strength was needed, he would appear. Sometimes he could attack using the explosive power of his strikes without needing prolonged preparation. This was Nathan's strength as identified by his teammates. Though limited by attack range, his ability to continuously deliver bomb-like punches and kicks made him formidable.

  Working together with synchronized movements, Nathan's group faced little difficulty in defending themselves.

  After witnessing Nathan's strength and the team's coordination, opponents decided to bypass them. They noticed this group of four hadn't even deployed their tiger monster yet was already formidable.

  In the midst of chaos, an invisible clock ticked to a crucial moment. The next situation unfolded on the arena floor.

  Suddenly, a section of the floor sank downward, falling straight into the dark void below. An unfortunate group standing above was affected. Fortunately, they managed to cooperate and pull their teammates up.

  The scattered battles across the arena paused as all eyes turned to witness the event. Curses erupted about the organizing committee taking things too far. But no one would listen. This was a competition, and challenges were necessary.

  Everyone resumed attacking each other while simultaneously watching to see if the ground beneath them would become their demise.

  After calculating the length and width of the missing floor sections, Zeryn immediately proposed a plan. The four positioned themselves so each person belonged to a separate four-square-meter tile.

  Floor sections continued to disappear without pause, creating a scene reminiscent of a chessboard. The contestants were like fish on a cutting board, uncertain of their next move.

  After some time, over three hundred sections had vanished. Once, the ground beneath Nathan's feet was swallowed by the dark monster below. Zeryn threw him a sword to grab by the hilt, then pulled him back up.

  Unlike his teammates with mana aspects and special techniques, Nathan risked falling without being able to recover by himself. Gravity boots weren't available when he inquired at markets. These devices were controlled by the city's security department, with limited availability in the Common Market. Artificers dared not sell them openly. The black market charged exorbitant prices. If he'd had them, he would have used them entering the canyon rather than waiting until now.

  When five hundred sections disappeared—with calculations showing approximately one thousand floor sections remaining—people finally noticed that some teams weren't separating but clustering together.

  Each of these groups shared a common feature: they included an Artificer.

  "Don't tell me they understood this round's mechanism?" Zahra exclaimed.

  "Those cheating bastards," Zeryn and Nathan cursed in unison.

  Evelyn frowned; she couldn't believe a prestigious city like Maelivar would allow such a thing.

  Nathan's eyes drifted to the floor beneath these teams and spotted a black-bordered square superimposed on the arena floor.

  All four simultaneously produced the L-shaped items they'd received from the challenges. Without hesitation, they placed all four together, forming a square. At the connection points, something flashed briefly then disappeared, not expanding enough to encompass all four people like the Artificers' groups had.

  "Wrong spot?" Nathan wondered. "I think these things must serve some purpose. So the current requirement is to combine these four L-shaped blocks, then somehow stay within their boundaries until all the floor sections fall away."

  "Must be," Zahra rubbed her chin. She wasn't good at calculations, her intelligence lay more in reaction speed, so she suggested: "I think we should attack them to claim their area. Those Artificers will surely leave to find a new spot."

  Hearing this, Nathan's and Zeryn's eyes lit up. It was indeed a decent plan.

  Without further discussion, the group moved directly toward the nearest team with a secure position.

  The Artificer, seeing Nathan's group target him, smirked with contempt. The three others in his team didn't even bother to move.

  Frowning suspiciously, Nathan didn't slow his pace. The others similarly sensed something amiss but could only test their theory.

  Zeryn swung in for a strike. The air rang with a metallic clash, but no damage was visible.

  In a flash, a wall formed from four mirror-like surfaces appeared before everyone.

  Still disbelieving, Nathan repeatedly punched the surface without causing any damage.

  Only when all four attacked simultaneously did the surface emit a faint sound and crack.

  At that moment, the Artificer's three teammates launched their counterattack by throwing various stunning bombs.

  A blinding white flash dazzled everyone. When they regained their vision, the sturdy wall had been restored. Mana ripples drifted through the young Artificer's hands.

  "We've met a devil," Zeryn said. "This bastard uses Composite Aspect. He can create compounds with properties according to his wishes. He must have observed how we fight and created exactly the right type to counter us. This battle will take time."

  "Change targets," Zahra called out.

  "That won't be easy either," Evelyn spoke up. "The other Artificers are equally formidable. And even if we succeed in claiming a spot and forcing opponents elsewhere, other teams have already developed the same plan."

  Looking around, the chaos now concentrated on teams that had secured safe positions. Evelyn's analysis was spot-on. Facing this situation, the knowing Artificers weren't foolish. Or more accurately, the rest were merely performing for their benefit.

  Initially, they had found such areas to invite others to claim them. Once claimed, they would quickly leave, passing the hot potato to someone else. Meanwhile, they would casually circulate outside, finding a new spot but not immediately establishing a safe point, just hovering around.

  The key was to wait until the crucial moment, then establish their position immediately. Simple and far safer.

  Of course, powerful teams like Adrian's, Zhanyu's, or Keira's could still defend their positions.

  In this chaos, Nathan had to suppress his curiosity about these individuals' strengths and focus on the immediate situation.

  In truth, his team was among the easy targets. Simply because they lacked comprehensive defensive capabilities. The other three leaned toward offensive abilities. And if just one person left the area, the four L-shaped pieces would separate and return to their owners. Simultaneously, they had to resist individuals who lacked these crucial items. Not everyone had overcome the difficult challenges to earn these rewards.

  Caught in a dilemma, his teammates all looked to Nathan.

  Lost in thought, he was struck in the side by an attack that sent him flying toward a nearby pit despite warnings from [Tingling Sense] and [Adrenaline Boost].

  Zeryn cursed under his breath, throwing his sword forward. Then, with a finger crook, the sword pulled him along with the help of Zahra’s wind.

  Nathan raised his fingers, trying to grip the arena floor, but its slipperiness made it impossible to hold.

  Damn Friction Aspect, Nathan silently screamed.

  An arm caught him just in time, when most of his body had already sunk into darkness. Zeryn drifted down with him.

  "Punch the sword hilt," Zeryn instructed.

  Nathan didn't waste a second, using all his strength to punch the sword that Zeryn was keeping suspended. It shot upward.

  With a flick of his wrist, Zeryn used the sword to pull Nathan back to the arena floor. He didn't control the sword's flight as usual because this skill required intense concentration. Moreover, its speed was slow, and they feared staying below the floor too long would disqualify them.

  Both glared angrily at the two culprits who had separated to avoid confrontation with Evelyn and Zahra.

  "Face reality," the Friction Aspect user said loudly, his voice hoarse from the poisonous mist. "You need to choose. Just team up with us, and the defense problem disappears. We can protect our area."

  "I'm just making the decision for you," the Momentum user added.

  Nathan momentarily stiffened. Indeed, having these two join would make defense much easier. Momentum alone would make it difficult for enemies to accomplish anything. And even in combined attacks, they would confuse opponents, greatly enhancing offensive capabilities. Even now, Nathan still felt the burning sensation from the friction-enhanced attacks.

  "Keep dreaming," Zahra pointed accusingly. "Who would team up with backstabbers?"

  "Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures," came the reply.

  "Get lost!" Evelyn said icily, her voice as quiet as a winter's breath.

  The air around them suddenly turned frigid. She still hadn't repaid her debt to Nathan, and now owed him even more. Her anger manifested externally for the first time.

  Hearing this, the two exchanged glances for a heartbeat before departing to seek other allies. Persisting with those who didn't share their vision was pointless.

  Zeryn chuckled at the scene that had just unfolded, stepping forward to pat Nathan's shoulder.

  "Thanks, guys," Nathan smiled appreciatively.

  "Without you, I wouldn't have solved that brain-teaser to get in here," Zahra shrugged cheerfully.

  "Same for me," Evelyn said simply.

  Meeting his friend's gaze, Zeryn pretended to be devastated.

  "If I couldn't make it to the inner round, I wouldn't deserve the title of sword prodigy at all."

  "You really are a mood killer," Nathan swung his foot to kick his friend's behind.

  "But being eliminated with you would still be acceptable," Zeryn rubbed his backside, wincing. "Attacking before I've finished speaking. Are you human or beast?"

  Nathan shook his head, returning his focus to the battlefield.

  The disappearing sections grew more numerous; standing space diminished steadily. The moment to end this round approached.

  Many young cultivators had been knocked into the black hole below. Yet sufficient numbers remained to cause trouble for the teams.

  Meanwhile, Nathan's four were ignored since they clearly showed no signs of knowing what to do.

  Teams of top-tier talents were already safe, with none daring to challenge them—or more accurately, none able to challenge them. Lachlan, with Artificers in his group, had established four areas reserved exclusively for his people. Anyone approaching would face attacks not just from three or four cultivators, but from over ten. The strategy of using large numbers for attacks had proven effective.

  Following Lachlan's approach, Artificers with alliances designated spots for their allies to establish strongholds. Proximity was beneficial for mutual support.

  In essence, networking before participating in The Shifting Trials was now showing results.

  Nathan's four-person combination was completely out of place, with none having the necessary connections.

  The best approach now was knowing where to safely stand rather than fighting. Nathan closed his eyes, shutting out the surrounding noise to think more clearly. If he couldn't figure it out, he would take desperate measures with his teammates.

  Think, Nathan, think! he urged himself.

  He believed that even if the Artificers and Maelivar were cheating, there must be clues for contestants. It couldn't be called a challenge if there was no solution.

  The key lay somewhere amid the events, the arrangements that seemed chaotic and random.

  He needed to find it.

  The floor sections disappeared.

  The central area was divided in two.

  The arena within the cube.

  The cube? a thought flashed.

  The common denominator was squares. It had been that way since he arrived in Maelivar with the Verdant Spire Sect delegation.

  Maelivar?

  He felt [Improved Pattern Recognition] working at full capacity. This always-active skill operated subtly. It was now trying to tell Nathan something.

  Maelivar... Maelivar... Maelivar... Nathan repeated.

  A city obsessed with square architecture. No different from what was happening inside The Shifting Trials.

  An invisible light had just illuminated inside Nathan's mind.

  He opened his eyes wide, scanning each occupied position that had been confirmed safe after combining four L-shaped blocks to form a square.

  A memory fragment floated through his mind when he closed his eyes again.

  The memory of an excursion with George, the city guard, above Maelivar's airspace.

  [Improved Pattern Recognition] seemed to be screaming. His heart pounded almost to the point of jumping out. Blood rushed through his body, heating up.

  The safe locations correspond to buildings of various powers in Maelivar, Nathan realized. That's the Merinor family's resort, that's Nyralith's research tower, and that's the common market, probably the location of The Amber Path Coalition.

  Nathan's eyes flew open. Evelyn always paid attention to his first discovery. He signaled with his eyes for her to follow without speaking a word. He feared revealing his discovery to others.

  The place his group needed to stand was just a few steps away. If his deduction was correct, this was the garden management building where medicinal herbs were cultivated in the southwest.

  Zeryn had to cover Zahra's mouth to prevent her from exclaiming when he noticed the movement within the group.

  All four silently moved just a few steps away. Exchanging glances, everyone understood they needed to prepare their L-shaped blocks.

  Excitement and anticipation filled the air. Though three of them didn't know what Nathan was doing, they trusted he wouldn't tremble like an addict without reason.

  Floor sections continued to fall, then fall again.

  The scattered individuals and teams fought more desperately, to the point of exhaustion.

  Floor sections designated as safe spots that remained unclaimed would vibrate briefly before disappearing. This discovery came too late, and by then, the gap in the middle had become a movement barrier for everyone.

  After all, most Tier 2 cultivators couldn't fly yet.

  The teams advancing seemed already determined.

  Desperate hands reaching upward, hoping to grasp the glory that was slipping away, sank into the dark abyss. Screams of frustration and curses replaced the clashing of blades and ear-splitting explosions from attacks.

  The moment had arrived.

  The ground beneath Nathan's feet trembled. He smiled at his friends.

  The four L-shaped pieces joined together, forming a square that descended to the floor, encompassing them.

  Now, surprised gazes turned toward Nathan's group. Some appreciative, some curious, some envious.

  But envy served no purpose now. Nathan's group stood quite far from the rest.

  After all, according to Maelivar's map, the southwest area with gardens and fields contained only a few structures.

  The final floor sections fell away.

  The remaining contestants were determined.

  Nathan looked up at the announcement board appearing once more.

  INITIATE FINAL PHASE!

  LET'S DETERMINE TOP 64!