章 404: Diary (part 2)

The text stopped there. Jake mused over this last sentence for a while, lost in thought. The word "rift" alone was innocuous, but it reminded him once again of the Digestors and how they had attacked Earth 22 years earlier.

If there was one thing he understood after his first two Ordeals, it was that they all had a central theme to them. The first Ordeal focused on the basics, preparing their physique and allowing them to develop some fundamental skills.

In comparison, the second Ordeal challenged their minds, while immediately putting them in a real-life situation in the worst possible way. For those whose first Ordeal had been limited to physical exercise in high spirits, it was the difference between day and night. Danger was everywhere and everything had to be achieved on your own to move forward.