บท 36: Chapter 36 - The clot thickens

While Wang Zi was having the time of his life, at least according to him, the audience outside wasn't so happy.

The plaza fell into a murmur as the rankings refreshed on the massive holographic display. The once-visible name Wang Zi was now cloaked in ominous black, a mark the audience had learned to associate with disqualification.

Feifei sat in her bright and colorful streaming setup, her face falling dramatically as she noticed Wang Zi's name.

"Nooooo! Fatty Zi!" she whined, throwing her hands up theatrically.

"How could this happen? He was doing so well!"

The chat in her stream went wild:

"No way! Fatty Zi was the best!"

"I thought he'd make it!"

"He probably got ambushed while drawing or something."

Feifei pouted, her lips forming a small frown.

"I really liked him… He was so funny and unique. Ugh, what a bummer. Maybe the artist class isn't cut out for competition after all."

She sighed and slumped in her chair.

"Alright, fine, Lucius it is. Not that I ever doubted he would win this." she said half-heartedly.

In a luxurious private room overlooking the holographic rankings, Alexander sat with his arms crossed, a deep frown creasing his usually smug face.

"Impossible," he muttered under his breath.

Ray Nedeir, seated calmly in a chair beside him, raised an eyebrow.

Alexander leaned forward, pointing at the display.

"Wang Zi is no ordinary participant. What he showed so far… That isn't someone who'd just get disqualified. There's something else going on."

Ray nodded slowly, his sharp eyes narrowing.

"It does seem unlikely. His artist class may be unconventional, but his combat ability was more than enough to stand out. We'll keep watching."

"Do you think he's dead?" Alexander asked, his voice tinged with rare concern.

"Unlikely. But if he's disappeared, there may be more to this Dome than we initially thought." Ray's lips pressed into a thin line.

The principals and faculty members gathered in a private observation room shared a knowing look when Wang Zi's name darkened.

"I knew it," muttered Principal Anton Wanderer of Nexus Academy, stroking his long beard.

"The artist class is ill-suited for combat situations. This was bound to happen."

"Ah, Anton, always quick to write someone off. While I do think your student was out of his depth, there's no guarantee that the black mark means death. After all, we've never seen anyone truly die in the Dome before." Principal Solis of Lumina Nova smirked slightly, his flamboyant demeanor subdued for once.

"It's a pity, really. His creativity was refreshing, but this just proves that non-combat classes really do have it harder in situations like these. He should have just teamed up." A principal from Stellar Ascension Academy nodded.

Anton sighed, shaking his head.

"We'll see if the rankings hold. But for now, it's best to focus on the remaining students."

In their shadowy room, the representatives of the Awakener Academies observed the changing rankings. Some murmured softly, their faces impassive.

A tall woman with an air of authority leaned back in her chair.

"As expected. An artist class in combat is a liability. It's a shame, though. He had potential."

"Potential means nothing if it can't be realized." A younger man beside her shrugged.

"We'll know soon enough if the black mark is final." Another figure, shrouded in the dim light, chuckled softly.

The crowd in the plaza had mixed reactions to Wang Zi's apparent disqualification.

"An artist! What did you expect?" one man jeered, shaking his head.

"But did you see him fight earlier? He was strong for an artist!" a young woman countered, her voice filled with doubt.

"It's a shame," another person chimed in. "He was fun to watch."

Back to the cavern, Bea and Xian Mei tumbled and skidded to a halt, landing outside the structure's now-sealed entrance, after being shoved out by Wang Zi. The eerie, mist-covered surroundings were silent, save for their ragged breathing and the faint hum of mana in the air.

"Wang Zi!" Bea shouted, scrambling to her feet. Her hands were trembling, her usual cheerful demeanor shattered. She rushed to the now-sealed entrance, pounding her fists on the cold stone.

"Wang Zi, open up! What are you doing?! Alicia's still in there! We need to-"

Xian Mei grabbed Bea's wrist, pulling her back.

"Stop it, Bea," she said softly but firmly. Her eyes were wide, reflecting a mix of shock and understanding.

She stared at the massive door, her mind racing.

"He… pushed us out on purpose," she said softly, more to herself than to Bea. "He knew it was going to close."

Bea twisted in Xian Mei's grip, her voice cracking.

"How could he do this?" Tears streaked her face, and she turned back to the door, her voice dropping to a whisper.

Xian Mei's gaze shifted to the sealed pyramid. She could feel the faint ripples of power from inside.

"Bea… whatever is happening in there, it's something only Wang Zi can handle." She glanced at Bea, her voice trembling slightly.

"What are you talking about? You don't even know what's going on!" Bea stared at her, confused and angry.

"No," Xian Mei admitted, her voice calm despite her pounding heart.

Her gaze lingered on the door, her usually calm demeanor cracking slightly.

"And those eyes… I knew they were powerful, but now I understand. Wang Zi is far stronger than we realized. But why would someone like him-" She trailed off, her lips pressing into a thin line.

Bea collapsed to her knees, her hands clutching the ground.

"But Alicia… If we leave her…" Her voice broke, and she shook her head.

"I don't think this is just about Alicia anymore," Xian Mei shook her head. she said, her voice quiet but firm.

"Didn't you feel it? Whatever's inside that pyramid… it's not something we're prepared to face. He knew that."

"She's still in there. I can't just… abandon her." Bea said.

Xian Mei knelt beside her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Do you really think Wang Zi would leave her behind? He's not like that." Her voice softened.

Bea wiped her tears, her expression hardening.

Xian Mei stood back up, glancing back at the pyramid. The whispers she couldn't hear earlier seemed to grow louder now, almost tangible. She narrowed her eyes, trying to focus, but the strange presence eluded her.

"We'll wait," she said simply, her tone cold but resolute.

"But if he doesn't come out… we'll need to tell the others what we saw."

Bea hesitated before grabbing Xian Mei's hand and standing. She turned back to the sealed entrance, hoping to see him come out.

The two girls stood in silence, their eyes never leaving the pyramid. The oppressive atmosphere weighed on them, but they refused to leave.

Unbeknownst to them, far above in the swirling mist, a group of shadowy figures watched in silent amusement. One whispered to another, their voices like a faint echo:

"Such fragile hope…"

Another voice responded:

"And yet, so enduring. A fascinating contradiction."

Back inside the pyramid, Wang Zi stood surrounded by the remnants of goo creatures he had obliterated.

The room reeked of burnt matter and lingering soul energy, the faintly glowing orbs that had once been cores now gone, consumed into his Rinnegan. He exhaled slowly, his eyes darting upward as he felt their presence, the shadowy figures.

They hovered near the ceiling, indistinct shapes cloaked in shadow, their features obscured by a shifting black haze.

Faint whispers filled the room, too soft to discern individual words but loud enough to be unsettling. Most beings would have missed them entirely, but Wang Zi's Rinnegan locked onto their outlines with ease.

"You're watching me... again," he muttered under his breath, his gaze narrowing.

The shadows seemed taken aback, though featureless, their movements betrayed surprise. One tilted its head slightly, as if pondering how this mortal could perceive them. Another leaned closer, the shadows swirling more actively around its form, but they made no move to interfere.

"They don't do anything, just watch huh," Wang Zi murmured, recalling the fleeting glimpses he'd caught of them earlier.

"And here I thought this place couldn't get any creepier."

Wang Zi's attention turned to the glowing soul orb at the center of the room. Unlike the smaller cores he'd absorbed, this orb radiated immense energy, its brilliance pulsating in waves of light.

The transparent tubing around it seemed to channel its energy downward, into the pyramid's unseen depths. To Wang Zi, it was the ultimate prize.

His eyes glinted with greed.

"If I get my hands on that, my Rinnegan won't just be stronger... it'll be unstoppable."

He strode forward, boots crunching over the remnants of fallen goo, and extended his hand toward the orb. The energy emanating from it was intoxicating, the sheer density of the soul power within almost overwhelming.

As his fingertips brushed the surface, he felt a surge of power rush into him, his Rinnegan flaring with its signature purple rings. His body hummed with newfound strength, and for a brief moment, he was lost in the joy of the energy coursing through him.

Above him, one of the shadowy figures stirred. It raised a hand, a single finger twitching in a barely noticeable motion.

The black goo that had coated the room's walls and floor began to ripple like a disturbed tide. It gathered into a massive wave, dark and viscous, before surging toward Wang Zi with terrifying speed.

Wang Zi's instincts screamed at him. Cliché alert! Here comes the last boss!

Without hesitation, he leaped backward, narrowly avoiding the black tide as it crashed into the orb.

The goo enveloped the glowing sphere, and a deep, resonating hum filled the chamber as the energy within the orb seemed to react violently to the intrusion.

Wang Zi landed gracefully, clicking his tongue in irritation.

"Tsk. I knew it. Classic 'last boss guarding the treasure' setup. Should've seen it coming."

But what made him pause was how the goo didn't react immediately upon his touch - it waited until he'd drawn some of the soul power. His eyes flicked upward, catching a faint movement among the shadowy figures.

"Fuckers." His expression darkened.

The black tide began to shift and convulse, the orb at its center glowing brighter as it was consumed. The goo formed a massive, towering creature, a grotesque amalgamation of limbs, mouths, and shifting black sludge. Its form was ever-changing, never settling on a single shape, and the energy it radiated was suffocating.

Wang Zi stared up at the monstrosity, his lips curling into a wry grin.

"Hmm... You couldn't just let me take the treasure and leave?"

The creature let out a guttural roar that reverberated through the chamber, shaking the walls and causing cracks to form in the surrounding stone.

"ROOOOOOAAAARRRR!"

Wang Zi sighed, shaking his head.

"Alright alright, sheesh. Let's see what you've got."

"And don't disappoint me. I hate boring fights." His Rinnegan flared, the faint purple glow illuminating his confident smirk.

Wang Zi watched the goo monstrosity twist and shift before him, its grotesque limbs swiping at the air as it lumbered toward him. It roared, the sound reverberating through the chamber, but Wang Zi didn't flinch. His expression remained calm, almost bored.

Before engaging, Wang Zi activated the Animal Path. With quick seals he quickly put his hand to the ground -

"Summoning Jutsu!"

POOF!

After the smoke cleared out however, there was nothing there. The shadowy figures above and the giant seemed stunned, but Wang Zi wasn't. He knew his trusty chameleon was there.

"Hide and watch them," Wang Zi commanded silently, the Rinnegan flaring briefly as he established the link. Through their shared vision, he could keep tabs on the shadowy figures above while focusing on the battle.

"Let's see if they're as uninvolved as they want me to think," he muttered.

Wang Zi advanced toward the goo giant, the ground trembling beneath its mass as it attempted to smash him with a massive, misshapen arm.

He sidestepped the attack effortlessly, his Rinnegan predicting the trajectory even before the creature moved.

"It's strong, sure," he said to himself,

"but it's also clumsy. This is going to be boring."

The goo shifted unpredictably, forming spikes and whips to keep Wang Zi at bay, but he smirked. With a flick of his wrist, he activated the Shura Path. A mechanical arm extended from his shoulder, firing a volley of missiles that exploded against the creature's surface.

"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"

The creature reeled back, chunks of goo splattering against the walls, but it quickly reformed. Wang Zi sighed.

"I guess we're doing this the hard way."

He stretched his hand forward,

"Shinra Tensei!"

The force exploded outward, slamming into the creature and peeling away layers of goo from its body. The black sludge writhed and twisted as it was torn from the giant, falling to the ground in a viscous heap. For a moment, the creature faltered, its shape destabilizing.

"That's it? You're supposed to be the last boss."

The goo monstrosity staggered but continued to regenerate, reforming itself into an even bulkier form. Wang Zi, however, had already lost interest.

He glanced at the faint glow within the giant's chest - the soul orb was still intact, embedded deep within the creature.

"No need to waste time then..." he muttered, raising his hand.

"Bansho Ten'in."

The orb ripped free from the goo giant's chest, soaring through the air toward Wang Zi's outstretched hand. The moment it left the creature's body, the giant convulsed violently, collapsing into a shapeless mass of goo.

Wang Zi's smirk widened as he prepared to absorb the orb's energy, but through the chameleon's vision, he saw it - one of the shadowy figures moved.

Its finger twitched, so slight that anyone else might have missed it, but Wang Zi's Rinnegan caught every detail.

"So, it's you, damn voyeurs." he muttered, narrowing his eyes.

Before the orb could reach him, the goo surged upward like a tidal wave, converging on both the orb and Wang Zi. It twisted and writhed, aiming to drown them both.

"Predictable," Wang Zi muttered. He leaped back, the goo narrowly missing him. But the wave was relentless, growing larger and more aggressive as it pursued him. The orb hovered in the air, its glow flickering as the goo tried to envelop it once again.

Now that he knew the shadowy figures were actively interfering, Wang Zi's irritation turned to mockery.

"You think you're so smart huh?" His creepy grin threating to come out once again.

"Shinra Tensei!" slamming the goo away with another Shinra Tensei, Wang Zi wanted to grab the orb quicker, but this time, the wave reformed almost instantly.

Wang Zi's eyes flicked to the orb, then back to the goo... And finally to the ones floating above.

"So I'll have to deal with the little shits up there first huh. Well then there's a very good technique I've been wanting to try out you see..."

"You should be glad you're the first test subject!"