The Devil's Cage

Kieran's arrogance and domineering manner wasn't favourable among the trial-goers.

The monster swallowing people was even more upsetting to the trial-goers.

However, when two things that they hated the most were about to clash, it was a matter worth celebrating with unparalleled happiness, even though some measures were countering their beliefs.

"Let's go have a look?"

Orgeton stopped running when he saw the retreating trial-goers lead the monster away. He sized up Fenix who had stopped beside him as well.

Fenix didn't answer but he headed towards the direction of the monster, Orgeton followed up with a smile.

In fact, most of the trial-goers did the same, they simply maintained a safe distance from the monster.

A single thought was shared among their minds as they couldn't wait to see Kieran making a fool of himself!

No doubt Kieran was strong, everyone acknowledged that. How could he not be strong if he could suppress everyone with just a blast of his aura, forcing them to stay put but the monster before them was even stronger!

Let alone the terrifying snow wave attack, the sole pressuring aura from the higher level of the food chain was enough for the ever-panicking trail-goers to come to a conclusion: the monster was stronger than Kieran.

Therefore, Kieran will definitely fail miserably, making a fool of himself. The other trail-goers who were also in an ugly position were eager to witness the scene, only then would their crushed pride could feel better.

Their malicious guesses even went as far as guessing the monster was arranged by the Sanctuary overseer to purposely take revenge on Kieran.

The despicable thought started to distort their beliefs but none of them realized that.

However the scene was all caught under the eye of Nicil through his crystal ball.

"Damn it! I knew this would happen! Damn it! Damn you Smulders! Ruining everything!"

Nicil saw the projection in his crystal ball and started to curse at what he saw. Then he quickly turned the scene to Kieran's area.

His brain was spinning fast. He was hoping nothing bad would happen to Kieran. It was his genuine thought because if anything happened to Kieran, he would have no face to face Nikorei in the future. Hence, he needed to assure Kieran's safely but how would he deal with the snow beast?

"Damn it, I can't take it anymore!"

Nicil clenched his teeth, ready to activate his ace card but what the crystal ball projected the next moment had his eyes widen and jaws dropped.

"How...How is this possible?!" Nicil said in shock.

Not only Nicil was shocked, every other trial-goer who saw the scene shared the same expression as Nicil.

The scene that they was was beyond their comprehension.

...

Crack Tsk Crack Tsk!

Maybe after swallowing many of the trial-goers, the snow beast was not that hungry anymore. It started to chew its prey slowly, yet the trial-goers the snow beast was chasing felt even more terrified.

The chewing noise of the muscle and meat were like a demonic sound that could lift their soul away when they heard it.

Blood and minced meat were splashing all over the snow beast's mouth. Its snow white fur was dyed red, meat residue was all over its chest. The trial-goers who saw the bloody beast were terror-stricken.

One after another, after the last one that it was chasing was crushed by its bloody teeth, the snow beast arrived at the little cottage that Kieran was in.

Its sharp smelling sense told it there was more food inside the cottage.

What attitude should a beast show towards its food?

The beast would hurl itself onto the prey and devour it with all its might, and so it did.

The ones that it swallowed proved as much, the ones inside the cottage wouldn't be an exception as either.

ROAR!

It opened up its big mouth with sharp teeth, ready to continue its feast but at the moment when it hurled itself towards the cottage, the sky and earth drastically changed.

The white snowy land was instantly covered by darkness. It was darker than black and as deep as the abyss.

The snow beast was stunned suddenly, the trial-goers that came after were frightened as well. Their faces were pale as they were falling back. A sense of danger rose in their heart.

As for the snow beast, its sharp instinct allowed it to sense more than the trial-goers.

The snow beast stopped its hurling attack instinctively and examined the darkness around it with its sharp eyes, but the supernatural darkness was not something the naked eye could see through. More importantly, even the snow beast had a sense of danger rising up in its heart.

It started to give out continuous roar, trying to scare away its enemy but it was useless.

The darkness within was brewing, rumbling violently. It was robbing away light and sound, causing blindness to the eyes and dead silence to the ears.

The sight and hearing of the snow beast was completely sealed off.

The dead silence made the beast panic. It kept roaring, trying to build up its courage.

Moments later, its beastly eyes could see a slight purple light turning brighter amidst the darkness.

Suddenly, a huge purple lightning struck down from the top, striking down at the beast.

KAKROOOOM!

The snow beast couldn't even flinch a muscle and the lightning struck down. It couldn't resist and wasn't able to outrun the lightning, however it didn't die on one strike, instead it was nearly unscathed.

This made the snow beast even more angry, roaring louder and more sonorous than before.

The next moment though, its white fur that was able to withstand common blades and knives started to turn dull, robbed of its glittering radiance. The claws on its palm that could tear down the hardened rocks of the winter started fell off. Its body that could run relentlessly for three days and night without any problem started to feel tired, to the point that it was utterly sleepy.

Though, its instinct told it that if it ever fell asleep, it would mean its death.

The snow beast struggled, trying to shake of the sleepiness but it wasn't able to do so.

When Sloth appeared beside the beast with a yawn, the wobbling beast then fell into slumber without pausing.

Then, its slumbering body was being blown by the winds of time, wittering away slowly. The signs of life were seeping away, all that was left after the process was a carcass that disintegrated with the wind.

Phew!

The darkness rumbled once more, dissipated faster than it appeared like the mist and light.

When the cold wind blew over the area, the slightest darkness was removed and the snow beast was blown to bits, returning the place into the white field that it was before.

Without the darkness blocking their sight, the trial-goers could finally take a clear look of what happened, but other than the slight traces on the ground, they found nothing.

If it wasn't for many of them dying and witnessing horror with their own eyes, the trial-goers might have thought it was just an illusion.

However, the transparent box and the two scrolls within told them everything that happened was real.

Tssk gak!

The crude looking cottage finally had its door open, even the accumulated snow couldn't stop the door from pushing it over.

The accumulated white snow was pushed and stamped aside by the wooden door.

Kieran then slowly walked out.

Instantly, the other trial-goers skipped a breath. They started to back down when Kieran came out.

One step, two step, three step…

When Kieran was approaching that transparent box, the trial-goers were more hesitant than ever.

Just when Kieran was truly beside the box, some of the trial-goers started to breathe heavily.