《Hands Of God》 Chapter 1 - Mediocrity There was a small toy factory that didn''t make big toys. They were toys that a single person could put together in half an hour. Just like any other day, everyone was working hard, making toys to earn money. And, just like any other day, there was a man that made 20 in the time another could make one. "Working hard, eh, Sebastian?" asked a rough man, throwing a bottle to the man with a mountain of toys next to him. Sebastian caught it with his teeth, looking upwards as he drank the contents. He spat it onto the ground, before picking up another toy to assemble. "You know me," he replied, yawning. "What''s the time?" Much as he loved to work, he wasn''t going to work all day. Another man to the right of Sebastian, hidden behind the mountain, answered. "About half past eight." Sebastian yawned, before throwing the toy he was working on into the pile. He didn''t pick up another one. "I''m gonna clock out, then," he said, heading towards the old-fashioned punch clock. He took out his paper, putting it in. He took it out, hanging it on the wall, in his designated spot. Sebastian changed out of his work attire; simple black clothes that made him seem like a gangster. His casual clothes were a simple blue shirt, with blue jeans. He didn''t turn back to see the same old factory, with the smoke billowing from the chimneys, and the sounds of machines whirling, doing work impossible for people. Sebastian took out a cigarette, smoking it. He chucked and stomped it somewhere in the commercial district, snuffing the sparks. He found himself in front of a restaurant that everyone tried to get into, ''Monster Meat''. He scoffed at it, as he continued on walking. He was now in front of his two-storey house that was in a working condition, at the best of times. He put a smile on, as he headed in. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. "Why are you so late?" a girl asked, one much younger, and better looking, than him. "The food''s already cold. Like normal," she added, under her breath. It was loud enough for Sebastian to hear. "How''s my sweet daughter, Sophie, doing?" he asked, going in for a hug. She dodged his arms, expertly spinning him around and placing him on a chair. He laughed, jokingly asking, "When''d you get so good at that?" "Since Mum taught me," was her grim reply, shutting the joking mood down. "Wait, did you wait for me?" He noticed the full table, with two plates of food. His face twitched, though he kept a smile. "Don''t do that! Children need to eat." She sat down in front of him, picking up her utensils. "It was just that I wasn''t hungry, until now." She refused to say anything to his questions. "How was school?" No reply. "Who did you learn to cook from?" The rest of the meal was silent. Sophie piped up, moving to the kitchen counter, soon returning with something in hand. It was a closed envelope that she placed in front of him. "You got mail," she stated. Sebastian picked it up, finding no return address. ''That''s odd,'' he thought, though he didn''t continue thinking about it. Most of his mail were scams with no return addresses anyway. The strange thing about this one, though, is that they spelt his surname correctly. Sebastian Isolmn was his full name, though it was pronounced differently. He didn''t open it then, instead conversing with Sophie until 11 p.m. He kissed Sophie''s forehead, before she went to bed. He was in his room when he opened it, using a flashlight he had. He held the light using his mouth, using his hands to underline the words he was reading. It wasn''t until after midnight that he had finished reading it, even though it was a short letter. He turned off the light, carefully thinking of what he just read. Basically, it was a test that had a workplace''s best craftsman, whatever the craft, in a competition with other people. It said there were only 30 other people in it. It didn''t mention what the winner would get, but it was by a famous guild. Olympus, ruled over by 11 people, was a world famous guild revered by the masses for protecting cities against Monster attacks. In terms of time and location, it was in three days, at the HQ. Plane tickets were already paid for, which was nice. However, Sebastian couldn''t take the offer. He crumpled it, throwing it into his bin. It was mostly empty, besides for a few miscellaneous items. He changed his clothes, before sleeping. With much trouble, he did. Chapter 2 - Day Off When he woke up, he went through his normal routine: Brush his teeth, shower, then eat, with a meal already prepared by Sophie. "What was in the letter?" she asked, between bites of food. It seemed it was eating her. "Nothing much," Sebastian replied, tapping his foot. "Just some sort of scam, as usual." "Sure." She let the topic drop, staying quiet throughout the meal. Sebastian followed suit. "Have a good day," he called, stepping out through the door. It was a bright and warm day. It was a shame he couldn''t enjoy it much. He was greeted, as he punched into work, by his boss, who always greeted him. "How''s it going?" he asked, putting an arm around Sebastian''s shoulder. Sebastian replied with the same answer as always, "It''s going, sir." "I''ll bet it is. Now, have a good day." He waved at Sebastian, before entering his closed office. Sebastian went to his station, picking up the first of many toys. As usual, it was a very tedious day of work. Even with his easygoing attitude, Sebastian felt the heat getting to him. He didn''t think much of it, though, as the looming figure of the mail hovered over him. He couldn''t help but feel that he was making a horrible decision. He was content with working here forever. He didn''t need to go somewhere else, and he most certainly didn''t need to try anything new. At some point, his hands stopped moving, as he just stood there. He sighed, moving to his boss''s office, ready to be yelled at. "Boss," he said, barging in. His boss jumped awake, scanning the room. He continued, "I would like the rest of the day off." "Oh," his boss responded. "If that''s it, then that''s fine, so long as you get some more done tomorrow." He waved him away, his head hitting his desk before a ''Thank you'' could be said. Sebastian had found somewhere quiet to sit down by. That was all he did. Everyone else that saw him must have been thinking how much of a bum he looked. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. An electronic device shop owner started their front TV, showing the News. Sebastian watched for but a moment before rushing into the store, listening to the broadcast. "So, you got a letter from Olympus, one of the top Guilds, to go through a competition?" the News Anchor asked a man with a built physique. "Yes," the man responded, stiffly. "I have no idea what they really want, but it said that there were 31 people, including me. In addition, there is going to be a competition with a huge reward. At Mount Olympus, too!" "That is an unusual amount of people going," they added. "It''s too little for new Awakened, and far too much for visitors. Well, you heard it here, folks: Olympus is up to something." The screen cut out, fading to static. "Hey!" Sebastian called out, looking towards the owner, who was also watching. "What happened!?" "I don''t know," he admitted. "Maybe they were shut down. That happens a lot to News stations these days. Can''t really trust what they say anymore." Sebastian left the store, feeling far worse than he had before he entered. He found himself at home, far emptier than it normally was. It was. Sophie should be at school, though he couldn''t guarantee it. She took after her mother, in that way. Anyway, he used the house''s lone computer to look up for information. He couldn''t find a single word about the News he had seen. He wasted an hour, just looking for something to prove he wasn''t crazy. In the end, he gave up, retreating to his room. In there, he picked through the trash, finding the letter. He read through it, again and again, over and over. He read it so much that he memorised the font, the words, everything about it. Still, he could not go. It pained him, horribly so. Then, the door opened. A welcome disturbance. He forced a smile, leaving his room to see Sophie, and a boy, holding hands. "You better hurry," she said, facing the boy. "Before my dad comes." The boy''s eyes locked with his, and the boy broke out into a cold sweat. "Honey, who is this?" Sebastian called out, causing Sophie to yelp. The boy didn''t seem too bad, both in looks and money. Still, he wanted to know. "Oh, him?" Sophie managed, through her stuttering. "He''s just a friend, helping with a school project." Sebastian nodded along. "Then, I guess you wouldn''t mind him staying for dinner." Sophie nervously smiled, secretly pinching the man''s arm. "Actually, I do have to get home..." "No worries. Just tell your folks that you can''t tonight." Eventually, Sebastian won, getting the boy to stay for dinner. Sophie didn''t seem too pleased. "So, what is your name?" Sebastian asked, waiting for food to be finished. "Isaac Luck," he responded, not meeting his eye. Sebastian felt that the name seemed familiar, but ignored it. "How''s school, Isaac? And how''s my daughter?" "Uh, your daughter is fine- good, with her work." Isaac was tensed, as he answered the question. "I see." He kept nodding, before looking him directly in the eye. "Have you kissed yet?" "No, not-" He stopped himself, reeling from his mistake. He coughed. "What might you be talking about?" he wondered, poorly whistling. "Well, she seems to like you, so I approve." There was a silence that seemed comfortable to Sebastian, but must''ve been suffocating for Isaac. "Would your family let her stay with you? For just a few days." Isaac weakly nodded. "What have you two been talking about?" Sophie asked, bringing the food to the table. "Nothing much," Sebastian said. "By the way, I might have a business trip in a few days. Since you two are such great friends, do you mind staying at his house?" Chapter 3 - Tomorrow Sophie was speechless at her own father. He had never gone on a business trip. Not once. Why would he suddenly be going on one? As she kept mulling over what happened, she nodded along. "That''s okay with you? Right, Isaac?" She was hoping he would see the glee she was feeling. "Yeah, yeah," he replied, with a blank expression. "That''s fine." "Great," Sebastian expressed, eating the food expertly. "It is the day after tomorrow, so make sure your folks know that. I don''t want to sound protective, but, if there is any harm caused to her, something will happen." Sophie thought he was bluffing, but the straightforwardness of his face made her think otherwise. Isaac nodded along. Sebastian had finished his dinner. "Good night," he said, making a beeline for his room. There was a momentary silence, before she asked Isaac, "Do you think he knows?" Isaac hesitated, and nodded his head. "By the way, does your father always look so down?" She shook her head. "He''s been weird, these past couple days. Anyway, want me to take you home?" They both laughed, warmly side glancing at each other. "Shouldn''t I be the one to ask you?" he asked, though he didn''t seem upset. She let the silence sink in. "Yes," he meekly offered. "After I finish." Sebastian had gone to sleep almost instantly, but he did not wake up feeling refreshed. Rather, he felt as if something was missing. He felt his fingers twitching, ready to hold something, to work. And then he remembered work, and how he had taken the day off yesterday. That was the first day, in several years, where he wasn''t bothered by something. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. He got up, at a time before even the Sun rose, and left after leaving a note. He needed to do something with his hands. He started smoking almost immediately after he left the house. He didn''t stop at just one, but rather three. And that was when he was in front of the factory. After he entered it, he realised that this was the emptiest it had ever been. There was not a single person he could even speak to. And so, he started building, using pieces that were strewn around the place. None of them were supposed to really connect in the way he made them connect. A couple hours was all it took for him to build something gigantic. It served no purpose, and even blocked most paths through. Still, anyone that came through the door stopped in their tracks, if only to watch Sebastian build it. No one, not even Sebastian, knew what he was making. But, it all worked out, as a weirdly beautiful masterpiece was formed. It was massive. The only way it would make it out of the factory in one piece was if the wall came down. An entire wall, top to bottom, left and right. It wasn''t just a ball of parts, all loosely connected. No, they were connected in ways that made no sense until it was done. It was like a walking Panda, with legs strong enough to lift it, and a body heavy enough for it to lean. "Sebastian!" someone called. The only person who was shaking, pointing at him, his own boss. "Meet me in my office!" He stormed into his own office. Before he closed the door, he yelled out, "The rest of you! Tear it down!" Sebastian had quickly gone into the office, absentminded. He wasn''t sure why he did that. "Take a seat." He did, staring innocently into his own boss''s eyes. He would have chuckled to himself, but the situation didn''t call for that. Still, he didn''t even know his boss''s name. "Thank you for making this easy," he told Sebastian, looking away from him. "What are you talking about?" he asked, hoping. It was pretty ridiculous, hoping for something that had no right to happen. "You''re fired." The news was far too sudden, but he took it in stride. Hopefully it looked that way. "I''ve been meaning to do it for a bit, now. Of course, you will receive your pay, along with your bonus, but no more than that. Now, go," he added, after placing some envelopes on the desk. Sebastian took it, before heading for the only thing he could. He couldn''t go back home; couldn''t pretend everything was fine. Couldn''t head anywhere he knew, because he had had his job for so long. If he asked to stay, then what would they think of Sophie? So he came to the conclusion of the airport, where he could fly somewhere else. Participate in a competition. Wasn''t competitiveness a good thing? Strangely enough, that was the only thing that could have made him smile. He would not be beaten, when it came to his hands. Chapter 4 - Private Flying He barely had enough money to pay for a taxi, in order to get to the airport. It was dark by the time he had gotten there, which made him question if he would still be flown somewhere. However, when he arrived at the airport, two men in black suits, with a balding head, greeted him. "Are you Sebastian Isolmn?" "Ison," Sebastian corrected. It didn''t seem like they understood. "Ison is how you say it." The two men looked at each other, shrugged, and looked back at him. "Follow us. Did you bring the letter?" The two men turned around, seemingly uncaring about an answer. "No," he nervously admitted. "Is it needed?" The rightmost man, who had a darker skin than the other one, but not dark enough to be called black, answered. "It is not needed. However, it would help in a couple of things that you do not have to worry about." "Mostly administrative purposes," the other guy added, giving a glance backwards. They were both wearing sunglasses. "Just don''t worry about it." Still moving, he turned around, taking off his sunglasses, showing eyes that held dark clouds. "By the way, you are the one I''ve got my bets on. So, please, don''t lose." He turned back around, with the other man whispering to him. Heated as it sounded, Sebastian could not hear it. They brought him to a private plane, which seemed tiny next to the other Airplanes surrounding it. The two almost pushed him up the stairs, leaving him no time to question anything, except for an Omega sign. The next thing he knew, they were in the air, as he stared down at the ground. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. There were no clouds, which allowed him to see right to the empty ground, at a height that made humans too small to see. It weirded him to see how small his town was. He could hide it behind the palm of his hand, but felt reluctant to do so. "Sorry to ask you of this," said the brighter one, swinging into the seat across from him, "But I will ask you to change. Hopefully, you have a shower, too, but there won''t be time for that." He placed a briefcase on the table, opening the contents to show neatly folded suits fit for a model. He had never touched anything like it before. "But, why, Mr. ...?" he started, not finishing his sentence. "Please, call me Z. And purely because we have a reputation to uphold." He pushed it further across the table, almost causing it to fall onto his lap. Sebastian took it, heading into an onboard changing room. He wasn''t sure if planes were supposed to have changing rooms. He looked at himself in the mirror, now changed into a Hawaiian shirt that neatly fit him, and khaki shorts. To him, he was giving off quite a Dad-on-vacation look. He chuckled at how it was slightly true. He lost his smile, immediately worrying about Sophie. She should have realised that he was gone by now, but what if she didn''t? His mind was going down a rabbit hole, unable to think rationally. "Are you done yet?" Z''s voice shocked him out of his stupor, bringing him back to the now. He was doing this for her. How could he falter? "Yes," came his voice, unfaltering. He opened the door, showing off the clothes with a big grin. Z stood there, slackjawed, at Sebastian. Grabbing his jaw from the floor, he said, "I didn''t think it would look so good. If you want to have a nap, go ahead, and if you want food, just ask for it," he added, wandering away. Sebastian had decided to take a nap. He would''ve thought it would be harder, but it was quite easy. Chapter 5 - Escort Sebastian woke up to tugging, followed by a voice saying, "Hey, wake up. You''re here." He recoiled from the voice, spending a moment to understand where he was. It came at him like a hangover. He was on a private plane, owned by the Guild Olympus, on its way- no, already at, their HQ for a job opportunity. That seemed weird to him. What was even weirder was the outside of the plane. There was a red carpet, placed right outside the door, flanked by stanchions on both sides. After that was an infinite sea of reporters, all flashing their cameras. There must have been people from all across the globe, with how many there were. Not giving any more time for Sebastian to process anything, Z called out, "It''s time to get going." Then, once he dazedly walked over, he politely said, "After you," and opened the door. The noise was what hit him, even before the flash of light that momentarily blinded him. People chattering, cameras flashing, the sound of yelling - it was a lot to him. "Walk with a straight back," the darker guard whispered. "And make yourself seem confident, and-" "And have fun with them," Z stated, waving at the cameras with a smile. "If you can only do one thing, have fun. Isn''t that right, D?" The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. The other one, who must have been D, humphed. "Only at times. Not like this." Meanwhile, Sebastian had found himself basically being pushed forwards by D and Z. He found himself barely able to breathe, as the sounds began to overwhelm everything else. It was gradual, how it all disappeared behind the veil of words, glances, flashes, each done by at least a thousand people. The walk to the entrance seemed to take several hours of nightmarish sensations, before they finally passed through, and it all stopped. Immediately, it all went silent, with only a normal level of shoes clicking on the ground, people speaking to each other, paper rustling, and other office sounds. "Hey, man, you doing okay?" Z asked, still moving him. "You''ll have time to relax, once we bring you to your new room." D piped up, continuing, "For now, we will bring you to orientation. Hopefully, questions will be answered." "What?" Sebastian questioned, confusedly looking around. They had passed through a door, which made a locking sound when it closed. "Hey, where are we going?" He wasn''t answered. Instead, he was getting pushed with more strength, the further they got in. He turned to look at their faces, only to see faces of steel, even by Z, who had seemed so cheerful earlier. "Remember," Z reminded, throwing Sebastian into a room, "I have my bets on you; so don''t embarrass me." Then, he shut the door, leaving him in a dark room. Almost immediately after, a voice from a speaker said, "Now that everyone is here, we can start the orientation. This will be quite long, so please sit down. And remember to not make a scene, or else..." The voice quietened down after the threat, as a screen turned on, showing a picture of 12 people. Chapter 6 - Orientation "Hello, fellow people," a voice said, as a man with a human top half, and a hairy lower half, appeared. "I am Mekit, and I am a Satyr. I don''t think anyone knows what I am, so I shall explain it more. I am, in essence, a son of Pan, the God of The Wild." The picture of the 12 people changed to one man, with horns that curled just like Mekit''s. "He watched over the wild, in order to protect it, make sure it prospered, made sure it survived." Again, the picture changed to a man carrying a bident, next to a three-headed dog. "This is the ruler of the Underworld, Hades. Despite what many people thought, he was not the one to claim lives. That was for Thanatos, the God of Death. He did the killing." The picture changed to a man with a long, grey beard, holding a trident. "This is Poseidon. He''s the God of The Seas, and obviously controls them." The picture changed every time he spoke of a new God. "Now, here''s Zeus. The God of Gods, and the Ruler of The Sky. He had many affairs behind his wife''s back, and saved his siblings from their cannibal father. Athena, Goddess of War and Wisdom, was birthed from Zeus''s head. Hera was Zeus''s wife, and tried to kill one of his children, many times. Demeter was the Goddess of Agriculture, and had her daughter stolen. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. "Apollo was the God of Archery, along with his twin, Artemis, and drove the Sun Chariot. His sister, Artemis, drove the Moon Chariot. Aphrodite, God of Love, is the oldest of the Gods. Hermes was the messenger of the Gods. Dionysus was the Wine God. Aphrodite and Ares, respectfully known as the God of Love, and the God of War, slept behind the back of Hephaestus, God of The Forge." There was a break from all of the explanations, leaving Sebastian just enough time to realise there were other people in the room. They were either watching the screen, or looking away from each other. "I know, I know," Mekit said, bringing back all of the attention. "It''s a lot to take in. However, so are the Monsters and Dungeons. Of course, I know nothing of the conditions you are living in, as you probably live in the distant future. But, I do know one thing. The Gods have their incarnations, and those incarnations created Olympus, as a way to honour the myths proven real. "And, I also know, that 11 of the 12 are gathered. The only one missing is Hephaestus''s incarnation, who should be among you. You will be taken through many competitions, in order for the true incarnation to be found. The one that does will be living like Kings for the rest of their lives. The ones that don''t must keep quiet about everything you have heard here. If not..." He made a slicing gesture across his neck. Chapter 7 - Free choice In an instant, the room went dark. Still, not a sound was made, as everyone waited for something to happen. Eventually, something did happen. The doors were opened, letting in light from the corridors. The speaker sounded again, in a monotone voice, "Each of you will have two personal assistants, as you might call them. It is up to you how to treat them, but you cannot hurt or kill them, unless they consent. Now, they will lead you all to your rooms. Or, you can spend time in the lounge, and get to know each other better before the first challenge. Until then." As soon as the voice was finished, people came in, one pair at a time, and stopped in front of someone. Eventually, everyone had theirs, with Jeremy''s arriving last. They were two men. Surprisingly, they were D and Z. D was the first to speak, and spoke just like he had earlier, "We recommend that you stay in the lounge." Along with him, there was a chorus of people repeating what he had said. "Otherwise," continued Z, along with a different chorus, "We would recommend going into the Forge." There was a deafening silence, as no sounds echoed in the room. In that silence, a voice spoke, almost sounding like a bolt of lightning, "I will go with the Forge." Everyone''s eyes turned to the woman that spoke, each finding a Goddess in Human form. Her olive brown skin, mixed with her slight curves, made her the most beautiful woman that Sebastian had ever seen. And her voice matched that, as it came out of a perfectly symmetrical face. Just on the surface, there wasn''t a single flaw he could see. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. And, like clockwork, her assistants turned around, walking out. She followed behind them, almost as if it was natural. After that, there was a chorus of people wanting to go to the Forge, with their PA''s leading the way. "Where can I get something to eat?" Sebastian asked. "Third floor, Cafeteria," Z answered, turning around. "Do you wish to go?" "Yes," he responded, following his back. The way to the Cafeteria was a maze, with twists and turns, straight lines, two flights of stairs, and even more twists and turns. "Is the food free?" he asked, realising he had no money. The two didn''t answer him, only exchanging a glance, before continuing. Feeling weird, Sebastian followed, ordering a simple steak. "Will you be paying in-?" the receptionist started, only for D to swipe a card. "Thank you, and have a good meal." Sebastian took the tray that carried it, only for Z to take it from his hands, and bring it to a far table. It was in one of the corners, where you wouldn''t look at normally. They stood there, as he ate, keeping an eye on the rest of the room. It was like two guard dogs, guarding a weak owner. ''Well,'' he thought, sardonically, ''I suppose that is the truth.'' He ate the rest of the meal, before asking to be taken to the Forge. The taste had slipped from his mind. As it turns out, the Forge was a burning inferno, with people working themselves to death. It smelled of sweat, blood, and tears, as people used the burning furnaces. Sebastian took off his shirt, and placed it on an empty hook in a row of hooks, each carrying a shirt. He took an empty furnace, noticing how there were only a few left. It was only as he stood by it that he realised he didn''t know how to Blacksmith. Nevertheless, he asked for the strongest metal he knew the name of: Iron. He waited for D and Z to return. Meanwhile, the girl who had first asked for the Forge spoke to him, with a voice so sweet he could have drowned in it, "You shouldn''t be here, Scrawny." He turned to look at her, with a faint sense of hatred, which was melted by the fact she also wasn''t wearing a shirt. She had her hair tied up into a bun, away from her face and the flames. She was working on something round, probably a shield, he noted. He could see why she thought he didn''t belong there. She had muscles any man would beg for, with it somehow looking far more impressive on her body. However, Sebastian was disappointed with her technique. He could almost hear the metal screaming. Chapter 8 - First Craft D and Z had returned, bringing Iron, and smithing tools. Tongs, a hammer, and a chisel. Sebastian stretched, before grabbing onto the metal. He started heating it, gently turning it like a chicken. He brought it out, dunking it into cold water, before he started hammering it. He didn''t have the strength necessary to properly hammer it, so he heated it again, before continuing. He didn''t know how long had passed, before he was too tired to continue. "Break," he puffed, holding his unfinished sword. At this point, it looked more like a metal plank, though. "Good," said D, with a menacing face. "The challenge starts in an hour, so rest." Sebastian waved it off. "Can I leave this?" He put it down before an answer could be given. "Yes," Z answered, emotionlessly. "This furnace will belong to you, for so long as you do not fail a challenge." Sebastian nodded along. After a while, he stood up, looking over his workstation. He noticed how he had not used the tongs, whatsoever, then looked sceptically at his hands. He was absolutely shocked to find that his hands were normal. No signs of blisters, or charred skin. He squeezed them. "Take me to my-" he started, only to be interrupted by Z. "The challenge will start in two minutes," he said, looking at his watch. "Follow us, or we will be forced to move you." They started walking. Sebastian followed closely. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. They went into the orientation room, followed by a few others. The speaker spoke, in the same voice it had before, "The challenge will be explained in 30 seconds. It will not be repeated." It started to count down, loudly stating each number. Once it reached zero, the doors shut, locking everyone like animals in a zoo. Whispers started to spread, with all the other challengers leaving a noticeable gap inbetween them and him. "First, I''ll speak about the elimination method," came a woman''s voice, from in front of the screen. She wasn''t plastered on it, like Makit was. Rather, she had depth, and a very tight fitting dress. Plus, her high heels clicked on the ground, echoing throughout the room, along with her tone that looked down on everyone. Her glasses fit well on her face, only bouncing slightly. Still, it moved with every movement she made, and Sebastian could feel himself being more and more ticked off as he stared at it. "We will eliminate those that do not produce any results, up to 15 for this first round. Depending on how many are left, the numbers after that will change. Now, producing results does not mean doing anything to get ahead." There were some murmurs that rang out from that. Again, he couldn''t hear words, but he heard enough to know it was nothing good. "Now, time for the challenge. This room will be raised well above the temperature of the Forge all of you had worked in. The goal is to survive for half an hour. If there is a single complaint, you will be taken, and the timer will be paused until the heat has come back. Any questions?" Sebastian was among the first to raise a hand, while more people started yelling outrageous words. "You," the woman said, pointing at Sebastian. "Can I have your glasses for a moment?" he asked, starting off strong, then realising the absurdity of the question. Puzzled, she threw her glasses at him, with a, "Sure." He barely managed to not fumble it, before bringing it close to him. Following that was a weird silence, until someone filled it with, "Can I have your shirt?" Still, Sebastian did not turn around, until his work was done. Even without his sight, he could tell whatever made them had horrible craftsmanship. He started bending the frame, twisting it ever so slightly, while keeping the hinges safe. He was done as soon as the woman asked, completely ignoring everyone else, "Can I have my glasses back?" Sebastian nodded, though he could tell she couldn''t tell. "Can you give this to her?" Sebastian whispered to Z, who only nodded. He took it from his hands, recoiling at the touch. There was only slight surprise, before he grabbed it again, pushed past the group of people, and gave it to her. Chapter 9 - First Challenge She took it, putting it on her face. Then, a look of confusion appeared, followed by her taking them off, and deeply checking it. She put it back on, still with a confused face, and ordered, "The challenge begins as soon as everyone but the participants leave." Just like the Queen''s Soldiers, every PA started to move towards the doors. The woman stayed, waiting. After she made sure everyone who wasn''t supposed to be here left, she left herself. As soon as those doors opened, the room started to get hot. Even the air was twisting, as everyone started sweating like crazy. Besides five other people, who seemed to barely be feeling it, Sebastian was taking this the best. Like many others, he had the idea to sit down, only to realise that was a horrible decision. He jumped upwards, keeping in a scream of pain. He didn''t stop at that, though, and touched the ground with his fingers. Gritting his teeth wasn''t enough, as grunts escaped his mouth. He was the only one trying to adapt to the environment, as everyone else feared the floor. After several minutes of keeping in contact with the floor, he sat down. It was still burning, and that was when someone had started banging on the doors. "Let me out!" he screamed, barely garnering Sebastian''s attention. "Please, let me out!" The door was opened, letting out most of the heat in the room in an instant. It caused him to shiver, as he twisted on the floor. It was quickly shut, with the person being dragged out of the room. While it was cold, Sebastian truly looked around the room. There were now 30 people, including himself. Among those 30, six seemed to be taking it easily. The girl he had met at the Forge before was standing, as she roughly breathed. The next, a muscly guy who seemed far more welcome in a wrestling match, was continuously jumping. There were two identical twins cuddled next to each other, probably sharing the heat somehow. They had young faces, with short height to match. Finally, apart from himself, Sebastian saw a woman approach him with an arrogant look, even in the heat. She had white hair, with chilling eyes. He almost felt cold when she stared at him. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "How are you taking the heat so well?" she asked, standing right in front of him. Her voice sounded a lot kinder than he thought it would have. Sebastian had to admit it was hot, but not unacceptably so. "It''s warm," he replied, unable to say anything more. "It is far more than just ''warm''," she stated, swiping an unnecessary arm across her dry forehead. "If I could sweat, I would be." He didn''t really know how to take it, but he didn''t have to, as the doors opened. Three people rushed in, heading to someone who fell down. They picked him up quickly, heading out the door just as fast. "Two down, already?" she sighed. "Oh, right," she said, looking back at Sebastian. "I am Liona Evercold." "Sebastian," he responded, leaving it like that. She left it too, instead heading to another person. Eventually, Sebastian had laid down on the ground, feeling as though he was in any other room. 12 other people had been taken away, too, leaving 17 people. In the brief moments the doors were open, it was cold. As Sebastian yawned, feeling ready to sleep, the doors opened for the last time, with the heat slowly fading. For good, as they stayed open even after the person was taken. He was shivering by the time the previous woman came in. He found he was the only one shivering, as everyone else seemed to be thankful. The woman nodded towards Sebastian. Immediately after, D and Z came in, carrying coats. They made a beeline to him, moving him into the coats, one by one. "Congratulations to the 16 that survived," she stated, her voice echoing through the room. "The next challenge begins in two days." Immediately, more PA''s came into the room, standing by their challengers. Some people even had more than two PAs. "Can you take me to the Forge?" he asked, shivering less than before. D and Z nodded, bringing him to his feet. Chapter 10 - First Weapon He sat in front of the fire for an hour, just watching it. He was heating himself up, they knew, but they couldn''t believe how long he was there. "Good intuition," D whispered, quiet enough for only Z to hear. "I know," replied Z, smiling like a maniac. "Who do you think got him to come?" "You mean you forced him?" D glanced, without turning his head, at Z. "When has my intuition ever been wrong?" There was a moment of silence, between the two. "Okay, besides that one time. And it wasn''t my fault." "Sure it wasn''t. Anyway, think she found out?" "Yeah. That girl''s crazy for knowledge. She would memorise everyone''s face just to know." "Shame, too." Again, a brief silence filtered through. "What do you think he did? With her glasses, I mean." "Fixed them, duh. If they were any looser, they would totally fall off." "He''s moving." Sebastian got up, shrugging off all the layers he was wearing. The lack of movement was uncomfortable. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. He glanced towards his unfinished weapon, just staring at it. Finally, he grabbed it, putting it straight into the furnace. He waited a moment before reaching in, and taking it from the flames, then began hammering it. He hammered it, striking it gently. "Well, then," he muttered, breathlessly staring at the finished product. "Can I have a whetstone, please?" Sebastian blinked. ''What''s a whetstone?'' he thought, although Z had already moved. He returned quickly, carrying a wheel of some kind of stone. It had a pedal, which he briefly pressed with his foot. The wheel turned, quickly, and he couldn''t help but grin. He grabbed the blade, pressed it against the stone, and pressed onto the pedal. Sparks flew, along with a screeching sound that shook ears, yet he found himself entirely focused on sharpening the blade. After a time, he held it up, feelings of accomplishment exploding. It glistened with how clean it was, and needed only a light swing to make a sound. Of course, Z was the one to swing it. However, he stared at it. Something was wrong. It took him several minutes to figure out that it didn''t have a hilt. "Where are the hilts?" he asked, followed by directions. It wasn''t too far from the Forge, with D and Z leading the way. He would''ve been lost without their help, though. There was a whole room dedicated to different types of connectors; Spears, swords, scimitars, greatswords, rapiers. Any bladed weapon he could think of, there were hilts for. He picked one up, randomly. To him, it held a great weight that could smash rocks into dust. It felt wrong, for his weapon. He kept picking one up, each incompatible to match his sword. There were none suitable for such a humble sword, so he picked the closest one he could find. It was a royal blue hilt, with what could almost be called fangs coming out from a bump. To him, it felt like a waiting beast, ready to jump. It wasn''t a perfect match. He clicked his tongue, as he set it into the hilt. As soon as it clicked into place, something appeared in his face; a screen, only carrying a few words: [Created by: Budding Blacksmith, With Little Experience]