The steam rose, filled with flashes of blue energy. A figure emerged from the depths. It was a monster. Or rather, something that looked like a monster. Corpulent, with sharp teeth and claws capable of tearing through steel. But there was something human in its features, some trace of what it had been before. Or at least, what its creators had imagined it to be.
The thing growls, spitting fire. Its eyes shine with maniacal madness. It is a modified "man," an abomination genetically engineered for combat. And it is ready to kill.
"They sent me to fight a freak..." Seth sighs, gripping the hilt of his sword. "Typical of the Association."
The monster leaps toward him, leaving a trail of flames in the air. Seth dodges at the last second, rolling across the ground and assuming a guard position.
The sword hums as he pulls it from its sheath. The blade glows with a pale blue light. It is an enchanted weapon, crafted with rarefied mana and a core of mystical power. It is not bulletproof, but it cuts through almost anything.
The monster attacks again, claws extended. Seth dodges and strikes with his sword. The blade tears through the air and buries itself in the monster's shoulder. It growls in pain, but does not stop fighting.
"This is going to take a while," Seth murmurs, guiding his enemy in a circle to move it away from the Watchers. "I don't like dirty fights, but I have no choice."
He begins to focus mana into his sword. The blade glows even brighter and emits a low, menacing hum. Seth engages the monster in a deadly dance, parrying its claws and landing quick thrusts at any opening.
The Observers watch in silence, expressionless. The Auditor moves slightly in the shadows, watching Seth's every move.
The monster is bleeding now, its grotesque flesh writhing around the wounds. But it still does not yield. It attacks with more force, more rage. Seth growls as a claw scratches his face.
"Enough!" he shouts, and releases all the mana concentrated in his sword in a single burst.
A blue-white lightning bolt shoots from the blade and strikes the monster directly in the chest. It is thrown backward with a shrill scream, leaving a smoking crater in the ground.
Seth staggers, exhausted from the long fight. The sword slips from his trembling hand and falls to the floor with a clink. He kneels, clutching his side. He is wounded. The monster was not his only opponent there.
The lights change, indicating the end of the simulation. The obsidian platform lowers to the floor and the door opens with a loud creak. The Observers rise from their thrones, disappearing into the shadows.
The neutral voice sounds again: "Phase one complete. Initiating Phase two: test of endurance and mental strength."
Seth struggles to his feet, staring at the figure at the back of the room.
"Mental strength? That's new..."
The Auditor slowly advances, stepping out of the shadows. Now he is visible, in his true form.
He is... peculiar. He looks human, but his eyes glow with a yellow flame and his skin has a greenish tint. He looks like a man, but he is not. Seth has seen creatures like this before. The Guardians of the Continental Section. And this is the strongest of them.
The Auditor stops a few feet from Seth, studying him with wide, piercing eyes.
"You fought well, Seth Chambers," he says, his voice deep and resonant. "But you have yet to prove anything."
Seth gives a weary half-smile. "And what do I need to prove to you?"
The Auditor leans forward, almost touching Seth's face. "Show me what's inside you. Show me your essence. Your true self."
Seth laughs, without humor. "And why would I do that? You're not my friend."
The Auditor smiles, revealing sharp teeth.
"No, I'm not your friend. I'm your evaluator. And I want to see how far you can go."
He extends his hand, palm up. It glows with golden mana.
"Give yourself up, Seth Chambers. Open yourself to me. Show me your soul."
Seth stares at the offered hand for a long moment. Then he looks at the Observers in the shadows. They don't move, they just watch.
Then he looks at his own body, covered in blood and sweat. At the sword lying on the ground. At the dead monster in a pool of blood.
And then he decides.
The Auditor's touch was cold, as if the very essence of his mana were a blade of ice thrust into Seth's veins. His smile, almost paternal, hid something rotten behind that mask of false kindness.
"Good boy."
Seth wasn't an idiot. He felt the strange flow of mana, like poison being injected surreptitiously. His muscles locked for a second—but only for a second.
"I'm giving up on this fucking reassessment." His voice came out hoarse, laden with hatred that had been boiling for years.
The Auditor blinked, still wearing that smile of someone who thinks he's dealing with an insect. "Oh? And why is that, Rank-E?"
Seth didn't answer with words.
With a sudden movement, he grabbed the Auditor's wrist and twisted—hard enough to tear flesh.
CRACK.
The Auditor's arm came loose as if it were a piece of poorly sewn meat, tendons stretching before breaking, blood spurting in a scarlet arc. The man's smile disappeared, replaced by a look of pure shock.
"ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?" Seth spat, holding the severed limb as if it were trash. "You think I didn't notice the shit you were putting into my body? I'm not one of those Rank-E trash you usually play with."
The Auditor backed away, but it was too late. Seth was already on his feet, and the world around them began to shatter.
The walls of the cubicle dissolved like smoke, revealing a black, endless wall, a nightmare of stone and ancient runes. The Auditor looked around, blood dripping from his stump, his face now a mask of horror.
"You think I'm a fool?" Seth advanced, his golden eyes ablaze, like two furious suns piercing the darkness.
The Auditor tried to speak, but Seth was already upon him.
And this time, there would be no pieces left.
A few seconds passed.
Or maybe minutes.
Time seemed to have stopped inside that room, which was no longer a cubicle, but an open slaughterhouse.
The smell of fresh iron filled the air. Pieces of the Auditor were scattered like the remains of a slaughtered animal—arms, legs, his head still frozen in an expression of pure terror.
And in the center of the carnage, Seth.
Sitting on the Auditor's severed torso as if it were a makeshift bench, his elbows resting on his knees, his hands stained red. His golden eyes glowed like embers in the dim light, fixed on the door that was now beginning to shake from external impacts.
BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
"Open this shit!"—a voice from outside, followed by a final crash.
The door shattered, and a wave of Association agents stormed into the room, guns drawn, ready to neutralize the threat.
But what they found made them freeze.
The floor slippery with guts.
The heavy silence, broken only by the splatter of blood falling from one of the tables.
And him.
Seth didn't even look at them right away. He just tilted his head, letting the light reveal the slow, predatory smile forming on his lips.
"Finally."
One of the agents, an older man with battle scars, swallowed hard. "What... what did you do?"
Seth stood up, the Auditor's torso rolling to the side with a wet thud. He stretched his arms, as if stretching after a long rest.
"I warned him." His voice was calm, almost tired. 'But he insisted on playing God.'
The agents looked at each other. Some backed away. Others gripped their weapons tighter, their hands shaking.
It was then that Seth finally faced them, and terror struck them like a physical blow.
"Now listen carefully." He spoke slowly, as if teaching a lesson to children. 'Call the Leader of the Association. If she doesn't show up in five minutes to explain what the hell they tried to do to me...'
He took a step forward.
"I will consider the entire Association my enemy."
The silence that followed was deafening.
And then, someone ran to fetch the Leader.