"Since I've already agreed to that bet, there's no sense in dragging my feet," Max muttered to himself.
He turned away from the Challenge Platform and started walking toward the far end of the third monolith, where the enormous door to the Third Shadow Trial waited beyond all the battle arenas.
The distance wasn't especially long, but the route was packed with participants moving between the arenas, the resting areas, and the trial entrance. Some were still talking about Max's recent winning streak, while others watched him openly as he went by.
Max paid no attention to any of them, since his focus stayed on the huge door ahead.
He had already collected the three hundred Bronze Marks needed for the next attempt, and more importantly, after accepting Arkorg's bet, he saw no reason to linger in the third monolith. The sooner he cleared the trial, the sooner he could move on.
Just as he reached the open area in front of the massive door, two familiar voices called out behind him.
