The four pick themselves up, brushing off the dust.
Yelena's eyes fix on Xitij's wrist, memories flickering.
Yelena (excited, gesturing wildly):"Wait—that! When I slaughtered that fox, the ring started GLOWING—like 'waaaaah'. Then it screamed some numbers—'juuuuuaaaah'—and then… SILENCE!"
Before she can continue, a chorus of voices erupts, overlapping and frantic:
EVERYONE—the Narrator, the Writer, the Reader, even the trees it seems—shouts at Xitij:"HEY! STOP WITH THAT!"
Xitij freezes mid-smirk, blinking innocently."What? I'm just watching… and enjoying the show."
The forest holds its breath. Rosé rolls her eyes. Einar groans. And Yelena shakes her head, half-amused, half-exasperated.
Xitij (still mimicking horror-movie monologues, voice trembling for dramatic effect):"Alright then… what was your leeeeaaaad, hmmm??"
Rosé (gripping her LARGE WAND, which hums faintly with latent energy, strands of magical light dancing along its shaft):"Shall I kill him before we even find out?"
The chaotic, playful energy fizzles into a tense hush. Yelena straightens herself, buckling her gear and focusing.
Yelena (calm, measured, carrying authority):"Yeah… I spoke to other competitors. They mentioned a lone fighter… defeated a Level 4 beast all by himself. He's wounded, but headed toward the resting center in the SPARROW DISTRICT."
Xitij tilts his head, a slow smirk creeping across his face."Level 4, huh? Sounds like someone is trying to steal our spotlight."
Rosé lifts her wand slightly; a faint glow ripples down its length, as if the wand itself is alert, sensing the challenge."And we're supposed to catch up before he recovers… fun."
Narrator (sighing, off-panel, dramatically):"Oh, it's about to get MESSY—and I am here for every glorious second."
Einar (the only one currently thinking rationally, eyebrows furrowed):"That's good and all… but as far as I know, none of us even know where the SPARROW DISTRICT is, do we?"
Xitij (scratching his head, smirk twitching):"Well… come to think of it… what even is a SPARROW DISTRICT?"
Yelena (shifting back to her goofy, playful self, hands on her hips):"Yeah… what even is a DISTRICT?"
Rosé, wand still glowing faintly, rolls her eyes, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips."Honestly, can we just find him before worrying about names and geography?"
Narrator (sighing, voice tinged with exasperation):"And here we go, folks… rational thought officially ABANDONED."
Rose flips open her well-worn book, THE TRIALS OF UNKNOWN, her fingers tracing the pages as she begins to read aloud.
"Okay, so…" she clears her throat, a hint of excitement in her voice,"the Trial Lands are divided into 100 DISTRICTS."
Xitij raises an eyebrow, leaning back."One hundred? Seriously? And I thought this place couldn't get more complicated."
Yelena leans forward, her eyes glinting with curiosity."Ooh, tell me more, Book of Secrets! What's inside these Districts?"
Rosé continues, her tone gaining dramatic flair:
"Each District is guarded by a Mini Boss, typically Level 5 or above.
District Levels:
40 Level 5 Districts
30 Level 6 Districts
15 Level 7 Districts
10 Level 8 Districts
4 Level 9 Districts
1 Supreme Level 10 District
To access the Level 10 District, a contender must offer the life energy of a Mini Boss from Levels 1–9.
Each District is named after the species of its Mini Boss, giving it a unique identity and hinting at the type of challenge within."
Einar blinks, tilting his head, clearly thinking through the logistics."Hmm… okay, that's good and all, but… does anyone here actually know where these districts are?"
Xitij shrugs, a smirk tugging at his lips."Well, come to think of it… what even is a Sparrow District?"
Yelena throws her hands up, grinning goofily."Yeah, and what even is a DISTRICT? Are we seriously naming places after birds now?"
The four of them exchange looks—half confusion, half amusement—as Rose closes the book with a dramatic flourish, muttering under her breath:"Welcome to the Trial Lands… good luck surviving."
Suddenly, a folded map slips from the pages of THE TRIALS OF UNKNOWN, landing with a soft thud at their feet.
Curious, Rosé picks it up—and as she unfolds it, it expands with almost magical force, large enough to wrap all four of them like a burrito.
The map is incredible in its detail: every district outlined, boundaries clearly marked, terrain textures elaborately illustrated, and resting centers indicated with tiny, whimsical icons.
Xitij leans over, eyes scanning the sprawling parchment."Well… that's ambitious."
Einar's gaze locks onto a name, and his chest tightens with awe.The Supreme District—the PHOENIX DISTRICT.
Rosé squints at the map, frowning."Hmm… so we're already in…?"
Yelena, peering over the edges, gasps:"Wait! SPARROW DISTRICT? That's… where we are?" Her brow furrows as she tries to read the annotations. Then she groans, frustrated:"Ugh, I can't read Xam! Of course, of the three major languages, it had to be the one I can't read!"
Xitij chuckles, smirking:"Well, at least we know where we are. That's a start."
Rosé tilts her head, glancing at Yelena:"So… the districts are named after birds, right?"
Yelena squints again, then frowns."Wait… but how can a panda fly?"
Narrator (appearing briefly, voice dramatic and playful):"Why? Of course it can—with a WIND SNEEZE. HA HA HA!"
From somewhere in the crowd, a skeptical voice mutters:"Ugh… that joke was terrible."