Chapter 688 - Cards and Keys
"Now that you're here and have met one another, let's get things started," Oli spoke casually but his voice resonated through the chamber with great force. "And now that I've got your attention, allow me to explain some things…"
Jack eventually found a skill that was absolutely perfect, but there was one problem. It was a six-star skill… Giving up his search at the moment, Jack listened in to Oli's explanation along with everyone else.
Oli waved his arm and a table appeared at his side. On top of the table were hundreds of thin, rectangular items. From Jack's perspective, they looked like an all-black credit card without any writing or imagery anywhere.
"These are what you'll be using inside of Glacier Keep," explained Oli, retrieving a card from his storage and not the table. "Everyone will get one card and that's it. Also…" A stack of matching black armbands appeared beside the cards. "These will mark whose team you are on. You may not be able to tell the difference, but Glacier Keep will. Everyone will need them upon entry, so don't store them away. Now, line up as teams and get your items."
Jack's team took the lead, followed by the Sicabor twins and then Halmut. After everyone was handed a card and band, they returned to their previous spots.
"Now, I'll explain how the cards work. Watch this."
Everyone watched Oli carefully as he retrieved a small, spherical ore of some sort. It was glowing gently until Oli crushed it and the energy passed through the air and into the card in Oli's other hand.
"Each of these ores can be considered a key. Your card will absorb the keys and keep track of how many you have. Take a look." Holding the card for all to see, Oli showed the red "1" now appearing on the face of the card. "To proceed through Glacier Keep, you'll need more and more keys. You'll gain these keys through various means, defeating constructs, completing puzzles, winning challenges, defeating other challengers, etc. What matters is how many keys you have. Is that understood?"
"Yes!" the twins and a majority of cosmicians shouted.
"Now, check this out. I want you all to place a drop of your blood on the card. Otherwise, you won't be able to activate them. Go on."
They all followed orders, pricking or nibbling their fingers to give up a drop of precious blood.
"Now pour your energy into the card to help it process your blood." Once everyone did that, Oliu began to descend the steps and walked toward Jack. "Do you mind if I use you for an example?"
"Go right ahead," Jack chuckled, curious to see what would happen.
Continuing, Oli placed one of those ores in Jack's hand. "Now crush it and show everyone that it worked."
Jack complied and happily saw his card gain a key before anyone else in the competition.
"Don't get too excited. This is where the example is needed," laughed Oli.
Then, Oli reached out and flicked Jack's card, obliterating it with ease. It crumbled and evaporated but a strange ethereal energy seeped out of the disintegrating card and gradually enveloped Jack.
"Three, two, one…"
Oli counted as Jack suddenly vanished from where he stood in the same fashion that the card had dematerialized. Jack then rematerialzed at the raised platform where Oli was standing before. Everyone was amazed to see what was going on and curious to understand the example.
"These cards are now linked to you and are your lifeline. Some of you will die today but that's okay. The moment your card is broken, you'll be transported back here in three seconds and the same goes for if you die. If you die, the card will recognize that its host has perished and it will activate the same teleportation protocol so that we can revive the fallen corpses."
Spotting a raised arm, Oli asked, "What's your question?"
Woltin nodded and dropped his arm. "Does that mean you have the material to revive us to our full strength?"
"Yes, we do," answered Oli, surprising most presently listening, especially those from Kartonia. "Reviving a one-star cosmician isn't much of an expense for the district, so consider yourselves lucky to have a chance at life and death combat without fear of permanently passing.
Oli returned to his spot on the platform, spotting Jack reaching for the table. With a chuckle, Oli snapped and stopped Jack's hand. "Sorry, but only I can hand out cards. No extras for you."
Receiving a handout from Oli and feeling a release of the strange pressure, Jack nervously laughed and walked toward his party.
"Also, take a look at my card now." Oli continued his explanation as everyone realized the greater importance of the cards. "I now have two keys because I stole Jack's. So the cards act as a totem to help us keep the challenge relatively safe, it also becomes your means of forfeit and retreat should you choose to surrender your points to others. And don't bother placing them in your storage items or they won't be able to gather your keys. The key energy will always go to the nearest receptacle, so if your card is in storage it may go to a teammate or a foe depending on your circ.u.mstances. Understood?"
"Yes!" shouted everyone, more unified than the last time.
"Good…" Oli sighed and sat back down on the top step. "Before I open the keep and we begin sending people in, let me say this. Though you've all forged your own path thus far, you've also been favored by fate on many occasions. Now, it's time to put that to the test!"
A swirling vortex of purple energy then opened up behind Oli. "Go for it! Charge in and don't worry about your teammates just yet. The challenge will only begin once all forty-one teams enter the keep. So go!"
Halmut was the first to act. During the wait, he had already reimagined the teams made up of legendary gods. Together with Tralbok and two Flood Dragon gods, Halmut rocketed into the massive spatial gate with terrifying speed.
The Sicabor twins weren't any different. They were smiling in excitement as they led their team and others charging in to the spatial vortex.
Jack's team waited till the end, not in any hurry.
"Wasn't expecting you to be so casual," remarked Oli.
"I could say the same," Jack replied with a chuckle.
Smiling, Oli titled his head back toward the spatial gate. "You're the last ones. Stop wasting my time and get in there. And good luck."
With that, Jack's party stormed into the spatial gate just before it closed on itself. Now alone, Oli stretch and fell back onto the ground. The roxite roof suddenly lit up as a vast number of illusory screens appeared for Oli to spectate on the many challengers within the keep.
"Now, don't make this too boring…" sighed Oli, smiling in hope of a better show than usual.