Maximilian touched the trial button and felt his vision shift. The real world dissolved into darkness before he suddenly found himself dropped into a desert.
The scorching sand burned beneath his bare feet as hot wind whipped across his face. The relentless sun beat down from above as he scanned his surroundings, finding nothing but endless yellow desert stretching to every horizon.
Looking down at himself, he noticed that besides his clothes, he still had the chair with him. Maximilian deduced that whatever he was touching in the real world must have transported here with him.
Suddenly, a wave of dread washed over him, and he immediately dropped prone into the sand.
Whizzzzz!
Something fast whizzed past him. Though he couldn't see it, he guessed it was a bullet - meaning his opponent, the Trial Master, Blood Mongoose, had already found him.
Bang!!
The supersonic crack followed moments later, confirming the bullet had traveled faster than sound. The instincts from his acquired skills - whether survival training or black ops experience - had saved him from that first shot.
He'd planned to research this villain before challenging the trial again, but unfortunately the hostile group's arrival had forced his hand. Now here he was, with no time for preparation.
No use crying over spilled milk. He was committed now and needed to find a way to eliminate his opponent quickly.
Scanning the flat desert landscape, Maximilian noted there were no elevated positions - meaning Blood Mongoose somewhere out there had no height advantage either. He wondered if his opponent still retained harsh environment survival skills, or if as Trial Master he could bring supplies like rations and water to outlast him.
Risking a peek to locate his enemy, Maximilian barely ducked down in time as another wave of dread hit.
This bullet struck the sand behind where his head had been moments before.
Bang!
Another supersonic crack. Studying the bullet's impact angle, Maximilian estimated the general direction of the shooter.
The rapid reaction shot with minimal aiming suggested the shooter was close. From the Blood Mongoose skills set he'd acquired, he knew snipers rarely aim for heads unless it's the only exposed target or they're showing off. But the memory fragments and experience of Blood Mongoose indicated that, that guy wasn't the showy type.
This meant Blood Mongoose was likely within 600-800 meters. The fact he heard the supersonic crack after the bullet passed confirmed the shooter was quite close.
Maximilian spotted the stool lying nearby and quickly crawled to retrieve it. Moving toward the nearest sand dune, he knew his first priority was avoiding heat stroke - he needed to build shelter immediately.
Breaking the stool apart, he used its sharp leg to dig down to the cooler sand beneath the surface. Then, utilizing his toga and the remaining stool pieces, he constructed a makeshift shelter to protect himself from the scorching sun. For now, he was forced to wait… he's sitting duck until nightfall when he could begin hunting Blood Mongoose.
But first... preparations were needed. He had a plan… a risky one, but a plan nonetheless. Because… he think he know why Blood Mongoose choose to set up a sniper nest so close to him.
—
Within the shade and comfort of his camouflaged shelter, Blood Mongoose patiently waited for his prey to appear. Through his sniper scope, he watched the sand hill where his target was hiding.
After losing the first round of the trial by underestimating his opponent, Blood Mongoose had prepared extensively for this second encounter. Since their last battle, he'd lost half of his power and skills to his prey. He didn't know exactly what was gone, but entire chunks of memory and experience had simply disappeared.
He'd forgotten how to perform CQC, proper knife fighting techniques, and how to identify poisonous plants. Most of his black ops memories were gone too. He assumed all these skills now belonged to his opponent.
That's why he'd chosen the desert as their battlefield - open terrain with minimal cover, perfect for sniping. He'd even arranged the environment to favor his attack. Yet despite all of this, his prey seemed to have his survival knowledge; this guy surprisingly proved to be more resilient than expected, stubbornly holding position behind that sand hill.
No matter. Blood Mongoose had rations, water, and reliable shelter. He could wait for weeks if needed. His opponent, though, was the opposite...
Stranded in the desert's heart, had neither food nor water. Maybe, just maybe... with incredible luck, he might find a scorpion or viper hidden in the sand, but practically, he had nothing to sustain himself.
He couldn't remember exactly how long it would take someone to withstand this heat without supplies and not succumb to heatstroke, but surely not long.
Suddenly, Blood Mongoose noticed his prey standing up, cautiously scanning the surroundings. He didn't know what prompted this movement, but he wouldn't waste the opportunity. Taking careful aim... he pulled the trigger.
Bang!
The shot wasn't a clean kill, but through his scope, Blood Mongoose saw his opponents avoid teh headshot once again, but his entire left arm was blown off. Blood mongoose knows that even with the regenerative Evolution Factor that had been taken from him, such a severe injury would burn tremendous calories to heal. His prey wouldn't last much longer now.
Blood Mongoose allowed himself a smirk. It seems... victory would come easier than anticipated. Now, he just needed to wait.
Blood Mongoose rested his eyes. He had already set up landmines and tripwires surrounding his camp. Even if his prey somehow found his location under cover of darkness, they would still need to navigate through his defensive perimeter.
As night fell, Blood Mongoose stopped watching his opponent and decided to rest. Though he hadn't moved much, maintaining concentration and surveillance for an entire day was exhausting. He wasn't as strong as he used to be - he had lost much of his physical strength to his prey.
He had also lost his Evolution Factor, which made him especially cautious. While his opponent now possessed his regeneration ability, it came with the drawback of intense rage. Even Blood Mongoose himself couldn't resist the urge to rampage when injured... without enemies nearby, anyone in proximity would become a victim.
Controlling that rage required immense willpower. With his prey already injured, Blood Mongoose doubted they could maintain enough sanity to search for him while suppressing the bloodlust. Simply staying hidden and not charging out into the open would be an accomplishment.
Boom! Boom!
Explosions rang out. His prey had somehow found his position. But those mines - no matter how fast his opponent was, the shrapnel would finish them off. He just needed to destroy their brain to prevent regeneration.
Blood Mongoose emerged from his camouflaged shelter and saw a half-dead man lying on the ground. Smirking, he raised his handgun to deliver the final headshot when-
Click...
Boom!
A flash of light erupted near his feet. His last coherent thought was confusion - he couldn't have stepped on his own mine! He remembered exactly where he'd placed them!
The explosion tore through his body. Shrapnel shredded his flesh as the fireball engulfed him. He lost sensation in his limbs, and his body hurled through the air before crashing down.
Click. Click. Click.
Blood Mongoose's mangled body triggered multiple buried mines, obliterating what remained.
Only one victor stood breathing heavily amidst the carnage - Maximilian. His regeneration worked furiously as bones snapped back into place and muscles visibly reformed.
"Fuck... I've won... fuck..." Maximilian gasped in exhaustion.
— Flashback - Day Time —
While hiding in his makeshift shelter, Maximilian had deliberately stood up to draw Blood Mongoose's fire. As predicted, the sniper took the shot. Maximilian dodged the headshot, but the bullet obliterated his left arm…. a calculated sacrifice.
The injury triggered his regeneration and the accompanying rage, stronger than ever before. With tremendous effort, he suppressed the bloodlust.
The 3x enhanced senses from his Evolution Factor allowed him to detect gunpowder residue in the distance. The distinct metallic scent and explosive materials are so strong that he could even pinpoint Blood Mongoose's position.
Under the cover of the darkness, he approached cautiously. Knowing about the mines and tripwires, he intentionally triggered them, using his injuries as bait. When Blood Mongoose emerged, overconfident, Maximilian threw a broken stool piece at a nearby tripwire. The resulting explosion sealed his victory.
—
Maximilian's body floated, transporting him into a white void where two chairs stood facing each other. Two figures materialized: Maximilian himself, still wearing his toga, stood near one chair, while across from him stood a figure in full tactical Kevlar armor with his back turned—Blood Mongoose.
Slowly, Blood Mongoose turned to face him, his tactical mask and helmet completely concealing his features.
"What's your name, prey?" Blood Mongoose asked.
"Maximilian," he replied, taking his seat. "Care to tell me why we're having a conversation instead of tearing each other's throats out?" he asked, settling comfortably into the chair.
Blood Mongoose mirrored the action, sitting into the opposite chair. He removed his helmet and mask, revealing a rugged, bearded face. Scars crisscrossed his features, and upon closer inspection, clear burn marks became visible across his skin.