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ꕥ
Once an sufficient amount of people finished the first half of the first phase, a metal gate shut the dark tunnel close; which prevented anyone from going back in or coming out. Valentine briefly shut her eyes to suppress the pity for the man; who was just inches away from victory before it was too late, that was slowly bubbling within her chest.
After that, Satotz started to explain the next half of the First Phase. They were about to pass a menacing and treacherous area, known as Swindlers Swamp; where many creatures would deceive their prey, before devouring them. Many tricks could be played on them and if they weren't careful, they were as good as dead.
Especially if they were unable to keep track of Satotz himself and the moment they'd lost him, was the moment you'd lose your life.
'Don't fall for it!'
Searching for the voice, Valentine found herself looking at an injured man peeking out from behind the wall.
'D-Don't fall for it!',The man cried out, stepping out from the shadows and he pointed at Satotz in an accusing matter,'He's lying, he's an imposter! He isn't the examiner, I am! Take a look at this'
Dragging out the ruined body, he gestured towards the destroyed and rugged body of an animal that had Satotz's face plastered onto it. Zanily enough, it's tongue was sticking out and it's eyes were slashed with crosses.
'This is a Man-faced Ape, one of the creatures that dwell within the swamps. These creatures love the taste of human flesh. However, their limbs are long and thin, so they're quite weak; that's why they disguise themselves as humans. They trick humans into following them into the wetlands, where they team up with other animals to devour them. He plans to trap every single examiner here!'
Raising an eyebrow unamused, Valentine pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes at the 'examiner', having heard about these creatures before on her island, they always had one flaw in their transformation.
They can't mask their auras.
Suddenly, a breeze pushed back Valentine's hair as she quickly reached up her hand and felt a trickle of blood slowly fall down her cheek, the surface of a card rough between her fingers as her shimmering golden eyes narrowed.
Three cards had embedded themselves in the scathed man's chest, making him fall dead to the ground and while three cards went flying towards Satotz, he had expertly caught all three between his fingers.
A dark chuckle was heard escaping the jester's lips, the sound ripping through the silence that hung in the air and filling agitation to it's brim.
