The Embodiment of Insanity

Chapter 7: Attempt

After a month, the 'event' finally arrived and every single test subject joined the competition, seeking to learn magic.

The field where the event will be happening was the forest like-garden that the enforcer before that 002 spoke to about the vents mentioned and it was big enough to fit a mansion in.

On the second secret floor on the wall was a one-sided glass way where they cannot see the people inside but the latter can see them.

People wearing robes and masks started arriving inside the second floor, although they all looked mysterious and their appearance are hard to be distinguished, it was obvious that they were rich from the jewelry in their arms and fingers as they all started talking to each other whilst holding champagne glasses.

--

As 002 was led by an enforcer, it was obvious that some of the guests will be curious about her as she was the only one that was led in her batch and they already have a vague idea on what the reason is for that.

Whilst passing by some guests, 002 noticed a strand of gold hair underneath a hood of a guest that is the same height as her, just a little taller. Then, as she glanced at the person secretly, she saw as the person raise their head and looked at her as well before 002 turned her head away.

'Gold hair and eyes huh, that's strange, even the royalties doesn't have such rich coloured hair nor eyes.' 002 thought curiously but discarded her thoughts as she was placed inside an empty room that has another door on the opposite side that will lead to the battlefield.

As soon as the door behind her closed, she looked forward and took a deep breath.

She recalled the words of another enforcer who she had just talked with recently on what the forest-like garden actually looks like, what is the most eye catching spot, and how many and where are the vents are placed.

'The place looks like a forest and the walls surrounding it are formed into a cylinder.'

'There are a total of 16 vents, and 8 of them are placed on the bottom part of the walls.'

'And the most eye catching location, is the middle part of the room where it is widely seen by anything from above as it is not being covered by any trees nor plants.'

She then recalled their conversation in the hideout before all of this.

-"So, you're saying that although the middle part of the room is the most dangerous spot because it will attract attention, it is still the best place to meet up together? Why?" 003 asked.

-"I think I understand what she is trying to say, I think this is to let the scientists and enforcers to lower their guard down and also so that it'll be easier for us to find each other." 002 said using sign language with his hands.

-"Eh? I still don't get it..." 003 muttered.

-"Anyways, that is the plan, isn't it, 002?" 001 asked using his hands.

-"Yes. That is the plan."

--

The moment 002 opened her eyes, she saw the modern wall-like door split in half as they slide towards the opposite direction of each other, and what met with her sight were giant trees and bushes.

Without wasting any time, 002 took a deep breath before she dashed outside, her ashen eyes glowing purple.

As she dashed through the seemingly wood like area, her senses suddenly warned her as her vision turned crimson in an instant.

Pausing her steps she leaped back and a steel blade swung past where she was just about to run to.

Suddenly, her senses screamed again and amidst the crimson vision, a blue line appeared from above and disappeared the moment it got down away from her sight.

That was what she also saw when the steel blade swung from the side except that instead coming from above, it came from the side.

And if it came from above, then that only means one thing.

002's eyes shone purple in an instant and she disappeared from her spot as she rolled to the side before half kneeling to the ground as she looked up and found that a person with another steel blade appeared at her spot and seemed to have just landed from the dusts that floated in the air.

002 narrowed her eyes as she found that this steel blade was this person's ability. His arms were formed in steel blade before his other hand also morphed into one as he dashed towards her.

002 stood up immediately and followed her senses as she kept dodging the blades. Alas some still couldn't be dodged as small cuts keep appearing from her arms and on her cheek.

Suddenly, she was cornered to a tree and just as the person swung his blade on her towards her neck, she ducked and dodged it before she punched the person's abdomen and kicked his face, knocking the person unconscious.

002 panted as she looked down at the person unconscious.

-Kill him.

-Finish it!

Hearing those voices once again in her head, 002 groaned and shook her head.

Looking down at the person, she could kill him if she wants to, but she knows that she doesn't have to kill him, after all, she can just simply remove his name plate and he is out of the competition.

Well, that was what the scientists had said so.

002's fingers twitched before clenching it into a fist and taking away the name plate of the person.

Just as she waited for the announcement of him being eliminated, she saw an enforcer coming out from a hidden door on the wall.

Then, with a 'click', she watched as the enforcer raise their shotgun and pointed at the unconscious person.

002 did not know why but just for a moment, she hard the urge to save that person, but in the end, she only reached out her hand slightly as it's fingers twitched before slowly drooping down.

002 turned to close her eyes and the sound of gunshot resounded in the entire field. Soon after, the enforcer left and disappeared, leaving only 002 beside the corpse with her back.

002 remained standing motionless and after what seemed a long time, she finally opened her eyes and raising her hand that was holding the name plate of the person, she stared at it for some time before turning around and crouching beside the corpse and placing back the name plate on his chest.

Standing up, she finally continued to her goal and ran away.

Although she knew that the name plates on their chest are like chains that says that they are under control of some else's and not their own, she knows that this might be precious to some of them still.

Because this was their name now, and maybe, the only thing that they 'own'.

--

Meanwhile, at the center of the field, 003 also had his own fight as 003 was faced with three enemies, 1 female and 2 males.

The three of them were from batch 9, and their abilities are the complete opposite to 003 whose ability is ice.

The girl placed both of her hands together before a fireball appeared and was shot towards 003.

003 waved his hand and a wall of thick ice appeared from the ground but was crashed by the fireball, forcing 003 to dodge to the side but was surprised when another one came towards his direction the moment he jumped.

Boom!

003 was thrown towards a tree as there were burnt marks on the side of his body. Groaning, he held his burnt left arm and just as the three enemies approached, they were surprised when 003 suddenly swung his right arm and countless of small ice needles were shot towards the three of them.

They all blocked their face with both of their arms by instinct to avoid being hit by the ice needles and small wounds appeared all over the three of them.

The moment the attack stopped and the ice needles disappeared, they all gritted their teeth in anger and wanted to cuss but suddenly froze.

A cold hand appeared and was placed on their wounds as a cold sticky like-water was absorbed by their wounds.

They all shuddered when they realized that he had already approached them in that short amount of time without them noticing it and when they tried to fight back as they shot out more fireballs, they found that it was not 003 that had approached and touched them but someone else, a boy with black hair and crimson eyes.

Just as they were surprised, they saw this person helping 003 stand up and instantly realized that they were a team.

Just as they were planning on attacking them again, knowing that they are in advantage when it comes to number and health, they saw 003's burnt marks started turning ice before it shattered and revealed a fully healed arm.

Just as the girl and another boy panicked, the other shouted and reminded them, "We outnumber them still! We can win!"

Hearing this, the three of them looked at each other before nodding in unison.

Then, they heard 003 laughing and the girl couldn't help asking nervously, "W- What are you laughing about?"

003 shook his head as he was supported by 001, "It's nothing, I just thought that it was funny that you guys think you can still win when..." pausing for a moment, he grinned and said, "You're already dead."

"What nonsense-" Before they could even finish their sentence, they saw as one of them vomited blood before the girl and the remaining one also started vomiting blood non-stop.

The corner of their eyes turned red and tears welled up in their eyes, they all looked up at 003 in despair and when their eyes darted towards 001, they finally realized that the water that their wound absorbed was not water at all but instead was blood.

And most likely, in that blood was poison.

They now know that this person, 001 was from batch 1 whose experiments are meant to make them immune to poison and maybe even create poison as well, but all of this information is too late.

Thud!

All three of them fell to the ground simultaneously, lifeless.

003 finally stood up on his own as his wounds finally healed and said to 001, "Thank you, you just made it in time!"

001 smiled and made a sign language saying, "Barely."

003 just grinned and hearing a rustle, they both instantly became vigilant as their body tensed.

Then, they saw 002 running towards them from the woods.

"Big Sister!" Seeing her, 003 couldn't help exclaiming as he and 001 both ran up towards her.

Finally meeting up, 002, 003, and 001 all had smiles in their faces.

"Alright, let's proceed." 002 said silently and 003 and 001 both nodded their heads before the three of them ran.

Just then, 002 sensed something, and this time her vision neither turned crimson nor the blue line showed up, but it was-

'Sharp black lines?' 002 was stunned and unconsciously raised her head towards the direction of the one sided-glass-way window where the so called special guests of the scientists are.

Ofcourse, she could not see anything and 003 called out for her, forcing her to look away reluctantly and continue running.

The guests are just as she had expected them to react, their interests will be piqued by them and so the scientists will have no choice but to tell them about their information and lower their guard down.

But as always, things never always go the way a person wants them to be.

Because unbeknownst to 002, the child she made eye contact with before, with gold hair and eyes was watching them leave, and a smirk appeared in his lips.

Two people clad in brown robe appeared by the boy's side and informed him about their information.

"002 and 001 are said to have been involved in an attempt of escape before, causing for the other test subjects to die of torture, only the two of them survived."

"What about the other?" The boy asked.

"003, he is from batch 3 and they only met each other during the testing of their abilities through a death match."

The boy seemed unfazed and asked in a bored voice, "Is there something else that is interesting to hear?"

Hearing his voice, the people clad in brown robes shuddered and stuttered as they spoke, "W- Well, they say that the girl, 0- 002 also seemed to be seriously traumatized after that incident, often speaking to herself sometimes and mostly s- shaking her head-" before they could even finish their words, the boy with gold hair suddenly interrupted.

"Wait, you mean after suffering from PTSD, she could still avoid the attacks of a person with the ability of a steel blade so accurately?" the child inquired and the people in brown robes nodded their heads.

"Hmm, not only that, but she still seemed to care for her enemies..." Suddenly, a dangerous grin appeared in his lips as he said, "How interesting. I think I would enjoy to see a person like her-..." pausing his voice, he spoke in an excited voice, like a child who found his favourite toy or candy. "To fall in true despair as the smile on her face fades and that kind heart turn cold and black!"

"I think-! That is a fun thing to watch!"