As Marcus sat there, his thoughts were still swirling, trying to make sense of the chaos around him. He observed the other people around him, their faces calm, but their eyes sharp, as if they were waiting for something. Some of them glanced at him occasionally, but none of them spoke to him directly. They were all in their own worlds, planning, strategizing, assessing the situation.
Then, suddenly, his attention was grabbed by an unexpected sound. The speaker system buzzed, and a voice echoed through the area. It wasn't loud, but it was commanding.
"You know what? Anyone who strikes all the others here will automatically pass the first test."
The words hung in the air for a moment, and Marcus froze. What? Did he hear that right? Strike everyone?
Before he could process it fully, chaos erupted.
In the blink of an eye, the calm faces of the people around him turned into expressions of fierce determination, and in an instant, the air was filled with violent energy. Marcus saw things that were beyond anything he had imagined—people striking each other with bursts of energy, some of them shifting their forms, others summoning weapons out of nowhere.
The scene was beyond anything he could have conceived of. There were explosions in the air, lightning-fast movements, and the sound of fists slamming into shields. The space around him seemed to be alive with chaotic power.
"Mercy, oh Lord," Marcus thought to himself as he watched the madness unfold.
He couldn't help but feel a surge of panic, his heart racing. The energy in the air was overwhelming, and the sight of people transforming into beings he couldn't even describe was enough to make him want to flee. But then, something inside him stirred. His power—the one he had discovered within himself not long ago—reacted instinctively.
Marcus tried to suppress it, but his power seemed to have a life of its own. A sharp, instinctive force bubbled within him. He was about to unleash it. Just as his hand began to move, a voice in his head warned him to stop.
With a quick decision, he drew back, taking a deep breath to calm himself. He realized that using his ability here, in the middle of this madness, would only draw unwanted attention. People were already looking at him with suspicion, some with hostility. He didn't want to get caught in the crossfire.
The battle raged on around him, but he remained still, trying to stay unnoticed. Fortunately, the chaos was so intense that nobody seemed to care about him for the moment.
The sound of punches, cries, and explosions filled the air. The ground shook as powers clashed. Marcus stood there, watching, as his mind raced. His instinct told him to keep moving, to get out, but something else told him to stay and watch. The power, the destruction, the unpredictability—it was all so... amazing. His heart pounded faster. He wanted to be part of it, but he knew it was too dangerous.
And then, with a stroke of luck, Marcus managed to find an opening. He ducked out of the chaos and ran, his feet carrying him away from the fray. As he distanced himself from the battlefield, he stopped for a moment, panting heavily, trying to make sense of everything he had just witnessed.
From a distance, he watched the battle continue. The sounds of the fight seemed less intense, but it was still chaotic. His heart was still racing, and his mind was spinning. But then, unexpectedly, his power reacted once again. It was as if the energy from the fight was calling to him, and his ability surged within him, reacting to the scene he was watching.
"How... amazing," Marcus thought, his eyes wide with awe.