"Let me think about it..." Michael only spoke a few words before he went silent. He still want to relapse and feel the sensation of melancholy.
"..."
"I respect your decision, esteemed sir. If you decided to join us, you're extremely welcome"
Erick, spoked some fee pleasantries before he back away, not wanting to have a bad impression from this person.
Sigh!
Michael, sighed seeing this, he didn't expect that this almighty person he meet from before who easily defeated an Earth Drilling Worm at level 9, would be so respectful towards him. He didn't know if he should be happy or sad.
Few moments later, he moved away, planning to search a safe place to rest his extremely exhausted body.
After striding and looking at the wasteland, he finally found what he could say a plausible place to relax. Without hesitation, he carried his body at that location and took a deep rest.
...
Back in the group of people that survived the horde due to Micheal's help.
Here the discussion was intense, should they keep banding together or disperse seeing what just happened to them.
"I want to exit this group, I almost died today!"
"Don't guys, surviving on your own was nothing but suicide. Don't you know this trial is about survival? Banding together is the best possible action!"
"Didn't you already saw it just now that banding together would draw hordes attention? Do you want to fight with a horde again?"
"You don't need to fear the horde, when that savior is here, horde is not a problem! In instance, they should fear us!"
"Do you think that person would save your damn ass again? With his strength, he can surely survive this trial alone, no need to join some stupid survivors group and have a burden."
"..."
Erick in the side listen attentively towards the people's voices and concerns and he come into a conclusion. They need, that person badly or their survivor group would collapse from within, due to lack of trust upon their survival if they stayed with the group.
Erick knows that he needs these people to survive this grueling trial that slowly increasing in difficulty. Like a monster slowly showing its behemoth jaw.
He then sighed, he felt helpless even do he was strong and influencial. Now he can only asked that esteemed person again, or they would collapse. Surviving all alone in the future was very terrifying and deadly, he can't let the situation become worst.
Who would know, that the organization of the remaining 19 Aspirant would rely upon a single individual for its unity and morale.
Erick then stand up and walk, searching for the esteemed sir from this expansive wasteland while ordering his members to search the area for a safe gathering place for them.
...
Then another day passed in a blink of an eye, Micheal woked up from his deep sleep and stretch his body. His sleep were really good today, he felt like a heavy weight were lifted off his shoulders.
"Yawn!" After he got up and exited his hideout, he was greeted with the strong pang of blood and countless weird looking insects that looks dangerous.
The wasteland were much more active than yesterday and you can see a silhouettes of something just couple dozen of meters away, not like yesterday that you need to search everywhere to find one.
The difficulty and quantity of monsters increased again without anyone noticing.
[A day has passed! Difficulty increased significantly!]
The same virtual panel appeared before his eyes again, notifying him that the trial difficulty increased. But even without this warning, he could know by just staring outside.
The strength and quantity of these monster guys surely undergone another row of change, making Micheal excited about the new things he would gain today.
"Seems I'm in a mood to hunt today!" Micheal smiled mischievously, eyeing the nearest monster like he just saw a prey.
"Welp...grinding start!"
Micheal now, happily killing any monster he come across using his unique ability soon after, leaving nothing even a piece of some corpse behind.
...
Some distance away from him. An athletic looking man with countless wound all over his body stride forward as he seemingly looking for someone amidst this endless expanse of wasteland.
His eyes were burning with perseverance that were also tainted by tiredness.
"Hah...where did that guy go? Why do he needs to suddenly disappear without a trace?"
It was Erick, speaking his displeasure. He was already looking for Michael for a long time to invite him to join their side one more time. Giving up now were like throwing away his past efforts so he preserve, and if he would just meet with his rejection, that would really be a massive moral blow for him who got so much injury he sustained a long the way just to look for him.
After walking a couple of step forward. He noticed a hiding ugly hound like creature, staring at him menacingly. This creature would surely planning for a sneak attack, unfortunately they were stupid and Michel where just to strong that he immediately notice them hiding ay auspicious location.
As Erick continue to walk forward, the menacing and ugly looking hound suddenly lunged forward like it was now about to finish it's prey. But as soon as the ugly hound came dangerously close to him he kick his leg at the hound, sending it flying for a couple of dozen meters away.
It's body exploded, and it's piece of meat flew off like an egg hitting a rock, making the small mound of rock it got smashed into, bloody.
This ugly mutated hound surely got left behind due to it's inability or just got lost from it group, as hounds usually hunt in pacts.
As soon as he continued to walk away, he suddenly noticed that the ground was shaking irregularly in a rhythm of something walking.
Looking at his surroundings to look for the source of this tremors, he saw something.
A collosal being, standing like a small mountain were coming towards him 'slowly'! It's rocky body were shining with countless intricate runes, and it's eyes were glowing red staring at him like it saw prey.
Erick felt cold sweat dripping over his back. It's every steps brings shiver down his spine, and it's cold–monsterous gaze send him into despair.
"R-Run!"
...
Back to Micheal. He was hunting monsters to his hearts content, this pitiful and 'weak' monster were just dancing on his palms, they cannot even fight back to his slaughter. They were just 'too weak', they didn't know what just happened before they all died.
Suddenly, he felt the ground shaking slightly on his end. He stopped chasing the pitiful monsters he come across to feel where this tremor comes from.
After being silent for a while, he finally pinned point where the shaking comes from. He wanted to know what the cause of this irregularity, as he was an eavesdropper at heart. Even if it was dangerous, he was confident he can get away from it, as he was fast as a cannon.
He sprint towards the source of the shaking at blurring speed, and soon he arrived at the source, while taking cover for the rocky terrain.
What he saw there was was something that sent chills down to his spine, and eyes opened wide in shock.