The morning of the Team Trials arrived with grey skies and a cold wind.
Nathan stood in the staging area with his party, watching the other Climbers gather. Thousands of participants from every nation filled the space. The air was thick with tension and anticipation.
The giant holographic figure appeared above the arena, the referee. It's orb head displayed a neutral expression as it spoke.
"Team Trials. Participants will be randomly assigned to mixed teams of five. Each team will enter a dungeon with a single objective: reach the boss room, retrieve the objective, and escape. Your performance will be scored based on teamwork, efficiency, and completion. The highest-scoring teams advance."
The display shifted. Team assignments appeared on the board.
Nathan found his name. His team:
· Nathan Cross (Central Federation — Archer)
· Kaito Shimizu (Eastern Dominion — Sword Saint)
· Amara Okoye (Free Territories — Spirit Hunter)
· Park Ji-ho (Southern Republic — Marksman)
