As the days passed by and the trial grew ever closer a strange silence loomed over Innocence. The rowdiest of students had gone tame and all energy was now focused in preparation for what would be their greatest test. Sleep was a luxury and all students poured hours in understanding terrain, geography, battle tactics, calculating fastest route, understanding probability of success, forging alliances, gauging competition. Despite the trails occuring every year, very little information was available to the students. They were told it would take place in a large jungle. They would be told their objective is to reach the end point before 24 hours. And finally they were told of all the participants entering, only half would pass. Almost all of A.M.R.O's tests are designed to groom an alchemist into the perfect soldier. They are given little information so as to expand their imagination and observe their pre-planning. A time limit exists so as to observe how they react under stress and pressure. And finally a ceiling on passing rate exists to observe the human element. When a hundred students know only fifty of them are allowed to pass, what will be their reaction? Most student behaviour fell into pre-defined patterns. Some began accumulating information on the trial through bribery and espionage. Students engagement slowly broke and consolidated into trusted groups. The paranoid ones began to completely isolate themselves. By the first few days alliances had already been made and now the planning stages had begun. Students now begun to access the best course of action to take. With their limited information they planned for everything. They planned for obstacles and traps, they planned for dangers, they planned for betrayals and sabotage. And finally they prepared to eliminate their peers. On the second last day the final rule was announced which none of them had been prepared for. Each and every student entering the trial will be given a dose of Anti-alchemic poison which will inhibit and or disturb their alchemy for the first twelve hours. And so on the second last day, chaos ensued. Some broke under pressure, others began restructuring their plan, alliances broke and new ones were formed. Trust broken, enemies made. All of this for A.M.R.O to observe how they would react to unforseen and undesirable circumstance. Most students would never know, but the Trails did not begin when the students entered the jungle. The trials had already begun and the psychological part was always the first. --------xx-------------------------------------------xx-------- Final Day Before The Trail Throughout the week Yin had shown zero interest in preparation or any of the other foolishness her peers were participating in. She was not a sheep, nor was she going to give in to A.M.R.O's little games. She smirked as she imagined them gritting their teeth as they observed her with one of their many hidden cameras. All of A.M.R.O's tests were designed to elicit some form of response, and Yin refused to do so out of pure spite. She was a Laofeng, her potential in alchemy was superior to her brother and yet she was not deemed fit to be a Chrono Candidate. Instead they demeaned her by demoting her to the ranks of A.M.R.O dogs. And so she already knew what she was going to do. She would simply mediate under this large tree and let A.M.R.O pull their hair out. When the time comes, she will succeed like she always did, by herself. -------------------- The Trial Begins! -------------------- A large group of students had assembled near a porting sigil along with their designated mentors and invigilators. The students numbered at least two hundred and all of them knew only half would be passing this trial. Each of them was injected with a controlled dose of Anti-alchemic poison before the Porters arrived to begin the teleportation sequence. While the preparation for mass teleportation was being made, Terra briefed all mentors telepathically. "You are observers this day. All of you have been here and you know the dangers and yet you faced them through your own wit and power and so must these students. Do not interfere unless a student willingly disqualifies himself by asking for your aid. There are rogue alchemists dispersed across the jungle, they are given leave to harm our students but not kill. If a fatal blow is coming, only then are you to interfere." "I wish you all good luck!" Her last words were spoken aloud for all to hear right before the teleportation sigil activated and everyone standing within the circle vanished. -------------- The Jungle -------------- Yin found herself standing in what A.M.R.O aptly described as the jungle. There were trees and foliage every where, sounds of birds and insects echoed around her. She found this place strangely relaxing. She calmly began walking, trying to understand her location while also trying to ascertain where exactly to go. It was no surprise that A.M.R.O just randomly dropped them without telling them where to go. "I assume everyone was teleported to random spots, so much for building alliances." Yin chuckled as she tested her alchemy, trying to summon a raging fire but only succeeding in creating sparks. "Fantastic", Yin spoke to herself as she began climbing a stout tree. It took her longer than she liked, but she finally made it to the top and her eyes slowly widened at the view. This place was massive, it was so gargantuan that she could not see the end. What she did see was the tallest structure available which was a large spire near the center. So that was where she would need to go in order to get her bearings. "I hope you perverted peepers are having fun!" The Lao screamed loud enough for any hiding invigilator to hear her before making her way to the spire.