The woman looked at Jack as he said those words and a few panicked thoughts rushed through her head. The monster know as the Gorgon tossed around the Justice League like they were toys. And if there was a chance they could come back she knew America needed a proper defence. “So how does one become like you?” Jack made a puzzled look.

“You complete a trial and that’s how you start but you can’t force Keres to give you one she chooses who she chooses.” Jack shrugged his shoulders as he began to yawn.

“So how do you have some many people with similar abilities?” 

“Well when some who has completed a trial before receives an invitation they can choose some people to go with them if they are willing.”

The woman had a slight smile on her face “so what would it take for you to allow a few of our soldiers to tag along with you to one of these trials?” Jack smiled.

“Me and my group want a contract with the US government allowing us to have first whack at portals and dungeons that might turn up, with a supervisor of course as trust will be a big factor in this partnership.” Keres who was watching this transaction was mildly amused initiated the Run and Hide trial. “Well I suggest you decide on our contract quickly I have just received an invitation to a trial that is a maximum of ten people.” The woman reluctantly nodded and nine men all in combat equipment with assault rifles entered the room. A mark began to form on the woman's hand “the contract is now sealed there's no going back on your word now”. Jack smiled as he clicked the accept button and him and the nine men were transported to Keres.

The men and Jack found themselves in a large forest, the trees were black and twisted in impossible directions. A thick fog blanketed the ground and the only light was from the full moon above them. This did very little in helping them navigate the pitch black darkness around them. Keres creeped up behind the soldiers and whispered in their ears “you aren’t allowed those in here”. Their guns and any equipment they brought disappeared in a poof of silver smoke. 

“Welcome to Run and Hide the aim of this trial is simple don’t get caught by the unkillable monster I’m about to release. If you are caught don’t worry tho as your teammates can rescue you from the monsters lair. If any players are captured and in the monsters lair at the end of the thirty minute time limit and well you’ll be it’s lunch” Keres said with a smile. “Your five minute head start begins now” Keres shouted. Hack and the nine soldiers began running as a group further into the forest. A small white pocket watch formed and began to tick down. A monstrous shape in the shadows waited patiently for Keres signal.

It chittered impatiently and the sound of its many legs stomping the ground annoyed Keres slightly. “Wait my pet they only have two minutes left then you can chase.” The Monster was a long worm like creature with fifty metal limbs all of which were hands protruded from random parts of its body. Its skin was a sickly pinky grey and its head wasn't any better. Its face housed a mouth full of razor sharp jagged metallic teeth. It had a singular mechanical eye was large and acted like a torch casting a bright white beam out into the darkness. It had no nose or ears and no neck, at the end of its thirty foot body was a large mechanical arm with a giant hand that could move in any direction. 

The pocket watch disappeared and Keres smiled “go get them” the monsters shriek sounded like a mixture between a lion and a car staring as it clambered forward. Keres could hear the metal limbs squeak and groan as the monster moved and the sound of an engine roaring was dulled by the creatures fat.

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Jack and the soldiers could hear something rapidly gaining on them. One of the soldiers tripped over a root hidden by the ground fog and screamed out. The other soldiers stopped to help him but a bright white light began peering through the trees. Jack pulled one of the soldiers arms “leave him he’s obviously dead weight now”. The soldier shook his arm off and growled at him.

“We are not leaving a man behind!” The soldiers tried carrying the man but the light was fast approaching. 

“Okay then I wish you the best of luck because something is coming and I really fancy not meeting it” Jack began to run away. The other soldiers began to look at each other.

“That bitch said it would capture us and we can free each other” the lead soldier said and looked at the injured soldier. “Barry I’m sorry but we’ll free you I promise” the injured soldier nodded and was rested against a tree. The other soldiers hid behind the other trees and were finally able to see what they were running from.

The creatures white light instantly became red as it crossed Barry. Barry wimped as it gave him a toothy smile it leaned in super close and Barry could smell its rancid breath. The light began to dim as it picked up the injured soldier with the limb closest to its head. “Yippee ki-yay motherfucker” Barry stabbed the creatures eye with a piece of the root that tripped him. Black oil began to spew out from the injury and the monsters cried out. The cry was a mixture of a cat being beaten to death and a motorcycle engine reviving. 

The monster dropped Barry and tried to pull the root out of its eye. The rest of soldiers rushed to grab their injured comrade when an icicle shot towards the monster. “You know if that woman told me you were all idiots I would have taken you” Jack sighed as both Ignis and Cocytus floated beside him. 

“Humans sure are strange creatures” 

“Enough talking I want to cremate that worm” 

“Of course you would you stupid hot head idiot”

“What did you call me you Icy Bastard!” The soldiers looked at the two bickering elementals with mild confusion. The icicle was now lodged into the monster body and it turned to face Jack. 

“Ignis please dispose of this abomination” the demonic fire elemental smiled as Jack said this and began to chant. 

“Burn the Heretics that dare to change the world, let the sacred flame burn those who stand in our way and let their screams fuel their bonfire, Tier Two Demonic Flame Magic: Salem Barbecue!” A familiar glowing black glyph appeared on the ground underneath the monster. A column of black flame shot towards the sky and the monster kept screaming until the column disappeared. The monster laid in a pile of ashes and a clock formed above it counting down from five minutes.

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Medusa laid lazily as the human she had chosen coward in the corner. “Enough of your incessant whimpering” Medusa smacked the ground with the tip of her tail. She got up and slithered towards the man her pink and teal eyes glared at him. She picked him up the collar of his shirt a brand was on his arm. The brand was magic and prevented slaves with the brand disobeying their masters. “What is your name?” Medusa hissed as she dropped him. The man cowered and began to shakily speak.

“Cole”

“Well Cole here is your current situation, you are my slave and if you want to live you will do as I say are we clear!” Cole nodded frantically “good you can start by washing my scales, and if you do a good enough job you might receive food rather than become it” Cole gulped as Medusa slithered towards her resting spot. The resting spot was a large circular stone that was underneath the crack in the caves roof. She chose such a spot as it easily got the most sun.

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The monster snivelled as it approached Keres it seemed extra upset. Black ooze came from its eye like tears Keres comforted it. “There, there next time I’ll make sure your prey can’t spawn kill you” Keres watched Jack spawn kill the monster every time it revived. Even more tears flooded out of its eye and it began to snivel. “Sorry little one but I have to go I’ll make sure to bring you some playthings soon.” Keres disappeared in a puff of black flame leaving the monster to lick its wounds and go to sleep. 

Keres stood before the soldiers and Jack, Jack kneeled before her. A window appeared before all of them the soldiers silently picked their jobs and their reward. Jack chose Spiritual feed for his elementals the soldiers chose peak human stamina. They left in silence as Keres checked her status page.

Keres grinned as she closed the window and checked the descriptions of her skills.

Keres found out she could pay a hundred SP to speed up the development of one of her worlds by a year. So Keres skipped Draisan time by one hundred years costing her ten thousand SP. The world began to rotate faster and faster until it began slowing down. Keres glanced at the world once again and smiled, the elves had developed an enormous city surrounded Yggdrasil. The city was made on the ginormous trees that surrounded Yggdrasil. Children played and laughed as they ran along the forest floor. 

The Gnolls had formed tribal villages and Keres discovered their structure. The largest village housed no more than eight hundred Gnolls. They didn’t have armies their military structure was constructed as hunting parties of up to ten Gnolls. Raiding parties of up to fifty Gnolls and something called a war-band that had up to three hundred Gnolls. The goblins had been struggling as their numbers had begun to dwindle. Mostly because Goblin females were rare, really rare and the Gnolls hunted them for food. 

The goblins had formed a large underground city under the leadership of Gravel. Creatures killed by players could revive but creatures killed by other creatures couldn’t. Keres could have the creatures revive them themselves or she could do it. Keres had read and watched a few questionable pieces entertainment from her past. The goblins needed fresh females but she didn’t want to open the world up to potential attacks too soon. “I hate having to do this to you elves but the goblins need assistance.”

A small rift began to open up in the middle of the city near Gravel. Keres whispered in his ear “beautiful females await on the other side”. That was all Gravel apparently needed and he quickly organised a band of the fiercest goblins. Keres noticed the goblin slingers had very few slings but a new weapon instead. They had crafted poorly constructed bows out of bones. Some of the goblin warriors had also changed becoming more muscular and taller. Keres didn’t think they could be changed that much but a status window had appeared for them.

Keres was interested in this predicament ‘so if I leave them on their own they could potentially evolve without me even needing to do anything’. The system corrected her as it stated that all creatures had potential to improve and adapt but if Keres wanted a drastic change and a quick one she would need the system. 

Keres kept this in mind that her creatures could improve and adapt given a world and time. The system said that a potential example of and evolution could be if goblins survived near a volcano long enough they could adapt and become Lava Goblins. Keres watched Gravel and his band of fifty other goblins entered the rift she had created. She wondered if she could record the interaction as she was sure someone would pay to see real life fantasy goblin rapeing elves porn.