Mark was separated from his group. Heil had others had gone back to the direction of the reception, to collect their entry passes from them.
Mark was standing on the transport ship, and he was able to spot three additional figures besides him over it.
Two arena guards, who had blocked his path before and a hooded person in light grey robes were present.
The transport ship was small, slightly larger than twenty meters in length, five meters in width and four meters in height. It was entirely made out of hard wood, smoothly polished on it's outer surface, and it's components were joined with adhesives and were nailed to be held in contact with each other.
Unlike normal ships, it didn't had a sail to begin with, an old array master, covered in light grey cloths was operating it from the small captains lobby.
Array master, a profession composed of people that learns special calculations, and use the mana within their body to alter the diagrams made on the array itself, and bring about changes in the real world.
The protection array made around platform, the floating array that had made the platform fly, and the restriction array that had made others unable to see through the platform from outside the walls. These were all few types of extremely complicated arrays made by respectable array masters, having high proficiency in their field, and were hailed as grand masters by others in the field.
Though the person before mark was just an ordinary array master, barely qualifies himself to be above an apprentice class, I.e. the specialist, who had been single handedly controlling a normal array of the transport boat by himself.
The person of this caliber had a high in the main land outside the dungeon, where Kings and nobles had to curry their favors to get things done by then.
Places like empires though had many such specialist but were limited to less than a dozen in number.
Even the owner of the empire, the emperor himself had to give face to these massive figures and let them continue their tyranny in their lands.
Hilariously such a influencial figure was just positioned to ride the transport ship, bringing the spectators up and down the main ship, which was flying in the air above him.
When mark had boarded down the transport ship, stepping his leg over the spectating field, placed above the main flying ship like machinery, he managed to attract the attention of the experts around him.
When these experts set their eyes over the silver token within mark's hands, their gazes turned complicated, as they found the identity of mark on spot.
A kid whose age doesn't seem to exceed six, carrying a silver coloured token around him, whose count was just limited to six in number.
Since the other five such holders were already present on the stage besides them, and we're not named as mark, the new comer could only be that figure. Belonging to the flame glory family, that had managed to bind to a relic itself as such a tender age.
The aura emperor class figures from major forces were looking at him as that of a sacrificial lamb for their family's prosperity, the other spectators were viewing his body akin to that of a corpse, the token holders that were similar to him were glaring at him with an expression of disdain in their eyes.
Mark choose to ignore these figures, as he had already sensed the things to be fishy around him. When he was intentionally separated from his group it made him get a gist of the tricks narrated by the old timers from the upper management.
The atmosphere which had been tensed up by the appearance of mark had dissipated shortly.
Mark had spotted three figure, who appeared to be an aged cultivators. With the long hanging beard, which ran down till their upper abdomen, and with their refined temperament they looked more of a scholar than that of a cultivator. As the might of emperor was slowly released out their bodies, it had brought things back to normal.
The one at the middle, who was carrying around a thick sized book, stroked his beard for a little, examining mark at the mean while and exclaimed " Since all six token holders are present at the scene, let this high manager Arlong announce the beginning of the test. "
He paused for a second, looking around at the experts around him, and exclaimed " Old rules! And no one is susceptible to get an excepted from this rule. Take your soul vows immediately, death for those who leaked the content here in the inside to the ones at outside! "
Mark was startled " Take soul vows! " He already experienced the nerve wracking pain from taking that vow earlier, and never in his life would he wish to go through that again. Now this old man, who came out of no where claims to be a high manager and demands others around him to take a soul vow! How could mark be able to stay composed.
Quite surprisingly, others around him had taken that vow. One after the other the experts around him were exclaiming out their demon god's name, and taking the vow under the old man's supervisor.
The old Arlong has been holding a spherical orb, in a square wooden box, which appears to be capturing every one's moment when they were undergoing that taboo.
That old man was keenly observing them during this phase, as he did not want any one to miss out from taking the taboo at this place, and let them leak the valuable classified information to the outside.
Five minutes later.
Now the turn came for mark, the old man sighed thinking " This young boy, who around the age of six, that may had just awoken his mana core a few months earlier, had been dragged into the mess of the older generation.
Though he could be called a genius, as he had already stepped into the realms of grand master. If given sufficient time, him stepping into the realm of emperor is not far from being called impossible.
If not for the appearance of his godly relic, he didn't necessarily have to be plotted against by the upper management to get eliminated prematurely, before he could exhibit it.
Against them even this old man is powerless, and let those cunning bastards from upper management bend the rules accordingly to them, which wasn't exactly set by our old ancestors. "
" Young boy, you may proceed " Old Arlong exclaimed out.
" I mark! Takes a soul vow! Under the great name of my demon god aphrolilith! Death may befall my mortal body, and let my soul cease from its existence, had I divulged the things happened around in the inside to the world on the outside! "
Mark had just repeated the exact words exclaimed out by the experts around him.
The pain he seldom want to experience had relapsed again, unlike before where he had rolled down on the ground in pain, this time it's intensity was low and could be tolerable. But still his facial composure had changed by a little, which was spotted by the old scholar like high manager.
" Quite tolerable for being a kid! " The old Arlong sighed lightly, with a smile on his face, which had confused mark deeply, " Was he a neutral figure at this scene! " Also the only people that did not have a bad intent on him were the old arlong and a token holder like him, who has poorly dressed herself as a peasant, but still had a charm that didn't pale in front of the young masters from major forces around her, carrying a old bronze saber, close to her heart, she gave out a warm smile to mark when their eyes met.
Closing the wooden box, which holder the recording orb, old Arlong exclaimed. " Since every one present over here had taken that vow, let's proceed to the first test for today Magic root test! Which a measure of ones aptitude towards cultivation! "
" Measuring aptitude for one's cultivation! " Ever since he came to this world mark had always wanted to test his aptitude in cultivation.
Even if he had the been born with the existence of a system, it could still be called an external source and not the one he had inherited to begin with.
After knowing that his family name of white could bring disaster to him. The parents of his reincarnated life must hold an extraordinary status, but still wish to lead a simple life or were forced to lay low by their enemies in a country side, acting as a baron to that remote land.
Mark along with other five token holders had descended down the flying ship. Old Arlong along with his assistants had been standing on the rectangular stage below, next to the mysterious object that mark had failed to see through.
" Since this is your first time, you young people comming to this platform, let me give you a short introduction about the current test. " Old Arlong paused at his words, looking at the mysterious object with a sense of pride, he exclaimed.
" This is an ancient device, which even the seniors ancestors of our floor were unable to see through. Still few features of this object had been disclosed as of by them, before their deaths!
It could measure ones aptitude towards cultivation. Though how it achieved to measure that is not known, but it's significance had played a major role in accessing ones future.
let's say about your family patriarchs or supreme elders, they all had accessed their potential when they were young, by this device.
Unlike other potential testing devices available outside. This mysterious object even imparts a suitable cultivation technique, that could even let you cross your existence potential, provided that you crossed a certain criteria set by it to begin with.
Instead of this old high manager explaining about it, it would be for the best if you youngsters experience it personally by yourself.
Point your tokens towards it, and it would randomly pick up a participant out out your six, at first. "
As they were instructed, mark along with the other five had pointed their respective token towards the mysterious object waiting for their chance to be picked up by it.
Few seconds from then, the token held within mark's hand had started to glow white from the initial silver, indicating that it was his turn to be tested first.
He was naturally excited, as he was about to test his own potential he was born with. he went near the stage, standing next to old Arlong, with the mysterious object before him.
" Close your eyes, place your palms over it's surface, and let your mana flow through it. " Resounding the words exclaimed by the old Arlong within his brains, Mark placed his plans over it and let his mana flow through its surface, waiting excitedly to see his results.
Author's notes.
Characters added.
Arlong - high manager of the platform number seven in masters zone, middle part. Also a figure that doesn't seem to hold bad intention over mark, at the place.
Profession discussion - Array master.
Certain magical diagrams are made and casted into an array plate. Simply by changing the orientation of the diagrams above it, changes could be brought in the real time world as designated time.
The hierarchy among these professionals are, apprentice < specialist < master < grand master < ancient masters.