[Singularity Mammoth - Carcass]
[Absorb Vitality? Y/N]
[Absorption Failed]
"Singularity Mammoth..." Tristan mouthed. He could feel the infinite vitality of this Singularity Mammoth which didn't allow the body to rot for millions of years and when the absorption failed, Tristan understood that he was too weak to absorb it.
Last Resort heard what Tristan said. "Singularity Mammoth, that is indeed what it was known as in our Battle Body World's texts."
Tristan looked at Last Resort. "You said you are a remnant from the war for this carcass, how old are you then?" Last Resort sighed. "Perhaps a hundred thousand years or more, I've long stopped counting."
Tristan sighed. "Isn't this carcass known to humans who enter this fragment to explore like my group?" Last Resort shook his head. "No it isn't. I don't allow them to come past a certain point, with my ability it is not hard to do that. Entry to the fragment to weaklings like you is also my work, I have been looking for individuals who can obtain the item I need, but all of whom I've selected earlier have died trying to obtain it. I've already erased the memory of those four who came with you earlier."
Tristan sighed. All those who have tried obtaining the item have died. "What do I have to do?" He asked.
Last Resort pointed towards the carcass of the mammoth and a cave suddenly opened just under it with stairs going underground.
"You have to enter the cave and complete the trial. You will obtain some rewards, including a golden flat disk. You need to bring me the disk, the remaining rewards can be yours."
Tristan shook his head and went into the cave. He didn't have a choice in this matter. The old ghost Last Resort was extremely powerful and Tristan had no real power at all.
When he reached the end of the stairs, he came to an altar. There were three buttons and a book. When he arrived at the altar, the book automatically opened and a voice spoke into his mind. "Test of intellect."
Then it began asking a series of questions about plants, botany, fruits and vegetation. The questions began from extremely simple ones to eventually becoming more and more complex. Eventually at the 25th question Tristan had no idea how to answer the question.
He touched a button wondering whether that corresponded to the right answer, but then his eyes lit up. Till now, whenever he pressed the button for the answer the system would show an alert.
[Mystery Force]
However, when he touched the button now, he didn't get a response. When he touched the second button he got the response from the system again.
[Mystery Force]
While the third button again didn't have a response. Trusting his gut he pressed the button which gave him the response and it turned out to be the correct answer. He continued doing this until the 100th question after which the questions ended.
Then the voice boomed in his head. "Well done! I have never seen a peerless genius like you before." Tristan heard that and only lamented bitterly. The voice boomed on within his mind. "As a gift, you can accept my heritage of botany and zoology. All knowledge about vegetation, fruits, natural poisons and herbs as well as all kind of basic concoctions as well as secrets about creatures are now yours."
At that moment, an incredible amount of knowledge poured into Tristan's mind that threatened to explode his brain. He could not tolerate it and passed out. An hour later, Tristan woke up. He was in another room now.
Tristan blinked. He could feel a wealth of information within his mind. He realized that he was already in the second trial.
This room was a narrow tunnel. In front of him was a path of hot coals then suddenly blazed with a powerful purple flame. Then a voice boomed. "This is the trial of the heart. If your heart is evil, you will perish."
Tristan didn't think too much and simply walked on the purple flame walking forward. He felt nothing as he passed through.
The first test was a test of gluttony - he saw images of powerful fruits from the knowledge imparted to him and knowing the effects he did have desire in his heart. The purple flame blazed, but suddenly the aura of dragon bone that Tristan had absorbed simply glowed a bit and Tristan remained unharmed.
The second test was the test was pride. This test Tristan passed without any help anyway. The same happened with sloth, envy, wrath, lust and greed as well. This was a relatively easy test for him.
A voice boomed again. "Well done. You are sufficiently clean from the seven sins. The next test is the final test. It is a test of perseverance and also an opportunity." Tristan was then transported into another room.
"Enter the Herb Sacrifice Pool! It is a unique concoction that only I have created in the universe. It will not make you stronger, but it will expand your potential of growth to an almost infinite limit the longer you stay in the pool. If you stay in the pool till the very end you will have completed the trial."
Tristan nodded, took his clothes off and entered the Herb Sacrifice Pool. Without thinking, he slowly entered the depths of the pool, completely submerging in the black sludge. Then the voice boomed. "Begin!"
The Black Sludge began boiling and became tremendously hot that its surface began showing a Red sheen. Tristan was in incredible pain. His body was burning, every inch of it. He felt like he was constantly melting and then being molded back. Each successive cycle of melting and molding was increasingly more painful, but it continued without any respite.
Every second Tristan felt like giving up and going to sleep, but a voice within screamed, telling him to stay awake and not give up. The pain was incredible, a pain that tore at his very soul. This process of torture went on for three days and three nights, when finally after the millionth melting and remolding the black sludge turned transparent.
Tristan kept panting. He was tired and relieved. He had managed to persevere. He didn't find any difference within himself and neither did the system seem to suggest anything. But the voice had said it would increase his potential, would that refer to the difficulty of evolving?