After Talho's proposal things happened fast. Mares had no reason to deny it and even had the feeling that Talho wouldn't let him. He was informed that the trial would happen in a few days. Talho probably needed to prepare the Colosseum and market the event.
As soon as he could, Mares went to his room, exchanged greetings with the others, and spent a bit of time with them, before going to the training room, making sure he was alone. Without wanting to waste even a second more, he got the Void Beast core and absorbed the energy from it.
When he used the other cores, it was the same feeling as satiating his thirst after drinking a cup of water. However, if before he had small to medium caps, now he drank straight from a bucket.
His body felt stuffed with Astral Energy, and if it was before, his muscles and bones would probably be ripping themselves apart before using that energy to regenerate. Now, however, it just felt like it would take longer to digest this energy.
This would also allow for more benefits since if his body started breaking down the energy would be used to regenerate him, and that energy would not go to his reserves in the end. Now there would be no loss, and his reserves of Astral Energy would become even higher. And considering they already were, to begin with, this would be another huge increase.
After that he tested his techniques once more, starting with his idea to fill his air rings with Astral Energy. To his surprise, it took even longer this time than when he tried to do it in the forest.
Esen explained that because his reserves had grown so fast while he lacked control over it since the beginning, this was the final result. Basically, it was the same as making a building, if the base, in this case, his precision and control, was lacking, it did not matter the quality, everything else would fall apart.
To fix that, Esen recommended a few mental exercises, but mostly meditation. In the following days, it would allow Mares to improve his control back to what it was, which still wasn't optimal but it would be a start.
Following it, he experimented with his improved reinforcement technique, the first one he ever got even before entering the Colosseum. Now others could understand he was using a technique since Mares would be covered in marks.
The marks appeared like paintings representing the bones in Mares' body, except for his face which remained the same. In the first stage, this technique improved his strength by 50%, and at his current second state, it would be an improvement of 100%.
It was just a pity that his training room could not take that kind of power, he would have to wait until the Trial by Fire to see the results.
And to finish it, he tested the technique or at least part of it, he got from the Earthly Brute. Having had the chance to contact the creature during various times of the battle, it was inevitable Mares would copy its Beastly Technique.
He soon discovered something interesting, however. Because of the formations that covered the building and probably the entirety of the Colosseum and its underground, he couldn't pass through the solid ground like the Earthly Brute had.
When he thought about it, it was probably a given. He probably wasn't the only person that ever passed this place and could pass through objects. Besides, not even Esen had a way to know what other types of powers these formations were interrupting.
But this allowed him to look at the second effect this technique gave.
For the Earthly Brute to move around so freely even underground, its vision had to be able to see through it, and now so could Mares.
It was a combination of x-ray vision with heat vision plus the bonus of seeing Astral Energy in raw form. For example, if someone used a telekinesis-type of technique, Mares would be able to see the Astral Energy in the air while others couldn't.
Depending on the type of powers his future opponents will have, this could be a great advantage.
During this time, he didn't just practice but also catch up with the other members of his room. They had been doing well lately thanks to their performances and Mares' job in the forest had also rewarded him with some more points.
They enjoyed good food and drinks, attempting to ease Mares' nerves. Or at least that's what they said, but seeing how the silver-eyed seemed the same as ever, they were just enjoying the good times.
"Damn! I didn't think I would see a Trial by Fire in my lifetime here! Much less from someone I knew!"
Glarto exclaimed the same words everyone was thinking.
"Is it such a rare event?"
Asked Mares for some clarification.
"It is very uncommon to happen. The last one was thirty years ago, and the challenger died. If I am not mistaken there were around ten in the whole history of this place, and only a few succeeded."
Elaso explained, hiding nothing from Mares. They were very impressed that Talho deemed the kid enough to have a shot at it, but it would do no good to not make Mares understand the severity of the event.
"The environment will be against you, everyone and everything there will be trying to kill you. Unless you are an Undying, even if someone has regeneration, they would have a hard time moving around there."
The elastic man painted the pictures Mares needed to know. It would be impossible to know the conditions he would have to fight in before the day of the Trial, but he got a general grasp of the event now.
"But, don't get overwhelmed. If there is someone that can win that Trial, I know it is you. For now, let's enjoy the present."
Rising his drink, Elaso cheered and everyone followed. They enjoyed the moments of happiness and celebration like no one else, knowing that life and death could be decided at any moment for them. They all cherished every moment they had.
On the following days, Mares was either relaxing, meditating, or practicing his techniques. And soon enough, the day for the Trial had arrived.
The Colosseum was full, and once more the marketing had been scarily effective in a short period. The bit of Mares' reputation as the unexpected winner against a technique user when he first entered the Colosseum and his crazy way to win his first official fight also helped to attract. But even without those things, the simple fact that this was a Trial by Fire would have attracted everyone.
As Elaso said, the last one had been thirty years ago, and the one before forty or fifty years ago. It was the type of thing everyone on the planet knew about, but no one thought they would witness. And those that did were even more excited to witness it again.
From the six thousand ranks forward, most of the gladiators were satisfied in simply keeping their positions and living well inside that place. Before those ranks almost no one had the strength to challenge the Trial, so years passed without ever being invoked. And now people had the chance to see it again, and no one wanted to miss it since it could take another thirty years or more for the next one.
"So, how long do you think he will last?"
"Three cycles."
"Damn, only so? I think you are looking down too much on that mad man, I would say at least ten cycles."
"The most important thing is not how long he can live, but how many do you think he can take down?"
"Well, we know he doesn't seem to be afraid of even being eaten by a Void Beast, so I wouldn't be surprised if he ignored attacks on him to kill others."
"I would say he might be able to take fifteen to twenty before dying."
"I will say thirty!"
Those types of conversations were commonplace among the viewers. No one believed in Mares' chance to survive, but everyone wanted to see how well or badly he would do before dying.
"What do you think?"
In the underground, the gladiators were also allowed to watch, at least those that were not selected to be on the Trial to fight Mares.
In one of the top rooms, the question came from a woman in the top thirty of the Colosseum. She asked her leader, someone on the top three.
"It will be an interesting show. When the Silver one passes it, we should try to contact him."
The leader replied. She was a woman shorter than Mares but with a body that looked like had received training throughout her whole life. Her hair was tied in a ponytail and she had pointy ears. Her eyes also had a sharpness to them that would hurt those that looked.
"Do you think he will survive?"
Her subordinate's surprise was understandable.
"That bastard wouldn't make an event like this if Silver had no chance. So, I would like to believe in that chance. If he wins it will also shake things, we have been at a stalemate for too long."
She didn't elaborate further and both paid attention at the arena.
In place of the usual huge platform was a pyramid, in which each step was half as big as the usual platform. There were already a lot of gladiators there, ready to attack at any second.
And to top that, every step had a different characteristic to make for different battle environments. The ones there were with the appropriate equipment to fight in those environments, but Mares would have to do with what he had.
Suddenly, all the floating screens around started a countdown. Everyone paid attention to the arena, waiting for Mares to suddenly appear and start battling his way through countless opponents.
Those that made bets were praying for him to do as they predicted, either to die at five, ten, twenty, or even thirty cycles. Not a single bet had been put on him winning.
Without any warning, a loud sound came from the area he would be coming from, but no one saw the gladiator with silver eyes.
"Look there!"
Someone pointed it out to the screens.
The Trial had already started, but Mares wouldn't be just walking towards it. Before he had the chance to even step out of the room, he had been sent into the air at extremely high speed, covering hundreds of meters in seconds.
While in the middle air, he wasn't alone, surrounded by all sides by robots and flying Void Beasts.
The Trial by Fire started and lived up to its name.