Tonight was a special night.
Both the Awakened and Non-Awakened were poised to welcome a new year. Meanwhile, the Non-Awakened who had reached the age of 16 were getting ready for something different.
The Awakening Phase.
This was an annual occurrence, and for those eligible for the Trial, what greeted them on New Year's Eve was neither cheers nor fireworks lighting up the night sky. Instead, it was a view of the green expanse of the 1st floor, renowned as the floor that never slumbered.
There were 3 hours left before the tower community welcomed the new year. In the meantime, the candidates gathered around the center where the facility's core was located.
A platform had been erected, and atop it stood the Awakeneds from Aquila House. They had been telling the candidates about what they should know about the tutorial floors.
The first one was about the 1st floor. The layout and structure of the 1st floor gave off the vibe of an RPG setting — the starting greenfield area for new players to hunt weak monsters. It had a unique setting, as nightfall never graced this floor, earning it the name "The floor that never slumbered."
"You will be transported to the first floor right after the Trial starts, it serves as a rest area for the candidates. So whenever you have cleared the trial on each floor, you will always return to the first floor and wait for the next trial's countdown to end," said the male Awakened.
"I suggest you use that waiting time to practice and hone your skills. Also, don't forget to review your performance on the trial you have taken. It will greatly help you," said the other one.
The third Awakened stepped forward with a grin.
"The second up to the fifth floor is a solo trial. As you all already know, if you fail to pass the solo trial, it means you will not receive anything. Because the tower only bestows a Trace on those who pass the fifth floor. But don't worry, if you fail to receive a Trace, you can participate again in the following year's Trial," she said, then pulled out a hologram projection from her bracelet.
The projection displayed a visual presentation of what the three Awakeneds said.
Excluding the first floor, the tutorial floors would have a total of 8 floors. This meant that there would be four solo trials and four group trials.
To earn recognition from the tower, and consequently be eligible for awakening and receiving a Trace, one needed to pass the solo trials. At that point, they had the option to either proceed with further trials or be content with their progress.
Opting to continue would result in the acquisition of a more potent Trace. However, choosing not to would lead to receiving a Trace of a lower rank, which might not prove as beneficial for living or survival in the tower.
Based on the data gathered and analyzed by the Awakened, the projected rewards were as follows:
===
First to fourth floor => Failed, will not get any Trace. Still eligible for entering the Awakening Phase until the candidate celebrates his or her 19th birthday.
Fifth floor => Inferior, with a little chance of getting Intermediate-rank Trace.
Sixth floor => Intermediate, with a little chance of getting Superior-rank Trace.
Seventh floor => Superior, with a fifty-fifty chance of getting Transcendent-rank Trace.
Eighth floor => Transcendent, with a little chance of getting Mystical-rank Trace.
Ninth floor => Mystical, with a little chance of getting Supreme-rank Trace.
===
Sorath frowned as soon as he saw the visual presentation.
'Just as I thought. There's no information about Eternal-rank Trace. Could it be that Eternal is the highest rank that hasn't been discovered yet? Even the novel doesn't have anything to say about this rank.'
The Awakened deactivated the hologram projection and observed the candidates' expressions. The majority of them had a hopeful and determined face, causing her to smile and nod.
"I hope you will maintain the spirits and aim for the highest floor, as our future in this tower depends on you youngsters. I hope you all successfully awakened and become a full-pledged Ascender."
Slightly bowing her head, she dismissed the gathering and instructed the candidates to get in and rest in their respective training spaces that had been given earlier.
Sorath looked at the piece of paper in his hand. The number "40" was written on it. With that in mind, he navigated his way to the training space with that number. On the way, he bumped into Atri, who had the same destination as him, so they walked together.
"Did you sabotage your room number?" Sorath asked.
Turning at him, Atri tilted her head.
"Me? Why would I do that?"
"Never mind."
Sorath looked away, keeping his gaze forward.
'The change caused by the Guardian's power keeps on appearing…'
After walking for a few minutes, they finally arrived at their destination, Training Space number 40.
'Let's see…'
Sorath extended his hand, reaching for the door. Sliding it open, he found the room already enchanted with a cozy living room setting. It had televisions, a fireplace, and everything, just like a dream house. Four people already settled and were lazing around in the room.
Upon noticing Sorath and Atri, they suddenly moved and greeted them respectfully.
Atri raised her hand, gesturing for them to stop.
"This setting is perfect for loosening ourselves and enjoying the remaining time before we are transported to the first floor, right Sorath?"
Sorath shrugged. "Whatever."
He strode toward the empty sofa and lay down.
"Anything's fine as long as I can close my eyes."
The four tensed up. It was palpable that they felt nervous around Sorath, especially after that incident from earlier.
Noticing their tenseness, Atri smiled and tried to calm them down. In a short time, the mood in the room returned. The four, following Atri's suggestion, treated him as though he wasn't there.
Although it sounded vicious, Sorath, in fact, appreciated that they treated him like that as he didn't have the energy to do even a small talk. Slowly, he fell into the dream world, and when he woke up, he saw Atri's face the moment he opened his eyes.
"You're awake, Sorath."