Three days later, on the day of the first trial, Gilgamel woke up feeling great. He showered, changed into new robes, and enjoyed a sumptuous breakfast at the Cafeteria.
The Cafeteria was filled with many people at this time. They were eating quietly, with solemn expressions on their faces.
It seemed like they were aware that this might be their last day eating in the Cafeteria.
"I don't like this kind of atmosphere."
While Gilgamel was eating in silence, Collin suddenly sat beside him and looked around.
The Cafeteria is unusually quiet, unlike its usual lively ambience, which is filled with laughter and conversation during meals.
"Everyone is anxious. That's normal," Gilgamel responded calmly without pausing his meal.
Collin shrugged his shoulders, then started his breakfast.
An hour later...
"DING DONG.... DING DONG..."
The echoing sound of the Grand Bell rang twice, signalling all first-floor members to gather at the Training Field.
On the first floor, there were three distinct sounds from the Grand Bell: one ring signalled mealtime, two called for members to gather immediately at the Training Field, and three rings signified death.
Knowing that today was the day of the First Trial, the members wasted no time and promptly headed to the Training Field.
In less than ten minutes, all the members had gathered at the centre of the Training Field, anxiously awaiting the announcement.
Gilgamel and Dodo were among the crowd. Beside him, Collin and Medelien stood looking at the platform, which was not too far from them.
"Ahh, this reminds me of the Welcoming Ceremony five years ago. We were young and short; my chest wasn't even yet developed." Medelien suddenly spoke with a nostalgic expression on her face; her hands unconsciously touched her breasts.
Collin's face turned red, and he exclaimed: "You vulgar woman. Can you speak properly? What if others hear you?"
"Just ignore her, Collin. She has no sense of shame." Gilgamel said.
Medelien gave them a bombastic side-eye, thinking that these two naive virgin boys really had no appreciation for beauty.
Gilgamel, "I can sense the malicious thoughts through your eyes."
Medelien, "It must be your imagination."
After that, Medelien and Collin continued to banter. Meanwhile, Gilgamel looked around and noticed that the number of first-floor members had remained the same for the past five years.
Although some missions undertaken by the first-floor members were dangerous, they were not life-threatening, and most required members to work within the organization.
From what he had heard, the first floor members' most dangerous mission was hunting down dangerous creatures that usually plagued small villages within Owl's jurisdiction.
Even so, despite the high risk, serious injuries were the worst outcome, and Gilgamel had never heard of a member dying on a mission.
However, the death rate in the First Trial was relatively high. According to the data researched by Gilgamel, the deaths were inevitable based on the outcomes of previous First Trials.
He wondered how many members would survive this First Trial and how many would remain in the Owl and advance to the second floor.
This kind of cruel selection...
Does it also apply to other wizard organizations? Gilgamel couldn't help but wonder.
Come to think of it, he had never had any contact with other organizations.
For five years, Gilgamel had only left Owl territory once a year to visit Grandpa and Grandma. They were the two elders of the innkeeper for whom he used to work.
Even after Gilgamel became a wizard, he still considered the two elders as his own grandparents. Naturally, he needs to visit them regularly to check their situations,
However, he was usually never absent from the organization for a long time and would only be away for a week at most. Following that, he would promptly return to the organization without making any stops elsewhere.
Meanwhile, Evernight City belonged exclusively to Owl. It didn't allow other wizard organizations to establish themselves in its territory, only permitting them to open branches for commercial purposes.
Darwin was likely the only individual from a different wizard organization with whom Gilgamel had interacted. However, the Royal Treasure House was not solely comprised of wizards; they were simply a group of merchants solely focused on making a profit.
Other than Darwin, Gilgamel had no acquaintances from other wizards' organizations.
While Gilgamel's mind was drifting somewhere, five figures with powerful aura grandly appeared on stage, capturing the crowd's attention, which was busy chatting in the field.
Among them was a middle-aged man with grey hair, thick eyebrows, and a short beard. He wore a blue robe and held a long staff made of a long, thin, and gnarled wooden stalk with a dark-coloured round gemstone attached to the end.
This person is Framis Linsey, Sixth Circle Wizard. He is the chief organizer of the First Trial.
Framis stood dignified on the stage, gazing down at the quiet youngsters below.
After a moment, he finally opened his mouth and said, "The First Trial is a cherished tradition within the Owl, providing young members the chance to prove their worth. Success means a place among the honoured, while failure serves as a call to strive for greater heights."
Framis paused briefly before resuming his speech. "Today marks the commencement of the First Trial. In our capacity as your seniors, we trust that all of you will put forth your utmost effort and demonstrate your worthiness to continue being members of Owl."
With that being said, he gently tapped his staff on the floor, producing waves of mana throughout the field. Subsequently, a thousand blue sparks appeared before each thousand members below, eventually forming into blue crystals.
Upon seeing the confused and puzzled expressions of the participants, Framis quickly explained: "These crystals are Memory Crystals containing vital information about the First Trial you're about to undertake. Crush them with your hands, and the information inside will be automatically transferred to your memory!"
Without further delay, the individuals in the field, including Gilgamel, promptly followed the orders Framis gave.
As soon as they shattered the Memory Crystal, a rush of information inundated their thoughts.
The included information is as follows:
1. The venue for the first trial is Elkia City, which has been ravaged and is now overrun by abyssal creatures.
2. Trial participants must survive for 30 days in Elkia City; otherwise, they will be deemed as failures.
3. Participants must eliminate a minimum of ten Tier-1 abyssal creatures within thirty days. Failing to do so will be considered a failure.
4. Participants are free to either form teams or go solo in this trial.
5. Eliminating Tier-2 abyssal creatures and obtaining the abyssal crystal is equivalent to defeating five Tier-1 abyssal creatures; the points can be shared with teammates.
6. Participants will receive a special device to track the points earned from killing abyssal creatures.
7. In the event that a participant is in danger and wants to withdraw before the trial ends, they can directly deactivate the counting device.
After reading the contents of the Memory Crystal, Gilgamel immediately fell into contemplation.
So, in summary, participants in the First Trial must accomplish two main objectives: to survive and earn points.
However, achieving these two goals is challenging, especially when confronted by abyssal creatures.
Abyssal creatures are organisms deeply contaminated by abyssal energy, rendering them mindless and instinctively hostile.
Despite their aggressive nature, they also possess powerful sensory abilities, making it difficult for other creatures to hide from them.
Gilgamesh acknowledged that the First Trial was indeed challenging, especially for someone with limited fighting experience like himself. Fortunately, he had successfully recruited two formidable fighters to join his team.
"Hiss... we have to deal with abyssal creatures? We are doomed! I heard they are incredibly hard to deal with..." Medelien wails in a low voice.
Gilgamel shook his head and said, "Although abyssal creatures are challenging to handle, they are still mindless beings. We, as humans, have a high chance of defeating them with careful preparation and strategy. Besides, it's not as if you'll be hunting them down alone. We are a team; don't forget that!"
"Gilgamel is correct," Collin nodded and said, "Although you may not be of much assistance, you should have faith in me and Gilgamel. We will undoubtedly assist you in passing this trial."
"Excuse me!" Medelien exploded in anger.
Saying she wouldn't be so helpful was very dismissive. After all, she was also a level 9 wizard!
Moreover, her combat experience was more extensive than both of theirs. After all, she had undertaken dangerous missions before opening her food stall.
Their arrogance is beyond help!
Medelien secretly vowed, 'Just you wait. I'll show you how powerful a wizard chef like me is! I'll make them bow before me!'