For the NAAT exam, they needed to travel to Gitara, a city located in the southern edge of the Empire.
Though it wasn't as grand as the Holy City, Gitara was still a sprawling metropolis, home to a population of 28 million. It covered an impressive area of almost 400,000 square kilometers, encompassing vast mountains and dense forests. These forests extended not just within the city limits but also beyond them.
Gitara was best known for the Samut Rainforest, a dense expanse of greenery once teeming with monsters and other creatures. The forest, which spanned an area of 7.8 million square kilometers, was the fourth largest in the world. In the past, it had been classified as a Rank B danger zone, making it notorious among adventurers.
However, the rainforest's perilous reputation changed after a renowned platinum rank awakened party cleared it of high-threat monsters during their early adventures. Over time, the area's classification dropped to Rank E. Nowadays, only creatures with threat levels between 0 and 1 remained, making the forest an ideal training ground for new awakeneds—and a venue for the NAAT exam.
At the train station in the Holy City, the group arrived to board their train to the southern city.
The exam was set to begin in 20 hours, and the train ride, covering a distance of 10,000 kilometers, would take three hours.
Wealthier individuals often opted for teleportation gates for such long journeys, but the group chose the train due to the exorbitant cost of teleportation. Even so, the train tickets weren't cheap—they cost 100,000 rupees per person. Still, this was far more affordable than the alternative.
The high cost of travel wasn't due to any financial crisis within the empire—there never had been one. Instead, it was due to the rarity of such journeys. The outside world, infested with monsters and deadly creatures, was a death sentence for non-awakened individuals, so most people avoided travel altogether.
Additionally, the construction and maintenance of train tracks in monster-infested territories were astronomically expensive. Each track was enclosed within a protective barrier, the cost of which far exceeded conventional construction expenses.
Teleportation gates were similarly costly, as they required rare Tier 3 Formation Art and an ample supply of spirit stones to operate.
Flying transportation had once been considered but was quickly abandoned; the skies were even more dangerous, swarming with far stronger monsters.
Jin and his companions—Luke, Jay, and Mira—checked their luggage as they passed through rigorous security screenings for illegal items. With their tickets in hand, they waited for the train, which was set to arrive in ten minutes. Nell had accompanied them to the station to see them off.
"You're not coming with us?"
Jin asked, glancing over his shoulder while double-checking his bag to ensure he hadn't forgotten anything.
"Nah," Nell replied. "I've got some work to do here. By the way, you've been busy enough with my books lately."
"Your collection is fascinating. It has information I never imagined existed."
"I'm glad you think so. Oh, by the way, I almost forgot."
"What is it?" Jin asked, curious.
"Happy birthday, Jin."
Nell said with a smile, producing a small cupcake topped with a single lit candle dancing in the wind.
"You knew it was my birthday?"
Jin's crimson eyes softened as memories of his past flickered in his mind—a time when he celebrated his birthdays with his mother and sister.
His mother, though not skilled at baking, would practice making cakes days in advance just to surprise him. The cakes were always imperfect, but Jin would eat them with a bright smile.
"Of course I knew. How could I forget my dear disciple's birthday?"
Jin struggled to hide his smile.
'A cupcake, seriously?'
Nell looked around, about to call the others to join in cutting the cupcake. However, before Nell could say anything, Jin snatched the cupcake, blew out the candle, and ate it in a single bite.
"Don't you dare tell the others,"
Jin warned through a mouthful of cake.
Nell chuckled, gently placing a hand on Jin's head.
"Silly boy. I'm sorry I didn't bring you a proper gift this time—it took longer than I expected. But when you return, I'll give you a birthday present along with one for passing the exam."
Just then, the train pulled into the station. Luke called out to Jin from a short distance away.
"Jin! It's time to go!"
Jin turned to Nell one last time.
"See you later, Albedo."
"Hey now, Call me Nell. What's the point of changing my face if you don't use the name?"
Jin ran toward the train's entrance.
'What's wrong with you, me? Don't let anyone emotionally manipulate you'
He scolded himself internally.
Living in the Forbidden Land, one of the lessons the realm had taught him was to never trust anyone—not even himself.
After all, there were creatures capable of altering one's very thoughts. Yet, coming to the human realm had caused him to lose sight of this caution, specially with Albedo.
The group boarded the train, and their journey to the south began.
The train traveled at an extremely fast pace, covering vast distances in just a few hours. This incredible speed was made possible by mana engineering—a groundbreaking technology born from the fusion of science and spiritual arts.
The train traveled through a tunnel surrounded by a protective barrier designed to prevent monster attacks. However, the barrier was not an infallible solution. In the past, powerful monsters had broken through, leading to catastrophic incidents.
To prevent such occurrences, higher bronze-rank to lower silver rank awakened were always stationed aboard to ensure the train's safety.
Despite these precautions, the train was scarcely occupied, with less than half the seats filled. Moreover, it wasn't particularly large in size.
Jay sat in his seat, his eyes closed, maintaining a posture taught to him by Jin.
'Since reaching Level 2, my nightmares have changed. I'm not terrified of them anymore. It's like I've started to accept them—as if they're a part of me.'
"Let's try again."
He murmured softly before falling into a deep sleep almost instantly.
In his dream or perhaps nightmare, he once again faced the darkness. The hands of shadow reached out, pulling him toward the staircase leading to the Iron Throne once again.
But this time, something was different. Jay's perception of the place had shifted entirely. He could now see more than before, think more clearly, and command his body to move. Even so, the shadowy figure kneeling before the throne remained obscured and indistinct.
That wasn't the only change. For the first time, Jay could see the Iron Throne up close. It felt as if the once-unapproachable, majestic throne had drawn nearer.
But no, the path hadn't actually shortened—he realized it was simply that he could now walk closer to it, something he hadn't been able to do before.
With each step he took, the shadowy world became clearer, offering him fragmented pieces of profound knowledge. But the knowledge, vague and incomplete, always left him yearning for more.
Or perhaps, he wan not meant to comprehend it fully.
Jay continued walking, the darkness yielding to his advancing presence. Ten steps away from the throne, he raised his foot to take another step when a whisper echoed in his mind—soft yet resonant.
"Jasmine."
With that single word, his nightmare shattered.
Jay woke up abruptly.
'Damn it, so close.'
He opened his eyes so quickly that it triggered a sharp headache.
"Ahh... I need tea," he groaned.
Luckily for him, the train's cafeteria staff had just brought out tea and coffee. Grateful for the timing, he grabbed a cup of tea and took a sip, letting out a sigh of relief.
"It's good," he muttered.
"No, it's quite average."
Jin commented, sitting beside him and taking a deep sip from his own cup.
Jay glanced at Jin, curious.
"What are you reading?"
"Basic stuff."
Jin replied without looking up. Then, after a pause, he turned to Jay.
"So, I heard Albedo told you about your innate ability."
"Yeah... yeah, he did."
Jay responded hesitantly.
"So... how do you feel about it?"
"I don't know."
Jay admitted, frowning.
"What exactly is an innate ability, anyway?"
Jin pondered the question for a moment before answering carefully.
"It's like a gift—something granted to the Abnormalities."
"Abnormalities? What's that?" Jay asked, confused.
Jin's expression froze for a split second. He knew the truth, but he couldn't share it. Abnormalities... those who awaken before birth. Jin thought back to what Albedo had explained.
Jay believed he had awakened during the accident that had taken his family's lives. Jin suspected otherwise—that Jay's uncontrolled innate ability had caused the tragedy.
'Unlike skills, which are automatically mastered when acquired, innate abilities require practice and control'
Jin reflected grimly.
Jay broke his thoughts.
"So, what exactly are they?"
Jin forced a neutral expression and lied smoothly.
"They're rare abilities possessed by a few extraordinarily gifted individuals."
He didn't feel guilty about the lie. He couldn't tell Jay the truth—not about abnormalities.
In the world of spiritualism, the process of birth was considered sacred. Before birth, a body was only partially formed, the psyche immature, and the soul yet to descend to the Unseen Realm. Abnormalities, however, already possessed their souls, bodies, and psyches before these components could properly form.
This made them forbidden by the ORDER. Albedo had been firm—no one must know about Jay's innate ability.
Jin thought about all this as he sipped his tea. Even he hadn't fully understood abnormalities until Albedo had granted him access to his private library. The knowledge still weighed heavily on him.
Jay, unaware of the storm of thoughts in Jin's mind, simply sipped his tea, waiting for answers Jin couldn't give.