After seeing the village, I decided to walk towards it.
The forest was filled with spirits and might even have monsters inside them that I wasn't aware of.
Arriving to the small village, there were lively people and kids running around as expected of a village.
There were few spirits so that was a relief. There were about a few hundred people here, some knights and adventurers, scholars from a distant academy even.
"If I remember correctly, trials for us will feel like 2-3 years but for the outside it'll be different since not all kinds of trials are the same. We'd be fifteen by the time we finish this."
I walked around the streets, there were a few raised eyebrows at me but they didn't mind at all. Adventurers my age apparently are common in the South, I explored further and found nothing suspicious so the village was safe.
Stopping at a bench, I then thought to myself:
"The elder said that trials could be completed once all the students who took the trials of each cave got their destined weapon and awakened, or if everyone fails and dies..."
"What a sad fate, dying in here means you can't go back. It's rare though, to wake up alone."
Stopping by an inn, I bought a room to stay in for now and sat down by the bed.
Just then, an inn clerk knocked on my open door, the man looked rather old to be working, it is a small village so I guess it should be fine?
The old man smiled seeing my youthful appearance and then bowed lightly.
" Young sir, lunch will be serving soon. Shall I bring you your food?" The man said with a smile on his wrinkly face.
Giving him a smile, I said, "No, thank you. I will be walking around a bit shortly so maybe I'll just reserve the cheapest lunch food you have."
The man nodded with a smile saying:
"Young sir must be tired from traveling, I will make sure your food stays hot once you return."
The elderly man left, his footsteps fading. I placed a few stuff on the bed and then took out a familiar looking necklace, it was the same when I practiced circulating Mana.
' I still have to keep my routine even while I still don't have my destined weapon and while I haven't awakened. '
Activating the simple spell, Mana flowed through out my body as it circulated endlessly, my legs were crossed and my eyes were closed.
Full concentration.
"I have all the time in the world, Wang Zihan and Zhao Lina and the others can do as they wish." I said inwardly and continued practicing.
Other than dying or the participants getting their weapon and awakening, they can also defeat the boss of the trial or solve the trials issues to complete them.
They can also wait for the 2-3 year time until the trial ends, North and South Trials were favorites of the people because it had a short time limit and the rewards were fair.
East could sometimes be just four years or four years and 6 months.
For Trial of West and Trial of All...
They ranged from 5-10 years so waiting it out is useless. Especially because trials rewards you with bonuses depending on how much things you've done, while grading you.
"Good thing we're in Trial of South..."
Right...?
***
Zhao Lina and her group traversed the creepy and dark forest...
The forest only had harmless creatures like dear and some weird looking sheeps.
However despite it being the day, the forest only blocking most of the sun light, it felt chilly for them.
The young man in her group shivered and spoke up:
"We can't keep traversing the forest like this, it's way too chilly." He said while blowing hot breath on his hands.
"Indeed it's rather chilly here, it's not even night yet."
" Ms. Zhao, if we may not be so rude but can we stop for a moment to rest? Maybe build a fire? "
The two young women added while shivering I'm their timbers.
Zhao Lina sighed and nodded, while saying in an indifferent and even tone:
" Fine then, I'll light the fire and you all find a good place and some wood. "
She paused, looked around the dark and chilly forest, and then added:
" After that I'll take a look around, I feel that we're just thirty minutes away from reaching a clearing. "
The two girls looked at it each other but instead just went to get some wood.
The young man watched them leave and then turned to Zhao Lina, her face was indifferent as always and her blood red eyes were staring into the distance...
The man sighed and walked away, helping the two girls trying to get a branch from a tall tree.
Sparing them a glance, Zhao Lina went further into the forest while not going too far from her group.
No one could see or feel what she was sensing, but far away in the distance is something hot, her eyes narrowed as she felt the temperature in the distance rise...
"It's a clearing so it should just be the sun right?" She thought to herself, her eyebrows furrowed as the temperature then dropped to the same chilly atmosphere of the forest, and then rise again...
...
The fire was set, the two girls were happily eating some meat that the young man got for them.
Zhao Lina ate elegantly despite the surroundings, the night has already fallen but her eyes were still focused on the distant clearing.
The temperature rose and fell repeatedly, like the forest was breathing.
Sipping some water, she spoke:
"It is said that the trials make you wake up to a place that hints to your affinities and you'll know your awakened powers."
The three listened intently since it is THE Zhao Lina speaking, and they didn't know what kind of information you'll get from someone of the middle clans.
The three slowed down their eating and put all eyes and attention on their superior.
Seeing this, she continued, "You all may not feel or sense this but far in the clearing, the temperature rose in heat, and then drops repeatedly. So if I may ask, what are your family backgrounds?"
***
Wang Zihan's group...
They were by the coast and we're pretty laid back...
Just like Zhao Lina and her families ability to perceive the temperature of the surroundings, whether it's hot or whether it's cold.
Wang Zihan's family were known for perceiving light and darkness, it also goes the same for feeling the coldness.
The Zhao family had affinities to the sun and the fire, Zhao Lina was only able to tell the heat temperature of beings but not their cold temperature.
Wang Zihan had this ability...
He glanced at the forest and then turned his gaze back to the ocean and the waves.
' something is utterly wrong with this forest...'
Looking at the ocean while hearing his comrades talk about ridiculous topics.
It was rumored that where you wake up in the trials depends on a person or a groups background, personality, affinities, or their dreams and nightmares...
Sighhh....
He took another glance at the oceans waves. In his eyes, the waves were colored in pale blue meaning that the waters were freezing or just very cold.
He then willed his mind to focus on the light...
Nothing...
He then focused it on the darkness...
By the Sandy beach, there were vague and dark silhouettes moving around, they didn't seem hostile yet and they didn't know that Wang Zihan can see them.
This time he turned part of his mind to focus on the low, cold temperatures while keeping the dark focus intact...
There was a faint glow of blue around the silhouettes, they were basically like the cold night breeze.
He turned his eyes towards the forest...
The shadows and the darkness moved and far in the distance, there were a massive amount of blue that covered almost half of the creepy dark forest...
There was a weird spot though, a large area was a deeper shade of blue but then disappears and then reappears once more repeatedly.
"Is the South really like this? Where in the South even are we?" He thought to himself and then walked towards his comrades who were having a hearty meal and a talk.
The others turned their heads and smiled.
Before they could say anything though, Wang Zihan spoke before they could:
"Something is up with the beach and the forest. So answer truthfully, tell me each of your family backgrounds... Better yet, tell me everything about you guys."