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"It's been going easy so far, don't you think?" I commented, glancing around at the peaceful surroundings.
"Don't say things like that!" Rem warned, looking over her shoulder, even though the area was empty. "It's only easy for you. Just having the mark alone puts you ahead of everyone else here."
"Alright, alright—just keep that down. Someone might hear you."
She clamped her mouth shut, realizing her slip. So far, we hadn't run into anything too challenging aside from that wolf-like creature, but it had been too quiet. We were nearly at the tower marking the end, yet had barely run into any other pairs besides the team in the forest.
Then, without warning, we were pulled down into darkness. When light returned, we found ourselves in a stone chamber lit by torches flickering along the walls.
"Huh? Where are we?" Rem muttered, scanning the unfamiliar room.
"Must be part of the test."
At that moment, a voice spoke up, and I spotted the golden-armored young man I'd seen waiting with the others. He was standing with the girl with rabbit ears.
"Finally, someone shows up," he said, rising to his feet. "I'm Lark Dawnshield, and this is a duel chamber. The rules are simple—the room only lets the winner pass. The loser stays here until another participant enters." He drew his sword, glancing over at us. "So, let's get this over with."
"Well, I think you'll be waiting a little longer."
This seemed like a perfect chance to test my strength. Releasing the somnium from my core, I felt the solar energy expand around me, flooding the room with intense light and heat. My last attempt at this looked like a faint candle compared to the blazing power I could feel radiating out now. Kran hadn't lied about what the heart would do to my strength. I was only scratching the surface of my somnium reserves.
The chamber lit up like midday, and I could see Lark's expression change, his face full of surprise and alarm.
"H-how…"
He shook himself, adjusting his grip, and held his sword with both hands as he rushed at me, his movements fast and precise—though they felt slow to me now. I raised a single finger and tapped his blade, the steel melting almost instantly. He lost his balance, steadying himself quickly but staring in shock at the molten metal left in his hands.
"Look, just accept defeat. You can't win, and fighting me will only make things harder for you. Wait for the next person to enter."
"If you're trying to talk me down, that must mean this technique is exhausting for you."
He wasn't wrong to think that if this were a week ago, but now I could sustain this strength without feeling a strain. If I needed to prove it, I would.
"I'm afraid that's not the case. Let me make it clear."
With a simple motion of my hand, I blew apart the stone ceiling, revealing the sky overhead. A second sun blazed alongside the real one, both of them hanging over the shattered roof.
"Give up."
Lark's hands loosened, and he dropped the melted hilt. After a long pause, he nodded, his shoulders relaxing. "...I give up."
The moment he surrendered, Rem and I were transported back to the surface. I reined in the somnium energy, and the second sun faded.
Rem stared at me, still awed. "Woah… Just how strong have you gotten?"
"Strong enough."
It was incredible, though I felt a hint of disappointment at not having a longer challenge. I could tell that a week ago, Lark might have been a formidable opponent.
We encountered no one else on the path to the end, not even a single trap. When we finally reached the center, a loud announcement echoed through the area.
"The first pair of participants has reached the finish! We congratulate them as we await the others!"
Rem turned to me, eyes wide with excitement. "We really finished first?"
"I guess it'd be stranger if we didn't after that little show back there," I replied with a grin.
"Oh, stop ruining the moment with your realism! We did it!" she said, nudging me in triumph.
For a second, her excitement became mine too. The Fated Sovereign business could wait a little longer. I had done it—reached the finish. I was one step closer to the First Plane, one step closer to finding Shaureen.
Officials soon arrived and escorted us to a waiting room, one nearly identical to the one we'd been in before. This time, large screens lined the walls, showing live feeds of the other participants and their struggles across the course. It seemed the audience had been following us on similar screens all along.
"So, what's next?" I asked, watching another pair dodge a trap on one of the screens.
"When everyone finishes, the representatives from the nations here will make their offers. You get to choose where you want to go—if they offer to take you," she explained.
"I wonder which nations might be interested," I mused. "You seem to know a lot about them—who would you recommend?"
Rem considered for a moment, then nodded confidently. "Well, of the thirteen, Azdria and Aurelia are the strongest. They're powerful, advanced, and have connections everywhere. Either one could give you the resources to find your sister. Though it's hard to get a offer from both of them."
That seemed to settle things for me. "Then one of those two, probably. That's good to know."
As we waited, Rem filled me in on the other nations' unique specialties. Their quirks were fascinating: some were celebrated for rare dream-forged metals, while others boasted cutting-edge technology or deep magical knowledge. Twenty minutes later, Lark walked into the room, giving me a nod. A steady stream of other participants followed until, after two long hours, everyone who'd passed was gathered in the room. Seeing Aponi and her father among them was a relief, and we spent a little time catching up until another announcement rang out.
"With this, the ascension test is complete! We'll now bring each participant back to the arena, one by one, where our distinguished guests may extend an invitation to their nation! If you don't receive an offer this time, feel free to try again."
I looked over at Rem, realizing there was still a chance no one would pick us. But, given the attention I'd drawn, I doubted that would be an issue.
They began calling us up one by one, and my name still hadn't come. My nerves were running high; what if they'd figured out I was the Fated Sovereign? Had they purposely saved me for last so they could capture me in plain sight?
Seeing my tension, Aponi leaned over with a reassuring smile. "They're probably just calling us in registration order," she said. "You and Rem did sign up last minute."
Her logic made sense—Rem and I had held off until the last moment, uncertain whether we could even hide my mark from the examiners.
Aponi and her father were called next. I silently hoped they'd succeed, but there was no way to know, as none of those who were called returned. Eventually, the room emptied until Rem and I were the only ones left.
"Guess we should've signed up sooner," Rem muttered.
"With the risk of being found out, the last-minute registration was worth it."
Finally, the announcer called our names, and as we entered the arena, the crowd erupted into cheers that echoed off the towering walls.
Rem glanced at me, her voice teasing. "Looks like you've got fans."
"Maybe they're yours," I replied.
She perked up, eyes bright. "You think so? That'd be amazing…"
The arena had changed since the trial. It was now smaller, and fourteen of the fifteen VIP balconies had been lowered almost to the audience's level, making it easy to see the occupants in some of them. Above each balcony, a star-like crystal hovered, casting a steady, soft light.
The announcer's voice boomed across the stadium, signaling to the representatives. "And now, for our last, but certainly not least, pair of participants, esteemed guests, please give your offers!"
For a long moment, nothing happened. But then, one by one, thirteen of the stars above the balconies lit up. Surprised murmurs rippled through the audience, and I turned to Rem for an explanation.
"So…?"
"Each nation gave you an offer," she said, wide-eyed.
Hah, and I'd been worried about not getting any.
Just then, the announcer stammered out the next line, clearly thrown off. "W-woah... a-and participants, you may now choose which nation you'll join!"
I only hesitated briefly, weighing the choice between Azdria and Aurelia.
I already knew my choice would be Azdria —both were strong, established nations with substantial resources. But with the tension between them and Aurelia's Golden Order ties, Azdria seemed like the safer choice.
Just as I was about to announce my decision, the fourteenth star lit up. Projected above each balcony, a man with a golden mask covering his face suddenly appeared, his image broadcast around the arena. The audience gasped. Even Rem looked shocked.
"Who's that?" I whispered.
"That's one of the Golden Order Council members. They rarely leave their palace, let alone come to the Second Plane…"
The man's voice filled the arena, smooth and commanding. "I am Celeste, here on behalf of the Golden Order," he said. "Young man, I extend an invitation to join us. We can offer you all that any nation could—and more."
My breath caught. To be singled out by the Golden Order itself? I'd hoped to stay as far from them as possible, and now, they were offering me a direct invitation.
"I'm honored," I replied, steadying my voice, "but I've already made my choice. I choose Azdria."
An astonished hush fell over the crowd. Turning down an invitation from the Golden Order to join their rivals was... Yeah it was a understandable reaction
The silence hung thick in the air until, at last, the announcer's voice returned, stumbling through a response.
"Y-yes, then, uh… the participants have chosen. They may now proceed to the balcony of their selected nation."
Rem and I walked toward the Azdrian balcony as a set of stairs materialized before us. The crowd's silence made the ascent feel longer than it was, and Rem was floating next to me silently, still trying to comprehend what just happened.
When we reached the top, we found ourselves before a middle-aged man seated in a chair, his dark hair tied neatly back. He wore layered purple robes belted around his waist, exuding an air of both casual and eccentric authority. Behind him stood two others dressed in green—a man and a woman, both with striking emerald hair and eyes. The man's hair was slightly unkempt, while the woman's was long and intricately braided to her back.
The man on the chair looked like he was about to burst into a laughter, though the woman beside him glared as though she'd kill him if he let even a chuckle escape. She stepped forward and gave us a polite nod.
"I apologize that you had to witness that," she said with a sigh. "I'm Virana, and this... Idiot who can't read the room is Lord Ryoken, official representative of Azdria." she gestured to the man on the chair. "The quiet one is my younger brother, Thalor. Welcome." She shot a glance at Ryoken.
A lord and an idiot in the same breath... And he doesn't mind it at all...?
Not quite sure what to say, I gave a simple nod. "Thank you. I'm Ashborn, and this is Rem."
They knew our names, but I felt like I had to reintroduce myself.
At that, the man on the chair — Lord Ryoken finally cracked, bursting into loud laughter he'd barely managed to contain.
"Hahaha!, did you see how did he just froze and closed the screens?! I bet that old hag turned red like a fresh Osan behind that mask! " He doubled over in his seat, laughing even harder.
Virana showed no mercy, and smacked him with the hilt of her sword, green sparks flying off the contact.
I wasn't sure how I'd manage to take this guy seriously.
Meanwhile, Thalor didn't intervene with any of them, only offered a calm nod and said, "Welcome."
They weren't quite what I had expected—but surprisingly, I mean that in a good way. Yet, beneath my curiosity, a feeling of dread settled in. Just recently, I'd felt confident about my strength, sure that I could handle nearly anything. But now, standing before them, I couldn't even sense the cores of the people in front of me. Their power wasn't hidden; it was at least equal or beyond mine. I wasn't strong as I thought, and the realization cut deep. I still needed to get stronger.
For all the oddness, I felt comfortable—my instincts told me I'd made the right choice. My hope of finding Shaureen felt closer than ever, like I was finally getting somewhere.
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