Niva looked down at the shard, in which his name was now carved into the center in a style. His eyes narrowed as he held it carefully in his hands before he looked up at Crevan, who was staring at him intently.
His brows furrowed, wondering why he was looking at him like that, however, he chose not to comment on it, waiting to see if he had to do anything else or if the process was completely over, for he had many things to think about as well as do, things that were left unfinished, things that were not entirely his to take care of.
"The registration process is completed, and you are officially a citizen, but given the nature of your class, things are a little more difficult for you currently. Do you know how many necromancers there are that we know of so far, at this time?" Crevan asked, while fiddling with a shimmering purple feather brush.
"No, I do not but from what I have heard from the people that I have met before, they are rare, we do not even know much about their abilities, other than information that is from the past, which is also limited," He responded.
"Yes, exactly. You pay attention, that is good. So far within our records, there are ten, among which five are dead, leaving a total of five until you showed up, making it six. There is a downside: Half among you are not that strong. Their abilities are quite limited, and it's baffling," Crevan said, and Nova's eyes widened.
He had no idea there were that limited, but what got his attention as well was the number of them that were dead, he did not know if he was just being paranoid or not, but deep down he had a strong feeling, that it was not a coincidence.
Crevan looked at Nova, while he mulled over the information that he had given to him, as his eyes narrowed, bracing against his desk.
"Your concerns are not exactly wrong, nor to be taken lightly or pushed aside, I was not supposed to tell you, but I did, since in two years you are the only newest awakened Necromancer, I gave you that information so that you will be able to use it to protect yourself," He said, his tone firm, leaving no room for doubt within his words.
Nova looked up at him, while his name pulsed against the shard and just then, the words of the mysterious figure he had met in the cathedral before, echoed within his head, bit by bit, further fueling the fact, that not everything was as it seemed in Etarion.
"Thank you, I appreciate you telling me about what you know, I will use the knowledge in the best way I can in order to protect myself, if I may ask, do I have anything else that I need to do here?" He asked and Crevan glanced at him.
"You are welcome, no there is nothing else that you need to do in this area, however, there is one thing that you will have to do, depending on which path you choose, whether it is to continue your studies or even be an adventurer, getting another job, depends on which you choose, you will have to do a trial," He responded.
Upon hearing that word, Nova's ears twitched and he looked at Crevan who had a knowing smirk on his face, for it was one word that made newbies excited, as well as gave them a sense of dread, not knowing what could happen to them or where it may lead them in their future.
"What kind of trial?" Nova asked, dreading the question, since he was only now starting out and was not sure if, at his current level, he may even be able to kill a bug.
Crevan leaned back against his desk, with his arms crossed before his chest and chuckled softly, his smirk widening.
"Nova, trials can take many different forms. They are customized based on your class, your skills, and occasionally even your personal fears. It might be just a simple task for you to complete or something much more... intense. The trial might go into areas that others are afraid to go into for someone like you who has a rare class like Necromancer Mage.
"Is there any way to prepare for it in advance?" He asked, with each word the uneasiness increasing a bit.
Crevan smirked and shrugged nonchalantly. "You can only go so far with preparation, dear boy. Many newcomers react the exact way, the purpose of the trials is to evaluate your adaptability, ingenuity, and resolve. Even though you can study magic and train your body, the trial's main objective will test your resolve in unexpected ways.
As Crevan's words took hold, the room seemed to become quieter. Nova shifted uncomfortably, clutching the name shard in his hand as though he was able to stay calm from its dim light and Crevan saw.
Crevan's expression softened ever so slightly, giving the seriousness of the situation. "Nova, follow your intuition. That shard in your hand? It is not just a token of identification. If you pay close attention, it will guide you and respond to your mana. And never forget that every trial has a purpose, no matter how overwhelming it may seem. It's intended to push you past your comfort zone and reveal something inside of you.
Despite having a thousand unanswered questions racing through his head, Nova nodded slowly. It was unnerving to consider taking on an unfamiliar task that might be designed to take advantage of his most vulnerable areas. However, Crevan's remarks also ignited a glimmer of interest—and resolve.
"When does the trial start?" Nova inquired, his tone now more stern.
Crevan smiled, his sly smirking returning. "When the Order determines you're ready, or when you're ready. They can give you time to get used to things, or they can throw you right into the very deep of it all. Soon enough, you will find out."
Nova exhaled deeply in frustration and looked down at the shard once again. It had a soft, unearthly glow that seemed to beat in time with his own heartbeat. For the first time, he experienced a tiny twinge of excitement mixed with the dread of the unknown trial that loomed ahead, this world was filled with these things and he could not help but want to experience it.
"Alright," Nova finally said, straightening his posture. "When the trial comes, I will accept it. No excuses, no running."
Crevan's smirk became a genuine smile. "All right. You have got the proper mindset. All we have to do now is get you set up and oriented, for what's to come, you will need every advantage you can get, so I will make a few recommendations."
He was aware of Nova's feelings the thrill of the unknown, and the determination to move forward rather than remain at a level where others felt entitled to look down on another.