"Blight, me got that needed conversation with that nuthead administrator mate.
'nd trust me on this.
It ain't the only one, more like 'em clones."
Extracted from Sindall Wrath's Log
'If this is death, this must be within the top hundred most wretched ones. Overcooked and burnt.'
All Adam could feel was numb pain, it barely registered. He didn't even know if he was dead or alive, a testament to his situation.
His psychic abilities have gone unresponsive a while ago, his breath was almost failing him. Death wouldn't come fast.
Suddenly, he felt a sort of detachment, he lost the last of his feelings in his overcooked and frayed limbs. He felt peace and quiet.
Parsing trial details...
Evaluating points...
Evaluating side quests...
Validating completion...
These barrage of information intruded on his peace and quiet. It came not as floating screens or whatnot but was uploaded straight into his subconscious. His subconscious meanwhile interpreted it as something his mind could understand.
Parsing evaluation……..
Trial objective: completed
Completion grade: A
Points accrued: 10,000 Basic points, 4,500 Advanced points, 32 Essence points.
World exploration rate: 0.8%
Adam was disoriented for a moment, then understanding dawned on him. This was like when the information of the world he was in got uploaded into his consciousness. But this time it seemed to have displayed his progress so far in points. He had no idea on what the ratings and points pertain to. What use are they when he's close to death's embrace?
As if reading his thoughts, another bout of information was dumped on him.
Completion rate; Grade of core mission objective completion with stipulated conditions.
Points; [ Basic points: can purchase items wrought with mortal hands]
[Advanced points: can purchase what is deemed supernatural, arcane, magical, thaumaturgical, divine]
[Essence points: can acquire rare modifications and perks]
Wow. He realized. This is crazy
WELCOME TO ENVOID 'ADAM'. YOU CAN REFER TO ME AS THE ADMINISTRATOR.
YOU PASSED THE AWAKENED TRIALS.
The same monotone voice that delivered the time limit and guide to him welcomed him.
Do you wish to heal your body with 2000 BP or 40 Ap?
He was asked. He had no idea how it would be done. Heck he didn't even know where he was save for it being called Envoid. But knowing his wreck of a body could be healed was quite a game changer. Without an ounce of hesitation, he consented to the healing with basic points, since there were a lot of them.
He felt a tether to something, likely his body being strengthened. He felt it, his body was back to its previous state, even better than that. A comfortable feeling passing through him.
Transferring participant to lobby sections.
That was the next thing he heard, then his subconscious was literally flung into his body which was suspended midair.
He opened his eyes to a blinding white light, it's origin in a position behind his head.
Whatever forces holding him aloft seemed to deem him awake and lowered him feet first onto a smooth ebony floor.
Taking a moment to go through what he had been through in the past twenty four hours, he was both awed and humbled at his insignificance.
The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
His deductions led to him shattering the barriers between realities on earth. A channel he knew was what made it possible for whatever being had whisked him here to be able to do so. But the same stunt led to the awakening of his soul. Granting him his abilities.
But was there a trial for those unawakened also. His case seemed special enough and he doubted there existed a lot of awakened. Right?
Besides, the difficulty of this trial was hard. He had no idea if it was the same for every party involved or if each trial was tailored suit for each individual. But without the Ethroine's blood amplification, he would likely be an undead by now. Who knows, maybe failure wasn't death. He might have been whisked back to earth at the edge of death. Although he had a hard time believing this conjecture.
But all's pretty good, his ability was quite….
"Hey sleepyhead, back from wonderland yet?" A deep voice interrupted his thoughts.
Raising his head, Adam raised his head to meet the intruder, who grinned at him with his white pearly teeths, he had dark sunglasses on, obscuring his eyes but not the calculating mien on his late twenties looking face.
He had on camo pants tucked into black military boots and light green t-shirt top that hid well toned muscles and a chiseled body. He also had on a red beret that hid a poorly cut buzz cut.
Stubbles dotted his chin in a sporadic mess, lending to him a rugged look and he was big, easily six foot five inches with the size of a bodybuilder to booth.
"Another newbie today huh? We don't get that often"
"My name is Richard," he offered.
"Mine's Adam," Adam replied. Then he asked "So what is this place exactly?"
A sunny smile plastered itself onto Richard's smug face as if waiting for that question, he looped his big arm around Adam's neck and started the tour.
Turning the newbie in a 180° direction to face the light source, he gestured in the direction of the bright light.
"This here is the Monolith."
Just three meters in that direction was a towering crystal monolith. it levitated three feet into the air. Pure white light seemingly escaped from it's clear interiors, making everything else about it obscure and mysterious. The only recognisable attribute was its shape. A vertically cuboidal shaped floating monolith.
"I guess you have your points already, this is where you can spend it." Noticing the stare of incredulity the newbie was giving him. Richard chuckled, proffering explanations.
"It's quite simple, you stand three feet near the Monolith. Then you'll get access to its repertoire of items, skills, techniques, knowledge and so much more.
And did I mention bloodlines and boons?" The more he talked, the more a fanatical expression got apparent on his face.
Glancing at Adam's face he snickered at his wary expression. "Welcome to Envoid and the biggest nightmarish experience of your life and I'll be your guide newbie."
The giant of a man didn't allow Adam to ask refuse before whisking them both from the Monolith to further along its edges. The strength in his grip brokered no argument. Adam had no idea how strong this person was, but considering he had the air of someone that had been here for quite a while, he wasn't tempted to argue or exhibit violence. Who knows what sort of power up he had gone through? But the main reason was that his psychic senses were screaming danger at him.
Just twelve meters away from the floating Monolith were twelve feet tall doors on the floor, the doors were not connected to any wall whatsoever, they stood alone with their impressive twelve feet tall height. Arraigned in a circle with the Monolith as the center, they numbered twenty in total. The doors were mostly plain but he noticed that three of the doors were decorated in reliefs. Beyond the doors was endless darkness, the light from the Monolith was bright enough to illuminate the whole area but three meters beyond the doors was thick darkness. The light had no purchase there.
Richard ignored the expressions going through the newbie's face as he began introductions.
If a circle was to be plotted with the Monolith as the center, there would be ten doors in a semicircle both in front and behind it.
Pointing at the third door from the left "This here is my humble abode. Beautiful isn't it?"
It sure looked beautiful, intricately carved reliefs gilded the door in a beautiful design. They seem to tell a story. A big creature from the ocean with mouth open to swallow someone, someone who looked almost like Richard. But younger. A younger looking Richard with brows furrowed together and a maniac grin on his face. All sorts of arts depicting various scenes dotted the door, the recurring theme, a man in cargo pants.
"The longer you stay here, the more beautiful your door gets." He noticed the odd look the newbie was giving him, but he didn't mind.
"It is actually your most notable achievements and the worst ones that get etched onto the door." He said, his thoughts somewhere else. Then swiftly, his eyes snapped back to the moment and yanked Adam to the next door.
Where Richard's door was a plain wooden door of beautiful art. This door was crimson colored, ivory reliefs dotted the frame of it. Depictions of carnage and slaughter was the main theme, it focused on a young oriental female in baggy trousers and a tank top. The relief held massive butcher knives in some, in others it was jawbones and in many, giant monsters seemed to be at her neck and call, their eyes deep shades of red. The same shade of red was in the oriental figure a few times.
"This here is Yan's home. Watch your steps around her mate, she's quite brutal and feisty too. Who knows what she might do to you?"
He said as his gaze traveled to Adam's crotch.
Then he brought him to the last of the claimed doors. It was located three doors after Yan's. The door was mostly plain. The decoration of it was the relief of a young man with a silly smile on his face and a clown's attire adorning his head snapping his thumb and index finger together, his legs held in a clownish position. This relief was quite big, bigger than any single relief he had seen so far. The other art piece was that of the same man, but this time he was seated on a cliff's edge in just shirt and jeans trousers with a toy model of a tower in his right hand, this one was smaller than the first centermost relief.
"This belongs to the other newbie. He got here before you, but still a newbie, he had only experienced his trial."
He sighed "But the lad sure is impressive." "His name is Zero, do well to remember that."
"You can claim a door for yourself" he said genuflecting to the plain doors with no decorations.
"Then we'll all meet for more familiarization tomorrow. Rest well" He said as he headed back to his door. Adam had no recollection of when the arm around his neck got removed but he was quick to dismiss it.
He looked at the doors that were unclaimed in detail, noticing no difference, he claimed the door to Zero's left.
As his palm rested on the doorknob, reliefs etched themselves onto it. The scene where he fought the first Seraphim and the Mantismen as well as when he stole the miniature sun belonging to the high Seraph. There was also the scene of when he slammed the rapier into the desolate fiend. Admiring the reliefs for a moment, he sighed deeply at what mess he'd gotten himself into. Then he turned the knob and stepped inside.