John woke up from the oddest dream he ever had. There, he was forced to go through some trials, fighting for his life and…
Wait a moment!
Looking around, he found himself sitting on a simple wooden chair in front of a white table, and it took a moment for his drowsy mind to connect the dots.
I… there was supposed to be a challenge… I was led, ohh!
It was the strangest thing trying to remember what he went through. He knew which tests he passed, and he remembered what they were about, but everything felt dull and uncertain.
Like that dream, he had a couple of years ago, when he heroically tried to save a giant drowning fish, only for it to swim away and him to drown instead.
Why he did that, he had no idea, but the whole dream felt so bizarre, it remained stuck in his memory.
Back to the issue at hand, he tried to recall how it all ended.
I went through the room with four sectors… How the fuck did I make it outside in that condition?
The horrific experience was still there, but it was like the connection to the actual feelings and emotions was severed. As if he watched a movie about himself.
What he remembered before passing out was a mention of some card though, so he opened his deck and looked through it.
Oh? On the top of his discard pile laid a new card with a green border.
[Champion of the Fourfold Crucible
Can be linked with your main body card to increase resistance to poison, heat, cold, and thinning air. Also, as you enter one of those environments, your body slowly adapts to the exposure, further increasing the resistance up to four times the effect over the following two hours]
It was a damned great card, and he immediately switched it with the common poison resistance.
This however wasn't all, because there was one other card he was keen to finally see. Taking a look at the top of the pile, he noticed a card-shaped object leaking silvery-white mist.
[Fated box
A container holding a single card shrouded in mystery. Its rarity is decided upon its opening, and is directly proportional to the owner's Fate]
Huh, that is… kind of good?
He had to fight with his curiosity but ultimately decided to keep it for the future. After all, he felt very confident in his current setup, so opening it felt like a waste.
Moving to the card under it, he finally spotted the one he was so eager to see.
[Desert wraith
Summons a minor sand elemental to fight by your side.
Tags: Minion, Projectile, AoE, Affinity]
"Fuck yeah!" He yelled out in the small room. Yesterday, he pushed his Fate to the brink, losing his consciousness in the process, but it paid off with a massive jackpot. Going by the description, his football-sized protector will soon get a new companion to the flock.
Stiletto, Storm wisp, and now Desert wraith… Seems like I am becoming a one-man strike force.
Switching the card with the Wave of force, he attempted to summon it, but the connection to his abilities remained blocked off.
When he was teleported into this event, he was still confused and hadn't thought about the absence of his trusty minions, but by now he felt their lack of presence unnerving. This was the first time since the beginning of the Apocalypse that his stiletto wasn't by his side, and it felt like he was missing a third hand.
Shaking his head, he stood up and headed outside.
Pushing on the rune-covered door, it remained firmly shut, forcing him to stop and think about his current situation.
Was it possible the door got stuck and stranded him in this tiny room? Yes, but he felt like the odds of that were very low. Walking around, there was nothing else of interest, leaving only a single obvious thing to test.
Sitting back into the flimsy chair, he once again placed both hands on the crystal in the middle of the table, gritted his teeth, and braced for the violent tug upon his being.
The only thing that happened was a simple system screen coming up before him.
[Congratulations!
You have finished the trial of the Sacred six without choosing a specialization and obtained 48 points
Your final score is halved, but you now have a choice into which Attribute you want the entire reward allocated:
Strength
Perception
Vitality
Dexterity
Focus
Willpower
Note: Your attribute grade may not reach two grades above your main body. Should the entirety of allocated points reach above it, the attribute will remain at its cap without evolving further, and the rest of the points will be banked and allocated after you evolve]
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Ohh, that must be a way to protect us from skewed allocations, he thought as he read through the note.
It made sense because if someone still in F-grade had Strength halfway through E-grade, the reward could theoretically put him into D, making him tear himself apart.
Well, I could put it all into Focus, giving myself a quick boost, but…
Earning two uncommon attribute cards wasn't that complicated, so instead he reached out with his will and pushed against the menu. It was clear that there should be one more attribute displayed, and he was not letting himself get scammed.
Maybe it was supposed to be a final challenge for those with E-grade Fate, or maybe he was that much better, but to him, the combination of his Willpower and his massive Fate easily pinned down the hidden row, revealing the seventh choice.
I want to allocate my reward into Fate!
Two cold pulses shot through both of his hands and collided in the middle of his chest, exploded outwards, and spread heat all over him.
He sat there for a couple more seconds, but not feeling anything else to happen, he pulled back his hands and checked out his attributes.
[John Miles (E ⋆)
Strength: E (30), Perception: E (20), Vitality: E (20)
Fate: D (70 + 1)
Dexterity: E (20), Focus: E (20 + 5), Willpower: E (20)]
As expected, his Fate was now capped at the peak of D-grade, waiting for the rest of his body to catch up, making him smile in appreciation.
It was honestly becoming ridiculous. He was in the lead by a whooping seventeen points, but now he earned another twenty-four, pushing him over the peak of D-grade.
Deciding to move on, he stood up, and once again tested the door behind him. It easily swung open under the barest touch, but to his surprise led into a courtyard instead.
Huh?
Taking a cautious step forward, he was hit by a sudden burst of noise and commotion. The courtyard beyond was filled with other trial takers and also natives to this odd world, their voices blending together into a low murmur that echoed off the stone walls surrounding them. The air was thick with the scent of sweat and anticipation, and John felt his heart begin to race as he stepped out into the open space.
The courtyard was massive, easily the size of two football fields, and it was packed with native spectators that were kind of similar to humans but with various animalistic or supernatural traits. They lined the walls, stood on makeshift platforms, and even perched on the roofs of nearby buildings, all craning their necks to catch a glimpse of the newcomers. The trial-takers, wearing mostly functional clothes or the damaged gear bought from the Zagratix's hoard, were spread inside the courtyard, avidly talking with their fellow survivors.
As John made his way across, he could feel the weight of all those eyes on him, and he felt a sudden wave of self-doubt wash over him. He was not used to being the center of attention, but this was something else entirely. This was another crucible, a test of his strength and willpower, and he knew that every eye in the courtyard was now upon him.
"Hey man, how far you got?" Asked an older gentleman to his right.
"You don't have to…" spoke a feminine voice from his left, but John ignored them all and confidently walked forward.
At the far end of the courtyard, a raised platform had been erected, and on it stood a tall, imposing figure. It was a feminine humanoid with reptile features, a chiseled body, and wearing a shining gold breastplate plus a massive silver spear slung over her back. She was watching John intently, her eyes sharp and unyielding, and gesturing with her hand for him to move forward.
As John approached, the crowd and the spectators began to grow quieter, their murmurs dying down to a hush, awaiting her next words.
"Welcome," she said, her voice carrying across the courtyard. "You all have passed the trial of the Sacred six, and have done so with flying colors. You all are true warriors, and we are honored to have you among us."
The spectators burst into loud cheers, and John felt a surge of pride at her words. He knew that he had earned his place here, that he had proven himself worthy and deserving of her praise. He knew that whatever lay ahead, he would be ready to face it and triumph just as he triumphed in the trials.
Looking around him, he saw all trial takers join in the cheering and felt a strong urge to follow in as well.
Wait, what!?
The emotions felt too strong. Sure, he felt pride at his success, but this was…
Aha, there it is!
He found the alien emotion, pitted his willpower against it, and snuffed it out. Now, feeling his head cleared, he once again carefully looked around him, observing the people filling the courtyard.
There had to be between two and three hundred humans here. Some already formed small parties, others joined larger groups, and some were standing alone. As he scanned the sea of faces lost in jubilation, his eyes caught on a lone woman with striking Asian features and a lean athletic body, standing with her back to the wall.
She clearly wasn't caught in the crowd's mood and was instead wildly looking around her like a trapped rabbit.
What is wrong with…
Their eyes met, but she flinched, shifting her eyes away and once again watching the people closest to her. Choosing to ignore her, he continued looking around and started noticing more people coming back to their senses.
"You are the best among your species," the woman on the podium yelled out, breaking everyone from their reverie. "You are the only humans who have managed to overcome the fifth test of the Sacred six, and as such deserve a suitable boon." With a sharp gesture of her hand, she pointed behind her to a large metal archway, covered in bright-blue runes.
"The first hunting ground of our beloved Patroness, Serath. She first entered as an orphaned teenager who freshly advanced into E-grade, and she exited two days later with a head of a peak D-grade predator."
Another even louder wave of cheers burst out, but this time without the compulsive component, leaving the people around him to frown in confusion.
"Do not worry, you are not expected to recreate her first triumph. You will be given three days of free reign inside, and also a mark of recall, in case of imminent danger. More information will be displayed after you pass through the waygate." Finishing her speech, she turned, walked to the archway, and placed her palm on its grey side.
For a moment everyone watched in bated breath as nothing seemed to happen, but after a couple of seconds, the whole structure flashed in a green light and opened a bubbling green surface inside it.
"The path is open, the hunt begins, and the Patroness's eyes are upon you. Show her that you are worthy of the opportunity you are presented with!"
With that, she stepped to the side and frowned at the still-standing crowd before her.
"What are you waiting for? Move!"
With that the dam broke, and everyone began moving to the stairs leading up and onto the platform. Because John was among the closest ones, he rushed forward, weaved through the few people before him, and under the woman's watchful eye dived through the archway.
His vision turned black with only a single notification before him.
[Honoring Serath's first hunt
This is not supposed to be a deadly challenge, so everyone is given a single mark of recall, allowing instantaneous teleportation to safety. Be advised, the activation is not automatic and requires a conscious thought, so death is still a possibility. To make things easier, the mark will also hold the most valuable kill, allowing you to continue without becoming overburdened.
You are given three days to return with the greatest trophy you can find, so go forth and show what you are made of.
Are you ready?
Yes/No
Note: Fighting among your fellow survivors is possible but not advised. Trophies can't be traded nor gifted to anyone, making all battles pointless and dishonorable to the spirit of the first hunt]
Yes!
His vision returned and he found himself in a small clearing surrounded by dense vegetation and black trees towering into the sky.