Chapter 57: Rejoin the Stream

The team unanimously voted against Vallis’ idea of running through the next region. Aliyah took out a smaller ritual plate, around 2ft by 2ft (60 cm by 60 cm), and set up the ritual magic.

An incorporeal sphere formed around the plate, indicating the formation of the air barrier.

Sen picked up and held the plate, and the others walked around him in a rather large bubble formation. Thankfully, the barrier was expansive enough that the members did not feel the awkwardness of trying to share a too-small umbrella, except that leaving the canopy of the umbrella would result in oxygen deficiency.

The moved slowly down the street towards the next circle, warily eying their surroundings, although there was nothing to see but the same, eerie, utterly impractical, transparent buildings.

They made it to the wide circle crossing, stopping for a moment to evaluate the situation. They had made it so far with no dizziness or other unpleasant effects, proving that Aliyah’s solution worked.

“How about we don’t wait for something to show up?” Eufemia suggested, “I don’t want to get unlucky three times in a row.”

“Agreed.”

They crossed. The lack of incident was a surprise to them, but a welcome one. It seemed the difficulty of the final circle was not the sphere, but the environment before the sphere.

Encio mused contemplatively, “If you bypassed the first two circles by luck, or boldness, as Vallis would say, then you would be forced to confront the third circle no matter what. Do you think you could have run this far without taking a single breath?”

“No,” Vallis admitted, “I could not.”

“Then this is a problem that could not be solved with brute force. It requires thought.”

“Or,” Eufemia grumbled, “a outworlder body.”

“Anybody that didn’t need to breath would do,” Aliyah offered, “It does not have to be an outworlder. You could, hypothetically, have your familiar carry you, if it is capable of doing so. First, run as far as you can manage, pass out, then entrust yourself to your familiar for the rest of the way. Those with a water breathing ability may fare just as well. Rapid teleportation would also solve the issue. Nara would have passed this circle, outworlder advantages or otherwise,” Aliyah said, listing off a few more examples.

“Any solution would do, as long as there was a solution,” Sen said.

“And not just sprinting through the city,” Eufemia added.

“I could make it through,” Encio said.

Eufemia rolled her eyes, “Sure, prince of speed, you could make it through.”

The oxygen deprivation zone was the final zone of the Trial of the Celestial Spheres, evidenced by the buildings transitioning to the characteristic white marble buildings. John was thankful that it didn’t model Earth’s solar system, with eight planets.

The mechanical sun loomed over them. While the group was initially wary, it faded as they spotted a congregation of adventurers at the center surrounding a white portal.

Some groups were waiting to rejoin lost members. Vallis sprinted away, joining the team members she had been separated from.

“Is anyone dead?”

“It’s all good, chief!” Said Gento cheerfully with a salute, “Everyone is accounted for.”

Vallis didn’t request her team members to call her Chief, but Gento said it suited her. She didn’t mind it.

“No one picked the other option?”

“Who picks the option without safety? If it all goes wrong, better to keep your life, right?”

Aliyah looked at the token within her hand, “It appears we can use this for the rest of the trials.”

“Free escape, at any point!” Gento said, “We can adventure with ease!”

*****

“You know, Than,” Nara said, absentmindedly plucking at the strings on her lute, “I’ve been thinking about the purpose of this trial.”

Thanatos tilted his head.

“This specific trial, not the trial as a whole. Do they really just want you to walk for days? I’m thinking there may be more to it than that.”

He tilted his head back.

“Not like, actually more to it. Just that there’s a psychological portion that isn’t really affecting me here. For any normal person, isolation for days without end in an unchanging landscape of monotony is sure to bring doubts: Is this how you pass the trial? Am I missing something? Maybe the answer was the portal all along? What do they want from me?”

Thanatos barked.

“Yes, I have some common sense. And no, I haven’t had these thoughts. Definitely not.”

Nara turned back to look down the path, the portal in view. It was far back enough to be just barely within view, but it stood there, tempting Nara like a tray of freshly baked cookies. She shouldn’t eat them, but she just couldn’t wait.

“It doesn’t help that the damn portal is always within sight, no matter how far I walk.”

Thanatos rolled his eyes.

“Okay, I admit, I may have been having those thoughts.”

She put away her lute.

“How about we run for a bit? Change up the pace?”

Thanatos barked, tail wagging.

More time passed. The only reason Nara didn’t lose track of the time was the magic watch she held within her inventory that counted time reliably, ignoring all manner of time manipulation. It counted her time. She’d have to adjust it later upon returning to a normal time stream. She doubted time would match up.

Nara hated monotony, but it wasn’t as if she could not bear it. Monotony had been her constant companion once, both in monotony of pain and monotony of time. The portal was there, teasing at the corner of her perception. But with each passing day, Nara conviction grew firmer that she should not enter that portal. To turn back to the portal was to re-tread a walked path. What the trial sought was the resolution to walk a new, untrodden path.

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“In a battle of persistence, you picked the wrong opponent.”

*****

“Twelve days, right on the dot,” Nara said.

Another, new white portal appeared before her. It coalesced from light like the solidification of salt crystals in water. It was likely it didn’t matter how far Nara walked. All that she had to do was wait out twelve days without turning back. The time was too exacting for a different answer.

“I hope the next awakening stone is a good one.”

She pushed through the portal.

She entered into another white room. The room was surrounded by portals, where other adventurers, like her, exited. These must have been the others who, like her, chosen the first path.

On cue, a stone dropped into her hands.

-------

Item: [Awakening Stone of Time] (unranked, legendary)

Classification: Awakening Stone, Consumable

An awakening stone that unlocks the power of time.

Requirements: unawakened essence ability

Effect: awakens an essence ability

-------

“That’s a good one, all right,” she quickly teleported the stone to her Astral Domain.

She was keeping to herself when a group of three approached her. It wasn’t any adventurer from Sanshi she recognized. The walked with an exaggerated swagger and bluster, with postures leaned too far back or too far forward. Nara had a feeling of what was coming.

“Hey, you, you blanked-faced bitch.”

“Yep?”

“What stone did you just get?”

Nara wasn’t dumb enough to show her the actual awakening stone she just got, so she fished out a slightly valuable stone from her inventory that she had looted before. It was one she decided not to use after consulting Encio. She would wait to see what she earned from the trial before making her final decisions.

“Awakening Stone of Instinct.”

It was an uncommon stone, usually granting perceptual, animalistic, or fast abilities. Just good enough that Nara thought this random bully would buy up it as a reward from the trial.

He snatched it from her hand. Nara could have reacted faster, but didn’t bother.

“Hey! That was mine!” She feigned anger and yelled out in protest. Even she thought her acting was bad; she tried her best. Thankfully, the bullies bought her charade hook, line, and sinker.

The three bullies crowded her.

“Have a problem?”

“No…”

They gave her a shove.

“That’s what I thought.”

Nara rolled her eyes at their backs. How they managed to pass a trial of persistence, she had no idea. With heads as hollow as a husked coconut, there was no place to store doubts. Stupidity may have been another way to pass; they got the right answer with the wrong method.

“I thought essence users didn’t lose their brains until at least silver rank…” she muttered.

On a pedestal in the center of the room was another plaque, which the adventurers gathered around.

“Chose a path: walk alone or rejoin the stream you once parted. The stream faces greater obstructions, but the lonesome journey is without companionship.”

There were two portals. The one on the right side was marked as “Rejoin the Stream” while the portal on the left was marked, “Walk Alone.”

She was worn by the isolation of the last trial, even if she had Thanatos with her. It seemed others shared the sentiment, wanting to rejoin their teams. She followed, entering the right portal.

*****

She entered into another large white waiting room. Teams milled about in small groups, evidently waiting to see if their own teammates would rejoin them. For those in a team, Nara doubted any chose the left door. For those attempting the trial solo, the left door was the better option.

She saw her own team: Sen, Aliyah, Encio, Eufemia, and John. Not a single one had chosen like her, and they ended up together. Whatever the first trial was for them, she was glad to see they were unharmed.

“Hey guys, it’s been a while!” Nara greeted.

“Nara, it is a relief to see that you are safe,” Aliyah said.

“Well, my trial wasn’t dangerous, just annoying.”

“What was your trial?”

“Specter?” Nara called, “If you are available, could you answer a few questions for us?”

The being of robed silver materialized.

“Yes, Miss Edea. Alas, I am eternally available.”

“My condolences. Anyway, what exactly was my trial? I’ve guessed that it was just to wait two weeks, since that’s when that portal appeared.”

“It is so, Miss Edea. Your trial was a test of patience. The cult of the Celestial Book seeks to train test their adherents in the way of persistence. The path to discovery is rarely clear, but the trial itself is simple. For two weeks, do not leave.”

“You know solitary confinement is a punishment on my world? I got pretty bored.”

“Miss Edea, it was your choice how you spent your time. The trial had no directives.”

Nara awkwardly smiled, “At least I got some good lute practice in. How’d it go for you guys?”

“Speaking of,” Eufemia said with a glower, “How were we supposed to past that trial without John’s other world knowledge cheat? It feels so cheap.”

“My knowledge isn’t cheap,” John said. “I’d even say its expensive; your world doesn’t have it.”

Eufemia narrowed her eyes, dissatisfied with his rebuttal.

“There are many ways to pass the Trial of Celestial Spheres, Miss Teresina. For the first trial, as you said, anyone with ears could have passed. For the second trial, luck was enough.”

“How many died to that…black hole?” Sen solemnly asked, “The number of adventurers don’t line up.”

“Mister Arlang, the objective of the cult is not to kill their adherents, but to evaluate them. Those that were consumed by the gravity sphere have been safely ejected from the trial. However, that safety is no longer provided in further trials.”

“Why not tell this to us? You’d just let us think they all died?”

“Mister Arlang, are you not clear of the requirements of advancement for essence users? Where there is no challenge, there is no improvement. For the Cult of the Celestial Book, improvement is paramount. To seek new knowledge is to push beyond the boundary. The next challenge is a combat challenge, and thus, safety is no longer guaranteed.”

“That means Nara is the only one we have to worry about,” Encio said, narrowing his gaze at her, “What in the world compelled you to choose safety later?”

“Escape is my specialty?” she offered.

“Speed is my specialty,” Encio countered, “and I still chose safety.”

“What’s done is done,” Sen said. “All we must do is keep Nara safe.”

At the far end of the room was another portal of knowledge, requesting another knowledge tidbit to pass.

“This doesn’t have some hidden position determinant again, does it?” Eufemia asked.

“It does,” said Specter, “You will all be randomly teleported to the trial in pairs, determined on order of passage.”

“What is the objective of this trial?” Aliyah asked.

“Survival. The trial will last three days. Upon entry through the portal, you will be transported into jungle ruins within the astral space. Additionally, the jungle ruins is overrun with iron rank monsters and a few bronze rank monsters.”

Sen turned to his team, “Our first priority upon entry is to join together. With Nara back with us, we regain communication and mapping capabilities.”

“I guess my ability doesn’t universally bypass dimensions.”

“So what’s the plan? How do we form the pairs, and where do we meet?”

“I can’t say much of the second without a map of the location,” Sen said. “Initial plan: we head towards the center. If there is no center, we head for the tallest building. If there are multiple tallest buildings, we head for the largest one.”

The team nodded.

The team discussed groups. Of the team, Eufemia was the one who dependent most on who her team member was. She and John also had the least number of abilities, so they were best paired with those with the greatest number of abilities. Aliyah also depended on her partner, as Aliyah was a classic spellcaster and vulnerable in close combat.

However, the combination of Nara and Encio was undeniable. Together, the two was the fastest pair of the team. With quick mobility, they could reach the meeting point first, then search outwards for their other team members.

It was decided that Eufemia would pair up with Encio, who offered her the greatest instantaneous damage capabilities and mobility options. Aliyah would travel with Sen, who was capable in close combat and could protect her, which left Nara with John.

Of the team, she needed healing the least.

“I’m not satisfied with this combination,” Sen frowned.

“We’re not going for peak efficiency here Sen, it’s fine,” Nara assured him.

“He’s worried about leaving the two outworlders together,” Eufemia said. “You’re going to get yourself killed with your lack of common sense.”

“That is a reasonable concern. Either their outworlder knowledge will prove useful, and thus they are best separated, or their lack of general knowledge could prove fatal,” Aliyah agreed, nodding her head.

“I have the healer! I’m not going to die.”

“She has a point,” said Encio, “With a healer, almost any other pair would be willing to team up with them. Nara would be the unwanted hanger on, but a healer is worth the extra baggage.”

“Hey.”

The team lined up. Sen, the ever astute, had kept track of how many had entered the portal already. They would have their pairs.

“A p–n junction is a boundary or interface between two types of semiconductor materials, p-type and n-type, inside a single crystal of semiconductor.”

This time she went scientific. What have you say now, trial?

John raised his eyebrows, “What did you say your profession was?”

“You know, I can’t exactly remember. Some sort of engineer adjacent. Maybe nanotech or electrical engineering related? Maybe physics?”

She passed through the portal.