Although Eik’s suite was still the largest and most exquisitely furnished, each of the three rooms granted to Heath, Sonja, and Michael had everything one could ever desire from a living space.

The wall that had been destroyed when Menka Tokanami tried to kill them after the rescue mission had even been fixed to the point where Eik couldn’t actually tell what was old wall and what was repaired.

Atla had been generous enough to allow them a night’s sleep before introducing them to the Crucible.

“Let’s get to it, then!” Atla said as she came through the door to Eik’s suite, clapping her hands excitedly.

“Could you explain what this Crucible even is?” Sonja asked and followed Atla back out where they turned down one of the many halls.

Mikla took over. “To put it simply, the Crucible is a collection of uninhabited worlds that the Alliance has shaped into a proving ground for Awakened. As you face the Crucible you will be tested, challenged, and made to prove your worth.”

“Wh-What kind of tests and challenges are we talking about here?” Michael asked.

“Various. There are different tests that examine different aspects of your abilities. Stress tests, if you will. Then there are… practical challenges which are a bit broader in scope. It depends, really.”

“That a little… vague for my taste,” Eik mumbled as they made it to the same long walkway that they had followed to get to the training ground where Eik had been made to fight one of the young F-rankers on his first visit. The thick, broad windows on each side spanned from floor to ceiling and allowed for an almost full view of the numerous gardens, parks, practice areas, ponds, and other spaces.

Mikla shrugged apologetically. “We’re not really allowed to say more. It would ruin the purpose and the fairness of it.”

“Fairness? What fairness?”

“It’s all a bit of a competition, really.”

“But what do we actually get out of taking part?” Heath asked. “I don’t want to do it just so all you big shots can get another shot of struggle entertainment.”

Atla arched an eyebrow at him. “You think that’s what this is about? Cheap entertainment? No, this is one of the many ways we reward talent in the Alliance. By scoring well in the various tests and challenges you can earn points. And those points exchange directly into Alliance-wide currency. The experience in itself will also be beneficial for you.”

They took one of the branching paths. The network of windowed walkways was entirely raised above ground, offering a perspective of the grounds almost devoid of obstacles. Being inside made the place feel even more colossal than looking at it from afar.

After taking another branch followed by yet another, they were heading for a large circular building which served as a point of connection for at least half a dozen of the raised walkways. Their branch made contact at about second floor height.

The moment they stepped into the building proper the thrum and odor of hundreds of people gathered in one place hit them like a warm rug. People milled about, going to and fro, a mix of different races that, once again, painted the bizarreness of their new existence with stark and undeniable clarity.

“We’re going to the first floor,” Mikla said and lead the way toward a wide stair case.

As they started down the steps they passed a sign that read: “The Crucible — 2nd Floor — E-rank”. At the bottom of the stairs another read: “The Crucible — 1st Floor — F-rank”.

Atla noticed his gaze wandering. “The Crucible is divided into ranks, which are separated by the floors of this building. This is where fracture transport to the testing site takes place.”

“But three of us are no longer F-rank. Is it alright for us to go to the F-rank challenges as well?” Heath asked.

“You’re always welcome to come and watch, regardless of your rank. Parents routinely follow their children’s progress. But yes, participation is usually restricted to those of the appropriate rank.”

“Then—”

“However, in special cases some participants are allowed to enter a different Crucible. Most F-rankers with an interest in the Crucible would have gone through when they were still F-rank, but we prefer for everybody to do it in order, even if someone might be a bit above a given rank, like you guys. As Awakened from a new world it’s perfectly acceptable to do it like this.”

“What about rewards then?” Heath asked with narrowed eyes.

“Your score will still convert to points, but a penalty will be added according to the discrepancy in rank. But you can go through the E-rank Crucible as well, so don’t worry about that. I recommend thinking of it as a learning experience.”

The first floor was at least as crowded as the E-rank floor above, but the ratio of young teens accompanied by one or more adults was significantly down here. A large, arching doorway marked “F-rank Crucible — Lobby and fracture room” lead to a roughly circular chamber that was big enough to have taken up most of the real estate of the first floor.

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In the center of the chamber was a raised platform with a single fracture humming in the middle, frequent ripples gurgling across its surface as people passed through.

Along the sides were tables, chairs, and broad sofas as well as a cafe where people could buy food and beverages to bring through to the testing grounds. Along the walls, just beneath the ceiling, hung several huge displays flashing high scores from the different disciplines.

“Do you have electricity here?” Sonja asked, staring pointedly at the bright screens.

Atla followed her gaze. “Ah, no, that’s the result of careful cooperation between a handful of Awakened with very specific abilities.”

“I didn’t know abilities could do stuff like this.”

Mikla flashed a satisfied smirk. “I doubt your species was even capable of considering the simplest of tool usage by the time we had developed these. A good bit of technology from civilizations before their initial induction into the Unified Mass can more or less be replicated with skills.”

“That’s… incredible,” Sonja admitted, her eyes still glued to the screens.

“Isn’t it just?” Atla said and made for the cafe. “Let’s get something to drink and get going. What do you guys want?”

“Water,” Sonja said.

“Do you have orange pear juice?” Heath asked. “Eik brought some home recently.” Atla glanced to Mikla who nodded knowingly.

“Chocolate milk?” Eik asked, eyeing Michael who lit up like a sparkler.

Mikla tilted his head. “I don’t know what that is.”

“It’s this brown drink, made with beans. Not bitter like coffee, though!”

“Oh, we have that here too!”

“Really? Sweet!”

The area on the other side of the fracture was an enormous, flat piece of land. With its flattened grass and people milling about it actually resembled a festival grounds from old Earth. Right in front of the fracture a large wooden sign was posted.

— The Crucible —

F-rank Crucible challenges.

The following sequence of Crucible challenges will test specific aspects of the participant’s skill set.

This section of the Crucible will not be an accurate indication of the participant’s general, practical ability to solve organic and authentic problems, nor will it be an accurate indication of the participant’s general and practical combat ability.

It is recommended but not required that any participant is accompanied by an authority to assist in the evaluation of results and in the identification of strengths and shortcomings.

It is recommended but not required that any participant who wishes to test and improve their combat ability is accompanied by an authority whose own proven ability is sufficient to conduct an appropriate evaluation of the participant’s combat ability, and who is fit to act as an evaluator of combat ability.

It is recommended but not required that any participant who wishes to test and improve their abilities not related to combat is accompanied by an authority whose own ability within the given field or discipline is proven and documented, and who is fit to act as an evaluator of the field or discipline that the participant wishes to test and improve.

“I guess you guys are fit to act as evaluators for our level?” Michael commented.

“Of course,” Atla said and led them to an enormous amphitheater.

From ground level and down were descending rows of seats for spectators to watch the participants in the center undertake their tests. About a fifth of the seats were currently occupied and F-rankers — mostly kids in their teens — stood in line next to the arena to wait their turn.

“What’s this one then?” Eik asked as they made their way down.

“This is to test physical endurance and defense. In other words, how well you can take a beating,” Atla said with a cheeky grin.

“That’s not my specialty so I’ll just skip this one then!” Eik hurried to say and tried to escape toward the rows of spectators only for Atla to grab him by the collar of his shirt.

“No, you won’t,” she said and threw him down the long flight of stairs where he stumbled and rolled before coming to a stop at the bottom.

They had to wait for a while but when it finally came to their turn Heath eagerly stepped onto the stage as the first. The test would be conducted by an Awakened a few stages above F-rank specialized in physical combat. He would be afflicted by a weakening skill and attack the participant.

The weakening would be gradually lifted until the participant could no longer endure the beating — a decision made based on constant monitoring of the participant’s physical condition. A barrier specialist and a healer stood ready to assist the injured.

“Are you ready?” the weakened C-ranker asked and charged when Heath nodded. The man looked remarkably bored to be spending his day sandbagging people far below his own level.

Heath’s sword and shield had both been left with Mikla. The first few hits didn’t seem to faze the big tank whatsoever, his E-rank body combined with his leveled Fortitude ability bolstered him well against the onslaught.

Most of the kids that had gone before Heath had lasted a little longer than ten seconds, but he was already approaching twenty seconds and only just now starting to show signs of struggling.

He clenched his teeth and took punch after heavy punch to both the face and the body, and on the twenty-seventh second his legs buckled and he fell to his knees.

“Get up, Heathy!” Sonja shouted and he did, managing to stay up for four more seconds. Heath’s impressive run seemed to have impressed the C-ranker who was now punching away with considerably more enthusiasm as well as with a considerably less weakened body.

The barrier specialist watched intensely and as the forty-fourth second was called her hand whipped up and forth, a purple shell of smoky light snapping into existence just in time to catch the C-rankers fist as it came for Heath’s face.

“Forty-four seconds!” the score was announced to applause from the spectators. None of the other participants had managed even a third of that, but considering Heath’s specialty and power rank it was no big surprise.

A parent of one of the other test takers was a B-rank healer and stepped in to assist the test healer with Heath’s recovery and together they got him on his feet in a minute and a half.

“Well done, bro!” Eik praised, slapping the satisfied tank on the back and handing him his juice. Eik took a sip of his own drink and spat it out immediately. “Geh, what the hell is this crap, Mikla?”

“Isn’t it what you wanted?”

“Why is it so sour?”

“That’s what kalva dalva beans taste like. It’s an acquired taste, I’ll admit.”

Eik’s tongue was tingling and the muscles in his jaw tightened involuntarily while Michael sipped the drink with a similar reaction. “No, that’s the flavor of something illegal.”

Sonja stepped up next, but only lasted nineteen seconds before the barrier flickered to life around her limp body. Michael went down in eight seconds, scoring a few seconds below the average.

Mikla eyed Eik expectantly as Michael returned to them on wobbly legs. “Alright, alright,” he said. “Since Mike did it, I’ll do it too…”

He couldn’t wait to be tested on raw damage output. He would destroy any previous records.