The first thing I noticed as I woke up was just how sore my body was. Everything from my neck down felt well tenderized, with the only exception being my completely numb arms. Getting to my feet proved difficult, but eventually, I managed to lean up against one of the walls. A quick examination of my body showed that I wasn't actively bleeding and that ost of my injuries had already scabbed over. No doubt an effect of my HP. My arms were another story.
My skin was covered in nasty red splotches and purple bruises. I could still move them with effort, but it hurt like hell, and I could tell just how weak they were. I didn't have to check my stat sheet to know that I was completely sucked dry of HP, and I didn't feel any more of the warm energy appearing. Trying to not think about my self-inflicted injuries, I focused on something fun. I had some notifications to go through.
You have slain a lesser infant spawn of Mortemal!
You have gained a new mission! Bounty: Nightmares I.
To claim your reward, please lay your hand upon your foe.
You have unlocked the path of carnage! You have taken the first step down a path of blood and bone. One well-traveled by those who came before, you will follow in the bloody footsteps of those who came before. Will your blood stain this road? Or will you find the courage to continue onwards despite the stains you carry?
The notifications provided more than enough distraction from my body's current state. Especially the second one, I could feel something strange about it. It was similar to the sub menus I had found in the shop and my skill sheet, but it wasn't leading to another message. Instead, it seemed to impart a sort of instinctual knowledge. It took a bit of focus, but eventually, I realized that it was another mental command, just like the ones from the marble room. I didn't wait to open the new menu.
Missions:
Bounty: Nightmare I: Nightmare has illegally entered your universe, and as such, any inhabitants of your universe, native or otherwise, will be generously rewarded for eradicating any infected they may find. Current Milestone Progress: 1/100
There was a lot to unpack here. Hints at people coming from other universes, that there were multiversal laws, and perhaps most notably the use of the word infected. I'd had plenty of contact with the spider and its fluids already. Hopefully, whatever infection this 'Nightmare' had didn't spread through fluids. Or if it did, my HP dealt with diseases as well as wounds.
I was getting tired of ignoring the implications of the messages. Still, there was honestly nothing else to do about it. If I had some disease from another universe, there really wasn't anything I could do about it. My time would be better spent acing this test. So, walking up to the spider, I laid my hand on it, only to find that the moment my fingers touched the body, it vanished.
You have gained 7 coins. Insufficient mana density for object manifestation.
I was happy to find a way to gain coins and, by extension, increase my attributes. Standing at the door, I prepared to walk through, but I had one last thing to check before moving on to whatever was next.
Path of the Warrior: 1/10. Path of Carnage: 1/100.
I hadn't rechecked the path page because I had thought it was a one-off message similar to other notifications I had gotten. Finally ready to continue the test, I weakly pulled the door open and cautiously peeked through the entrance. The door opened to another room, this one far larger and circular rather than square. I could see a dozen more doors along the walls, with a large hatch sitting in the center of the room. What caught my attention most was what, or rather who was standing on top of that hatch.
Bryan was tall even for the fourth generation, standing well above 6'6' and was built like a roided out bear. His sheer physique had given him quite a bit of sway, but that wasn't the only advantage Bryan held. He had an undeniable charisma that made him a natural-born leader. It's how he'd formed his crew of delinquents. "Was not expecting to see you here, meathead. Not that I'll complain. You'll make one hell of a meatshield big guy."
"Hey Alex, glad to see some things never change. Sorry to disappoint, but I went noble." Bryan paused as he saw me, his eyes going up and down my body. "Looks like I made the right choice. What the hell happened to you, dude?"
It was only when he mentioned my state that I noticed the oddity of his. He didn't have a scratch on him, and as far as I could tell, he hadn't been in any sort of fight. " What happened was a giant fucking spider, that's what. The real question here is, why don't you look well blended? Did the spider mistake you for its brother and let you pass?"
Ignoring my jab, Bryan walked over to one of the doors. "I think it's because of our paths, just like these doors. The three here only let nobles through, with the three opposite being warrior exclusive. They're connected with these three, which allow two participants and have no restrictions. The hatch is the same way."
I had to admit that he definitely had a better grip on the situation, but that was to be expected when you took in how long I might have been unconscious. I still had no idea how long I'd been knocked out for, and for all I knew, he could have been here for hours. Which brought up a good question. "Have you tried any of them yet?"
Bryan shook his head, pointing at the large hatch, and said, "I figured that waiting for my partner would be the better call. Touch the door, and you'll understand." I looked at him curiously, but he obviously wouldn't tell me what he meant, so I just did as he asked. The moment my hand touched the hatch, a notification buzzed to life, and I pulled it up.
The Final Trial
2 people may take this trial at once.
Your overall grade will be boosted depending on the following condition is met:
Clear the trial after completing a total of 0-2 other trials. This is a combined tally of all challengers. Reward: Increased test grade by two ranks. One Tier 1 Karmic Box.
Clear the trial after completing a total of 3-6 other trials. This is a combined tally of all challengers. Reward: Increased test grade by one rank.
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Clear the trial after completing a total of 7-12 other trials. This is a combined tally of all challengers. Reward: None
Well shit. This most definitely changed things and explained why Bryan waited up for me. If we were going to do this test together, we would need to decide what trials to take and what tier of reward we were shooting for. "Alright, I'm gonna need to make one thing clear here. I'm going for the top reward, and if you're not okay with that, we're just gonna have to do our trials separately."
Bryan smirked at the declaration, actually nodding along. "Never thought I'd see the day we agreed on something. But if you're pulling out an ultimatum, then so am I. We need to take on one of the two-person challenges if we're going to stand any sort of chance against the final trial. If you won't accept that condition, there's no point in us even talking about it anymore."
I reluctantly nodded in agreement. Bryan was right that we wouldn't stand a chance in the final trial if we didn't go through a team trial. We needed to feel each other out and at least get an idea of what we could both do. Otherwise, we would just get in each other's way during critical moments. "Agreed. I'm gonna just guess that you've already picked out the trial you think suits us best, but I want to look through our options first."
Bryans smile grew a bit stiff at that, and he tried voicing an opinion over what option he preferred, but I quickly cut him off. I wasn't actually worried about him manipulating me into doing what he wanted. Still, it was nice to have him be a bit frustrated for once. Walking to the three doors, I placed my hands upon them one by one.
Trial of Foundations: Build a settlement in the depths of a dangerous jungle, and face off against the spawns of Mortemal. You will be rewarded based on the survival rate of your settlement.
The trial was vague, but I wasn't expecting much. I had actually expected it to only give me the trial's name, so in a way, it exceeded my expectations by quite a bit. From what little I could gather, I wasn't very thrilled about the trial. While there was a certain appeal to base building in games, I'd prefer to spend my time exploring and facing new challenges. I also didn't like the idea of fighting the spawn in a jungle. That kind of terrain seemed a bit too advantageous for the monster spiders.
Trial of Subjugations: Set out for the abandoned town and slay all Nightmare Spawn you find there. You will be rewarded based on the number of Spawn slain.
This seemed more down my alley, but I noticed that it had changed from Mortemals spawn to nightmare spawn in general. I could be reading into it too much, but I would rather be forced to build a base and face the enemy I knew rather than one that was utterly unknown. So, with the trial of subjugation off the list, I moved onto the third and final trial.
Trial of the Wayward Soul: Maneuver the landscape of a dangerous port town and acquire a vessel to take you on your journey across the Wayward Sea. You must reach the other side of the sea to complete this trial. You will be rewarded based on the number of opportunities you seize.
Special Note: Due to the nature of this trial, your time limit to complete the basic capability test will be put on pause until the completion of the trial.
The trial seemed pretty similar to the others, that was until you reached the special note. I had honestly forgotten about the test's time limit during the excitement of the life or death battle. Still, it was probably the most significant obstacle we faced in clearing this test. With near unlimited time, we could train together all we wanted, prepping tactics and learning how to best fight together. That wasn't even considering the possibility of us figuring out how to progress our skills. I already suspected that each level in skill would provide a skill point, and every one of those might as well represent an attribute point of my choice.
With my decision made, I turned around and prepared to make my case, only to see Bryan nodding in agreement. Before I could get a word out, he began talking, like he'd been waiting for me to turn around. "I agree that the third is probably our best option, and not only for the extra time. When I figured out my partner would be a warrior, I figured the first would be our best option. It would let us both show our strengths, but looking at your state, I'm not too confident about our odds."
I didn't like how easy he had read me, but I was glad that he agreed with me for once. With nothing else to say, I opened the door, and we entered the trial of the wayward soul.
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Lines of red light pulsed with a rhythmic pattern as Gariel melted into his chair, letting the oorn sink down into his skin and past his aural shell. He could feel the blue powder slip through the space between his muscle fibers before making contact with his bones. There was a dull pain as the powder drilled through his bone, but it was quickly washed away as the drug took effect.
The formations that covered his domain's walls seemed to melt and form a whirling pattern of reds, blues, and black. The whirlwind of sensation twisted into a dozen spikes that drilled at the border of Gariels mind. With a thought, Gariel activated shattered but unbroken and held the foreign concepts at bay. He could feel the barrier cracking, unable to hold long against the combined assault of the oorn and what it was trying to draw in. Gariel focused his will and forced open one of his menus.
Your Word, Your Bond. A Contract Forged In Blood. (Souldbound): You have sworn to protect the first of the unborn. This contract cannot be broken until all of the following conditions have been met.
1: Ensure 100 newly infested worlds remain habitable. (99/100)
2: Walk through the shadow of Iwoh, the living death. (1/1)
3: Ensure its birth. (0/1)
Reward on completion: Access to a new path of power.
As Gariel focused on the contract the oorn redirected its focus. The storm of concepts reset into the walls, and Gariel felt the page expand beyond simple words. A million strings of reality weaved together to form the seemingly simple message, revealing a complexity beyond mortal understanding. Focusing on a patch of frayed strings, Gariel began to sharpen his soul, activating solidified soul. In a blast of will, he struck out with one draw.
As soul struck string, a fierce struggle began. One will against another, one an unbreakable vow and the other a never-ending and unstoppable blade. Suddenly a new web sprang to life, and Gariel felt the oorn split in two as his blade falter. Without hesitation, he slammed his acceptance into the new web, shattering it as he renewed his efforts against the contract. It had gained footing, and he knew that if things continued as they were, it would win out. With no other option, Gariel activated his final card.
Last Avatar of the 13th ignited, and his being was infused with the power of a billion trillion dead. His power immediately doubled and then doubled again. With each increase, his body became able to draw more on the power of the achievement, creating a loop of ever-escalating strength. His soul flared brighter than any living star, and he severed the string, his domain cracking from the strike's force.
Contract Updated.
Your Word, Your Bond. A Contract Forged In Blood. (Souldbound): You have sworn to protect the first of the unborn. This contract will remain until all of the following conditions have been met.
1: Ensure 100 newly infested worlds remain habitable. (99/100)
2: Walk through the shadow of Iwoh, the living death. (1/1)
Reward on completion: Access to a new path of power.
Gariel immediately deactivated Last Avatar of the 13th and felt the backlash shatter his being. The oorn leaked from his now fragmented bones. He activated the healing arrays he had so carefully set up for this occasion. It would still take years to recover from the damage. Still, without them, that recovery would have been extended to centuries.
For a while, Gariel simply basked in the glory of his accomplishment, of finally being free from the unborn and their madness. It had taken dozens of attempts to sever all the connections leading to the first, but now he could complete the contract with no fear of what he would bring upon the multiverse. He could feel a notification come to life in his head, and he pulled it up with excitement. What he had done was no small feat, and he was sure that the system would provide a suitable reward.
Congratulations! Your two sponsees have progressed to the tier 0 trial of the wayward soul!
"Oh shit."