Alex was really looking forward to the day he’d be able to fly under his own power. Leaping off panels of force conjured by Mrs. Stirling was an incredible way to travel, but it mainly served as a teaser for what things would be like in the future. When he had a Domain of his own, gravity wouldn’t be enough to keep him from soaring through the skies.
The group was used to the force panels by this point, preventing any stumbles or bad leaps. After considering their increased attributes, it was nearly automatic. Alex could feel his reaction Enhancement at work, letting him easily respond to the appearance of the panels and jump perfectly every time.
The weather was peaceful after a few days of snowing, leaving the land that had once been Western Illinois covered in white. As they approached their destination, they soared over a forest, with snow held up by the branches of trees that refused the natural cycle of decay that should see them barren at this time of year.
They weren’t pine trees, but they had adapted to the new environment of a post-Arrival world far better than most foliage. The trees managed to sustain themselves through the harsh weather by absorbing small amounts of mana from the air. It was evidence that this glade might one day become something more, but for now, they were just slightly hardier than mundane plants.
Mr. Stirling described the trees as comparable to Aspirants without Mana Bodies. They were stronger thanks to the equivalent of some levels, but couldn’t control the mana inside them for anything more than passive growth. It was similar to how Aspirants wouldn’t control mana until they had their soul attributes, but the trees were soulless.
The trial they were approaching could be found in this forest, and with the speed they were moving it only took another two leaps to end up right above it. Their descent was quick, but carefully controlled by Mrs. Stirling.
“How do the trees avoid negative reactions while absorbing mana from the environment?” Becca asked as they landed. Alex was a bit surprised by the change of topic away from their upcoming delve but was also interested to hear the answer. He had a decent idea of what the answer would be, and Becca likely knew more than he did, but the Imprinted had repeatedly proven to hold a wealth of knowledge that the Academy couldn’t keep up with.
“Trees don’t have souls, so they don’t produce their own mana,” Mr. Stirling replied, “Without that power, they can’t influence the environmental mana. The human element is where things get dangerous, most of the time.”
Alex remembered reading about a man who had given himself extended claws, in a mana storm, without strengthening his hands and arms sufficiently. He’d been quite surprised when he tested the claws out against a wall and they tore out of his hands instead of leaving a mark on the bricks. Surprised and in a lot of pain.
“Still, it’s not universally safe,” The healer continued, “There are examples of trees withering, growing too tall, or even exploding when they overdraw mana. Most trees still around at this point have adapted to the point where such things are impossible, though.”
“Interesting,” Becca nodded, “So if Earth continues to grow stronger, these will become Ensouled Plants, like that patch of grass in New Chicago?”
“Potentially,” Mrs. Stirling replied, “The topic is not relevant before the planet reaches Tier 4, so we know very little.”
“Even on Tier 4 worlds, it’s a rare phenomenon,” Mr. Stirling nodded, “Soulless life needs to be exposed to large amounts of mana over a long timeframe to gain sapience. Monsters that manage to ascend only do so thanks to the Trialbringer.”
Becca clearly wanted to discuss the topic more, but Mrs. Stirling held up her hand, “Enough, we can discuss this topic further after your trial.”
Becca’s mouth snapped shut, and the mage continued, “You have all done incredibly well over the past few days, and I’m proud of the hard work you’ve put in. It is not too late to challenge Hard Mode. Rare Achievements are still an impressive foundation.”
Alex looked around at his friends and was unsurprised when none of them showed any doubt. Rare Achievements were good, yes, but the rewards from Hell Mode were far better.
They all possessed powerful Rare Mana Bodies, or even better in Alex’s and Anthony’s cases. They’d spent days burning through Guidance and working diligently, pushing their power as far as they would go at Tier 0 through normal means.
Jess and Becca had both used most of their Mana Guidance in the last days but neither had gained a mana type. Even the Mana Guidance offered by Becca’s Epic Achievement wasn’t enough, the soul was simply too distant for an Aspirant to gain a mana type under normal circumstances. David had possessed Grand Guidance and still chosen to settle for preparing himself to gain more power at Tier 1.
The belief that they had a real chance was a result of overconfidence, in part driven by Anthony’s success. Looking back at his plan to gain a mana type using the near baptism provided by David, Alex could only admit he’d been foolish. The plan had been even more unlikely than his friends had claimed.
If David hadn’t intervened, Alex would’ve had no chance at forming a mana type. His soul and body weren’t synchronized enough. How could his soul learn to influence the physical world in such a situation? The Stirlings had been hopeful that Becca would surprise them using her Guidance, but they’d come to the conclusion that it was hopeless after Becca’s first standard Mana Guidance had failed.
The complete lack of Aspirants with mana types wasn’t without reason. Only a small handful had managed it over New Chicago’s decades of existence, and those had all come from experiences in trials similar to Anthony’s. Alex almost wished that the Stirlings had been upfront about their terrible chances, as the past few days had been quite disappointing despite their improvements in other fields.
To gain a mana type at Tier 0, you needed the right opportunities. Exceptional circumstances created exceptional Pathwalkers, and Hell Mode definitely qualified. The danger wasn’t what they were looking for, though. They were far more interested in the rewards.
Outstanding performance in a Hell Mode trial, according to Mrs. Stirling, provided incredible benefits. Including, for true standouts, a Mana Baptism.
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Mana Baptisms were the greatest reward the Trialbringer offered. The most obvious benefit was the permanent increase in all of your attributes, but that wasn’t the real prize. The greatest benefit was simple, soul synchronization, something Alex had been chasing through meditation without success.
Anthony had gained a mana type by undergoing incredible danger. In his time of peril, even his soul had instinctively responded, synchronizing with his body toward a single purpose. Staying alive.
While instinctive reactions to danger were one way to spur your soul into working alongside your body, they couldn’t compare to a Mana Baptism. The Trialbringer would descend into your surroundings, using high-tier stable mana to provide an environment far beyond anything that could be found in a Tier 3 world. At the same time, the mana surrounding your soul on the Ethereal Plane would undergo a transformation.
The exact mechanics were ridiculously complex, but the result was easy to understand. For a few short minutes, body and soul would come together in a teaser of things to be achieved at a higher tier.
It wasn’t as simple as an increase to your Connection attribute. Instead, it gave a temporary version of the boons an actual tier-up granted. Connection measured your soul’s ability to interact with the physical, and as that Connection grew some amount of reciprocity was possible. Alex being able to reach for Ethereal Drift as an Aspirant was thanks to his high Connection, but his repeated failures demonstrated the incredible difficulty without tiering up.
Upon reaching level ten, a Pathwalker would receive a Tier Baptism. This Baptism would increase their attributes by an amount that was based on the quality of their Mana Body, but it would also permanently increase the synchronization between their body and soul, allowing the physical to influence the ethereal. The same would happen at later tiers, although those required personal action beyond just leveling up.
Gaining a mana type as a Neophyte was still difficult, but it was far easier for them than it was for Aspirants. If Alex’s teammates managed to qualify for a Mana Baptism, they’d have one last chance to gain a mana type at Tier 0 during its effects. Becca, Jess, and Muhammad had each saved one instance of Mana Guidance to be used during a Baptism if they earned it.
Alex had saved his last Grand Mana Guidance as well, alongside his Greater Mana Baptism. Not receiving the attribute increase before Hell Mode was a risk, but he could always trigger it during the trial. The sudden increase might even catch a sapient monster off guard, and he held onto some hope of using it to form his own mana type somehow.
The Stirlings had accepted the answer that he would use it in the trial for a sudden powerup if needed, agreeing that the element of surprise would be useful against a boss monster.
When no one expressed an interest in backing out, Mrs. Stirling just nodded, “Very well then, I wish you all the best of luck.”
“We’ve got this,” Muhammad smiled, “I’m feeling confident today.”
Jess gave him an exasperated look but didn’t take the bait. Anthony nodded and smiled back at Muhammad.
“I’m looking forward to seeing these zombies burn,” Alex agreed. He held back his initial impulse to congratulate Becca on coming up with the flame arrows plan. That would just spark a disagreement about how it was more of a team effort and her initial idea had been flawed.
It was an argument they’d already had, and Alex had no desire to repeat his mistakes.
Becca, for her part, had a determined expression on her face as she stared at the trial entrance. While Muhammad and Alex were releasing tension, she seemed to be going in the other direction. Working to stay focused on the fight ahead of them.
Alex approached the trial, pushing a hand against the entrance.
Do you wish to attempt an Aspirant Trial of Zombies?
Prodigy status detected. The trial will be upgraded to Hard Mode. Do you wish to attempt Hell Mode?
Hard Mode - Hell Mode
He selected Hell Mode, and a ripple spread across the surface. The scene changed, although it was still showing a forest. The winter on the outside didn’t make it through into the archway, which showed colorful leaves sprawling across the ground.
Autumn.
“What could late Fall mean? Becca asked, “The season of decay, maybe?”
“That’s… poetic,” Alex frowned, “I’d think undead would be more of a winter thing. Since they’re already dead.”
“Or there’s no deeper meaning to the season,” Muhammad pointed out, “Hasn’t happened before.”
“Trial environment can be a hint at the monsters inside,” Jess disagreed, “it’s just not a thing until Tier 2, normally.”
“Hell Mode trials have more depth,” Mrs. Stirling stated, “Don’t disregard any potential clues. It’s possible that there’s a monster inside with Abilities related to Autumn.”
“Possibly decay, then,” Alex agreed, “Could also mean that the boss is a monster that’s not yet undead? Is that a thing?”
“It’s unlikely, but I suppose it’s not impossible,” Mr. Stirling stated.
“We have to be ready for anything,” Jess said, “If we focus too much on one potential power set, we’ll be caught off guard by another.”
“That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t consider the possibilities,” Becca argued, “Decay magic would be a good matchup for Anthony, so I doubt it’s that.”
“Hell Mode threw an illusionist at David and Mrs. Stirling,” Alex disagreed, “If anything, it makes more sense for decay to be present as a test for Anthony’s powers.”
“Good point,” Becca frowned, “I should’ve realized that.”
“So we expect decay magic,” Anthony nodded, “Restore will do well in a trial like that.”
“Are we ready?” Alex asked.
A chorus of affirmations came around, Becca’s determined expression was now matched by each of them. The time for levity was gone, it was delving time.
“Remember,” Mrs. Stirling interrupted, “Failure has very real implications for the world.”
“We know,” Alex agreed.
“Make sure you remember,” the mage sighed, “Entering this trial is a responsibility, as much as an opportunity. Don’t disregard your lives, but remember the stakes.”
“We won’t fail,” Jess stated. Alex couldn’t help but notice the parallel with Muhammad’s earlier statement.
The difference was obvious. Jess couldn’t look more serious, and she wasn’t alone. Mrs. Stirling’s words had been a reminder, but they doubled as a pep talk. The group was ready.
“Let’s do this,” Alex stepped through the archway.
No monsters were waiting on the other side, allowing Alex to look around and get his bearings without diving into a fight. They had entered a clearing, just like on the outside.
These trees were shorter than the ones back on Earth, with branches that nearly reached the ground. It was reminiscent of pine trees, but the leaves were closer to an oak. Alex didn’t recognize the tree and immediately chalked it up as something that didn’t appear on Earth.
There were no monsters in sight, but visibility was limited outside of the clearing by the foliage.
Muhammad came through next, and the rest quickly followed. Alex went to check his notifications to see what the trial demanded of them.
He glanced past the reminder that he had entered a Hell Mode trial, finding the quest next.
Prevent the Attuning of Aldrek Misch
Time remaining: 3:59:40
Alex cursed as he read the quest. That was worse than they’d expected.
The boss wasn’t just a Neophyte. It was at the peak of the Tier.
Their opponent was on the precipice of reaching Tier 2. If they took too long to find them Alex might just be up against an actual Attuned monster.