“The realms are innumerable.” Neta’s tone was serious. Everyone sat in the large living room of the O’Leon estate’s main house. In this instance, everyone included Neta, Cinder, Pheobe, Phevona, Duncan, Dean, Boetin, Zebona, and Jen. DJ was allowed inside but they had just returned from a rather messy monster hunt. More than a little blood was currently coated into the poor midnight wolf’s fur.

“With quantity comes variety, but as far as we know, all realms abide by some basic rules. Those rules result in what we know as the realm classification system.” Duncan would finally learn something he’d wanted to know since he’d first started at the Academy on Earth. Pheobe and Phevona had both mentioned realm classification on his first night at the O’Leon estate. Now, almost two years after he was Chosen by Cinder, it was time for him to learn. Then, in three days, he, Phevona, and Dean would undergo their Subject trials.

Duncan started to write down the information in a travel journal he had bought as Neta continued her lesson.

“There are three basic identifiers for every realm. The first is stability. There are only two possible results for this category. Permanent and Temporary. Each is exactly as their stability implies. Permanent realms, like Dintarnum, cannot be cleared. Therefore, they are eternal, barring extreme circumstances. Temporary realms are the exact opposite. They are meant to be cleared, and once they are, they almost always cease to exist.”

“What do you mean by clear exactly?” Duncan asked after Neta paused to see if he had any questions. Everyone present had already learned of Duncan’s origins at some point over the last two years, so no one wondered why Duncan didn’t know anything about such a basic concept. Dean’s reaction to learning of Duncan’s origin was nothing extreme; he’d mostly just wanted to hear stories about what Earth was like.

“To clear a realm essentially means to defeat it,” Neta answered. “To do this, you must complete the task or tasks set by the realm itself. Those tasks usually include killing a certain number of monsters that inhabit the realm or defeating a specific, more powerful monster called a prime. There can be other tasks, such as reaching a certain place in the realm or figuring out a puzzle, but it is rare for at least one of the tasks not to be monster clearing or prime extermination.”

“How do you know what the tasks are in the first place?” Duncan asked.

“Your Subject can interact with the entrance to a different realm and, through your interface, give you some basic information about the realm, including its clear tasks if it is a temporary realm. However, you won’t have a Subject or an interface for your trial, so Cinder will identify the realm for you and tell you the clear tasks.”

When no questions followed, Neta continued. “The second identifier for realms is their tier. This system is the same as it is for everything around us. People, plants, items, monsters, and realms all have a tier. Tier zero represents anything mundane, while tier one is the first step on the path to power.”

“For permanent realms, the tier represents the strongest naturally generated magical manifestations in that realm. Dintarnum is a permanent, tier ten realm, so monsters and other naturally manifested magical resources, including temporary realm entrances, are tier ten at the strongest.”

“On the other hand, a temporary realm’s tier tells us two things. The first is the same as permanent realms. How strong the natural manifestations can be. However, temporary realms are a lot more uniform in their power distribution, so monsters and resources will almost always be the same tier as the temporary realm itself.”

“The second thing a temporary realm’s tier tells us is the maximum tier of entity allowed to enter that realm. So, for a tier three temporary realm, only tier three people or below can enter. This even affects things like equipment and consumables, as it will limit the strength of anything brought into the realm. This is one of the biggest reasons realm delvers aren’t that common. It would be much easier if people could use higher-tier equipment to carry them through delves.”

“This is also why the adventurer’s guild likes to have plenty of members at and below their permanent realm’s tier. If temporary realms aren’t cleared fast enough, their magic can overflow and break the connection between realms, resulting in realm breaks. There is nothing like the threat of a monster hoard appearing through an overflowing temporary realm to motivate the adventurer’s guild. It’s supposedly the reason the organization was founded in the first place.”

Neta took a quick sip of the tea Cinder had made for everyone before she continued.

“The third identifier for each realm is magnitude. Magnitude represents the maximum number of people allowed in the realm at once. Every permanent realm I know of has the same magnitude, boundless, which means there is no limit to the number of people allowed in the realm.”

“A temporary realm will have one of eight magnitudes.” Duncan quickly made a chart in his notebook and filled in the relevant information regarding temporary realm magnitudes.

Magnitude

Maximum People

Lesser

1

Standard

6

Advanced

24

Greater

96

Major

384

Mega

1,536

Giga

6,144

Vast

24,576

Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

Neta allowed Duncan to finish recording the information before she continued. “Other than lesser realms, every maximum is based on teams of six people, which is why that is the normal size for realm delving teams. Standard realms are meant to be cleared by a team of six people, and every magnitude after that quadruples the maximum of the previous magnitude."

Neta’s gaze shifted between the three youngest people in the room. “In three days, you will each enter a lesser, tier one temporary realm. If you can complete the clear tasks, the realm will reward you with the opportunity to choose both a combat and non-combat Subject.”

Duncan looked up from his notes at the mention of rewards. “What do you mean by the realm will reward us? How can it do that?”

“With magic, of course.” Neta smiled at the annoyed look on Duncan’s face. “More specifically, once a realm is cleared, it will use all the mana and magic it had been using to remain in existence to create an appropriate reward for everyone involved in clearing the realm. The realm will try to interact with your Subject interface to determine an appropriate reward. When it can’t interact with you since you don’t have a Subject, it will determine that the appropriate reward is to give you access to a Subject. Clearing your first realm solo, even if it is a lesser realm, will give you an upgraded reward, resulting in the realm awarding you access to both a combat and non-combat Subject.”

So that’s how the Subject trial worked. According to what he’d heard from the O’Leons, it was rare for kids to undertake the trial. It made sense, with how dangerous delving a tier above could be, let alone a tier above when you didn’t even have a Subject in the first place.

“There are some other nuances when it comes to realms,” Cinder added. “Like how as magnitude increases, it becomes more likely for multiple entrances to lead to the same temporary realm. This is especially true for higher-tier temporary realms since there are fewer people strong enough to participate. There are hundreds of thousands of tier ones and twos in Kuno, but there’s no way we could send enough people to clear something like a mega tier eight realm. It would be difficult for most countries to spare 1,536 tier-eights for the length of time it could take to clear such a large realm, and that’s not even the highest tier realm that can appear on Dintarnum. Imagine trying to organize that many or even more tier tens for a realm delve. The realms counter this problem by eventually opening up more entrances to the temporary realm in Dintarnum or even other realms entirely.”

“So it’s less likely I’ll run into someone from Corvelin while I’m still lower tier?” Duncan asked, hopefully.

“Depends on the magnitude of the realm,” Pheobe answered. “There are plenty of low-tier temporary realms around. New entrances appear constantly. Vast realms are rare but not unheard of. 24,576 delvers is a lot to organize at once, regardless of tier. Cinder and I entered a Giga tier two realm when we were in tier two. We saw plenty of people from all over Dintarnum in that one.”

“So, should I just avoid higher magnitude realms for a while? There could be problems if someone from Corvelin recognizes or hears about me.”

“No,” Pheobe shook her head emphatically. “The benefits of higher magnitude realms far outweigh any downsides. A higher magnitude means more monsters, loot, progression, and likely better rewards once cleared.”

“You will just have to be wary of Corveliners, but that’s true for everyone,” Neta said. The corner of her mouth twitched upward as she said, “We have a plan to help you hide your identity, but we will talk about that after your trial. You have the next two days to prepare for your trial. I suggest you rest for most of it.”

***

Duncan’s breathing was even. Every inhale controlled; every exhale identical to the last. The cold air helped him relax. Today was the day.

The sun was just starting to appear on the horizon. Duncan had watched the sister moons of Dintarnum disappear just minutes before from his perch on top of the apprentice quarters. He’d been up there for almost an hour, waiting.

Less than ten minutes after the sun’s appearance, Boetin’s robe-covered form entered the estate. Soon after, Phevona and Cinder emerged from the main house. Cinder was dressed in his usual training attire, while, like Duncan, Phevona was dressed for battle.

Her hair was up in a tight knot, and her body was covered from neck to feet in leather armor. She wore no helmet, as she found it difficult to see whenever she wore one. Duncan recognized every piece of equipment on her, as they had been her favorites during their monster hunts. She looked like she was ready to take on the world.

Seeing the group gathering at the entrance to the estate, Duncan rose from his seated position, then descended from the roof with three quick activations of the air walk ability enchanted into his boots. The only other enchanted items he wore were his perception-boosting hairpin and a storage ring. The ring was new and put more magical strain on his body than any enchantment he’d used over the past two years, but it would be worth it once he started his trail.

Besides his enchanted items, he wore the leather armor Cinder had given him almost a year prior. It had seen its fair share of damage since then, but it was back to pristine condition today, thanks to the efforts of Duncan’s favorite leather worker in the city.

As he approached the entrance, Phevona looked over at him. Duncan had learned to read her mood over the past two years, and he could tell she was both nervous and excited.

“Ready?” Duncan asked. A quick nod was all he got in reply.

“Time to go,” Cinder said, then led the way out of the estate.

Their walk through the city was neither rushed nor delayed. By the time they reached the western gate, Kunora was alive with activity.

“We will leave you here,” Boetin announced soon after they’d left the city. “Phevona’s realm entrance is part way around the mountain.”

Phevona took a moment to look over at Duncan. “Good luck. Don’t die.” Her smile was only slightly forced. Then she gave him a quick hug. He was slightly surprised but returned it nonetheless.

“Same to you,” Duncan said after they separated. “Don’t take too long. We’ve got a lot of training to do when we get back. New Abilities. Tier one bodies. So much will be different. And we still only have three people on the team. We need to find more minions for you to boss around.”

Phevona’s smile turned more genuine. “Of course. My current subordinates are average at best. I must find more reliable people to compensate for their lack of ability.”

“Says the one who lost our last duel.” Duncan was smiling now, too. He was excited to earn his Subjects and grow in power. But, unlike before he’d arrived on Dintarnum, he found himself more excited to go on adventures with his new friends than anything else.

Before Phevona could respond, Cinder cut in and said, “All right, you two. Enough. You can bicker like siblings later. Phevona.” He looked at his daughter with a look of supreme confidence. “You’ll do great. I can’t wait to hear about your first delve. Your mother and I are proud of you.” A long hug was the only response Phevona gave him, and then she and Boetin went on their way, moving southwest toward the edge of the mountain.

Duncan and Cinder continued walking on the road leading west out of Kunora for a few hours. They passed hundreds of people heading toward the city. Most were travelers, merchants, and farmers heading to the city for trade and opportunity. However, some were adventurers. Every race Duncan had come across in Kunora was represented in their number. Humans, elves, dwarves, lizardkin, beastkin, and more he didn’t know the names of. No two adventurers were the same.

Eventually, Cinder led Duncan off the road. They moved north toward the ocean and soon arrived at a rock-covered beach. Just ten strides away from where the waves crashed against the rocks sat a rip in space itself. It was ten feet tall and the width of his hand.

When he looked into it, there was an unidentifiable scene of who knew what exactly. Everything was blurred as though he were looking at a distant horizon through a heat haze.

Duncan had seen its like before, having run into many while out on monster hunts. This was it. This was the entrance. This was where he’d have his trial.

Cinder approached the rip, holding his hand up to it without hesitation. “Yup, this is it,” Cinder yelled over the cacophony of crashing waves. “Lesser, tier one temporary realm. Clear tasks are to kill 80 percent of all monsters as well as the prime. This is the most common combination of clear tasks for all tiers of temporary realms.”

Duncan stepped forward to stand directly beside Cinder and the realm entrance. His heart started to pound faster, and adrenaline began to pump through his veins. He could hear his heartbeat in his ears until it even drowned out the sound of the waves. He took a deep breath, then another. He thought about all the training he’d gone through over the past two years. Every lesson he had learned. Every sword form he had absorbed into his very being. Every monster he had fought.

He was ready. His heartbeat slowed. There was a perfect sword for every occasion. He was that perfect sword.

Cinder grabbed him by the shoulder, then gave him a quick, assured nod. “Your Subject trial begins now.”