It didn’t take long for Hildebrant to dress into a suit of silver armor David lent him and then walk out of their little house into a surprisingly bustling road created by houses surrounding it. The entire great hall was bustling with life and vitality. Extreme contrast to the solemnity people had when venturing into the ceremony.

When he thought about the ceremony, it was almost a month since the last one, and a new one was extremely close. This meant his time to choose a caste was also nearing if he didn’t want to end up like some people.

Standing still he waited for David to close the door when one of the dirty beggars that sat unmoving on the ground stood up with an absentminded expression and began to walk deeper into the center of the sanctuary.

People who noticed him immediately made way and no one dared to stop him or even look his way.

"What is with him?"

David who locked the door walked to him in his suit of armor, his brown hair fluttered in the wind and his brow eyes turned to look at the beggar who he pointed to.

"He died and as rules dictate his body will go to be swallowed by the foundation pillar. Don’t look, it is taken as disrespect to dead souls residing in their bodies, we should go to our destination before night hits the ground."

Then without any hesitation, David walked into a bustling crowd of people while Hildebrant continued to look at the dead beggar with a sombre expression. Clasping his hands he prayed to the gods he knew and then he followed David and dived into streets full of people.

As he walked around people and children would look at him from time to time. It made him feel uncomfortable, but it was nothing he could not take. There was however question in the back of his mind and as curious as Hildebrant was he leaned closer to David to ask.

"Don’t people fear death?"

Hearing his David smiled.

"They did at the beginning but with no choice people will adapt fast. Things like dead bodies walking on their own, or monsters that look like humans walking amongst them are nothing worthy of their attention when they are hungry."

He then looked at the ceiling with a reminiscing expression.

"There was a time when we needed to fear nothing, not even hunger but all good times passed, and ages changed."

Looking at the large houses and observing the people coming in and out, they didn’t look sad or despairing but most of them looked happy and content with the life they lived here. Some even had children surrounding them showing how much time must passed from the time they came in, but one thing could not help but come to his mind.

"In the past, you said all people in the sanctuary are ascenders, doesn’t that mean most of the people here will die after ten years?"

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

David didn't answer just smiled, but that smile told him everything he needed to know.

That realization made his blood boil and his heart freezes in despair and confusion.

Why would they not try to ascend, to save yourselves? Was the life of normalcy what they desired, or did they just give up after finding out they no longer had a choice but to die after being unable to ascend after three initial years?

Shaking his head to dispel bad thoughts from his head he continued to observe his surroundings as they made their way to their destination.

The great hall of exorcist was a surprisingly beautiful place full of multiple talented people. Houses they built made the place look lively and decorations on top of some buildings describing giant worms would catch the eye of even experienced master craftsmen.

Another thing that caught his eye was people who would throw their gaze at them from time to time and then retract it, shrinking and lowering their heads. At first, Hildebrant thought it was because of their armor but then one man who was absent-mindedly walking jumped on the side after gazing at David's face and began to apologize even while they passed him by without uttering a word.

"Are you famous by any chance?"

"No, it's just that people don’t like to forgo some things and cling to the past too much."

Said David and then they passed through the giant blue cloth into another part of the great hall from where they made their way to the small open gate surrounded to the brim with people of all ages and sizes.

It was hard to notice but its surface was intricate and the wall it was imbued into showed they reached one of the ends of the great hall.

Passing through it into darkness Hildebrant almost did not notice two silver-armored men with weird gazes and long necks standing as guards. But when he did and stared them in the eyes his soul shivered.

They looked almost exactly the same as black-eyed people on the ship, only less alive and expressive.

Wanting to be as far away from them as possible he followed David into darkness and by instinct flames flickered out of his skin, flowing around his armor, warming it up and illuminating their surroundings and David who was already holding two long sticks frozen in place.

"Ascenders like you have it really handy."

David sighed and his shoulder slumped down as he stored two sticks back into his belt and then shrugging his shoulder Hildebrant followed.

Darkness around them parted but it still looked like sea shifting and moving without any visible reason. A person has no choice but to desire to jump into it when he observes it and then crawl on the floor fearing the unknown that could happen to him.

Walking deeper into darkness his steps echoed through the entire place and each time his feet created a sound his heart would skip a beat. There was something harrowing about these corridors he walked on, almost bone-chilling.

Using his slowly burning hand to illuminate the wall he could observe many deep gaps and rifts that were created. How or what created them? There was no proof it was a sword or even Halbert it looked more like something left by the sharp claw of a beast. But was there a beast or monster strong enough to leave such a mark on marble walls that even Icarus was unable to break?

"I hate walking through this place."

Next to him, David kept clenching the hilt of his Jian so strongly that his hand became pale.

"You should relax your grip a little."

Startled David looked at him and gave him an awkward smile

"I would love to."

They continued to walk until they finally saw light in the distance. Without hesitation, they walked into the blinding flash of light and when their eyes adapted to change, they both lowered their hands that before cowered their eyes.

"We are finally here."

David sighed but Hildebrant felt something moving behind him. When he turned around however there was nothing just deep darkness flowing like living blood. Yes, it looked like blood, blood of some sort of unholy being filling another unholy being.

Without much choice, he turned his back to the flowing darkness and dispersed flames surrounding him.

It was time to get some food.