Elder Zhao stepped forward to introduce himself. His glaze jumped from candidate to candidate. “Your predecessor earned this position for you. Put forth all the effort you have lest you tarnish the opportunity. You will have 3 chances to enter the Heavenly Demon Guild.” His hand raised with three fingers before dropping the first finger.
“The first is to show evidence of an above average talent in magic manipulation. Your age will be taken into account and your results will be judged against the average disciples already recruited by my Heavenly Demon Guild. You don’t need to exceed the average to be recruited, but you should come close.”
His second finger fell. “The next method is assuming you fail the first. If your talent is lacking, then your determination is the only thing that can overcome the weakness. You will participate in the follow on test that will subject you to a near insurmountable goal. Overcoming that will grant you acceptance as well.”
His final finger then dropped along with his hand. “Finally, should your talent be lacking and your determination too weak, then your only recourse is fate. The final test allotted will determine if your fate is strong enough. Failure in all 3 tests will disqualify you from this tryout. At that point, give up. This Elder doesn’t have the power to overrule the Guild requirements.”
The Elder turned his back to the group and walked outside the facility. “Follow.” His order trailed behind him. Within the group, Sol fell into thought. She understood the first two tests, but the final test piqued her curiosity. ‘How does one test fate?’ It was such a foreign concept that she couldn’t imagine the process.
Despite her curiosity on the subject though, Sol had no desire to have her fate tested. Experiencing such an event was tantamount to declaring her will and talent below average. Something her subconscious was vehemently protesting. Sol soon entered a clear plaza with a magic circle inscribed into the ground.
Elder Zhao was patiently standing at the center of the circle. After the candidates neared him, his voice entered the candidates ears despite his mouth remaining still. ‘Spread out inside the circle. This Elder will test your magical talent. Resist the pressure in any way you’re able. This Elder will notify you as you pass this trial or disqualify you once your life is in danger. The pressure will gradually grow at a different rate for each of you based on your talent.’
Sol froze with a cold sweat as soon as she heard the explanation. She knew it would happen, but she was hoping the test would allow a 3rd party perspective to keep the Elder honest. She found a spot near the back of the Elder and sat down. There was nothing she could do but hope Elder Zhao was an honest man. Thinking such, she held a wry smile and the image of Elder Zhao’s gaze left her chuckling at her odds.
All candidates found a space and took position. Elder Zhao flicked the sleeves of his robe and a pulse of magic traveled out from him. The magic circle soaked in the magic he supplied and subtle glowing rings appeared beneath each candidate. Sol saw the magic circle rotate beneath her and felt time slow down to a crawl. Her eyes flickered blue as mana flooded them. She peered into the magical construction as if to discern its purpose, however the intricate matrix of magic was far beyond her skill level. She could only sign in regret that she was unlearned.
The Elder’s magic filled Sol’s circle and she soon felt pressure hug her from all directions. Initially, it felt as if she were underwater, however the pressure started tightening its hold around her as if to constrict her to death. The Unchained Queen Beast kicked into motion and magic cycled through Sol as a natural response.
She soon felt the pressure ease off her body enough to glance around. From her perspective, many candidates were already drenched in sweat. She was curious about their situation, but was forced to pay attention to herself as the pressure tightened once more.
Elder Zhao controlled the magic circle with ease and his spiritual awareness was locked onto the candidates monitoring their performance. In particular, his attention was focused on a young girl sitting behind him. The moment he initiated the trial, he was shocked to detect there was already someone capable of unraveling the pressure.
The situation gave him complicated feelings. The girl was insanely talented if that was any indicator. Had he not already made a deal with the Drant family head, he would have loved to pass the girl. He could only sigh that the girl lacked too much fate. The Elder’s attention moved to others within the circle and, after seeing that most candidates unraveled the first level of the trial, kicked off the second level.
Magic flooded the control circle once more and a second ring encapsulated the first around each candidate. Those who unraveled the first trial felt the pressure return nearly twice as strong. Elder Zhao caught two younger candidates faint and canceled the magic circles around them.
‘Two down…’ The Elder thought. His focus returned to the girl behind him and to his amazement, the girl had already dismantled the second trial as well. His brows furrowed at the situation. Since when did the Drant family have such a talented member? Why was the family head so fixated on failing her? The situation was one that left a rancid taste in the Elder’s mouth.
He already accepted the benefits from the family head. There was no returning or going back on the deal. With such conviction in mind, Elder Zhao kicked off the third trial for the candidates. Under the table though, he struck Sol with the 4th trial. Elder Zhao saw the girl’s facial expression contort in pain.
Despite that, the girl remained firm and even managed to solve the trial after a few minutes. Elder Zhao was astonished at this point. The girl couldn’t have been over 12 years old, yet she was already skilled enough to compete with the young adults in the Guild. Elder Zhao hesitated. Such an otherworldly talent was right in front of him. Was he going to destroy it? Should the girl enter the Heavenly Demon Guild, Elder Zhao was confident the girl had the potion to carry the guild to the next level. Was his greed worth destroying such an opportunity?
Though calm externally, Elder Zhao was having an internal crisis. He failed to notice the Drant family head’s gaze flickering between the Elder and Sol. Those surrounding the head could feel the irritation falling off him in waves. It was fine if the girl surpassed the first and second trials. That only made her average with the other candidates. The problem was the family head noticed the trick Elder Zhao played on Sol. The girl was too talented to belong to his brother. It was a direct threat to his position should his brother ever try to retake control. Unable to overcome his irritation, he sent Elder Zhao a message through his spiritual awareness. ‘Elder Zhao, are you playing around? We had a deal.’
Most of the candidates managed to unravel the third trial with effort and soon moved onto the fourth trial. Burying the guilt and doubt deep within, Elder Zhao accelerated Sol’s trial from the 4th trial to the 7th. His attention focused on the girl ready to kill the trial as soon as she fainted to prevent any injury. It was the least he could do for her considering the tricks he was playing.
Sol had just finished what she thought was the third trial and caught her breath. Her magic reserves were nearly depleted by half, however she still felt good enough to persist. In fact, the trial was even providing her valuable experience. As far as her memory could tell, she had never experienced such a magic before. The pressure forced her focus and spiritual awareness onto a pinpoint problem. The first trial seemed to unravel itself and Sol felt confused by what happened.
The second trial put up some resistance and Sol was forced to assist The Unchained Queen Beast method. After watching how the magic was naturally dismantling the pressure, Sol was able to cycle the magic more efficiently and unravel the trial. The insights she gained from the trial were critical to unraveling the ‘third’.
Upon being struck by the 3rd trial, Sol nearly fainted on the spot. From the 1st to the 2nd trial, the pressure doubled. From the 2nd to the ‘3rd’, it doubled once more. Sol felt antsy about the 4th trial. She wasn’t confident she could remain conscious if the doubling continued. Regardless, Sol tackled the ‘3rd’ trial.
The magic pressuring her was more solid and there were few spots she found that she could take advantage of to unravel it. After her spiritual awareness scanned the magic crushing her, She finally discovered its core mechanism. Before dismantling the trial, Sol used her accelerated thoughts to break apart the magic and repurpose it. The ‘3rd’ trial was nearly too much for her and without preparation, she doubted she could withstand the ‘4th’.
After she completed her initial understanding, Sol invoked a magical construct and shielded herself with it. She braced for the next trial and not a moment too soon. Sol felt her world turn dark for a split second, yet managed to retain her consciousness. She felt as if the world was pressing in around her and her preparations were already starting to crack.
Her spiritual awareness witnessed her magic fracture and dismantle itself as the outside pressure overwhelmed it. The failing magic still bought Sol enough time to start fighting back. Her concern was never on dismantling the magic. Something inside her kept her confident that she could manage it if she had enough time. Her only concern was buying enough time to let her mind work.
Fragments of magic shattered around her as her makeshift eggshell of magic failed. Her concentration honed in a step further and silver specks started competing with the blue hue for territory in her eyes. The dense magic binding her became more clear and Sol could see the individual strands of magic and the construct they were guided by.
Blood rushed to her head and she felt her mind near collapse. In her last moment of clarity, Sol extended her finger and injected her magic into the ‘4th’ trial. As soon as her magic was released, Sol collapsed. At the same moment, the magic pressuring her disappeared. Elder Zhao’s face couldn’t hide his amazement. Despite blacking out at the end, Sol completed the 7th trial.
