Whilst Feral and his crew were in preparation other participants weren't just fiddling their fingers and all races were equally making drastic preparations for the portal opening. The king was heartbroken at the fact that his son chose the angel race over his race and due to that his feelings for them soured so much that he made sure to heavily suppress all worship across the human race.
He hadn’t thought that the worship could cause a serious threat and adding to the fact that it placed them on the good side of the angels he had let it be but the incident with his son slapped him so hard it finally cleared his eyes and showed him just how deadly it was.
It was like a deadly propaganda that could slowly turn the human races to the angels' side and the conversion of his son showed him!
Thus, the king began the serious suppression of the worship of the angel race, and although gradually, one could see just how serious he was. But per custom conflict was something to be avoided during the portal opening which meant that the suppression would fully come into effect after the portal opening.
Knowing this would bridge the relationship between the angels and the humans, tension was everywhere but even this didn’t stop the preparations of their warriors to the portal.
After all no one would want to miss out on the rewards given by the king himself!
These rewards were based on a system created by the royal family to not only encourage participation in the portal opening but to also congratulate the warriors who made it back and mourn those who did not.
However, every reward was for those who worked hard and so was this. The reward system was based on the amount of useful materials and items gotten by the participants after being turned into royal weaponry.
After all, with the randomness of the materials and items gotten from the portal, the possibility of one getting an item that could potentially harm the state was huge and thus to prevent this a thorough search of participants is done and every item is confiscated after every venture into the portal.
No item was allowed for personal use. But seeing as that would be unfair to the participants a system was set up where one could be rewarded with various items of their choice depending on how many items acquired.
As for the dead, their families were rewarded handsomely to mourn their poor souls.
The training of the participants was strict and extremely dangerous due to the nature of the threats the human race was to face.
Not only were their competitors races with various innate abilities but they also possessed crazy powers that could put them to shame effortlessly and thus to combat this special training was given to participants a whole year before the portal opening.
Not only that but there were requirements and power levels needed for one to actually be accepted into these special forces which meant that every human participating in the portal opening wasn’t an ordinary warrior.
They were strong, intellectual, duly trained personalities and even at their departure were all gifted special items with the specialty of each item increasing along with the level of each person.
Not to mention the special treatment given to the participant’s family during this period it was no wonder the number of people who were thrilled to enter the portal was no small number and almost every opening across the years humans had always been upperhanded when it came to numbers.
But the elves were not to be overlooked, they were the ones known for possessing the best weapons ever and their battle extravagance couldn’t be put into words. They were the type to come to a fistfight with at least three different types of fist weaponry.
The strongest point was that they were highly efficient in its use. They made sure that all weapons matched with the spirit animal of each elf and combining their innate ability with weaponry was in fact a powerful strategy that had proved efficient throughout the years.
However, no matter how great they were at weaponry they could never beat the curious little geniuses who were best known for their creativity. The gnomes just as in all aspects were undemolished in the portal opening and almost always managed to come out the best in every expenditure to the envy of all other races.
One of the major reasons everyone was more excited about the year’s portal expenditure was mainly due to their absence. They all wanted to know just which race was the leading group this year!
The demons were another set of powerful competitors, known for their brutality and raw power it was no wonder that their focus was on the savage murder of the undead as practice. It was crude, deadly, and killed quite an amount of demons but the survivors were beings to be feared.
This was why although usually the smallest group during the expenditures, they could clash head to head with other races despite their pizzazz without being disadvantageous. But there was one race that had always placed them at a spot— the angels.
They just like the demons were few however unlike the cruel elimination which led to the reduction of the demons they usually came in small groups due to their originally small population.
But angels weren’t called the beau of heavens for no reason, in all races their innate abilities could be said to be the most powerful with only their alter ego being capable of challenging them in that aspect but even still they possessed the strongest ability.
As all preparations were going on the kings were making their preparations as well, unlike the others they couldn’t reject participating in the portal due to its rules. Only the king could lead their races through the portal or else it would be impossible for the race to enter.
This was why the first stage of the portal was regarded as an elimination stage where no race could be hidden even if you did manage to sneak in as all disguises would be immediately stripped off to show that person’s true form, magic or not.
Which was why the first stage was the deadliest for both Genad and his crew.
***
In the center podium of a beautiful large room filled with dazzling brilliance with walls plated with platinum, its decorations only of the variations of gold and white, stood majestically a throne.
This throne could be seen to have been carved meticulously from the finest of gold, and on top of it was a scepter carving with lifelike imagery of a fountain running around it, showing a depiction of the holy waters. Before this lovely white throne was a conspicuous red sword placed in a red sheath, leaving a glaring contrast from the surrounding white yet holding a certain match with a surreal charm that couldn’t be denied.
Before this throne sat a being whose apparel flowed to the floor, a lovely garment of white just like any other angel’s yet with a beautiful design of roses, animals and a lovely garden meticulously drawn in with a striking shade of red which stroke an enigmatic charm just like the room.
And before all this gracefulness stood Gabriel who shakingly reported his founding with tense wings, “My lord… the search shows nothing.”
But unlike the response he had expected, his lord’s response took a different turn.
“It’s alright Gabriel, prepare the participants and among them pick a group you think is right and make them keep an eye for those two. I have a hint on who the angel may be but I will only make a confirmation when my eyes behold him. For now, shall we leave together for our prayers?” Hezekiah commanded as he stood up majestically from his throne.
Due to the magnificent light that flooded the room on Hezekiah's rise, Gabriel couldn't help but glance up in curiosity and was smote heavily for this impetuous act. For the crown of a lord no sinful angel shall look upon, only a saint whose flawlessness had reached the eyes of the holy waters could be permitted to do so for there was no such thing as a sinful saint… or there shouldn’t be.
But after THAT incident, for the first time, the angels found out that even the father (holy water) could falter, for what other excuse could there be for such an angel to wear the crown? For what other reason would such a crown even exist?
What other reason could a crown… a crown of red exist?
And for what reason could it be worn by an angel lord?
Well, in the end only the father’s will shall prevail.
