“Welcome dear sealed and unchained guests to your ticket to your future or damnation” the tall knight said in a booming voice that was amplified somehow probably a utility shard of some tier.

  “My name is Acraz Voldesi, Commander of house Solaires knights, knight of the alpha rank I welcome you again to the solstice that grows ever closer and with it the new rising stars-YOU!!!”

  He said to the crowd of roughly 100,000 people filling the whole square like packed sardines, which from what Vesper vaguely knew wasn’t that common, usually from what he learned from the conversations he overheard from drunk fools from the bars and brothels he sometimes went to hide, there were usually around 60,000 or less people on the solstice square.

  He leaned his head closer to listen to the towering knight who wore a full plate of silver and platinum Armor that gave of slight uncomfortable pressure, a passive effect most likely of the shard Armor.

  “In this fine night, as the heavens descend and whisk you away to face your fate, I and my knights will watch over as you all fall in deep slumber, that’s why first I wanted to clear up some question surfacing in your minds.”

  “First, this year as you all noticed both nobles and commoners will be sharing the same square for classified reason I’m not at liberty to share, so everyone keep your self’s in check or we will intervene, second a common run down on how thing will proceed, from the 100,000 of you here today only half or a third will unfortunately walk away, while the other who don’t will have their bodies cremated with honour and there remains delivered if a family is present to accept them that’s for commoners only of course. Nobles’ bodies will be delivered to the families to be buried near their family.”

  “Third when you enter the trial all of you will be placed in a body of a human usually of the past, you might be a slave, a knight or a princess but if one thing is true in all scenarios are of a time of despair and calamity from the ages when corruption was at its peak, and you will meet people inside the trial so it best not to panic just treat them as normal people, your bodies will be sustained by the formation circle as you can see around the square so that your bodies stay in a coma like state after you fall asleep…”

  The knight continued with saying the same information the old man had told him or some general knowledge on how the trial and the proceedings will be going forward to which was like music to Vespers ears, some interesting information was that all trials were made specifically to harden an individual and make him witness firsthand how dangerous corrupted beasts were which gave him another thing to worry about, first was when the old man told him that corrupted beasts of the sealed rank don’t even exist, that this shit about the trial being fare to everyone was bullshit.

  Vespers hopes were getting crashed even further maybe it was a good thing he didn’t learn so much now that he was thinking about it, or he would have died from the stress alone just thinking of the ways he would die.

  "no pull yourself together"

  “Okay, your noble highnesses please form a line on the right side of the square and commoners at the left side.”

  People started to shuffle and bump into each other as they made their way to each opposite side which Vesper couldn’t help but let out a low chuckle, they really were being handled like some prized sheep, but what could you do? that’s life he thought as he made his way to the left side trying not to bump into anyone, as he was in the half way point he felt a hand trying to snatch his pouch, he slapped the perpetrators hand away and spined around and… he saw the red haired noble woman from before.”

  “Uh…” Vesper said dumbfoundedly starting to sweat, did he just slap a noble girl’s hand? “Oh no” the trial it seemed wasn’t going to be his grave after all, it seemed he was going to die right now as it seemed.

  He turned around and tried to get lost in the crowd, but a big hand grabbed his shoulder before he could and turned him right back around.

  “YOU HOW DARE YOU SLAP THE PRINCESS HAND YOU PIECE OF SHIT!!!” a huge man with muscles that could crash his head twice over screamed with the full anger of a wild beast.

  At this point half the square turned and were staring at them as they heard the commotion from the big mountain of man and what this about a princess? Just who the hell did he just offend? not knowing what to say Vesper just stuttered.

  “Uh…I you see- “Vesper said in a low voice trying not to betray the sheer panic he felt from the hundreds of eyes looking at him.

  “YOU WHAT? SPEAK UP YOU LITTLE RAT”

  Even more people started watching the situation with some clearly loving every minute of it, and the cursed guards that were meant to stop any commotion just stared dumbfounded at the situation probably knowing not to mess with the royal family or whatever. Vesper thought of ways to get away, maybe stab the guard with the old mans dagger and make a run for it.

  “Renold that’s enough it was my fault don’t make this sort of commotion right now” the princess quickly interjected seeing as the situation wasn’t ideal.

  “But princess this commoner- “

  “I said shush, let me talk with him for a minute” the apparent princess of the fucking empire said with an icy commanding tone.

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  The man shuddered for a second before letting go of Vesper and stepped back to let the princess talk with him, for what reason would a princess of the empire want to talk to him of all people he had no clue except…had she seen him stealing from the guard? Did he offend her family in his past life or something? And why was she trying to steal his pouch?

  “Ah … Ehm… your Majesty, I greet thee- “

  “No need to introduce yourself, I just wanted to see how a pipsqueak like you could steal from that guard, even if he seemed incompetent he was still an mid E grade warrior, but it seems your nothing special just a lucky thief but a mortal with no talent for cultivation how weird” she said in a interested and playful tone while leaning closer to his ear “ I don’t know how you sensed me or how you manged to react so quickly but I’m impressed so I’m giving you a freebie, now go before my other guards change their minds”

  Vesper didn’t understand what she meant by other guards before looking around and seeing some nobles and commoners giving him death stares, so he hurriedly walked away from the crazy woman after a couple a steps he whispered “Crazy bitch”, but it seemed he made a mistake because then and there he felt a killing intent so powerful it even overshadowed the knights captains aura for a second but as he turned around to see who it was, it disappear just like that, what he saw was just princess staring at him with a gentle smile before turning away and walking to the front of the nobles side.

  What the hell was that? She couldn’t have possible heard him, could she? Whatever that was it was better not to dwell on it. So, he made his way to his side and as far away from the princess and her ogre sized guard as possible.

  Once everyone was in their correct side the Knight commander coughed and continued.

  “Before we proceed to the chambers underground I would like to inform you all that those who survive the trial will be given a chance to enrol not only in the military academy but also the royal academy this year, after hundreds of years of not allowing commoners to enter, this year the royal academy with the help of the imperial family will be sponsoring the best individuals after your trials depending on your soul quality and performance in the entry exam.”

  Vesper was surprised, not only the military academy but also a chance for the royal academy? if he miraculously pulled throw and achieved what he came here to do beside surviving he wouldn’t be able to get this chance anywhere else he needed to do more than just survive he needed to become something after the trial.

  A purpose other than survival started to form in Vespers heart maybe he could pull it off, he didn’t have anything to lose, no one was waiting for him it, he would have to gamble on him self and his determination to pull throw a miracle.

  While he was thinking about his future, the Knight captain raised his hands and clapped in a weird rhythm, nothing happened for a few seconds making people stare at him for a moment dumbfounded before the whole square started to shake lightly, it started to move down or more accurately slide down while a glass like dome started to form on top of them.

  “Don’t worry ladies and gentlemen these are just safety precautions just wait a few minutes…”

  As people watched in awe, Vesper included they couldn’t help but ignore what the Knight was talking about.

  “Awe inspiring, isn’t it?” a young man around the same hight as him with raven hair next to Vesper said while looking up at the forming dome.

  “Yeah, a guess.” Vesper said a little uncomfortable being randomly spoken to.

  “Greetings my name is Leondio Depar but my friend call me Leo what’s yours?” the boy whose name was apparently Leo asked Vesper in a friendly tone.

  “Uh… Vesper, just Vesper” Vesper said awkwardly him not having this sort of conversation in a long while. Usually, it ended up with a knife to your back.

  “No last name? are you an outsider by chance?”

  Leo asked innocently genially seeming just interested in Vesper with no malicious intent.

  Outsiders was a term used for those that didn’t have a citizen ship and so couldn’t access many things that the system gave to system registered cities. You were also given a last name when you acquired citizen ship is the empire to give you a status of some kind, this was also one of the reasons Vesper hoped to enrol into the academy as that was an automatic ticket to citizen ship if you graduated.

  Still asking a question like that to some you just met was usually rewarded with a beating.

  “Yes, I am” Vesper said trying not to make eye contact.

  “Oh sorry, I just get excited when meeting with interesting people.” He said smiling mischievously.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, you just slapped the princesses of the empire hand away and lived to tell the tale, isn’t that interesting?

  “Uh I guess so? I’m just happy she seemed more interest in me, enough not to kill me anyway.”

  “Interest how?” Leo asked while tilting his head.

  “I don’t know, go ask her you self.” Vesper lied thought even he didn’t know if the reason she told him was true.

  “hahahaha” Leo started laughing for some reason.

  After the little laughing fit they chatted for little while longer talking about the trial and how lucky he was to be alive, Leo actually seemed like a good guy but Vesper didn’t believe it for a second, growing up in the Outer city he learned that people who were kind to you were usually those that would stab you in the back when you were not looking but he did learn a few things at least from the exchange.

  One crucial piece of information that he learned was that there were people that stayed in the trial for more than just a few weeks with the longest being a year, for those that were more than a month into the trial the would be moved to one of the barracks near here and be put in a pod that better sustained their bodily factions and the good thing it was free as it was considered those who stayed the longest had the most potential.

  After a few more minutes the platform stopped moving and the walls on all side started to open revealling a human sized hole around 3 meters tall and 2 meters wide.

  “Everyone please go and find a pod and get comfortable the solstice begins in 10 minutes” The knight commander said.

  Before leaving Leo grabbed Vespers hand and gave him a card, that read “The magnum emporium”

  “Listen if we both survive our trials come to my father’s store maybe i could show you some of our items that we have and good luck my friend.” He said half giggling, before walking away after saying his piece.

  “Goodluck to you too…” what a weird guy he thought after as he made his way to a pod.

  The pod was nothing special just some grey stone on every side, with a small gem that emitted a southing light Vesper tried to get comfortable and waited. After 10 minutes of nothing happening, an opaque barrier started forming in front of him, he panicked for a second before he heard the Knight commanders voice emitting from somewhere.

  “Don’t worry participants the pods have just activated the suspense animation protocol has been activated Good luck to you all may the strong prosper”

  Then the world turned dark.

  [Welcome Challenger]