A red translucent window materialized in front of him for three seconds before fading.
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Name: Nicolas Hale
Age: 21
HP: 1100/1100
Mana: 200/200
Description: A self-reliant, pragmatic person who seeks to give his family a better life. Once his resolve is set, he listens to no one, not even himself.
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'Yup, he's the quiet Nicolas from the Arcane school,' Daniel murmured with a flicker of confusion in his eyes. 'But why is he here?'
He observed him from a distance, staying hidden.
Every time Nicolas glanced over his shoulder, as if searching for someone, Daniel turned his face in the opposite direction.
Nicolas remained oblivious to Daniel's presence.
One by one, more people joined the queue. More than a hundred people had gathered for this year's trials.
"Hey nice to meet you… where are you from?"
"Today I feel like I'll pass the trial, what about you?"
"Do you know what the first trial is?"
"I'm from Green village…"
Chatter filled the air. Strangers greeted one another, made new friends, some stood in silence, while others busied themselves trading rumours and information.
Daniel listened quietly, his face neutral and eyes locked ahead—until a random person approached him from behind.
"Hey… nice to meet you," the stranger said with a warm smile on his face. "I'm Ray from ashken village. What about you, sir?"
Daniel turned and met his eyes.
"I'm from Arcane village. Nice to meet you, sir" he replied, politely.
Arcane, Ashken, Green, Stone villages are all part of the southern district. Historically, no villages in the southern district had ever produced a warrior—only a few shamans and many skilled craftsmen.
The Arcane village in particular, had produced only craftsmens for generations. No warrior, no shaman.
…
Half an hour later, at the gate of Arcana town.
*BWOO—BWOO—*
A deep horn sound echoed through the air. Everybody stopped their conversations and shifted their gaze toward the iron gate.
Two muscular guards flanked the entrance gate, holding a spear in their hands. Between them stood, two figures wearing an olive-green robe embroidered with strange diamond pattern on their chest.
One by one, the participants stepped forward.
First, they checked their satchels and belongings, thoroughly. Second, they were handed a small cup of water to drink and Finally a red thread was tied around their wrist like a bracelet.
A few moments later, Daniel's turn had finally arrived.
"Satchel," a robed figure on the left said, extending a hand.
Daniel handed his satchel.
Beneath their hood, a black cloth masked their face, revealing only their eyes.
Then, the second figure on the right offered him the cup.
*glup-glup*
Daniel drank it, steadily.
The clear liquid tasted like sweet sugarcane juice blended with honey. It was no ordinary water. This was a special type of elixir imbued with magic to purge any foreign effects from the human body.
For decades, desperate candidates had tried to cheat the trials, by consuming temporary enhancement drugs, that can boost a person's strength, pain tolerance and endurance.
In response, the sorcerers of the Eagle kingdom had come up with a solution and crafted a potion that can cleanse any temporary buffs from their bodies.
A red thread was looped around Daniel's left wrist before he stepped through the gate.
The next location for Daniel was the town center, where the trials will be held.
The Arcana town bustled with working people. The air carried a rich, earthy scent. Residential houses can be seen along the east side, while the marketplace stretched across the north side.
The sweet aroma of freshly baked bread came from the bakeries in the north.
Hand carts clattered and rumbled along the cobblestone path, some laden with sacks of wheat, others carrying buckets of fresh milk straight from the barns.
Everybody was earning wages. Everybody was surviving.
Daniel walked towards the center of the town and saw a huge tent rose proudly. It's canvas striped in vivid turmeric yellow and orange.
At the entrance stood two spear-wielding guards beside a man dressed in a fine burgundy wool tunic, cinched with a leather belt engraved with the town's emblem, paired with plain dark trousers.
The emblem depicted an eagle's beak, its wings wide in 2D.
It was the Mayor of the Arcana town.
Daniel followed the others, wearing the same red thread as him.
"Welcome to the Arcana town" the Mayor said warmly, his hands folded, voice deep.
Daniel didn't say a word, but nodded gently before moving inside.
He walked inside with the others only to see people waiting along the sides. The interior resembled a spacious waiting lobby—ample room to move without crowding.
In front of Daniel was a thick long white rope stretched between two wooden poles with a red ribbon knotted at its center. Restricting them from going forward.
Beyond the rope, stood a heavy wooden door made of special dark exotic wood. Two armoured guards stood unmoving in front of the door, holding spears in a cross formation making an impassable barrier.
Minutes passed until every participant had gathered inside.
Then the Mayor reappeared from the side, accompanied by four figures in flowing black robes.
Everyone turned their gazes toward them.
"Hello participants," The mayor announced aloud with a deep voice. "Thank you for your patience.
Now, before we start the first trial, there is a special announcement that I would like to make."
One of the black-robed figure handed him a scroll.
He unrolled it in front of everyone.
…
After a long-winded speech outlining the rules and regulations of the trial, the Mayor finally came to an end.
"…and last but not least. Good luck to you all" he said, his voice deep and firm.
Then the Mayor stepped forward with a knife and cut the white rope in the middle, signaling the beginning of the trial.
—————
The rules of the first trial were simple and straightforward.
At once, five participants would enter through the door and face their first trial before the judges.
Each participant would receive a cup of juice and be required to drink it in full.
They would then have to hold it for ten minutes.
If anyone spilled the juice before the timer reached zero, they would be eliminated.
If they managed to hold it until the end, they would pass the first trial.
In the end, the surviving participants' thread would be changed.
—————
"Let the trial begin!" The mayor declared with an excited expression.