The young man looked at Raymond in astonishment, then let out a light-hearted laugh. "Just as I thought! Traveling with you is going to be truly entertaining. Since we're comrades now, let's introduce ourselves. I'm Ron. And you?"
Raymond (Coldly): "Raymond. And we are not comrades."
Suddenly, the heavy thrum of war drums echoed through the air, silencing the rowdy mercenaries and pirates. All eyes turned toward the high platform. Prince Eric stood at the center, radiating arrogance, but he took a step back to make way for a far more unsettling figure.
Whispers rippled through the crowd. "Who is that?" "How does he make the Prince step behind him like that?"
Raymond (Stunned): (Why is he here?)
The sorcerer in the black cloak stepped to the edge. The aura of power surrounding him seemed to choke the very air. Raymond stared at him, the cold, familiar dread from the previous night resurfacing.
The sorcerer raised his hand, his deep voice echoing like a chill from a mountain cave.
The Sorcerer: "You who thirst for glory and gold! You come with your steel and your greed, thinking brute force will win you a seat on the Imperial ships. You are wrong!"
He pierced the crowd with a gaze that seemed to strip their souls bare.
The Sorcerer: "The Archipelago of Mist is protected by an ancient barrier—one controlled by no man. The trials you face today are not mere combat. They are a simulation designed by my master, the Imperial Archmage, based on his own survival within the barrier! It tests the mind. It manifests deep illusions tailored to your own strength and psyche. Fail here, and you are unfit for the journey."
As he finished, a heavy silence fell. The crowd wasn't shocked by the test, but by the identity of the speaker.
Raymond (Whispering): "What is happening? Why did they all go silent?"
Ron (Astonished): "You don't know who he is? Have you been living in a cave? In every continent, there is one person granted the title of 'The Protector'—the strongest of all. Currently, that title belongs to the Imperial Archmage. But there are also the Six Stars, the greatest talents of each continent. The man standing before us is the Star of this continent: Argeus, the Frost Sorcerer."
Raymond (To himself): (So, they are only dazzled by a title? I thought he was someone significant... yet, I know I've felt this energy before.)
Prince Eric (Shouting with feverish excitement): "Prepare yourselves! The trial begins now! The top fifty to survive the simulation will join the expedition!"
Argeus moved to the center of the arena. He raised both hands, chanting in a low, rhythmic tongue. A pale blue glow erupted from his cloak, and a complex magical array formed on the ground, pulsing with violent currents of energy.
Argeus: "The trial has begun! Enter the matrix!"
The participants entered in groups of ten. Raymond and Ron stood aside, waiting for the final wave. One by one, warriors entered the glow. Some screamed names of loved ones; others fought invisible foes with frantic desperation before collapsing unconscious.
Raymond (Coldly): "Look at them. This isn't a physical fight. They are fighting within their own minds."
Ron (Whispering in fear): "Gods... look at that one, he's crying for his wife! The other is hacking at the dirt. This is madness! Is this some kind of torture?"
Raymond closed his eye for a moment, recalling Maxim's words:
(If you can control the mana in your mind, you will not be defeated by the magic of an illusion or a magic matrix, but this is something that only the strongest of the strong can do, and the reason is that it is very dangerous, you can practice it, but its effectiveness is weak, but the best way to improve is real experiences or from fighting. This is the best way.
Raymond (Internal Thought): (I cannot fail. I must silence my mind. I will use only what Maxim taught me.)
Argeus watched each wave with icy eyes, as if searching for something—or someone. Finally, the Prince called for the last group.
Ron: "Are you ready? If you see an illusion, remember: it isn't real!"
Raymond: "No need to remind me."
As soon as Raymond stepped into the array, a pillar of blue light shot toward the sky. The pressure was immense, clawing at his mental defenses. His vision blurred. Suddenly, he was in an ancient hall drowned in shadows. He was a child again, hiding behind a pillar, paralyzed by fear.
The memory shifted violently. He saw Kaelen and another figure attacking the person who was protecting young Raymond. The protector turned, looked at Raymond with a tragic smile, and pushed him into the sea.
In that moment, something snapped in Raymond's mind. Everything burned away in a flash of pure rage.
Raymond (Screaming into the reality of the harbor): "STOP! STOP! STOP IT!"
The crowd gasped. The scream was raw, laced with a cold insanity.
Prince Eric (Noticing Raymond's movements): "Pull them out! Break the array, now!"
But it was too late. Raymond's hand was a blur as it reached for his hilt.
Raymond (Roaring with a frigid madness): "I will kill you! I will kill you, you bastard!"
He drew his sword. As the steel left the scabbard, a massive, terrifying explosion of Black Mana erupted from the blade. Raymond swung the blade with every ounce of his fury at the magical array itself.
The impact was a thunderous detonation.
The harbor shook. The massive magical matrix cracked like glass and shattered into shimmering shards. Raymond fell to his knees, smoke rising from his sword. His single eye glowed a haunting crimson.
Prince Eric (Eyes wide, trembling): These movements, the style of the sword and this power ... No, it can't be..."
Argeus (Staring in shock): "What is this? What kind of mana is this?"
A deathly silence fell over the harbor, broken only by the crackling of mana particles in the air and the ragged, heavy breathing of Raymond, which rose like cold mist. Every eye was fixed on the young man kneeling on the ground, and the sword emitting a fading shroud of black smoke.
Prince Eric broke the silence, stepping toward the edge of the platform with unsteady feet, his eyes wide with a mixture of awe and unspoken fear.
Prince Eric: (His voice trembling) "Sorcerer... did you see that? He shattered the matrix with a single strike! How can a nameless mercenary possess mana of that color?"
Argeus did not answer immediately. He was dissecting Raymond with his gaze, as if trying to peel back his very soul. He descended from the platform coldly, walking through the crowd which parted for him like a sea before a storm. He stopped just a few paces from Raymond.
Argeus: (In a low, calm voice) "Raise your head, warrior."
Raymond raised his head slowly. His glowing crimson eye was returning to its natural state, but the look of hatred and madness had not entirely vanished. He sheathed his sword with a hand that still shook from the explosion's aftershock.
Raymond: (His voice raspy) "Did I... did I pass the trial?"
Argeus: (With a mysterious smile that didn't reach his eyes) "You did more than pass. You destroyed the trial itself."
(Argeus thought to himself: This is no ordinary mana. It carries the scent of the Void—something sorcerers don't study in their books. This is interesting... first the Soul Signature, and now this extraordinary mana.)
Meanwhile, Ron ran toward Raymond, his face pale as if he'd seen a ghost, yet he tried to maintain his usual playful tone to hide his tension.
Ron: (Whispering to Raymond) "Man! You almost killed us all! Are you insane? You shattered the Imperial Archmage's matrix! And Argeus doesn't even look angry... that's the terrifying part."
Argeus returned to the Prince's side and pointed toward Raymond.
Argeus: "Prince, there is no need to continue the trials for the others. We have enough raw power here. This young man and his companion will be joined to the royal ship immediately, under my personal supervision."
Prince Eric: "I understand choosing that mercenary, but why the other boy? He didn't even pass the trial."
Argeus: "On the contrary, he passed with perfection. From the moment he entered the matrix, he closed his eyes and pretended to fall into the illusion. He was never affected by it in the first place. He is the only one who navigated the trial with complete mastery."
Raymond froze. This was a golden opportunity to reach the Archipelago quickly, but it also meant being under the constant watch of the most dangerous man in the vicinity.
Raymond stood, leaning on his sword as he walked toward Argeus and the Prince.
Raymond: (Coldly) "I am only looking for Kaelen. I care nothing for this expedition."
Argeus: "If you want Kaelen, the royal ship is the fastest way to reach the Archipelago. Since you 'shattered' our simulation, I am curious to see how your body will react to the real Barrier."
As everyone busied themselves preparing the ships, Raymond and Ron withdrew to a distant corner. Raymond looked at his hand, wondering about the nature of the black energy that had exploded from him. Maxim had never told him his mana might manifest in such a destructive hue.
Ron: (With sudden, grave seriousness) "Listen to me, Raymond. Argeus isn't interested in you just because you're strong. They call him the 'Frost Sorcerer,' but his heart is colder than his magic. That black mana... I saw the greed in his eyes. You aren't just a participant now; you're a 'specimen' to him."
Raymond looked toward the massive ship preparing for departure, where Prince Eric was shouting orders.
Raymond: "Let me be a specimen or whatever they wish. I will use their ship, and I will use their magic, until I reach Kaelen's throat. After that, let the world and everyone in it burn."