"The final trial?" the Guildmaster said, clearly surprised. "The next trial should be the combat trial, and only then should he proceed to the final trial."
"Do you really think it's a good use of time to have this boy complete the combat trial?" the Prime Shadow asked. "The combat trial makes one fight an opponent two minor realms above their own cultivation level and kill it. From what we've seen, the boy would easily pass such a trial."
The Guildmaster thought for a moment, and then nodded his head.
"I suppose you are right," he said.
"Besides," the Prime Shadow added. "If we allow the boy to take that trial, he'll most likely turn it into some sort of training session like he did the other trial. He's already cost this Guild countless spirit crystals from his previous stunt. I'd rather avoid that happening again."
The Guildmaster sighed at the thought of John using such a horrifying trial as a training ground once more, his gaze returning to the screen.
"The last trial is the pain trial," the Guildmaster mused, eyes narrowed. "This trial pushed me to the brink of insanity, and I almost failed. You really were a bastard when you made this last trial."
The Prime Shadow did not refute the Guildmaster's words, his face growing heavy with emotion for a moment.
"I knew this trial would be the hardest when I made it," he said with a heavy tone. "Of the two thousand that made it this far, only you were able to pass it in the end. It's true that this trial is beyond hellish and unfair, but it was an unfortunate yet necessary evil. If I had selected a successor who was unable to withstand pain, and was weaker in will and temperament, who knows what would have happened to the guild by now. Perhaps it would still be the same as it is today, or perhaps it would have been destroyed. It was a risk I was unwilling to take."
"And so you damned two thousand youths to death just because they were unable to withstand torturous amounts of pain," the Guildmaster said, voice heavy.
"I did," the Prime Shadow sighed. "The life of an assassin is a brutal and uncaring one. Hard decisions must be made at times to ensure the success of the mission. And the mission of this guild is a singular one; ensure the survival and prosperity of humanity, no matter the cost."
The Guildmaster said nothing, and only sighed as he watched John step through the portal.
"Good luck, boy," he said softly.
…
In the audience room, everyone watched as John completed the verbal trial. Among the youths of the audience, there were excited discussions taking place; discussions about John's answer, and also about what their answers would have been.
"You may move onto the last trial," the artifact spirits voice echoed through the room, causing another wave of discussions to take place.
As he heard this, the Grandmasters face turned heavy once more, something Zuri instantly noticed.
"The final trial," she said. "I'm guessing it's a difficult one, based on your expression?"
"There should have been another trial before the final one," the Grandmaster said, "but it seems he's moving directly to the last trial. I suppose that makes sense."
Zuri raised an eyebrow when hearing that John was skipping a trial, but ignored that and instead asked about the final trial , as that was all that mattered at the moment. If John could pass, he would be elevated to an incredible status, and Zuri's own status would rise as well.
The Grandmaster noticed her lingering gaze, and sighed.
"The final trial is a pain trial, testing ones will."
"A pain trial?" Zuri said. "Like the ones we have taken before?"
In order to get into this room, everyone, from the youths to the Grandmaster, had needed to obtain a certain level of clearance within the guild. One of the requirements to obtain that clearance was to pass a pain and torture trial, revealing that they could be trusted with guild secrets even if captured.
The Grandmaster shook his head.
"The two trials are nothing alike," the Grandmaster said. "The trial you and everyone else here took is but a rock, while the trial this boy will be taking is an entire mountain. The pain he will feel inside is far, far greater than anything you've been forced to endure thus far. The level of pain he will feel will not only drive him mad, but literally break his soul in half should he fail to resist it. Of all the trials in the Heaven's Shadow trial, this one was the most lethal. Of the two thousand plus that reached this stage, only one endured and survived."
…
John stepped through the portal, breathing a sigh of relief that the verbal trial was finally over. It had made him feel powerless, as his combat strength had no bearing on whether he passed that trial or not.
'Thankfully I passed in the end,' John mused, sighing again. 'At least the trial was not a strenuous one, so it allowed me to recover a bit both physically and mentally.'
A new room appeared before him an instant later, one completely devoid of any light, any objects, anything at all. He found himself standing on a stretch of pitch-black ground, which stretched into eternity. Above him was pure nothingness as well, making him feel as though he was standing in a true void, filled with nothing but himself.
He frowned as he tried to figure out the next trial.
"Endure," the monotonous voice sounded out again. "Endure and live, succumb and die. This is the final trial. Good luck."
John's frown turned into a grimace as a horrifying energy slammed into him, pressing him down towards the ground. He braced himself against the sudden and unexpected energy, which was strong, but not strong enough to force him to his knees. However, the strength of the energy was the least of his concern.
A groan of pain escaped his lips as the energy invaded his body and soul, bathing him in a wave of horrifying pain. John felt as though he had been plunged into the depths of hell. Every inch of his body cried out in agonizing pain, like he was being stabbed by a million searing knives. His mind trembled with anguish, as his soul felt like it was being grabbed by an invisible hand, then twisted and crunched.
The unexpected pain had nearly overwhelmed him, but after a short while, John managed to recover, catching his breath, calming his mind as best he could. Pain was not an unfamiliar acquaintance of his. In fact, with how much he had dealt with pain in the past, it could almost be called a friend by now.
John's pained grimace turned into a teeth-baring scowl as he roared loudly, voice reverberating through the endless void.
"Why the fuck is there always a pain trial!"
