Inside the Inner Region of Hortus, there were multiple 'zones' based on the avenues.
Time Zone, Space Zone, Life, Death, and Elemental.
Previously, Prince Shak's and the Duchy's heirs' teams were caught off guard by the difficulty of these zones.
Even though this Synthetic World seemed different from the usual, they didn't think it would be this different.
Even though each team carried a Sovereign and a hybrid, no one had the confidence to cross the Zones and enter the central region.
Still, no team had thoughts about joining hands. It's both a matter of pride and achievement.
But after learning about the incident where Ruby Princess sent her Sovereign outside and lost contact, things began to get serious.
When the Sovereigns of these teams tried to go to the outside world but failed, the princes realized they were trapped in there.
The only way out would be to pass the trial. And given the situation, whether they liked it or not, even if they broke through a zone, there's little guarantee that they'd remain safe in this dangerous place.
After all, the trial in the central area would only be more dangerous than crossing the Inner Zone.
The method with the highest chances of survival was teamwork. As for who would 'win' the trial and 'own' this world, they decided to think about it after their survival was guaranteed.
Four Sovereigns, five hybrids, four princes, and a princess ventured deep into the Life Zone to kill and survive.
The Sovereigns only killed Sovereign-level beasts and didn't touch the rest.
'If they do everything, then why should a prince even come here?' Prince Shak panted as he kicked the corpse of the giant bird he killed.
The 'Life' Zone had beasts, and plants of varying sizes. The deeper they went, the weirder these creatures got.
The Princes weren't hillbillies. They were educated by great tutors and had access to vast swathes of knowledge.
At a young age, their knowledge would outstrip many 'wise' men and women of plenty of lower civilizations.
Yet, when facing these creatures they hadn't seen anywhere, they could only gasp in shock.
Some ogre-like creatures reattached their severed head and continued fighting. Their hearts and brains had to be destroyed at once to kill them.
A couple of ash-colored, bat-like humanoids regenerated merely from a few drops of blood. To kill them, either every drop of their blood needs to be burned or destroyed with the infusion of aura.
Then there were a few plants that sucked their vitality and healed all the injuries inflicted on them. And their defense was incredibly high.
So, they can't be killed in one shot. And they could heal their injuries quickly. This led to a tragic situation—the princes managed to inflict injuries on the plant but couldn't kill it. And before they could attack again and let the injuries pile up, the plant healed itself.
They were fighting a losing battle from the start. It was only thanks to the hybrids joining them and all of them attacking together that they could kill the plant in one shot.
Their woes didn't end there either.
'Life Zone' had not just weird creatures but also weird places.
They had to go through a forest that sucked in vitality. They couldn't destroy the forest as it would provoke the dozens of Sovereign beasts resting there. Even though they had four Sovereigns on their side, the battle would take hours to end.
During that time, the Sovereigns wouldn't be able to protect the princes and accidents may occur.
So, they had to make no disturbance and meekly walk through the forest.
Then came a poisonous lake they had to swim through.
Prince Shak did try to test the feasibility of flying with his hybrid and realized that it was prohibited by some weird laws.
So, the teams swam through a poisonous lake. By the time they reached the shore, despite all the measures they took against the poison, the princes were already on the verge of fainting.
After taking a few precious elixirs, they continued forward.
And things got only worse…
"You have to be kidding me!" Ruby Princess exclaimed with teary eyes as she gazed at the ogre-like creatures rolling in the familiar green plains.
The ground nearby was filled with craters, the grass in the surroundings was completely burnt and in contrast to the surrounding greenery, the area where the ogre-like creatures were rolling was scorched black.
"This is the place we encountered six hours ago! How did we come here again?" Emerald Prince confirmed the traces of his own aura and muttered.
"So not only is this place filled with dangers, but it's also a big maze." Prince Shak narrowed his eyes.
Compared to his peers who were clearly disturbed and frustrated, he was too calm. "If we think of it like that, we can find the right way. Whenever we had the chance to choose between two routes, we picked the easier one. I think the answer lies in doing the opposite."
"…" Sapphire Prince nodded lightly showing his acquiescence.
Emerald Prince crossed his arms and said. "Yeah, sure. Though I'm certain it's gonna fail."
Only Ruby Princess remained silent, clenching her fists to her side.
"What is it?" Prince Shak asked.
"N-No, I…" The haughty princess stuttered as her eyes looked around frantically.
She still had her hybrid with her and like all hybrids, he could be used both as a shield and a tester. But she had no Sovereign.
If things went south, then the Sovereigns here would protect their own prince. She'd be the second option or not even that.
She was fine since they took the easy of the two routes. But if they deliberately picked the hard ones, her life could be endangered.
"I-Is there any other way?" Ruby Princess asked with a stiff smile.
Prince Shak immediately guessed what she was thinking and said lightly. "No."
"…fine."
"We can't abandon our goal for you. But we can find you a safe place to stay until we finish the trial."
Ruby Princess raised her head in surprise. "Y-You mean it?"
Prince Shak nodded.
"T-Thank you, I…I apologize for my earlier actions."
An hour later, the teams left the Ruby Princess and tried the method Prince Shak suggested.
The hardships increased and they had to risk their lives to get through several areas.
But thankfully, they crossed the boundary of the Life Zone—a white barrier.
What greeted them was an astonishing sight.
Serene mountains surround a pristine river. The sweet scent from the wonderful trees made on intoxicated while the beautiful trees themselves painted the landscape green. Colorful fogs shrouded the top of the mountains, adding both mystery and charm.
In the center of all this was a stunning palace that was carved out of a mysterious metal. With each second, it changed its color.
It was a sight straight out of a painting. Even Prince Shak, who saw the grandeur of the Empires, couldn't help but marvel at this beauty that transcended all taste.
Just by breathing the air, Prince Shak and others felt as if their souls fluttered and they reached nirvana.
Then just as if they were about to step forward, a space crack opened and a young man in black and white stepped out.
Following him, a stunningly beautiful but reserved woman in black stopped to his left. And a woman in white as beautiful as an angel of the myths stopped to his right.
The young man raised a brow at their presence and then waved his hand. "Yo!"
"…"
