"What?!"
Unsurprisingly, all of the people around the table looked at Julian with shock, staring at him as if he had just said the most outrageous thing in the world.
Then again, from their perspective, the man's words were indeed quite outrageous.
After all, most, if not all of the people that had gathered around the table were the best of the best when it came to their respective kingdoms.
With that, they had interacted with hundreds upon hundreds of equipment throughout their lives so far, with the rarest among the equipment they've encountered barely reaching a value that boosted one's stat by over a hundred points.
Yet Julian was telling them that there was an armor set that could do that?
And for all stats?
"Where did you even come across an armor set like that?" Though he found the man's words outrageous, that did not mean the commander was interested to get a set like that for himself.
"Plus, is it possible for us to get our hands on it?"
Hearing those words, the middle-aged man wryly smiled. "It would've probably been possible…"
"If you had asked me over four months ago."
At those words, the commander slightly frowned, a hint of panic evident on his face.
"Why? Did something happen to the one that forged it?"
Julian shook his head. "Nothing that serious. It's just that he's gone to a far-away place at the moment."
"Would it be a possible to try contacting the one that forged the armor set? It's just a matter of distance, no?" asked an old man a few seats to the right of Julian, looking at the latter with a slightly expectant expression.
"Unfortunately, the one that forged the set is currently in another plane separate from our planet," said Julian in response, effectively shooting down all of the hopes everyone had in getting their hands on the miraculous armor set.
Even the commander had chosen to give up and move away from the matter after hearing that, deciding to give the man some perfunctory words of encouragement.
"I see. Well, if you need more manpower to expand the armor set you've developed to higher rarities, let me know."
At those words, Julian could only bitterly smile. "I will."
Nodding in response, the commander then began to steer the conversation away from the armor set, instead talking about other important matters related to the war such as their medicinal supplies.
As for Julian, even though he was listening to the conversation on the outside, the thought of Valyr's armor set still continued to linger in his mind.
After all, he was more than certain that such a set of armor would easily turn the tides of war once enough people were outfitted with it.
Aside from that, he could still vividly recall that the piece of armor he identified was considered to be an Imitation, one step above Emulations when it came to the reproduction of an artifact.
'How did he even get his hands on such a blueprint?' asked Julian to himself, soon isolating himself from the others as he began to think about the matter.
In the end, a certain memory began to stick out in his mind, causing him to inwardly let out yet another sigh as a bitter smile briefly appeared on his face.
'Man.'
'I should've asked for that blueprint when I still had the chance.'
…
Four Pillars' Inheritance, Gates of Awakening's trial grounds.
'Greetings, trial taker.'
'Welcome to the opportunity that may allow you to soar to ever greater heights.'
Hearing the words spoken by the monotonous voice as its introduction, the young man had a faint feeling that the voice would soon begin its monologue regarding some topic.
Surprisingly enough, he was right.
'As you are a member of the Gates of Enlightenment, it could be said that your strength and spirit already stands among those at the top when compared to your peers.'
'Though, with you having earned the qualifications to take on the Gates of Awakening's trials, it could be said that you've gone one step higher in all regards, showing the world that your might defies all expectations.'
'With the Gates of Enlightenment's watchful gaze, we know that you have achieved a feat that even those stronger than you would have difficulty achieving, killing a total of four entities in a row whose strength exceeds yours by two ranks.'
'That alone is more than enough proof that the Gates of Enlightenment is only the starting stage for a talent of your caliber, the potential you've shown at this point being nigh boundless.'
'Yet, just like Gates of Enlightenment, even those with great talents are subjected to the rules that have been set in place by the founders of the Gates of Awakening.'
Listening to the words spoken by the monotonous voice, Valyr easily inferred that the voice was going to introduce the first trial he would have to take to become a part of the Gates of Awakening.
With that, he decided to take a look at the quest he had related to it, only to be pleasantly surprised by what he had read.
Ding!
[Gates of Awakening' Trial (1)] (Linked Quest) (Time-limited Quest)
Difficulty: B
The Gates of Awakening… description has been omitted.
As someone who stands at the top of what the Gates of Enlightenment has to offer, you have been given the opportunity to step onto a far greater stage, allowing your skills to crystallize to greater heights.
Though, with the effort you've put into reaching this point, a small part of you thinks that this stage is more than enough to satisfy you for quite a while.
However, a great part of you still yearns to reach the peak, wanting to see what the pinnacle has to offer.
With that, you have the option to either cruise around and do the bare minimum, or go all out and reach the top.
With each option having its corresponding rewards, the choice is ultimately yours.
Quest Objectives:
> [Option 1] Clear the first trial of the Gates of Awakening (0/1)
> [Option 2] Clear the third trial of the Gates of Awakening and pass through the first bottleneck (0/1)
Quest Rewards:
> [Option 1 / 2] Full eligibility to the Gates of Awakening
> [Option 1 / 2] Access to the first level of the Gates of Awakening's True Blacksmith Archive
> [Option 2] Increased level of authority within the Gates of Awakening
> [Option 2] Access to Gates of Awakening' Trial (2)
> [Option 2] ??? (Additional rewards dependent on performance during the quest)
Quest Penalties:
> Level - 10
> Teleportation to the inheritance's entrance
[Note: This quest can only be obtained and completed within the Four Pillars' Inheritance. Leaving the inheritance is considered as forfeiting the quest.]
"I could choose whether to clear the first trial and stop there…" muttered the young man.
"Or I could choose to make my way to the third trial and clear that instead, possibly allowing me to obtain greater rewards."
"I mean… the choice is already obvious." Letting out a faint chuckle as he stared at the screen before him, Valyr chose to go with the second option, graying out the objective needed to complete the first option.
Coincidentally, the monotonous voice was about to announce the first trial that he needed to take, prompting the young man to perk up his ears.
Though, at the very moment he began to listen, the young man began to wonder whether he had heard wrongly.
'Your first trial shall be…'
'The Trial of Millennium Beings.'
