[Experience Calculated]
[Modified Beyond Parameters by Ability]
[Multiple Levels Gained]
That's a new message to Cain. It usually just says Level Up multiple times. But as long as he's getting levels, it can say whatever it pleases.
"How about we do it again? We had a pretty good nap, and it's supposed to be random, so we'll never get bored doing this dungeon."
Mythryll and Misha grab one of his hands, laughing as they skip back to the entrance while the Companions follow behind them. Cain's toe has just touched the portal when it suddenly flashes with a bright Golden light, forcefully pulling them all inside. The Companions rush after the trio, leaping through into a plain white room, with the only exit visible being the open ceiling.
[Welcome to the Seraphim Trials. This is an individual trial and awards Separate personal experience and rewards. Please choose the upper path for flying tests or the lower for flightless challenges.]
[System Note: All learned skills will become unavailable during trials. If reduced to 5HP or less, applicants will be disqualified and removed from the Trial. Proceed when ready.]
"Learned skills. I wonder if that means we can still use innate skills? Like Dragon Breath or regeneration?" Laura wonders out loud.
"And it says unavailable, not inactive, so ones already active might keep going," Vala adds.
"I don't think it involves fighting, though, since we can't use skills. Maybe it's puzzles and challenges?"
"Evangeline, any input from the actual Seraphim?"
"The trials are a Legend. They're supposed to be individually tailored to determine the worthiness of Seraphim looking to advance and mortals looking to join the Heavenly Hosts. It could be anything, but you're right; they usually don't involve much if any combat. But they've usually got an element of morality, a choice or Judgement. That might be the biggest obstacle."
A moral virtue test? He's so screwed. Never in two lifetimes could he pass that.
"Can I go first? I love games and challenges. Plus, of the three of us, I'm most likely to pass the virtues test." Mythryll teases, sticking her tongue out at Misha.
"Have fun. We'll be right behind you, but it sounds like trials are done separately." Misha agrees.
After Mythryll made her declaration, a small door opened along the wall, allowing her to exit. Once she was through, it closed, leaving the others with no idea what she was facing.
Misha smiles and gives Cain a deep and passionate kiss. "I'm off next. Good luck."
The door opens again to let her through, the open space pitch black, showing Cain nothing.
Alone with the Companions, Cain smirks and uses Merger to pull the clones into himself. That gives him the same five innate skills as last time. [Wrath Aura], [Troubadour's Transformation], [Ice Fog Breath], [Water Affinity], and [Grace of the Seraphim]. Then he activates [Ancient Resistance] and selects Seraphim.
His body shifts into a Silver Skinned man 250 cm tall with electric blue hair hanging to his shoulders and six large white-feathered wings. Evangeline whistles and fans herself like the temperature just shot up, and Cain smiles, turning [Grace of the Seraphim] back down.
"You can leave it up. I was just teasing you." The Seraphim laughs.
Cain poses and extends his wings. "Don't lie, you know I look good."
"You look a bit odd. I haven't seen anyone with skin that silver other than a few of the oldest Elders. Plus, blue hair instead of blonde? You look like you're twenty thousand years old."
Ouch, his transformation made him look like a senior citizen of the Immortal Seraphim race. Not exactly what he was going for. Cain briefly considers altering his appearance, but it's just a dungeon; it's OK for now.
"Everyone pick a trial, and let's do this. It should be great fun."
Cain watches everyone else enter their trials before flying up to the roof, his six-winged Seraphim form rocketing through the air at an incredible rate, the acceleration so intense that even his reinforced body struggles with the G force applied to it. He can feel Evangeline's pride in her species and Laura's pure joy of flying for an instant before he reaches the golden glow of the ceiling, and a welcome message pops up.
[Welcome. Calculating Trial]
[Invalid Application. Mortals only.]
[Beginning Transfer]
The view changes to a living room, much like the Darklight Host's Keep. It's all white marble, though, with golden furniture. A dozen six-winged Seraphim, looking much like his current form, are standing around a low table that is divided into a handful of different screens, displaying a variety of different environments.
"Ah, Ancient. Welcome to the control room. Picking a Seraphim form was a great idea. Unfortunately, the Trial has existed a long time, and it's well aware of your species' abilities."
Cain isn't sure who greeted him, as none of the elders looked up, but he can see that the scenes show his friends and their trials.
Cain heads to the viewing table with great interest in how everyone is doing. "How did I end up here? Did the dungeon glitch again?"
"Not exactly. We hijacked it to run the trials. The Dark Gods have taken an interest in your friends, and we were curious why. They don't seem to be corrupted by the influence, which is unusual. Would you care for a drink while we wait? This can take multiple hours to complete."
[That's the Council. You're not in the dungeon anymore; this is the Higher Realm. Whatever you do, don't let them know you brought a Demon with you here.] Evangeline's voice in his mind sounds panicked, and Cain stops to take in his surroundings. She's right. It doesn't feel like he's in the dungeon anymore.
"A drink would be excellent, thank you. If I might ask, why can't Ancients take the trials?"
One of the elders looks at him with a small smile and laughter in his eyes. "Because they always cheat, of course. You've managed to send five others to complete what should be a once-in-a-lifetime challenge on your behalf, and you haven't even realized you've done anything out of the usual yet."
"They were intended to do it for themselves. I just happen to gain experience from their actions. See how much fun they're having?"
Laura answers trivia questions while flying an obstacle course with a timer counting down. Cain can't hear the questions or the answers, but she's clearly having the time of her life.
"Are you certain this is what fun means?" Another Seraphim Elder asks, pointing to where Vala is viciously beating the referee of her trial.
"Possibly. You know how demons are, she might be enjoying the violence, but she might be frustrated. They're almost as irritable as humans." This take on current events is enough to have the Seraphim elders chuckling as they watch the trials.
The trials don't look particularly dangerous, but Cain can see dozens of ways that you could accidentally injure or kill yourself trying to multitask. Especially for the non-flying members. Scenarios involving rescues are a common theme, with some being in high-rise buildings or along cliffs.
Mythryll has found herself in a forest with a group of abandoned children, with no map, no access to her inventory and not enough supplies for everyone. Usable to use skills or spells to help them, she's started trying to come up with the best way to find suitable shelter. The Fallen Warder class has excellent senses for nature, and the innate ability to make plants grow, which she has some hope might still be usable.
"Everyone wait right here, I will circle the area for a moment, and see what I can find. There should be water if we keep heading downhill, plus the forest is full of edible plants." The children aren't happy about it, making her agree to come back every few minutes so they don't feel abandoned again, but huddle up in a group.
Sniffing around, she catches the smell of berries and water. A short jog takes her to a stream with several berry bushes and what she recognizes as edible tubers growing. She rushes back to the children, while trying to recall how she got here. Her memory is fogged; nothing before stumbling across the children is clear. But there's a feeling like she's done this before, Rescued a helpless child from the forest, so Mythryll has decided it must be her duty. She has a great sense for the natural surroundings, so it seems like the sort of thing she would volunteer for.
"Follow me, everyone. I have found food and water not far away. I know you're tired, but if everyone picks up any dry branches and fallen wood you see, we can make a nice warm fire when we get there."
The children, a mix of a dozen different species, are happy to comply. The thought of a warm fire and a full belly is irresistible. As they hike the children fill Mythryll in about the community trip they were on with their parents and friends, how it got attacked by wild monsters and how they've been wandering through the woods for a week until they found each other.
"Are there more of you still missing?" Mythryll asks in a mild panic.
"No, this is everyone. At least, everyone that was still alive." A stout Dwarven girl says, teary-eyed.
"Never fear. I'll keep you safe until we're found. Surely someone else will be looking for you. We only need to be safe until then." Mythryll is confident she can fight off a few wild Beasts. She's got a very high-quality sword and a vicious-looking staff with her, after all.
Once they reach the stream, she gathers her charges. "Alright. Pile the wood there and make us a ring of rocks in that hollow between the trees. That will be our fire pit. I'll gather us some food and fill the water pouches we have."
Mythryll finds that her plant growth ability works fine on the edible plants, giving her more than enough to feed everyone. It also gives her an idea for shelter, and she grabs a bunch of Vines growing near the river. Planting them between the trees and weaving them around the trunks as they grow makes first a low wall, then a crude domed roof with a vent hole above their fire pit. It's not pretty, but it does keep the wind and most likely the rain as well out.
Roasted yams and fresh berries with assorted tree nuts might not be the most amazing meal ever, but the children go to sleep with full stomachs. They're awoken early in the morning by the sound of hooves along the river bank, splashing and clopping along the rocks. It's s group of centaur warriors, drawn to them by the smell of smoke.
"What are you lot still doing here? Every settlement for a hundred miles was destroyed when the monsters rampaged, and the surviving residents fled to the city. The centaurs and the Druids are the only ones left in this forest."
If that's the case, the refugees are likely in worse shape than her group is. "How did you fare? Are the centaurs intact and safe?"
"You're looking at us. Four men, two women, and five children. That's all that's left."
"Care to join us then? I can make food grow from edible plants, just don't pick them all. We've got water and shelter as well."
"You're not running to the city?" One of the centaur women asks, and Mythryll shakes her head.
"And risk everyone starving to death amongst thousands of refugees? No. I'll explain everything to the children, and we can stay here until things recover. With your help, we can do very well right where we are."
With that, the scenario ends, and Mythryll finds herself in the white room again, a sense of victory filling her at the outcomes of the seven trials she went through as her memory returns.
