Shang's eyes focused again after he had gone through his memories.
And then, Shang frowned.
'That secret might make the difference between getting something good and getting something great,' Shang thought.
Then, he looked at the Dean, who only looked back.
"I'm willing to share my question and the answers with you, but I want to know something from you first," Shang said.
The Dean's expression didn't change. "As long as it's not something I can't talk about," the Dean said. "I'm also interested in what the God said."
"I want to know how your first trial in your separate space went down," Shang said.
When Shang said trial, he was referring to the test they could take once per Realm inside their separate space. The Dean had already said that this was how they could get inheritances and techniques from before the Mages' purge.
"I can answer that," the Dean said.
"There are three categories for the trial, and the scores you achieve in the categories are added together to create a final score. The higher the final score, the better techniques you get."
"First, you need to fight beasts."
"The first level is to fight an untalented beast at the Initial General Stage."
"The second level is to fight an average beast at the Initial General Stage."
"The third level is to fight a talented beast at the Initial General Stage. These beasts can win against nearly any other beast on their level."
"The fourth level is to fight a weak beast at the Early General Stage."
"And the fifth level should be to fight an average one," the Dean explained.
"You said should," Shang said. "That means you didn't try the fifth level?"
"Correct," the Dean said. "It was uncertain if I could win or not. In the end, I decided not to try the fifth level."
"The next category is to fight warriors. The levels are designed in the same way as with the beasts."
"I also barely managed to beat the fourth level, and I didn't try the fifth one."
"As you might have guessed, the third category is against Mages."
The Dean paused.
"I didn't even attempt the third level. The average Adept was already too terrifying, and I barely managed to win."
"In the end, I got a score of ten, and with it, the very techniques that you practiced."
Shang's eyebrows rose in surprise. "The ones I practiced?"
The Dean nodded. "The booklet you received on your first day. I wasn't the one that created them. They were the reward I've received from the trial. They might appear simple, but they do something incredible."
"They give you a guiding light without interfering with your potential to reach the True Path Stage."
"Something like that is only something I would be able to create at my current level after several years of hard work."
"As you have also already realized, these techniques can be used as a basis to create much more powerful techniques. You used these techniques to create your own fighting style that's already equal to the fighting style of someone at the Mid General Stage."
"They are the foundation of the future warriors," the Dean explained.
Shang nodded. "Thank you for answering my question."
"Now, tell me about your question and answer," the Dean said.
Shang quickly recounted what he had learned from the God until he arrived at the last, crucial secret.
"He said I will regret it?" the Dean asked with a slight bit of nervousness.
This was the first time Shang saw the Dean show anything akin to fear or nervousness, but it was also understandable.
After all, this was a God!
Even the Dean counted as nothing before him.
Shang took a deep breath.
"The secret regarding the separate space…"
"While undergoing the trial, you can't die," Shang said. "Even if the enemy in the trial kills you, you will simply reappear in your world again."
Silence.
The Dean grimaced.
Why had he not attempted the higher levels?
Because there was a very real possibility that he might die.
He had had, at most, a 50% chance of victory against these opponents.
Only very few people would put their lives on a coin toss.
But if he couldn't die in the trial, he wouldn't be gambling with his life.
He could have attempted the next levels without any worries.
Even if he failed, he would have gained a ton of valuable combat experience.
And what if he managed to win?
How much better would his reward be?
Then, the Dean remembered his next two trials, the ones he took at the Commander and True Path Stage.
So many wasted opportunities.
If he had put his life on the line, he would have found out.
However, that was also stupid.
Knowing when a fight was unwinnable or when the odds were stacked against one was also an important skill.
The God effectively rewarded reckless stupidity.
It was like the God encouraged them to play with their lives.
At this moment, the Dean felt deep regret.
If only he had been braver, or stupider, depending on one's viewpoint.
Sadly, it was already too late.
He would most likely not take part in another trial in his life.
Shang watched as the Dean looked at the ground with a frown.
After hearing about the Dean's trial, Shang could confirm how valuable this secret was.
This took the trial to a completely new level.
Several seconds of silence passed in which Shang said nothing.
"Let's talk about your upcoming trial for now," the Dean suddenly said as he looked at Shang.
The Dean didn't even say anything about how the secret made him feel, but Shang could imagine.
"Go ahead," Shang said. He and the Dean weren't very close, and if the Dean didn't want to talk about it, it was not Shang's place to ask.
"If the rewards you get are useful for the academy, I would like to purchase them," the Dean said.
In the end, Shang's rewards were still his own, and he could decide what he wanted to do with them.
"I intended to do so regardless," Shang said. "We aren't close, but you have given me several pure Mana Sources and allowed me to undergo the procedure, which increased my power by a lot. Sharing my reward with you counts as repayment."
The Dean nodded. "I am me, and you are still you. If the reward is on the same level as the reward I received back then, you can count all your debts as repaid. If the reward is worth even more, you can tell me if you need something."
"Thanks," Shang said with a slight smile, which was rare for him.
The Dean had always felt very distant to Shang, and the Dean basically acted like he wanted nothing to do with Shang whenever he talked to him.
However, the Dean had still helped Shang a lot, and Shang felt indebted to him.
The Dean nodded. "After reaching the General Stage, you have a month to become familiar with your new powers. You can start the trial whenever you want during that period."
"For now, you should take a look at your separate space."
"After that, we will prepare you for the trial."
