Rebecca gritted her teeth, doing her best to maintain composure as she met Asher's smiling gaze. Her voice was steady, though the underlying tension was palpable, "Everything is fine, Asher. I was simply attending to a few last-minute duties. I am sure you would understand it the best."
Rebecca's words were coated in civility, but her eyes held a storm that threatened to break free at any moment. She knew the game she had to play, but it didn't make it any easier to swallow her pride and hide the seething rage that threatened to consume her.
Asher could imagine how hard she was trying to contain herself and was beginning to feel satisfied upon seeing her like this, "Of course, I understand. So…shall we get to it now that we both are here?"
Rebecca, her gaze steely and unwavering, stepped forward and declared, "My batch will attempt the trial first."
She gestured to her batch of five young demons, each one exuding confidence and determination.
Asher agreed, watching intently as the young demons began to tackle the first trial, one by one. As he had anticipated, each member of Rebecca's batch succeeded in overcoming the challenge, their skills and training shining through.
Under normal circumstances, Asher would have expected Rebecca to wear a smug, gloating expression, reveling in the success of the demons she trained. However, much to his surprise, she seemed disinterested in their achievements. Instead, her gaze was fixed on him, occasionally darting in his direction with an intensity that could send shivers down the spine of an ordinary man. It was as if she was imagining draining every last drop of blood from his body.
Confusion washed over Asher as he tried to decipher Rebecca's behavior. Her lack of interest in her own students' success was uncharacteristic, and her silence now that it was time for his batch to attempt the trial was even more surprising. She had always been one to engage in verbal sparring, and her restraint was both unexpected and odd.
Asher's gaze shifted to Onyx, "Onyx," he said with a confident tone, "you shall attempt the trial first."
Onyx bowed deeply, acknowledging Asher's command, and took slow, nervous steps towards the entrance of the Chamber of Hell.
A week ago, Onyx had resigned himself to the belief that he would meet his end within the chamber. His massive size and slow movements had always been a disadvantage in combat.
However, Asher's relentless training had ignited a newfound sense of hope and determination within him. Onyx now understood how to use his natural defenses and weight to his advantage.
As Onyx entered the Chamber of Hell, he steeled himself for the challenge ahead. To pass the trial, he would need to defeat the first three spirits that manifested within the chamber.
The air inside the chamber grew heavy and dense as the first spirit took form—an earth slime. It emerged from the floor, its muddy, gelatinous body pulsating with raw power. Onyx's heart pounded in his chest, but he knew that fear was not an option.
The earth slime, sensing an opportunity, launched itself at Onyx, its muddy form elongating to strike with deadly precision.
But Onyx was prepared. He braced himself, drawing upon his innate resilience and the sturdiness of his body. As the earth slime's attack connected, he absorbed the impact, allowing the force to push him back slightly before using his powerful legs to propel himself forward. With impeccable timing, Onyx twisted his body and swung his massive arm, striking the earth slime with the full force of his momentum.
The collision was colossal, sending the earth slime sprawling across the chamber. It struggled to reform, its once-solid form now quivering and unstable. Onyx took advantage of this momentary weakness, charging towards the spirit with his full weight behind him. He slammed into the earth slime, his natural defenses acting as a living battering ram, further damaging the already weakened spirit.
The earth slime, outmatched and overwhelmed, faltered and crumbled, its form disintegrating into a cloud of dust that slowly settled on the chamber floor.
As the earth slime disintegrated before him, Onyx stood in the Chamber of Hell, his chest heaving with exertion. A mixture of shock and disbelief washed over him, as he struggled to comprehend what had just transpired. He had done it—he had defeated the first spirit using his natural defenses and sheer momentum.
His mind raced, replaying the events of the battle. He could still feel the impact of each collision, the sensation of his body absorbing the force of the earth slime's attacks, and the thrill of using that energy to fuel his own counterattacks. It was a feeling he had never experienced before, the sensation of tapping into a hidden reservoir of power within himself.
For a brief moment, Onyx stood frozen, his eyes wide with astonishment. The shocked looks of the candidates outside only added to his elation.
Asher crossed his arms with a satisfied smile and knew he had little to worry about them passing. Onyx went on to defeat the next two spirits and suffered serious injuries but still passed the trial, much to the shock of everyone.
They had never expected someone from the Stoneborn race to pass the trial.
Rebecca watched as this Stoneborn man emerged victorious from his battle against the earth slime, her eyes narrowing with a mixture of surprise and irritation. She had been so certain that with his bulky form and lack of agility, he would fail the trial in a pathetic manner.
But now, seeing him standing tall and triumphant, she couldn't help but feel a surge of anger.
Her fists clenched involuntarily at her sides, the nails digging into her palms as she tried to suppress her emotions. It was infuriating to see that brat always coming out on top again and again.
How could he have trained a trash like that to pass the trial within a week? How could he have the experience and knowledge to do so? Did this have anything to do with his Immortal Bloodline again?
Rebecca could only guess since she didn't have much knowledge of Immortal Bloodlines and the kind of advantages it could give a person.
But if that was really the case, she was beginning to realize that this smug bastard was an even bigger threat than she expected.
She now didn't even feel like sitting through the rest of it since she was sure that if Asher managed to make the Stoneborn man pass the trial then the rest would definitely pass as well.
Rebecca's impatient gaze remained fixed on the trials unfolding before her, hoping for it to get over quick.
She watched the goblin girl in Asher's batch step into the Chamber of Hell, her lithe body and agile movements betraying her readiness for the task ahead.
She defeated the slime easily, and as the imp spirit manifested before Zizola, it unleashed a barrage of swift and powerful attacks.
But Zizola's speed and reflexes were unparalleled, and she deftly evaded each strike, her movements fluid and graceful. With each passing moment, Zizola's confidence grew, and she began to weave her own offensive into her evasive maneuvers. She darted in and out, landing precise, debilitating blows on the spirit before it could react, eventually striking it down and passing the trial.
Not long after, she defeated the Rakshasa, too, but not without shedding some blood.
Rebecca clicked her tongue as her attention shifted to the pureblood siblings, renowned for their mastery over water. As Nereus entered the chamber, his determination and confidence were laid bare for everyone to witness.
He defeated the slime and the imp faster than his peers, and finally the Rakshasa that materialized before him.
It was a fearsome spirit for most, its fierce gaze and imposing form sending shivers down the spines of the onlookers. Undaunted, Nereus sprang into action, his hands weaving intricate patterns in the air as he called forth torrents of water to aid him in battle.
The Rakshasa struggled to defend itself against the relentless waves and powerful currents that crashed down upon it, each blow wearing away at its defenses. In the end, Nereus' might proved too much for the spirit, and it succumbed to his onslaught, signaling his triumph in the trial.
His sister, Thetits also won in the same fashion, leaving everyone feeling amazed by their prowess despite their tribe being not that renowned.
Throughout these battles, Rebecca refused to look at Asher's face, knowing that doing so would only fuel her frustration.
But she wasn't worried about losing the bet since this was a tie. This could only mean that this was the end of it and she can finally stop worrying about her position here and devote her entire focus on finding a speedy cure for her son.
Onyx, Graven and Zizola hugged each other with tears, feeling happy and shocked at themselves that they did something they didn't even hope to achieve in their dreams.
The three of them then looked at the pureblood siblings to share their happiness, though Nereus and Thetis didn't seem like they wanted to have a hug.
However, the siblings smiled and nodded with acknowledgment, "The three of you did great. Master must be proud."
The three of them felt happy hearing a compliment from these two talented siblings. It only proved how great they did there.
All five of them ran back towards the royal consort and fell at his feet, "Master Asher, we are forever indebted to you for mentoring us!"
Asher gestured with his hands and said, "You all can get up. I knew you all could do it."
The five of them got up with proud looks and smiled, hearing how he had faith in all of them.
Thetis excitedly asked, "Master Asher, now that we are now qualified to attempt the second trial, would you be training us again?"
The rest of the four also eagerly perked their ears, hoping for the answer they wanted to hear.
Asher let out a soft sigh and shook his head as he said, "Unfortunately, only the Floor Wardens can do that. So for the 2nd floor, you all have to depend on Warden Silvia while you all are here for training."
The five of them lowered their gazes with disappointed and sad looks, feeling that maybe their luck ended here.
"But there is no hurry for you all to finish the trial, and since nobody can stop you from training outside this tower, I can mentor you all whenever I feel like it," Asher added with a smile. He felt that even if these five may not seem that useful, he didn't want to completely sever all ties with them just in case.
"That is more than what we could hope for!" Nereus said with tears in his eyes as all five of them deeply bowed again.
Suddenly, a middle-aged man in gray robes came downstairs, making Asher and Rebecca's gaze shift towards him.
Asher recognized him as one of Duncan's assistants and wondered if he came down here because of his bet with Rebecca.
The man in gray robes glanced at both Rebecca and Asher before saying, "The Head Warden is expecting both of you in his study hall."
Rebecca and Asher coincidentally looked at each other the same, each one of them harboring their own thoughts on what was about to happen.
