51 Test(3)

As Edmond woke up from a deep sleep, he winced, as it felt as if his head had been pounded by a thousand hammers.

The pain was so bad that he had to take a little bit of time to open his eyes, but when he did, he saw that he was in a very unfamiliar place.

It looked like it was a Palace, of sorts, with a high ceiling and a grand chandelier that he had only seen in a few pictures hanging down from above.

That was the first thing he saw, but as he brought his eyes down, a sight appeared in front of him that made him gasp and scramble to his feet.

There were two…cages, of sorts, in which two familiar individuals were present, gagged and tied up to make sure that they couldn't even move an inch.

These square cages looked like they were made of a transparent material that weirdly shimmered in the air, and as Edmond looked around, he spotted a creature that he knew, right away, was the one controlling them.

It looked like an octopus that had come onto land, and it was so large that even 50 of him would be able to stand on top of it and still not cover the entire area of its body. It was a pale red in color, and its eyes that were set in its gigantic head looked at him intelligently.

However, it suddenly averted its gaze when a man laid a hand on its head and stroked it.

Edmond, too, turned his head to see this man, but he didn't recognize him.

Still, glancing at his friends who were imprisoned, he shouted, "Who are you? Release them! We are protected by World Government Law! You cannot prosecute young Ascenders…"

As the man raised a single hand, the words that were about to come out of Edmond's mouth stopped instantly, making him choke and cough as it had felt as if something physical had tightened around him to make this happen.

Only, it was simply the amount of power that the man commanded with his stature, which allowed him to stand far above Edmond, who was just a common citizen.

"My official title is Lord Dreadvale, and I inherited it when I took the position as the City Lord of Dreadvale City. Don't quote the laws you studied in school to me. In times of strife, a City Lord has complete command over the lives and deaths of common Ascenders who have not been designated as 'Special' by the Government. Do either of you qualify to be one of those monsters who can get that designation?"

With a gulp, Edmond turned to once again see Aaron and Woof, who were frantically trying to get rid of their bindings.

That was when something suddenly occurred to him.

"But he's a Survivor! He's…"

"Not been tested and approved, yet. Your lives are in my hands, as I call this a time of strife."

Finally, Edmond had no option but to agree that they were at his mercy.

The World Government had set up many rules to ensure that Ascenders would be allowed to grow. At the same time, though, some rules had to be laid down for times of war when disobedience could cause massive loss of life. Clearly, the City Lord was using that loophole, and as Edmond hadn't taken an advanced class on the topic, he had no idea how to counter him.

But why were they even in this situation?

With a start, he combed through his memories, which made him realize that they had been caught by this man while entering the Town.

But why? What did he want with them?

As if hearing the unspoken question, the man said, "I'll keep this short. Your mother's mind was brainwashed by a Tera of mine to result in that state of your family. It was so that I could test whether you are worthy of becoming one of my heirs. Let that sink in."

An heir to a City Lord!

Even in his panic, Edmond couldn't help but feel completely shocked as he heard this.

This was a position that was coveted by many, as it would mean that their life was set.

They wouldn't even need to hunt for strong Teras! The incredibly powerful Teras of the City Lord would be passed down to them after his death, and all they would have to do was take care of his family.

It was such a simple job, and they would be able to avail all the benefits that came with the title.

After these thoughts left his mind, though, Edmond comprehended what the first part of the man's statement meant.

His mother…had not left her father, after all!

He was right! She wasn't someone with a character like that!

She…really did love him, and hadn't abandoned him!

This was a feeling that he had never told his father or Aaron, but it was something that had affected him very, very deeply.

After all, a teenager seeing the woman who had raised him for all his life with love and care leave without a word with some random man really would make him feel that he had been abandoned, and that he was not loved anymore.

True, Edmond was supposed to be an adult who was supposed to be able to handle such things, but it had stung and hurt so much that he had spent many nights on the way over to the Village where he had met Aaron crying beside the road, all by his lonesome self while repeatedly telling himself that he would free his father and save the only one left in his family.

They had been so happy…and this man was the reason behind it all being ruined?

"Why? I never asked to become your heir! Why did you tear us apart? Why did you ruin everything?", he asked with a vengeful tone, not even caring that this man could probably kill him with a single thought if he wished.

Contrary to his expectations, though, the man actually smiled and said, "Now that's more like it. I saw something in you that I see in myself every day, and you're just one of the many whom I'm also testing in different ways. Life is cruel, boy, and you just so happened to be unlucky enough to catch my eye. Let's get this over with. Don't ask me why, but I know that you were ready to enslave that Tera of his without caring that it was that guy's life-long friend and closest companion. You would have killed his heart if you had succeeded. You have a similar choice now, so simply make it again. Kill him, and take his Tera. If you do, your mother will return, and she will simply have lost her memory. You will become my heir, and I don't need to tell you everything you will obtain. Limitless riches, a safe and royal life, and the honor of a City Lord. If you don't…both of them will be set free, but both of your parents will die. Just do it quickly, and we can directly begin the ceremony to officially recognize you as my heir."

Saying so in a simple tone, the man made it sound so straightforward.

Walking to a chair that was present to the side, he sat down and said, "I'll spell it out for you. Kill this guy whom you've met only a few days back, and save your parents. In the process, become an heir to a City Lord. To kill him, just go and touch his cage…it'll constrict and cut him into ribbons."

As doubt appeared on Edmond's face, Aaron, who was actually standing right beside Edmond, furrowed his eyebrows and tried to catch every expression that passed through his eyes.

Edmond was in an illusion, so everything he was seeing wasn't real. The others, though, could clearly see him glancing between two empty spots in front of him, which surely indicated the two choices he had that he must be seeing in the illusion.

Aaron knew that this was the true moment of truth, when he would find out something very important regarding human nature.

So, he trained his eyes, and waited for Edmond to make the decision that would decide the fate of the rest of his life.