Blazing Through

"Hey, Ysmir, have you gotten stronger? I've noticed that you seem to be a little more active lately." Devotion was really just trying to stall before going into the next trial room. He didn't want to deal with more bullshit.

Ysmir looked at him and nodded, then rolled its eyes.

"Guess you got more sarcastic too." Devotion said. Ysmir was trying to gesture for Devotion to take a look at himself and finally figure out that he was the Second Rank, but it wouldn't work. This would be a long trial. However, Ysmir was determined to get through it. It still felt a resonance with something in this underground lair. They were getting closer.

"I just wish you could actually communicate with me. It's frustrating to have to try and guess what you mean, but it's not your fault. I have to catch up with you. Maybe when I reach Second Rank, I'll be able to understand you."

If Ysmir was able to scream in frustration, it would have. Instead, it just make a small whimper sound.

"Alright, you seem pissed. Let's just go to the next trial. I'll stop stalling." Devotion said, misinterpreting the sound. He reached for the door, then thought of something.

"Actually, one more thought, bear with me. Do you think, if we tried, that you could enter the Interspatial Ring? Or maybe even my Astral Space? It seems all of these trials are meant to be taken as a group and to help them grow closer together, and maybe if only one person goes through, we can just skip it all? Just a working theory." Devotion asked.

Ysmir thought for a second. That actually made sense. It nodded towards Devotion.

"Alright, I'm going to pick you up and attempt to store you in the Interspatial Ring. If it works, I'll take you out after ten seconds, just in case you can't breathe in there or something." Devotion said. Ysmir jumped up into his arms. Devotion pushed his spiritual Qi into his Interspatial Ring, storing Ysmir within. Ysmir vanished from his arms.

"I did not expect that to work." Devotion said out loud. He counted to ten, then let Ysmir free.

With a bright flash of purple light, Ysmir reappeared. It immediately sucked in a large breath, clawing at Devotion.

"Ok, so I take it you can't breathe in there." Devotion said, covering his face from Ysmir's pissed off attack. Once it had calmed down for a second, Devotion began to theorize out loud.

"So, you can enter the Ring, but not for very long, as there's no air. I don't think I can store air in the Interspatial Ring, so no real solution to that. Maybe I could work with the Duke to invent some sort of air reserve for you? I have no idea how I'd even start with that, though. What about the Astral Space? I know I've been there with my Astral Self, and I've met you there, although I don't know if anything physical can go there."

Ysmir nodded along, listening intently. It really didn't want to go back into the ring with any air.

Devotion continued. "Well, there has to be a way to get a physical object in the Astral Space. That's where I store Ghostwhisper, since I was able to do that before getting the Interspatial Ring. However, Ghostwhisper is an inanimate object that happens to have a spirit trapped within it. I don't think you're the same way, so I doubt you could enter. Even if you could, I'm not sure how I could do that or get you out." Devotion finally took a breath.

"Way I look at it, we have two options. We go through the trials with you out here, facing whatever bullshit the designer of this place put ahead, or I attempt to store you and pass them as quickly as possible, letting you out to breath after each one. I have a feeling you like the first option more." Devotion outlined their decision.

Ysmir nodded at the first option. It did not want to enter the Interspatial Ring without some form of air reserve ever again.

"That settles it. Let's get this shit done with."

Devotion stepped through the door to the next trial. He was greeted with a simple doorway in the center of the room. Everything else was empty. A booming voice rang out.

"Two souls enter the room, naïve, little do they know, only one may leave!" The voice called out.

"So it seems I was right. If you are in a group, I'm assuming the voice changes based on how many enter, and this door only allows that many people to enter, minus one. However, based on the growing trend of this trial, I assume that's a lie meant to sow dissention in your group, and you can actually just walk through with all of you." Devotion assumed the room was empty to allow space to fight. These trials really were a load of bullshit.

"And why does everything fucking rhyme? I swear, if whoever designed this hell is still alive, I will personally strangle them when I reach the end." Devotion's killing intent flared for a second. It was funny, he was trying to look tough, but at the end of the day, Devotion was the one who was currently threatening an empty room. "Whatever, let's just go."

Devotion carried Ysmir and walked through the door in the center of the room. Just as he expected, they both were able to pass through, completely unhindered.

They were greeted with another trial room. Devotion swore. A rhyme explaining the trial rang out, Devotion figured out there was no real trial, they blazed through. This process was rinsed and repeated over ten times, before any change happened.

Devotion was panting. "Thank god I'm not stupid enough to fall for this shit. The only trial that had any sense of danger was the first one. Why would the designer of this send a precedent of danger, then completely ignore it for the rest of the process?"

What Devotion hadn't realized is that all of these trials could be dangerous, if you actually attempted them in a group, as intended. Admitting someone's deepest sins or forcing them to think they had to leave someone behind would sow dissention in the group, but those who survived together would most likely make it through, having grown closer as a unit. It was too bad that the leader of that other group was too nervous and brutal to figure this out.

Entering another trial room, Devotion was greeted with a completely empty room. Even the door he had entered from was gone. There seemed to be no real way in or out.

"To make it this far you must have grown, now take this chance and make your efforts shown!" The voice rang out once more.

"What the fuck does that even mean? Am I supposed to demonstrate how close to my nonexistent team I've grown? How do you even do that?" Devotion ranted into the air.

Just as Devotion was about to give up and try to go home, there was a rumbling from the roof. The ceiling of the room slowly began to open, and a figure quickly jumped down from it.

"Time to see how well you fight, find your own way from this plight!" The voice called.