Chapter 101: Training and Trials (Part 2)

Alexander arrived before a golden trial tower with a giant violet fruit placed at it's top. Alexander was quite perplexed at this design. Alexander observed the tower and found that it only had 100 levels. Alexander simply waited for the Grand Elder to come. When she arrived, Alexander turned immediately serious as The Grand Elder, for the first time was projecting a very dominant and regal aura.

The Grand Elder spoke up in a very serious tone, " This is the most defining moment of your life, Child. This is the trial that every newborn dragon has to undergo. The Dragon Fruit contains massive amount of purest dragon qi. The dragin qi helps the young dragons to have an indestructible foundation and speedy breakthroughs upto the Saint Realm. When I told you that dragons are born at Saint Realm, I meant this. In our clan, a young dragon's birth is acknowledged by the clan elders when he has achieved Saint Realm. The Dragon Fruit also grants a cultivation law and reconstructs the body of the young dragon, giving him a special physique if he successfully overcomes the pain and completes the trial. The physiques granted by the fruits can be inherited by the descendents of the trail goer but the cultivation law is inherent."

Alexander asked in confusion, " Pain???"

The Grand Elder continued, " Yes, Pain. The massive amount of dragon qi puts a strain on the body and the act of breaking through repeatedly without stop further increases this strain, causing immense pain. This is a rite of passage for young dragons, helping the clan elders in distinguishing the talented ones...Also, there is no danger of dying as the dragon fruit is consumed within a healing formation which activated by itself when one nears it's deathbed. The infusion of healing qi dissipates the dragon qi and the process stops."

Alexander asked, " Why adopt such a method?"

The Grand Elder replied, " To teach the young ones that the world is very dangerous and one has to undergo immense hardships to accomplish something but the rewards after overcoming the hardships are also very fruitful. The difference in cultivation law teaches the young ones that everyone is not equal and in the end, only their hard work and dedication would help them to reach the top. I have seen many geniuses meeting their ends because they became arrogant and conceited. Cultivation is not about advancing rapidly, it's about having a solid foundation."

Alexander, " What is the trial?"

The Grand Elder, " As the trial is for young ones, it is not very difficult. The trail tower has 100 floors. The gravity on each floor is three times the previous floor's gravity. Also, as one advances higher, he or she is attacked by a increasingly bigger mind attack. The attack starts with a small headache and advances to mind blowing pain on higher levels. The difficulty increases drastically when one advances beyond floor 90. The gravity increases to become 10 times the previous floor's gravity. The mind attack changes to soul attack and trial goers are also subjected to hallucinations."

Alexander asked, " What is the highest level that someone has reached?"

The Grand Elder said, " A young one had reached level 97 which granted him The Heavenly Dragon Body and Heavenly Dragon Cultivation Law. Legends mention that the top floor gives three peerless rewards to the one who reaches the top."

Alexander said, " I am ready to take the trial."

The Grand Elder said, " Just go to the entrance and the doors of the tower will open up by themselves. You can quit the trail by saying it, you will be then given the dragon fruit from your previously passed floor."

Alexander took a deep breadth and moved towards the entrance. When he reached within 10 metres of the entrance, the doors opened by themselves and Alexander dived straight in. The Grand Elder simply watched him going inside and said nothing. When the doors closed, a light illuminated the marking of first level. After which, within few minutes markings upto 20th floor light up. The Grand Elder said, " The little fellow is quite fast but not the fastest. But, in the end, only the steady and consistent ones achieve good results."

When Alexander dived inside the trial tower, he found himself at the bottom of a long staircase made of shining black stones. Alexander quickly climbed the staircase and reached on top of a platform. In the center of the platform was a giant tree which had only one berry-sized golden fruit. The fruit looked quite ordinary but gave off quite a tempting aroma. Alexander looked behind the tree and show a even longer staircase leading upwards.

Alexander crouched down on the floor, gathered a large amount of wind elements at his tail and propelled himself upwards diagonally. Alexander was able to cross five floors in one go and after that the increased gravity made Alexander kiss the floor quite painfully. The size of the tree, fruit and staircase increased as one reaches higher. When Alexander body adapted to the gravity, he once again propelled himself further, by using the wind. This time he was able to cross only three floors in one go.

Alexander once again slammed on the floor. Alexander thought, " Why I am hurrying? There is no time limit to this trial so I can complete this trial in leisure. The increased gravity would be excellent in making my body stronger." This time, Alexander didn't propel himself through the wind and started to simply run across the staircase.

As Alexander body swiftly adapted to the increasing gravity, Alexander was able to maintain a consistent pace in traversing the staircase. Alexander reached level 20 in a few minutes. As he started moving through level, Alexander started feeling a slight tingling sensation in his head, Alexander thought, " So, the mind attack begins!!" Alexander started moving with increased speed towards the upper levels.

By the time Alexander reached level 50, a blinding headache was assulting him. Alexander simply laid down on the floor as his 'Divine Adaptibility' started to work it's magic and the pain quickly faded away from his mind. Alexander was very tired in mind and body and simply laid down in front of the tree in order to recover his stamina.

After a few hours of rest, Alexander was ready to go. Alexander started moving once again to the higher floors. This time Alexander was able to reach level 60 only before reaching his limits. Alexander had to once again rest for a few hours. Alexander had to stop on level 70, 80, 90 respectively in order to rest. Alexander had vomitted blood due the massively increased gravity. It took him few minutes to adapt to the gravity. Alexander then executed a plan that he had thought when he had first heard about the hurdles of the trial. Alexander casted the ' Featherlight Charm' on himself, then intoned, " Point me the nearest Dragon Fruit." A silver arrow appeared in front of Alexander and pointed towards the Dragon Fruit on level 90.

Alexander wanted to cry as he was already on level 90. Alexander thought, " If I had asked for furthest then it would have shown me the way to level 1. Let's just move forward." As The Grand Elder had warned about soul attacks and hallucinations, Alexander deployed his soul defences at full strength. Generally, his soul was passively defended as actively defending the soul consumed massive magical power.

Alexander gathered a huge tornado and propelled himself forward with all his might. Alexander moved so fast that the hallucinations didn't even seem to work as Alexander was rejoicing at finding a possible way of overcoming the hallucinations, he found that there was no floor beneath him and an unending abyss was present below him. It took all his mental fortitude to not faint then and there. Alexander looked around and found that the staircase was not straight after level 90 but was a twisted thing that didn't have any railings.

Now, Alexander had a very big question in his mind, "Was the staircase, he was seeing, real or not?" Then, a peculiarity was noticed by Alexander. Alexander thought, " The Grand Elder had mentioned soul attacks from level 90 onwards but I have not felt anything till now. Not, even a brush against my defenses. This means that I have not crossed level 90. Then, Where the hell I am?" Alexander then tried to sense the elements and sensed that his tail was surrounded in massive amount of wind elements. Alexander didn't think much, closed his eyes and simply launched himself straight as even if he fails he would get immense rewards.

Alexander felt himself breaking through several barriers and then slamming hard on the floor. The fall was so hard that some of his bones broke. Alexander simply laid down on the floor and casted healing magic on himself. After a few hours, all his bones were healed and Aleaxnder was good to go. Alexander opened his eyes and saw a one kilometer tall tree which had a boulder sized dragon fruit. Alexander was quite perplexed on how can someone take such a large fruit away. Alexander casted ' Revealio' but nothing changed and also, the aroma of dragon fruit was entering his nose. Alexander thought, " How many floors did I crossed? There is no way of telling as I was not paying attention to that. Alexander then noticed that his magical reserves had halved.

Alexander had to rest for a few days on whatever level he was and again casted the ' Point Me Spell'. This time Alexander asked the spell to point level 100 to him. The silver arrow pointed straight ahead and Alexander proceeded with caution. As Alexander stepped on the staircase leading to the next level, he came under immense pressure and some sort of energy started striking continuously his soul defences. Alexander also started expriencing hallucinations which showed him that he was drowning in deep sea depths while demonic beasts were surrounding him on all side, then suddenly, he was in a volcano, then he was falling into a deep abyss. Alexander bit his tongue hard and forced himself out of this hallucinations.

Alexander checked on his soul defences and was relieved that they held up. Alexander's body had also now adapted to the gravity. Alexander this time gathered fire and wind elements all around his body and covered himself in a flaming cone-shaped coccon. Alexander employed the principle behind jet packs and launched himself across the staircase.

Alexander was able to cross three floors before the Featherlight Charm wore off and Alexander fell down hard on the stairs leading to the next level. A majority of his bones were broken and the soul attacks were beginning to crack his defences. Alexander was in so much pain that even hallucinations were no longer working due to pain. Alexander simply laid down but didn't use magic to heal himself as his magic was busy fending off the soul attacks. Alexander didn't know for how long he remained lying on the stairs but when he was healed, he once again continued to advance further. This staircase was different from others as gravity and soul attacks were increasing with every step he took. With great difficulty and many black outs, Alexander managed to climb the 10,000 steps long staircase to reach the next level.

When Alexander arrived at the floor, he found that there was no staircase behind the massive tree and the tree was quite different from the ones he had seen so far. The tree was 10 kilometres tall and was golden in colour. The fruit was as big as Alexander's fist and was black in colour and had silver dots on it's surface. As Alexander laid panting on the floor, a human appariation appeared before him and said, " Child!!! You are beyond extraordinary. You have reached Level 100 and completed the trial. What are your thoughts on this?"

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