Chapter 12: Path of Dream and Reality

Raven found the sudden influx of attention unsettling, particularly because he sensed the presence of numerous powerful Players in the hall. The sheer influence of these people, both in terms of their strength and sheer numbers, was overwhelming.

Nearly everyone in the room was in a group, except for him. He stood there solo, without anyone to support him.

Fortunately, the people here were more surprised by his species, for a moment even forgetting to react. It was as if he was a precious animal and they were in a zoo. 

Suddenly, a Draconian soared into the sky, his wings stretching out as he flew directly towards Raven. He had no interest in negotiating with a human and was solely focused on seizing the items that would bring them closer to the Nameless Sword.

Regrettably, the situation took a turn for the worse as one of the Archangels also came forward. The different factions stood at odds with one another, as they were unwilling to allow someone from another group to attain the treasures.

Fortunately, as all groups stepped forward, instead of attacking him, a fight between them ensued as they tried to hold others back. For now, Archangels stopped the Draconians, not wanting their worst enemies to get those treasures first. 

As for Raven, they didn't pay much attention. They could simply snatch those items anytime after they dealt with the others. 

In a matter of moments, chaos erupted in the resting hall as several skirmishes broke out.

Even Raven was frowning. These people were like wild beasts, fighting for the last piece of meat. Luckily, they were all preoccupied with trying to thwart one another, leaving him unnoticed.

"What's the way to the second trial?" Raven took advantage of the distraction and the chaos, asking the Elf next to him a question. He didn't have time to wait here. He had to finish the Trials. The more time he wasted, the lower his score was going to be. 

"T-that way..." The tall elf exclaimed, pointing in the distance at a beautiful bronze door. Even though he was closest to Raven, he didn't dare snatch those items. He still remembered all those stories and rumors he had heard about humans. 

Due to the absence of human presence for an extended period, numerous unsettling rumors had circulated about them. Some of these rumors even claimed that humans had a penchant for consuming the hearts of other players and could effortlessly tear them apart with their bare hands, elevating them to the status of rare legendary beings.

Raven was unfazed by the Elf's reaction. Despite the ongoing battles, he strode towards the Bronze Door that lay closest to him.

As Raven approached the bronze door, it suddenly opened, catching the other Players off guard. It was at that moment that they realized he was attempting to escape. However, it was too late for them to intervene as Raven had already entered the second trial and the door had closed.

Since they had already cleared the second and third trials, they were unable to pursue Raven. In their frustration, the battles in the hall only intensified. 

****

Entering the second trial, Raven was finally away from all the chaos. 

He instead found himself in what appeared to be a cave. The walls were made of rough and jagged rocks that reflected a dim light. Water was dripping soundlessly from the ceiling, and there was a faint smell of dampness in the air. 

Unlike the noisy resting hall, this place appeared to be more peaceful and soothing. 

As he stood in the cave, he found himself confronted with two different paths to choose from. Each of the paths had a marker post beside it indicating its name.

While the first path appeared to be called the Path of Dreams, the second path was called the Path of Reality. 

Unfortunately, there was no further explanation about the two paths. He wasn't even sure if he was supposed to choose one of them, or go into both of them one after another. 

While he was lost in thoughts, he heard some footsteps behind him. "Need help?"

As Raven spun around, he recognized the Guide of the Bloodline Trial, someone he had encountered the first time he came to the Bloodline Trial. 

"What's the second trial?" Raven directly asked. Time was of the essence for him. 

Cloaked in an eerie mist, the man approached the fork in the cave, his face obscured from view. He stood at the center of the two paths.

"It's simple. Just select one of the paths and clear the trial you face. The Second Trial is simple, yet it's also the most complex. This is also where your brother lost most of his points. Or he could've been in the top three." 

"How do you..." Raven asked, frowning. He couldn't understand how this guy knew about his relationship with his brother. 

The Guide remained silent in response to the question, but Raven's reaction provided confirmation that his earlier assumption was indeed accurate.

Instead of answering, he changed the topic and went into the explanation. 

"The first path is called the Path of Dreams. It is a place where  you will be forcefully sent to a dream once you enter. In the dream, you won't be able to  remember anything about the Trial, or about the outside world. It is like the dream will become your reality. All you need to do is wake up from that dream, and you pass the trial."

Raven came to grasp why this trial was deemed as the most intricate. Losing sight of the fact that he was in a trial or the knowledge of the outside world could lead to a perplexing merging of the dream and reality. Waking up from such a state could prove almost impossible. 

"What about the second path?" If the first was hard, there was still the second. He still had another option. 

"The second path is called the Path of Reality. Once you enter, you'll experience two scenarios of the past that are real and deeply connected to you. You'll remember that this is a trial. You'll also remember all your memories from outside. To pass the trial, the method is simple... Do nothing!"

"Do nothing?" Raven turned to the Guide, confused. To pass this trial, he had to do nothing? Wasn't it too easy then? Something seemed amiss. How could a trial be so simple?

"Yep. No matter what you see, don't react. Maintain a calm heartbeat, and just do nothing. As long as you can resist the urge to intervene in those two scenes of the past, you'll pass the trial. The calmer you are during the trial, the higher your achievement points. That's all."

"However, as I said before, the first path is harder for others. But from what I feel, the second might be the harder one for you, since I have a few guesses about what you might see. In any case, I'll leave the decision to you."

"Best of luck, young man. I look forward to seeing your performance. Don't fail..." After speaking, the man once again disappeared.