(4)

Grane, Xona and Sim remained hanging upside down like a spider tying its prey to a ceiling. The Kuraks were staring at them without moving an inch. Their intense gazes stabbed the cowmen.

Kendor sat on the stool reading a thick book I gave her. She attempted, "So hard to comprehend. Why did he give me this book? Death Sovereign will kill me if he knows!!"

Grane shouted, "Excuse me, Madam Bluebird. Can you please tell us where your master has gone?!"

She exclaimed, "To take the trials of the pillar if I need to say. Why do you ask?!"

He said, "We haven't eaten anything since yesterday night. We also need to use the bathroom. So, if you can please untie us…!!"

She emphasized, "My master ordered me to cut the string holding you three from falling if you ask me to be freed!!"

Sim said, "Please do. We can survive even after falling from this height!!!"

Xona asked, "What about these Kuraks drooling in hunger? My senses are telling me they're the elders of this region. Meaning, below the tree, are hundreds of Kuraks!"

";;;;...!", listening to her words made Grane and Sim zip their mouths. Kendor commented, "The virgin woman isn't half bad!"

Xona flinched, "Miss Bluebird, you cannot disclose a person's secret so simply. People's emotions are very fragile!!!"

Kendor countered, "How weird? Your karma is full of positivity yet you are working with those two vagabonds whose karma soar red. Can I know why you chose this path after dying and not before?!"

"!!!!", Xona jolted after listening to Kendor's attempt. Her eyes quivered in fear. Soon, her body began quivering. Kendor said, "You don't need to force yourself, little girl. Master told me to keep you people safe. Unlike you, he doesn't kill people for no reason!"

Xona talked back, "Huh, I was killed by an oldman for no reason and died a virgin. For me to die so miserably even after accomplishing so many good deeds, what was the meaning of my living?!"

Kendor exclaimed, "Your death is indeed unfortunate. However, your encounter with my master is extremely fortunate!"

Xona didn't get her. Kendor exclaimed again, "I wonder how much of a change you'll undergo in this afterlife?!"

…

{Meanwhile, in front of one of the four gates of the sky-crossing pillar}

People in casual clothes walked inside the pillar. Among them was me whose attire seemed a bit fancy. Compared to others, I seemed calm and tranquil. An old woman nearby asked, "Child, aren't you afraid of the trials?!"

After looking at her eyes, I realised she was an infinito from the darkened green realm. I said, "I'm way older than I look, Miss whatever your name is. And yeah, I'm not afraid because I'm a deity!!"

She responded, "What a boastful youngling?!"

I questioned, "But don't you feel weird?!"

She flinched, "Huh, regarding what?!"

I attempted, "The locals said this pillar consists of 100 floors of 100 trials. So how in the world are mere hundred floors penetrating the sky?!"

She commented, "I too am curious about that!!"

I asked, "Are you alone?!"

She replied, "No, I have that young girl aiding me!!", while pointing her index finger towards a girl in a blue japanese attire that stretched until exposing her thighs and knees. She wore blue boots. I looked at her, "Your granddaughter?!"

She exclaimed, "Both of us died in an accident. Quite unfortunate, right?!"

I said, "You're talking about being unfortunate to a deity who died after killing 10,000 deadly monsters!!"

She chuckled, "Ahahahaha, your words are oldish. So you really are a deity. In that case, how old are you?!"

I exclaimed, "Above 2,000!"

She jolted, "Oh god, then I must call you an elder!!"

I exclaimed, "Have it your way!"

"Grandmom, who are you talking to?!", said the woman's granddaughter, walking towards us. The old woman responded, "Saki, you're done talking to those strangers?!"

[Saki? That's a japanese word.]

The girl said, "Yeah, they were just trying to hit on me. But who's that young bandit before you?!"

[Bandit? What a rude woman? Good thing I didn't bring Kendor. Otherwise, she would've burned this teenager to ashes.]

Her grandmother corrected her, "Careful kid, he might look young but he's a god who lived for two millennia!!"

But the girl said, "You believe people too easily!!"

[... I might lose my patience with her.]

The old woman then introduced, "My name is Sachi Sasaki. And her name's Saki Sasaki!!"

Saki interrupted, "Stop talking to weird-looking men, grandmom!!"

I exclaimed, "I'm the martial deity, Drake Adrian!"

Saki interrupted, "No one asked for your title. Drake Adrian will be enough!!"

[Her manners are so rude but my old life instincts are making me feel like she's so cute.]

I reached Saki and brought my face close to hers. She jolted with a red face, "Wh-what's with your look? It feels so disgusting!!"

I then looked at her grandmother, "She's into men who are tall and bulky, right?!"

Old Sachi chuckled, "Oh my, you are totally correct!!"

I commented, "Kids these days are demanding too much from society. Back in my days, things were too hard to get!!"

She agreed, "Same here!!"

On the other hand, Saki remained stuck like a statue with a blushful expression, 'He looked scary from afar. But when he brought his face close to mine… it looked so cool!!!!'

[What the hell? This girl's a total weirdo.]

We entered the pillar as we talked. Without any notice,

---clang(x4)---

all the doors of the pillar closed automatically. Everyone started to panic. I looked at Sachi and Saki. They remained unfazed.

[Did my presence affect their senses? No way in hell could they be calm at a surprise like this.]

""Hello, dear rookies!!"", exclaimed a certain someone. The voice came from above. Everyone gazed upwards, finding a white-skinned woman with black and red eyes of a demon. Her body was covered by a white bodysuit with black stripes on the sides. Male audience looked at her voluptuous figure with lust.

---slap---

Suddenly, I turned back and slapped a middle-aged man who was standing behind me. He fell backwards. Everyone looked at me. The man asked, "Why did you hit me?!"

I said, "Pardon my aggression. You were standing so close to me that your hard genitals kept poking my thigh!!"

---heheheheheh---

Everyone chuckled at him. He gritted his teeth and walked away. Saki commented, "Can't believe he got hard just from looking at a demon!!"

Sachi enlightened her, "Talk after looking at those around you?!"

She became puzzled and looked around, "!!!!", only to find all men near her either turning the other way around or covering their lower half with their hands. Old Sachi chuckled, "That's a common reaction from all men!!"

Saki questioned, "Then why is Mr Drake different??!"

Sachi chuckled again, "He's already lived two thousand years and looked after 15 generations of his offspring. Why in the world would an experienced man like him fall for a simple figure as that demon?!"

"...!", Saki's mouth kept twitching but she didn't know what to say. Then I said, "Leave it, Sachi. It may be unfortunate for Saki to die so young but she's still got a long way to mature!"

The demon standing upside down at the ceiling ordered, ""Quite down, dear rookies!!""

---gasp---

All members inside the room jolted at her words. Everyone became silent. She continued, "Welcome to the 1st Earth's Trial Pillar. My name is Normante, a Lower Judge administrating the first ten trials of this pillar. Per every ten trials, the admins change. And my session revolves around the topic 'Start Anew'.

As you know, many of you must have lived a life of strong, mediocre and weak. But after entering this Artificiary, you've probably lost your powers. That's why my session was named as such, to once again start a new journey for reaching heaven!!"

One of the audience raised his hand. Normante asked, "Yes, what is your doubt?!"

The guy asked, "What happens if we fail in a trial?!"

"!!!!", everyone flinched after hearing that question. Normante gave off a grin, "It's simple. For those whose karma soars with negativity will go to hell suffering from slavery whereas those with high positive karma get taken by the High-Off Judges as forever servants!"

---gasp---

People jumped in fear after becoming aware of the repercussions.

[This is more than just a video game. Instead of bringing the failures to the beginning, they're making use of them in their own way.]

Saki whispered, "Mr Drake, aren't you afraid of what she said?!"

I stated, "Try to live like me for two millennia and kill me if you don't lose your emotions!"

She commented, "... I didn't get you!"

"We'll talk later!", I said. The judge continued her speech, "Now then, let me explain what your first trial is!"

People became firm. She explained, "In your first trial of the artificial sanctuary, you'll be split into solos. You know what I mean, right?!"

All audience started gossiping,

"We should do it alone!"

"Doesn't that mean team plays aren't allowed?!"

"The locals told me that judges do not disclose any info regarding the trials!"

"That's way too dangerous!"

"Yeah, we're jumping into a pit without knowing what's at the bottom!"

"Totally!"

That's when I interrupted, "Sigh!!!"

Everyone looked at me. I spoke, "All of us and those before us were termed as 'Reincarnations' because this path we're taking to reach heaven is like a second chance given by fate!!"

"!!!!", their eyes blinked. I then paved my hand at Saki. She flinched, "Mister, what are you doing?!"

I spoke, "This girl and her grandmother almost got abducted by hellish entities after their end if not for getting teleported to this realm. A similar kind of fate occurred to you people.

There are also people with so much negative karma who were bound to go to hell. Yet, they were brought here with a second chance of life. Though all of you are dead, you got a long way to become a member of the afterlife.

Here's what I would say. Get your a*ses together and do whatever it takes to become an afterlife entity!"

"...!", no one said a word. The judge commented, "I wondered why you were standing out so much. To think you're an LLB. That's to be expected!!"

Those who heard it for the first time became puzzled while those that were aware of it gaped their eyes and mouth in utter disbelief. The judge declared, ""I'm ending the discussion. All the best in your… First… Trail…!!""

---fwoosh---

Suddenly, pure white flames broke out of the floor. They began engulfing everyone. I told Sachi and Saki, "Don't show your fear, no matter what!"

---flick---

The next instant, I was standing in a barren land. An imaginary screen tab showed before me.

| Commencing Trail: 000.001 |

__________