Beginning of the Test

As soon as he entered the palace, darkness promptly engulfed Kayden, and a dizzying sensation overwhelmed him until he lost consciousness.

When Kayden opened his eyes, he found himself lying in his room, gazing at the familiar white ceiling.

He sighed, disappointed after he realized that his attempt to enter the palace had yielded the same result as the last time. However, a glimmer of hope lingered within him, as he had noticed that the time before falling unconscious had lengthened slightly.

'Maybe I only need to become stronger to stay awake, or maybe it was just a mere coincidence,' he thought.

Pushing away his disappointment, Kayden got up, not wanting to dwell on something beyond his control.

He put his clothes on and headed for the canteen to have some breakfast before resuming his cultivation.

***

A sigh escaped Kayden's lips as another node finally unlocked. His body gradually relaxed as the pressure disappeared.

'It's starting to get harder…'

With this, he already had forty-nine nodes, only one behind the minimum required to advance to the Mana Warrior stage.

Naturally, he had no intention of advancing as soon as possible since that would waste his full potential, turning him into the most mediocre type of Mana Warrior.

Those who advanced with barely fifty unlocked nodes would be unable to advance to the next stage even with a lifetime of cultivation. Their only hope was to consume an extraordinary elixir, but obtaining one was simply impossible for these Mana Warriors due to their lack of power.

In the last few days, Kayden focused solely on cultivation, determined to enter the palace without fainting. He pushed himself to the limit, resting only when absolutely necessary.

Still, he had no certainty that he would be able to unlock the fiftieth node before the test, and he did not want to make a mistake by rushing.

Looking at the dark bedroom, illuminated only by the dim moonlight, he got up and turned on the switch. It was late, so he opted for a quick shower before going to bed to rest well before the test.

Kayden got into his bed a while later, wondering if he would dream about the mysterious place again.

***

With the melodious chirping of birds resonating in the surroundings, Kayden got up from his bed, somewhat disappointed that he had not dreamed about the palace.

A little later, he walked out of his bedroom and made his way to the entrance of the building.

Upon arrival, he noticed that most of the recruits had already gathered, something reasonable since he had woken up late as he wanted to be fully recovered for the test.

On the surface, most of the recruits appeared to engage in friendly banter, creating an illusion of camaraderie. However, upon closer observation, Kayden could discern subtle divisions among them.

The main group, consisting of the largest number of recruits, caught his attention. Familiar faces like Edward or Sophie stood amidst the crowd, both of whom Kayden had recognized as cowards after the sparring and the captain's explanation about Trials.

In the midst, Alice commanded his attention, her leadership role evident from the deference shown by the others. This surprised Kayden as he considered her to be a very temperamental person with no leadership skills.

Kayden also noticed a tinge of obsession in the gazes of Ryan, the recruit whom he had sparred, and a few others, their infatuation directed toward Alice.

On the other hand, several smaller groups piqued Kayden's interest. Nick and Josh engaged in animated conversation, punctuated by intermittent bursts of laughter. The huge man resembling a barbarian had a serious expression but burst out laughing from time to time. Josh, in contrast, had a smiling face as he laughed.

The girl called Claire, who fought against Ryan during the sparring, stayed next to Audrey, almost like a royal attendant. A palpable excitement radiated from her, while Audrey's expression remained as impassive as ever, surprising Kayden with her tolerance for Claire's presence.

On another side, looking like a grandfather and his grandson, the young couple of Will and Charles caught Kayden's attention.

Will, who used to exude an air of independence and pride, stood by Charles, whose youth seemed to return with each passing day. His gray hair was darkening, and his wrinkles were less pronounced.

He looked at Will with a gentle gaze, while Will showed an obedient expression. Kayden could not help but wonder about the circumstances that had brought them together.

Lastly, Lucas and a few others stayed alone, just like Kayden himself. Their gazes coincided for a moment, Lucas' expression devoid of emotion, before they went their separate ways.

Kayden noticed how many of the recruits were not as concentrated as him on their training, since they seemed to have spent quite some time getting to know each other.

However, he also knew that some of them could have improved their relationships as they trained together, just like he did with Connor and Hannah.

Just as he contemplated the dynamics among the recruits, the captain arrived.

"Good morning, recruits." He began with his usual severe voice, "Today, you will be doing the last test before the First Trial. It will be a physical test, divided into four different categories. Agility, strength, speed, and endurance."

'It seems that this test gives a lot of importance to cultivation, as the number of nodes is the main determinant of physical capacity.' Kayden thought, confident in his skill.

"The final result will be the average of the four categories, evaluated from 0 to 100. Any questions?" He asked, continuing after no one said anything, "Perfect, follow me then."

Without wasting any time, he started to walk as soon as he finished speaking.

After a short time, they arrived at a white building that looked like a massive pavilion from the outside.

Upon entering, they found that the interior was divided into various sections, and each seemed to have its own purpose.

Following the captain, they made their way to an area filled with futuristic machines that resembled treadmills.

"All right, you will start with the endurance test, the objective of which is very simple, to hold out as long as possible before giving up," the captain explained.

Some of the recruits stirred uneasily at the captain's words.

'They are probably the ones that haven't taken the training seriously, or those who have no determination at all.' Kayden thought, looking at them.

A trace of disdain flashed in the captain's gaze as he watched their reactions.

"By the way, just to let you know your level in comparison with all the recruits in the base, there will be a global ranking just for this test. Don't confuse it with the future ranking, which will be set after the First Trial."

Upon hearing the captain's words, some recruits grew more anxious, while others, including Kayden, felt a surge of excitement, confident in their ability.