First Trial

Standing in front of the building, I took a breath, allowing myself to calm my rapidly beating heart before stepping inside.

It had been a week since the talk with Evelyn. During that time, I had been mentally preparing myself to undertake the trials.

...

Inside the UAO facility.

Before me stood a bustling lobby, filled with people engaged in conversation.

I took my light steps and made my way towards one of the rooms specifically designated for the trials.

"ID number.."

As I entered the room, a rough male voice echoed, and before me stood a man who was lighting up a cigar.

He appeared to be in his thirties, with jet black hair styled in barbers cut, featuring white strands at the front.

He had a piercing black eye contrasted with a slight red pupil in one eye of its eyes, and a scar was visible over his left eye.

Lastly, he wore a jogging shirt paired with long track pants, completing the look of a soldier who recently returned from war. The cigar in his mouth added to the ruggedness of his demeanor.

Snapping out of my daze, I retrieved my phone and read the ID number that was registered when I came to this world.

"1334564317.."

The man nodded and walked over to a nearby cabinet, retrieving the records related to my ID. Meanwhile, I quickly glanced around the room.

The room resembled a records office, with cabinets lining the area. To my left, there were two double-handled doors, and in front of me stood the man who was currently retrieving the records related to my ID.

"Robin right?.." The scarred man took hold of one of the notepapers as he surveyed the records on it.

"Yes.." I nodded in confirmation.

"Alright.. come with me." the man instructed, as he began walking towards the double doors, while I closely followed behind.

As I stepped through the double doors, a long corridor stretched out before me, lined with countless rooms. Some of the rooms held people within them.

"Individuals are required to enter the rooms before they begin their trials" the scarred man introduced the area around us.

He paused for a moment, then continued. "What you learned in your elementary about the trial awakening process may make it seem like participating and completing the trials is all there is to it. Dying during the trials would result in a permanent death."

"However, it is not as simple as it may appear"

I silently gazed at his back as he continued speaking.

"You see, there is a reason why the UAO restricts access to this information from the public."

"When a person dies in a trial, their soul spirit vessel begins to deconstruct, eventually turning them into a mindless husk."

"So.. essentially people would become nothing but monsters when they die inside the trial?" I inquired.

The man cast a glance at me and shook his head, then turned his attention back to the path ahead. "What do you know about the trials?" he asked.

A momentary silence ensued between us as we continued walking further along the corridor. I stared at his retreating figure, lost in deep thought.

"A subspace where humans partake a purpose and completing it would attain a path." I pondered aloud, furrowing my brow.

A frown formed on my face as I delved deeper into my thoughts. However, before I could sink further, the scarred man abruptly interrupted my thoughts.

"Correct, but to enter a trial. we don't go through any special means." the scarred man stated.

"Instead, people need to follow a specific method of absorbing the soul energy present in the atmosphere to enter the trials," he explained.

"The circulation method is classified as restricted information, and it is not accessible to the public nor any regular academy." 

"However, the Soul Macer academies worldwide possess all this information." He paused, allowing me a moment to process the information.

"And thus, when someone dies within the trial, they turn into a mindless husk, or what you call, a monster in this world."

I fell into a momentary silence, lost in my deep thoughts.

"Mhmm, so I would also assume Soul Macer and Arbiters are the same thing? So why do they have two terms for it? Also, why are you telling me all of this?" I asked, feeling increasingly confused.

"For your question about the terms 'Soul Macer' and 'Arbiters,' they are the same thing," he stated.

"The reason why is that they have two terms for it is because the Arbiters are developed Soul Macers that can act as judges." the man explained, as I listened attentively while walking closely behind him.

A Soul Macer can become an Arbiter by reaching the rank of master or above.

Those ranked below the level of the master are referred to as Soul Macers, not Arbiters. However, the public still calls them Arbiters due to their supernatural abilities.

There is no difference between the two; the public simply uses the term "Arbiters" because it signifies a role as a judge.

Furthermore, there is also the fact that the historical records often describe Soul Macers as 'Arbiters' instead.

Lastly, the distinction between the two terms is that Arbiters are fully developed Soul Macers, while Soul Macers are individuals who have completed the trial but haven't fully advanced to the level of an Arbiter.

Finishing his explanation, the scarred man stopped in his tracks and took a glance at me.

"We're here."

Abruptly halting my steps, I cast a glance at the path ahead. What stood before me was a door, just like any others within the corridors.

"Let's enter." the scarred man said.

I nodded in agreement and followed closely behind him as we stepped into the room.

...

Stepping into the room, I found myself in what seemed to be a hospital room. Heart monitors and various other technologies were present, each designed to meticulously track and monitor my body.

"Lie down on the bed and prepare to undertake the trials." the scarred man said as he began typing something near the computers.

I silently lay down on the bed, contemplating what I should do within the trials.

Despite being transmigrated into a world filled with beasts and supernatural powers, I have never engaged in combat before, nor do I possess any fighting experience.

All I have are memories from my previous world and the memories associated with my family here.

Unfortunately, aside from my mother, I don't have much recollection, except for some information about the 'Soul Aspect.'

I am unaware of what has transpired during the past 16 years of my life in this world.

Staring at the ceiling in a daze, a voice abruptly interrupted my thoughts.

"Okay, everything is all set.." the scarred man said as he stretched his body near the computers by my bed.

"Do you want to call your family before undertaking the trials?"

"I know you've already signed the life and death contract, but..."

I interrupted him before he could finish his sentence, as my gaze was still fixed on the ceiling.

"It's fine, I'm ready. but before that..."

I shifted my gaze, locking it onto his figure, and continued.

"You still haven't answered my last question from before."

The scarred man leaned back in his chair and pulled out a pack of cigarettes.

"That's because once you enter the trials, it's either you become one of us or a mindless husk," he said as he lit up a cigar and placed it in his mouth.

"So try not to die, kid. you're too young for that, and it would also be troublesome for us as well." he continued as a puff of smoke came from his mouth.

He thought for a moment and remarked. "Also, don't trust anyone within the trials. I'm sure you've already heard that from your teachers."

I blinked my eyes a couple of times before I nodded my head.

Even though I've heard Arbiters or read things related to trials, the first main rule would always consist of not trusting anyone.

Even if I heard others talking about it, they never provided a proper reason for it.

Unconsciously, I replied. "Why?"

The scarred man cast a glance at me and answered. "That's because there are times when you would encounter someone you knew in this world, whether it's friends, family, or even someone who has passed away."

"The most common mistake is to trust anyone within the trials. No one can be trusted in there; they are just a non-existing entity at the end of the day."

"Trust me, a lot of people have either died or come back with a soulless expression on their face."

My eyes widened in astonishment, as I stuttered. "So.. does this mean that I would have a chance to see my mother during the trials?"

The scarred man took a drag from his cigar and exhaled. "Correct, and there's also a chance that your mother could either be your enemy or something related to her will happen within the trials."

My face turned pale. "Wait, is it even possible to complete these trials? Has anyone done it before?"

"There are, in fact, quite a lot who have." the scarred man replied.

"Kid, you're too naive. Consider them as entities that shouldn't exist in the first place. Your family or your loved ones are in this world, not in the trials."

"And by understanding that, you'll be able to overcome the trials. This is why arbiters kept emphasizing not to trust anyone during the trials. As for why they didn't provide a reason, it's because some people struggle to harm their loved ones, even if they're just entities that don't truly exist."

"For that reason, many people who knew the truth refused to participate in the trials and became Soul Macers."

-Puff*

The scarred man locked his eyes on me and continued, "We're currently at war with the blood beasts beyond the crack."

"And what the country needs is a warrior or a leader who will elevate humanity to new heights."

"If we lose, everyone on Earth will die, so we don't have many options here."

I fell into deep silence as my body shuddered unconsciously. I took in deep breaths, trying to calm my rapidly beating heart.

"I know it may sound cruel, but we are in lack of talented Soul Macers and the only way we would be able to have a new batch of Arbiters is through the new generation."

"Most of the older generations have passed the prime to become Soul Macers."

I gritted my teeth as I took a deep, soothing breath, and exhaled slowly.

"I'm ready." 

'I don't have much choice here.' I thought as I grit my teeth even harder.

The scarred man nodded his head and typed something on the computer.

"Inject yourself with the needle next to you."

I reached for the injection next to me, which was connected to a machine, and injected it into my hands.

After injecting myself, I felt dizzy as images began to appear in front of me. The images depicted a man lying down and a specific method of absorption within the body.

However, before I could attempt it myself, I lay down on the bed and fell into a profound void of nothingness.

-Puff*

The scarred man with a cigar in his mouth, took out the file and read it once again.

"He should be fine, the kid graduated from Valery High."

Leaning back in his chair once more, the scarred man gazed up at the ceiling and chuckled to himself.

"Let's see what you can do, number one student from Valery High."

...

[ ቻጎዪነፕ ፕዪጎልረ ጎክጎፕጎልፕቹ.. ]

[ ᚳᛜᚣDᛨᚺᎶ ᏔᛜᏒᚳD... ]

[ Translating Text.. ]

[ .. ]

"Ughmhnn.." a growl escaped my mouth as I groggily woke up from my slumber.

Glancing around my surroundings, I found myself in a heap of debris inside a broken-down shop.

The scene displayed utter disarray, with shattered glass strewn around, shelves reduced to fragments, and pieces of wood scattered throughout the broken shop.

Blood stains tainted the entire surrounding, from the floor to the broken shelves and even the walls.

My eyes nearly popped out as I instinctively covered my mouth, trying not to throw up.

The heavy scent of iron lingered in the entire area, causing my head to spin once again.

I felt a wave of nausea rising, and it seemed like I would vomit any minute.

My face paled as I tried to stand up amidst the pile of debris surrounding me.

I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, my steps stuttering as I walked towards a nearby wall and leaned against it.

However, before I could catch my breath, what I witnessed nearly frightened me to death.

Beside where I was leaning, there lay a disfigured body. Its lower half was missing, while its top half was devoid of an arm and a head.

'Fuck, isn't it randomly generated?' I thought to myself, as I started vomiting the contents of my breakfast from earlier in the morning.

...

Composing myself, I use my clothes to wipe the stains of vomit from my mouth and nose, all while calmly contemplating.

'There isn't much information regarding why this shop is in such a broken state.' I analyzed.

I cast a glance downwards, closely examining my own body.

To my observation, I find myself adorned in a worn-out brown leather coat, tainted by bloodstains that covered its surface.

Beneath the coat, a tattered white shirt reveals itself, punctuated by broken holes and covered in a layer of dust and debris, offering a plausible explanation for the lingering chill I feel, despite being wrapped in a coat.

My black pants are both short and tattered paired with dirtied sports shoes that bear bloodstains on their surface.

Lastly, I carried a worn-out long sword.

"At least I have a sword with me," I muttered to myself, trying to calm my racing heart.

As I analyzed my surroundings, I arrived at an abrupt conclusion that I might have found myself in an apocalyptic world.

While it is possible within the trials, the chances are quite slim. Even though the trials are randomly generated, it doesn't mean that it would impose an unreasonable difficulty on someone in their first trial.

The trial difficulty is directly linked to one's destiny, but that still doesn't explain the fact that you would get transported into an apocalyptic world.

Based on the information I've gathered in recent days, it seems that the likelihood of being transported to an abandoned forest, snowy mountains, or caves is significantly higher during an individual's first trials.

I have never come across any accounts of individuals being transported to an apocalyptic world in their first trials.

"Wait, I haven't checked my soul aspect." I pondered aloud.

'This is it, the equivalent of the system panel in light novels.' I thought inwardly as I felt a surge of excitement.

"Soul Archive" I muttered.

==============

Rookie: Robin Everhart

Incarnation: –

Soul Core: Novice [ - ]

Destiny: –

Soul Link: –

Soul Shard: –

Zone: –

Attribute : [Details]

- - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Soul Bind : [ Worn-out sword ( G - ) ] -Temporary

Soul Bane: – 

==============

"Huu..."

"Just like what Evelyn has written before," I mumbled dumbly as I stared at the transparent panel appearing before me.

Realizing that I fall into a daze within a situation where I could be killed anytime. I shook my head, snapping myself out of it and refocusing my attention on my current situation.

I took a deep breath and stepped over the broken debris of shattered glass and wood that surrounded me.

As I approached the broken door, I walked out into the open.

What lay before me was a scene of utter chaos.

Broken skyscrapers and buildings sprawled across the area, with dust and debris scattered in every direction. The road was stained with blood, and lifeless bodies were strewn around.

In addition, there is a dark, viscous liquid that seems to be devouring the building debris and the corpses scattered around the area.

The repulsive odor emanating from the blackish liquid was overpowering, reminiscent of the stench of a decaying corpse.

Squinting my eyes, I pinched my nose and scanned my surroundings in search of any signs of life, but there was nothing to be found.

The harsh daylight only intensified the apocalyptic scene, further exacerbating the already grim situation.

"What could be the 'purpose' of this trial?" I wondered aloud, but before I could dwell on the question, a ding echoed in my mind, accompanied by the sudden appearance of a transparent panel.

However, as I read its contents, a curse escaped my lips. "Fuck."

==============

[ Trial: Path of ■■■■■■■■■ ]

Difficulty : [III]

Purpose: ???

==============

...1