Chapter 19: The Second Trial (3)
In a dimly lit room at the top of a dark spire.
The moment I entered, the door shut tightly behind me.
Only a few candles illuminated the interior.
Their faint light flickered, but it didn’t reach the faces of the elders.
It seemed they had used some mystical effect to prevent the light from revealing them.
‘Feels like someone could die in here, and no one would ever know.’
“Polarin Adjak, do you know what flower you submitted?”
A voice echoed from the darkness.
I could only guess it came from somewhere above, but pinpointing its exact direction was difficult.
I wished I could at least see the elders’ faces, but that didn’t seem likely.
One thing was certain, though.
Considering I was summoned almost immediately after the trial ended…
‘They must have been watching me during the trial.’
I didn’t know how they managed it.
But for now, I answered without showing any unease.
“I believe it was a Rahsorn flower.”
“Why did you bring that flower?”
This voice was different from the first, likely belonging to another person.
As expected, I couldn’t pinpoint its location either.
“Because you instructed us to bring a rare lifeform.”
Several more questions followed.
But the conversation kept circling around, avoiding anything truly significant.
“You also sowed the seeds of the Rahsorn flower there. Why?”
I let my words trail off, probing for a reaction.
But I quickly realized, once again, how limited my ability to glean information was.
‘They’re the ones showing curiosity about me anyway.’
So, I decided to go for it.
“It doesn’t seem like that’s what you really want to ask me. Aren’t you more curious about whether I know about the Dragon’s Trial that Lord Adjak underwent?”
The elders wouldn’t harm me, no matter what.
Even if they held sway over the family, they themselves placed immense sanctity on the Coming-of-Age Ceremony.
Besides, having passed the first trial in first place, I was already drawing attention.
There was no way I’d disappear without a trace.
“…You’re right. We respect Lord Adjak. That’s why we’re intrigued by you, who seems to know so much about the Dragon’s Trial he underwent. How did you come to learn about it?”
“I heard rumors, studied records, and worked hard to learn what I could.”
Then, a blatantly scornful voice rang out.
“For someone from District 18, you wouldn’t have had access to much information, would you?”
I gritted my teeth without realizing it.
To think that those who claim to respect Adjak would divide the autonomous regions and naturally foster discrimination.
Fifteen years had passed since I arrived in Tune World.
Even considering this was a game world, my life here had been miserable.
I’d often thought it would’ve been better to have transmigrated into Season 1 of Adjak’s story.
At least back then, people united under a clear common enemy—the demons of Myeolji.
“That’s why I worked even harder to find out. It wasn’t easy.”
At that moment, a new voice spoke, one I hadn’t heard before.
Despite hearing it for the first time, it felt strangely familiar.
“You resemble the Adjak I once saw, very much so.”
As with the others, I couldn’t pinpoint the location of this voice.
But it told me several things: the speaker was a woman, and I had heard her voice before in the game.
‘Could it be… Hike?’
She continued speaking.
“Did you pick only a single flower?”
“No, I didn’t.”
“And why not?”
“Because Lord Adjak also took only a single root. I believe I understand his intentions.”
Murmurs came from above.
“What, was there a specific reason Lord Adjak took only one root?”
“…Be quiet.”
Despite the interference with my perception, listening to their exchanges made me think I could start distinguishing their voices.
‘Seven of them, including Hike. That’s about all I can figure out for now…’
Then Hike spoke softly.
“I understand. I look forward to seeing how you fare in the rest of the Coming-of-Age Ceremony.”
* * *
I descended from the spire and returned to the plaza where the participants of the Coming-of-Age Ceremony were gathered.
“Ugh…”
My body was a wreck.
Not because of injuries.
I’d climbed from the depths of the pit, enduring countless attacks, but I managed to defend myself with [Intangible Armor].
There were a few unexpectedly strong enemies, but since my goal was escaping the pit rather than defeating beasts, I succeeded in fleeing and making my way up.
‘It’s because I consumed the Carnot’s heart, and now the Dragon Heart is going wild.’
It felt as if the Dragon Heart itself had a will of its own.
As if excited by the high-quality prey, it was pumping mana throughout my body.
I was exhausted from trying to calm my raging heart.
But after all that struggle, one thing became clear.
The efficiency was definitely higher than when I consumed the Shaber’s heart.
What if I faced Soler again, right now?
Could I defeat her with my raw strength alone, without relying on tricks?
With that thought, I glanced at Soler.
Moments later, she looked back at me.
Our eyes met suddenly, but Soler didn’t look away—she kept staring at me.
Fortunately, the staring contest ended quickly.
Diana strode to the center of the plaza and stepped onto the platform.
“I will now announce the trial results. A total of 53 participants passed.”
Some had successfully submitted a lifeform but gave up, while others were disqualified for bringing lifeforms without the proper mark.
Unlike the first trial, there were no screams of protest.
The participants had come to terms with their reality.
They also understood how dangerous it was to continue the trials.
“I’ll announce from first place.”
Diana didn’t waste time and began the announcement immediately, even before the screen appeared on the wall.
“First place, Polarin Adjak.”
* * *
In this trial, the second-place ranking changed.
Soler took third place in the second trial.
[Current Rankings]
1st: Polarin Adjak, 58P
2nd: Keldric Adjak, 50P
3rd: Soler Adjak, 48P
4th: Balan Adjak, 48P
…
I had no data on how previous Coming-of-Age Ceremonies were conducted.
But I knew about the Dragon’s Trial.
Based on that, there were likely only two trials left.
‘The next one will probably be a team battle.’
I looked around, thinking about who I’d want to team up with.
Not many participants from the lower autonomous regions, who I’d marched with for so long, remained.
It was unfortunate, but I needed to focus on what I could do now.
It’d be best to choose reliable teammates.
Even if their abilities were slightly lacking, I’d prefer comrades I could trust to watch my back.
In that case, Kiyot and Siriel would be ideal.
‘Whoa, that startled me.’
As I scanned the crowd, my eyes met Soler’s again.
Feeling her blatant hostility, I looked away first this time.
‘Anyone but her. No, I shouldn’t even think like that.’
After everyone checked their scores on the screen displayed on the wall, Diana shouted to the participants.
“Before the third trial, we’ll accept final withdrawals. Those who wish to forfeit, step aside and remove yourselves.”
But among the remaining 53, no one else withdrew.
These were the ‘real’ contenders.
Even if they hadn’t earned bonus points in the first or second trials, they all possessed exceptional qualities.
Most had reached the Second-Rank, capable of circulating gathered mana within their bodies.
Otherwise, they wouldn’t have passed the first trial to begin with.
‘It won’t be easy, that’s for sure.’
I’d already considered this while looking around earlier, so I resolved not to waver.
“We’ll now move directly to the third trial venue. The trial details will be explained by the third trial supervisor.”
A portal opened soon after.
In front of the glowing portal, Diana addressed the participants one last time.
“You’ve all done well. Overcome the remaining trials as well.”
* * *
The portal led us to a dense, verdant forest.
Though forests existed across the continent, this one was different. Trees with broad leaves, thick humidity—it stood out.
‘The tropical rainforest Lirof?’
The third Dragon’s Trial that Adjak underwent also took place here, so it was within my expectations.
The tropical rainforest Lirof, also known as the Forest of Mazes.
I couldn’t tell which of the countless mazes within the forest we’d be entering.
At that moment, a tiger beastman emerged from the foliage.
“…Lord Balua.”
One of the special participants, a half-human, half-tiger beastman, knelt on one knee and bowed deeply in respect.
But Balua merely nodded once, showing no further reaction.
The tiger beastman who had bowed also rose shortly after.
“Isn’t that the one considered a top candidate for the next Twelve Swords?”
“The aura is unreal. A single swipe from those paws could kill.”
This tiger beastman was famous for having challenged Tayon once and lost.
But his skill was undeniable, making him a candidate for the next Twelve Swords.
Balua, without a word, summoned a screen.
[Team Rosters]
It seemed we wouldn’t get to choose our teams.
I scanned the list for my name.
[Team 7: Polarin, Soler, Kiyot, Jadin]
The moment I saw Soler’s name, my head throbbed.
But there was no helping it.
‘At least I’ve got Kiyot, so that’s something to be grateful for.’
Balua silently displayed seven screens, each indicating a team.
After bumping fists with Kiyot, I headed toward the area marked [Team 7].
Then I waited for Balua’s explanation.
But Balua said nothing.
At that moment, the tiger beastman who had paid respects to Balua earlier strode over and greeted us.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Jadin Adjak. Let’s do well in this trial.”
Jadin gave off a similar vibe to Kiyot.
His large build, the axe strapped to his back—even his appearance transcended species.
He was like a striped, furry version of Kiyot.
‘Got ourselves another heavy hitter.’
Soler, meanwhile, didn’t bother greeting anyone and exuded a cold aura.
My head throbbed again.
“…By the way, Polarin, why does our team only have four members? Some teams have six.”
Jadin responded to Kiyot’s question.
“Lord Balua injured his vocal cords, so he can’t speak. Well, I’ve heard he’s never been much of a talker to begin with.”
Kiyot’s question wasn’t about Balua, but since I didn’t know the answer either, I waited for more explanation.
I had a rough idea why the team sizes varied, though.
While I didn’t know the criteria for team assignments, teams with top 1–10 ranked participants had only four members.
Then Balua flicked a card through the air.
It reached me, Soler, and the other top 1–10 ranked participants.
‘The force…’
The card seemed casually thrown, but catching it wasn’t easy.
The card detailed the rules for this trial.
[The rules are as follows.
First, cards have been distributed to participants ranked 1–10 in points.
Using the card, you can either take one member from another team or protect one member of your team from being taken.
Once a person is selected or protected, they cannot be chosen again.
Once used, the card disappears.]
Our team has Soler, too…
I fell into thought, scanning the remaining participants.
It was time to go shopping.