Chapter 575: First One

Nearly a day had gone by since he entered the Hollow Palace. Frankly, it was a little more tame than he expected, especially when there were such powerful beings roaming around.

Even with Kareth nowhere to be seen, there was still some semblance of order. Of course, just by walking through a crowd of people, he could tell that there were factions in this place.

One side adored Kareth and saw him as the rightful ruler, thus following all his orders and respecting all his choices. Googlᴇ search novel~fire~net

And then there was the other side, which talked behind his back and also ridiculed Rael. He was old enough to not give a shit, but it was a bit surprising how 70% of the people he had met in the palace so far were on Lucien’s side.

Is this really how it’s going to go? I have a feeling that even if I were to go through with the succession, it might not mean anything if I just get overthrown, Rael thought with a slight frown. But oh well, it’s already too late to back out now. I’ll just go through with it and see where it leads me.

With those thoughts, Rael continued aimlessly wandering around until finally…

<Hollow Throne Succession>

<The first trial will begin in 5 seconds…>

He felt the ground start to shake, and not only that, the people who had just been behind him had vanished. They were strong, sure, but not strong enough to disappear from his perception like that.

Before he could wonder about this mysterious disappearance further, he spotted a shadowy figure at the end of the hallway. It was tall, and it had red eyes that seemed to glow in the dark. Furthermore, Rael couldn’t shake off the uneasy feeling that if he were to get caught by that thing, he would be instantly killed.

And it seemed like he was right on the mark, as when the timer finally ticked down to zero, the first trial’s contents were announced.

<The First Trial>

<Description: You have been recognized as a suitable candidate, and thus, you have earned the right to meet the previous rulers of the Hollow Throne. Some may be kind, while others violent. Most importantly, each of the rulers you find will test you, with some tests being harder than others.>

<Objective: Be acknowledged by 3 of the former rulers within 24 hours.>

<Current progress: 0/3>

“Aha…” Rael sighed. So that shadow is definitely the past ruler, but… should I just go look for another one?

[You should just try to get it done,] Gaia chimed in. [The one in front of you is strong, but not inherently evil. What’s the saying again… Don’t judge a book by its cover?]

Nodding at Gaia’s advice, Rael sucked up his unease and slowly approached the shadowy figure.

It noticed him shortly after and began walking toward him, eventually meeting him in the middle.

As Rael stood in front of the towering shadowy figure, he was left confused about what to do or say. But right as he opened his mouth to try to score some brownie points, the shadowy figure spoke instead, its voice shrill.

“Would you be able to defeat your perfect self?”

“Hmm? Maybe?” Rael tilted his head. “What do you mean by perfect?”

The shadowy figure’s eyes narrowed. “Devoid of all unnecessary emotions. Simply put, a being whose only purpose is to eliminate their enemy. Would you be able to defeat someone like that?”

Huh… I guess if I were to fight a more suicidal and masochistic version of myself, I would be in trouble, Rael thought, then shook his head slightly.

“Probably not. But it wouldn’t hurt to try, would it?”

“…”

The shadowy figure just stared at him, not saying a word. As the silence grew slightly unnerving, the figure’s body began to shift, eventually shrinking down to match Rael’s height, then appearance, and even the aura he was emanating.

Within a minute, the shadowy figure was a perfect replica of himself, but from the gaze alone, Rael could tell he wasn’t looking at a mirror, as the figure’s eyes were completely lifeless. The only thing he could see in those eyes was unending bloodlust.

This shit is way too creepy for me. I should’ve slept. Rael cracked his neck and entered a defensive stance.

“So how are we going to do this?”

He knew it would be difficult, but it was definitely not impossible. As he waited for the figure to reply, he gathered his DTP, prepared to unleash a nuclear attack right off the bat.

But right as he was about to do that, the mana he had been gathering dissipated.

At first, he wasn’t sure what happened. He simply felt a little more relaxed. But since he was a being who focused on the mind, the quick realization dawned on him that there were gaps in his memories.

They weren’t major, or that was what he thought at first. That was until he noticed that the only memories remaining were those of battle.

Specifically, the memories of when he fought without a care in the world, with his only goal being to kill his enemy. Even the many cruel things he had done were distorted to look like he had done them for the sake of simply killing.

The memories he had felt like fleeting images. There was also a distant voice in the back of his mind, calling out his name. However, no matter how much he focused, he couldn’t make out what the voice said other than his name.

When his gaze eventually landed on the shadowy figure that had taken his form from before, he was met with a smile, which didn’t evoke even the slightest hint of emotion from him.

Except, his curiosity still stayed.

“What did you just do to me?”

“You’re going through a trial,” the figure said, its voice surprisingly lively. “Once the trial is over, all will be reverted. That is the case if you survive. If not, then it won’t matter anyway.”

For the first time in a while, Rael felt dull. All he could see while looking at the figure was emptiness.

It was calm, strangely so. But with that calmness, Rael also felt a great unease, which, within just a few seconds, vanished as well.

Eventually, he was left with nothing more than the intent to kill, staring at the figure before him as if waiting to strike at any given moment.

Noticing that, the figure smiled wide.

“May the trial commence.”

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