Rafe could only groan when he woke up to a legendary body ache. He tried to force himself up. That's when his belly started to rumble and his chest begun to burn.

"I'd get away from him now, Quinsia," Andragoth's voice came from some place very far away.

He heard Quinsia agree and start to shuffle away but he paid her little to no mind. He bent over the bed he was on and relieved his bowels of the…blood. There was nothing in his mouth - in his belly - except blood.

"What the he…" he started to say but felt another pang hit him.

All he heard was the belch of more and more liquid matter leaving his throat. His body shook even as more blood than was healthy poured out of him.

He didn't die. It was close though. And he knew if any of his teammates wanted to hurt him, there was no way he could defend himself right now.

"You can sleep now, Mr Kingsley," Andragoth said.

Her voice was gentle, like Maria Wilde's when the girls got sick. It had been rare for any of the adults to get sick on Aeon, unless it was some kind of mana sickness. Children though, with their low stats were still at risk of contracting a few non magical bugs.

Rafe found it somehow comforting to hear Andragoth's voice. Which was strange because he remembered wanting to kill her. He remembered saying something about demons that he hoped Raedis hadn't heard else they would never spar again. He also couldn't remember why he'd been so angry.

Then there was the fact that even exhausted and drained as he was, he wasn't about to sleep next to this pile of stinking blood. Not only was it disgusting, but the stench was sharp and pungent. It wouldn't let him rest.

But then Andragoth muttered a spell, and the stench disappeared, and even the sweat causing him minute discomfort did as well. Then he felt the next spell hit him. He was a lot more sensitive to Andragoth's spells since the fight. He was about to spring into a defensive position before his lucidity suddenly vanished.

They were arguing the next time he woke. Andragoth stood a few armspans from his improvised cot, barring two people's way.

"I just think the way you've been here all the time is borderline obsessive, leader," Adrian said. "You changed since we brought these four into our alliance. Do you want us to lose?"

"Don't go blaming all of us," Devila said. "I just want to have a talk with Rafael, Andragoth. He is from my team, you know."

"Report what you must, Adrian, and leave," Andragoth said with a sigh. "And you too, girl. We don't have a lot of time left."

"I am his team leader!" Devila's voice rose.

Andragoth ignored her, instead watching Adrian. Rafe couldn't see him fully, but he could see the man had his arms folded over his chest in a combative stance.

"There is movement," he said, though Rafe could hear his reluctance. "The alliance of the cliff seems to contain about ten teams already. A lot of teams will be going there from what I can tell. There is likely going to be a final battle."

"Is that so?" Andragoth said, sounding like she was lost in thought.

"Let me speak to Rafael!" Devila cut in again. "This room is about to end anyway. We need to discuss our approach for the next room. He defeated two teams on his own, so he might not be completely useless. I need him to tell me his level. For accounting reasons."

Andragoth was quiet for a long time, seemingly contemplating Devila's words.

"You will have to talk about this after the next battle, I'm afraid. We don't have time for whatever drama you might steer up. Why do you even want this so bad?" Andragoth asked.

Rafe was also very interested in hearing her reasons.

"I mean, sure the fight was impressive. But this kind of reaction to an epic buff spell says something about his stats, doesn't it?" Devila fired back. "He is probably the weak link in my team. If I'm going to finish this floor flawlessly then I'll need—"

"He is your weakest link," Andragoth interjected. "That is true, but consider the teams' compositions. The teams are actually well balanced and well weighted. I have this theory that the gods organised the teams so that people of equal but complementary abilities were teamed together. Don't you also think the same? Isn't that why you proudly declare you're of a smaller level than all of us and yet somehow equal in terms of fighting prowess? Could it be you're a bit insecure in your dominance now?

"Huh? That can't be. Are you, the so-called heiress to the enchantress, worried someone with a possibly smaller level and even weaker class may have similar combat prowess to your own?" Andragoth finished. She sounded like a bully.

Devila was quiet. Rafe could only see her fisted arms from where he lay on a makeshift cot. She was trembling.

"What in the void are you saying?" she seethed. "That is ridiculous! That cannot be—"

"Devila," Quin, who'd been in a corner deep in the tiny room, said as she stepped past Rafe's resting place and went to stand next to Andragoth. "Rafael is not in the best state to receive visitors right now. Maybe we should talk with him before the next room starts."

Quin was taller than Devila, bigger than her. She blinked down at Devila as the smaller girl probably tried to glare her into submission.

"I am the strongest, even with the smallest level, even with the least skills. I worked harder than all of you. I bled. I am the leader!"

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Quin did not back down though. "And I am the healer. Besides, we never named a leader officially, as far as I recall. The room will be done within a day. Cannot you wait that long?"

"Yeah, but—" Devila started.

"Besides," Andragoth chimed back in. "Wasn't it Rafael who convinced your team to join up with us? I took him to be your team leader, to be honest. He seems very competent. Isn't that right Mr Kingsley?"

They all three turned to him. Quin didn't look very shocked, but Devila did. Andragoth smiled calmly at him. Rafe only had eyes for the ugly expression on Devila's face.

She was quiet for almost a minute, but Rafe could see her body shaking with rage. Her hands were fisted at her side and her back was ramrod straight. She turned away from him slowly. Her face was red. Her eyes promised him a lot of pain in the future.

"Well played, Rafael, competent Kingsley," she said and then she left.

Adrian had stepped aside once the drama had ramped up but now he frowned between Rafe and Andragoth. His implication was clear to Rafe. He walked after Devila.

Andragoth shook her head as she watched him depart.

"She has a strong scent, the little enchantress. But him? I don't think he'll make it," she said.

Rafe looked at her in confusion. Adrian was plenty strong. He was plenty capable, as far as Rafe knew. He was one of the reasons he'd decided to join this team even though he didn't like his personality.

"You disagree? Well, you shouldn't. I know a lot more than you do, little one."

Rafe shook his head in denial. Whatever kinky mother-ish roleplay she was going for, he wasn't interested. He turned to Quin instead.

"What was that about?"

Quin shrugged. "I guess your last fight has her curious. I'm not going to lie, I'm curious too. I'd bet Aska is as well. Only Adrian is curious from the other team though. Raedis seemed bored by the whole thing and no one knows what Lowa thinks."

Rafe stared at her blankly. She had said a lot, and he didn't really understand why she was making a big deal out of his fight. He hadn't even used his sword. That wasn't his strongest and they were surprised.

"Um, who is Lowa?" he asked.

"The assassin," she answered.

"Oh. So any particular reason you guys wouldn't let Devila talk with me? I doubt she would have killed me."

"I will explain to him, Quinsia," Andragoth stepped in. "Listen little Rafael, we are aware you're the one this particular trial, featuring thousands of us trial takers, was meant for."

Rafe knew what she was talking about. He had suspected it. But then he thought deeper about it. These people, he'd always known, just like the people of Aeon, were merely props for his trial. Like NPCs. Only, the people of Aeon didn't know they weren't real.

So then, how did Andragoth know? What was this particular trial anyway? That had been disturbing him so much since he had arrived at that entrance chamber that looked like a safe room at the beginning of this floor.

"You might not realise it, but the rest of us aren't real people. We are phantoms. No, not even phantoms. We are not like the soul remnants of the gods of Skyholm. We are images, snapshots of what our owners were when they climbed this tower, I suspect."

"Snapshots?" Rafe asked.

Andragoth frowned and shared a look with Quinsia. "Yes. There are these things in the multiverse that enable you to record a moment in time. We call them snaps, or snapshots. I did notice your culture is a bit backwards there at the end. What with how barbaric you sounded calling out another enlightened race. You are from an unintegrated planet?"

Rafe did not answer her question. He was trying as hard as he could to interpret every one of her words, every one of her phrases. Here was someone who could tell him about the multiverse. But was that even what he needed to know the most right now. He hadn't answered when Andragoth carried on as if he had.

"And your stats are very low, as evidenced by my skill affecting you so much. That or you only focus on your physical stats, which is possible since you don't use any magic. But that's also wrong. You smell of mana."

Rafe blinked at her. How did she not know it was offensive to say someone smelled of anything? Wasn't she just accusing him of being barbaric?

"You have very low specs. Yet you can still fight at our level. Are you hording your free stats? That would make sense, albeit it would be idiotic. Are you at a genuinely low level? Also, how come you cannot handle an epic skill?"

How the hell did she know that?

"My blood enhancement skill shouldn't have given you that much trouble to control. And the backlash? Little Devila might think she is special for getting this as her first floor, but you… you are something, aren't you?"

Rafe didn't know what to say to that.

"Uh…yeah?" he answered lamely.

"Fine, horde your secrets," she scoffed.

She had literally given him no time to respond.

"Let us have a talk about your future," she said.

"Wait just a second there. How do you know about the trial?"

The scaled woman snorted. "Our patrons are great at many things. They are gods after all. Perhaps the greatest pantheon the multiverse ever saw. They cannot, however, recreate the true soul of a person. They cannot recreate my true blood line for example. I knew I was a shadow the moment we spawned in. I also knew my team and everyone we fought against was false. I knew the moment we crossed blades you were a real person."

"...I see," Rafe said, though he really didn't. "And this bloodline?"

"A secret. Unless you are willing to marry into my family."

Rafe actually considered it for a moment. "Based on your attitude, I would guess it isn't you I'd be marrying. It isn't a bad proposal, but a blind marriage is a bit…"

"Thank you for considering it anyway. I believe our position in the trial so far has been made clear?"

"Yeah. We need to attack that ten team cluster. I guess I can kind of see their plan. Force a battle royale of some sort. Stop all the turtling."

Andragoth nodded. "That is indeed what I think as well."

Then she continued. "Now, about the future. I can see they prepared you well, unlike a few of our brothers. You have some kind of ability protecting you from identify. That is good. It also means you already got your blessing?"

The last was framed like a question.

"Hmm," Andragoth mused after Rafe nodded. "You have to hide this blessing once you make it into the multiverse. I suppose it's lucky you're from a new planet. Hopefully your planet has hundreds of years within the barrier."

Rafe couldn't keep a hint of panic from showing on his face. He did not want to spend hundreds of years on a planet with low level beasts. How was he supposed to advance and come to challenge the enchantress? He did not hate his first home, but he did not want to abandon his second home either.

"I see you very much wish that is not the case. Well, it is rare anyway. A hundred years is way too long a time. Fifty years is the in the upper limit."

Rafe started to sigh in relief.

"Unless your world is an Essence Desert. Then you are stuck there for a few hundred years."

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