After leaving Gordon's house, Aren, Kira, and Aiden walked through the streets of Raven City, following behind Legion. They walked for a short distance until Gordon's house had completely vanished from sight, before Aren finally spoke.

"So what are we going to do now?" he asked.

Legion paused and looked back at them. "You're going to get strong. I know I said you'd have time to rest when we were talking with Gordon, but you'll have to make that rest as short and efficient as possible. Not all trials are as gritty and dark as the first one you faced, but one thing is certain. Each trial has its own unique difficulty."

He resumed walking. "I still remember my second trial. It left a much bigger impact on me than even the first."

He slowed slightly, his voice growing heavier. "It was a hunt. A powerful monster had escaped, and we were tasked with hunting it down. Simple, right? Kill the monster and win the trial. But that trial lasted six months, the longest any trial had ever gone for us."

The three of them listened in silence.

"It was grueling. Painful. Shattering. For six months, everyone assigned to that monster chased it nonstop. We traveled so far within God's Domain that we reached places we never thought possible. The weather changed. The climate changed. Even time changed. Days weren't twenty-four hours anymore. It was some scrambled mess."

Legion clenched his fist. "We didn't know if we'd ever make it back. We didn't know if we'd find food the next day. But we had to keep chasing. If you stopped, you failed the trial, and you died."

He exhaled slowly. "We encountered new breeds of monsters. We fought relentlessly. That was when we learned just how vast God's Domain truly is. And when we finally killed the monster, there was no joy. No happiness. Just emptiness."

He stopped walking and turned to face them. "Most of the Awakened in my group broke after that. Some locked themselves in their rooms, terrified to step outside. Some preferred to die by the punishment of the trials rather than face another one."

Legion's eyes darkened. "I locked myself in my room for two weeks. Just looking outside filled me with anger and hatred."

He went quiet for a moment before continuing. "The trials will break you in ways you don't believe are possible. Killing people in the first trial? That's nothing. You'll learn there are hells far worse than that."

Then, just as quickly, he smiled. "But don't let that drag you down. Rest, prepare, and stay sharp. Sometimes the trials are simple and straightforward. Who knows? Yours might all be easy."

He turned and pointed ahead. "Let's head to the Adventurer's Guild. It's not far. You'll register and get your ranks after passing the exams. That's crucial. If you want to take quests, travel to other cities, or even leave the Domain, you'll need proper identification, a guild ID."

He kept walking.

The three watched his back, the weight of his story settling heavily on them. They heard the pain in his voice and saw the lingering horror in his eyes. Legion was a powerful man, overflowing with confidence, yet even he carried trauma from a single trial.

They understood now. The trials were no joke.

Each of them took a deep breath, steadying their minds. Whatever awaited them in the next trial, they would be ready.

"I need to get stronger," Aren thought as they walked. "I need to hunt monsters and level up."

The memory of his fight with the butler resurfaced. He knew the butler had been several levels ahead, but being dominated so completely left a bitter taste in his mouth.

He clenched his fists.

He didn't want to be weak.

And he didn't want anyone looking down on him ever again.

[.....]

The Adventurers' Guild was a massive building at the heart of the town, towering above every other structure around it. Its walls were made of gray stone, carved into perfect blocks, with a dark marble roof resting above. There was nothing particularly flashy about the building, yet it gave off an imposing presence. It stood three stories tall, with a massive door framed by two large stone columns.

People constantly moved in and out of the guild, Awakened, and even a few trueborns carrying out their work as adventurers.

As Legion approached the building with the group, someone suddenly called out to him.

"Hey, Legion!"

Legion turned his head and spotted a blond-haired young man wearing slim-fitting silver-and-gold armor. He had deep blue eyes, pale skin, and a calm, handsome appearance, someone who looked like the typical protagonist of a story.

The man hurried over. "It's been a while, Legion. I was just coming to see you."

"What's up?" Legion asked.

"What's up, Lance?" Legion replied casually, clearly familiar with him.

"Oh, nothing much, just something that was…" Lance paused mid-sentence and glanced past Legion, noticing the three standing behind him. "Oh? Are they from the new batch of Awakened?" he asked, curiosity lighting his eyes.

"Yeah," Legion said. "They are. I'm heading in to get them registered as adventurers."

He gestured forward. "Come with me. We can talk after I'm done with them."

"Oh, sure," Lance replied with a grin. "This should be interesting. I'd love to see what the new generation brings to the table."

He winked at the group and turned, leading them into the Adventurers' Guild. But as soon as Lance opened the doors, what followed was a massive explosion.

BOOOOM!

Smash!

Windows shattered from the impact.

When Legion saw this, he wasted no moment and bolted in, followed by Lance and the three.

When they arrived inside, the dust was settling, and they saw more than ten figures standing there, cloaked in what looked like ninja clothes, black all through, with ceramic masks covering their faces. Each mask had a unique pattern on it.

When Legion saw this, he frowned. "You have to be kidding me," he said.

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