Chapter 216: Trial Of Lord [1]

Monica moved through the layers of formations and symbols spread across the inner layer of Stella’s Auracle, ignoring their intricate patterns as her gaze shifted past even the uppermost formation in search of the one responsible for making all the others work.

Although she had spent days examining the Auracle, she had gradually realized that studying each formation individually would only lead her in circles. The formations were interconnected, and understanding their purpose required her to find the foundation on which the entire structure was built.

Following the flow of Aura, she eventually reached the deepest part of the Auracle, where she finally discovered its source.

Aura.

However, it was not the same Aura flowing through the formations above her. Instead, it was violent and heavy, resembling a furious rhinoceros charging through everything in its path. Yet, as it entered the first formation, its nature changed, and that overwhelming force was stripped away until only raw will remained, which then served as the medium through which the other formations operated.

’Finally,’ Monica mumbled, a faint smile appearing on her face as she examined the formation responsible for the transformation.

She had been searching for it for days, but the countless layers of formations had concealed everything beneath them, making it almost impossible to distinguish the foundation from the structures built upon it.

It seemed as though those layers had been designed to keep the true formations hidden, although she couldn’t be certain of that conclusion.

After all, each formation fulfilled a particular function, and together they imitated the workings of a physical body, with every component serving a purpose within the greater whole.

Nevertheless, finding the underlying formation had brought her one step closer to her goal.

Even though she now understood where the Auracle’s foundation lay and how it processed Aura, she still needed to convert its structure into something capable of functioning exclusively on Mana.

To accomplish that, she would have to identify the parts of Aura that had been altered by the formation and determine how closely they resembled Mana. Once she understood those differences, she could use her knowledge of magical formations to reverse-engineer the structure and create one that operated on Mana instead of Aura, allowing people to store Mana within their bodies without relying on a mana circle.

It was an ambitious undertaking, but the difficulty had diminished considerably now that she knew what to examine and where to begin.

’If I can understand how the first formation transforms Aura into raw will, I should be able to determine which principles can be replicated using Mana.’

Her golden eyes gleamed as she studied the intricate arrangement, connecting the individual pieces in her mind and comparing their functions with those of the magical formations she had studied throughout her life.

Now that she knew what she was looking for, she estimated that she would need barely another day to develop a working prototype of the Manacle.

However, that would have to wait, as the time Young Stella had been permitted to spend near her had already run out for the day. After exchanging a few words of affection with Monica, Elias left the room carrying Young Stella in his arms.

Monica watched them leave with a gentle smile, although she knew that their departure would delay her work.

Fortunately, she had anticipated this possibility and had already memorized every part of Stella’s Auracle, storing its intricate structure within her Mental Library. With that information preserved, she could recreate a simplified version of the Auracle within her spiritual space and continue examining it without needing to remain connected to Stella.

’Heh,’ she smirked, pleased with her own foresight before returning her attention to the formations.

This time, she could examine them with far greater freedom, and the golden rings in her eyes continuously shone as she pieced together the principles behind a structure that should have been impossible to create.

Meanwhile, Elias returned to the training chamber and settled cross-legged at its center, placing Lastbane across his lap.

For a while, he remained still, allowing the silence to settle around him as he considered what he was about to attempt. Then, sliding his palm across the flat of the blade, he released a deep breath and closed his eyes.

Using his Mind’s Eye, he instantly appeared before his Aura Core, where he regarded the enormous structure with a confident expression.

He had visited this place before, yet the sight of his Aura Core still reminded him of how far he had come. More importantly, it reminded him of the challenge that awaited him if he wished to advance further along the path of a swordsman.

Whenever a swordsman was ready to advance to the next rank, they would receive a call from their Aura Core, inviting them to undertake the challenge that awaited them within the Realm of Sword Trial. The call indicated that they had reached the point where they could attempt the trial, although it did not guarantee success.

Elias, however, had never received such a call.

After spending countless years within the dream cave, he had looked deep inside himself more than a thousand times, contemplating his fears, his convictions, and the path he needed to follow. He had questioned his own weakness and searched for the resolve necessary to overcome it, repeatedly examining the parts of himself he had once been too afraid to confront.

Yet, despite all that introspection, his Aura Core had remained silent.

He still didn’t know why it had never called him, but he no longer intended to wait for an answer.

’I have spent enough time questioning myself. If I want to protect the people I love, then I need to move forward.’

His gaze remained fixed on the Aura Core as his confidence settled into a firm resolve.

’I am ready.’

Taking a step forward, he watched as a wide opening spread across the surface of his Aura Core, revealing a passage into the Realm of Sword Trial.

Elias crossed the threshold and entered the crimson world, where the familiar landscape stretched beneath an oppressive sky. Several hundred meters ahead stood the Sword Tower, its towering silhouette rising above the surrounding terrain like an enormous blade driven into the earth.

He began walking toward it, and as he drew closer, the tower’s immense size became increasingly apparent. By the time he reached its base, he felt like an ant standing before a gigantic mountain, its towering walls making his own existence seem insignificant.

Nevertheless, he refused to let that feeling overwhelm him.

He had faced opponents far stronger than himself, endured pain that should have broken him, and continued moving forward even when the world seemed determined to crush him. Compared to those experiences, the tower’s overwhelming presence was merely another obstacle he had to overcome.

Continuing onward, Elias approached the gateway at the tower’s base and stopped before its entrance. Beyond it lay a world swallowed by complete darkness, concealing whatever trial awaited him within.

He stared into the darkness for a brief moment before Lastbane materialized in his hand.

Then, gripping the sword firmly, he took a step forward.

At that instant, the orange System screen appeared before him.

[Ding!]

[The host is challenging the Trial of Lord!]

[May the host be victorious!]

Elias stepped into the darkness, and his vision suddenly spun as though the world itself had been turned upside down.

Before he could make sense of what was happening, everything went dark.

Elias opened his eyes and found himself lying on a bed inside a small cottage.

For a moment, he remained still, staring at the wooden ceiling above him as he tried to understand where he was.

Then, he pushed himself upright and looked around, only to find that the cottage was old and unremarkable, with rough wooden walls, a modest fireplace, and a few pieces of old furniture.

Even his own appearance had changed, as he wore a rough tunic and a pair of worn trousers instead of his usual clothes.

’Where am I?’

Before he could examine his surroundings any further, a familiar voice reached his ears.

"Is something wrong?"

Elias turned toward the voice, and his eyes widened when he saw the woman standing at the doorway.

"Natasha...?" he uttered, staring at her in disbelief.

Natasha wore a simple gown that had been stitched in several places. She held a leather bag in each hand, and her brows furrowed as she studied Elias’s bewildered expression.

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"Why are you just standing there?" she asked, stepping inside the cottage before placing the bags near the table. "Go light the fire. I have to prepare dinner for us."

Elias continued staring at her for a moment, struggling to reconcile the woman before him with the Natasha he knew.

There were no burn scars on her face, and she appeared healthy, with none of the visible signs of the suffering she had endured in her life.

He didn’t know what to say, so he simply nodded and walked toward the fireplace.

Crouching beside it, he gathered the dry wood and arranged it carefully before using the available materials to kindle a flame.

As the fire gradually caught and began to spread, he glanced over his shoulder at Natasha, who had already taken the meat and vegetables from her bags and was concentrating on cutting them into pieces.

She hummed a soft tune as she worked, occasionally pausing to adjust the ingredients before continuing with the same unhurried rhythm.

Elias watched her for a while, feeling a strange warmth settle in his chest.

’Is this what she would have been like if none of those things had happened to her?’

The thought came naturally, but he didn’t pursue it, instead turning his attention back to the fire until it burned steadily enough to warm the cottage.

After some time, the scent of cooked meat and vegetables filled the small room, and Natasha brought the finished meal to the table before calling him over.

"Come and eat before it gets cold," she said.

Elias sat opposite her, and the two began eating together. Their meal was simple, with no extravagant ingredients or elaborate preparation, yet Natasha seemed perfectly content as she ate and occasionally asked him to pass something.

Elias answered her questions and followed her lead, gradually relaxing as the evening progressed.

The next morning, Elias woke beside Natasha and found that the sunlight had already begun filtering through the cottage’s small windows. After getting dressed, he joined her for breakfast, and the two ate together before gathering the bags they would need for the day.

They then left the cottage and wandered through the village, collecting fruits and other useful things as they went.

The village was small, with modest houses scattered along narrow paths and fields stretching beyond the settlement.

As they walked, Natasha greeted one villager after another, introducing Elias to the people she knew and exchanging friendly words with those they encountered.

Everyone seemed to like her, and many greeted her with bright smiles, while others stopped to ask how she had been or offered her small gifts from their own homes. Natasha responded to them all with a warmth that made it easy to understand why she was so well liked.

Elias followed beside her, occasionally greeting someone when she introduced him, but he couldn’t help comparing the woman walking beside him with the Natasha he knew in the real world.

’Would she have smiled this widely if she had never gone through any of those things?’

She had endured grief, isolation, and pain that most people could scarcely imagine, and even after everything she had suffered, she had continued to care about others.

Seeing her now, laughing freely and exchanging greetings with the villagers, made him wonder how different her life might have been if she had been allowed to grow up without losing so much.

However, he didn’t dwell on the thought for long, choosing instead to enjoy the time he had with her.

They continued gathering fruits and other goods until their bags were sufficiently full, then crossed a river that separated their village from another settlement.

The second village was larger, and its residents had more goods to trade, allowing Natasha and Elias to sell most of what they had collected in exchange for meat, better clothes, blankets, and other necessities.

Natasha examined their purchases carefully, making sure they had obtained everything they needed before dividing the goods between their bags. Although she occasionally complained about the weight, she continued walking without hesitation, and Elias helped carry the heavier items whenever necessary.

By the time they finished trading, the sun had begun to descend, casting long shadows across the village paths as the sky gradually darkened.

They returned home as night fell, carrying their purchases into the cottage before arranging everything in its proper place. Natasha then prepared dinner once more, and Elias helped her with the fire before joining her.

Just as they had the previous evening, they ate together and talked about the day’s events, their conversation accompanied by the quiet crackling of the fireplace.

After dinner, they tidied the cottage and prepared for bed, settling beneath their blankets once the fire had dwindled to glowing embers.

Natasha moved closer to Elias and wrapped her arms around him, resting her head against his chest.

Elias returned her embrace, holding her gently as the warmth of her body spread through him.

And with Natasha nestled in his arms, the two of them fell asleep together.