Chapter 296: Passing the Trial

Solomon’s eyes snapped open. He found himself lying on a plush, incredibly soft bed. He stared at the vaulted ceiling and wondered if the giant temple slave had dug him out of the collapsed mountain rubble.

He sat up, swung his legs over the edge of the mattress, and planted his feet on the cool stone floor. He checked his arms and torso, muttering to himself, "I do not see any lingering injuries, and my body does not ache at all. Perhaps I wasn’t as gravely injured as I thought. Since the giant transformation expired and I shrank back down to normal human size, my body might have just slipped into a large gap between the fallen boulders."

Solomon rested his hands on his knees, falling deep into thought regarding his own biology. ’I still do not actually know the true limits of the Eden heart’s regenerative powers,’ he realized. ’I know it can instantly heal minor injuries, shallow cuts, and internal muscle tears. But I have absolutely no idea what the upper limit is.’

It had successfully regenerated his severed right hand back in the labyrinth, but he had never actively tested if that was purely the work of the Eden heart or a lingering effect of the dungeon’s environment.

’Obviously, if I sustained a truly fatal injury like getting stabbed directly in the heart or having my head completely crushed, the regenerative power would not save me. If I assume it works exactly the same way it did for Uriel, I should theoretically be able to regrow severed limbs. But Uriel was a literal angel and his entire body, his muscles, and his flesh were forged from pure divinity. I am just a mortal. I do not possess a single ounce of divinity in my veins. The healing effect is definitely diluted for me.’

Solomon pushed the morbid thoughts aside and stood up from the bed. He glanced around the spacious guest chamber, trying to locate the exit door.

His silver eyes caught a subtle movement in the dark corner of the room.

"You are awake," a quiet voice stated as a shadow stepped forward into the candlelight.

It was the silent maid girl.

Solomon let out a startled breath. "You really do not have to greet me like that. What were you even doing hiding in the corner of the room?"

"I did not know what else to do," the maid responded, her expression entirely blank. "So I was simply waiting for you to wake up. You must be hungry. Please follow me to the dining hall."

"I would actually like to take a bath first," Solomon requested, brushing a hand through his hair.

"There is no need for that," the maid girl replied flatly. "I already washed you while you were unconscious."

Solomon froze. He looked down at himself. He was no longer wearing his torn, bloody clothes or his makeshift toga. He was dressed in a set of clean, flowing desert garments made of fine white linen. Furthermore, he realized he smelled incredibly nice, as if he had been thoroughly bathed in exotic perfumes and essential oils.

Solomon opened his mouth. He had dozens of frantic questions, and even more specific questions about her washing his unconscious body, but he quickly clamped his mouth shut. He already knew exactly how a conversation with the emotionless maid would turn out.

He would just receive vague responses, or she would simply ignore him entirely.

Deciding to preserve his sanity, Solomon simply followed her out of the guest chamber and down the pristine corridors to the dining hall.

A few minutes later, she brought out a massive tray loaded with steaming dishes, roasted meats, and fresh fruits. Solomon eagerly dug into the feast.

While chewing a piece of spiced meat, Solomon glanced around the empty hall. "Where did the temple slave go? Is he still over at the main temple?"

"The temple slave has passed away," the maid girl responded, pouring him a cup of chilled water.

Solomon violently choked on his food, coughing and pounding his chest. He grabbed the water cup and chugged it to clear his throat. "What do you mean by that?! He seemed completely okay the last time I saw him."

"The sole duty of the temple slave was to find a worthy champion and administer the trial," the maid girl answered calmly. "Since you successfully passed the trial, he decided to leave this place."

Solomon let out a long, wheezing breath. "Uhh... by ’passed away’, do you mean like..." He made a grim slicing motion across his own neck. "...or do you just mean he physically left the city?"

"He physically left this place," the maid clarified.

Solomon let out a sigh of relief. "Okay, good. What about the reward he mentioned earlier?"

The maid girl nodded. "The reward will be presented to you once you have finished eating."

Solomon took his time with the meal, thoroughly enjoying the exotic flavors and drinking plenty of water. When he finally finished the main courses and the fruit platters, the maid returned carrying a decorative silver tray. She presented him with a beautifully etched glass filled with the thick, dark date drink he loved so much.

Solomon drank the sweet liquid, savoring the rich taste in his throat. He looked at the empty glass, then looked up at the maid, handing the cup back to her.

"I am really going to miss this drink," Solomon admitted with a warm smile. "Maybe you could write down the recipe for me, or tell me how to make it?"

The maid girl stared at him with her dark, emotionless eyes. She turned around, gathered all the dirty dishes onto her large tray, and walked out of the hall without uttering a single word, leaving Solomon completely speechless once again.

She returned a few minutes later, her hands empty. "It is now time for your reward. Please follow me."

She turned around and began walking, and Solomon followed her.

’I wonder what kind of reward it is,’ Solomon wondered. ’The temple slave had mentioned ’divine reward’ so my expectations are quite high.’

They left the dining hall and walked out onto the wide cobblestone streets.

Solomon immediately noticed a drastic, unsettling change in the environment. The sprawling city was completely gone. The towering administrative buildings, the barracks, and the storehouses had all vanished into thin air. Only the massive temple and the dining hall structure remained standing in the middle of the empty desert.

Before Solomon could even ask the maid what had happened to the architecture, she stopped walking and turned to face him.

"The reward is whatever you ask for," the maid announced.