The Trials Begin

Rowan got to his room and noticed instantly the runes that flashed on the interior of the room as the door opened. It caused the mana in the room to rise exponentially. The guard departed and Rowan closed the door behind him, but it was like his presence had caused the room to wake up. The runes kept a steady glow in a multitude of colors while the mana reached a thickness that added an extra comfort to the room and then they dimmed down. The room was large, and about the size of a studio apartment. There was a bathroom connected to it and a kitchen area right before the main space, which was a bed and a desk. There was a bookshelf next to the sliding doors that led to a balcony.

Rowan had been tracking Feng's storm point and knew that he would be here shortly, but just knowing that he was safe was good enough for now. Rowan looked towards the shower and realized he had showered without just using his mana to clean himself in weeks, or slept for that matter. He had simply been going since he left home, and this represented an opportunity to him. Rowan snapped and his clothes began to dissipate as he walked towards the shower, but at the same time, so did his skin. Rowan looked at himself in the mirror and looked at his glowing arm bound by platinum lines from his mana body; it looked like he had trapped a galaxy into half of his body and then used the platinum lines to keep it in place. The side that had already consumed his flesh was physically stronger than the other side, which made him question why he had not completed the transformation. It was a general unwillingness due to not looking like himself, maybe.

He had stalled in front of the mirror for too long, causing Empry to speak out. [You are evolving past a state where your flesh is required, Rowan. There are countless cultivators who look even more abstract than you will. There is nothing to fear and with your armament spell, it's highly likely unless you are forced to use your full strength you will be able to keep your original appearance.] Rowan could only sigh at this. "Did my master go through something like this as well?" Empry audibly chuckled at the question. [Yes, he did, but he never hesitated. He only saw it as the next evolution of his bloodline and skills. Your case is a little different. You built a fleshly body comparable to gods thanks to your bloodlines and your soul is consuming that flesh to not only strengthen itself but ultimately make you stronger. Imagine how powerful you will be when all of your flesh is sacrificed to this new form. I also think as it happens, you will go through another change. The vermillion galaxy that is your soul may become a type of skin in itself. I do not think you will glow unless in battle. There is no need to falter here. This is your path of cultivation. Now shower and rest Rowan Raid.]

Rowan turned on the shower and turned the nozzle towards a red rune that indicated heat and stepped into the shower and allowed the water to wash him. Soap and amenities were already in the shower so he scrubbed himself down, not stopping to register that his new form registered touch even better than his original flesh did. He allowed himself to relax for the first time in a while and so the rest passed in a blur as he got out of the shower and collapsed into the bed to get the best sleep he probably had ever had.

Now while he slept is when things got more interesting as the Queen appeared on his balcony moments after he fell asleep. She waved her hand, and the door opened, but as it did, the bracelet on Rowan's wrist vibrated and Empry appeared in the room. "Will you truly repeat the mistakes of the past, Queen Vernize? Rowan is not Regius." She scoffed at him as she entered the room and looked at Empry. "The secrets of his guardians have long since been disclosed. Of course, a being born from his soul would be following this kid. I did not expect it to be the hidden hand of the king himself. When Luna told me there were brain waves coming from the bracelet, I had to confirm it was not a threat. Are you a threat, Empyrean?"

Empry shook his head. "No, but that depends on whether you have learned from your past. So the question here truly is whether you are capable of separating your past with Regius from the young boy before you. You know as well as others that the master does not allow full seers to just wander around, especially not ones as powerful as you. He is giving you an opportunity by sending Rowan here. You can choose whatever path you think is right though, but if a full-fledged God were to attack Rowan while he sleeps, then yes, you could then consider me a threat." The queen looked him up and down for a moment before scoffing. "That brat truly lucked out with the people around him."

Empry only smiled at that. "You daughter makes him a better man with each passing day. It is time you go, though. The boy is sensitive to mana, and your presence is stirring him from his sleep." She took steps back and was back on the balcony as she stared at Empry. "You making a personal appearance and sticking so close to this kid makes me wonder if it is you that cares about him more or your master." Empry began to flow back into the bracelet with Rowan, none the wiser that it was a real Empry in the bracelet and not just a clone capable of communicating with him, but he made sure to answer her before he vanished. "It is both. Regius cares for the boy, but so do I, and as long as he does not pick the fight, I will not allow a god to harm him before he ascends."

The queen thought for a second before she vanished from the balcony she would do things differently this time not because she was scared of a battle with Empry but because the first time she made this decision; it had earned her nothing but heartache for her and her people, so this time she would have the pleasure of doing things differently and hopefully, Rowan Raid truly could be the being that brought changes to not just her but her people as well.

Rowan awoke several hours later, none the wiser, as he stretched his limbs and recreated both his clothes and skin. While a knock came on the door. The same guard who had brought him to his room was waiting for him outside the door. "The queen is waiting. Follow me to the dining hall." Rowan walked behind them until they got to a large room with a table that could seat 50 people on each side of it while sitting at the head of it was Queen Vernize. Feng sat to her left, looking ecstatic to be here as he admired the runes on the table that were designed to keep the food warm, while Luna sat to her right. The rest of the chairs were empty, but that did not stop the chefs from bringing out dish after dish to the table. "Eat your fill and then we can talk about the first trial that starts later. I will accompany you both." Feng nodded his head and dug in. "Thank you, your majesty" She looked at him quizzically before smiling at him fondly.

"Your soul affliction is the same as my daughters. She, too, was born with a dual attunement of opposing elements. She then turned to Rowan, and yours is an evolution of your master's original soul affliction, before he evolved that too, now who knows what his soul affliction entails. Enough of that, though. Allow me to explain to you both the first of the trials here. You all have to come to Atlantis because the different buildings here house the trials. Today's trial will take place in the Law Tower." All the participants still left will ascend the tower together. On the first floor, each of you will be expected to come into contact and start the mastery of a universal law. Those that fail will be directly eliminated and sent out of the trial world."

"Now for those that pass the first floor, the tower has 9 more floors after that which can only be ascended by further mastering your laws. All elements are restricted in the tower and so only the power of laws can be used to battle within the Law tower, every floor after the first you will be pit against a criminal that has been locked inside the tower with ascending comprehension of their own laws. Each floor passed will reward you one thousand points and the tower itself will help you further advance in your law cultivation. You will be alone for this trial and other than the first floor where you will all be together, the rest of the test is taken alone."

Rowan had long since sat down and began to eat while the Queen explained this, but he stopped stuffing his face to ask a question. The food here was top-notch, filled with mana in every bite, and he had felt his cultivation progressing. "Has anyone ever passed all nine floors?" Rowan got the question out in between stuffing his face with more food." Feng gently knocked him on the arm "Rowan you shouldn't address people with your mouth full, especially not a god." This caused the queen to smile once more. "Dear Feng, pay him no mind, he clearly gets his manners from his master. The answer is no though no one has ever passed all nine levels."

Rowan smiled and washed down a fizzing drink that tasted like freshly baked cookies and smiled "Perfect then, I guess i'll be the first."