Second Trial

White drips a drop of his blood on the token which the object immediately absorbs it. This goes the same for everyone else. A moment later, the stone token started to glow eerily and words started to appear.

White look attentively looks attentively at his glowing stone token. 

Airi and Young Ju concentrate on theirs too.

One by one the others started to exclaim in surprise and wonder looking at their tokens. Both the young girls were no different, they craned their necks to look at White's token.

White's tokens were written as such:

Participant 300010.

White, Age 15.

Unity - 0%

"Participant 300010! Big Brother mine is 300009," said Airi as she looked at his token.

White looks at her token, written:

Participant 300009

Airi, Age 15

Unity - 0%

'Unity?' he thought slightly, he didn't know what this word represented.

"Mine is 300011," Young Ju said slightly looking at her token, she was equally confused about what 'union' meant.

"Ju you are just behind Big Brother?!" Airi happily looked at her token and exclaimed.

"Yes, but why the long number?" confused, Young Ju asked.

It was a question everyone on this field was asking, all of them were in the hundred thousand series.

White has slight suspicion.

But the voice from the sky beat him to it.

"All of you must be wondering, about the 'Unity' percentage and why the participant numbers are big."

"It's simple, every number from 1 to your current number represented a participant before you. Although they are not in this section they are in the others taking the trials like you and your current numbers are not the end either– you couldn't have thought you people were the only ones taking the trial right?"

The participants turn completely mute upon hearing such outrageous information. There were many that came into this place and now there were only several thousand, to them this was still many. 

But according to that voice, there were about three hundred thousand participants taking the trials somewhere and a lot more after them!

What sort of concept was this?

Truthfully, they don't even want to think about it and just accept anything with much thought.

The voice continues; not giving the participant time to digest the information.

"The Unity on your token is also a very important factor in the trial.

All of your Unity percentages will be at zero percentage now, and in the trial, you have to increase the percentage to pass. To increase it, you have to find a thing called primal seeds on the Other Side and let your token absorb it. As for their appearance and the process, you will naturally come to know of it.

"The minimum threshold to pass is 30% of Unity, anything below, will mean you have no luck or have defective talent, thus will fail and can only try next year again."

The voice stopped momentarily and gave the participant a moment to understand the information. The participants were also pleasantly surprised. 

Only thirty percent?

The number was low so, they naturally didn't think too much of the difficulty.

Some even thought it would be easy If they were all careful, and they would naturally pass!

The younger man in the sky looked at them in amusement, shaking his head. 

Although he wanted to add certain warnings, he didn't think it was necessary. They were just here to oversee the trial and let them know the necessary information.

'Well, they will figure it out themselves.' thought casually

"All of you will be given four days for the first phase, after that, you will move to the last phase. There, you will have a chance at becoming a master." the voice stops after dumping the most important information.

Above the sky, the younger man turned and nodded to the old man.

The people below were all prepared, although they went through numerous shocks and fear, their will couldn't be shaken due to the allure of becoming a master.

Knowing the steps for the next stage, they were all as confident as they could be; like an executioner blade raised, ready to descend any moment.

White could not help but shake his head, although that master didn't say it, he knew according to the structure of the second trial, there would be blood flowing everywhere.

Some from the masses also seem to know as their glaze turns solemn. Frez and his cloaked companion were one of them.

"Big Brother something wrong?" asks Airi softly, she notices something wrong.

"It's not– the thing I told you on the bed," he replied casually looking at Young Ju's waist.

Airi nodded in understanding.

Young Ju was a very observative person, and this was especially so when it came to White, although they had 'been' friends from childhood he was like a stranger to her till now. There seems to be a mysterious veil covering him making him undiscernable and unapproachable. 

Just now, she saw him look at her waist, while it was only for an instant, she still noticed,

"You want the sword?" she asked, if he said yes she would give it to him.

White was taken aback, looking at her sharp eyes he said, "Keep it, you are gonna need it."

Young Ju after a moment, nodded and didn't say anymore.

Their conversation made Airi very confused, she frowned a little and looked at the sky. At some point, the old man and the younger man had disappeared from the sky.

"Brace yourselves,"

A voice warned and at the next moment, an extremely loud rumbling sound resounded from the world followed by an intense shaking.

Boom!@!

The people were in dismay, and they saw the huge barrier in front of them split in the middle, opening a way to the Other Side.

The gateway, unlike the barrier itself, was dark making people unable to see the way. It was like an all-devouring mouth ready to swallow anyone who stepped into it.

"Go." The voice command.

Some shudder in fear some in excitement as they step toward it.

But the voice was not done, "Remember, the more primal seeds you absorbed the more beneficial for you."

The people were taken aback and kept it in mind, disappearing into the gateway; in wonder, fear, and excitement.

White was smiling slightly, feeling a rare excitement, Airi had never seen him like this and couldn't help but wonder. Young Ju just beside her, thinking the same.

With one more step, they disappear into the dark world.

…

The vast land became silent once more.

"Hehe, all those faces,"

The voice of the younger-looking man could be heard.

When all disappeared into the gateway, the barrier slowly returned to normal, bringing with it an invincible air as it stood firmly as the heavens.

The two watchers also appeared in the sky again, the younger one was laughing heartily, while the old man just looked at the closed barrier.

"Weird…" the old man said with a frown.

"Hmm? Watcher Mountain what happened?" the younger man couldn't laugh anymore seeing the troubled old man.

The old man didn't respond for some time, he only stared at the barrier silently before sighing, 

"I don't know, I thought I just sensed something wired in the boundary." 

'Wired?' thought the younger man. He didn't say anything and contemplated. 

He knew it wasn't so simple since the old man had said it.

Both of them fell into strange silence and stillness; remaining unmoved and unmoving by the world.