Chapter 124: Trial


    Stars flew by Jack. There were hundreds of them, thousands. He saw gxies swirling in the distance, their spires barely discernible even with his new senses. He saw something shing periodically in the distance, and he saw a column of light stretching up and down from the center of a far-off gxy.


    They traveled through the Milky Way gxy. There were blue, yellow, and red stars. Somerge, and some so titanic that his mind couldntprehend their scale. They crossed a dust cloud so immense that it made even those astral giants seem like fish to an ocean.


    Their speed was unnatural. They floated through space not at the speed of light, but the speed of thought, untouched by anything. The fabric of space itself was their vehicle.


    Jack lost track of time, but it couldnt have been more than a few hours.


    When the world stabilized, Jack found himself on a moon. He stood on arge teleportation tform, like the one hed departed from, except his surroundings were mostly empty.


    Before anything else, he fell to his knees and violently emptied his stomach. Next to him, Gan Salin did the same. Brock seemed unaffected. The vomit disintegrated as it touched the tform. Only after a good minute did Jack look up.


    A dome of ss surrounded them like an Inuits igloo, about a hundred feet in height and another hundred in diameter. Outside its walls, he could see gray dirt lined with craters. There was no sky; space was directly observable from here, like the pictures Jack had seen of Earths moon.


    <em>Perhaps I could go to the moon now, </em>he thought, before realizing he was much farther than any Earth-387 human had ever been in the entire history of their. He was a pioneer.


    In the horizon, arge sphere rose over the moon they stood on. It did not look like Earth. Jack didnt know what he expected, but it was certainly not this. This lookeddead.


    Step off the teleporter, amanding voice reached their ears, cutting off Jacks train of thought. He looked around, then followed themand to step away. The person who had called out to them was a human of Earth-199, dressed in a silver uniform with the Hand of Gods emblem at the frontan open palm facing the observer, with an open eye in the center.


    He was at the D-Grade, as were the other two guards nking him: one ant-like humanoidan antfolkand one that looked like a djinn but was even smaller in size, barely reaching Jacks waist. Thisst one was also floating on a tiny cloud. Its species was apparently called vonanan.


    Are you expecting more people? the human guard asked. Gan Salin shook his head.


    Nope. Just us.


    Good. He took out two pieces of paper. Name, affiliation, and Dao, please.


    Gan Salin, Animal Kingdom, Dao of Insanity, Gan Salin replied. And my friend here is Jack Rust, Bare Fist Brotherhood of the Animal Kingdom constetion, Dao of the Fist.


    Jack red at him. Salin leaned in, whispering, Dont worry. The Hand of God doesnt care about the B-Grade faction grudges.


    You told them my Dao. That was personal information.


    We have to tell them, Salin replied, shrugging. Everybody does it. And lying to the Hand of God is a terrible idea.


    Jack grumbled. Speak for me like this again, and we go separate ways. Understood?


    Gan Salin smiled. Perfectly so.


    And the brori? the guard asked. Gan Salin didnt reply, shooting Jack a nce.


    Hes my spiritualpanion, Jack replied.


    Okay. The guard scribbled down some things. Does he have a name and Dao?


    Jack hesitated for a moment. He nced at Brock, who frowned but nodded. Brock, Jack replied honestly. Dao of Muscles.


    The guard nodded, still writing down stuff. Unless he was describing their physical appearance in text, Jack had no idea how an immortal could be this slow at transcribing.


    All done, the guard finally said. You may proceed.


    Another guard stepped forththe antfolk. Follow me, please, it asked them in an odd voice, like it came through a series of long pipes. Jack, Brock, and Gan Salin followed it to the side, where three sleek, dark starships awaited. They were shaped as needlesas were most of thembut these were more elongated, giving Jack an impression of great speed.


    Seeing the starships reminded him of Captain Dordok and the crew of the Trampling Ram. He hoped they were okay. They had saved his life.


    He wouldn''t forget that.


    The antfolk reached the first starship, and its door slid open by itself. After you, it said. Jack, Brock, and Gan Salin entered a cramped space with two line of seats facing each other. It could fit ten people in total, which gave them some space to move. The antfolk walked to the front, ced its ant-like hand on a glowing blue helm, and the starship slowly rose off the ground. It passed through the entrance of the buildinga tunnel-like space covered by transparent, protective film on both endsand sped towards the dead.


    Is that Trial? Jack couldnt help but ask. It looks


    Destroyed? Gan Salin said.


    Yeah.


    It is. Well, its surface. I hear that the inside is pretty colorful. The canine shuffled in his seat. Everybody got only one chance to visit Trial, and unlike Jack, Gan Salin had been waiting for it his whole life. He was beyond excited. His exnation poured out. Trial is made up of nine ringshence its other name, the Hollow. Imagine nine hollows of increasing size that encapste each other.


    Jack raised both brows. Are you telling me that has mores inside it? Like a babushka?


    I dont know what that is, but yes. And they are all hollow. Its like nine worlds nested in each other. The nine rings. As you descend into deeper rings, the danger rises exponentially, but so do the rewards. Trial is filled with all sorts of opportunities, from natural treasures to Dao inheritances.


    Jack drew a sharp breath. From a physics standpoint, this nested thing shouldnt be possiblebut then again, after everything he had experienced, he was beginning to suspect that the physics he knew were a tad iplete.


    Even Brock leaned in, listening to the description with rapt attention. The antfolk didnt seem to care about their discussion.


    What you see now, Gan Salin continued, pointing at the approachings surface, is actually the first ring. But not really. Research shows that there used to cities and civilizations there, but now, its just an empty, ravaged hellscape.


    Are you saying someone destroyed that ring? Who would do such a thing? And why?


    Nobody knows! Salin shrugged. Trial actually precedes our gxy. When the System arrived a million years ago, this came with it, and it already looked like this. There has been much research, of course. The most prevalent theory is that this used to belong to the Ancients, the fabled race that created the System, but that its surface was ravaged during the crusade against the Old Ones.


    Jack listened intently.


    But that doesnt matter, at least not to us, Salin concluded. Nobody is allowed on the surface anymore. We will start our delve in specific entrance points that lead directly to the second ring. The first is out of order.


    But the rest of the rings are still okay? They arent destroyed like this surface world?


    Exactly. Trial is protected by the System itself. Anyone above the E-Grade cannot descend below the surface. Perhaps this is why the lower rings were spared.


    Hmm. What can you tell me about those rings? What do they look like?


    They are all unique! The second ring, for example, is the Giant Ringthough I wont spoil any surprises by telling you why. The point of that ringlike most of themis just to find an exit heading to the next. They are underrge, monster-infestedndmarks and oddities, so if you see one, head directly there and get to searching. There are very few rewards on the upper rings, so just try to get through them as fast as possible. Thats what everyone does.


    The third ringthe Barbarian Ringis simr, though its environment is more hostile, and the monsters stronger. At the fourth ring, the Vige Ring, just try to find the vige. Things get moreplicated deeper downbut you dont need to worry about that for now. Besides, well meet again in the vige of the fourth ring, so we can talk about it then.


    Meet again?


    Oh. I didnt mention we would be separated, did I?


    No. No, you didnt.


    Well, people obviouslye here in teams, but the Hand of God doesnt want weaklings to delve far just because of their connections. Everyone is scattered before they enter the second ring. The fourth ring is small enough and open enough that teams can reconvene, though. With your strength, you should be able to make it there. Me too, I hope. Unless Im unlucky. Then, Ill just die. Heughed.


    Jack looked at Brock with worry.


    Oh, dont worry. Spiritualpanions arent split, Gan Salin hurried to add. You and little Brock will be just fine.


    Brock punched his shoulder.


    Big Brock, I meant big Brock, Salin corrected himself,ughing.


    So Trial is only forbat sses? Jack asked.


    Well Partly. Nonbat sses can also delve, and they often do, but they have to go through the trouble of reconvening with their teammates at the second ringwhich can take months. For us, its better to just go solo until the fourth ring.


    I see


    Jack looked outside the window. They had reached the by now and were sailing over its surface. The ground below was ravaged. There were razor-sharp ravines kilometers in length, like theyd been shed open by swords. There were craters the size of cities, one of which was shaped exactly like a palm print.


    Jack even saw areas covered in multicolored mist, as well as ruins where the shadows seemed to flicker wrong.


    <em>Who could have done all this? </em>he couldnt help but wonder.


    So, thats the n, Gan Salin repeated, drawing Jacks attention. We meet at the fourth rings vige. If one of us hasnt made it there in two monthsthe other just keeps going. Okay?


    Okay.


    And by the way, if you see anything resembling a trial ground, go for it!


    What? What do trial grounds look like?


    Youll know it when you see it.


    Jack rolled his eyes. The starship slowed down. Suddenly, he noticed a massive hole dug into the earth under them. It was circr, with a diameter of a few hundred feet, and seemed to stretch down endlessly. It was like a deep dark maw carved into the earthor just a reallyrge and deep well.


    The starship touched down on thend right next to the hole. Jack Rust and Brock, please descend, the antfolk said. Jack and Brock stood up.


    Gan Salin, Jack said, throwing the canine aplex gaze. I have no idea what youre thinking, but you saved me. I appreciate that. We are no longer enemies.


    Of course not. Were friends!


    I dont know about that yet, but not enemies. Probably. Jack hesitated for a moment, then smiled. Be careful down there.


    Same to you! Gan Salin shed back his own smile. Jack caught the antfolks gaze and decided not to dy any longer. He and Brock walked away. The moment they stepped onto the ground, the door behind them slid closed, and the starship took off. Gan Salin kept waving from the little window until he disappeared in the distance.


    Jack looked at the sky for a moment. It was red and hazy. The air was stingy, like he was breathing through a lemon. His eyes were watering. So, this is Trial, he said. What do you think, bro?


    Brock gave him a thumbs-up and a monkey grin. Jack grinned back. Thats what I thought. Lets go! For Earth! For us!


    The hole behind them resembled a gate to hell. They found stairs swirling its edge and climbed down, one man and one brori.


    They didnt even have a backpack.