The following days were… well, messy.
To ensure Aureus wasn’t in pain, I had to provide him with a steady stream of soul energy and ether. Bert mentioned on multiple occasions that I didn’t have to provide so much of either to ensure the evolution would succeed—apparently, Aureus would still evolve even if I only provided the ‘bare minimum’—but he wasn’t the one who had to feel my trusted companion’s pain.
All I felt was Aureus’ pain, and knowing how it tore him apart pained me more than anything else. The bond was strained and barred us from communicating, but providing Aureus with enough soul energy and ether to remove the glutton’s pain entirely was enough to calm my heart. It was weird not to hear anything from Aureus, but everyone kept me busy in the weeks that followed.
Mom was worried I’d work myself to the bone, and I couldn’t even blame her for that. I refined my World whenever I had enough soul energy to spare, and I tempered my body more extensively than in the weeks before, hoping my unique constitution would work its wonders. And it did work, although the results were insignificant. My World recovered soul energy a little bit faster when my body was on the brink of collapsing, which was exactly what I pursued for weeks.
I was tired, there was no denying it, yet, oddly enough, I was also satisfied with myself. I was happy—motivated even.
The Camp was nearing, and so was the final test that’d show everyone whether my hard work had paid off or… not.
Regardless of the final result, I had given my utmost. I pushed my body and mind to the limit and beyond, and everyone knew that.
Chloe Zerog had been restless for weeks, and so was I when the news finally reached me.
“The retinues’ tests will commence Friday,” Peter informed us at the dinner table. “It will last three days.”
The Camp was supposed to start the following Monday, and they wanted to do the tests the weekend before? That was actually better than we had hoped for. Chloe had been the most worried that the Camp would test the retinues several weeks before the Camp started. She was anxious all week, having waited anxiously for the news to arrive over the last few weeks.
“Tests, as in plural? Multiple tests?” I inquired, putting the fork down. Only a moment ago, I was famished, but now… I couldn’t even take a single bite no matter how delicious the steak and roasted potatoes had been.
Peter Zerog lifted his hand with three fingers raised. “Theory, thorough examination, and combat. I think you can ignore the examinations since you’ve been doing that for the last few weeks. You’re completely healthy, which means the condition of your World and your physique’s specifics will be the only ‘worrisome’ part. Your World has grown a lot in the last few weeks, and your constitution’s as good as it can get until Aureus evolves.”
My third ether gate had been filled and refined. It was as good as it would get, just like Peter had said. Unfortunately, I had only three ether gates to access, which was also thanks to my bond with Aureus. While three ether gates weren’t many, my gates were special, which was a good thing.
Since every Soulkin bond could only unlock a certain amount of their Blessed’s ether gates, I had to take what I got. Sure, the greater the compatibility with the Soulkin upon binding, the higher the number of available ether gates. At least, that was the norm, though there were exceptions and a commonly known baseline.
Since my compatibility with Aureus was close to perfection, three ether gates were probably the most I could get—from a Wild Soulkin, that is. Five ether gates would have been better, but I cannot have everything, can I?
Once Aureus evolved, I would have more ether gates available to access, fill, and refine, but since the evolution had yet to complete, I’d have to live with what I got.
“We know you tried your hardest. The situation is… unfortunate,” Peter said, reluctantly but sincerely. He sighed deeply. “If we had one more month, everything would have been—...”
Chloe nudged her husband in the side. She silenced him and smiled at me. “Don’t worry about anything.”
I didn’t think Chloe Zerog was the right person to say that after acting like a headless chicken the last few weeks, but she looked oddly composed, almost like she was finally at peace with herself—or the situation.
“I’m not sure if this is the right time to say this, but we were worried.” Chloe smiled at me, but it never reached her eyes. Her eyes… they were filled with pain, and they looked right through me like she was reminiscing old memories. “We feared Daniel would end up like Lea when he was young. Lea was… she suffered greatly because we paid too little attention to the people surrounding her.”
Peter reached out to pat her hand.
“She had many friends, and we were happy for her, thinking we had done the right thing by allowing her to pick her own friends. We didn’t want to be too imposing and didn’t investigate her friends and families.” Chloe shook her head. “That was a grave mistake. Her friends—if one can call those filthy people that in the first place—used her… and we were foolish enough to mistake their enthusiasm and joy for friendship, and decided to help out when Lea asked for something. We just wanted her to be a good friend, and we thought they were good friends too.”
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Chloe glanced over at Daniel, who was busy talking to my parents. “Lea is fine now, but Daniel is more sensitive than she is. He has always been the more sensitive one. He’s a bit whiny for a Zerog, and he definitely talks too much.” She chuckled lightly. “But he is not as strong as Lea, and we were worried he would break apart if he ever had to face the same fate as his sister.”
I grasped what she was insinuating and smiled at her. I would have hugged her, but the dining table separated us, and I still wasn’t sure what the Zerogs thought about hugs—I hadn’t seen them hug each other once—so I said what was on my mind instead.
“You are great parents.” I really meant what I said. “I’m glad to call Daniel my friend, and I am even happier that I can help Daniel. Thanks to your trust and investment, everything will be fine. Don’t worry too much... I will make it.”
Even though I tried to sound confident, the last part was something I couldn’t be confident about. I would try my best, but what if that wasn’t enough?
“We are happy Daniel has a friend like you,” Chloe muttered, her eyes shimmering with tears.
“Even if you don’t make it, we know you will try your best next year.” Peter waved dismissively, but I was certain he wasn’t thinking like that. He wanted to help Daniel more than anything, which was why his words meant more to me. He smiled weakly and offered me a quick wink as he added, “In the worst case, Daniel has to wait a year.”
***
Friday morning came faster than expected. One day I just went to sleep and the week was already over.
“We believe in you!” Dad said, releasing me from a tight hug. He looked proud, his chest puffed out as if he’d just beaten the strongest Blessed in the Bastion, and slapped me on the shoulder.
Mom, on the other hand, didn’t let me go for a while. She didn’t say anything when she finally released me, but she didn’t have to.
I smiled, but it felt fake as I left the Zerog estate, guided by Daniel. He pulled me away from the house and guided me to the first destination. It wasn’t too far away and looked a lot different than I expected the testing grounds to look like; it was a massive skyscraper in the main sector.
Didn’t the Mistrals tear this down? I wondered as Daniel shoved me closer to the entrance.
“ID, please.”
A hoarse voice rang in my ears as a towering figure stepped in front of me. I hadn’t even noticed him and felt like screaming out in surprise. Instead, my body moved on its own and I retrieved my ID as a Blessed without uttering a single word.
“Adam Savier?” the man asked, and I nodded. He regarded me for a moment and stepped to the side.
“Daniel Zerog, you may return to your parents. Your retinue won’t be available for the next few days. Be patient and believe in your trusted ally.” His voice was still neutral, as if an ether device was talking to us, and his words sounded rehearsed, like he’d said them a hundred times already.
Daniel pointed at the man, and it looked like he was about to escalate the situation, but I waved him off with a smile.
“Don’t stir the pot, or you’ll be thrown out of the Camp even before it starts— or worse, I will.”
He grunted but lowered his arm. If Daniel wanted to avoid one thing, it was attracting his parents’ ire. Maybe mine too.
“Good luck, Adam,” Daniel said before I entered.
The door closed behind me, and the tension in the air shifted. It felt like someone had replaced the air with weights — heavy ones at that. The ether in the lobby was dense, and it grew even denser as I walked through. My eyes shifted left and right, trying to analyze the other retinues once I realized that everyone waiting in the lobby was a rival — even if it didn’t make any sense. There were more than 48 people in the lobby. Was I the last to arrive? No, even if I was the last to arrive, there were too many people.
Should I ask someone? I looked around and met the eyes of a young, blonde guy who appeared to be my age, but he glared daggers at me. I could have sworn he hissed at me when I stepped closer. My stomach tightened, and my hair stood on end as the sensation of impending danger flooded my mind. Instincts kicked in and took over, and the next thing I knew, my fingers had coiled around the silvernit sword’s handle.
I didn’t draw the blade, but I was shocked by how close I’d come to pulling a weapon in the middle of the Bastion.
“Adam Savier?”
A high-pitched voice — formal and unnaturally soothing — rang out to my left.
Only now did I notice the woman beside me. She was small, wore a customized suit, and looked oddly regal. Plus, she was definitely too old to be one of the retinues.
“Yes?” I answered hesitantly, but the young woman wasn’t even looking at me. She glanced at my hand holding the sword handle instead.
I hurriedly let go of the blade, which was rewarded with a faint, approving smile.
“Please follow me. Everyone has arrived, and the first test will commence shortly.”
She hinted at a bow and gestured to the elevator at the other side of the room. For a moment, I feared they were going to throw me out for reaching for my blade, but I caught the young woman glaring at someone behind me.
The space around the woman rippled ever so slightly, and her expression shifted back to a polite smile. A moment later, she guided me to the elevator without another word.
That... was weird.
I shook my head and tried to discard all my doubts — at least, I tried to.
Everything would be fine. I gave my best. What could possibly go wrong?
Well, I’m still a Novice with three ether gates. My World is larger than before but cannot compare to the other retinues. And it has only been half a year since I gained access to ether — even less since I began training and studying under the Zerogs, I told myself. Ah, and Aureus’s evolution isn’t complete.
Furthermore, I might have made myself an enemy with that blonde guy. That’s how it felt, even if I didn’t know why he acted like that.
A sigh escaped my lips as I stepped into the elevator, following the small woman.
“The lobby is already a test, isn’t it?” I murmured, my mind rattling, trying to figure out why I was told to enter the elevator first. Only a handful of people had been guided to the elevator before me... did that mean anything?
I’d love to know, but the staff didn’t even glance at me. Only the corner of her lips curled up ever so slightly.