Chapter 199 - Is That All? (1/2)

”Myriad Void Dimensions…” Listening to the name of the first stage, Aurus started thinking up of the mechanics of the stage, just like what he used to do when he was attempting the trials in this inheritance before he obtained a Ruler title. In a matter of an instant, multiple mechanics that seemed to resonate with the name of the stage had surfaced in Aurus's mind. All of the mechanics had differing instructions and goals, but one thing was for sure in his thoughts. The end goal of this stage was to escape something.

”Are you finished pondering on what mechanics this first stage has?” Inhee asked Aurus, who had just finished pondering over mechanics, with a teasing tone. In response to this, an aura of shock radiated from Aurus. Fortunately, just as Aurus was about to ask how Inhee knew about what he was doing before trials, Inhee took the initiative to answer the unspoken question, continuing, ”I'm the Inheritance Ruler. If I don't even know what's going on in the mind of the inheritors before they take their trials, then how can I possibly call myself an Inheritance Ruler?”

”Anyways, since this trial was not something I created but rather by the Supreme Ruler of the Void, I'll tell you the mechanics and the way on how you could finish the trial as fast as possible,” Inhee soon added, to which Aurus radiated an aura of curiosity as he wondered if the mechanics he had in mind were the same as the real one.

Taking in another deep breath, Inhee went ahead and explained the first stage to Aurus, saying, ”From the name itself, the stage 'Myriad Void Dimensions' is set on a place with myriad dimensions made out of the Void element…if that wasn't obvious enough already. You start on one of the corners of this room, with the stage starting once you enter the Void Dimension in that corner. Inside it, you only have four choices in which direction you'd like to move: forward, backward, leftward, and rightward.”

Inhee then continued, ”Your goal is to reach the center of the myriad dimensions through the Void Dimension you entered. Once you reach the center of the myriad dimensions, you shall be teleported out of it, as well as marking you to be someone that has finished the first stage.”

'Hmm…this Myriad Void Dimensions stage is quite similar to the second stage of the trial I took here back then,' Aurus thought to himself as he listened to Inhee's words. 'Although there is no decision-making process when it comes to the choices of movement I have, which makes it look like I would eventually get to the center of the myriad dimensions eventually, since I'm being tested, there would definitely be a twist.'

”To be honest, I was just getting to the twist,” Inhee said as it sighed after Aurus had finished thinking. It then added, ”As you've said, it seems you like could go and move towards a random direction and you'll eventually reach the center of the myriad dimensions. Unfortunately, that's not the case, with three out of four directions leading towards a dimension filled with the intent of destruction, easily decimating your body to shreds.”

”In other words, if you don't rely on your control over the element of the Void through the title, you have to rely on your instincts if you wanna clear this stage unscathed,” Inhee continued before letting out a sigh. Aurus pondered over Inhee's words for a bit in silence, wondering if it was really worth doing this for a title. Eventually, he finished pondering, looking up at a certain direction and asking, ”Can I ask what the rewards are after I finish this stage? I need to have some incentive, you know.”

”Since the trial is something the Supreme Ruler of the Void made up, I'll allow you to choose any reward you want,” Inhee replied to Aurus's words, instantly stimulating his imagination on what reward he could ask Inhee. Unfortunately for him, Inhee's next words crushed his hopes of asking for some incredibly powerful thing, saying, ”Of course, I have the right to say whether the reward you want is truly befitting for the current you. In other words, ask for a reward that is beyond your scope of power and I'll decline.”

In response to that, Aurus let out a sigh inwardly before saying, ”Alright, alright. I get it. I won't ask for anything stupid.” He then said as an aura of seriousness emanated from him, ”Anyways, let's start the first stage.”

”Wise choice,” Inhee uttered as it lightly chuckled, instantly teleporting Aurus from where he was towards a corner of the large stone room he was in. A few seconds later, a near incessant amount of black spheres appeared in the stone room, originating from the center before spreading out towards the corners of the stone room. These spheres emitted an aura that was akin to the feeling of nothingness, with each sphere being the size of a decently sized boulder.

Eventually, the spheres stopped spreading, with the sphere Aurus had to enter radiating an aura that said 'Enter here' as it appeared a decent distance away from him. While looking at the sphere, he could not help but notice a glistening star hover above the sphere, prompting him to ask Inhee, ”What's the star thing on top of the sphere, Inhee?”

”That's a sign that you've entered the correct Void Dimension,” Inhee soon responded to Aurus's question before adding, ”It also has something to do with how you could clear the trial as fast as possible. At the very instant you enter the starting Void Dimension, everywhere you look will be covered in a shroud of darkness…except for the star at the top.”

”These Void Dimensions are actually transparent, allowing you to look at what is contained in the Void Dimensions surrounding yours. But since the safe ones do not contain anything while the dangerous ones contain a black haze, there's more or less no difference between the two if you rely on your eyesight. The only way you'll find out that it's a safe one is when a star appears above it,” Inhee continued before saying, ”Now go. Go and clear this stage to prove the Supreme Ruler of the Void wrong.”

Aurus then went closer to the sphere that had a star on top of it, feeling a suctioning force come from the sphere not long after. Since he knew what was going to happen to him, he did not resist the suctioning force, signaling the start of the first stage as he had officially entered the Myriad Void Dimensions.

…

In a place incredibly far away from the Area 52 inheritance, a beautiful woman was sitting on a chair as an orb that showed an image of a glowing wooden sculpture entering a black sphere floated in front of her. This woman wore a white robe that seemed to be too big for her, yet radiated an aura that seemed to fit the power she held. This woman was none other than Inhee, the Inheritance Ruler that was talking with Aurus before he entered the Myriad Void Dimensions.

Step. Step. Step.

While she was attentively looking at the orb, keeping an eye on Aurus's progress, her hearing had picked up the sound of faint footsteps gradually becoming louder as it got closer to her, prompting her to look behind, a light smile on her face as she hastily recognized who was getting closer to her.

”To think that you'd come here out of your own accord, Supreme Ruler of the Void,” Inhee said with a light chuckle as her eyes were focused on the man that had finally arrived in front of her. This man, just like the title he held, wore clothes that seemed to have no dimension due to the sheer darkness of the fabric. Of course, just like how Inhee's robe complemented her aura, this man's clothes complemented the aura he radiated, an aura of nothingness.

”How's that Assistant Ruler of the Void doing, Inheritance Ruler?” the Supreme Ruler of the Void opened his mouth to ask Inhee, a dry yet deep voice coming out of it not long after. In response to this, Inhee hummed a simple tune for a while as she turned her head around to look back at the orb floating in front of her.

”Well, the Inanimate has just entered the Myriad Void Dimensions. Knowing your prowess over illusions very well, this Assistant Ruler of yours might just—” While she responded to the Supreme Ruler of the Void's question with an answer that favored his side rather than Aurus's, Inhee's response was interrupted before she could finish, her mouth agape as she looked at what had happened through the orb. An expression of disbelief was written all over her face as she muttered, ”Impossible…”

”What's wrong, Inheritance Ruler?” the Supreme Ruler of the Void instantly felt the weird aura radiating from her, prompting him to ask her this question. In response to this, Inhee slowly turned her head around before saying, ”I don't know how it did it…but it passed through the Myriad Void Dimensions.”

”Are you serious?” the Supreme Ruler of the Void could not believe what he was hearing. He then went closer to Inhee, allowing him to see what was happening in the orb, leaving him speechless as well. He was about to tell the Inheritance Ruler to disqualify the Inanimate from the stage for cheating, but after looking a bit more closely, he found out that there was no way for him to do such a thing.

”Lighting up all of the stars at that sort of speed…” the Supreme Ruler of the Void muttered in disbelief. He then continued to mutter, saying, ”Does this Inanimate have all of the good luck in the world given to it or something? How can an Inanimate, a being that doesn't even have an incredibly strong soul like us, be able to clear such a confusing stage without making a mistake?”

”I have no clue at all,” Inhee replied to the Supreme Ruler of the Void's question before letting out a sigh. She then asked him, ”Do you really want this Inanimate to not have your title? What's your problem with the Inanimate anyway?”