28 Mass Release-Chapter 10,11,12,13,14 (2/2)

In their own way, these Challenges served as the 'filters' that Yvvtal had placed into his Inheritance.

The Knight's Challenge was very difficult to complete. Even with the in-depth tips and tricks Micheal gave to Simone, things that practically laid out every hard part of the Challenge, it would take weeks, at the minimum, for her entire group to pass it, and the risk of death was still present.

Even for Simone, the most talented of her group, it should take her, at the bare minimum, several days and might come out injured. The power she and her group had the potential to gain was great, but the risks, even with Micheal's help, were still there.

If they hadn't had the secrets Micheal knew to make everything easier, it would take her months to complete and many of her warriors would almost certainly die.

Completing it would provide one with ample rewards, enough to greatly boost an average human's strength.

Past the Knight's Challenge was the Lord's Challenge.

The Lord's Challenge was vastly more difficult than the Knight's Challenge, and provided vastly better rewards. However, even with Micheal's guidance and help, he had no confidence that anyone from Simone's group would be able to complete the Challenge.

He wasn't knocking them, not entirely. Simone did seem to be pretty talented and strong-willed, definitely within the upper echelon of humanity.

However, these Challenges… they weren't designed for humans.

They were designed for Deities.

Taking the Lord's Challenge would've been suicide for Simone.

And as for the King's Challenge…

It was unfathomably difficult for a human being to complete.

In fact, there were only two other humans that Micheal knew of that managed to barely complete the King's Challenge.

Part of this was because many of the supremely talented First Wavers had already moved past the Second Layer before the Fallen Deity's Inheritance appeared. The First Wave was famed for the disproportionate number of super experts found within it. In addition, the Fallen Deity's Inheritance wasn't open long enough to allow for billions of humans to try it.

Still… hundreds of thousands of humans, if not millions, did manage to make the trip here, all in an attempt to pass these infamous Challenges.

And of those huge swathes of talented warriors, a mere two humans passed the King's Challenge.

Baron Fortuna of the Four Barons and the Nirvana Saint of the Purgatory Church.

No one else.

Plenty of people died trying to attempt it, eventually leading to the King's Challenge becoming a taboo that was avoided, until the eventual disappearance of the Fallen Deity's Inheritance. But other than those two souls, no one else ever passed, not that was publicly known.

Micheal didn't find that very surprising. He snorted at the thought as he began to sprint up the stairs, his eyes studying the surroundings.

The first part of the King's Challenge was as he'd heard.

You were transported to a mountain and forced to take part in a Disciple Selection Test. If you managed to complete the Disciple Selection Test, you would be transported to a 'Newcomer's Tournament,' where you would compete with other new disciples for victory.

That was the complete 'Challenge.'

All in all, it was a fairly standard occurrence for the Second Layer.

This was an entire planet dominated by martial arts. Martial art fighting competitions were a dime a dozen, and there were actual 'Disciple Selection Tests' all the time, though they often went by different names.

Micheal had, thus far, managed to avoid interacting with the mainstream society of the Second Layer. He'd spoke with some humans and had contact with a single Camp, but nothing else beyond that. The only Byren he'd seen was one of the guards stationed to work with (and possibly spy on) humanity.

As such, his first real welcome to the society of the Second Layer was happening in a place where it wasn't even real.

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Micheal's lungs burned as he continued to sprint up the stairs, racing after the Toren. He now moved as quickly as possible behind the teenager, flashing up the stairs in an instant. Each step felt rough beneath his feet, the enhanced gravity of the Second Layer ever-present here, even in this dreamworld Challenge.

This was all part of the test, according to what he knew. He needed to show an eagerness to take the test, to show a thirst for power, for whatever reasons he might have, and a refusal to give up or show weakness.

And, given his rather driving mission in this life, it wasn't hard to come up with all of that.

As he scaled the mountain, he passed by dozens of figures. He could vaguely make out blips of golden skin or flashes of silver hair, clueing him in to the fact that he was sprinting past dozens of Torens.

He didn't let that distract him as he continued to race forward.

His body, here in the King's Challenge, was not the exact same as his normal body. There were certain sublet differences to it, but at the same time, many similarities.

For example, his Silk Strider Glove was nowhere to be seen. However, his body and face still had the slightly leaner build he'd gained ever since he'd appeared on the Second Layer, showing that his build and body were still the same.

A sheen of sweat covered his forehead as he continued to struggle upwards. He was about a quarter of the way up the mountain, and roughly halfway to his final destination. If he wanted to, he could bring out his Life Orbs and use them to fly up, still able to sense the connection with those tools.

Doing that, however, would obviously defeat the purpose of the challenge.

Thus, Micheal continued to persevere. The pain and exhaustion that tried to sweep past his mind bounced off a stiff wall of determination that even the fiercest cannons could not shatter. Pain like this was nothing to Micheal but a shadow of his own future practice.

Finally, after several long moments of frantic running, cool mountain air wafted over his body, bringing with it the scents of nature and the woodlands, a refreshing smell that cleared Micheal's mind. He had almost reached the location of the Disciple Selection Test and the midway point up the mountain, the 'Main Courtyard.'

”We're almost there, Panho! Come on!” The nameless teenager needlessly reminded Micheal of what he already knew as he raced up a couple more sets of stairs, just barely leaving Micheal's sight. No matter how fast Micheal ran, he had been completely unable to pass by the teenager.

Several stern-looking Toren guards glanced at Micheal, standing watch on the top of the stairs as he emerged. They were dressed in relaxed leather armor and wielded large spears or blades in their hands rather casually.

Behind them, a set of grand courtyards and large buildings spread out, built into the rocky face of the mountain. Micheal's eyes flicked up to them, and then back behind him for a split moment as he realized something.

The groups of Torens moving up and down the stairs below looked more like NPC's in a video game than anything else, moving rather aimlessly, as if they had just been placed there to fill the space.

'They probably had, actually.' Micheal thought, nodding slightly. This entire dreamworld vision was, after all, fabricated with some strange type of magic. Perhaps those groups had been intended to add a feeling of pressure.

He didn't hesitate as he followed right after the nameless teenager, headed towards the biggest courtyard in sight. As he followed, he mentally began to prepare himself.

For what came next, he needed to do everything exactly how he had planned it out in his head. A single mistake could cost him dearly.

For, Yvvtal's Inheritance had a singular purpose.

And it was that singular purpose that Micheal was going to take advantage of and use to absolutely rob the Fallen Deity blind.

Yvvtal wished to find a new vessel in which to reincarnate his Spirit Body.

In simpler terms:

He wanted to come back to life by taking over someone else's body.

The fact that he created an entire Inheritance Ground, stocked full of 'Challenges' and valuable rewards, built up over decades of effort, might seem excessive at first. And, indeed it was.

However, in the time that Yvvtal and the Deities lived on this world, things like Inheritance sites held certain expectations. They were designated areas to train one's descendants and to pass on one's teachings, while rewarding those that were talented.

Yvvtal created this Inheritance site as a backup should he ever perish. It was his last resort, should he ever need to use it.

With that in mind, he needed to make it extremely convincing. Deities, in his era, were extremely perceptive beings. If his Inheritance site didn't look and function like a proper Inheritance site, it would get ignored or worse, destroyed.

Yvvtal could create a convincing Inheritance Grounds while also, at the same time, use that to filter out beings that he couldn't fully reincarnate into. His standards for a body were both extremely high and unique, meaning not just anyone would do.

And with that in mind, a glint of determination flashed in Micheal's eyes as he readied himself.

He needed to do what even Baron Fortuna and the Nirvana Saint had failed.

Not only did he need to complete the King's Challenge…

He needed to complete it perfectly, earning himself several great, and very specific, rewards.

And then, after all of that effort, he would achieve the final reward for perfect completion of the King's Challenge.

Involuntary bodily possession by Yvvtal the Destroyer.

”Perfect.”

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Chapter 13

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'Status.'

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— - Status — -

Name: Micheal Care

Points: 200

Race: Human

Age: 18

Physique: 1 Star

Soul Quality: 3 Star

Strength - 80

Endurance - 56

Recovery - 55

Soul - 36

Abilities - (5/7)

Life Orb Master

Ki Cultivator (Earth Tier - Early)

Grandmaster Sword Mastery (1/5)

Impact Release

Ceaseless Mind

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Micheal checked his status out of habit as he walked into the grand courtyard, noting that all of his stats and Abilities remained identical and that he could still access the Shop. Even his Points total was the same.

Despite that, he was very aware that this was not the real world.

As Micheal emerged into the open courtyard, he spotted groups of Torens milling about near the center. They were a mix of ages, some that looked roughly 15 to 16 years old while others that could be in their mid-30s.

Four older Torens could be seen on the far end of the courtyard talking to each other. These warriors were dressed in long white robes, unlike the leather-garbed guards. In fact, these robes looked very similar to a type of robe Micheal recognized from Earth's past, a Greek chiton.

This was the 'formal' wear of the Torens, as Micheal had come to learn. It was the garb of choice when participating in a type of formal state meeting, a formal ceremony, anything of that nature.

The moment Micheal entered the courtyard, it was as if a switch had been flipped. The four Instructors at the end of the courtyard finished talking among each other and turned their focus over to the milling Torens.

”Alright, you mongrels!” One of the instructors, a heftier Toren with hair that was cut short, yelled out loud, his voice booming. The words he spoke gave off a physical feeling of pressure, even to Micheal who was on the opposite end of the courtyard.

”Group up by age! Child, Half-Grown, Full-Grown!” As he named each age group, he pointed to one of the three other instructors. He gave off a sense that he brooked zero argument and would obliterate anyone who went against him.

Quickly, the milling Torens began to split up into the different lines. Micheal's eyes flicked from side to side as he walked towards the group of 'Half-Grown' Torens.

He recognized these age groups, thankfully, one of the stray facts his perfect memory could recall with ease. The 'Child' group was for those aged 0 to 14, 'Half-Grown' was for those aged 15 to 25, and 'Full-Grown' was for anyone older than 25.

Torens grew slightly slower than humans, not entering into full maturity till 25. Their longevity, however, even without Ki Cultivation, could exceed hundreds of years.

In short order, Micheal found himself waiting in the correct line. Every Toren in the group was quiet and tense, facing forward silently as the Instructors watched. Before, there had been a bit of a relaxed feel as everyone waited. Now, however, Micheal could only sense a foreboding nervousness.

'Probably another purposeful addition.' Yvvtal's requirements for his Inheritor really were quite high.

Time passed by quickly as Micheal's line moved forward. Despite his powerful body and keen senses, he couldn't hear any of what each candidate said to the Instructor at the front of the line.

This was because of the powerful Aura each Instructor was releasing. A physical manifestation of energy that could affect reality itself, Auras came about through either high concentrations of Ki used in a specific way or through unique Physiques.

As Micheal waited patiently in line, ignoring the pressure and nerve-wracking atmosphere, he mentally reflected on what he knew about the Torens.

Among the Tribes of Deities, there were some that were born at high levels of Ki Cultivation, given an inherent advantage from the very start. The Toren Tribe, however, never saw such an occurrence take place.

No matter how prestigious one's parents, every Toren came into existence starting with no Ki Cultivation at all, unlike humans who could pass on some degree of their Ki Cultivation and powers to their offspring. It was only through constant practice and dedication that they could reach high levels of Ki Cultivation and grow their power significantly.

Compared to humans, Torens had both an easier and a harder time in their Ki Cultivation. The concept may seem contradictory, and it was at first glance. However, if one dived deeper, everything made sense.

Most Torens were born with the 'Heavenly Gold Physique.' This gifted them inborn strength and defensive prowess that vastly outstripped normal humans. It also enhanced the gains they made in their 'Ki Cultivation' and allowed them to grow in strength at a rapid speed.

However, it wasn't all sunshine and daisies for Torens. They did have a notable disadvantage.

And that had to due with their 'comprehension' ability.

The more powerful a being grew, the more important it was for them to be able to grasp certain concepts in order to keep growing. Sword Mastery was a clear example of this.

It took Micheal constant years of focus to reach where he was, carried forward by his indomitable will to grow stronger and earned talent for Sword Mastery. While Sword Mastery, as a concept, was relatively easy to grasp at lower levels, the higher up you went, the more and more difficult it was to progress.

It was magical, in its own way. The fact that you just needed to 'understand' something with your mind and Soul in order to use it was a rather miraculous thing. As long as your Soul was able to sense and control the concept, the energy inherent within it, you could use it, to varying degrees of success.

Torens might be physically powerful monsters, but in terms of comprehension, their Physiques put them at a natural disadvantage.

If comprehending the Basic Tier of Sword Mastery for a human took 1 point of effort, it might take a Toren 10 points of effort to grasp the same thing. It could be more or less, but it was a certain fact that Torens comprehensive capabilities were rather low.

They weren't dumb. Merely, their capacity to sense mystical concepts like 'Sword Energy' was rather low.

This meant that most Torens relied on physical attacks and martial arts to defend themselves, creating vast schools of warriors all competing with different techniques.

In fact, the entire society here on the Second Layer was built on what the Torens left behind. Their martial legacies, any and all remnants that they abandoned when they left this world thousands and thousands of years ago.

The Byrens had been one of the original, intelligent species of the Ancient World. The Torens invaded this planet long ago and took it for themselves, enslaving the Byrium Race. After some years, the Toren race as a whole moved on, seeking out different planets and realms of existence.

Micheal didn't know exactly how the Torens left. But it was a fact that many of the Tribes of Deities had the power to 'hop' between worlds, a power that was thankfully greatly hampered in the 7 Layers.

Still, with their unique Heavenly Gold Physique, even the weakest normal Toren had at least a 5 Star Physique rating, letting them maximize and increase the potential of their body, their natural talent.

Actually reaching one's maximum potential became significantly harder as one progressed. While a powerful Physique made it easier to progress in general, what was most sought after were the new limits you could reach.

Finally, Micheal reached the second spot in line, just one person behind the current testee. From here, he got a decent view of what was happening before him.

One of the four Instructors, a Toren with curly white hair and a stern expression on his face, was glancing over a much younger Toren, one that appeared to be around Micheal's age. In the Instructor's right hand was a large, glowing blue rock. The Instructor was currently waving this rock over the younger Toren's head.

He then spoke a few words and waved for the Toren to step a few meters behind him. All of the Torens that had been tested had moved on to these groups and were currently waiting patiently, at the back of the courtyard.

'It's still the same.' Micheal mentally sighed in relief as he saw this.

This was the first 'Test' Yvvtal had set for those trying to inherit his powers, as well as to weed out his full Inheritor that he would use to reincarnate.

It was a test that had two parts. One that was obvious, and one that was hidden.

The obvious part was rather apparent.

The rock the Instructor was holding was called a 'Physique Gauging Stone.' It would give the Instructor a basic understanding of a being's Physique through a collection of feelings. Over time, the Torens had streamlined these Gauging Stones to narrow down what each sensation meant.

It could distinguish between a normal, for a Toren, 5 Star Physique, a weaker 4 Star Physique, or an abnormally powerful 6 Star Physique with ease, helping find any hidden talents among the Toren race.

The only time it wouldn't work was if it faced something completely out of the ordinary.

For example: Micheal's comparatively much, much weaker Physique.

Micheal was aware of all of this. He knew that, compared to a Toren, his body held nowhere near as much potential. Some things couldn't be accounted for simply with normal training. He did know of a way to raise his Physique to 2 Star here on the Second, but he obviously couldn't do that right now, nor would that make a significant difference.

”Alright, alright! Next! You there, with the weird hair!” The Instructor waved at him, the man's voice sounding off in Micheal's ears out of nowhere. Micheal immediately took several steps forward, his eyes gleaming faintly with energy.

At the end of the day, he wasn't a Toren.

However… There was no rule that said Yvvtal wouldn't be interested in reincarnating into a human.

After all, in Micheal's original timeline, Yvvtal eventually reincarnated into a Byren, causing no end of trouble for humanity during the Great Disaster before he found a new host and left the Second Layer. While this particular Byren never recounted how he was chosen, some interested researchers had managed to scry this Byren's memories after he was abandoned and perished.

And it was from here that Micheal had based his entire plan, and why he had come here in the first place.

Yvvtal didn't care how powerful his host's body was.

After all, in the past, the powerful warrior had lived for years and years focused on nothing except growing stronger. Eventually, however, he hit a wall in power that he could not break past. As a result of this, he went on to experiment on thousands and gained his notorious name, killing reprehensible numbers of innocents as he tried to figure out ways to surpass his limits.

He didn't desire a physically powerful Physique.

What he desired was a strong-willed host with a Physique that boosted their comprehensive capabilities.

It didn't matter if they were a Toren, a Farian, or even a human.

All that mattered is that they met Yvvtal's expectations.

”Alright, first of all, how old are you?” The Instructor looked at Micheal with a slightly bored expression. Despite that, the pressure the Toren gave off was immense, enough to nearly send Micheal to his knees. A sheen of sweat formed on Micheal's forehead as he resisted it.

”I am 18 years old.” The Torens used a calendar that was close enough in length to humanity's to mean he was the same age. They only had 4 'months' but each one was very long.

He answered honestly for a reason.

Yvvtal could tell if he was lying.

This entire test was mired in undercurrents designed to let Yvvtal filter out any unwanted elements. Any time someone lied during one of his tests, Yvvtal would automatically know what they lied about.

Micheal was well aware of this and plotted his answers out carefully as a result.

”I see, I see.” The Instructor raised the Gauging Stone up above Micheal's head. The stone slowly began to glow, blue light shimmering off it in waves.

After a few seconds, the Instructor frowned.

”Do you have anything unique about your Physique or body type?” Like clockwork, the Toren asked exactly the question Micheal had been waiting for.

When it came to his body, there were still things Micheal wasn't sure about.

Micheal still wasn't entirely certain what all his Soul Quality stat meant. He had a general understanding that it boosted the power of his Abilities and allowed him to enhance his comprehension of them.

However, his Soul right now was far too weak to handle comprehending Grandmaster Tier Sword Mastery, nor were his other Abilities ones that required any comprehension. He had yet to truly experience the full effects of a 3 Star Soul Quality stat.

His physical stats were nothing special compared to a Toren, leaving him with a potentially mildly interesting Physique at most. The best he could hope for, given what he had right now, was to be ignored by Yvvtal completely.

So if his body wasn't powerful enough and there wasn't anything he was certain would draw Yvvtal's attention, then that meant there was only one thing left to do…

And it was what Micheal did best...

”Yes, there is something unique about my body.”

...Shamelessly cheat.

”It has inherited the memories and powers of a man who has killed a Dragon.”

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Chapter 14

There were many dangerous creatures that could be found throughout the 7 Layers. Mythical Phoenixes that burned with overwhelming fire, gargantuan World Apes that ravaged anything in their paths, blinding White Lions that had manes formed from pure light.

However, among all the beasts in all of the 7 Layers, there was one breed that reigned supreme. The legends among the legends, the absolute powers that were hailed as the most powerful non-Humanoids to exist.

Dragons.

There were many different breeds of Dragons, from the Colored Species representing various elements, to the Transcendent Dragons that embodied certain concepts, to the extremely rare Colossal variants. One and all, however, were extremely powerful.

Even the 12 Tribes of Deities trod carefully around Dragons of all kinds, knowing that they were among the fiercest of enemies to make.

Of all the species that had been forced to compete in this horrific death game, only the humanoid Dragonkin had any natural relations to Dragons. Apart from that, every other species would interact with them only when they couldn't avoid it. Only humanoid species were competing in the battle of the 7 Layers, despite there being many intelligent non-humanoid species in existence.

The Toren Tribe that Yvvtal was part of had some history with various breeds of Dragons.

At the time that the Torens lived on the Ancient World, they weren't considered a full 'Tribe' in the Tribes of Deities. That title was an earned one based around some very specific and complex requirements, explaining why each Tribe looked so very different.

Back thousands of years ago, the Ancient World was dominated by three species, back when the Byrens were a quiet, unimportant breed.

The Torens, a species that came to the Ancient World because of its heavier restrictions and the benefits to those restrictions when it came to physical training.

The Dark Wraiths, a ghostly natural species that came about from the mystical energy that serenaded the Ancient World. They were very powerful but small in number and, despite their ominous name, mostly herbivorous.

And finally, the last of the three species…

The Blue Drakes.

Blue Drakes were a sub-species of the Draconic Race, one that didn't hold the true power of a full-blooded Dragon.

Despite that, however, each and every Blue Drake was a leviathan of extreme might here on the Second. Just through their own natural growth, every Blue Drake would reach the Sky Tier of Ki Cultivation naturally, without putting forth any effort at all. This, combined with their 4 meters tall and 13 meters long body turned them into overwhelming killing machines.

Tough azure scales that easily blocked all kinds of weapons, deadly claws that could shear through most metals, razor-sharp teeth that cut through flesh like it was butter…

They couldn't breathe out any type of magical flame or energy attack, but just based on the power of their body and natural growth, Blue Drakes were the true rulers of the Ancient World. The only real thing limiting them was their minute numbers. At their prime, there were less than 100 Blue Drakes in existence.

The history of the Blue Drakes, the Dark Wraiths, and the Torens was a fractured, unclear one. Micheal knew from history that the three races battled very often, instigated over territorial disputes, colonization attempts, border conflicts, and a whole host of issues.

None of these races were 'evil,' but rather, their own complex political ecosystems divided along various lines.

What Micheal did know was that, at some point in time, only the Torens were left, of the three dominant species. History never determined what exactly went down, beyond a few vague hints. Micheal had looked into this quite a bit back in his past life, one of the few times he did his own research and theorizing.

But from what Micheal did know… Yvvtal the Destroyer would have been alive at the time where Blue Drakes still existed. And Yvvtal, as a man obsessed with growing more powerful, would have inadvertently clashed with a Blue Drake before.

And he would have lost.

Because, here on the Second, the Torens had yet to step into their full strength that would launch them up to the prestigious title of 'Deity.' And Blue Drakes might only be a sub-species of a Dragon… but they were still part Dragon. It was a qualitative and quantitative difference in strength.

For Yvvtal who had yet to even fully grasp the Master Tier of Sword Mastery, attempting to defeat a Blue Drake on his own was an exercise in futility.

The demise of the Blue Drakes on the Ancient World was a mystery, but it wasn't one that could've been resolved through ordinary means.

The Instructor looked at Micheal with wide eyes. For a brief second, the man's face went slack and a dazed look flashed within his gaze.

A microsecond later, that look vanished as if it had never been, everything returning back to a semblance of normalcy as the Instructor looked down at Micheal with a warm smile.

”Ah, how absolutely beyond the norm… Can you describe that in more detail? The more we can determine about your Physique, the higher your placement.” The man's tone had shifted, ever so slightly. His voice sounded practically identical to how it had before. However, his way of speaking, the casual tilt of his head, the relaxed manner he'd adopted…

All of these were rather minor details that one wouldn't normally notice changing, not when it was in someone that was a stranger. Micheal, however, noticed each and every one, not a single thing escaping his steady gaze.

'Oh man.' His heart rate bumped up ever so slightly as he realized something.

He was talking to Yvvtal, right here, right now.

The remnants of the Fallen Deity's Soul controlled this Inheritance intimately, letting him jump to anywhere within it in an instant.

Micheal's original plan was to first gain Yvvtal's attention and slowly convince the Deity he was a perfect choice. However, he hadn't fully realized how big a draw the information he'd offered would be to the Fallen Deity.

Anyone that had the power to kill a Dragon on their own… to Yvvtal, this was likely one of his ultimate goals. The fact that Micheal's words were 'true' in a sense meant that only two options were left.

Either he was insane or he actually possessed the memories and powers of a being that had killed a Dragon. Either way, this was something Yvvtal attended to immediately, dropping any and everything else he might have been doing.

As it clicked in Micheal's head how important this was to Yvvtal, he slightly adjusted his plans to account for that.

”Yes, of course, Instructor!” Micheal replied slowly. His voice was calm and didn't betray even a hint of nervousness, as if he was completely oblivious to the fact that he was now talking to Yvvtal the Destroyer. He cupped his fists and bowed slightly as he spoke, following the cultural norms for a Toren. He always found it interesting how these ancient martial arts societies had so many cultural similarities that seemed to transcend species and worlds.

He shook the stray thought from his mind as he continued,

”It all started several months ago…” Micheal began to narrate a vague, but essentially accurate story of how he returned to the past, answering Yvvtal's questions as they arrived. He also purposefully went by the name Legion, a name he truthfully considered one of his own.

Just a few months ago, he had been a regular, 18-year-old human, albeit one in the middle of apocalyptic disappearances that were sweeping over the world, month by month.

The arrival of the Shop, of his memories and the resurgence of his powers, and the gradual rise to strength as his journey began all unfolded from his lips. He kept plenty of things secret or said them in vague enough terms to hide what needed to be hidden, but he never directly lied.

As such, a completely true tale of someone who's body gained great power over a very short period of time unfolded.

If one looked at his life in a vacuum, there was really only a single conclusion that could be drawn when all of the facts were added up.

His body had undergone an 'Awakening' of some sort and gained powers beyond the extraordinary, powers that took regular beings an enormous amount of effort and time to gain, in mere weeks. There was no other realistic explanation that any reasonable person would draw.

He was the very picture of a 'Blessed Child,' someone gifted with supernatural abilities far beyond the norm.

The exact image of what Yvvtal was seeking.

”What an incredible tale and journey you've been through, young warrior. Now that I've heard this, I can, indeed, sense something special about your Soul.” Yvvtal's voice took on a musing one as he looked at Micheal, ancient eyes filled with the calmness of a steady sea, sizing him up as Micheal stood under the glowing Physique Gauging Stone.

Micheal's body twitched unwillingly as Yvvtal's gaze swept over him. It was a literally unwilling twitch, a result of some type of electrical energy sweeping through him. It wasn't harmful, but likely intended to zero in on his powers in more detail.

”Hmm…” Yvvtal rubbed his chin, a small frown appearing on the Toren face he now possessed. He gave off a sense of being in deep thought.

Micheal assumed the man had discovered how physically weak Micheal was in comparison to everyone else present.

Despite several of these Torens being the same age, Micheal knew he was at least three to five times weaker in terms of physical strength. That was a racial gap that he couldn't overcome yet, not without a great deal of effort and Physique modification.

A few moments passed as Micheal waited there patiently.

Finally, Yvvtal spoke up,

”I can see the potential you have, young warrior. However, if you want to continue to the Ranking Tournament, you will have to face a certain level of danger.” Yvvtal kept up the act of the dreamworld, nodding patiently at Micheal.

”With your special Physique, you might be able to do well, but your physical power is well below par.” He shook his head,

”It might be best if you take on a few challenges and then retire.”

Micheal's eyes widened ever so slightly as his opinion of Yvvtal went up a notch.

The man wasn't only a prolific murderer, he was also as sly as the devil.

Yvvtal didn't give off even a single hint of his horrific true nature. Their entire conversation thus far had been completely genial. There was no evil glint in his eyes or diabolical smirk on his face. Instead, he seemed almost earnest and thoughtful, as if he genuinely cared.

If Micheal hadn't known the full history of what happened here, these past few seconds where he formed his first impression might have even convinced him that the Fallen Deity wasn't that bad.

”I would like to compete anyway, Instructor.” Micheal bowed his head again as he went on,

”I am confident in my current strength, even compared to those with more powerful bodies.” His voice brimmed with confidence, staying true to his words.

Yvvtal looked at Micheal for a second, a conflicted look appearing in his eyes. He gave off the image of a man struggling with a tough decision before he sighed and nodded his head,

”Very well, Legion. Prove to me your passion and strength. Show me the full extent of your newly awakened Physique.” The Fallen Deity smiled warmly as he reached out and patted Micheal on the shoulder.

”I'm sure you will have no problems entering into the Sect.” The Instructor's attitude abruptly shifted once more. All of the subtle mannerisms of Yvvtal disappeared in a flash as the Toren returned back to his original state.

”Congratulations, disciple! You have what it takes to pass the first test. Please wait over there with the other disciples.” The Instructor spoke without missing a beat, as if he hadn't skipped anything despite having his personality temporarily taken over by Yvvtal.

Upon second thought, Micheal realized this wasn't abnormal. This entire world was a magical construct and these Torens were all 'NPCs' or perhaps artificial constructs, not actual living beings. They had probably been specifically created in a way to allow for Yvvtal's manipulations without error.

”Yes, Instructor!” Micheal nodded stiffly and began to walk past the Instructor, heading towards the other Torens. As he walked, he mentally sighed.

He had failed.

If he had gained enough of Yvvtal's interest, he wouldn't be headed to the second part of this test, the 'Ranking Tournament.' Instead, he'd have been personally 'taken in' as a disciple by the Instructor, and made to go through a series of other tests, including answering many more detailed questions that would dive into his personality.

'Perhaps my body really looked too weak.' He couldn't help the racial disadvantages humans had to bear.

Still, this was about what he had expected.

The Byren that had caught Yvvtal's eye had a very abnormal Physique, one that allowed him to project his Soul outside of his body in a way that let him keenly sense the energy of reality around him. It worked in such a manner that vastly boosted his ability to comprehend different concepts, and the energies around those concepts, something that heavily drew Yvvtal's interest.

Micheal's story was a great one, but his body didn't have anything overtly unique except for his somewhat strong Soul. Without actual proof of his powers, even if he believed he was speaking the truth, it wouldn't be enough for Yvvtal.

Micheal took a deep breath as he looked at the various Torens that were standing and waiting. Each and every one gave off a feeling of solid power and natural grace, a sense that they were beings born to be worshipped and to rule. Humanoids destined to become Divine.

”Attention, disciples! The Ranking Tournament will officially begin in a few more moments. Please take this time to ready yourselves!” The four Instructors had finished going through all of the other disciples and returned back over to the waiting groups. The speaker was the heftier Toren, and the original speaker that had greeted the group. None of them had named themselves, forcing Micheal to label them by their body shape.

He'd talked the talk to Yvvtal as best he could.

Now it was time to walk the walk.

'I can see a bit more than 200 Torens here, all of varying strength…' He accurately counted out the total number of disciples-to-be that were present as everyone began to move away from this courtyard into another connecting one.

At the center of the neighboring courtyard, Micheal could see a large stone stage that had been set up in a rough square, stretching more than 30 meters across and far.

The group of Toren disciples was a motley collection, some that were only average in strength while there were a few that were overwhelmingly strong. He even recognized the 'strongest' disciple present, one that was recorded by those that had taken this challenge in his past.

A lean Toren that had completely shaved his head and wore a brown robe, white leather gloves, and thin, black sandals. The Ascetic Morkel, the elite final enemy that everyone that had taken this challenge had failed to overcome.

'If I can't get his attention through normal means, we will go with something a little more extreme.'

In the background, the Instructors explained how the Ranking Tournament worked. This was, ostensibly, to determine who the strongest among this lot of new disciples were, to help organize everyone into the correct classes and instructors they would need to follow to grow stronger.

The tournament would start off by allowing anyone to go up and challenge other Torens to battle. After each fight, the participants would be treated for any injuries and magically restored to full health. The results of each battle would be recorded and marked down, adding up to a tally for each individual.

This tournament was a staple of each new batch of disciples, a tradition that held true even for Byrens in the modern era. It was an introduction into the sect, a competition to encourage rivalries between disciples, as well as a test of bravery and decisiveness.

The Instructors finally finished their explanation after a couple of minutes of going over basic rules, like how one could fight to their heart's extent and that the Instructors would prevent any deaths from occurring.

The instant they finished talking, and the first moment they declared the Ranking Tournament had begun, Micheal sprinted and threw himself onto the main stone stage, drawing the eyes of everyone present.

”I would like to announce my first challenge, Instructors.”

The group of four older Torens seemed slightly taken aback, something Micheal noted with mild amusement. It wasn't an unexpected look.

After all, Micheal had just flipped the entire script of how this was supposed to go down.

In all of the recordings of the King's Challenge, the people taking it had waited and were swiftly challenged right as the Ranking Tournament began. At first, weaker Torens challenged them, but as time went on, stronger and stronger ones came up to fight. This was the progressive difficulty curve, one that was used to gauge what reward the challengees should receive, if any.

”Very well, disciple. Take your choice of anyone here and remember: Cowardice is a crime worthy of death! Fight with all of your heart!” The hefty Toren's voice boomed out loud as he went with Micheal's plan, nodding at him gravely.

Micheal was the 'Main Character' of this dreamworld. It was only natural for things to follow the route he picked, even if it was an unorthodox one. As long as the challenges still proceeded, everything would still work out.

Micheal turned his gaze away from the Instructors to scan the crowd of Torens, his gaze piercing. After a few moments, his eyes returned to focus back in on the bulky leading Instructor.

”I have found my target, Instructor!” He cupped his hands together.

The Instructor nodded and waved for him to continue,

”Of those present, I, Legion, hereby challenge…” Micheal raised his right hand and then smiled slightly,

”Everyone.”

.