The next place Ery ventured to was the grand do at the temple's center, a massive structure reminiscent of an arena, with thousands of seats encircling the area.
At the heart of the do stood an enormous pillar that soared into the ceiling, its surface adorned with intricate sculptures and ancient runes. Even from a distance, Ery could feel the powerful aura radiating from the pillar, a testant to the divine energy concentrated within it.
Unlike the serene, quiet atmosphere of the temple, the do buzzed with life. Thousands of magus and dozens of grand magus gathered, most bearing the emblems of the Nephilim families, their eyes fixed on the center of the arena.
The air was thick with anticipation as the crowd watched the priestesses, who stood before the pillar, chanting rhythmically. Their soft voices resonated with a hum of power that reverberated through the structure.
Ery's senses heightened as VIA provided more details about the event taking place.
This was the renowned "Trial of Faith," an exclusive ceremony held by the Seraph race every decade. The trial was designed to test the divinity levels of participating magus. Tens of thousands of applicants would vie for the opportunity, but only a select few hundred were chosen for the six-month-long trial. It was a sacred and grueling test, ant to asure the strength of their faith and their connection to divine power. These hundreds of participants—Nephilim nobles and peerless talents alike—would enter a secret realm prepared by the three supre Principalities, where they would face a series of divine challenges. Each trial was designed to test not only their strength and ability but also their connection to the divine power that the Nephilim revered. Completing these challenges would bring imnse benefits: increased power, deeper divine understanding, and, for the most exceptional participants, special titles bestowed by the Nephilim, marking them as champions of the faith.
As Ery took in the sight, he noticed the three main families—Azazel, Amarhikss, and Aztebas—dominating three sides of the do. Each family had sent a dozen of their most promising magus to participate in the trial, their presence adding an air of nobility and competitiveness to the event.
The information Ery gathered from the surrounding spectators revealed that most of the trial's results had already been determined, with over 90% of participants having exited the realm in the last few days. Only the strongest or most fortunate remained.
Using his heightened divine sense, Ery began to scan the crowd. His attention was drawn to a familiar figure: Grand Magus Sarafina, a prominent elder of the Amarhiks family and Jinkan's master. However, despite his search, Jinkan herself was nowhere to be seen, likely still inside the secret realm, battling through the final stages of the Trial of Faith.
The next familiar figure Ery recognized in the crowd was Zephyr, the renowned genius spirit master from the Aztebas family. Zephyr had famously taken first place at the prestigious Alabaster Spirit Master competition, making him a figure of admiration within the Nephilim faction. However, despite his accolades, it seed the Trial of Faith had not gone in his favor.
According to the whispers around him, Zephyr had been ejected from the secret realm the day before. In this trial, the longer a participant remained inside, the higher their favor with the supre beings, making it clear that Zephyr's formidable spirit-reading abilities had not earned him the favor he might have hoped for.
Ery was also taken aback when he spotted another familiar face in the audience—Athena of the Kronos faction. The sight of her imdiately sparked curiosity in Ery's mind. He wondered if any of the other figures like Kronos or Zeus might be present, but his musings were interrupted when sothing stirred near the giant pillar at the center of the do.
"Look, soone's coming out!" Annara pointed toward the pillar as it began to glow brightly, runes along its surface flickering to life. The portal opened, and a magus was forcefully thrown out of the secret realm, landing roughly in the center of the arena.
The expelled participant was one of the young nobles from the Azazel family. His disheveled appearance and the frustration etched on his face made it clear that he had not succeeded in the trial. His disappointnt was mirrored by the Azazel grand magus who approached him, consoling the young noble as they prepared to leave the arena.
In stark contrast, Ery noticed several subtle smiles and whispers of satisfaction among the other families, particularly the Amarhikss and Aztebas. For them, the fall of a prominent Azazel noble was nothing short of a small victory.
The dynamic within the do was palpable. The tension between the families was ever-present, and each participant's fate seed to carry the weight of their entire lineage. As the magus left the arena in sha, the crowd waited eagerly for the next figure to erge from the pillar, each wondering who would remain favored in the eyes of the supre beings.
Suddenly the divine bell chid, its resonating echoes filled the vast do and spread throughout the temple grounds, signaling a significant shift within the trial.
Ery's eyes were drawn once again to the pillar, where subtle shifts in its energy indicated the trial had advanced to its next stage. The air grew tense as those gathered around, especially the Nephilim families, waited with bated breath for what ca next.
Annara, ever attentive with her familiars listening to the surrounding whispers, leaned closer to Ery and murmured, "They say only 24 participants remain."
Reaching this point in the trial was no small feat—those who had advanced were now guaranteed the title of "Noble Chosen by Heaven", a coveted honor among Nephilim nobility. This prestigious designation would elevate not only the participants but also their entire families, centing their influence and status within the faction. Satisfied with the spectacle and ready to leave, Ery turned to go, but before he could take a step, the pillar reacted once more. Erging from the ethereal light was a figure he recognized imdiately—Jinkan.
She stepped out with grace and quiet, composed strength, the trial having tested her but not broken her resolve. Her appearance was t with imdiate celebration from the Amarhiks group, particularly Grand Magus Sarafina, who smiled broadly as she rushed forward to greet her pupil. The rest of the Amarhiks family mbers followed, their joy palpable as they gathered around Jinkan, their victory assured with her successful return.
Seeing the enthusiastic reception, Ery seized the opportunity. Jinkan, was one of the few Nephilim he had connections with, he was tempted to offer his congratulations and perhaps glean so of the political climate surrounding the Nephilim and, more specifically, the Astiel family. If anyone could shed light on what was happening behind the scenes, it would be her.
Ery was poised to follow Jinkan, but instead of imdiately leaving with the Amarhiks group, she opted to take a rest in a secluded corner of the temple grounds. The group remained there for hours, seemingly planning to observe the final result of the trial. During that ti, a few more participants exited the secret realm, each greeted with varying degrees of enthusiasm depending on their success.
Finding a perfect ti when the female grand magus left, Ery moved through the lingering crowd, weaving his way toward Jinkan, but was quickly stopped by her guards. Without missing a beat, he spoke, his tone calm and respectful.
"I am a friend of the Duchess. I've co to congratulate her on her success."
It took a few ntal ssages for Jinkan to recognize him. When her gaze finally settled on Ery and Annara, her eyes widened in surprise.
"You... both of you...." she began, her voice trailing off, before realizing the need for discretion. Jinkan quickly masked her surprise, playing along with Ery's secret identity. With a subtle nod to the guards, she gestured for them to let Ery and Annara through.
Ery could see the pride and exhilaration still radiating from Jinkan. Her six months of intense trials and the two years of preparation leading up to it had evidently paid off. She was still riding the high of her accomplishnts, and her body language spoke volus.
Her aura had grown stronger, and Ery could sense that she had reached the peak of the full moon magus realm.
The intense challenges had not only strengthened her but also earned her the prestigious title of 'Noble Chosen by Heaven.' This title, highly coveted among Nephilim nobles, significantly elevated her standing, placing her closer to her ultimate goal—the Nephilim throne.
She let out a scoff, her eyes flashing with amusent. "You rember Linhao, right? My foolish stepbrother didn't even get selected for the trial!"
As Jinkan reveled in her triumph, Ery realized she was still unaware of the recent developnts back on Earth.
Seizing the mont, he leaned in and whispered the unsettling news. Jinkan, soone who had closely followed Earth's situation, especially during the negotiation of the Kronos duel agreent, imdiately showed a shift in her deanor. Her face twisted into a mix of frustration and concern as she processed the information. The news clearly unsettled her.
"Are you certain it's Astiel, ...the Sky God?" she asked, her voice barely containing her disbelief. For Jinkan, the thought of such a powerful figure—one on the verge of becoming the tenth supre magus of the Nephilim—engaging in what she deed petty affairs seed far-fetched.
"He wouldn't risk tarnishing his reputation over a lower-realm planet," she murmured, her brow furrowed as if trying to piece together a puzzle that didn't fit.
Her confusion lingered for a mont before she considered another possibility. "No, this isn't about giving Kronos an edge in the duel… sothing bigger is happening here, but we shouldn't discuss it in this place."
Ery, sensing the gravity of her words, nodded and casually suggested, "I'm ready to leave whenever you are."
To his surprise, Jinkan gave him a puzzled look. "Wait… don't you want to stay and wait for your friend's trial result?"
Caught off guard, Ery's heartbeat quickened. "My friend? ...What do you an?"
Jinkan's next revelation hit him like a blow.
"You didn't know?!! I thought that's why you were here!" she added, "Your friend, Julian… he's one of the last 20 still in the trial."
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