"I'll go first," Juanlu said as he took the King's Seal.
Alka nodded, watching Juanlu step onto the Teleportation Platform. Everyone else was nearby, waiting to observe. The triangular entity seed unusually excited, its surface even emitting a faint blue light. Having spent so much ti together, they all knew this indicated its heightened emotional state.
"So, are you ready?" the entity began. "Although you already know, I must formally inform you of this beforehand. You only get one attempt at this challenge in your lifeti, and its Difficulty is higher. In challenge mode, your performance will be assessed.
"When your performance exceeds your current capabilities, demonstrating the spirit of enterprise and transcendence, you will earn their favor and receive the rewards you deserve."
Juanlu stood on the Teleportation Platform, took a deep breath with his eyes closed, and nodded.
"Now, Trial Taker—Juanlu, raise your right hand, hold your insignia, and place it on the red stone pillar," the entity instructed, its excitent palpable. "I hope you can achieve true enterprise and surpass yourself."
This was its first ti formally presiding over a Trial Taker's challenge ceremony since being activated. It had originally thought it wouldn't have such an opportunity until it crumbled and decayed. It was excited beyond asure; this mont seed to briefly transport it back to its forr glory.
Following the prompt, Juanlu raised his right hand, clasped the King's Seal Alka had given him in his palm, and then placed it on the red stone pillar to his right. The blue lines on the Teleportation Array flashed with red light, and with a final pulse, Juanlu vanished. He had officially begun the challenge ceremony.
"I hope he receives the reward he desires," Simon remarked, watching Juanlu disappear.
This ti, no one left; they simply sat nearby, quietly waiting.
"You seem excited?" Jason asked the floating triangular entity.
"Of course," it replied. "I must thank you all; such an opportunity is truly rare."
Everyone just chuckled.
During a lull in their quiet conversation, Alka looked at Julia and asked, "Have you passed the fourth floor?"
Julia shook her head. "I was so close last ti. I should be able to succeed this ti."
When their abilities improved, this was especially true for those on the ship who were initially only at the Third Stage. Originally, upon entering the Tower of Trial, they only needed to reach the fourth floor to et the instructor and receive guidance. However, as their strength improved, the instructor was no longer on the fourth floor but on the fifth. Because their strength had surpassed 10 Spirals, they had to clear the fourth floor once more to see the instructor and receive further guidance. This was an incentive of the normal mode, a fundantal operational aspect of the Tower of Trial, so they had to clear it again. Consequently, the Difficulty of the newly accessible floor would increase.
According to what Alka had learned from his instructor, all trial challenge objectives were actually constructed by the instructors themselves. The purpose was to allow Trial Takers who had undergone their training to fully exert their potential. It also served to deter those Trial Takers who lacked a spirit of enterprise.
Julia was in this situation, as was Simon. Thus, Simon could now be seen constructing even more powerful and innovative constructs to face the challenge. Jason, Lucilia, Chadite, and Pororo had all successfully cleared their respective floors and t the instructor again.
Just then, Lucilia, who had been chatting with Chadite, suddenly stood up. Chadite was a bit puzzled as he looked at Lucilia, who had suddenly tensed up and was glancing over her shoulder. Just as he was about to ask, Lucilia exclaid, "A ship! A ship is approaching!"
Hearing this, everyone stood up. Lucilia continued, "Not just one... there are three ships!"
At this, the nearby triangular entity suddenly asked, "Can you clearly see the emblem on their ships?"
Lucilia nodded, closed her eyes, and communicated with the Puppet Girl on the Dawn Sound.
"A full moon entwined by a serpent."
"Oh, it's them. Don't be surprised; they're regular visitors," the triangular entity remarked from nearby.
Upon hearing this, everyone turned to look at it.
"It's quite normal," the entity explained. "Didn't I tell you before? This is the Trial Island. Although it's now a ruin, the Tower of Trial is still intact.
"This Island, as you'd call it, is a Landmark Island—the kind that doesn't move, as you know.
"So, in all the years since I was activated, I've received nurous Trial Takers. However, the vast majority never return after their first visit.
"There are exceptions, of course. So possess enough ability to establish forces and families, and they naturally bring their descendants here for trials and training.
"There are quite a few families who have established such connections with this Island, perhaps a dozen or so. However, so of those families haven't visited in a very long ti."
As the triangular entity spoke, Magic Power materialized before it and began to construct various icons. These icons were the sigils of various forces or families. There was the one Lucilia just ntioned: a full moon entwined by a serpent. There was also a skeletal hand gripping a blade, and other, simpler symbols, like a pierced skull. Various animal motifs were also present—eagles, lions, wolves, and the like.
"I rember this family is called... Talutala?" the entity mused. "Yes, that seems to be their na. They last visited twenty or thirty years ago."
They last visited decades ago, and it calls them 'regulars'? Alka thought, then simply nodded.
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