Vol.1 Ch.06 The First Trial
<span style="font-weight:400">The Dungeon is dark and gloomy with small glowing orbs that slightly illuminated the floor.
<span style="font-weight:400">There were many rooms with various kinds of monsters that could be heard from the hallway. When Joris unlocked the door to one of these rooms, Ryan could easily tell there were about five monsters in the dark chamber. When they enter the room the ceiling opens up and a bright lightes from above. It helps illuminate the room including the chained-up monsters that struggled against their restraints.
"The Kobolds are chained together in the center of this room. Your goal is to y them," Joris says while looking at them to see their reaction.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Well, that''s great," Ryan grumbled with a sigh before he continued, "This is gonna be fun." He says sarcastically while looking at the group of Kobolds.
<span style="font-weight:400">Ryan starts feeling uneasy and has a sense of dread right now because he''s going to be forced to kill something for the first time in his life.
<span style="font-weight:400">''I''ve never killed anything bigger than an insect in my life!'' Ryan thought as anxiety started to take hold.
<span style="font-weight:400">Upon observing the room or cell, Ryan looked at the Kobolds chained up in an X formation in the middle of the room. Each Kobold is over four feet tall and weighs over 120 pounds. They have yellow-green skin with a slimy texture andrge green eyes that glow in the dark. Their faces were covered with a dark purple membrane that was reminiscent of a frog''s mouth.
"Here. Take these des and aim for the center of their chest or between their eyes, it''s your choice," Joris says in amanding voice.
Ryan looks at the two des in Joris''s hand before he reaches for one. The des were the size of a Bowie knife. But instead of polished steel, the de looked ck with a dark blue edge on the weapon that looked sharp as hell.
<span style="font-weight:400">Hiro takes one of the knives without question, while Ryan takes the other with a slight dy.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Okay. First chance goes to Hiro!" Joris yells at him.
<span style="font-weight:400">As Hiro readies himself for the first time, he hears Joris speak in a bored tone, "Don''t get yourself killed."
"Ha!" Hiro shouts with a big smile. "Do you really think I''ll let that happen? Don''t underestimate me! Once I''m in this fight, nobody will stop me!"
Ryan wanted to face-palm after hearing that unaware idiot speaking so confidently.
<span style="font-weight:400">‘Joris was fucking joking, you moron! But if there was a way to get killed by a chained-up monster. I''m sure Hiro could find a way,’ Ryan wanted to retort but held hisments to himself, because of Hiro’s obliviousness. ‘Our trial is practically shooting fish in a barrel.’
<span style="font-weight:400">Ryan continued to think about how odd their situation was. When you think of a trial, one would believe there is a challenge of some sort. But this was not really a challenge at all.
Ryan watched as Hiro made his way toward the Kobolds. When he was about five feet away Hiro rushed in and swung his de down on the first Kobold''s skull. He failed to put it out of its misery as Hiro unskillfully hacked away at its head. Causing it to scream loudly as its blood sttered everywhere.
''This guy is just an idiot, in and simple.'' Ryan thought while he observed the idiot in front of him struggling to kill the Kobold. By the eleventh strike, Hiro finally killed the monster.
It only took another minute or two before the first Kobold went silent, and Hiro immediately looked at Ryan and smiled triumphantly, showing off his perfect white teeth. Then Ryan noticed Hiro''s orb ne adsorbing glowing particles of energy into it as the orb began to glow a brighter red.
<span style="font-weight:400">"What were those particles?" Ryan asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Those are the particles thate from killing monsters. We call it mana." Joris answers with a serious tone. "It''s part of bing a chosen one and it will help change your body into a stronger form."
<span style="font-weight:400">"So if we kill more monsters, we get more mana?" Ryan asks.
<span style="font-weight:400">Joris nods. "Yes. That''s what we''re trying to do here."
Ryan is confused about how the science of mana worked. Like how does the mana know to go to the one that yed it and what does it do to a person''s body to make it stronger?
<span style="font-weight:400">‘I guess the Dark Elves need to be sure that our nes work. Is that why they are giving us such an easy task?'' Ryan wondered as he watched thest of the mana enter Hiro''s body.
<span style="font-weight:400">"You need to understand that the magic that runs this world is different from yours," Joris exins. "It''s all based on the elements of nature. When you kill something, you release its mana into the air. Then it goes to the one who ys them. But enough talking, Ryan you''re up."
''Magic? But, wee from a world of science, Joris. And I''m just supposed to ept all of this?... Uh-oh! Joris is staring at me... It looks like I can''t dy this any longer. Fuck... I really don''t want to do this,'' thought Ryan while he readied his de and began to walk toward the other Kobolds that Hiro hadn''t killed.
<span style="font-weight:400">As Ryan gets closer to the Kobolds, he notices that the chains on the Kobolds are made of a strange material. It''s hard and seems to be indestructible. And the Kobolds are struggling against the chains.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Sorry man, I really don''t want to do this," Ryan says to the Kobold as the monster struggles to break free from its bindings.
The Kobold looks at Ryan with its eye sockets, which have no pupils and its mouth open as if in pain. ''They must not have eaten recently.'' Ryan thought to himself.
<span style="font-weight:400">Ryanes in close to the Kobold and swings his de down at one of them. The de cuts right through the creature''s chest, causing it to stop moving instantly as the blood starts pouring out of its wound. Ryan felt the guilt of ending the creature as he saw the life leave the Kobold''s eyes.
<span style="font-weight:400">"That was too easy," Ryan said with a whisper.
<span style="font-weight:400">Then those simr particles from before started to enter Ryan''s body causing the orb ne to glow its golden light. He can feel the energy moving around and it starts spreading from the ne into his body.
''Oh? D-Damn... This feels way more pleasant than I thought. If I''m not careful, I might get addicted to this feeling.'' Ryan thought as this sensation began to send a shiver down his spine.
<span style="font-weight:400">***
<span style="font-weight:400">It took about fifteen minutes before Hiro and Ryan killed the rest of the Kobolds. Ryan could feel the mana running through his body after ying the second monster. He was struggling to hold back his moans.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Man, I''m getting a little addicted to this sensation," Ryan muttered to himself.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Yeah, I love this power," Hiro said with excitement as his orb ne glowed brighter than Ryan''s orb after ying three monsters.
<span style="font-weight:400">Ryan then looks at Joris, who is still watching over the two humans.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Is there anything else we need to do?" Ryan asks Joris.
<span style="font-weight:400">"We are waiting until your orbs reach a high enough level so you can fight properly."
<span style="font-weight:400">"Aww, man! Can''t I kill some more monsters to get stronger!" Hiro said with some annoyance.
<span style="font-weight:400">"You’ve done enough for your first trial." Said Joris, who is still watching over the two of them. Then he continues, "We’ll meet up with Lady Yoona and then retire for today."
<span style="font-weight:400">Joris motions to them to follow as he takes the two human males back to the Great Hall where the Dark Elves are gathered.
***
<span style="font-weight:400">When they enter the Great Hall again, Ryan and Hiro hear a lot of whispering going around about the two humans.
"The Twins of Mournhold. They are glowing again," Whispered a tall elf with ck hair and red eyes wearing te armor. He and his friend were staring back and forth at their nes.
"It is true, we were told these humans are the ones." Another male elf with a simr outfit says to the other elves. "But I do not believe it yet. We should wait-." Ryan couldn''t hear thest of what he was whispering as they walked passed them to the alter.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Silence! Do not speak against our new chosen one or face the consequences!" A female Dark Elf yells across the room.
Everyone in the hall goes silent as Lady Yoonaes down from the altar where she motions for them toe to her. As they walk towards Yoona, she looks at Hiro and Ryan.
<span style="font-weight:400">Her violet eyes stare at Hiro''s glowing orb first, then at Ryan''s as she smirks before she turns her attention to her people in the main hall.
<span style="font-weight:400">"So, the Twins of Mournhold truly have chosen these two humans as our Chosen Ones!" said Yoona while she could barely contain her excitement.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Twins of Mournhold?" Ryan asks.
Yoona looked at Ryan so she could answer him.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Yes, the goddess created these artifacts for the chosen ones to protect ournds from theing cmity," Yoona says as shecontinues exining to Hiro and Ryan.
Joris walked closer to them while Yoona was talking.
"My Priestess, I believe the Chosen Ones are ready to y stronger monsters to absorb a greater amount of mana. Starting tomorrow."
"You are sure?" Yoona looked at Joris with a pleased look.
<span style="font-weight:400">"I am certain my Priestess."
<span style="font-weight:400">"Then let us rest my Chosen Ones. For you are going to have a busy week ahead of you."
Hiro had his arms crossed as his over-inted ego began to rise to unhealthy levels when he continued to listen to Yoona''s praise. While Ryan still had his doubts.
<span style="font-weight:400">"What exactly does being a Chosen One mean exactly?" Ryan asked Yoona.
<span style="font-weight:400">"That is for you to be our protectors."
<span style="font-weight:400">"Protectors?"
<span style="font-weight:400">Yoona nodded. "Yes, the Twin of Mournhold will be our greatest protector."
<span style="font-weight:400">"Come on man! What don''t you get? She just wants us to work for her. So, stop being so stupid," Hiro added with a "know it all" smirk.
<span style="font-weight:400">Ryan red at Hiro.
<span style="font-weight:400">"..."
<span style="font-weight:400">Ryan wanted to y dumb to try to extract more info about being the Chosen One for the Sorellians. And Hiro is running interference unwittingly!
<span style="font-weight:400">"W-What?!." Hiro stuttered.
"You two are so close. I can tell... But, I''m sure both of you are famished after having such a long day... Come! Let''s eat," Yoona said to both Ryan and Hiro.
Ryan shook his head and sighed, ''I don''t have the energy for this crap... I just want food for now. I''ll try againter,'' Ryan thought as he followed the elves to the banquet hall.
<span style="font-weight:400">Both men followed her to a dining hall. There was arge crescent-shaped table where Yoona sat down with them.