novelraw Chapter 136: Test
Chapter 136: Test
The test.
"Why did the Dawn Princess make this place so big..."
After slaying many magical beasts, Loren and his companion finally reached the next trial. This stage required activation to enter, so there shouldn't be any more magical beasts following them.
They had paid a steep price to get here. Even with Loren's support magic and firepower, Mara was still left battered and bruised. If Loren hadn't seen she was about to collapse and given her two potions, Mara would have died on the way.
As for Loren, the hem of his robe was slightly soiled.
"There shouldn't be any more danger ahead. There are two passages here. The mechanisms will only trigger after we both enter."
"Remember, you came here for the ultimate great treasure, that magic which can make you invincible. You must resist temptation."
This was Loren's usual rhetoric. He still pushed all responsibility onto Mara. *She* was the one who wanted the great treasure, *she* was the one who wanted to become stronger. He, Loren, was just here accompanying her.
This also made Mara subconsciously believe that all her desperate struggle was for her own sake, making her willing to exert herself.
"I know."Mara nodded. Loren wouldn't speak without purpose. His words were a reminder about the content of the next trial.
Loren only told Mara the content of the next test after each one was passed. This also forced Mara to keep him around.
The two stepped into the corridor simultaneously. In the next moment, they were teleported, arriving upon a pair of scales.
One side of the scale was high, the other low. Below was the exit. Above were lethal spikes.
At this moment, Loren was on the higher scale. The lower scale was piled high with treasures, and Mara was there.
"This is..."
Mara casually picked up a book and glanced at it. It recorded powerful magic. She then picked up a sword. The moment she touched it, Mara knew—this was a formidable cursed blade.
Besides these, there were also potions and accessories, all things that could rapidly boost one's strength. Precisely what Mara wanted most right now.
Mara's scale continued to descend, getting closer and closer to the exit below. She touched the space beside her and found herself trapped by an invisible wall.
In a place only Mara could see, a line of small text suddenly appeared in the air:
"These are all the things you desire. When the scale touches the ground, you can take these things and leave through the exit, if you are willing to abandon your friend."
"Simultaneously, if you throw all the treasures down, your friend will live. The price is you lose the treasure."
Loren watched the spikes above his head draw nearer. He knew this thing wasn't dangerous;
even if touched, it would just teleport him out. But by then, their friendship would be over.
Mara was rational. These things were precious, but she knew they weren't enough to make her truly strong. Forget the Church;
she couldn't even defeat some of the more powerful merfolk.
So, Mara quickly made the correct judgment. She decisively threw all the treasures down. Only that legendary invincible magic could help her. These weren't enough.
For greater gains, Mara decided to abandon the immediate profit. When the cursed blade was thrown down, it was instantly swallowed by the ground. The other treasures met the same fate.
"The weight of those things is subjective. If you keep even a little, the scales cannot balance."
Hearing Loren's reminder, Mara decisively threw down the magic book she had originally intended to keep.
After the last accessory was discarded by Mara, the scales returned to balance. Simultaneously, a pathway appeared on the scales, leading to two directions.
"Your choice was correct. Those treasures were illusions, manifestations of what you most desire. They would vanish the moment you left this place."
These illusions only manifested treasures. If they had directly manifested Mara's parents, she probably wouldn't have hesitated for a second before choosing Loren to die.
This wasn't something the Dawn Princess wanted to see. She couldn't bring herself to test friendship with familial bonds.
Just as Mara was feeling relieved, Loren gave the reminder for the next trial:
"Next, you will see many illusions. Don't believe them. Just keep moving forward."
Having said that, Loren stepped into the newly appeared entrance.
This was a long corridor. At the end of the corridor was a crystal ball, displaying some scene. Loren had to get closer to see it was the scene from Mara's side.
Without even a glance, Loren walked forward. Inside were just some scenes of Mara betraying Loren. Since they were fake anyway, Loren couldn't be bothered to watch.
...
"This is what you desire. You can take it now, but the price is your friend on the other side will die."
The crystal ball on Mara's side showed a scene of Loren standing before a chest of jewels. This line of text was on the wall before Loren, vividly depicted.
"I'm not that close to her anyway. If she dies, she dies. With these treasures, I can buy many more gifts for the children... I came here to monopolize the treasure from the start. Her dying is even better."
The crystal ball played Loren's voice. This was the scene Mara feared most.
Because Loren truly had no reason to stay with her until the end. Mara wanted revenge, while Loren had a happy family. There was no need for him to take risks with her.
Simultaneously, the crystal ball began to speak:
"In the previous trial, you chose your friend over treasure. Yet he chose treasure. Was everything you did for him truly worth it?"
"If your positions were switched in the last trial, he definitely wouldn't have chosen to save you."
The crystal ball's words still struck Mara's sore spot. Just as Mara hesitated, the crystal ball delivered another finishing move:
"I also hate such ungrateful people. So I'll give you a chance to make amends. Just press the crystal ball, and he will die. Then you can reclaim the treasure you lost before."
This time, Mara truly hesitated. It was true Loren had said from the start that what she saw were illusions. But what if?
Loren knew the mechanisms here. What if Loren gave her false information just to monopolize the treasure? How would she know?
Their information was completely asymmetrical. Loren knew everything, while Mara could only rely on the information Loren provided. Loren could completely use this information disparity to doom her. This was the source of Mara's unease.
"I believe in the Master Mentor."
Finally, Mara solidified her conviction. She had heard Loren's reputation even out at sea. Their time together had allowed her to understand Loren more deeply.
Loren was humble, gentle in nature, and had no negative desires. If asked who the most perfect person in the world was, Mara would answer "Loren" without hesitation.
Therefore, she was certain Loren was incapable of such a thing.
Mara ignored the crystal ball and walked forward. The scene before her grew brighter and brighter. Finally, at the exit, she saw Loren.
Loren revealed a smile, as if certain Mara would choose to believe him.