"Currently, we are in a Kingdom called Highrise. It's a remarkable kingdom, flush with resources—gold and diamond being the primary treasures. But that's not what makes it powerful."
Meredith drew a calm breath and continued.
"The Kingdom of Highrise is a nation that prides itself in its devotion to its gods. Have you ever heard the word 'gods'?"
Auren's brow furrowed slightly.
"I don't think I have. The word strikes me as strange and utterly uncomfortable to hear"
Meredith nodded, tracing invisible patterns in the air with her fingertips.
"The rune of pronunciation flows like this, and this... If you're familiar with the language we commonly use in Hope Province, you'd notice the strokes here and here bear a certain similarity. Combining both, I naturally translated it..."
She paused, her hand dropping.
"The pronunciation was too complex, so I simplified it to make it easier for me to reference."
Auren nodded, silently admiring her sharp intellect. Then he exhaled and fixed her with a serious gaze.
"These gods... is there any clue to what they are?"
She shook her head.
"Right now, we don't know much about them, but what we do know is that they follow almost the same worship pattern as our archons. They have the pope, the bishop, the priest—but they don't seem to have pontifices. They also perform the ritual of the dawn. Their priests captures the first rays of morning sun in a golden chalice while they recite the prayers of their god. Their priests can also read divinations through water, a daily form of crystal gazing."
Auren frowned as his eyes lost focus, turning inward.
"They indeed practice rituals similar to the Archon of Light... but the word 'god' remains quite foreign."
He lifted his gaze to meet hers.
"And what are their prayers like? Did you hear any of them?"
"They didn't allow us close enough to hear. They consider us unbelievers. It's why we were banished to the wasteland to hunt heretics. They seem indifferent to the possibility that we ourselves might die."
Even from the extensive historical accounts compiled by countless Blesseds from their trials, nothing had ever mentioned the word 'gods.' However, Auren had encountered terms like Sons of the Lightless Star, Daughters of the Hollow Sky and Children of Perdition.
Although each of those words carried a burden of meaning and history that he had dreaded studying. He hadn't even completed world history—why concern himself with the history of worlds within the Archons' memories?
People had always cherished pointless endeavors.
Of course, being here now made him acutely aware of how childish his dismissal of trial histories had been. But extensive knowledge wouldn't have changed much, as trials were inherently diverse and unpredictable.
Take this current situation—the word 'gods' in all its strangeness, never before encountered or heard by any Blessed.
Auren studied her carefully before asking.
"If this trial revolves around confrontation, then do you think killing the heretics is the confrontation needed to end this trial ?"
Meredith took a moment, contemplating his question with an impassive face.
"I don't think it's about killing the heretics."
She paused, as if weighing her next words carefully.
"According to what I've read about Trials, they're more internal than external. A trial involves confrontation—it may require killing, but the act of killing itself doesn't ensure success. It's the confrontation that matters. Sometimes, you might even be confronting yourself—an experience or realization that improves your source, or at least what you consider your source, builds within you and influences the flow of events, ultimately breaking the core of the Trial through this confrontation."
"The problem, however, is that you most likely cannot do it alone."
Auren frowned slightly, the last statement landing like a stone in still water.
Then he sighed.
"Thank you very much for this information. Is there anything I can do for you in return?"
Meredith raised her head to meet his eyes, and a soft smile crawled across her face.
Her smile wasn't one of gratitude. It was a calm and sharp exploitation of opportunity. Auren had anticipated a request, but he hadn't expected it to come this soon or that she'd be so forthright about it.
Meredith replied.
"Yes there is."
Auren maintained his composure, fixing her with a measured look as he folded his arms, exuding confidence well beyond his years.
"Oh? You do? What could it be?"
She looked at him, the lilac light in her eyes glowing subtly brighter.
"I want you to form a team with me."
Auren frowned.
"You mean you want to form a team with me..."
She nodded.
"Whichever way you decide to phrase it is fine, as long as we get to fight together like earlier."
Auren wasn't surprised, but found himself intrigued that she had experienced the same exhilaration he felt during their brief battle.
But...
"I am confused."
Her tone was flat:
"About what?"
"Didn't you say there are other Nascents with whom you entered the trial together? If you value teamwork, you would have found allies already. You didn't. That means the others were either not competent enough, or you got ousted. Which is it?"
She shook her head.
Auren's brow furrowed as she responded.
"Allow me to phrase my words carefully. They weren't competent in the manner that I wanted."
Auren's expression darkened.
"And I am...?"
"You are battle-smart and intelligent. I don't care about the nature of your Blessing—that is all I think we need to survive this trial. The others seem fixated on the Tier of their Blessings and have formed groups that would benefit each other instead of prioritizing efficiency toward surviving the Trial, complementing each other with their abilities. I find it rather irritating."
Auren smiled.
"If we are to fight together, then you need to refine how you speak to me. If you can't, then this conversation ends here."
She nodded.
"I'll try."
Auren glanced at her and shook his head.
"I'll need more than those fragile words."
Meredith shifted her gaze to meet his, hers burning with silent determination.
"You have my word, Auren."
He studied her for several heartbeats before walking toward the back—toward the Major Hollow Screamer. He lifted the sword and plunged it into the creature's underbelly, carving his way to its innards and creating a path to extract its soul heart.
After he finished, he harvested fresh meat from the creature's corpse and tore a strip from his cloak to wrap the bloody chunks. Then he extended the makeshift package to Meredith.
"For survival."
The girl stared at his outstretched hand. Black blood seeped through the cloth. Her gaze flicked from Auren's face back to his hand.
"..."
"Meredith. In case I did not make myself clear, this is the food that you and I are going to depend on for survival. I haven't had anything to eat since I arrived here. And even though you've enjoyed lavish dishes in the Kingdom of Highrise, hunger will find you eventually. So take this damn thing from my hand and bring the pouch. I will be in charge of holding that one."
A small contemplative shadow fell across the young girl's face.
At this point she was either doubting her decision, reconsidering it entirely, or dreading the harsh treatment that awaited her.