Slumbering Sloth

Luckily, Alex and Vikram had quickly formed a bond over their shared interests, their conversation flowing effortlessly. Just as they were deep in discussion, a staff member approached them, gesturing for them to step outside. "The announcement is about to begin," the staff member said, his tone respectful yet hurried.

From extracting information from the staff member through probing, he found out that his peers were trying to control their abilities.

Vikram was surprised—not because he was excluded, but because Alex had been excluded as well. This revelation meant that Alex, too, didn't possess an Ability. Although he knew he should not feel some satisfaction in knowing that someone else shared his misfortune, the feeling that settled in his heart was a strange sense of relief.

For the first time, he wasn't alone in his bad luck, and that thought, oddly enough, brought him a small measure of comfort.

"Attention!" A large sound boomed across the hall, and Vikram saw that Brunus was on the stage. He was radiating a dangerous aura, and every one of the hormone-filled bombs got in line.

'That was loud,'

The aura was too much intimidating, but Vikram had experienced too much intimidating aura to be afraid of it. The Blood Immortal, The Shai-Hulud... Well, these were the two monstrosities that he had experienced a tyrannical aura, but Vikram arrogantly thought that it was enough. 

The Lady General entered everyone's view, and right now, she was way different from what he had seen before. Vikram felt a dangerous vibe from her too. 

Vikram didn't know why, but he was sure that he had noted every officer and faculty member in a somber mood. 

"Walkers! This is your final fight!" Her voice radiated savagery and violence to the extreme. Vikram felt as though his ears were buzzing with a million bees and flies. 

'So much for a peaceful and soft voice that would make you sleep depicted in novels,'

"You all-" The Lady pointed at from one end and moved to another end. "Have earned a right to life!" She moved from one end to another end with her hand tied to her back. 

"But now, another trail rears its head. It says that though you have earned the right to life, your existence remains a big question mark," Vikram didn't know why, but he felt his blood boiling. Vikram was sure that if he was in the [Barbarian] form, he would have jumped up and given a hurrah. 

'Glad I'm not in that hunk of a body,'

"Your coming trail is very simple! You get into the Axis, you anchor your existence to a certain planet, and bug the hell out of there!!" The Lady smiled, and Vikram smiled too. 

'That's easy enough, I guess,' 

A certain student raised his hand, catching Vikram's attention. There was something oddly familiar about the guy, but Vikram couldn't quite place where he had seen him before. The student's beard was meticulously groomed, almost to the point of obsessive compulsion.

Vikram squinted, his irritation rising. 'Why the hell does everyone around me have such nice beards, but I remain bald on my face!' he thought with a mixture of frustration and envy.

As Vikram lamented his lack of facial or any hair, the hall's atmosphere grew even more tense. The Lady General had established an incredibly pressurized environment, and now this random guy had disrupted it.

The student, seemingly unfazed by the intense aura, stood tall and spoke with a clear voice. "General, may I ask a question?"

The Lady General's eyes narrowed slightly, but she nodded. "Speak."

"What if I don't want to," The guy said as he scratched his ear which was pierced, and scratched his nose, which was also pierced, showing absolute indifference to anyone. The Lady smiled and gave out a bellowing laugh. 

"Absolutely no problem. If you do not want to enter the trial, there is no one pressuring you to commit to the trial," At that, multiple dozens whispered to each other, and multiple dozens eased up. 

'Come on, give me that 'but' that is a veiled existential threat otherwise.'

"But," Vikram smiled, and the General continued, "Make sure that you say your goodbyes and say your confessions to your loved ones, because those who have not anchored their existence to the Axis will be removed from existence."

A chilling silence fell over the hall as the General's words took hold. She paused, letting the gravity of the situation sink in before continuing. "You will slowly be forgotten, and you will be slowly removed from everyone's mind and consciousness. Even your mother will not recognize you, and no one will understand your existence."

The students shifted uneasily, the magnitude of their commitment becoming painfully clear. The General's voice was steady, unwavering. "Slowly, your will would be corrupted, and slowly you will wish to be dead, and then, and only then, will you die. Not cruelly, not even painfully. You will die peacefully, but you will die nonetheless."

'Yeah, when did they change the meaning of cruelty and pain?' 

Vikram heard numerous audible gulps and shook his head. Vikram didn't know what they meant by fading out of existence, but just the mere thought of fading out of existence, never to be relevant, forever being forgotten, scared the living hell out of him. 

Vikram wanted to be relevant. 

He wanted his existence to matter. 

Vikram also saw that the guy mouthing something inaudible, and slowly lowered his hands. Vikram didn't know where the confidence of the guy came from to disrupt the oppressive atmosphere that Lady General had set up.

Vikram shook his head and returned his attention to the Lady. "Now, those who want to die can move away. No one would block or stop you. You have the full freedom to die." 

"But those who want to strive to live. Those who want to prove your existence to the world and the universe. Stay!" The voice bellowed to another level, and Vikram felt his blood boil even more. 

"What do you want to do??" 

"We want to stay!" 

Every youth bellowed out, and Vikram flinched back, bumping into the person behind him. Turning around, he saw that he had collided with Alex, who immediately started apologizing profusely. He bowed repeatedly, sweat pouring off him like a bucket.

Vikram felt a mix of discomfort and sympathy as he firmly gripped the guy's shoulder. "It's okay," he reassured him, trying to steady the guy. Vikram couldn't help but wonder how someone this timid had managed to pass the first trial. The guy's nervous demeanor made it clear he would likely be an easy target for bullying.

As the hall began to clear, Vikram kept a close eye on his first friend that he had made here.

Vikram shook his head and returned his attention again. 

"You have one month to prepare, and the officers here will help you in the best way possible." The Lady stopped moving and looked at everyone with a piercing gaze. 

"Do what you must, and prepare for the trial, because you will need it... Disperse!" All the youth were puzzled about what to do, but the officers came and helped them. 

************************

Vikram weaved his axe like a madman, trying to gain something from it. Vikram's concentration slipped a second, pondering on his second trial, or Brunus called it, the Second Walk. 

The moment his concentration faltered, a knife was lodged inside his left eye.

Vikram felt that he was infinitely closer to something profound...

Vikram respawned in the cave, and checked his status.

[Level: 1]

[Realm: Blood Refining Realm(Early)]

[Strength: 2-->3](300 Souls)

[Agility: 2-->3](300 Souls)

[Vitality: 2-->3](300 Souls)

[Muscle and Bone Density: 2-->3](300 Souls)

[Blood Beast Energy: 2-->3](300 Souls)

[Stat Points: 0]

[Souls: 200]

[Weapon Arts]

[Double Axe Arts: Level 2]

Vikram would have usually rushed towards [Adthal Village]. But Vikram, for a change, sat cross-legged and pondered about his Axe Arts. Vikram replayed each and every slice of his axe. 

The upward pull that he always did to his axe for the rapid slashes. 

The downward push that he always did to his axe to end the life of the enemy then and there. 

Vikram slowly replayed each and every slash, and slowly, he reached a breakthrough. 

[Double Axe Arts: Level 2-->Level 3]

(Consecutive Slashes)New!