The Trials of Descent: A Progression Fantasy Epic (Book 6 of The Menocht Loop Series) by Lorne Ryburn & caerulex

Author:Lorne Ryburn & caerulex [Ryburn, Lorne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781956021271
Publisher: Timeless Wind Publishing LLC
Published: 2023-07-17T23:00:00+00:00

31

AMBITION ISN’T EVERYTHING

ASCENDANT CRIMSON TEETH

“You knew people would be frustrated by the new format,” Ebon Pearl remarks.

I mean, yes, obviously, but I didn’t think they’d just…

“Storm off?”

Essentially. Change is hard, I know that, but it leaves a nervous pit in my stomach to infuriate so many. I want this change to stick since it’s for the good of the Hall of Ascension.

The ascendant observers came expecting fighting and quick rounds, as is customary. Once they realized that the trial wouldn’t finish in less than an hour, they threw a collective fit. When I revealed the first round might take a day to elapse, they went ballistic.

The best tests can’t be completed in a few minutes or hours. They’re the tests that are open ended and last as long as necessary to teach a lesson. The factions didn’t bring the right participants for this kind of game, or so they probably think. But any ascendant should be able to complete these rounds if they have the right kind of thinking.

I found a way to beat every round without my affinity, utilizing only my ascendant energy, while temporarily wiping my memories of the rounds to go through them as a new competitor. If I can do it, anyone can, though the trial-goers might need to discard stale ways of thinking and assumptions regarding how the Hall of Ascension agents operate when trying half-step ascendants.

A few will find ways to brute force their way through rounds, but most won’t succeed. To rely on force for all five rounds? I’ll have great fun seeing the competitors try.

***

We’re the fifth pair in the room to wake up. Red blinks his eyes rapidly and stretches in his seat, yawning.

“Red, I think you did too well,” I say. “Most people are still stuck in the round.”

He frowns. “Oh. Well, that’s unexpected.”

I resist the urge to facepalm. “Do worse next time.”

He looks around. “Those who already finished are gone.”

He’s right. I sense Holiday with a few ascendants over on the observer platform, though it’s a much smaller number than I expect. Where did the observers go?

We leave the treehouse classroom and fly to the clear-floored platform. Holiday is speaking with the four competitor-observer pairs who finished before us. A few staff from the Hall of Ascension are also present, engaged in conversation with each other. A small table of refreshments is practically undisturbed.

“Just what I need,” Red mutters as he strides toward what looks like a coffee carafe.

Holiday’s eyes snap over to us, Red’s words the excuse he needed to politely notice our arrival. “Ah, Ancient Black and Ascendant Red, back so soon. How excellent.”

I glide over to Holiday’s group and nod politely, though refrain from initiating conversation.

“I look forward to seeing highlights from your play-through, Ancient Black,” one of the observers says, refusing to let me fade into the background. The others nod and smile politely. Empty smiles—they likely assume that I gave Red, theoretically the weakest ascendant present, a disproportionate amount of aid. How else could he come out fifth?

Holiday probably guesses the truth.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.