WHOOSH

Golden light flashed before Dorian's eyes as he felt the world around him stretch once more.

'All this teleporting is starting to get old…' He thought, trying to push his mind off the horrifying vision of the future he had just witnessed.

Yukeli's logs were explicit that the First Trial merely offered a possible future. It wasn't a certain future, only something that could happen.

'But how?' Dorian thought as he teleported, his thoughts racing.

'No… I already know, don't I?' He finished the thought as he finished teleporting, blinking his eyes furiously.

He had arrived in a large, stone hallway. The floor was covered with a long, patterned red and grey carpet. The walls had large, colorful stained glass windows leaking in light. The hallway behind him ended in a dead end, while off in front of him it ended in a large, glowing opening that he couldn't see through.

"It's YOU." Dorian spat out loud, his eyes growing steely.

"Yukeli."

Deep in the farthest recesses of his mind, Dorian felt the darkness that was Yukeli's memories and presence seem to stir.

'No being could live and stay sane with you in them. I can sense your touch on my mind.' Dorian thought, clutching at his head. His memories flashed through him.

One, in particular, appeared once more.

The memory of him killing several hunters for torturing a deer, back on the World Bridge to Blizzaria.

Was that a crime worthy of death?

No, Dorian didn't think so. Perhaps a crime worthy of a beating, given the lawless nature of these lands, alongside a transformation into a fierce, monstrous looking beast to terrify them into changing their ways.

But he could have solved that incident through a number of methods.

Yet he had chosen to kill them.

'I've already started down this path.' Dorian realized, looking down at his now trembling hands.

Yukeli was not evil. He did not want to murder freely or wantonly. He was simply extremely passionate and driven.

When Yukeli's extreme passion and drive combined with Dorian's own sense of justice, it was distorted to an extreme.

'If I don't get rid of you… that will be me in the future.' Dorian realized, nodding his head.

'I will become a monster that destroys reality.'

He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down, clenching his fists.

'I will not allow that.'

This was the only reality Dorian had now. If Yukeli was to be believed, and despite their antagonistic relationship, Dorian knew his words had been true, this was the only reality Dorian had ever had.

He would not allow it to be destroyed by his own hand.

'Welcome, challenger! You have successfully passed the Door of Splendor! You have been placed in front of that which you most desire in these Ruins!'

As Dorian was thinking over his worries and plots, Ausra #2's voice echoed in his head, informing him of where he was.

'You are now standing in one of the Entrance Hallways to the Main Treasure Depository.'

Dorian's eyes widened. He looked down the hallway, where a large stone entrance opened to a glowing doorway.

"Right down there…?" He began to move.

He took a few calm steps, but then broke out into a jog, and then into a sprint.

This was it. The culmination of all his good intentions, all his hard work, all his efforts!

WHOOSH

Dorian moved through the glowing entrance.

And found himself in a golden hall.

An enormous, soaring grand hall with a ceiling that must've reached a hundred meters high, full of treasure. Huge piles of silver and gold, Magic Artifacts that glowed with energy, rare Pills that flashed with light.

He saw a silver set of plate armor that was covered in black carvings, vibrating faintly. He saw a green lance that rested quietly but gave off a slightly ominous, powerful Aura. He saw a set of golden whips, sparkling with pure white light.

Treasures of all sorts and kinds could be seen, in the tens of hundreds of thousands.

"YES!" Dorian fist pumped the air, excitement flooding him as he managed to push past the vision of the future, focusing on the present.

He had found the treasure! He could save Will!

"Calm down there, kiddo." As Dorian was celebrating, looking around the grand hall, a gruff voice called out from the side.

Dorian turned to the side, starting.

He was not alone in the grand treasure hall.

The hall was large, stretching roughly 100 meters wide, and easily 500 meters long. The ceiling was arched, with long crystals dripping down from it, giving off bright warm light that lit the hall.

There was a large door at one end of the hall, a resplendent golden door that looked almost identical to the Door of Splendor.

Gathered around this door were several figures.

–

Species: Human

Class – Lord (Pseudo-King)

Maximum Energy Level: 103,939

–

Species: True Vampire

Class – Lord (Middle)

Maximum Energy Level: 69,321

–

Species: Human

Class – Lord (Late)

Maximum Energy Level: 89,112

–

Two humans and Vampire were currently sitting down atop small piles of treasure. Each of them had a pensive, tired expression as they looked over at a human that was wearing a long, black robe. The human had a ridiculous hairstyle that was clearly dyed black, in the shape of what looked like a giant chess piece, that of a Knight.

The oddly dressed fellow was looking right at Dorian, a superior expression on his face.

'What?' Dorian stared in confusion.

–

Species: Human

Class – King (Early)

Maximum Energy Level: 306,689

–

'He's a King Class human? Really?' Dorian shook his head as he looked at the eccentric man.

"Like I said, calm down, kiddo. I got here before you, just wait for the voice to appear in your head." The man with the chess piece for hair said, nodding his head sharply. His voice was gruff and deep, at odds with his eccentric and slightly feminine appearance.

"Are you talking to me?" Dorian patted himself on the chest.

The man rolled his eyes. His body seemed to blur as he leapt through the air of the grand hall, landing down next to Dorian with a thud.

"Obviously." He shook his head as if Dorian was an idiot.

A moment later, a voice went off in Dorian's head, almost as if it had been waiting for a moment to break into the conversation.

'Welcome to the Main Treasure Depository!' Ausra #2 spoke in his head, her voice cheerful,

'In here lie all the treasures we gathered after defeating the Vile Beast, the Emperor of Demons. The Emperor had treasures and valuables gathered from thousands of nations, looted and stolen, pilfered or commissioned. Veritable mountains of wealth lie in here, enough to displace the economy of any Major Power.' She regaled Dorian with a tale of the history of the treasure room.

His eyes shined brighter as he heard this. With what was in here… there was no chance he wouldn't be able to revive Will!

'Every treasure you see within here is for the taking, challenger!' Ausra #2 began and the continued,

'However… the treasures you take all come with a price. There is no free lunch in this world. There is one entrance to the Main Treasure Depository. The Leaving Door, a door which holds the Second Trial of the Ascension Ruins for those that have ended up here.' Ausra #2 paused for a moment before continuing,

'Take with you what you want, but to pass through the Leaving Door and arrive in the castle proper of the Ascension Ruins, be prepared. The more treasure you take with you, the harder a trial you shall face.'

Ausra #2's message passed to Dorian's mind in an instant. He processed it all in a few seconds, pausing as he thought it over.

"Ah, you've gotten the message then." The stranger with the weird haircut rudely interrupted Dorian's thoughts, his voice imperious.

"Can I help you?" Dorian politely said, keeping any irritation from his voice. His body was exhausted, and the last thing he needed right now was a fight.

The black robed man seemed to take that as an acceptance of his words, puffing his chest up with a smile.

"No. I am one of the Bold Brothers, Darrel Bold, from the A- Ranked Mercenary Team Black Chess. If there was something I needed help on, a weak Lord Class fighter like yourself would be no help." The King Class Wizard seemed to have gauged Dorian's current strength accurately. His Energy Level put him on the weaker side of Lord Class.

"However, you should realize your limits, kiddo. Even I can't escape this damned room with anything of real value." Darrel went on,

"That door is no joke. The more treasure or more valuable treasure you take with you, the heavier it becomes, and only one person can pass through it at a time. Just some advice to a fellow challenger."

"Thank you for the advice." Dorian gave him a calm nod, having fully regained control of his emotions. He then immediately began walking off towards one of the piles of treasure.

The man snorted, shaking his head in irritation. The oddly shaped hair on top of his head wobbled as he turned away, stalking towards the door.

Despite his rather rude attitude, he actually didn't seem to have bad intentions. At the least, he didn't try to kill or rob Dorian, which was a big plus in his book.

tap

Yukeli's journal once more appeared in Dorian's hands as he walked. He began to skim through it, eventually finding a short passage about this room.

'The Main Treasure Depository finished construction today. A basic challenge to fit those that seek grand treasures or great wealth. Leaving it is one of the easier Trials, but for those who merely seek wealth, there is no need to test their mettle further. As long as they have the strength to bear the treasure they hold, who am I to stop them?'

The Trial he was facing, and the room around him, despite all of its grand value, seemed to be worth barely a footnote in Yukeli's eyes.

To Dorian, however, the passage sounded like a hymn from the Heavens.

'If there wasn't much other work put into this room… then it's more likely than not I don't need to leave the hall to use the treasures, right?' He thought as he picked up one treasure that caught his eye, a lightweight silver rapier that was about half a meter long in length, elegantly crafted from metal.

He tapped on the tip of it, sending a sliver of energy from his Soul Spell Matrix into it.

WHOOSH

Immediately, a bright silver light shot from the rapier, extending about two meters. The light was tight and slim, but felt dangerous, as if it could melt through Dorian's skin if he left it near it long enough.

A second later, that light dampened as the magic energy the rapier was giving off was forced to weaken, fizzling off into nothingness.

'There appears to be some type of dampening field weakening most Artifacts, perhaps?' Dorian reached a conclusion of sorts. His Spatial Ring seemed to be working fine, but that might be because it used very little energy.

He went and tried out a few other Artifacts, getting similar results.

'Well… I can't use any of the treasures, that's true.' He shrugged,

'But I don't need to use them, do I?' He smiled evilly.

'I just need to absorb them.' He picked up the silver rapier, holding it in his hand.

'Absorb.'

WHOOSH

Immediately, Dorian felt a store of energy flood into his veins, partially restoring some of his spent energy.

–

Wise Jade Dragon – Growth Stage: (3/5) Young Jade Dragon –

Growth Progress – 358,992/421,881 –

–

'Only around 2,800 points. Not bad, but nothing too great.' He looked at his increased progress, nodding his head as the silver rapier fell into dust.

A huge grin forced its way onto his face as he looked at the huge mountains of treasures that covered the giant hall…

And then dived right into the middle of the one next to him.

And madly began to absorb.

"…"

Meanwhile, as Dorian swam beneath mountains of treasure, absorbing everything that came within reach, several other people had just finished their own Door of Splendor First Trials.

.. .. .. .. .. .. ..

"I will be taken to that which I desire most in the Ruins?" Helena said, her voice pale and fraught, her eyes drawn and tired, as she looked at the Door of Splendor before her.

"Haha… I doubt I can be taken to that which I truly want…" She sighed, her face downcast.

"How I wish you were here, Dorian." She hesitated for a second before she laid her hand on the Door, teleporting instantly.

.. .. .. .. .. .. ..

"Huh. That was… unpleasant." Leader's cheerful pride was nowhere to be found as he somberly looked at the door in front of him, his entire body covered in sweat.

"To that which I desire? Well, that is the best news I've heard since I had to live that horrid dream!" Leader's customary cheer began to return as he heard Ausra #2 speak in his head.

"Great Lord! Your humble servant shall rejoin you shortly!" Leader threw his body at the door with abandon, vanishing the moment he touched it.

.. .. .. .. .. .. ..

"My dearest desire here… Take me to that which can revive Probus!" Trajan's voice was harsh as his blinded eyes focused their energy vision on the door in front of him, unwavering fervor and passion rising within him.

.. .. .. .. .. .. ..

A woman could be heard crying.

In a sparse, empty room, a small, petite fox-humanoid could be seen, curled up in a ball.

"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry… I just… I don't want to hurt people… but if I don't, people hurt me…" Arial curled up in a ball, her eyes red as she cried, over and over.

The future she had seen had been one where she saw the consequences of her actions. Her betrayals, especially of those that were innocent and not planning against her as she thought. The pain and harm she caused to others, including their families and friends.

"Grrr… I… I will not fail this." She hiccuped as she forced herself to gain control.

"I will use these Ruins as an opportunity. I… One day, I will stand on my own, freely." She closed her eyes as she breathed deeply.

A moment later, she reopened them, steely drive filling them.

"Trust is for the strong that can bear it. For the weak… trust is a luxury that we cannot afford. I will do what I must…" She clenched her fists, controlling her trembling body as she took a step forward and renewed her determination.

"What do I most desire here?" She muttered out loud as she heard a voice speak in her mind.

"I don't know…" She paused.

"I'd like to apologize to those I've wrongfully killed… but that's not exactly something you can change, is it, Ruins?" She sighed.

She placed her hand on the door and vanished.

.. .. .. .. .. .. ..

"Hmph. Weak memories of a future that is as nothing to me. Ashes before the Truth." Veritas mumbled quietly as she stood, floating in front of the copy of the Door of Splendor, in her own private chamber.

"What I desire here? Why, that is simple." Her eyes flashed coldly.

"Bring me to where that Fox I've been hunting is, of course." Veritas smiled, her voice warm.

"Her bloodline will make a fine addition to my collection."

.. .. .. .. .. .. ..

Mira looked at the door in front of her silently.

"Take me to that which holds the remnants of my grandmother."

.. .. .. .. .. .. ..

Aiden took a deep breath, his faintly Draconic Humanoid Form giving off a strong, golden Aura.

"Please…

"Take me anywhere but where that infernal shapeshifter is." His voice was filled with equal parts of pain and hope, practically begging the door to obey him.

.. .. .. .. .. .. ..

Mello looked at the gorgeous door in front of him, smiling cheerfully.

"Now those were some joyful futures. Did I really die to a monkey, just like that?" He shook his head ruefully, his eyes containing a dark light within them.

"I only barely managed to escape from my own brethren. To think she would seriously try to kill my clone at first sight, when I came in peace." He sighed sadly.

He reached out with his hand, pausing for a moment to think before putting it on the Door of Splendor before him.

"Take me to the place where Lady Ausra's body was set to rest."

.. .. .. .. .. .. ..

Prince Isaac calmly sat in his own private room, ignoring the conjured, smaller Door of Splendor as he concentrated on gathering his energy. Magic power flowed around him, healing energy rising from a collection of Pills as he regathered his strength.

"Ugh. Damn Autarchy. Why are all your strongest fighters freaks of nature?" He shook his head ruefully,

"Why am I even on this damned mission… what do I care if that Anomaly can truly become an Angel of Light… High Priest… Sigh…" He rubbed his forehead and went back to meditation.

.. .. .. .. .. .. ..

Dorian, while all of this was happening, continued to swim through the massive sea of treasure.

'You get absorbed! And YOU get absorbed! Oh, what about you? ABSORBED!'

He gleefully absorbed treasures left and right, energy flooding into his veins without pause.

'ABSORB EVERYTHING! AHAHAHAHA!'

.

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