"The Test of ttle? Haha, of course, of course!" Shamael answered imdiately, surprising Darius with his mild reaction. Even after a couple seconds, he didn't show any change.
Was it not a big deal for an outsider to participate in what should be a sacred rite of their people?
Shamael noticed Darius' questioning glance and saw fit to answer with a grin. "Our last Desert King perished in the Insect Invasion, and it has been more than 8,000 years since then."
Shamael beckoned to Darius, leading him and his group towards a nearby palace. "As you can see, the state of Ludo has fallen greatly since then. There was a ti when we were recognized as a powerful continent rich with minerals, yet now we're the weakest and poorest continent, mildly rich in minerals."
"This is due to the absences of a Desert King. That title holds more weight than you as an outsider might understand. Rather than just a political leader for us, such a person is a spiritual and military leader as well. He has the power to control all the sands of Ludo, regardless of distance or location."
"On Ludo, such an ability would make him into a Godking at the least. He can shaft the sand in places to create hos for us, he can extract precious minerals for us to trade with other continents and he can protect us from threats beneath the sand by forming tight defenses around the settlents."
Shamael clapped his hand, making a set of guards who stood outside the palace open the double doors on either side with a bow as he led Darius and his two Branded Servants in.
"The power of the Desert King is not limited to just this, but there is no need to elaborate further, you get the gist."
Darius nodded. The importance of the Desert King was not lost on him. Krona had gathered little information about Ludo during the ti it had a Desert King because he could sense EVERYTHING on the continent.
The mont one entered the range of the sands, he would sense you. Krona and his spies had often been rebutted from going in, though not rudely.
Apparently, the Desert King was a True Lord level figure.
Darius was participating because he wanted to see if the option to beco a True Lord would be presented him and what exactly it was that made this class of people superior to all others.
"It has been 8,000 years, Lord Stone. Ti has flown and things have degraded. Even those who may have felt rebellious towards an omniscient existence like the Desert King back then would probably cry his na out in pain."
"We are bleeding. We desperately need a replacent, but the world is strict. Only soone who passes the Test of ttle can beco the new Desert King." Shamael explained with a sigh. "If you prove worthy, you won't find any opposition, only support from us."
"In the beginning, you can be sure that we only allowed those who were considered royalty or nobles among us to participate. After centuries of failures, we lowered the requirents to lesser nobles."
"This trend continued and as things beca worse and entire noble families collapsed, what remained decided to open up this option to every Ludoian.
"Alas, none had proven worthy. About a century ago the top brass officially gave up and opened it to everyone." Shamael finished as he gestured to a lavish couch that was big enough for Darius' group.
Darius sat down calmly while Gunner walked to stand behind him protectively with his arms folded behind his back, just like when they were kids. Xela looked left and right with confusion before shuffling over to stand beside Gunner, clutching her staff and wearing a tough expression that only made her look cute rather than nacing.
The room was well decorated and possessed many small windows. The windows were open, allowing one to see the rest of the bustling Central District. The breeze was extrely good up here, and there were various mats laid on the floor with various colorful designs.
There was an incense burner that wasn't lit, probably for opium or so other type of narcotic drug for Shamael to enjoy either with his concubines or important guests.
Seeing as Darius ca here for the Test of ttle, Shamael didn't bother to offer him so. Now was not the ti for such a thing.
"Since you've co here to challenge it, let inform you of the rules and the timing." Shamael began as he got himself comfortable.
"Firstly, the Test of ttle can be entered at any ti by anyone. There is no opening session or ti limit in that regard. There is also no limit to the power of the person that can enter."
"So of those Elysian Gods have tried, only to co out burned." Shamael stated with a hint of disdain.
"Secondly, the Test of ttle is not a combat test or a skill test as far as we can tell. It is, as the na applies, a Test of ttle. Only those with the will to carry on when all else crumbles before them can qualify to beco the Desert King." Shamael buttressed with a stern look.
This did not comfort Darius, but rather made him frown. He understood that it was essentially a test of willpower, but his issue was that how could it be possible for not a single one to have passed out of hundreds of billions of candidates over a span of 8,000 years, especially when even Gods had tried?
Just how tough was it? Darius didn't doubt him having a strong will, but he definitely was not the toughest person out there. He had the will to preserve when things were looking bad, like with Vena bringing him back to life to play like a monkey, but he also had a limit to his will.
There were things he could not endure and lines he would not cross, not to ntion that he had the heart of a rchant. If things were truly not looking good, he knew when to bend his back and wait for an opportune mont to strike, instead of fight back valiantly and charismatically.
This made him unsure if he fit the criteria of the test, but he didn't mind anyway. He was mostly here to see how it worked and if he could qualify. If it failed, he had another way to take over Ludo.... one far less peaceful.
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