"You are quite the emotional one, aren’t you?" Adam couldn’t help but comnt as Alex once again found himself in the land filled with vitality and nature’s beauty.
Letting out a sigh, Alex intoned. "Didn’t know you were spying on ."
"I have my ways." Adam cryptically replied, causing Alex to furrow his brows.
Was Adam really spying on him?
Before he could deem it fit to ask, Adam remarked. "I’m guessing you are here to demand to start the next trial."
"You read minds as well?... How wonderful."
Chuckling softly, Adam continued. "Though I’d rather you give it a rest for the ti being... ti is not on our side."
"Hmm?" Raising a brow, Alex inquired. "What do you an by that?"
"There are things that could kill you the mont you know about them, do you understand?" Adam replied, half in jest and half in warning, leaving Alex to glean whatever he could from his words.
Unfortunately, the aning he grasped hardly ant anything reasonable and so Alex was forced to discard the thought as he focused on why he’d co in the first place.
"Based on your statent, I’m guessing I can carry out the trial for the 4th Lock now, right?"
"Indeed, you can. Be grateful."
"I’d rather not."
Ignoring Alex’s response, Adam began. "Now then, the 4th Lock is different from the previous Locks as it serves as a checkpoint in a sense before you reach the second phase."
"What does that an?"
"It ans for the 4th Lock trial, you have three paths before you. You can choose any one of them and as long as you complete it, it would mark your ascent to the 4th Lock."
"I get to choose?" Alex inquired to be clear with Adam nodding as he added.
"Now then, I shall give you your options; Firstly, go far and wide, across the land, above the seas and under the skies, a place untouched by man, undiscovered by the people and with the potential for growth. Find such a place and you shall earn your due."
Alex furrowed his brows, slightly perplexed by Adam’s rather poetic ans of passing across the trial.
Though easy to understand, it was quite peculiar, causing him to wonder why that was so.
Regardless, he paid close attention as Adam continued. "Secondly, the age of steam has brought forth nurous possibilities for mankind with machinery once unknown created in a bid to push civilization forward. Create a device unlike any in existence with its sole purpose being to advance civilization one step further.
"Lastly, a man who chases knowledge for the sole purpose of advancing mankind can only be regarded as a hero as knowledge isn’t always safe and can lead to unsavory consequences. Thus, you must chase knowledge as well, chase it, capture it, and present it to the world. Beware though that only knowledge that advances civilization will be accepted, knowledge that leads to ruin would lead to your death."
Smiling widely, Adam calmly inquired. "Now then, which path shall you take?"
Alex hesitated, as he pondered his options.
He had to ensure that the path he would take wouldn’t derail him too much as he was well aware of how trials could take years to complete if one was ill-suited for it.
Seconds ticked by as Alex remained silent, stroking his chin with his head down while Adam indulged in a red apple, a knowing smile on his lips.
Soon enough, Alex raised his head to regard Adam once again, and the latter imdiately remarked. "Oh, made your choice already?"
"No, but... before I do that, I wish to ask for a favor."
"Oh, go ahead."
"Sa as last ti, I wish to be able to create two Abilities in advance, the rest can be allowed after I complete..."
"No." Adam pointedly replied, cutting Alex off.
Pursing his lips, Alex inquired. "Why though?"
"Last ti, you had a legitimate reason to broker a deal with . Now?... Now I see no reason to do sothing I’d normally not do."
Alex hesitated for a mont, quickly realizing that Adam did have a point.
However, that didn’t an he planned to let it go like that.
The Abilities he had in mind would be required in his subjugation of the Supre Order.
So, after a prolonged silence, Alex remarked. "Then how about this?... You make the choice for in return for giving what I want."
Adam’s eyes flickered for a mont as he questioned. "Are you serious?"
"Of course."
"You’re the first to propose such a thing to ."
"Well, I believe you wouldn’t want to waste too much ti before I can carry out the task you spoke about when we first t," Alex explained before calmly adding. "Right?"
"... I see," Adam muttered thoughtfully as he quickly saw through what Alex was playing at.
Though upset that he was being played, Adam grew slightly amused at the thought and so with a smile playing on his lips, he replied. "Fine then, I accept."
"Wonderful. That ans we have a deal." Alex said with a smile of his own as though Adam had caught him out, it was difficult for him to make his way out of it.
His plan was simple; Adam was clearly in a hurry to do sothing which was why he had allowed Alex to continue with the Human Wheel ascension despite being an error.
Adding that knowledge to what Adam had just said about not having ti, Alex could deduce two things.
Firstly, Adam was short of ti for reasons unknown and so wouldn’t wish for Alex to waste his ti with one trial and secondly, he wouldn’t push Alex towards dangerous regions, after all, when next would an error appear before him?
It was already quite clear to Alex that, unlike previous eras, the Human Wheel was having issues, issues which were possibly responsible for why Adam ended up deciding to make a deal with him on their first eting.
So he’d have no choice, especially in such a scenario when there were three options, but to pick the trial that would not only be safe but also take less ti to complete.
’Perhaps try not to show too much of your interest in a person next ti.’ Alex mused inwardly before addressing Adam.
"So tell ," Alex said. "What trial am I carrying out?"
Silence persisted for a bit longer before Adam let out a sigh. "You’re good."
"Hmm?"
"Hah, never mind. Perform the third trial."
"And here I was about to pick the first."
"Just get out of my sight," Adam said as he spirited Alex back to the mortal world.
Biting into his red apple, Adam muttered in vague amusent. "Sly bastard."
***
/Few hours later/
The great dark hall lit up by starlight with towering pillars and a black lake was once again occupied by the mbers of Constellations, each one in the seats they’d taken during their inauguration, shrouded in black and white veils.
Currently, at the back of each seat, the constellation sign each person was nad after was etched in a rather vivid manner, a result of Ana’s tinkering.
Sighing helplessly at the new additions to the chairs, Alex calmly intoned with his voice booming in the great hall. "Let’s begin."
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