The announcent ca suddenly. All ten great werewolf clans received a direct order from their king that each clan must host an inter-clan competition within one month to identify their five most promising warriors under the age of one hundred. Those selected would earn the right to enter the Trial of Yggdrasil.
The news spread like wildfire. Youths across the clans erupted in excitent, preparing fervently for the competition. The clans themselves were pleased, grateful for the unexpected opportunity. But one clause in the decree stood out... one that caused far more concern than celebration.
The king’s order specified that the heirs of each of the ten great clans who had not yet undertaken the Trial were required to participate, alongside their clansn.
As it turned out, only five heirs among the ten had successfully completed the Trial and beco ascendants. The remaining five, for various reasons... be it youth, circumstance, or unpreparedness... had not yet entered. Now, they would have no choice.
When Eleanor heard the news, her mood turned grave. The shock was beyond anything she had expected. Knowing what this ant for Eleanor, Fiona ca in person to deliver the news.
"Grandma," Eleanor said, her voice trembling, "how can I leave Freya for so long? I’ve heard there can be casualties during the Trial. If soone dies in there, they’re gone forever. My Freya is still a child. How can I put her through such uncertainty?"
"I’m just as worried as you are," Fiona said softly. "I’ve spoken with the other clan heads. You may be the youngest of the heirs, but many believe you’re also the strongest. Everyone is concerned, but for reasons we don’t yet know, the king is resolute. He’s going through with it. And if soone misses this chance, I fear the next opportunity for ascendance won’t co for another two to three hundred years."
Eleanor’s brow furrowed. "Why now? Why such a sudden order? Do you know anything?"
"The king hasn’t explained," Fiona replied. "But he visited Yggdrasil a few days ago. After returning, he sent this order out. I’ve also heard that other supernatural races were given quotas for the Trial. You have friends among them... you could ask around for more details."
Eleanor looked thoughtful. "I wonder what happened. Are we at risk?"
"I heard rumours while speaking with others," Fiona said. "There is a war ongoing in Molgrath, you know... the other world. I think Yggdrasil intends to send reinforcents there, and that’s why this Trial is being rushed."
"But newly ascended warriors wouldn’t be strong enough to fight in such a war," Eleanor countered. "It sounds reckless. So of the beings in those realms far exceed ascendant level, don’t they?"
"You’re misunderstanding," Fiona corrected her. "Yggdrasil may send powerful ascendants to that war. But their departure would leave a vacuum on Earth. The newly ascended heirs would fill that void and maintain balance."
Eleanor fell silent for a mont. "So, there’s no way to avoid this Trial. Can’t you talk to the king? Maybe convince him to delay the process a few years? After ten years, Freya will be fifteen. I’d be ready then. But right now... it’s too risky. And even if I survive, how will she manage a month without hearing from ?"
"It’s not just a month," Fiona said gently. "You’ll be away for at least three. The first two months will be spent at the academy, training under the fairies and dragons. Only after that will you be permitted to enter the Trial."
Eleanor’s eyes widened. "Three months? Can I at least contact Freya during training?"
"It’s similar to a human military academy," Fiona explained. "You’ll have limited contact. One day off each week... you can leave the academy on that day and speak with the outside world."
"That’s... better than nothing, I suppose," Eleanor sighed. "But I don’t know much about the academy or the Trial itself. Can you explain?"
"The academy is fairly straightforward," Fiona said. "Yggdrasil sends a maximum of fifty participants at a ti for the Trial. Usually, each batch trains at the academy first. Those who pass the training phase are allowed to enter the Trial. Those who fail get one more chance in the next batch. Everyone is given only two attempts. If they fail both tis, they lose the chance to beco ascendants."
"I wanted to know what the training involves," Eleanor clarified.
"It’s nothing you can’t handle," Fiona said reassuringly. "No mber of the Raynor clan has ever failed. The academy involves a lot of reading and acquiring knowledge about the Trial and the other worlds. And we Raynors excel in academics. There’s also so physical training, but it’s comparable to the combat regin in our clan. Nothing extre."
"What about the Trial itself?" Eleanor asked.
"It’s different for everyone," Fiona explained. "Before the Trial, Yggdrasil will mark you and teleport you to a world called Vanaheim. That realm is saturated with magical and spiritual energy. Its terrain mirrors Earth... lush forests, vast deserts, icy regions, and boundless oceans. But there will be no humans or other supernatural races from Earth. Although there are so local inhabitants, they are more or less mindless creatures. Yggdrasil’s teleportation is always random. You’re guaranteed to reach Vanaheim, but which region you appear in depends on your elental affinity."
She paused, then continued, "Each region cos with its own strengths and risks. Once there, you must survive for a month and gather as many resources as possible. These resources will form the foundation of your ascension. After a month, Yggdrasil’s mark activates and brings you back to Earth automatically."
Eleanor frowned. "How can soone beco an ascendant just by surviving there for a month?"
"In the academy," Fiona said, "you’ll be taught different cultivation techniques, as well as the experiences of powerful ascendants who ca before. You’ll study books on core developnt and energy transformation. So recent batches even experienced simulated ascension through virtual reality. Once you’re in Vanaheim, you’ll know what to do."
"What technique should I choose?" Eleanor asked.
"When you arrive in Vanaheim," Fiona said, "your primary task will be to find a temple of the Forgotten Goddess. These temples are scattered all over... sotis in ruined cities, sotis as lone structures in deserts, islands, or caves. It’s said that the temples are the true reason for the randomized teleportation."
Seeing Eleanor’s interest in the topic, she added, "Each temple contains a trial. Everyone faces a different challenge, even at the sa temple. The greater the difficulty, the better the reward. Those who complete the trial receive a unique cultivation technique engraved directly into their minds."
"What about the techniques taught at the academy?" Eleanor asked.
"Those are a backup," Fiona replied. "So people have died previously without ever finding a temple. That happens when soone ends up on an isolated island or deep in the desert. After teleportation, you have only seven days to begin cultivation. Otherwise, you’ll die. Our Earthly bodies can retain full strength in Vanaheim for just three days. After that, your strength fades quickly. By the seventh day, you’ll be too weak to move. By the tenth, you’ll perish."
She paused, then continued, "To prevent this, the academy teaches everyone a basic cultivation technique. It’s easy to learn and lets you survive, but its potential is limited. To beco a powerful ascendant, you must find your own technique."
"Who is the Forgotten Goddess?" Eleanor asked. "Why are her temples giving out these techniques?"
"We only know what we’ve seen from the statues," Fiona said. "Each one depicts the sa goddess, but no one rembers her na. When soone touches her feet in reverence, the trial begins. It lasts three days. If you pass, a unique technique appears in your mind. If you fail... you die. That’s all we know."
"From the beginning, countless ascendants have passed through these temples, but none rember the goddess’s na. So, we call her the Forgotten Goddess. Even Yggdrasil hasn’t explained who she is or how this works. We only know the basics."
Eleanor asked, "Is Vanaheim in the sa world where many of our ancestors now reside?"
"No," Fiona shook her head. "Vanaheim is another world. It serves more as a base camp. It’s ideal for forming a core and achieving ascendance, but it’s not ant for long-term habitation. The spiritual energy there is rich, but strangely, nothing edible exists. Everything acts like poison in our bodies. Water there looks the sa as the Earth, but still acts like poison in us."
"That’s why the key is to create your core as soon as possible. Once you do, you can survive by absorbing Vanaheim’s rich spiritual energy directly. Still, that world has limitations. No one can progress beyond the core ascendant stage there. Even the native beasts and creatures are limited to that level. So, it’s best to leave as soon as you reach ascendance."
After hearing this, Eleanor fell silent. A storm of uncertainty swirled within her. She didn’t know what to do... how could she explain to Freya that she would have to leave for such a long ti? The thought alone felt like a betrayal. How could she prepare a child so young to face weeks of absence, without breaking her heart?
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