SL Chapter 11 Test


    "Cowards, and those who are prepared to flee at the slightest of disturbances aren''t needed in my guard detail. After all, you might need to face Crystal stage Spirit Lords at any time."


    Eric felt a shift at the words ''Crystal stage.'' Though he knew about the existence of Spirit Lords, there were many things he still had no idea about. But, through those who knew, he could see the fear. Even the man in the stripped suit had shown a reaction at that.


    "It looks like we will have to stake our very lives." Nonchalantly commented Madam Selena.


    "How could you be so casual about that?" Whispered a rattled Eric.


    "I have lived and accomplished most of the things I wanted."


    "Iris! You can start weeding them out." the boss lady''s words brought a palpable tension to the room.


    Then he felt something before even seeing it. A primal fear enveloped him, as if something malevolent had set its sights upon him. Iris, the woman beside the boss lady, had at some unknown point, taken centre stage, and a dark fog was lingering upon her left shoulder. It thickened until something, two points of Crimson appeared within it. They were two pupils with an emotionless gaze. Just a mere glance was enough to enduce chills within him.


    ''Is that a beast!? Did she just summon it? I have always known that Spirit Lords possessed some esoteric abilities, but this, this thing is radiating pure evil!'' he thought.


    Someone stumbled, attracting his gaze. He had fallen onto the ground with his eyes widened in horror. No one was safe from that aura, even the stripped suited guy. Though, his appearance was atleast more composed, with only the knitting of his brows.


    "Whatever you feel, or about to see, don''t take a step back! Stay standing, and keep your back straight! If I am not mistaken, this is going to be the trial! You will be eliminated should you fail!" Exhorted the old lady. Eric could feel her palm upon his back, steadying him.


    He nodded before taking a deep breath to calm his high strung nerves. Then, he stood straight and started conjuring the reasons as to why he needed to pass this test. First of all, he had already spent half his savings, meaning that, should he fail here, he would have to partake in extreme measures. Second, there was the duty of revenge. Though his emotions, like anguish and rage had somewhat dulled, his clansmen still needed to be avenged, most especially his parents!


    His eyes lit up with a glow as he reached that thought. He channeled some of the rage, fear and other emotions into himself, dispersing the terror that had threatened to take hold.


    The black fog around the creature was partially dismissed, giving a glimpse into its form, which was humanoid, akin to a monkey, yet with pitch black fur. Eric likened it to a holographic Projection of a fantasy creature, making it discongruent with reality itself. A vertical scar rested in the middle of its Forehead, right above and between its two crimson pupils. It was most definitely a slit for a third eye. Eric had read and watched too much fantasy to fail in noticing such a tiny detail.


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    "Nkima, Attack!" Iris, the woman upon whom the creature rested, ordered, almost causing Eric to leap out of the room, but with a clenched jaw, he held his ground. But, around him, and the old woman, chaos prevailed, with many people trying to outrun each other towards the only exit of the room. There were also those who became paralyzed with terror, those who peed themselves, and those who fainted outright.


    Eric had never witnessed such a visceral manifestation of fear and terror before. It was like an artist in a higher dimension had decided to portray their understanding of the two emotions and cast them into this dimension of his reality. And Eric, as a spectator saw the ugliness of humanity in full bloom. There were those that stepped onto others while, there were also those that pulled those infront of them behind themselves, trying to use them as a means of slowing down the attack.


    Then, with a seemingly lazy wave, darkness crested towards everyone in the form of a blade, adding to the chaos. Eric saw it slice past the one in front of him, collapsing them as if they were a puppet with their strings severed. His teeth clattered as terror enveloped him, evaporating much of the resolve he had gathered. Yet, when the thought developed of him wanting to run, his body denied him. The feet didn''t move a muscle! It was like they had become glued to the floor! Panic took over him, as he realized that death was right before him!


    Then, everything vanished, and his eyes blurred before he found himself still in the same position, with everyone else still standing, as if everything from before had been an illusion, yet everyone''s faces were painted with terror, with some even slumping into their seats.


    "This was too exhilarating even for an old woman like myself!" Exclaimed madam Selena while plopping down and rubbing her chest. Even though she appeared composed, beads of sweat had accumulated upon her brows. Within what he now termed as an illusion, he had been so caught up that he hadn''t even glanced towards the old woman even once.


    When he directed his eyes to the front, the woman named Iris was still standing within the middle, yet the creature and the darkness were knowhere to be seen, as if they had been mere illusions, yet, Eric had a feeling that the creature had been real.


    "We now have an inkling as to who has the greatest of wills, and those who don''t. When I call out your name, come here close to us." Iris said before mentioning seven names, all in one breath.


    Eric''s heart rate sped up the moment he heard his name. Excitement coursed through him, pushing away all the terror within his system.


    " Thank you, Madam Selena! Thank you!" He said upon turning towards his benefactor, whose name had also been mentioned.


    "Nah! Most of the credit goes to you, young lad. AlI did was give you a reminder."


    A few minutes later, Eric was standing among the other six, feeling as if he was floating. He hadn''t known that being chosen could have been so liberating, so exhilarating, so exciting! His cells were practically bursting with joy. He even had an illusion that he would be dancing on the spot if it weren''t for the fact that he would have been likened to an idiot.


    So, instead, he opted to gaze at those that would be his teammates. The stripped suited man had been chosen too. There was the granny, him, the stripped suited man, and four others, three women and a man. Though, before he could take note of anything more about them, he felt a gaze that caused him to snap to attention.


    That woman, Iris, was looking straight at him, as if she wanted to see through every single cell within his body and every single thought within his mind.  His heart rate sped up, and he felt his palms becoming sweaty. He was even wondering whether he had done anything that made him suspicious in the near past.


    When the gaze moved from him, a breath of relief was released.


    "It will be better if you don''t slight that young woman in the future."


    "Why would I do that, madam Selena? I still value my life, besides..." Eric stole a glance at the boss lady, the exotic creature that could elicit his heart into running a thousand miles a minute. She was simply that beautiful. A goddess among the mundane.


    "The rest of you can leave."


    When she said that, there was some grumbling before a hand was raised up from among the crowd. Eric, who had turned his head, saw that it was a petit woman.


    "What?" Iris asked with irritation thick in her voice. It looked like she didn''t love being interrupted, yet was accommodating enough to allow a question.


    "Can I please have another chance? I really really need this. If- if I don''t become a Spirit Lord, it will be the end of me."


    Eric resonated with her tears. He asked himself whether he would have acted like her should he have been refused.


    "Many people have their own circumstances, but as they say, there is always a single chance. If you fail to grasp it, that''s the end."


    "But I wasn''t prepared! I am certain that I can pass if given another chance!"


    "Right now, you are wasting my time. Death doesn''t give second chances. All of you, leave!"


    A powerful aura weighed upon not just Eric, but everyone in the room after those words. He felt suffocated, as if he had been plunged within the depths of the ocean.