Chapter 190: Sword Trial

Elias stepped through the shimmering opening in the red sphere, carrying Monica into the passage beyond it.

The moment they crossed the threshold, the world around them changed, and the pale-white spatial expanse disappeared behind a curtain of crimson light.

He found himself standing beneath a dark sky illuminated by a deep-red glow, while thick crimson fog spread across the ground, rolling in slow waves that concealed whatever lay beneath it.

Approximately a hundred meters away stood a gigantic tower shaped as a jagged sword plunged into the earth. Its towering structure was made of dark rock, and countless crimson cracks ran across its surface, pulsing rhythmically like veins carrying blood through a living body.

This strange space was known as the Realm of Sword Trial, and the towering structure at its center was the Tower of Sword Trial.

After creating an Aura Core, thus reaching the Exalted rank, a swordsman needed more than skill with the sword or the ability to control Aura. Those things were merely the foundation upon which the higher path was built. To advance further, a swordsman needed a heart and will strong enough to remain unshaken in the face of overwhelming adversity, as well as the strength to make others bow before them.

They had to become something greater than they had once been without losing the self that had brought them this far. Their convictions needed to withstand the pressure of the world, and their understanding of themselves had to grow alongside their power.

That was why the Tower of Sword Trial existed.

"What are you thinking?" Monica asked, and her voice echoed through the strange realm before gradually fading into silence.

Elias continued staring at the towering sword-shaped structure, his expression thoughtful.

"I am wondering if I should give it a try," he answered after a brief pause.

Monica’s eyebrows rose, and she shifted in his arms before asking, "Are you sure?" She then looked toward the tower, her curiosity giving way to caution as she added, "It can be dangerous."

Elias didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he carefully lowered her to the ground, allowing her boots to settle into the crimson fog before turning his attention back toward the tower.

A swordsman could attempt a trial whenever they wanted, but doing so before they were ready carried considerable risks.

Failure could cause cracks to form in their Aura Core, and in more severe cases, the entire core might shatter. If that happened, the swordsman would lose their path and become Pathless, deprived of the very foundation upon which their strength had been built.

For that reason, most swordsmen waited for the call rather than entering the tower on a whim.

The call was a peculiar sensation that arose from within the Aura Core, as though the core itself had begun pulling at its owner, urging them to enter the tower. When that feeling appeared, it meant the swordsman had reached a point where they possessed a high chance of passing the trial.

However, even the call wasn’t a guarantee of success.

"I am not," Elias finally mumbled.

He had considered entering the tower, and the thought remained tempting even as he acknowledged the danger. Nevertheless, he wasn’t going to act recklessly.

He had no idea what awaited him inside, nor was he confident that he possessed the mental fortitude necessary to overcome whatever challenge the tower might present.

Although he had awakened his Aura Core and made considerable progress along the path of the sword, that didn’t mean he was ready to face a trial designed to test the very foundation of a swordsman’s existence.

More importantly, he had responsibilities that he couldn’t afford to neglect.

With the spatial rift in Kilmir already having reached its second stage, the city was in a dangerous state, and monsters could emerge from the rift at any moment.

If he entered a trial and suffered severe injuries, he might be left unable to use his Aura for days or even weeks, which would place both himself and the people under his protection in a precarious position.

His three wives were still in the manor, and he also had Benjamin and the other servants to consider. He couldn’t afford to leave them vulnerable.

Then there was Berlic.

The City Lord hadn’t made any obvious moves yet, but Elias doubted that the man would remain quiet for long. Sooner or later, Berlic would learn what had happened to his subordinates, and when that time came, Elias needed to be prepared.

Unfortunately, getting rid of Berlic wasn’t as simple as defeating him in a fight.

Elias knew what sort of person the City Lord truly was, but the citizens of Kilmir didn’t.

To them, Berlic was a benevolent ruler who had increased taxes on the wealthy to provide greater support for the poor. He had also established a relief order soon after taking the seat, encouraging the people to work together to defend their city against the growing threat of the spatial rift.

Those actions had earned him considerable trust, and the public image he had cultivated made it difficult for Elias to move against him without risking the support of the entire city.

Elias himself wasn’t particularly well known for his personality or achievements outside swordsmanship, and most people still regarded him as an Adept. In comparison, Berlic possessed the authority of the City Lord and the reputation of someone who had supposedly worked for the city’s benefit.

Naturally, the citizens were far more inclined to trust Berlic than they were to trust Elias.

If Elias had been alone, he might have been willing to disregard their opinions and deal with the consequences afterward.

However, he had three wives, a butler, and three servants who depended on him, so he couldn’t make decisions that could put them in danger.

Before he could finally leave Kilmir, he needed to consider every move carefully and make sure that none of his actions placed his family in unnecessary danger.

"Why are you spacing out again?" Monica muttered, tugging lightly at his sleeve.

Elias blinked and shifted his gaze away from the tower, looking down at her with a faint smile.

"Just thinking," he replied before asking, "So, have you found anything useful?"

"I have not even started yet," Monica answered, giving him a deadpan stare before lowering her eyes toward the crimson fog covering the ground.

Elias followed her gaze, his eyebrows drawing together as he examined the Aura drifting through the realm.

Although it appeared as a dense fog, the energy surrounding them was still his own Tier IV Aura, and he could sense its presence throughout the space.

"What are you waiting for?" he asked.

Monica slowly raised her head and stared at him as though he had just asked the most ridiculous question imaginable.

"Shut up," she muttered before turning away.

The familiar symbol of three diamonds and a crescent appeared faintly on her forehead, while a thin golden ring emerged within her blue eyes.

With her Heavenly Arcane Comprehension fully engaged, she began examining the crimson Aura, studying its properties and comparing what she observed with her extensive understanding of Mana.

Her attention moved from the fog drifting along the ground to the strange environment itself. She attempted to distinguish the Aura’s fundamental properties, hoping that a clearer understanding of one might help her explain the other.

Monica had already discovered that Aura could be arranged into complex structures within Stella’s Auracle, even though conventional arcane principles suggested that such formations shouldn’t be possible.

Now that she had access to Elias’s Aura Core, she hoped to uncover more clues about the relationship between Aura and Mana, which might eventually allow her to reproduce some of those structures through magic.

Elias watched her work for a moment with eyes full of amusement. Then he suddenly furrowed his brows and said, "I will be back soon."

Monica abruptly looked toward him. "Huh? What?"

Elias didn’t answer. His spiritual body simply remained standing before her like a statue.

Monica stared at him with a deepening frown, waiting for him to explain himself, but when he remained still, she gradually realized that his consciousness had likely returned to his physical body.

Her frown disappeared, and a mischievous smile slowly spread across her face as she looked at the motionless figure.

"Leaving me alone in such an interesting place, are you?" she mumbled, folding her arms across her chest as her gaze lowered. "Fine. I suppose I will just have to investigate everything myself."

Meanwhile, Elias opened his eyes and returned to the physical world.

The first thing he noticed was Young Stella, who had fallen asleep in the chair beside Monica’s bed.

Her crimson hair spilled across the backrest, and her head had tilted slightly to one side as she slept peacefully.

However, he hadn’t returned because of her.

Standing beside Stella’s chair was the younger woman with crimson wolf-cut hair, whose presence he could now perceive through the three-branched connection he had established with Stella.

Elias turned toward her and offered a gentle smile.

"Hello, Stella. What do you want to talk about?" he greeted her.