Chapter 593 - 591

Chapter 591

"I’m here to retrieve you, Tribrid. It’s time for your trial. The First Ones await."

"...."

They all exchanged nervous glances as they processed what Edd had just said.

Chloe’s brows furrowed as she fixed her eyes on the Messenger.

"Didn’t you say the trial was scheduled for tomorrow?"

Edd didn’t even spare her a glance, but he replied nonetheless.

"Yes, I said so. And it’s already the next day."

Ray didn’t move from where he stood, his jaws clenched and his hands tightening into fists.

Edd’s eyes seemed to be studying him with the same chilling calmness of someone who could handle whatever came his way.

’And here I thought only a few hours had passed,’ Van mused inwardly, glancing back at Ray for a moment.

"Can we come along?" Raze asked, folding his arms across his chest.

Edd turned towards him, curiosity flickering in his eyes.

"Unfortunately, the First Ones don’t like non-Celestials in their space. I already violated that order when I brought you all here."

"And you expect us to let you take Ray just like that? We demand to accompany you to the trial. We don’t know what tricks you might pull today." Trisha stood her ground.

Her hands tightened around her katana, ready to spring into action should anything happen.

Edd glanced at her, then at her sword, before shaking his head.

"Here I thought you all would have learnt your lesson from threatening me earlier. But for your peace of mind, the Tribrid won’t be killed... yet. He’s simply going to undergo a trial before the powerful Celestials, who will determine what to do with him."

"Even so, we want to be there with him!" Caster barked.

Edd opened his mouth, ready to argue, when a voice suddenly slithered into his mind.

He hesitated for a few moments before letting out a gentle sigh.

"You have all been granted permission. Come on, then."

SNAP!

He didn’t even give them time to process what he’d just said, let alone prepare themselves.

Their visions suddenly swam as a bright light swallowed them whole, dragging them into its depths like a deep abyss.

’I don’t like this at all,’ Ray cursed inwardly, irritated at being yanked away as though he were nothing more than a toy.

Soon, they all vanished from the room.

Every single one of them.

.....

A bright light appeared on a floating platform, where a long, transparent bridge stretched towards a gigantic complex of buildings resting upon a fluffy cloud.

From the depths of the light, Ray, his friends, and Edd stepped out.

"Do-Don’t do that again," Ray growled in a threatening tone as he staggered forward.

Ignoring his discomfort and complaint, Edd began walking towards the building, where an enormous double door stood at the entrance.

"Come on," Edd began, waving his hand towards the door.

A heavy force struck the double doors, pushing them inward and revealing a vast, spacious hall.

"—The First Ones await."

He stepped aside, gesturing towards the hall.

Ray and his friends exchanged brief glances before the Tribrid began walking forward, his friends following closely behind.

His hands slid into his pockets as he walked, his heartbeat steady and his breathing equally calm.

His sharp eyes remained fixed on the hall, his glare sharp enough to make a million needles seem to pierce anyone unfortunate enough to meet it.

The moment he crossed the threshold, a wave of aura, as heavy as a thousand mountains pressing down on him, slammed into Ray, nearly forcing him to stumble backwards.

But he wasn’t going to back down.

Gritting his teeth, he turned his head to see how his group was faring.

They weren’t doing any better. Their breathing had become noticeably ragged, and they looked as though they could collapse at any moment.

The only reason they hadn’t fallen was that Edd stood before them like a shield, absorbing the aura directed their way.

Even then, there was only so much the Messenger could do.

Having spent as long as he could remember in the presence of the First Ones, he had learned to resist their aura to the best of his abilities. Even so, he was still constantly overpowered by them.

And that was him.

Now imagine what a bunch of humans, all looking pale and ready to throw up, had to endure.

Hissing at the situation, Ray felt his anger grow even stronger as he turned his gaze forward.

An announcement rang through the hall the moment he took another step into the room.

[The Tribrid has arrived in the trial room!]

The voice sounded almost mechanical. Almost, almost like his System.

It echoed throughout the hall, reverberating like a voice inside a vast cave.

Ray took another step and continued walking, with Edd following a few paces behind him, using his body to shield Ray’s friends from the overwhelming aura.

The moment the last person stepped into the hall, the double doors began sliding shut behind them, making no sound whatsoever.

Then, with a gentle thud, the doors snapped into place.

Almost immediately, Ray lifted his eyes to take in the full scope of the room.

But his gaze barely had time to wander before a strange, magnetic aura began drawing his attention in a particular direction.

His eyes drifted towards three magnificent thrones, and upon those thrones—

He could feel Elyon’s heartbeat quickening.

The Celestial instinctively shrank backwards, retreating deeper and deeper into the Mindspace as though he were unworthy of even looking upon the faces of the three beings seated before him.

Even Ray felt his breath hitch.

His muscles tightened, and his head began swimming with a dizzying force.

His legs trembled. So did his hands.

’Wh-What’s go-going on?’

His legs began trembling even harder.

’Bu-But I’m not scared, so-so wha—?!’

BAM—!

His knees slammed into the ground with such force that a hairline crack appeared across the beautiful flooring beneath him.

Soon, Edd waved his hand forward, and an invisible force crashed into Ray’s back, propelling him deeper into the hall.

He slid forward on his knees, moving across the polished floor like a plate being pushed across a dinner table, until he finally came to a complete halt in the centre of the hall.

There, he found himself exposed to every gaze in the room... or whatever the Celestials used to see.