Hunched over in the dining hall, Aaron swirled his finger around the edge of his cup. He needed to take a short break after his previous trial. Unfortunately, a few drinks didnât work to take his mind off something like they once did. He could probably down a few dozen beers before he got a good buzz now, and he didnât have time for that.
However, it wasnât all bad. It turned out that he had only spent about an hour in the trial. Once he had gotten over the shock of it all, he had feared draining all his remaining trial time, so when Talia had looked surprised as he told her he had finished the trial stage, he was greatly relieved.
He also received a Waypoint, which was a very fascinating item, but from the sounds of it, it was completely useless to him. It was a unique item only usable for Tutorial takers.
He didn't know anybody from his Tutorial. Heck, he didnât even know who was in his Tutorial. And so transporting himself to the same place seemed entirely redundant. But perhaps he could trade it with someone else.
She was looking at him now from across the table as Voidrin nudged her with his elbow.
Sheâs gonna make me talk, isnât she?
Aaron groaned internally. For the most part, he would consider himself a fairly modern guy⊠except when it came to opening up. He sucked at that.
So, instead of giving in, he dived into the food he had. Sooty had stocked up on a few low-grade soul-strengthening ingredients he had cooked up, and he happily chowed down about half of them, pocketed the rest for Clem, and had potential for other trades.
âYou okay?â Talia said, struggling to keep Aaron's gaze as he ate like an escaped bear.
She had spotted him looking gloomy in the hallway and followed him to the dining hall. Voidrin had then spotted the two of them and joined them. He was between trials and seemed to be looking for an audience for his dumb jokes, which wasnât unusual.
âCâmon, that was funny,â he said, nudging Talia.
âHa-ha. Hilarious.â
âFine,â Voidrin slumped. âWhat about you, eight eyes?â he continued, turning to a humanoid spider thing eating beside them.
âVon tell a joke?â The spider said. âMein kind are not known for the comedies.â
âOhoh, all you need to do is listen, little buddy,â Voidrin wrapped an arm around the spider and started yapping.
âSo?â Talia craned over the table, trying to secure Aaronâs elusive gaze. âWhat could possibly have happened to cause the Great Aaron Dober to look so down?â
âItâs nothing, really. Iâm fine. I just needed a little time for reflection, thatâs all. The ninth stage of the Trial of Endurance is a real mind fuck,â he sighed and took another drink.
âIt was that bad?â
âWell⊠maybe itâll be different for you. Also, itâs me, Talia. A little self-reflection isnât going to stop me from smashing my head against the trials and dying an absurd amount of times. In fact, maybe this is good for me.â
She nodded soberly, but didnât look entirely convinced.
âHey!â Elmira called, interrupting the conversation and running over. âI got that meeting for you. Pentival swears he isnât going around telling anybody about your Skills. And not because you asked, he calls it chivalry. Iâm not sure if that concept exists in your world, but it's like an honor thing. However, like I said, he still wants to speak with you again. Thinks you got off on the wrong foot.â
âElmira.â
âYeah, I know. But hear him out. Heâs not this tyrant you think he is. Heâs an arrogant asshole who thinks he knows better than everyone else. But thatâs kind of what life has taught him. He conquered a world, and has been proven right a lot.â
Aaron remembered a story she had told him between trials only a few days prior. Elmira had explained how their world was ravaged by constant war, and none of the nations could work together. The wars had devastated their world, leaving it fractured and divided.
It wasnât until Pentival rose to power that things started to change. He had used an iron fist to unite several small, bickering kingdoms. But it wasnât just warfare that he employed. A combination of scheming politics, ruthless diplomacy, and careful maneuvering had allowed him to outplay his rivals.
Before long, he had taken over a backwater town and made it the capital of the predominant power in their world. But he didnât stop there; he kept going until he brought the entire world under his rule.
But what really fascinated him was that after all his hard work, bending empires and kingdoms to their knees, he disappeared.
It wasnât quite that abrupt in reality. Pentival first built up powerful institutions, and made sure that the united empire wasnât a house of cards. Then, once everything was in line, he stepped away, turning it into a grand republic that stretched across the entire planet.
Sadly, that was only a couple of years before the integration. And Aaron had to admit, putting all that effort into uniting an entire world just to have it all fucked up by the System a couple of years later was probably enough to drive anybody a little mad. And so he couldnât totally blame him for having an attitude.
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Elmira had explained how she hadnât believed her eyes when she first met him in the Tutorial, and despite his infamous abrasiveness, she gave him a chance. Not because she wanted to bow to somebody, but because she knew who he was and his history. And more importantly, what he was capable of.
It was a fascinating story, but Aaron still had his reservations. The guy had basically ordered everyone to join his empire and declared himself the ruler of the entire sector. It was a bit much, and he struggled to get over the absurdity of it all.
Even if Pentival's end goal was to form some kind of democratic republic and step away from power, he still wasnât entirely sure he was ready to trust someone who was essentially an alien, even if they were technically human.
Also, if Aaron was being completely honest, he struggled to see how any form of legitimate democracy would even work. It had been a struggle even before the integration, and adding a wide variety of alien races and superpowers was likely to completely turn the concept on its head.
That said, he couldnât allow his stubbornness to get in the way of making amends with someone who potentially had great influence in their sector. After all, his secrets were also at risk, even if Pentival was bound to some concept of chivalry.
Especially since Mal and his boys had been easy to talk to, Aaron liked the guy. He was a decent bloke and easy to talk to. He had basically just told Mal why he didnât want him talking about his powers, and the guy threw out his hand.
It was one of those real, honest handshakes. The kind you get from one of those smily chaps whoâs been on the tools their entire life, and you just know they take it seriously.
So, it seemed that his secrets were as well kept as was in his power. And so, he had to decide whether or not he wanted to speak with Pentival for other reasons.
With a reluctant sigh, he nodded and agreed to the meeting.
âGood. Iâll let him know. For some reason, he really wanted to do the next stage of the Trial of Companionship with you. Heâll be stoked that you agreed. Pity we canât have a threesome.â
âWait, you never mentioned doing a trial with him!â
âI didnât?â Elmira tapped her lip, but Aaron saw through the feigned ignorance.
âYou, you did this on purpose!â
âOh, come on, Aaron. Heâs not so bad, and itâs not like Iâm asking you to be his friend. Besides, he has already seen what youâre capable of. Just hear him out, and then you can move on and make whatever decisions you want. You did ask me to talk to him for you, didnât you? Well, I did,â she crossed her arms. âAnd now itâs your turn to do something for me!â
âFine, fine,â Aaron sighed. âI guess Iâm doing a trial with Pentival, the wannabe emperor."
Elmira led them to Pentival. There was a group formed around them, and apparently, there had been a few people in the trials who had actually come around to his way of thinking and had formed agreements with him.
Aaron wasnât entirely sure if they had subjugated themselves to him or formed alliances. Perhaps Pentival had reworked his speech a little to be more accommodating, after all, everyone here was a top talent, at least within their respective Tutorials. It was unlikely he was going to find many willing to just bow.
His followers formed a circle around them as Pentival strolled up to Aaron and extended a hand.
Aaron eyed him suspiciously, but took it.
âIâve been waiting for this. I realize I didnât give you the proper credit you deserve when we first met. But Iâve come to realize that you are quite an impressive person, Aaron Dober. Please, speak with me. Iâm sure we can find common ground.â
âIâm all ears.â
He was going to have to do his best impression as a diplomat, because Aaron's suspicions were still running as high as ever. Going from would-be emperor to this much ass kissing was a bit too much, and he had never trusted politicians to begin with. And that was exactly the personality archetype that Pentival radiated.
But he wasnât an idiot. Pentival immediately took notice of the defensive expression.
âPlease, Aaron. I understand that you might not trust me, but at least keep an open mind to what I have to say.â
âSure, Iâll do my best.â
âGood,â Pentival smiled. âSee, I have come to a realization that perhaps one power canât dominate the entire sector, let alone the universe, as my nation once did on my old world. But that isnât to say that peace canât be found. You know, I spoke to one from your world. A Johan Svensson. He has some interesting ideas. I believe we can work together. But I have a feeling youâre going to play a more important role in all of this than some currently realize.â
âYou like that guy?â Aaron said, trying not to sound too obviously distrustful of him.
âOh?â Pentivalâs brow perked. âSo, youâve seen it too, have you? Yes, youâre right to be wary of that man. I canât say I know exactly what he has planned. But his insistence on signing contracts sent a chill down my spine. But perhaps here isnât the best place to speak about it? He has a decent number of followers in here, and Iâm not sure my people recognize them all. Shall we?â He continued, turning and pointing toward the trial dial.
âMight as well,â Aaron shrugged and walked beside the man.
Well, if nothing else came from their little chat, at least he would knock out another trial, and perhaps learn a little more about Johan.
Dammit. I was really looking forward to finishing the final stage of the Trial of Endurance. I hope this one is quick.
âAfter you,â Pentival said, gesturing Aaron toward the dial.
The leader had a couple of his people in line holding a spot for them. Aaron didnât like the idea of line hopping unless people did it voluntarily, which might have seemed silly to some since he literally went around beating things to death, but it was in his blood. Line skipping wasnât cool in Aaronâs eyes. But the guys holding their spots stepped out and went back to the end. So it wasnât like they were affecting anybody.
Glancing back at Pentival once more before stepping up to the dial, he did a quick inspect. He had checked the guy out briefly when he arrived, but checking again didnât hurt.
Pentival Mortheim [ Level 87 ]
Titles: [
Sector Lieutenant ] [ Tutorial Unifier ]
Sector Lieutenant? Iâm fairly certain thatâs newâŠ
The title was a curious one. Mostly because Pentival didnât control the sector, and Lieutenant was indicative that he wasnât the top dog, he also remembered that the rank was linked to dominions in the multiverse.
Had Pentival started working for somebody else since arriving in the trials? And if so, they were probably a god, since those were the only people capable of talking to them here.
Okay, that makes things a little more interesting.
âAlright, letâs do this,â Aaron said, and they both slapped down on the dial.
In a flash, they were dragged to another world and found themselves riding atop a two-headed dragon, with reins in their hands.
Aaron looked across at Pentival. Each of them appeared to be in control of one of the dragonâs heads. And below them looked like some kind of mine, with countless little tunnel entrances.
This looks interesting.