As Thorian stepped through the gate, his senses were assaulted by a storm of smells and sounds. Sulfur and what he could only describe as a mix of sweat and urine hit his nose until he almost puked.
Divine World?... hahaha, what a joke.
How is this divine? he thought as he looked around the new area. Tents were pitched across a wide open field. Men of all sizes were bundled around campfires here and there. Each had a collar around their neck and looked as if a single gust of wind could kill them.
Their hollow eyes were fixed on a man standing at the front, reading from a parchment. He had long, flowing black hair and an arrogant arch in his brow. His chin was lifted so high that Thorian wondered how he could even see who he was speaking to. Divine light — which looked completely out of place in this dreary land — flowed around him in waves.
"Tomorrow — chores as usual! No one leaves this floor or completes this trial until you've mined ten thousand stones of Wichita! Now have your slop and get back at it before I have my men beat you again!" he sneered cruelly.
As he turned to leave, he spotted Thorian out of the corner of his eye. "Oh? A competitor made it out of the first floor! It's been a while," he said, striding over with his hands behind his back.
Thorian thought he looked like a peacock. It was kind of funny.
"I'm the Trial Leader of this floor — Maximus. You may go to any tent with an unoccupied cot. You may use it as soon as you've given your weapon to me." His gaze lingered on Thorian's dagger. "Then you may start the second trial."
Thorian clasped the dagger as Maximus spoke. My weapon? It wasn't much use after the battle with the serpent, but it had brought him comfort. Still, it was better to be obedient at the start than to make trouble. He'd craft another one if he had to. He'd done it numerous times in his old life as a hunter.
"You are to bring ten thousand stones of Wichita to this camp to pass this floor. Sounds easy, right? Well — each stone is guarded by a beast. Defeat the beasts and bring the stones; earn your right of passage."
Maximus twirled Thorian's dagger with glee as he studied his face. "Easy, right?"
Thorian couldn't believe his ears. Ten thousand stones? And each guarded by a beast? Would he even live long enough to complete this trial?
He turned toward Maximus again, but the man just laughed. "I always love seeing the looks on your faces after I say that. But I must say, yours isn't the horror I expected." Straightening his robes, he nodded toward the hollow men wandering the camp. "You'll just have to figure it out, like they did."
"Anyway — good luck. No slacking off or my men will beat you. Do it too many times and you're dead. Toodaloo."
Maximus strutted away.
Thorian watched him go, imagining a stick poking out of his arse. The thought made him feel a little better about the whole situation.
He looked around again, took a deep breath, and stepped forward to search the camp for a spare cot. If he was going to do this, he was going to do it properly.
But first — he needed rest.
---
Thorian neared the first "tent." Up close, he saw it was made from something that looked like human skin stitched together over wooden poles. He didn't want to ask. He pushed inside.
All the beds were occupied.
He moved on through the camp. No one stopped him. No one spoke. They simply ate bowls of slop, vanished, and returned with wounds — and a single glowing stone.
He had no idea how they were defeating beasts without weapons, but one day, he intended to find out.
At last, he reached the final tent. This one was different. It wasn't made of skin — it was built of wood and thick vines. From inside, he could actually hear someone speaking.
Thorian froze. A normal voice. It had been so long since he'd heard one, he almost cried. He stepped closer, but before he could enter, a giant of a man appeared, a fireball hovering in his palm.
Thorian stopped instantly.
The man studied him for a moment, then lowered his hand. "You're not one of them," he said, nodding toward the others in the camp.
"No," Thorian replied. "I just got here."
"You can come in," the man said, gesturing toward the entrance. "There's room. You can rest."
Thorian didn't know how he knew what he wanted — but he didn't care. He needed rest.
He stepped through the doorway… and froze.
Inside was an endless green expanse. A small wooden cottage stood in the distance. Animals roamed freely. To the left flowed a gentle river, and to the right stretched orchards as far as the eye could see.
Thorian's jaw dropped. "What is this?" he whispered, his exhaustion forgotten.
The man turned around and smiled.
"Welcome," he said. "To the world of cultivation."
"Cultivation?" Thorian repeated, confused. "I thought this was the Divine World?"
"Ahahaha, yes — this place is the Divine World," the man said, voice dripping with bitter amusement. "But the space you see here was created through cultivation. It's a power that can help you grow stronger — strong enough to pass this floor. Would you like to learn it?"
Thorian hesitated. Why was this man helping him? He opened his mouth to ask, but the man cut him off.
"Don't worry. There's nothing wrong with learning it. I've been trapped on this floor for a very long time, waiting for someone who could comprehend my teachings. Would you be willing to try and become my student? I guarantee you'll pass this trial and move on from this floor. I just need someone to inherit what I've built… before I fade away."
Thorian studied him — this giant who radiated both strength and sorrow. If he's so powerful, why is he still here? he wondered. But even so… he was willing to try anything.
"Alright," Thorian said. "If it helps me pass — I'm ready."
"Haha, not now. Don't be so eager," the man said, laughing softly. "Get some rest. No one will disturb you here — especially not that peacock's men."
Thorian snorted. "Looks like we think the same," he said, chuckling.
He lay down on the empty cot. As his eyes drifted closed, his body finally relaxed. And for the first time since his rebirth, he wasn't afraid.
Maybe this floor wouldn't be so bad after all…