The Evernon Saga - The Journey Of Ascension, A Struggle For Godhood.

8 days before the Royal Army selection tests...

"Alright lad, let's stop here. You look like you're about to pass out on your feet." chided Joseph as he put an end to his sparring with William.

"Ugh, y-yes Captain, I'm a little bit low on Mana at the moment." g.r.o.a.n.e.d William as his Aura dispersed and he sat down on a rock.

Joseph closed his eyes, scowling slightly as he massaged his temples, mumbling to himself.

"It's just as I thought, even if his Aura is fire-aspected, there is some kind of innate 'burning' quality...to think he could even slightly burn MY Mana?"

Joseph took out his already-stuffed pipe and lit it. Soon, a lone stream of smoke began to drift off serenely.

William happened to be sitting on a rock that was next to a standing Magnar. William looked at Joseph, with a few questions on his mind. However, he did not know if he should ask them. He turned to Magnar, and noticing that he was also deep in thought, gestured him over. After some mutual whispering and glancing at Joseph, they both nodded, determination visible in their eyes.

"C-captain?..." William began.

"Aye?, and why are you two so nervous?" replied Joseph.

"The thing is, Magnar and I, we've been wondering...what Level and Tier you are."

Joseph stared at them blankly it silence.

"That's all?!" exclaimed Joseph confusedly.

"Yes sir, and I would also like to ask what you did for a living in the past, before you became a fisherman."

Standing up, Joseph shook his head, setting down his pipe on the rock he was sitting on.

"If you two are truly that interested, I am currently at the very peak of Tier 2. The term 'peak' means the last 20% of the levels within a given Tier. To be precise, I am Level 74. But this will continue to fall over time, I am very old, after all. As for my former occupation, I was in fact, a pirate."

"A pirate?!" exclaimed William and Magnar.

They couldn't imagine Joseph as one who plundered, pillaged and possibly r.a.p.ed women en masse.

Upon thinking about it, the two inexperienced young men began to shoot Joseph with suspicious glances.

"Well, my crew didn't indulge in what you're probably thinking of. I made sure my crew was filled with individuals of upright bearings. I'm by no means a priest, I'm far from it, but I have morals too!" sighed Joseph exasperatedly.

"Putting me aside, this is our last day of training. After this, you may return if you want to work, or have a talk, but as I have mentioned, I will not train you, and I advise you not to train by yourselves as well. Even Warriors need a period of calm for themselves before a storm comes."

The two hesitated slightly before nodding, obviously reluctant to halt their training.

"One last thing, Captain." asked Magnar.

"Yes?"

"What were those meats that you gave us? Where were they from? How did you get them?"

Upon hearing this, Joseph's face scrunched up as he closed his eyes and frowned simultaneously. He scratched the back of his head, at a loss for words.

"Bah, don't worry about it. Thinking too much can be bad for you"

"But Capt-"

"No no, just don't worry about it." declared Joseph, avoiding the question somewhat shamelessly.

William and Magnar found it exceedingly awkward and difficult to continue pursuing the matter, so they stopped trying, and went home.

***

The next day, the final week before the Royal Army selection tests...

William's eyes shot open, as he took in the not-so glorious sight of his dusty ceiling. He sat up in his bed, the blanket falling off his b.a.r.e torso. He rubbed his tired eyes, indulging in the slightly guilty but undeniable euphoria of it.

Turning his gaze towards his room's window, the darkness of a mid-winter morning permeated his room, with not a single strand of sunlight in sight. William sat on the edge of his bed, inhaling deeply, and then sighing wistfully.

The most important day of his life so far, was going to happen in 7 days.

It was a gleeful, yet heavy feeling that weighed down on him.

William stood up, walking towards his mirror. Flexing his muscles, William took in the changes that he had gone through in the last 3 months of training with Joseph. He was leaner, with his muscles being more defined than before. His muscles even began to resemble Joseph's, with how one could begin to see a vague outline of his muscles' fibers. Of course, the resemblance stopped there as Joseph's muscles looked like a miniature rake had gone over his muscles like it was a field of soft soil or sand.

William had gotten taller too, reaching a height of 1.7m, and his birthday had come and gone during those 3 months. He paid next to no attention to it, however.

William decided it was time to check his Status, to see how well the 3 grueling months of training had paid off.

Name: William

Age: 15

Level: 17

Experience: 7%

Health: 1,400/1,400

Mana: 770/770

Tier: 0

- Attributes -

Strength: 28

Agility: 28

Intellect: 22

Luck: 1

The fruits of his labor were indeed sweet. William had leveled up thrice, and was nearly as strong as Magnar was 3 months ago. That was freakishly strong for their age group, as older a.d.u.l.ts would usually be around that Level, assuming they lacked the talent to, or chose not to ascend to Tier 1.

William pondered how Magnar's Status would look like now, and sighed upon realizing that his strength had probably undergone a sizeable leap as well, leaving him in the dust, not to mention their peers.

Magnar and William had agreed to not meet on purpose until the day of the Royal Army selection tests. They also swore to themselves to dedicate their time entirely to their families.

***

The days passed like hours, as William and Magnar began to truly and consciously appreciate what they had in life.

They took turns to work or otherwise help out in the forge of William's father, Jonathan. Jonathan always grinned when they came, and lectured them on being on their best behavior as young gentlemen, while they were in the Royal Capital.

William interacted more with his little sister, Abberline, who he created a nickname for. Abbie was what they decided on.

William also found out that Abbie and a little boy in their village were starting to feel a little kids' version of love for one another. William tried his best to help the boy out in winning his sister's heart, but only after giving him a stern and serious talking to.

William helped around the house and sometimes even encouraged his mom to go out with her friends for the day, and that he would take care of all the housework and chores for that day. Catherine really liked that, and began to see William in a new light.

Magnar stayed and took care of his mother, Helga, who usually went about her daily routines almost wordlessly, and somewhat despondently. It was always so after her husband, Magnar's father, had disappeared. Apparently, he had sworn that he would return for her and their child one day. But that day had never come. Not in these sixteen long, hard years.

Magnar was told to meet with one of the girls from their group one night, who then confessed her feelings for him. He froze completely.

Her name was Aria. He had indeed liked her once upon a time, but after failing to successfully converse with her countless times, he hardened his heart and gave up, moving on as how he thought a man should. Surprisingly, his awkwardness was what she found honest and adorable, which she claimed had made her fall for him. This was a small awakening for him.

That night, in a secluded clearing, in front of the largest tree in the village, Magnar accepted Aria's feelings. He told her that her words made the river he had frozen in his heart, thaw and flow again. He held Aria in his arms and kissed her, but warned her that soon he would leave for the Royal Capital, and that he wasn't sure when he would return. He gazed upon her face, covered in light freckles that accentuated her beauty, her long, slightly curly auburn hair and sky blue eyes.

He felt his heart move for sure, upon staring deep into her eyes as she stared back into his.

She declared that she wouldn't blame him for his absence, and confessed another secret. She had composed a song in her head that she had always wanted to sing to him, but never got the chance to until now. It had been stuck in her head for two years so far, and now she could let it out. Her voice was emotional, but steady and full of passion. Her eyes were full of love as she sang, holding eye contact with her first crush and now, boyfriend.

Aria. What an apt name.

That was all that went through Magnar's head, as tears welled up in his eyes, and his c.h.e.s.t seemed to experience a crushing sensation, in a good way, as he listened to the voice and song of Aria's heart.

That night was spent sitting whilst leaning against the tree, cuddling and talking about their feelings from the past, and their hopes...for their future.

***

Meanwhile, William was sharpening an axe for one of their local lumberjacks. If he had known that any of this had transpired, he would've begun to vomit blood in pure envy.

***

The night before the Royal Army selection tests...

In the dead of night, a faint golden light could be seen emanating from William's window. He sat bare-c.h.e.s.ted on the floor, cross legged, manifesting his Aura. However, he did so at the barest minimum, in an attempt to test an idea of his.

Was it possible to use Mana, but with minimal residue or leakage? Was there an efficient, concealed way of using it?

William wanted to try to invoke a tiny portion of his Mana with as close to minimal visibility as he could manage, with as much condensed force as he could muster from that small amount of Mana. He tried multiple times, but failed. If he tried it in front of those of a high enough Level or Tier, he would be found out.

How does one use a portion of Mana effectively and concisely to serve one purpose only?

He had absolutely no clue, and wracking his brain was going to do no good. William crawled into bed, trying to calm his anxious, pounding heart. Eventually, he drifted off into deep sleep...

***

The fateful morning of the Royal Army selection tests...

It was a surprisingly sunny, but nonetheless dreadfully cold morning. A thick fog had descended upon Birkstead, as a crowd of around 270 youths under the age of 20, had gathered in front the village gate. They gazed into the fog expectantly, some dreading and others eagerly awaiting the arrival of the herald and his entourage.

Thump, thump, thump...

The sound of hooves and the creaking of wood echoed throughout the area, shattering the deathly silence that hung in the air. Five large, horse-drawn carriages, each accompanied by a mounted Warrior on each side, pulled up and halted behind the herald and two more mounted Warriors, diagonally behind him on either side. Even through the fog and the minimal sunlight, the cold glint of the Warriors' weapons and armor were blinding to these youths whose eyes were already glowing with adoration.

"Greetings, young aspirants! You may already know me as the herald that came half a year ago. I now come as Reginald Riverborn! A Warrior holding the rank of Sergeant in the Royal Army! I will preside over this testing and my word is law! Is that understood?!"

"YES SIR!" shouted all the youths somewhat simultaneously.

Reginald then dismounted from his horse gracefully, and in a fully controlled manner, making it seem like he floated off of it. His feet touched the ground lightly, as he made his way over to the batch.

Raising his right hand, Reginald used his Mana to gather the surrounding fog, thick with ambient water-aspected Mana, to his open palm. In a mere few seconds, the fog had been mostly dispersed, as a sphere of water that could fill a bathtub floated above Reginald's head.

By then, the youths were shocked beyond anything they had ever felt before, seeing such a fantastical situation happening right before their very eyes.

Reginald then made this water, held together by his Mana, change its shape into a perfectly rectangular block that wasn't very thick, and jumped on it, standing as solid as could be. It floated around 5 meters into the air as Reginald got a much better view of all the aspiring youths.

"Anyone below Level 7 can go home already!" called out Reginald.

Huh?! Level 7 is the minimum requirement?

The youths were stunned, and most of them heartbroken.

"Get moving! We don't have until the end of time!"

Just like that, 140 of the 270 youths were disqualified. They sorrowfully dragged their feet back home.

***

In contrast to the small horde of discouraged youths limping back home, a freckled face appeared as a girl stuck her head out past the village gate. She had a worried expression, as she looked around frantically amongst the remaining youths.

Aria was looking to see if Magnar was still there with the herald, or if she had missed him while going by the crowd that was going back in. It didn't take very long before she saw the tallest boy of the bunch, and a head of brown, curly hair that she would recognize anywhere.

He's there!

Aria sighed with relief as her young heart pounded in a mixture of excitement and anxiety for Magnar.

***

"The first test was to weed out those without talent! The second test is to test your mettle!" declared Reginald.

After saying that, his gaze turned focused as an imperceptible Aura silently spread around the crowd, before descending all at once, without warning or any gradual increase in intensity.

20 people immediately collapsed, unable to withstand the psychological pressure from Reginald's Aura.

110 youths were left standing.

The Aura stayed at that intensity, causing most of the youths to have to grit their teeth or bite their tongues to stay conscious and standing.

William and Magnar were unperturbed, as Joseph's Aura was many times more horrifying to experience than this. This Aura was like a minor tummy ache in comparison to Joseph's Aura, thus making it easily bearable.

Reginald smirked slightly.

So they can handle 40%? Let's see how they handle 60%!

The Aura increased in intensity as 7 more youths immediately dropped, but didn't faint. They simply could not will themselves to resist, but stayed conscious. Nonetheless, they had a bad feeling about the results since they had fallen with so many others still left standing.

***

Aria shivered as she felt stray wisps of Reginald's Aura, her knees trembling slightly but her gaze firm and fiery, set on Magnar. Thankfully, he seemed to be almost bored, obviously thinking about something else meanwhile.

***

So many are standing at 60% strength? Seems like village life does teach kids some mental fortitude. Let's go to 80%

The suppression was enhanced once more, as everyone except for William and Magnar had to grit their teeth and strain their bodies and minds as hard as they could, not to fall.

In less than 30 seconds, one fell.

In a minute, a second had fallen.

In two minutes, a final third had fainted.

"Everyone left standing has passed! All who have fallen, drag yourselves and any collapsed ones out." said declared Reginald.

Releasing those on the ground from the pressure of his Aura, they limped and supported their fallen friends and neighbors back into the village.

"Alright everyone, you're not done yet! If you can withstand this last spurt, I will put in a good word for you in the Royal Army!"

Even underneath the massive pressure, the youths who were left standing grinned as much as they could under the circ.u.mstances.

Reginald smiled eerily.

Time for 100% strength with a small extra present...

Out of the blue, the pressure suddenly increased what felt like two-fold, and furthermore, their adrenaline began to surge freely as they felt the same sensations as being trapped underwater. They were finding it hard to breathe, and some began to panic. William and Magnar were alarmed at the new sensations at first, but quickly adjusted. The full pressure from Reginald's Aura merely made them frown slightly.

Over the next 3 minutes, 98 youths from the group collapsed one after another. William and Magnar were left standing, with William even idly tying his shoulder-length hair into a ponytail. Magnar was casual as well, yawning.

Reginald looked at them without anger, and instead had a Mana-induced glow in his eyes as they refocused on those two little monsters he had seen half a year ago.

By the Gods...they've gotten even stronger?!

Reginald facepalmed, unwilling to believe what he had just discovered. Unbelievable...

"All of you who remain here, standing or not, you have qualified to participate in the official selection process for the Royal Army, back in the Capital!"

"Hooraaaaaah!!!!!" cheered the remaining youths.

Well, those who were still conscious.

***

Aria jumped for joy as soon as she heard the announcement that Magnar had qualified, but was also shocked at the fact that only he and William were left standing at the end. It made her so undescribably proud and only made her budding love, blossom ever more.

***

"Attention! All qualified aspirants! In an hour's time, return here with minimal personal belongings, and be prepared to set off and leave everything that you've ever known, behind you!"

"YES SIR!"

"Disperse!"

The youths scattered excitedly back to their homes, bursting at the seams with pride and happiness, wanting to tell their parents and loved ones.

Magnar had long since sensed Aria's presence and was one of the first to leave, walking right over to her, and gleefully picking her up with both hands by the waist. He then carried her off to a corner to tell her about the experience, in private.

William, on the other hand, was spaced out, mentally studying what he could recall about Reginald's Aura. As he came back to reality, he noticed he was alone.

"Magnar?..."

***

An hour later...

William and Magnar had determined expressions. They had said their goodbyes, and were each holding a sack filled with a few pieces of clothing, some fruit, and family mementos, heirlooms, or good luck charms.

The youths were being herded into the ten carriages, with William being assigned to the very front, and Magnar at the very back. They clasped hands, and shared a bro-hug before boarding their assigned carriages. The interior was essentially a big wooden box for them to sit around in. The back of the wagons was where they got in, and had a large cloth 'wall' that had a slit in the middle, allowing for it to be spread open to allow entry.

Magnar took a final, wistful look back at the village gates.

Aria had been in tears as he was leaving.

He could see it. Hear it.

Feel it.

The carriages began to move off slowly at first, as Magnar sighed dejectedly.

Suddenly, a voice could be heard, accompanied by ragged breathing and hurried footsteps.

Magnar spread the cloth at the back of the wagon, sticking his head and shoulders out to see Aria having rushed out of the village, panting and shouting.

"Magnar, I love you!"

Magnar's heart trembled as a grin split his face.

"I love you too Aria! I'll be back whenever I can, I promise!"

Aria's gaze softened even further upon hearing that, with a hint of contentment in her heart. She stopped running after the carriages, and instead gazed with love into Magnar's eyes, as he did into hers.

Even as their views of the other's figure grew ever smaller with each passing second, they still felt their connection.

Aria walked back to the village. She had promised to help out and keep Magnar's mother, Helga, company while he was gone.

Magnar let the cloth fall back into place, blushing slightly with one of the biggest smiles he's ever smiled in his life on his face. The others in the wagon teased and joked around with him, but it was all in good fun.

***

William, in the front wagon, was ignorant of what transpired at the back of the caravan. He was sitting alone. Silent and brooding. From now on, his future would be whatever he claimed for himself, and he intended to aim high.

His plan was to first observe the standards of the Royal Capital and its inhabitants, and then set his goals. After all, progress in life was about living and achieving it one step at a time.

One is soaking himself in ambition and determination for his future.

The other is recalling the taste of his lover's kiss on his lips, and mentally reminiscing about the sound of her voice.

William and Magnar have now officially set foot on their path to becoming Warriors!

Their fate and destiny are lying in wait for them...

Onward, to the Royal Capital!