They then saw a horde of players rushing toward a specific location in the distance.
The crowd was massive, at least a hundred players sprinting across the fragmented pathways.
"It seems like there’s a Pill of Ascension somewhere." Sylvia observed.
Caelus nodded.
"Let’s follow them."
They joined the horde and ran alongside the other players.
No one paid them any attention, everyone was too focused on reaching the destination first.
After several minutes of running, they arrived at a massive structure floating in the void.
It was an ancient temple made of white marble and gold trim.
Intricate carvings covered every surface, depicting scenes of trials and tribulations.
The entrance was a towering archway that glowed with soft golden light.
"What is this place?" Someone in the crowd asked.
A holographic notification appeared before everyone’s eyes.
[Welcome to the Temple of Bonds]
[This is a test of will and heart.]
[Only those with pure intentions toward their partners and allies may proceed.]
[Those with ulterior motives will fail.]
[Rewards will be distributed based on performance.]
The players began murmuring among themselves.
"A test of the heart?"
"What does that even mean?"
"I don’t have any ulterior motives, I should be fine."
"This sounds easy enough."
One by one, players began entering the temple.
Some emerged minutes later with satisfied expressions.
Others were ejected violently, their bodies thrown out of the entrance like ragdolls.
"I wasn’t trying to betray anyone!" One ejected player screamed. "This test is rigged!"
They all looked at him in pity. No one is going to believe him now. Especially since this entire trial was placed down here by the Origin Network itself.
His allies were all looking at him a hostile expression as well.
This guy’s life might be ending soon and they knew it.
And it wasn’t just them, there were many.
Caelus watched with interest as more players attempted the trial.
The success rate was surprisingly low.
Maybe one in five players actually passed the test.
The rest were thrown out with varying degrees of force.
"Caelus, should we try?" Sylvia asked thoughtfully.
She wasn’t afraid of the trial and she was also curious about Caelus’s heart towards her.
He considered her his partner after all.
"Yeah, let’s see what this is about."
They waited in line as more players took their turns.
A group wearing matching blue robes entered together.
They emerged with proud smiles on their faces.
"The Dharmic Faction passed."
The players didn’t find it surprising. They were not evil in nature and would never try to be evil, hence this made sense. These Buddhists might just take the first spot here.
"Our bonds are unbreakable!"
Another group in black armor entered next.
They also passed, though their scores seemed lower based on their somewhat disappointed expressions.
Finally, it was Caelus and Sylvia’s turn.
They stepped through the golden archway together.
The moment they crossed the threshold, the world around them shifted completely.
They found themselves standing in a vast white void.
There was nothing around them except endless emptiness.
[Test of Bonds Initiated]
[Examine your heart.]
[Do you trust your partner completely?]
Caelus felt something probing his mind.
It wasn’t painful, but it was most definitely invasive.
The presence searched through his memories and emotions.
It examined every interaction he had ever had with Sylvia.
Every argument, every laugh, every moment of vulnerability.
Every time he had protected her and every time she had protected him.
Their synchronized movements, their wordless communication and, their faith in each other.
It examined the depths of his love for her.
Soon, a result came out after the thorough examination.
[Heart Examined: Pure]
[No ulterior motives detected.]
[Bond Strength: Maximum]
The presence moved to Sylvia next.
Her examination took even less time.
Her love for Caelus was so overwhelming that the presence seemed almost startled by its intensity.
[Heart Examined: Absolute]
[No ulterior motives detected.]
[Bond Strength: Beyond Maximum]
[Calculating Final Score...]
The white void began to shimmer with golden light.
[Final Score: 100/100]
[Perfect Score Achieved]
[First Place Confirmed]
As the notification rang, They were teleported back outside the temple.
The crowd stared at them with wide eyes.
A massive holographic scoreboard had appeared above the temple entrance.
[Rankings:]
[1st Place: Caelus & Sylvia - 100/100]
[2nd Place: Dharmic Faction - 87/100]
[3rd Place: Shadow Faction - 72/100]
The Shadow Faction leader’s face twisted with disbelief.
"Impossible! We trained for years to perfect our bonds!"
"How can two random players beat us?!"
Caelus just shrugged at his outrage.
"Maybe you should work harder. Heh./
The leader looked like he wanted to attack them, but the temple’s protective barrier prevented any violence.
[Rewards Being Distributed]
[First Place Reward: Special Grade Golden Pill of Ascension]
[Second Place Reward: High Grade Golden Pill of Ascension]
[Third Place Reward: Standard Golden Pill of Ascension]
Golden pills materialized before each winning team.
Caelus examined the pill floating in front of him.
[Special Grade Golden Pill of Ascension]
[This pill contains concentrated essence of high quality.]
Sylvia and Caelus didn’t hesitate, they consumed the pills immediately.
The moment the pills dissolved on their tongues, golden light abruptly engulfed them completely.
Reality warped and twisted around them.
When the light faded, they found themselves inside a different temple entirely.
This one was far more ancient than the previous structure.
The walls were covered in intricate wordings and symbols that seemed to shift and move when observed directly.
Strange diagrams depicted cosmic events and universal truths.
"What is this place?" Sylvia looked around with surprise.
Caelus tried to read the inscriptions on the walls.
But the words made no sense to him.
They were written in a language he had never seen before.
The symbols seemed familiar somehow, yet completely alien at the same time.
He squinted and tried harder to decipher them.
But what was that going to do? Nothing.
Just then, his Ender of Origin power stirred within him.
Golden light flickered in his eyes as the authority awakened.
The inscriptions on the walls suddenly became clear. The shifting symbols stabilized and transformed into readable text.
Caelus’s expression immediately changed as his eyes fell on the first words.
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter