Chapter 145: Passing The Test On The First Try
Strapped to a ward bed in a tech room, Kael lay as he glanced around in curiosity.
Standing close to him was the lady in charge, Raul, and Royce.
"You shouldn't worry about anything. It's just a test to boost your courage. You have to pass it, or else..."
"There would be harsh consequences," Royce completed it for Raul, as he gave Kael a sharp look—one that indicated he meant what he said and that Kael had to pass the test.
Kael gave a nod, not knowing what the test was all about, but still willing to pass.
It was better not to face any harsh consequences in a world where everything was possible.
Soon, he was masked up, and suddenly found himself in the middle of a field. He glanced around, seeing nothing at first, as he flinched.
"Where the hell is this place?"
Suddenly, after saying that, he noticed the surroundings changing, and slowly saw himself in a familiar area.
With another turn, he suddenly spotted a house—the house where he had lived with his father before they were attacked.
The house was almost completely burnt to the ground but was still familiar. He could clearly remember everything.
Hit by the recollection of what had happened, he quickly rushed into the building, trying to find his father.
He hoped he wasn't dead. He hoped that somehow his father could have escaped the fire and survived.
He searched everywhere until something led him to the room where they had stayed when the house was on fire.
Kael didn't find his father. He made a sharp scrutiny of the corners, but he couldn't. He didn't want to accept the fact that he was a fool to think his father would still be there even if he had survived.
He just wanted to see his father.
However, his hopes suddenly turned to wishes, because after quite a while, he found no one.
But when he decided to search the ruins, it was then that he spotted a brutally burnt body that had almost all skeletal parts exposed.
There was no doubt that that was his father, but Kael wouldn't believe it.
"No, no!"
He burst into tears, crying his eyes out as he fell to his knees. He had stubbornly doubted that Raul was right about the roof falling on his father, but somehow, in this illusory test, he could see that it was true.
While he cried, he suddenly heard voices outside.
Kael quickly rushed out.
He soon spotted some people rallying outside the house. He appeared to recognize them at once.
These were the people who had attacked them earlier.
With a scowl appearing on his face, he clenched and attempted to charge at them, but then he paused when he spotted another unfamiliar group attack.
They were clad in advanced mech warrior suits with guns installed in them.
They began gunning them down, as Kael watched satisfyingly.
It was something that he would love to do ten times over, and he was glad that these men were helping him get revenge for his father.
"Kael! Come join us! Join us, let's destroy them!"
While he watched, he suddenly heard his name.
After taking a good look in the direction of the voice, he flinched.
"Raul?" he muttered under his breath, stunned.
They were actually the ones, and he couldn't help the excitement.
He quickly rushed over and then suddenly saw himself inside a warrior suit at that instant without remembering when he had worn one.
It was all illusions, he knew.
But he was loving this.
He finally gained the momentum to use the weapons, as he mercilessly shot at all of them.
The number of people here was way more than the actual amount of people that had attacked in reality, but Kael didn't care.
He kept shooting and shooting until there was a cliff of dead bodies around, and that alone could console him for his father's death.
After that, he turned to Raul, who was giving him a look of amazement.
"Good one, Kael," he said.
Kael nodded.
"Now, would you join us to conquer this world? Would you cherish reviving this world by clearing the stains?" Raul asked.
Kael had a confused look on his face, but that didn't stop him from nodding in response.
One thing he could figure was that these men were some powerful group. If they could take down such a group without stress, then there was a possibility of conquering the world or... whatever they meant.
He couldn't literally tell.
But whatever it was, he was in.
This made him figure that he could get his place back as King of Nortasia. His father had given up on that long ago after he was dethroned, but Kael...
He never had.
The next place he arrived in was a city.
Kael watched the army of the Nexus destroy every brink of the megacities, crumbling down buildings and claiming lives.
He flinched in awe.
"This is how we revive the Dying World. This is how we rebuild it to something better. The people of the Dying World had inflicted nothing but sin and weakness.
Nature would die if they stayed any longer."
That statement came from Raul, and it took Kael some time to digest it.
"Come on, Kael. Come with me, let's revive the Dying World!"
Kael stood there, hesitating. He couldn't even move for moments, but the pressure was hitting him hard from behind.
He thought about it, remembering what his father had always told him.
Always choose purpose over heart.
He could become one of the strongest men alive if he became one of the Nexus Men.
He had to do what he had to do.
After all, almost the whole world would want him dead. Why should he care for them?
Not wasting any more time, Kael followed Raul as they joined the army in chaos.
...
The next moment, he noticed that he had woken up, and the mask was already withdrawn.
{Test Passed!}
{Delivering Reward...}
{Reward Delivered: Power of the Absolute.}
Royce, who was standing there, was stunned at how Kael passed the test on the first try.
The confidence and relaxation on his face were alarming, as it felt like Kael hadn't felt a thing.
At that point, Royce cursed himself for being weak.