Most people are aware of what the Trials are—because they have an impact on the real world and their lives. All of you have been warned before entering the First Trial that, should you die in the trial, your body will mutate into an Orbit Creature."
This was the exact reason Ma'am Lyra had monitored him so closely, standing by his side and prepared to immediately deal with the monstrous mutation that would have become of his body had he died in the trial.
"First trials of the Orbit are unique, because each of them is individual; that's why only a single creature can appear," Elias continued, his voice heavy with significance. "But the Second Trial is different. Your soul body gets transported to a planet in the Singularity Realm at the start of the lunar year, where you have to survive and find a void to return to this world. And should you die in the Singularity Realm, the same thing will happen: your real body will mutate into an Orbit Creature."
Raven noticed a crucial detail. "What if somebody assassinates my real body while I'm in the trial? Will I return or get stuck there?" he thought, a cold, strategic question immediately silencing his curiosity about survival. He had an urge to raise his hand and ask, but he suppressed the impulse, not wanting to interrupt the speech.
Exalted Elias continued.
"However, starting from the Third Trial, things get much more dangerous; these trials are not tied to an individual. Instead, they are born in the Singularity Realm. Any number of Orbiters can attempt to take the trial."
"Hmm, so basically a co-op then," Raven thought, mentally categorizing the new structure.
"And should they all die in the trial," Elias emphasized the word all, his voice dropping to a low, chilling register, "a rift will open in the real world, connecting the Singularity Realm with our planet, letting through countless Orbit Creatures. You all know the consequences of that. Other Orbiters will be forced to withstand the slaughter on this side, but there can be massive destruction and losses among the civilian population."
Exalted Elias's voice grew solemn.
"There are official protocols put in place by the WOA. Protocols state that a party has to be verified by the WOA before they take the Third Trial, ensuring such catastrophic situations don't happen. However, because of terrorist organizations with twisted beliefs, such situations happen often."
He paused, letting his harsh assessment settle over the silent students.
"These groups actively sacrifice themselves in unregistered trials to force rifts open, deliberately trying to expose civilian populations to Orbit Creatures. They don't seek power; they seek destruction. It is a senseless, brutal tactic. As you might have guessed, these groups have already been corrupted and became mad."
Raven was shocked internally. After a while, he settled on a thought: "No matter which world, every world has its own pests."
Exalted Elias took a slow, deliberate step back, his gold-and-black uniform shimmering faintly under the lights. The implication hung heavy in the air: the greatest threat might not be the Orbit creatures, but the maddened remnants of humanity itself.
"Simply put, The Singularity Realm is a vast Realm encompassing a galaxy. You all must have heard this. This statement was confirmed by one of the strongest saints in humanity, Cain Orion 'Wandering Star,' 50 years ago. The Realm itself is vast, mysterious, and mostly unexplored. Humanity has only explored some parts of 27 planets in the Singularity Realm."
"'Wandering Star,' huh," Raven thought, his mind racing. "Wandering Star" sounded very close to his own title the Orbit gave him: "Wandering Blasphemer."
Exalted Elias continued.
"What we know is that all the planets in the Singularity Realm are dead. There is no life out there except for the Corrupted Orbit Creatures and now us. But it wasn't always dead. We can tell that once, a long time ago, these planets held primitive civilizations of some sort. There are a lot of ruins buried under the surface of those worlds."
"Wonder if they were destroyed by something," he thought, a flicker of excitement mixing with the fear. "It'd be cool to see an alien." His mind, momentarily distracted from the deadly seriousness of Elias's lecture, began running wild with theories about how those ancient civilizations were destroyed.
Raven glanced to the side. There, Iris was listening attentively, yet with absolutely no expression on her face, her deep red eyes fixed on Elias. She sat with an eerie composure, absorbing the chilling details of planetary death and galactic scale as if she had listened to such things many times before.
Elias continued, offering a theory that connected the Orbit Trials to a cosmic scale. "We suspect the illusions conjured up in the trials are based on the history of the planets in the Singularity Realm. They are replicas of past events that happened on those planets, somehow reconstructed in the trials."
"Hmm, so the dream desert might exist in one of the planets in the Singularity Realm," he thought.
"Firstly," Elias stated, raising a finger, "when you get transported to a planet in the Singularity Realm, there is no predetermined conflict you are forced to resolve. It doesn't have a 'story.' You can move freely and explore, provided that you have the strength to stay alive in the wilderness. Most people tend to stay close to one of the human fortresses."
"That makes sense, but what if I get transported to an unknown planet?" Raven thought, his mind already jumping ahead to the worst-case scenario.
Elias answered the unasked question as if reading Raven's strategic fear. "You all might be thinking this, and yes, there is a small possibility where you might get transported to an unknown planet where there is no oxygen to breathe. For this reason, the academy will provide all of you an artifact that will help in such situations. It is designed to ensure basic survival."
"Secondly," Elias continued, his gaze sharp, "as I have already mentioned, there are no people in the Singularity Realm except for those who came from this world. There are only monsters. And some of them can mimic human appearance and behavior, so be mindful of that."
A chill ran up Raven's spine. "Shit, is this a horror movie?" he thought, the idea of a monster wearing a human mask striking him with cold dread. He quickly glanced to the side, checking Iris's face. Her expression remained the same. "As expected, she knows this," he concluded, cementing his belief that the "Dracula girl" was far more experienced than she let on.
"And lastly, and most importantly: Unlike Trials, which are bound by the rules of fairness, there is no limit to what kind of Creature you can meet in the Singularity Realm. During the trials, the Orbit won't pit a Contender against an opponent many ranks above them..."
"That statement is clearly not true," Raven thought, unconvinced by Elias's claim of fairness. The memory was sharp: his own trial had pitted him against a Spectral monster that was clearly two ranks above him. Elias's assurance was either a deliberate lie or a sign that the "rules" of the Orbit were less predictable than the Exalted believed.
"But in the Singularity Realm, no such restrictions exist. Theoretically, a Fallen Angel could end you before you even know they're there. The Realm doesn't play fair. Your best—and only—tactic is to remain in regions where the creatures are ranked equivalent to your own power. It won't save you from a random high-rank encounter, but it's the only way to avoid absolute, immediate annihilation."
Elias then shifted to giving practical instruction. "The exact planet where you will be transported to can't be predicted in advance, but there is a high chance that many of you will find yourselves in close proximity to each other. Band together and proceed to the nearest human fortress."
"Each fortress is built around a void. If you get transported to an unknown planet, then find a void; voids are generally found in the ruins of the primitive civilizations that once lived there. Once you reach a void or a human fortress, you will be able to return."
"I hope I don't get transported to an unknown planet," Raven thought, almost praying for himself.
Since the important part of the speech was over, he leaned slightly to the side, enough for Iris's body not to be in his spatial awareness range, and whispered, "Do you know what happens if somebody kills my body while I'm in the trial?"