Chapter 9 – The First Trial of Manasarovar
The old man's announcement echoed across the entire area.
"The competition to enter Manasarovar is about to begin…"
The crowd stirred at once. Swords were gripped tighter. Armor was adjusted. The air thickened with a mix of excitement and tension.
And then—
An old man slowly stepped forward in front of the crowd.
Tall and thin, white beard, simple robes. A wooden staff in his hand. His steps were slow, yet carried an odd steadiness.
The moment Alaric Thorne and his friends saw him, their eyes widened in shock.
"That's… him…" Alaric Thorne whispered to himself.
The same old shopkeeper.
The one who had given them the mission to find the Ice Lotus.
Whispers spread through the crowd.
"Who is he?" "Is he the examiner?" "He looks so ordinary…"
Seeing Alaric Thorne and his friends stunned, Vikram smiled lightly.
"Ah yes, I forgot to mention him earlier. This is Elder Dubral. He's quite famous in the Sapphire Pavilion."
At Vikram's words, Alaric Thorne and the others grew even more surprised. Their gazes locked on the old man.
Meanwhile, Elder Dubral walked up onto a large rock. He lightly tapped his staff against it.
Thump.
A faint wave of energy rippled outward. In an instant, silence fell over the entire area.
Then his voice cut through the quiet—clear, resonant, and commanding:
"Manasarovar is no ordinary place. Here, it is not just strength that will be tested… but patience, intelligence, and the ability to survive."
His eyes swept across the crowd.
For one brief moment—
They paused on Alaric Thorne.
Only a second.
Yet Alaric Thorne felt as though the old man had seen straight into his soul.
Right now, he looked nothing like the ordinary shopkeeper Alaric Thorne had met before.
Alaric Thorne immediately took a deep breath.
"Calm down…" he told himself silently.
The old man continued:
"This competition will have two phases.
First phase — a three-day survival test.
You will be sent inside Manasarovar. Those who remain alive and active after three days… will advance to the next phase."
At his words, the crowd erupted in commotion. Voices rose from every direction.
A boy stepped forward and shouted,
"Three days among so many spirit beasts? Is this a joke?"
Garrick whispered gravely,
"Three days… surrounded by spirit beasts?"
Vikram's voice was serious.
"This will not be easy at all."
Elder Dubral raised his hand and spoke in a firm tone:
"Rules are the same for everyone. I did not make them. If anyone has a problem, they may leave now."
He continued:
"In the second phase, each participant must find a 'Sapphire Mark.' Without it, no one will be considered qualified."
Most of the crowd grew angry at his words, but no one dared speak out.
Samara whispered,
"So we have to fight… and search too.
This phase is even harder than we imagined."
Then a faint gleam appeared in the old man's eyes.
"And remember… once inside Manasarovar, you will not remain where you stand."
Some people didn't understand the meaning of his second statement.
He tapped his staff against the rock again.
This time—
A massive blue energy wall rose into the air.
A swirling vortex opened within the gate.
"You will all be sent to different locations."
At his words, panic spread through the crowd.
"What?!" "Our groups will be separated?" "This wasn't in the rules!"
Abhay stood in the distance, smiling.
His eyes fixed directly on Alaric Thorne.
Vikram immediately said,
"If we get separated, don't panic. Find the mark. Survive. We'll meet outside."
Anika tightly gripped Garrick's hand.
"But Brother Garrick…"
Garrick bent down and whispered softly,
"Stop being afraid. You're not a little girl anymore. And besides, you have more power than any of us. If you can control that power properly, you could defeat all of us easily. So don't panic—just do what you've been taught."
Though he spoke very quietly, Vikram and Alaric Thorne—standing close by—heard every word.
Both exchanged a quick glance but said nothing.
Alaric Thorne stood calm.
His heart was steady.
But deep inside…
He felt something else was about to begin.
Then the old man's powerful voice rang out:
"Enter."
One by one, participants leaped into the energy vortex.
Some screamed as they vanished.
Others disappeared in complete silence.
Now it was Alaric Thorne's turn.
He glanced back once.
Garrick, Samara, Tarun…
Anika.
He gave a light nod.
Then stepped forward.
The moment he touched the energy wall—
Everything turned white.
Time slowed.
His heartbeat thundered in his ears.
Thump… thump… thump…
After so long, his Blood Mark suddenly glowed faintly.
A burning sensation spread across his chest.
Alaric Thorne gritted his teeth.
"No… not now…"
And in the next instant—
BOOM!
With a loud impact, he crashed onto the ground. The mark's glow faded.
Cold earth beneath him.
Thick fog all around.
The air felt heavy.
Somewhere distant, the sound of water echoed.
Alaric Thorne slowly rose.
He looked around—no one.
No one at all.
He murmured to himself,
"It seems we really have been separated…"
He had taken only one step forward when—
Crack.
A dry branch snapped behind him.
His hand instantly went to his sword—he had already drawn it from his storage ring.
From within the fog, a figure slowly emerged.
And then—
It became clear.
It was Abhay.
A faint smile played on his lips.
"So it's you…"
"Looks like fate didn't intend for you to enter Manasarovar after all," he said with a smile.
At his words, Alaric Thorne's eyes steadied.
He smiled back.
"It's not necessary that only my luck is bad. Perhaps today your luck is the one that's run out… and you've run into the wrong person."
Abhay smiled slyly.
"First, remember this—there's no personal enmity between us. I simply want you to stay out of the matter between me and Vikram.
You're strong, and you seem smart. I know you understand that making a friend is always better than making an enemy.
I'll offer you one last time—join my team, and all this hostility ends."
Alaric Thorne smiled lightly but gave no answer.
Seeing no response, Abhay's patience began to crack.
This time, anger crept into his voice.
"You've refused me twice now. So now you'll pay the price."
With that, Abhay suddenly lunged at high speed.
But Alaric Thorne was prepared for the attack. He met Abhay's sword with his own.
Clang!
The blades collided. A sharp jolt ran through Alaric Thorne's arms.
He staggered back a few steps, his palms tingling.
Abhay also retreated two steps. He looked at Alaric Thorne in surprise—impressed that he had recovered so quickly.
And then—Alaric Thorne charged forward again.
Abhay quickly suppressed his surprise and swung his sword in response.
Several more clashes followed.
Slowly, Alaric Thorne began to tire.
He knew very well: Abhay was not only one phase above him but also a highly skilled swordsman. He might even have a trump card.
Defeating him so easily was impossible.
Alaric Thorne realized—he had to end the fight quickly. Otherwise, defeat was certain.
He was thinking exactly that when—
Suddenly, a powerful roar echoed from the distance.
Both Alaric Thorne and Abhay froze at the sound.
The roar was no ordinary one.
It was so deep that the air itself trembled.
The ground quivered lightly.
The layers of fog seemed to shake from within.
Alaric Thorne and Abhay—both became instantly alert.
Their swords remained raised, but their attention shifted toward the direction of the sound.
A few moments of silence.
Then—
Heavy, rhythmic footsteps.
Thud…
Thud…
Thud…
"Something big is coming…" Alaric Thorne thought to himself.
Abhay's eyes narrowed.
"Looks like Manasarovar doesn't want to leave us alone," he said with a faint smile, though caution was clear in his voice.
The fog slowly parted.
And then—
A massive figure emerged.
Nearly twice the height of a human.
Body covered in black-blue scales.
Yellow eyes burning from within.
Cold vapor exhaled from its mouth.
This was no ordinary spirit beast.
A faint blue aura glowed on its forehead.
"This beast is close to the Awakened Realm… and we can't defeat it alone," Abhay whispered.
Alaric Thorne quickly assessed the situation.
"If that's the case… direct combat will be difficult."
A faint heat rose in his chest.
The Blood Mark reacted.
He immediately steadied his mind.
"No. Not yet."
The beast roared again.
This time closer.
A wave of icy cold spread through the air.
Thin frost began forming on the ground.
"Ice-type…" Abhay muttered.
When any human or spirit beast awakens, they can use their primary element in battle and learn various techniques.
Abhay murmured,
"This beast hasn't fully awakened yet, but it's just one step away. That's why it can use its core element."
Alaric Thorne was surprised but quickly composed himself. In a low voice he asked Abhay,
"So you're saying this beast has already partially awakened?"
Abhay replied irritably,
"Don't you know the rules of this place? No Awakened Realm humans or spirit beasts are allowed here."
"This beast hasn't awakened yet, but it's on the verge. That's why it can use its element."
Alaric Thorne nodded.
For a brief moment, their eyes met.
The question was clear—
Would they keep fighting each other?
Or face this monster first?
But the beast gave them no time to think.
Without warning, it attacked.
Its massive paw rose from the ground and swung toward both of them at lightning speed.
"Dodge!" Abhay shouted.
Both rolled in opposite directions.
BOOM!
Where they had stood, the earth cracked open.
Sharp shards of ice flew into the air.
Alaric Thorne rose, thinking—
"Its speed is terrifying. If it lands another hit… we won't survive."
Abhay was already in an attacking stance.
"Talk later," he said.
"We deal with this first. Then we settle our score."
Alaric Thorne thought for a moment.
Then nodded.
"Temporary truce…"
Abhay gave a light smile.
"Scared?"
"No," Alaric Thorne replied calmly,
"Just not stupid."
He was about to say more when the beast opened its mouth and let out another powerful roar.
A wave of freezing energy surged toward them.
Abhay stepped forward. He pulled an aura scroll from his storage ring and activated it, shouting:
"Rudra Bow!"
His sword glowed bright blue. He struck directly at the beast.
BOOM!
A loud impact. Sparks flew through the air.
But the terrifying strike left only a shallow scratch.
The scales absorbed the blow.
"Its hide is too thick…" Abhay gritted his teeth.
The beast lunged at Abhay, forcing him to retreat.
Seizing the opening, Alaric Thorne attacked from behind.
But the beast whipped its tail toward him.
Alaric Thorne leaped instantly.
The tail grazed past his legs.
The fight had only just begun.