CHAPTER 506: CHAPTER 506. THE NATURE OF THE TRIAL

Amon began requesting that Huang San obtain access to the Royal Library for him after the siege of Fuxiang City. He spent much time in Fort Fresh Maw to oversee the development of the First Demon Legion after the siege, so he was close to Golden Stone City.

After much negotiation, Huang San managed to get Amon into the Royal Library. Amon was only allowed access one day each week, and he had to be under constant observation. Huang San accompanied Amon every time during entry. He placed Amon at a table in a secluded corner and left one of his butlers for company. This butler acted both as the observer and a helper.

Amon remained by the table to avoid causing trouble or attracting the attention of other nobles. Thankfully, the nobles of Echos didn’t have a penchant for reading. Hence, no trouble ever came to him during his stay in the library.

When Amon needed a book, he sent Huang San’s butler to go around the library to search for it. The butler knew the library cataloging system because it was one of the training subjects during his job initiation. The butler was also good with books. That’s why Huang San chose the butler to accompany Amon.

During the first few times in the Royal Library, Amon studied all the books that recorded the accounts of the trial’s past participants, which were also where Huang San and most others received knowledge about the trials. From there, Amon started to broaden his research. He looked for books that recorded the pocket world before it was transformed into the place for trial. From there, he broadened his search again to archaeological ruins from the same era. He also studied other pocket worlds with similar properties and read opinions from multiple experts about those worlds.

He didn’t just rely on the Royal Library. After getting sufficient information, he also crosschecked the information with books from the capital’s public library and the books from his Pyramid Legacy. A lot of information was unrelated and was a waste of time. But through his meticulous research, he gathered bits and pieces, which when linked together, provided him with a rough idea of the mechanism inside the pocket world used for the trial.

"The pocket world inside the trial consisted of various randomly interconnecting sub-spaces with procedural generation technique," Amon informed.

"A what technique?" Wu Di asked.

"I’ve never heard that term before," An Guan added.

"In short, a procedural generation is an automated forming of content inside the sub-space," Amon explained. "Since it is automated, it is never the same every time one enters the pocket world. My take is the ancients used this technique, so the challenge faced by those entering the pocket world was fresh with every entry. The participants cannot keep notes when they next repeated the challenge, for the environment would have changed the next time they entered, rendering their notes useless."

Huang San nodded. "Yes, the variation posed by the trial is the reason why my ancestors chose this pocket world as the trial because one cannot cheat by imparting knowledge to the candidates to gain a better chance. Every participant will undergo a different challenge than what our predecessors faced."

"This pocket world was originally a treasure vault," Amon continued. "Through millennia of repeated plundering, the Huang Clan entered the pocket world repeatedly and faced different challenges. Each success produced a prize from the ancient. After the pocket world was seemingly depleted of its treasures, the Huang Clan thought it was a waste to discard this pocket world. Its procedural generation mechanism was too useful, so they modified it into a place for trial."

"Why do you say seemingly?" Wu Di asked.

"Do you think there are still some treasures left?" An Guan asked.

"Unlikely, my ancestors had scratched its every corner," Huang San said.

Amon shrugged. He said, "If its corners keep on changing, how can you be sure you have found all of them?"

This statement made Huang San ponder.

"Nevertheless, our objective is not to find a treasure but to win the trial," Amon said. He unfurled a large piece of paper on a table. On the paper was a complex-looking diagram. "As I said, the pocket world consisted of various randomly connecting sub-spaces. Each party will be randomly thrown into one of these sub-spaces. By overcoming the challenge inside this sub-space, the party can proceed to the next sub-space."

"Yes, we call it the trial stage," Huang San said. "The purpose of the trial is to enter as many trial stages as possible. The winner of the trial is the party that conquers the most trial stages. If a party fails to complete the challenge in the allocated time, they fail and are kicked out of the trial."

"Each time you complete one sub-space, you will be moved to another random sub-space and face a different challenge," Amon said.

"How long is the allocated time for one sub-space?" Xin Wuming asked.

"Five days," Huang San answered.

"The previous record was twenty days," An Guan said. "That means the record holder had completed at least four trial stages."

"You mentioned we are sent into a random trial stage after completing one, didn’t you?" Wu Di asked. "Can a different party be thrown into the same trial stage?"

"They can," Amon answered.

"I see... That’s why you said the longer we are in the pocket world, the higher the chance we are to end up encountering the opponents," An Guan said.

"If a battle breaks out inside the trial stage, is there an option to quit?" Wu Di asked.

"Are you looking for a way out in case of emergency?" Yang Li asked.

"I think it is a useful option to have at hand," Wu Di returned. "We are seriously outnumbered. Don’t tell me you prefer to fight to the death?"

"If Brother Amon told us to, I don’t mind that to be the case!" Xin Wuming stated.

"Tch! There is no talking to you," Wu Di remarked.

"Actually, I also prefer there is a way out," An Guan said. "Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind sacrificing myself for His Highness, but I would rather be able to send His Highness out safely than get ganged up inside a pocket world without a way out."

"You don’t need to worry about His Highness," Amon said. "Fortunately for him, he has an emergency exit method. Unfortunately for us, we don’t. The only way for us to get out is to fail to solve the challenge and wait five days to get kicked out."

"What emergency exit method?" Wu Di asked.

Huang San answered, "Each candidate is given an escape stone they can use to teleport out of trial in case of emergency."

"Why aren’t we given the same tool?" Wu Di asked.

Huang San smiled awkwardly. "The creation of the escape stone is too expensive and complicated. The power to support it only allows for one stone for each party. A lot more additional aer stones are required to create additional escape stones."

"Bloody hell. This means our lives are not considered worthy enough for the expenditure?" Wu Di protested.

"That has been the tradition since eternity," Amon stated. "There are those who are valued and protected, while the rest are expendables. Deal with it!"

"Damn it! Do you have to be so harsh about it?" Wu Di said.

"If His Highness has a way to flee, then it’s a huge load off my shoulder. I feel much better about entering the trial," An Guan said.

"Do not get the wrong idea," Amon said. "Our objective is to win this trial and make His Highness the next king, not to keep him safe."

"Dude, be real. If he is not safe, he can’t be king," Wu Di said.

"My point is, we must strive to the end. We can’t have His Highness flee the trial at the first sight of the enemies, even if we are outnumbered," Amon stated. "We must all cultivate the state of mind to win at all costs! If we lose and His Highness fails to become the king, all our lives will be at stake. Do you think the other three candidates will let us off once they become the king? No, they will get rid of the opposition, especially candidates and the primary supporters of the other candidates, which are us who follow His Highness into the trial."

"When you put it like that, I regret accepting the invitation. Can I still opt out?" Wu Di asked.

Amon ignored that question. He resumed the explanation, "I know we have a disadvantage in terms of our number and battle capability. However, we have an advantage the others didn’t."

"Which is?" An Guan asked.

"My knowledge," Amon stated. "Out of my comprehensive research, not only did I learn the internal mechanism of the pocket world, but also the nature that governs each challenge."

"What do you mean?" Huang San asked.

"Every sub-space may generate a different challenge when a party enters, but there is a fundamental rule that governs the challenge generation. By knowing this fundamental rule, we have a greater chance of solving the challenges."