Ascension: Cursed Blood-Chapter 40: Ceremony

As soon as the fortress head walked in, everyone felt the pressure, unknown to many but not to Kain.

'So, is this man an Awakened like Kreyn? Or... is he even higher?'

The man swept his gaze through the crowd.

"My name is Zoran. Zoran Ossler. I will hold your ceremony today, you know why you came here, so... let's not waste each other's time," his voice was heavy despite his sleepy look.

At a wave of his hand, the gate opened. Men in blue uniforms rolled in two carts. Each had white robes, but one had a whole mountain in it, while the other wasn't even half full.

"Before we begin, I would like to remind you once again that most of you are not supposed to be here."

A wave of bafflement ran through the crowd.

Click.

Zoran snapped his fingers as a man overturned a large cart. Hundreds of robes crumbled to the ground.

"The government prepares white robes when a Contender gets the Rune Brand and one of the towers is aware of it. That is, the uniforms for Keepers are sewn before they even return from the Astral Dimension.

"And... Many do not."

At the same moment, the man tossed the lighter - red flames trailed around, burning the robes in a single fire.

The youths gulped.

"My goal was not to scare you, on the contrary, for this week the results are quite good - 13.7% of all Contenders found the Ascension Rune. That's a commendable result."

Zoran folded his hands behind his back.

"I want you to remember that you could easily become one of these burning robes. Some of you may die in a week, others will die of old age. Everyone has a different path, but you all have one thing in common - you have passed your first trial."

Then, Lurra stepped forward and announced:

"Abeina Fossey, from the inner circle, come forward!"

The girl in the gorgeous dress stepped forward, accepting the white robe first with an arrogant smirk.

"Congratulations." Lurra nodded slightly. "Get back in the ranks and wait for the others."

It was obvious from the girl's face that she expected more, yet she didn't argue.

One Contender after another approached Zoran and Lurra, receiving their robes. Each robe was custom made, taking into account the size and proportions of the body, the name was on a metal insert inside.

Soon, it was Kain's turn.

Oddly enough, for him, Zoran left an approving nod - the first of twenty people to receive his attention.

Murmurs passed through the crowd, but Lurra's voice silenced them.

Sylvia stomped her foot unhappily, but as soon as she heard her name, she ran forward with a blissful smile.

She looked at Zoran, expecting his nod, but... she got nothing.

'Hmm, he definitely treats us differently,' Kain thought, rubbing his chin. 'But, why? How does he know which Contenders performed well and who didn't?'

Morbia was the last to arrive.

While most had changed into white robes, she remained in her black one, heading towards Zoran.

Like everyone else, she took the robe from Lurra's hands and was about to leave.

Tap.

Zoran's hand fell on her shoulder, clapping slowly.

"Good job. Out of a thousand chances, you took the one where you survived."

Morbia didn't answer. She tried to hide from the stares of the crowd, but that was hardly possible after what Zoran said.

Kain was watching especially closely since he was the only one who knew how Morbia obtained her Ascension Rune.

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Could it be that Zoran or more powerful Keepers were watching them?

Who knows?

Kain narrowed his eyes. 'I doubt it. It's unlikely they could be watching us through cameras or similar stuff. Kserx mentioned something about runes. Hmm, so from the runes that remain in our places, we can draw some conclusions? Well, after all, our two worlds are connected, right?'

Lurra took a wide step forward.

"Please, everyone, put on your robes. It's important for our next announcement," a hint of grimness filled her voice.

The guy in armor quickly changed outfits with a wide grin. "Hell yeah! I'm finally a Keeper! Hahah! All of us!"

"Pffft! Just because you passed the first trial doesn't mean anything," Sylvia snorted, throwing on her robe.

"We'll see!"

Soon, the hundred youths stood before Zoran, Lurra, and the rest of the Keepers.

Kain cast a glance at Morbia, who looked quite different in white - a warrior princess rather than a devious witch.

"Good." Zoran nodded deeply as he stepped forward. "I'm sure many of you want to know why some I ignored and some I didn't."

Several people nodded their heads.

"Well, you won't get an answer. It's none of your business."

His voice echoed through the hall like thunder. But, before the outrage could get out of control, Zoran raised his hand.

"My job is not only to run the ceremony but to show you what might await you if you decide to go to the Astral Dimension the next time you're called. You won't just get into trouble, you'll die."

Words were not Zoran's favorite method of conveying a thought - he preferred action.

With a shudder in space, a powerful burst of runes emerged from his body. The energy quivered, billowing in all directions. He released his intimidating aura.

In a heartbeat, one by one, the young men collapsed to the ground.

Some fell to their knees, some immediately passed out, but some were able to resist.

"Agh... Agh... Agh..." The young man clutched his chest, breathing heavily but staying on his trembling legs.

"Hmm..." Zoran hummed, running his gaze over the remaining youths. "Only ten? Not bad, not bad at all. 1% of all Contenders this week who went through a real trial rather than a fun journey."

Among the ten were Kain, Sylvia, Morbia, and a few other youths with a confident posture.

Kain's eyes watched Zoran's threatening aura with curiosity. His heart began to beat faster, but not from fear but from anticipation.

'That aura... As strong as that man's.' Kain remembered Garoth's intimidating silhouette.

Then, Zoran's aura vanished, the runes returning back into his body relieving the poor youth of the pressure.

"Looks like our dome is starting to have a good time."

Zoran nodded approvingly.

"Good, now let's end the ceremony with a traditional fight. Two of you ten will step forward. Those who are ready to fight and show their powers."

Simultaneously, two young ladies stepped forward in a wide stride.

'What? She said she wasn't interested in this!' Kain inwardly exclaimed.

Sylvia and Morbia stood facing each other, bearing arrogance in their gazes.

All they expected was a command to begin.