The battle between the Black Sun Syndicate and their reflections had finally come to an end.
Across the Lost Forest, one by one, the members of the group had overcome the versions of themselves that represented the limits they had reached through everything they had experienced up until this point.
But that did not mean their training was over…Far from it. The battles against their reflections had only been the first test. The final test would be something entirely different. Their last instructor was not another trial created to mirror their abilities.
It was the man who stood at the end of their training. The First God of the Sun. The Freer himself…David. After several minutes of traveling through the Lost Forest, Eryndor finally reached the region where the others had gathered to rest.
Tina was sitting beneath a tree with her eyes closed, quietly recovering her strength. Isly sat nearby, her staff resting against the trunk beside her, while Alucard leaned against another tree with his arms folded. Dova was lying against the ground, staring upward, and Kaelus was sitting with his back against a tree.
Darius stood nearby with his arms crossed, while Stellar sat quietly beside Rein. The moment Eryndor appeared, Kaelus looked toward him. A smile spread across his face. "You're finally finished." Eryndor gave him a small nod.
"Yeah." Rein folded his arms and looked toward him with a faintly annoyed expression. "Humph. Took you long enough. You had everyone waiting." Eryndor rubbed the back of his head and smiled. "Sorry. I got too excited in the end."
He walked over and sat down with the others. For a moment, he simply looked around at everyone.Despite the exhaustion in their faces, they were all still there. Everyone had made it. "I'm glad you all made it too." The group exchanged smiles.
Darius leaned his back against a tree and exhaled. "It was simple but hard at the same time." Stellar nodded. "Yes. It had everything to do with yourself." The others became quiet. There was something strangely fitting about that conclusion.
Their reflections had possessed their techniques, their powers, their habits, their weaknesses, and even their potential. To defeat them, each member had been forced to understand something about themselves that they had never fully understood before. For several moments, nobody spoke. Then a massive wave of soul power swept through the forest.
Everyone turned around simultaneously. The sensation was overwhelming. It wasn't hostile. It didn't need to be. Simply feeling it was enough. A figure walked out from between the trees. David. He looked at the group and smiled.
"Good." He continued walking toward them. "If it were a week ago, you wouldn't have even noticed my presence." David stopped several meters away. "But now that you've gotten the hang of soul power, you can actually feel me." The group remained silent.
They could feel something extraordinary surrounding him. It wasn't merely magic. It wasn't simply divine energy. His very soul seemed to possess a depth that they couldn't begin to measure. David looked across the group.
"You've been fighting for two days straight." Kaelus blinked. "Two days?" David nodded. "I suggest you go and replenish your energy." Kaelus stared at him. "What? Two days? It felt like hours at most."
David smiled. "Time in the Lost Forest means nothing." The group exchanged confused looks. David continued, "Everywhere is identical. You could even say everyone was fighting in the same place, but in different time."
Darius's eyes narrowed. A realization immediately formed in his mind. "Yeah…" He looked around the forest. "We're in a different dimension." His expression became thoughtful. "So it's possible….when I awakened my Authority, I gained enough awareness to notice it."
David smiled. "Exactly." He snapped his fingers. A portal opened before the group. "I'll see you guys after you rest." The Black Sun Syndicate stood. One by one, they walked toward the portal.
Then they disappeared through it. The familiar scent of food immediately reached them. The group stepped out of the portal and found themselves back at the open restaurant where they had eaten previously.
Rein looked around. "Boy, am I glad to see this restaurant." Kaelus nodded immediately. "Me too." Isly and Tina laughed. The group walked inside. The workers recognized them and quickly brought food to their table.
After spending what felt like only hours fighting but learning that they had actually been battling for two entire days, everyone was more than ready to eat. Plates quickly covered the table. For once, nobody talked about training. Nobody discussed Authorities. Nobody analyzed their opponents. They simply ate. It was almost peaceful.
Far away, inside the golden chamber where David resided, the atmosphere was considerably different.
David sat comfortably in his chair. The enormous golden chamber was illuminated by a warm radiance that seemed to originate from everywhere at once. Then several figures appeared. Sera, Zeth, Var and Uriel.
Sera looked toward David with an amused smile. "They're really full of surprises, aren't they?" Zeth crossed his arms. "That boy Eryndor reminds me of Riven Nasarik." David looked toward him. Zeth's expression remained thoughtful. "His grandfather." Var smiled.
"They are excellent." He glanced toward Zeth. "To think Eryndor even copied your technique and used it against me." David laughed. Zeth's expression barely changed. Uriel, however, looked less amused. "I'm not happy."
Everyone turned toward her. "They learned everything before even coming to me." Sera smiled. "Don't be so down. You'll get your chance." Uriel sighed. Zeth turned his head toward David. "Even though they are excellent and have reached this far…"
His expression became serious. "Don't break them too much, David." David smiled faintly. Then Zeth turned and disappeared. David leaned back in his chair. His eyes remained fixed on the direction the group had gone. "They'll be fine."
The Black Sun Syndicate eventually finished eating. After returning to their residence, everyone separated to rest. The exhaustion from their battles was finally catching up with them. Dova lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling.
For several moments, he remained completely silent. Then he spoke. "Now that I can use soul power and project it at will…" He paused. "I can tell at a glance…" His expression became serious. "David is way more powerful than even Sera." The room became quiet.
Rein, Stellar, Eryndor, Darius, and Kaelus all remained silent for a moment. Nobody disagreed. Kaelus eventually broke the silence. "True. There's no doubt that he's stronger." He leaned back. "He's like the final boss." A grin appeared on his face.
"But think about the result." The others looked toward him. "Think about what happens when we get through his training." Stellar smiled. She closed her eyes. "Don't worry about it, Dova." Her voice was calm.
"Just like when we were at the Celestia God Academy…" She smiled faintly. "Regardless of what happened, we pulled through." Darius nodded. "Yeah." He looked toward the ceiling. "Even as God Candidates, we fought world-class monsters." His expression became nostalgic.
"When we were Low Deities, we stormed Atlas, which was ruled by a High God."
Rein turned over in his bed. "You guys worry too much." Eryndor smiled. He closed his eyes. "It'll be difficult." His voice was calm. "But don't forget why we came here, guys." Everyone became quiet.
"We're going to ascend to the upper realms." Eryndor opened his eyes slightly. "And that will be even more dangerous." He looked around the room. "So let's just focus on getting stronger. Alucard smiled, Isly nodded and Tina smiled as well.
One after another, the others relaxed. They had faced monsters, they had faced gods, they had faced themselves and tomorrow, they would face David. The final instructor but none of them intended to back down.
The Black Sun Syndicate eventually settled into their beds. One by one, their voices disappeared. The residence became quiet and as the night passed, every member of the group finally fell asleep. Tomorrow would begin the final stage of their training.