Living at the Pit, Garet had no opportunity to venture far beyond the city and travel the world.
Everything he and the other people needed was within the city, behind high and not-so-safe walls. Garet had food, water, work, and clothes, but nothing more, especially if it had anything to do with the Awakened and monsters.
Naturally, Garet had never seen a Remnant. Not all Awakened encountered one in their first few months, as only the fairly powerful Thornspires could afford to have a Remnant to test the strength of their newcomers.
"Remnant...? What is that?" Garet asked, looking at the skull. "It's not at all like the usual bones of a dead monster."
Melisa nodded deeply.
"For a Remnant to appear, several specific conditions must be met. The main three are: 1) The slain monster must be strong within its Manifest, 2) The place of the monster's death must have unusually dense energy, and 3) The territory where the monster died must synergize with the monster and accept it.
"If all conditions are met and the energy level remains stable, then over a long period of time and with greater luck, a Remnant may arise from the dead monster."
Garet scratched the back of his head, slightly confused.
"Am I correct in understanding that if a powerful fire monster died in some flaming land with lots of energy and everything went without a hitch, then that's how a Remnant might appear?"
"Yes, that's a pretty accurate description of how it usually happens. Sure, there are always exceptions, but the general idea is correct."
Melisa pointed to the skull.
"In some ways, the Remnants are similar to the Energy Cores that cities use to function. They absorb and release energy from the environment. Naturally, this makes them extremely valuable to monsters and Awakened, but each Remnant has a way to protect itself."
Before continuing, Melisa walked over to the wall and picked up a stone torch. She raised it high, triggering a blue flame — the same as the one in the skull.
At the same moment, a blast of blue fire burst from the Remnant, transforming into a wolf with thick fur and glowing eyes.
"That's a Spirit. To protect themselves, the Remnants rely on them. Each Remnant has one or more Spirits. Most often, a Spirit has an appearance, traits, and abilities similar to the fallen monster and the territory where it happened. Again, your example with fire is accurate for the Spirits."
True, this was not what Garet expected to see on his first visit to the Thornspire, but he could not resist the growing desire within him to learn more.
He was not afraid of the wolf and did not see the beast as a threat, but his urge to fight was strong because he wanted to know what he and the Spirit were capable of.
"This wolf, is it made only of energy? I mean, will my attacks be effective against it?"
The unexpected question made Xir smirk.
"Hah, someone's getting ahead of themselves. Such monsters exist, but they are not the Spirits. The wolf standing before you is a form of flesh, blood, and energy. Sure, it was just a flame, but it's not pure energy."
Garet nodded weakly. He understood that there was no point in going into details now — he came here to fight.
"And? What do I have to do to pass the test, and what will I get if I succeed?"
"Don't expect any rewards, although if you want, I'll personally praise you. Hahaha." Melisa chuckled.
Then, her expression turned serious again.
"Regardless of how you perform, you will gain access to missions. However, your result will determine which missions you can take on. Commander Xir and I will evaluate your performance, but overall, it's simple.
"A loss is the lowest score. A loss, but you severely wounded the Spirit, is an average score. A victory is the highest score. Normally, a special Awakened must be present during this test to ensure your safety, but since Commander Xir is with us, that is not necessary. You may begin when you are ready."
Garet nodded and stepped forward, slowly approaching the wolf.
Not every Thornspire could afford such a test, because thanks to this Remnant, they had monsters ready to fight for the test at any moment.
This allowed them to assess what the new Awakened was capable of at the moment and limit their access to missions. No one wanted newbies to take on the most dangerous missions in pursuit of profit and die on their first day.
Slow and steady progress was better than explosive success that ended in a fast death.
Naturally, Garet wanted to win, which was why he didn't use his Zenith yet.
"GRH!" the blue wolf roared as the beast lunged forward, leaving a trail of claw marks on the ground.
Garet jumped aside, but it was too confident of him.
GUSH!
A jet of blood spurted from his shoulder from three red stripes left by the wolf's claws.
Garet gritted his teeth as red energy ran through his arms and the Sun Seal flared on his hands.
'It's faster than me and probably stronger. This monster is more dangerous than the one I killed at the beginning. But... speed and strength don't mean durability, right?'
Xir, watching from the sidelines, smiled as if he knew what Garet was thinking.
'Not bad, not bad at all. But what are you going to do next? If you make a mistake now, you'll miss your chance to pass the test.'
"RGH!" the blue wolf growled as azure flames ran along its frame.
With its next leap, the beast turned into a blue flash, charging at Garet like an unstoppable projectile.
Twitch.
Garet's legs twitched. His whole body wanted to dodge, but despite the looming threat, he remained in place.
The blue wolf crashed into him, knocking him off his feet like a ramming bull.
"GHA!"
Blood gushed from Garet's mouth, but despite the bright, almost piercing pain, he was already preparing his counterattack.
He clenched his fists together as energy flared in a red flame.
THRUST!
Like a hammer, his fists slammed into the beast's head, carrying with them all the power of the Sun Seal.
With a loud crunch, the wolf's skull cracked, splashes of blood flooding Garet's face under its heavy, hot breath.
"Agh... Agh... Agh..."
He was breathing heavily with his heart beating wildly. It was a great risk, but he was confident in his plan, and the result was as he hoped.
The wolf collapsed to the ground as its body split into blue clumps, rushing past Garet's eyes and returning to the Remnant.
"Victory..." Garet muttered.
He was never more right than now.