Chapter 3
Ding
"Not all ver-dan require a test like this one. Some can be obtained by luck or even by accident. One hunter, for example, gained his power simply because he ate a fish that contained ver-dan—and from that, he rose in the hunter's ranks. But not all are so simple. Some require unimaginable acts, and some require tests like the ones they are taking.
Ver-dan can take any form it wishes—living or non-living."
Beep*
—
With that, all four of them were transported to different testing grounds.
Vibho's Test
Vibho found himself standing on a plain, flat field, almost like a baseball ground.
"Where am I? They said there would be a test, but I don't see anyone," he muttered, scanning the empty space.
"Are you the one taking the exam?" a voice called.
Vibho turned and saw a man sitting beneath the only tree in sight. His body had no face, no eyes, no mouth—just a dark-blue, human-like figure. No hair, no clothes, only a shape of shimmering blue.
"Yes, I am. But why are you all blue? Are you sick?" Vibho asked, tilting his head.
"No, I am not sick. I simply don't want to show myself," the figure replied.
"But why? Are you shy? You can show me," Vibho said with a laugh.
"I don't have the time or energy for that. You'll see my face when the time comes. For now, focus. In your test, you will fight countless powerful humans, beasts, and monsters until you lose track of how many you've defeated or how much time has passed.
You cannot kill anyone. You will lose if you admit defeat, and win only if your opponent admits it. Your mind and body growth will be sealed, so every pain you feel will be as sharp as the first time. Since your mind is sealed, you will never 'get used to it.' Only your willpower will carry you.
So—shall we begin?"
"Yes!" Vibho shouted, fire in his eyes.
---
Yash's Test
Yash appeared in a vast chamber, walls glittering with gold and jewels. At the center sat a woman, her entire body glowing in radiant gold, playing a tune on an instrument he couldn't name. And two very beautiful women in golden dress.
"Are you the one taking my test?" Yash asked softly.
"Yes, I am. And it looks like we can begin right away," she answered, having noticed the glow of greed and wonder in his eyes.
"Your body and mind will be sealed, so you cannot be harmed. What you gain here will remain only in your spirit. Your test is simple." She flicked a coin at him, faster than he expected.
He barely caught it. "What am I supposed to do with this?"
"There will be countless rounds. They will throw coins at you—some slow, some fast. You must catch every single one before it touches the wall behind you. If even one coin touches the wall, you fail.
At the end of every round, she will ask how many coins you have caught. If you answer incorrectly, you lose that round."
"I can do that!" Yash grinned. He had expected to fight or run, but this felt like his dream—gold, jewels, wealth everywhere. He was thrilled… at least, until she added:
"And you must do all this while they dance."
She clapped twice. Dozens of women in dazzling golden dresses appeared, dancing gracefully across the stage of the chamber. Yash's eyes flickered, unable to resist the sight.
"You need to learn to control your emotions better," she said sharply. "Now, let us begin."
"…Yeah," Yash muttered, forcing his eyes back to her hand. "Still better than fighting."
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Shunya's Test
Shunya found himself in a long hall, lined with towering bookshelves on both sides, stretching into what seemed like an endless passage.
"So… what is my test?" he asked.
A man stood in front of him, his form like the universe itself—black, with stars twinkling across his body.
"You can relax," the man said, sitting casually in a chair. "Your test is these books. Countless stories, biographies, diaries, knowledge collected across time. You may read them all—but…"
He stood and pointed down the endless passage.
"You must read the books in order, as they appear to you, and pass each book's test before moving on to the next. The tests vary—sometimes quizzes, sometimes battles with the knowledge the book contains." Any questions.
"How many books must I read to finish your test?" Shunya asked.
"Don't worry about numbers someone will tell you when you pass or fail.
"What happens if I fail any test" shunya ask again
If you fail, the consequences depend on how you fail. In battles, you may lose again and again, but if you learn from them, you may still pass."
How much time it will take
The outside world will not affect much while you are here. Focus only on the test." His voice turned sharp.
"And you haven't even asked my name."
"Shunya replied calmly. He already knew—this was the first male voice from outside."
"Enough! Start already. The others have begun, and Tarun is already halfway through his trial.Then he left, annoyed.
---
Tarun's Test
Tarun sat face-to-face with a woman cloaked entirely in crimson red.
"You will live 84 lakh (8.4 million) different lives, across countless worlds and times. Any questions?" she asked calmly.
"Yes. Will I always be human, or sometimes an animal?" Tarun asked.
"That depends on your punya and paap karma." She conjured a book from thin air and tossed it to him. "Read this, and you will understand."
"But it will take forever to live through 84 lakh lives," he protested.
"For you, yes. For us, it will be only two or three hours. Time is different here. So, shall we start?"
"One last question. Why eighty-four lakh lives, and not eighty-five—or eighty?"
She smirked. "I wanted to grant you a full 108 lakh cycles, but I only had the energy for eighty-four. Read the book. When you're ready, the cycles will begin. Remember: your body and mind are sealed, so you won't be harmed. But the knowledge you gain will stay with your will."
She turned and walked toward the exit.
Tarun opened the book, his eyes lighting up. "This is… interesting. I'll finish this before starting the cycles."
---
The Council
Outside the test chambers, four figures sat around a round table: the golden woman, the dark-blue man, the universal man, a golden and yellow woman.
The crimson woman entered and pointed to Vibho's image shimmering in the air. "How is he doing?" she asked.
"He's strong. Better than expected—even with three seals," the universal man replied.
"Yes, very strong," the dark-blue one agreed.
"And Yash hasn't missed a coin yet," the golden one added, "but he is slow in every action."
"Shunya has started the books tests and is absorbing everything he can," the yellow woman said.
"But why give Tarun the birth-cycle test—and the karma book?" the universal man pressed. "If he understands even the first page, he could live as a human more than a thousand times. He might even encounter another version of himself!"
"He won't meet another him. We can ask him or take the book back," the universal one said firmly.
"By the rules, you can't," the universal one added.
"Forget it—we can't change it now. What were you asking?" crimson one changing the topic.
"Do we have to give them all badges if they all pass?" the golden one asked.
"Yes. If they all succeed, then by the rules, we must," the universal one said.
"It will take them at least four hours here. We can rest until then. I need to send information to him," the universal one said, rising from the table.
"I'll go check if Vibho stirs up any more trouble," the dark-blue one said, following.
One by one, the council dispersed, leaving the chamber silent.
Ding*
If you don't notice
(The universal one was first male voice)
(Dark blue one was second male voice)
(Crimson red one was first female voice)
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