St Chaos Healer

Ch 60 - Ascension Trials & Judgement

Mathew was directed by the phantom mage to stand in front of a massive metal tree that was the second object created from the orb. The metal tree was almost as big as a regular tree, but it lacked any leaves and was made entirely of metal. Its branches stretched out far and wide, and it closely resembled a real tree, except for a hollow at the center of its trunk. The hollow was filled with an eerie black mist that emitted an ominous aura, and it was impossible to see inside.

We candidates watched attentively to understand how the trial works. Mathew was our first guinea pig and we can also learn what to do and what not to do.

Mathew approached the tree, his eyes curiously glancing at the hollow. The phantom mage then instructed him, "For the second trial, insert both your arms inside the hollow tree." Mathew was a bit nervous, but he made sure to follow the instructions carefully. He rolled up his sleeves before inserting both his arms inside the tree. One could see the nervous expression on his face.

As soon as Mathew inserted his arms, nothing happened. He was scared at first, but he noticed that nothing was happening, and his confidence grew back.

We, the candidates, started to believe that the trial was going to be a breeze like the 1st Trial.

However, the phantom mage then instructed Mathew, "Now you need to create the mana orb while your arms are inside the hollow tree. Whatever happens, you don't need to panic, just keep calm." Mathew obeyed, and the next instant, he started to concentrate. The branches of the tree began moving, almost like it was alive, and Mathew's face started to look uneasy for some reason.

Despite this, Mathew maintained his arms inside the tree, and the branches started recoiling, growing shorter. At the same time, small glowing leaves began to grow on the branches of the tree at a speed visible to the eye. The leaves were glowing, and they almost resembled pure mana, similar to the mana orb we were instructed to create. In a matter of a minute, the dead metal tree had finally grown into a full small grown healthy tree with mana leaves all over.

However, suddenly a voice interrupted, "Pardon my interjection grandmasters. Might I ask if it is alright to pull out my arms? I am starting to feel a bit really sick." To our surprise, the voice belonged to Mathew.

As the grandmasters fell silent, we, the candidates, were taken aback. We had never seen them act this way before. The other candidates began to whisper among themselves, trying to make sense of the situation.

"Didn't the grandmaster just tell him to keep his mouth shut?" one of the candidates murmured.

"He's done for. I'm sure he'll be expelled immediately," another candidate chimed in.

"Expelled? I don't even know if Lady Hamanthra will let him walk away alive," a third candidate added.

Hendrickson muttered, "Mathew is such a wussy,"

"I can't blame him. Just look at his face. That tree is actually draining all of Mathew's mana. He's probably experiencing the same relapses that a mage feels when their mana is drained," Trisha said in a serious tone.

I nodded my head and said, "Death is better than insufferable pain. No wonder he opened his big mouth. May his soul rest in peace."

Trisha asked me, "Could you once show some sympathy?"

But I replied arrogantly, "Nope."

We had anticipated that Lady Hamanthra would impose severe punishment on Mathew for disobeying her orders, but to our surprise, she sat there with a devious smile on her face instead of reprimanding him. Her smile appeared more sinister than friendly, almost as if she was deriving pleasure from Mathew's discomfort.