Endless Horde: Through the Eyes of a Godking

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[Welcome to the Trial of Spirit]

[Trial of Spirit: 1st Stage]

[Stipulation #1: Stay awake!]

[Stipulation #2: Endure!]

[Stipulation #3: Resist!]

[Requirements for clearance: sit on the Lotus Praying Mat and stay conscious for 24 hours to pass this trial.]

[Time Limit: 10 years]

[Tip: No attempt limits. You're free to come and go as you please.]

**

Cedric stood in a vast white space filled with fog. The only visible thing in his sight was the altar, where the so-called Lotus Praying Mat was placed.

Despite having the godking's eyes, Cedric was unable to see anything within the fog, no matter how hard he tried, prompting him to give up trying eventually.

He came here due to Backpack Fatty's suggestion. He said that this trial should sublimate his spirit, whatever that means, allowing him to finally make actual progress in strength. Cedric had no idea why this was the case, and he wasn't particularly inclined to ask further either. These things were beyond him, so it's no use even if he knew.

He'd eventually come here sooner or later anyway, with or without Backpack Fatty's suggestion.

Since he couldn't see anything beyond the fog, Cedric just decided to start the trial instead. He walked up the altar and sat on the Lotus Praying Mat.

Weng!

An invisibly fast fluctuation suddenly occurred, one that he failed to react to due to how fast it happened and couldn't even if he could since it's beyond his current abilities to do so.

He found himself stuck, completely unable to move a muscle. He could breathe and blink; he could also look wherever, but that's about it; moving anything else aside from that was impossible.

Then, a blinding burst of light appeared above him. Aside from its brilliance, it also brought forth an unknown pressure that caused Cedric's pupils to constrict.

The pressure was stifling. It couldn't be felt by the body, but it directly targeted his spirit, which makes it even more comfortable.

A living being's spirit was their most sensitive and vulnerable part. Any harm done to it could be fatal right away. At the same time, it is also the most profound part of them since it holds the mysteries of a person's existence and their uniqueness.

On Prime Earth, there aren't a lot of ways to temper one's spirit. Humanity hasn't developed that far, nor has it had the chance to, really. Consuming essence souls doesn't improve one's spirit either, due to its composition.

Cedric believed that his spirit was slightly stronger than most, all because he inherited the eyes of the godking. After all, using the unparalleled visual prowess of the eyes demanded a crap ton of energy and put an immense burden on one's spirit.

But with the pressure he's feeling right now from this trial, Cedric's beginning to doubt that.

Groan

Well, it seems that he could make a noise too, at least. But that doesn't really make his situation better.

Saying that this was uncomfortable would be an understatement. It's unlike anything he has ever felt.

The pressure didn't just press down on his spirit; it also pricked him. It's as if millions of needles were piercing every individual cell of his body, slowly but surely.

'So that's why the stipulations were weird.' Cedric thought to himself as he was reminded of the contents of the trial.

Because he was quite literally glued to his seat, he can't do anything about this. He's forced to experience every single second of this torture. Unless, of course, he wills himself to exit the trial.

'Fuck it! Let's see how long I can endure! '

**

Five hours later...

"Exit!" Cedric snarled.

Swoosh!!

Space warped around him, and his surroundings changed. Before he knew it, he had already returned to the lobby—more specifically, right outside the door of the trial.

Cedric knew that his mobility had returned, but he was too tired and too pained to move, so he just laid there. Even breathing felt painful to him.

'Was that really necessary?' Cedric thought to himself as he recalled what he experienced during the past five hours.

It was nothing but torture. It felt worse than being chewed alive by numerous zombies. He had never felt so helpless before, and he didn't like it.

At least in his Hell Dives and at the Trial of Body, he could fight back. In this damnable trial, though? He could do nothing but take it.

It doesn't help that the pain increases exponentially as time passes. It came to the point where he felt as if he were a coin under a hydraulic press. It's just too much.

Sigh!

Cedric pursed his lips and picked himself off the ground; his legs were still wobly. He limped back to his room, feeling like a dog fleeing with his tail between his legs.

Upon returning to his room, he went to his hut and rested for a good while. He never felt this kind of spiritual exhaustion before. Actually, he had, just not this bad.

Fortunately, despite experiencing the torture of the trial, his soul wasn't injured; it just hurt. This made him think that he could've lasted longer if he just chose to endure the pain longer, but truly, such pain was too much even for him, so even if he wanted to, he just couldn't.

He woke up after a whole day of resting. Still feeling uncomfortable, yet after a brief inspection, he discovered that this feeling wasn't because he's exhausted or hurt still. No, it's due to something else.

Cedric felt... denser, not physically but spiritually. He felt as if he had grown a couple of inches, but in truth, he hasn't. He also felt like his clothes were too tight, except they weren't.

He feels fuller, for some reason—like stuffed—and it feels strange and weird.

After a deeper inspection, Cedric eventually discovered the reason why he feels this way, and it has something to do with the Trial of Spirit.

The 'stuffed' sensation he felt was due to his soul becoming denser. Not only did it expand after experiencing 5 hours of wicked torture from the trial, but it also felt way denser than before.

It swelled in size and became heavier. The sensation of his clothes being too tight stemmed from this.

The soul is the house of the spirit; both are contained within the body and linked with energy, forming the divine trinity that makes up most living beings. Humans are no exception.

After enduring the torturous trial, Cedric's soul has grown. Previously, it's been like a wisp. Now, it's starting to turn into a light orb. Due to his soul growing in size and becoming denser, it's now occupying more space. And since it's using his body as a vessel, it caused him to feel as if his clothes were too tight on him.

After discovering this, Cedric tested how strong his spirit had gotten. He used the latent abilities of his eyes, and he was immediately stunned.

He could already sense a lot previously, but with the improvements in his spirit, everything felt more intimate and natural. He could perceive things in a deeper and more profound way, and it felt moving.

Cedric also felt a slight improvement in his comprehension after a round of training, which was astounding.

His gaze turned weird then, as he thought, "No pain, no gain, huh?"

Indeed, he hadn't endured that torture for nothing. His improvements weren't explosive, but they're noticeable. This was just after a single session. If he could endure longer, who knows just how much improvement he'll get?

But at the same time, the torturous pain he had to endure was truly so great that it almost negated the benefit altogether. If it weren't for the fact that the improvements are permanent and really valuable, Cedric could hardly say that it was worth the pain.

"Alright, fine!" Cedric grumbled in defeat. "I'll adjust my schedule, I suppose."

He couldn't ignore the potential improvements he could receive from the trial after all. Well, he would have to go through it if he wanted to remain here anyway, so this was no surprise.

Adjusting his schedule meant that he would be milking that trial for all of its worth. Which also meant more painful torture for him.

If it's just passing, he didn't need to do this. He could just occasionally go to the Trial of Spirit and see how long he could last, and if he's lucky, clear it as soon as possible and forget about it.

But since he decided to get the benefits he could get from it, he has to add it to his schedule, albeit reluctantly. He's not looking forward to the pain he'll experience, but the potential benefits should be worth it.

"Once a week at least...every weekend, maybe?" Cedric muttered to himself as he adjusted his schedule. "Yeah, that sounds fine."

Done with that, Cedric rested for a bit and stared at the clear sky above him. He stared at the passing clouds and allowed his thoughts to wander for a bit.

"I really miss my girls."