Max was pleasantly surprised to see the system notification. Stage 1 had been an emotional journey for him and while it was bitter-sweet it was undoubtedly a thrilling experience for him.
What surprised him however was not the fact that he managed to clear it but the fact that he cleared it with an SSS rating
Max was not sure on what the evaluation criteria was, but he was happy that he managed to clear it with a perfect score.
He was not given much time to celebrate however, as within seconds the second stage of the tier5 promotion test began.
[ System Notification - The second stage of the tier5 promotion test begins. It is a test of character and beliefs. Good luck adventurer ]
Max found himself standing on a round stage with many bright spotlights pointed in his direction that made it difficult for him to see what was ahead of him clearly.
There was a stage in front of him and on that stage were 3 figures that looked humanoid but Max could not discern any of their features because of the extremely bright spotlights in their background which made them appear just a shadow.
" We will give you 3 scenarios, at the end of each scenario there will be a question. Your task is to answer that question as truthfully as possible.
Nod if you understand " the three voices said simultaneously as Max tried to block some of the bright light coming straight into his eyes using his palm as he nodded.
" First Scenario : You are a primordial vampire who is aware of the ancient prophecy that mentions that should you become king, your rule will bring disaster for everyone but yourself.
Assuming you do become king and the population of vampires dwindles to just 10% of what it is today because of internal strife and wars.
Would you regret your choice? And would you change your decision if given a second chance in-time and not pursue the throne, knowing it spells disaster for your entire kind? "
Max listened to the question carefully and could not help but frown at what the question was insinuating.
Yes there was an ancient prophecy on his ass which said that should he take the throne it would spell disaster for the entire Vampire kind, but it did not mean he intentionally willed them harm.
Max was not evil. He did not seek the throne to destroy vampire society as a whole. He genuinely wanted his subjects to be happy and prosperous under his reign and when he became King that would precisely be his goal.
After analysing the question carefully he said " There will be no chaos, internal strife or civil war when I take up the throne.
Just like how a tier0 warrior would not resist the will of a tier4 commander.
99% of my subjects would be tier4 and under while I shall be a tier8 king. They will not resist my commands.
The only individuals who might resist me would be tier6 and above, where it would be a clear choice between bending the knee or keeping the head.
My ascension may be bloody for the various vampire god's. But it won't affect the commoners.
While I can't guarantee anything for the nobles, the commoners surely won't suffer"
" Would I regret it if my population dwindled to 10%? No. I know I would have never demanded unnecessary bloodshed, I would have never destroyed planets where millions of innocents live.
I would only ever seek a fight with my equals and never stoop so low as to kill weaklings.
So if the population dwindles, it's because their lord's or leaders are cowards, while it is most disturbing it has nothing to do with me for which I shall have no regret over the outcome.
In the future I will be king, whether I'm the king of 1 individual or 100 billion, only one thing will be true and that is the fact that I will be king " Max said with conviction as he answered the first question to the best of his abilities.
He understood his own moral bottom line and knew that he would never demand the blood of the innocent, but if it inevitably got shed during his process of his ascension, it was not going to affect his conscience at all.
" Just but ruthless " said the first judge who had asked the question as he seemed to scribble down his score from the movements of his shadow.
For a brief moment, there was silence but soon after the first judge was done scribbling the second judge asked him a question.
" Second Scenario : You have two nephews, Jake and Kartikeya, and you are aware that both of them are monstrous talents that will make their mark on a universal scale when they grow up.
Assuming that one of the two develops a desire for your throne and wishes to snatch your power from you, what will your decision be when they march to your palace steps with an army.
Will you yield out of love? Or fight him to the death? " The second judge asked as Max could not believe his own ears when he heard this question?
These judges were asking him about scenarios that had not yet happened and were putting him in a very difficult position.
Max had considered himself to be a very contemplative individual who often brooded about things that could be, but never had he ever thought about the bizarre scenarios that he was being asked to assess today.
What he did not know was that the three judges whose figures he could not see were actually the celestial trio of god's called ' Fate ' and they spun and controlled the strings of fate and destiny to a certain extent.
The questions that he was being asked today, were some of the possible futures of his own life and his answers today were going to help the celestial god's decide on whether or not they wanted to allow him to advance, or whether his ambitions and actions would ruin the balance of the universe.