Simon stood in front of the rift for more than a minute with a multitude of thoughts running through his head.
Later, he released a deep sigh and turned back.
’If this rift leads to Earth and not the Chaos Plane or any other place, then the rift has not been fully formed yet.’
’On the other side which is Earth, it’ll just be like a thin crack that emitted a flashing crimson light, and if it’s in a secluded location, the association and guilds on Earth would not be able to find it before it’s too late.’
’But for a rift of this size... This is a potential S grade rift. Luckily for Earth, the rift is not getting wider and wider, and it seems that the Shadowgrave Clan does not know about it.’
’If they did, then they could launch a surprise assault on Earth with other demons, taking the humans by surprise.’
’But if this rift leads to another place, then... it might be dangerous.’
Simon narrowed his eyes as he took one last look at the long, narrow rift.
He shook his head, then he began to walk back to the wooden door that led out of the underground caves.
"I’ll be back here in the future." He mumbled softly.
After a few minutes, the wooden door on the ground was pushed open with a rather loud thud, and Simon stepped out.
The loud, harsh, and cold winds of the Blackwind Valley slammed into him, forcing him to cover his eyes with his arm and squint it.
’Nearly forgot about how loud and harsh the Valley is after spending time underground.’
Simon looked around, and when he saw that nobody was nearby, he closed the door and used his legs to drag the soil across the door in order to hide it.
’Now, that I think about it. This is really not a good place to hide something so valuable. How did nobody find it after so many years?’
He shrugged after having this question in his mind, then he looked at the sky.
’Hmm... The black moon is still up, but the crimson moon should be out soon. Probably in an hour or less?’
He looked around, then he began to run.
’I need to find that Odrasil and kill him before the trial ends... That is if he has not caused a bigger disaster to the trial than what I did.’
Just as Simon had this thought, he suddenly had another and he quickly stopped running.
He looked at the Chaos Blade hanging by his waist, and he could not help but click his tongue in annoyance.
’I’d forgotten that artifacts are not allowed in the trial. Only normal weapons. And since I started the trials with no weapon, questions would be asked about where I got the Chaos Blade and the Veilmasters would take it from me to inspect.’
’Once they do that, the chances of them returning the Chaos Blade back to me would be very low even if they know what it actually was.’
’Its fine craftsmanship makes it obvious that the Chaos Blade is definitely not a normal weapon or a normal artifact.’
’I have to hide it till I’m done with the trials and its safe for me to be using it.’
He removed the Chaos Blade from his waist and sent it into his spatial ring.
’I’ll find another sword to use for now in the trial.’
Simon continued running while listening to the wind.
He didn’t know where to find the Odrasil, but he believed that if he listened to the wind, he should be able to get some clues.
Some minutes later, he paused and sniffed the air.
’Blood... Nearby?’
His ears twitched as he heard a soft sound from his left.
He narrowed his eyes, then he approached the location of the sound he heard.
He took calm and slow steps as he cautiously approached a tree.
’On the other side of the tree?’
He reached the tree, grabbed its trunk and looked at the ground, expecting to see somebody or something.
But he saw nothing.
"Hmm?" He frowned, then he looked around in hopes of finding the source of the voice, but he still saw nothing.
’Was I wrong?’
The moment he had this thought, his instincts warned him and his reflexes instantly activated.
He placed his right arm behind him in a defensive position, and...
Clang!
A dagger hit his chaos wrapped arm, and he quickly distanced himself from the attacker.
"Huh?"
A surprised voice drifted into his ears, and he saw his attacker.
Another trial candidate with long black hair, eyes as dark as the black moon, and the symbol of a black crescent moon on his forehead stood before him with a surprised expression.
The boy was looking at his dagger with a shocked and baffled expression.
’A Supreme Fiend. But what race is he? What’s the grade of his bloodline?’
Simon shifted his gaze to the boy’s dagger, and he saw that its edge was broken, and even Simon raised a brow when he saw it.
He looked at his right arm.
’A dagger struck my arm but the dagger nearly broke, and there’s not a single injury to my arm?’
"What the hell? What are those things wrapped around your arm? Is it not just black cloth? Is it an artifact? Artifacts are not allowed in the trial."
The boy complained while pointing at the Chaos Wraps with narrowed eyes.
Simon tilted his head and smiled, then in the next second, he vanished from the boy’s eyes.
Bam!
Blergh!
Bam!
Keugh!
Simon landed a punch on the boy’s stomach, then a punch on the right side of his face.
Thud!
The boy fell to his knees while coughing out blood mixed with spit, and Simon looked at him coldly.
"You sure have the nerves to be asking me such questions after attacking me from out of nowhere."
The boy gasped for air, and to Simon’s surprise and confusion, the boy fell to the ground unconscious.
And that was when Simon saw the arrow lodged inside the boy’s back.