Chapter 12: Velvet’s story

​And she turned to Smith, saying, "Brother, if I remember correctly, it was the exact same feeling as when I came to you. At that time, it was our first time on an active battlefield. We were deep inside enemy lines, carrying out a strategy to assassinate the commader so to collapse the army from within. The plan went smoothly at first because of our high individual combat capabilities. We successfully infiltrated their main camp and beheaded their commander.

​However, it turned out that they were to cruel to even themselves and used their own commander as bait meant to lure us deeper into enemy territory. Because we were young and it was our first battle, we only knew how to fight head-on and didn’t understand how deep the schemes of the battlefield ran. We fell directly into their trap. Even though we managed to escape the encirclement, we ended up stranded in an unknown part of enemy territory.

​We found an abandoned, dilapidated village where no one had lived for a very long time. Deep inside was a huge, crumbling temple. As soon as we took refuge inside, the entire temple began to shake violently. Just before it collapsed on itself, a strange gateway opened and swallowed us whole.

​When we opened our eyes, we found ourselves transported into another space. It wasn’t very large only about the size of our capital city and it had building styles we had never seen before. Upon entering, we were greeted by people wearing robes over armor similar to mine. Their faces looked slightly different from ours. At first, we couldn’t understand anything they were saying, but after a short time, it was as if by some miracle we suddenly understood their language.

​They told us it was a Trial. Once we completed the tasks given to us, we would be allowed to leave. Since we had no other choice and were in an unknown place, we accepted. The people didn’t seem hostile, nor did they resemble our enemies. At first, they gave us ordinary, mundane tasks like fetching water or cleaning floors. Even though we were of noble birth, we accepted without complaint. The chores were tiring, but we completed them every day.

​After a month of mundane labor, the real training began. At first, the training was so harsh it left us in a broken state by the end of every day. But as if by magic, after a single night’s sleep, we were completely fine the next morning, and our physical strength grew rapidly. We trained our bodies like this for almost two months. During that time, we worried constantly about our parents, but a powerful barrier surrounded the space, making it impossible to sneak out. Sensing how overwhelmingly strong the inhabitants were, we didn’t try anything reckless.

​One day, they decided to teach us how to fight. As some of the strongest fighters from our homeland, we still had our pride. But after a few exchanges with the instructors, we realized our strength was like an ant trying to push an elephant. From then on, we learned wholeheartedly.

​They explicitly told us they would only teach us combat techniques, not how to acquire their true powers. Reaching their level was too complicated and forbidden to teach us for the time being. They said if destiny allowed, we might become as strong as them or even stronger than them in the future.

​They were extraordinarily effective instructors. They taught us how to use over a hundred different weapons, from long spears to short daggers, alongside unarmed combat and archery. The trial space had unique rules: even if one of us lost an arm during training, it would grow back the very next day. If one of us was killed, she would wake up alive the following morning. We literally could not die inside the trial.

​That immortality became the catalyst for our growth. We didn’t limit ourselves to ordinary sparring; we fought bloody, life-or-death battles every single day. Even the instructors were shocked by our self-inflicted brutality, but they didn’t stop us. Because of our relentless approach, our skills progressed at an extraordinary rate.

​Eventually, we requested to fight the instructors directly. Ordinarily, the final trial lasted one year, where candidates only needed to defeat a single instructor who had restricted their power to a normal level. Candidates were even allowed to cooperate. But we decided to increase the challenge: we demanded to fight all of the instructors at once. To avoid completing the trial too quickly, we deliberately dragging our stay out to five years.

​In the end, we won. Impressed by our diligence, the instructors rewarded each of us with a special set of equipment. They told us we were now qualified to receive a ’calling’ in the future, and when the time came, we would respond to it on our own to begin our journey toward true power. They didn’t explain any further.

​When we finally left the trial space, we were surprised to find that less than a week had passed in the real world. We were still deep in enemy territory, but now we were vastly stronger. Instead of hiding, we went on a rampage and bulldozed our way through their forces. That was how we managed to ruin their kingdom in just three months.

​Years later, while I was going through my usual training routine, I suddenly felt a connection. It felt so familiar. At that exact moment, the other girls received it as well. I moved faster than the rest and accepted the mental connection without hesitation because it felt just like you. Remembering your sudden disappearance and mysterious background, I knew without a doubt that it was you. I answered, and the next moment, I appeared right in front of you."

​After hearing her full explanation, Smith finally understood. Not just anyone could become a Queen. It seemed candidates had to undergo a qualification trial to earn that right.

​His previous deduction had been spot on: when the system evaluation mentioned a "a child of destiny," it was no exaggeration. The moment the temple collapsed, the seven girls had been swallowed by a trial gate.

​Looking down at Velvet sitting on his lap, Smith realized she was no longer the cute little girl he had left behind before the Awakening Trial—she was a battle-hardened war machine who had brutally forged herself into a demon of the battlefield.

​Smith smiled, eager to see how the other girls had grown. He turned to Velvet and said, "Now that we’ve formed our bond, we can save the rest of our talks for another day. Let’s head back home to rest. Tomorrow, we’ll return here to meet my guardians and begin our training. Even with all your combat experience, we still need to understand how these new powers work."

​Remembering one last thing, Smith added, "Before we leave, let’s check your Data Panel."