One month after his S-rank ascension and receipt of the Earl title, Joshua stood once more before a grand threshold — this one leading to the Heaven Ascending Trial. The air here thrummed with divine pressure, far heavier than the stellar void of the S-rank chamber. Towering pillars etched with ancient runes flanked the entrance, and faint clouds drifted overhead despite being indoors, a reminder that this trial bridged mortal realms and higher heavens.
He had spent the intervening weeks carefully considering his path. Most nobles who reached this point chose to ascend alone. They would secure their legacy by leaving titles, estates, and resources to descendants, who could retain noble status for another 800 years after the ascent. It was the safer, more pragmatic route — avoiding the exponential increase in difficulty that came with attempting to bring others along. The trial scaled dramatically with group size, testing not only personal power but coordination, protection, and shared resolve.
Joshua, however, had never been content with the safe path. His family's faces filled his thoughts — his mother's quiet strength, his father's steady hands, Mia's boundless curiosity. The joys of their upgraded life, the minor struggles of sudden wealth, the sycophants and gatekeepers he had witnessed… all of it reinforced his decision. If he could elevate them with him, even partially, he would try. For now, the trial would assess his solo capability first, with the option to include family later if successful.
He stepped forward, and the barrier accepted him. The voice of the tower resonated, deeper and more solemn than before.
"Earl Joshua, S-rank. You stand at the threshold between the 4th Heaven and the 3rd. The Heaven Ascending Trial begins. Prove your worth to rise while carrying the potential of others. The more you seek to elevate, the greater the burden."
The environment shifted instantly. Joshua found himself on a vast, floating platform suspended in a stormy sky. Winds howled with heavenly essence, and distant thunder rumbled like the judgment of gods. Below, illusory versions of his family appeared — not real, but perfect replicas meant to test his protective instincts. The trial made clear: any harm to these projections would reflect on his true family's potential safety.
First came tests of individual might. Lightning bolts laced with heavenly tribulation energy rained down. Joshua met them with his tempered body. His skin repelled the initial strikes, essence flaring to ground excess power. Bones absorbed the impact without shattering, blood circulated rapidly to heal micro-damage, and organs maintained perfect rhythm under the strain. He moved like a force of nature, shattering incoming thunder with essence-infused strikes that lit up the stormy sky.
The difficulty escalated when "companions" entered the equation. Illusory allies — representations of potential followers or family — appeared on the platform. Protecting them while advancing multiplied the challenge. Beasts born of heavenly clouds assaulted from all sides, their claws carrying laws of suppression that sought to weaken foundations. Joshua positioned himself as a shield, using wide-area essence waves to deflect attacks aimed at the projections. One illusory figure nearly fell from the platform; he dove, catching it with a grip strengthened by tempered muscles and bones, pulling it back to safety.
Sweat poured down his face as the trial layered complexities. In one segment, spatial rifts opened, threatening to scatter the group. Joshua had to coordinate movements, using his Anomaly status to sense weak points in the rifts and seal them temporarily with concentrated essence. His blood essence burned brighter, fueling sustained output that would have exhausted him before the S-rank tempering.
Deeper into the trial, the heavenly pressure intensified, simulating the weight of ascending with an entire household. Illusory family members struggled under the burden — their forms flickering as if their own foundations might crumble. Joshua circulated essence outward, sharing a portion of his stabilized power. This was the true test: not raw strength alone, but the ability to uplift others without compromising his own tempered core. His skin glowed as a barrier, bones anchored him against the winds, blood acted as a conduit for shared vitality, and organs processed the massive essence flow without faltering.
Pain returned in waves. Heavenly flames tested organ resilience, forcing him to refine further even mid-trial. A crushing gravitational field targeted the group, and Joshua bore the brunt, his body screaming as bones and muscles held the line. Memories sustained him — family dinners filled with laughter, the garden projects that brought his mother joy, his father's workshop mentoring youths, Mia's dreams of one day climbing beside him. "I will not ascend alone if it means leaving you behind," he whispered fiercely.
The final phase was a convergence of all elements: a colossal heavenly guardian formed of storm clouds and divine law, its attacks carrying the intent to sever connections between climber and companions. Joshua fought with everything. Essence roared through his tempered channels. He wove protective arrays on the fly, using star shards from his spatial ring as focal points to stabilize the platform. Strikes that once would have wounded him now glanced off or were redirected. In a climactic exchange, he channeled a full-powered assault — skin, bones, blood, and organs working in flawless unity — piercing the guardian's core.
Silence fell as the storm dissipated. The platform stabilized, and the tower's voice rang out with measured approval.
"Heaven Ascending Trial — solo path cleared with high compatibility for group ascension. Your tempered foundation demonstrates capacity to shoulder greater burdens. Advancement to the 3rd Heaven granted upon completion of formal ascent. Earl title preserved and elevated in the new realm."
Light enveloped Joshua once more. He felt the shift — a subtle elevation of his entire being, as if the air itself grew purer and laws bent more readily to his will. The trial had not been easy; even solo, the scaled difficulty had pushed him to new limits. Bringing his family would be exponentially harder, requiring further preparation, resources, and perhaps multiple attempts or alliances. But the door was open. Most nobles would choose the solitary path and leave inheritance behind for 800 years of retained status. Joshua now understood why — the risk was immense — yet the reward of shared ascent called to him.
He emerged from the trial chamber, body aching but spirit soaring. The tower attendant offered a respectful nod. "Your performance has been noted, Earl Joshua. Few at your stage show such willingness to bear additional weight."
Back home that evening, Joshua gathered his family on the patio under a starlit sky. He described the trial in careful terms, emphasizing the challenges and the potential path forward. His mother listened with quiet worry, his father with thoughtful calm, and Mia with sparkling excitement.
"We don't have to decide tonight," Joshua said softly. "But know that whatever path we choose — together or with me paving the way — I will protect what we've built."
The month had been one of growth, not just in power but in perspective. The sycophants still lingered at the edges of their lives, and political games continued in the background, but Joshua's resolve had crystallized. Power and wealth had upgraded their lives in beautiful, ordinary ways. Now, the heavens themselves awaited.
He looked up at the stars, feeling the call of the next stairs stronger than ever. The journey was far from over, but for the first time, the path felt truly his own — tempere