Suddenly, everyone in the area started to feel pressure from above, then came a gust of wind that flew away dust everywhere.
Ethan and others looked up and saw a gryphon, a massive blood-red gryphon. Ethan's mouth was slung open.
A monster born from the Sovereigns' blood rain… Damn. How big is it? Looks like the length of a bus. And these wings. They can easily make a paste out of me in seconds… I already knew it from the memories, but… witnessing it firsthand surely feels unnatural.
People instinctively made space for the beast as it landed just beside the empty area near the centre. Then came down a man from its back. Everyone already knew this man, even Ethan. Rykar Harlan. A commander rank bloodline user, and the Griffin was also a Commander Rank beast. He was a robust man wearing brown and black clothes with a cross-shaped scar over his exposed chest, which he wore with pride. It is his mark of bravery on the battlefield that he is very proud of.
Rykar put his hand over the lowered beak of the gryphon and said.
"You did well, Griffith, now rest."
After he said that, the gryphon dissolved in green motes of light and then directly streaked inside Rykar's chest.
He then stepped forward and announced, his voice already amplified even more than any modern speaker could.
"You people already know what you are here for. I won't repeat myself, so listen carefully." He waited for a while and then continued.
"There are two areas in which you are checked to see if you have the capabilities to awaken a bloodline. First, your soul rank. The higher it is, the more powerful you will be and more easier it will be for you to grow. If you have no soul rank, then don't waste time and get back right away. Second, the bloodline awakening formation. There are cases where people were found to have high-ranked souls but no talent for bloodline awakening. So don't start dancing only because of your soul, or else I have little patience. Mind you." Nearing the end, his voice turned threatening as all the people visibly gulped.
Ethan then heard an irritated voice near him.
A man who resembled more a fox than a human, having horizontal slit type eyelids.
"Tsk. Just you wait, bastard. When I awaken my bloodline, you will be grovelling over my foot."
Ethan turned and saw Victor Voss.
Shit! Victor. What is he doing here? Didn't he already get himself tested the previous year?
Ethan quickly got away as far as he could; he wasn't in a condition right now to be seen by Victor. Victor already thought he was dead, so why ruin the surprise!
---
Finally, the trials started. And the first person was called.
"Garrick."
A middle-aged man stepped forward and confidently placed his hand over the crystal.
No reaction.
"No soul rank. Move aside. Next, Silas."
Garrick walked away as if his whole life was destroyed, and a young man stepped forward.
He placed his hand over, and this time there was a reaction. The crystal glowed in a greyish hue.
"Uncommon Soul Rank. Pass. Next...."
Like this name was kept being called until.
"Victor Voss."
"What? This man again?" The announcer calling the name muttered quietly. But it was heard by Rykar with his sharp senses.
"Again, he says? Hoh. Looks like there's a rich fool who thinks he can awaken if he keeps trying. Well, I won't say anything; there have indeed been some cases where people did awaken, 1 in a hundred thousand if I say so."
"Place your hand over the crystal," Rykar said.
And as usual, like previous attempts, it was again the same colour, albeit the rarely seen one.
Blue.
"Soul Rank Super Rare, Pass... tsk every year the same super rare bum. Next..." The announcer said in a low, irritated voice by the end.
Victor heard him, and even though he was angry, he couldn't do anything as Rykar might just swat him like a fly. He quietly stood in the line of passed people.
Finally, the time arrived.
"Ethan."
Ethan stepped forward and placed his hand over the crystal. And it happened. The crystal glowed.
Ethan, who even though looked calm, was actually feeling dread until the crystal glowed. But.
"Soul rank, Common. Pass. Next... "
It was white in colour. The lowest soul rank.
It's okay, it's okay, at least there is something rather than nothing. Yes. Now I wait for the next part...
Victor narrowed his eyes.
"Ethan? That girl's cousin?"
"He is still alive? Tsk, did those bastards lied to me? Looks like someone seeking death. But what if he awakens? Nah... even if he awakens it doesn't matter, he is a common rank. I have a feeling, I will sucessully awaken this time around. Hehehehe."
Soon, all people Soul testing was finished, and out of all, only around 40 passed!
Ethan, who was lamenting seeing his pitiful soul, realised that even that was a blessing.
---
Names were being called again. Whenever anyone awakened his/her bloodline, it was known when a crimson sigil flared into existence on the back of their hand, and the surprising thing was that the previously young man named Silas, who had Uncommon soul rank and was starting to get full of himself, didn't awaken any bloodline. He literally started crying right there, before Rykar gave him a glare and he walked away, his life was still more important than his devastating situation.
This time it was Ethan who was called before Victor.
Ethan stepped forward towards the bloodline awakening formation like a decagon with some unknown language inscribed all over it and stood in the middle. His heart beat was racing like crazy.
Please, please. I cannot stay weak. I don't want to live the pathetic sort of life again. Please awaken, awaken.
Rykar activated the formation as one by one all the ten corners of the decagon lit then the unknown text flying in swirl like holographic projection before directly entering Ethan's head.
Ethan's closed eyes were quivering and his hands shaking as he prayed to all known gods of Earth for the bloodline to awaken.
I want to be the strongest! I don't want to be beneath anyone's mercy!!
Just then Ethan heard a chime.
Ding!
Rykar was going to say Ethan failed. But suddenly a sigil flared into existence for a instant and dissappeared. Even though Rykar couldn't get a good view, he was sure that Ethan awakened.
"Pass. Ethan has sucessully become a bloodline user. Go, stand beside others for further instructions."