Village Head's Debauchery

It wasn't an everyday occurrence for him to witness such an extraordinary display.

However, after a while, he considered concluding the observation and was on the verge of summoning them back to the space. 

His actions came to a sudden halt as he stared at the churning stream of water before him, his gaze trembling with astonishment.

Soon, his dumbfoundedness transformed into shock as Aegis of the Arctic Deity couldn't believe his eyes when he witnessed the numerous dark, destructive strands of chaotic energy emanating from Orion's body.

The boiling intensity of the stream of water gradually intensified!

"This... this..." Aegis of the Arctic Deity attempted to articulate his thoughts, but no words came to him that could help him make sense of the astounding scene before him. 

He blinked several times before finally muttering with wide-open eyes, "Impossible! How is such a thing possible? How can a mere human possess such a chaotic energy?!" Aegis of the Arctic Deity's voice resonated within the chaotic space.

Naturally, he recognized the strands of chaotic energy, as they were undoubtedly the same as the persistent vines that encircled the mountain, infiltrating even through the cracks. 

Their overwhelming presence left him powerless, and he realized that he needed to conserve his energy, as it was not limitless.

Nonetheless, as the boiling water's intensity continued to surge, Aegis of the Arctic Deity, who had been alive for more years than he could count, swiftly regained his composure. 

He decided to postpone his questions and proceeded to withdraw the bodies of all the participants from the streaming water, bringing them back to the space, and effectively completing the trial.

The first person Aegis of the Arctic Deity chose to retrieve was Orion. However, when Orion was pulled from the water, he appeared unconscious, like the other participants, but his body was still ensconced in several strands of Vylkr energy. 

These strands caused the space around them to tremble and vibrate as if attempting to suppress the chaotic energy while simultaneously resisting it.

Aegis of the Arctic Deity's golden eyes narrowed to slits as he observed Orion's unconscious form. 

The gnashing of teeth filled the space around them, and Aegis muttered to himself, "Very well, it seems I have no choice." He contemplated sending Orion back to the garden to prevent any inadvertent, irreversible damage to this place and the mountain. 

However, he quickly realized that doing so might put the garden in danger as well. 

Therefore, the only viable solution was to transport Orion outside of the mountain to ensure he didn't harm or contaminate anything within.

"Boy, if you can hear me, I want you to return to the mountain as soon as you can, as we have much to discuss," Aegis of the Arctic Deity's voice resounded through the space, even though Orion remained unconscious. 

With a sweep of his divine power, Aegis watched a small hole open beneath Orion, swiftly pulling him in before sealing shut behind him.

As the space settled and the source of chaos was gone, Aegis of the Arctic Deity turned his attention to the remaining eighty-one participants who had successfully completed the trial. 

He proceeded to assist their bodies in merging with the divine blood before they awakened. Turning his gaze back to the stream of water, which now held several globs of divine blood, Aegis of the Arctic Deity peered into the stream. 

He examined the numerous strings of white and black threads that had lost their shining lustre and appeared to have fragmented into even smaller threads. Failing to find what he sought, he withdrew his gaze, allowing a brief moment of silence to envelop the space. 

The silence was abruptly shattered by a hearty and boisterous peal of laughter.

"HAAAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!"

…........

Outside the mountains

Fifi brought down her great battle axe on the last remaining piece of an encroaching three-star Vylkr vine, her face devoid of emotion. She then shifted her gaze towards Seth.

"Is that all?" Fifi asked, her voice taking on an icy and emotionless tone. Her towering and muscular presence might have sent an ordinary villager fleeing in fear, but she was surrounded by warriors who, like her, had lived on the edge of life and death, battling the Vylkr vines tirelessly. They found Fifi's demeanour less intimidating than outsiders would.

"Yes, we can continue on our way now," Seth replied.

Fifi nodded and made her way towards the rope that dangled from the flying contraption. She began to climb it, eager to resume their search for Orion after the numerous delays. 

She recognized the importance of dealing with the three-star Vylkr vines they encountered, which would relieve the burden on the other warriors protecting the village. Still, despite understanding the significance of their task, frustration crept in. They had been at this for three days.

Three whole days!

Their primary goal was to locate Orion and Saria, yet with each passing day, Fifi's confidence in Orion's survival waned. 

She had reached a point where uncertainty clouded her thoughts, and she contemplated going off on her own to search for Orion if only she had her own flying contraption to cover more ground quickly. 

Just as she was about to board the large basket, a loud shout echoed from below.

"Everyone, stop!" Seth's voice commanded attention, and he had picked up on something in the distance. 

"Tchh! It's another three-star Vylkr vine," he muttered to himself. 

While his tone was low, the warriors present possessed keen ears, and they all sighed wearily, fully aware of what was about to come next.

Regardless, Fifi chose to entrust this task to her fellow warriors as she boarded the basket to rest and regain her strength. While glancing in the direction Seth had been staring, calculating the number of three-star Vylkr vines they'd be contending with and estimating the waiting time, Fifi's focus was immediately drawn to just two three-star Vylkr vines in the distance.

However, her attention swiftly shifted to another direction, piqued by something new catching her eye.