[Bad Omen]

  Description: You randomly predict bad events in the future. The predicted events have a very small chance to manifest as reality. Probability of manifestation decreases with the scale and complexity of the predicted event.

  Nathan clicked his tongue silently at the skill he'd just received. What kind of bizarre skill-granting system was this? He was genuinely concerned about what he'd been given. Part of him had grown too comfortable when the system stopped providing weird skills like [Bad Mouth]. The low probability had made him believe he wouldn't be unlucky enough to roll another one. If he did, he'd believed he would have enough credits by then to buy a [Skill Breaker] and remove it immediately. Yet here he was, still not having completed the mission to earn 2,000 credits.

  What is the system trying to do? he silently asked himself and the system to see if it would answer.

  Unsurprisingly, he received no response. He couldn't believe the system would provide such a double-edged skill that could harm both enemies and himself. While the effects of [Bad Omen] might be small, they could also be devastating. A single slip of the tongue could lead to unavoidable disaster. The fortunate part was the 'very small chance' rather than the absolute nature of [Bad Mouth], meaning that even if the skill activated, it would most likely fail.

  He pondered silently about how [Bad Omen] worked, wondering if it operated on predestination or if things would change course because of what he said. If it was the latter, he felt somewhat afraid, as the passive system showed its potentially extreme latent danger.

  Reminding himself to be even more careful with his words and keep his mouth shut, he pushed this skill aside to look at the others.

  [Counter Strike]

  Description: Grants a 17% chance to automatically execute a perfect counter-technique against incoming attacks from enemies. The counter adapts to the type of attack received, using the opponent's force and momentum against them.

  Another skill added to the fourth-attack pattern he'd been hoping for. However, this skill wasn't as perfect as he'd thought because it overlapped with [Rebound]. The system, seemingly aware of his exploitation tendencies, had clearly stated that he couldn't trigger it by attacking himself—it had to be a genuine enemy attack. This was another skill that didn't work particularly well with mana-based attacks. While it synced well with [Martial Art Mastery], its effectiveness wasn't particularly impressive.

  With a mindset already dampened by [Bad Omen], he accepted this skill cheerfully, as it was still far more useful. He didn't hesitate to upgrade it along the Methodical path—every fourth attack he received would trigger [Counter Strike].

  [Anger Management]

  Description: Grants better control over your angry emotion. Does not guarantee perfect control.

  If the system were a physical being, he would have punched it a few times. This skill seemed to mock his Berserker path. Nevertheless, he focused on contemplating the potential of [Anger Management]. Several possibilities had already emerged in his mind.

  The final skill was [Cold Resistance Aura], which worked exactly as its name suggested, nothing particularly special. He briefly thought of Evelyn, imagining that he wouldn't shiver just from her presence anymore.

  Nathan stood up, ready to leave. Celene silently followed, having wondered what Nathan had been doing staring into space all this time, acting as if she didn't exist.

  When he reached the door, Nathan suddenly blurted out.

  "I'm going to slip."

  Right after, his foot stepped into a puddle of water. Just as he began to slip, he twisted his body and regained balance with [Improved Balance] combined with [Martial Art Mastery].

  Triggered [Bad Omen]. One credit given. Prediction is true.

  His anger rose like an erupting volcano. Then, as if he were an outsider, he observed his emotion and could command it.

  Triggered [Anger Management]. One credit given.

  He calmed down immediately, no longer controlled by his emotions. He blinked, hardly believing these two skills had manifested so soon.

  "Are you alright?" Celene hurriedly asked, looking at the puddle of cleaning water on the floor. She wondered who had been so careless. Such things shouldn't happen in an establishment as prestigious as this.

  Nathan waved his hand dismissively, letting it go. His brows remained furrowed due to his situation. Everything was already difficult enough without getting stuck with something this ridiculous. He just hoped the skill would behave somewhat, like [Bad Mouth]. If he could stop himself from completing a sentence, he guessed the predictions wouldn't come true.

  Thanks to the rare skill, he got an additional roll. He decided to stop after getting five skills and save the remaining roll for another occasion.

  Nathan spent the next period in the training room rented by Celene. The training facilities here were of higher quality than those in the outer court of Verdant Spire Sect. Instead of Straw Men, they mostly used training automatons. He had verified the effects of [Counter Strike] through these automatons. By requesting them to use mana bullets, he learned that this skill was quite ineffective. He could dodge or deflect them, but couldn't redirect them back. Either because he couldn't project mana yet, or the skill was just limited that way.

  Maybe they're leaving room for [Deflect]! Nathan formed a hypothesis.

  He then experimented with a few other things, then used the money earned from the auction and cooking to buy some equipment for himself. Though he really liked the Nine Star Saber, being a Tier 3 weapon, he didn't want to buy it. The high price was one thing, but he wouldn't be able to use it to its full potential. Therefore, his focus was on items and equipment he could use in the immediate future.

  Finally, the gathering occurred.

  He made his way to the inner city, the square at the architectural center of Maelivar, with Celene following. These four thick walls formed the second line of defense in case the outer walls were breached, so the construction materials were of higher quality and equipped with even more powerful gun emplacements. Most notably, the inner city was considered the center of a defensive array. In case of war, whoever controlled the inner city could activate an additional mana barrier. Only when control of the inner city was lost would Maelivar fall.

  The inner city, apart from Castle Voss where Duke Kael resided, was quite sparse, with only a few mansions of the nobility built around. It had various gardens mainly for viewing, artificial lakes for young nobles' strolls, and venues for leadership exchanges.

  Since it wasn't permitted, event participants like Nathan could only follow the main road to the castle without wandering around.

  Castle Voss looked increasingly majestic as they approached, with watchtowers rising like arrows piercing the sky. Guards moved vigilantly along the surrounding walls and flew around, maintaining constant observation of the guests.

  According to leaked information, Duke Kael had also stationed four Tier 3 cultivators for protection, preventing any possible incidents.

  Nathan increasingly felt the pressure as he neared the castle's eastern gate. By his calculations, this made Maelivar's defensive structure three-layered, with the walls before him being the final barrier.

  The crowd was so large that he had to queue. Celene, following behind, felt anxious as it was her first time attending such a major event. In her mind, she had plans to expand relationships to assist her current master, the composed young man in red Verdant Spire Sect attire standing beside her.

  Nathan was only trying to appear calm, but internally he was fretting. He wanted to chat with Celene to ease his mind, but also wanted to prevent [Bad Omen] from activating. Earlier, he had been about to ask her about the training room when [Bad Omen] interrupted. Thus, this skill was no less intrusive than [Bad Mouth], hijacking his speech once activated.

  He focused on the whispered discussions around him.

  "Did you hear? Adrian thrashed another Tier 3 Phase 1 yesterday?"

  "Again? Does that guy find fighting above his level that easy?"

  "So admirable!"

  "Admirable maybe, but his personality is really weird."

  Nathan made a mental note about this Adrian character. On the right side, they were discussing another prodigy.

  "A Thousand Stars Pavilion seems quite confident this year."

  "Apart from causing trouble at the Merinor house party, they haven't shown anything special."

  "They're hiding their cards. Twenty-five people came but only twenty-four have been seen."

  "So we might meet their hidden person tonight."

  "Most likely."

  Nathan listened to the discussions feeling out of touch. He hadn't had much time so he wasn't very familiar with the various factions, only knowing that those participating in 'The Shifting Trials' were mostly monsters.

  After that, there were too many names including wandering cultivators seeking fame that made his head spin, so he stopped paying attention.

  When it was his turn to be checked by the guards, he went in, easily bringing Celene along. There were quite a few participants who brought attendants to the gathering, so they didn't face much resistance.

  Triggered [Mind of Tranquility]. One credit given.

  What the hell? Nathan silently panicked.

  He whirled his head around to look, but in his field of vision were only the sea of people, walls, and the night sky. Looking toward Celene, he frowned when he saw she didn't seem particularly affected by any force. Even he felt the same.

  Are the Tier 3s in the castle doing this?

  He suddenly wanted to leave. Influencing the psychology of people here certainly couldn't have good intentions. He didn't believe he was the only one affected, but looking around, no one showed signs of being mentally manipulated.

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  Unable to distrust the Passive System, he could only remain on high alert.

  After passing the guards, he entered a wide courtyard that had been carefully arranged. Tall tables and food and drink stations had been distributed in various corners. There were also open spaces for young people to interact.

  Currently, two youths were unable to resist fighting on the arena. Their mana and attributes exploded with each strike.

  Nathan stood in a corner watching the match. Most cultivators possessed element-based Aspects, so one of them used fire while the other used water. Their clashing attacks left steam rising into a thin mist enveloping them. Below the arena, a youth using wind blew the mist away, leaving clear visibility for everyone to watch.

  After a while, Nathan assessed that his abilities wouldn't be too bad for engaging with these disciples. He perked up, no longer as fearful of potential challenge situations.

  "Yo, Nate," Zeryn called out after entering from the castle's south gate.

  Nathan greeted his friend with their signature handshake.

  "Holy cow, you really made it," Zahra followed excitedly.

  Nathan shrugged, opening his mouth to speak.

  "I'm gonna get slapped."

  Triggered [Bad Omen]. One credit given. Prediction is true.

  Right after, Xander slapped him hard on the arm, his other hand raising a middle finger.

  "Brilliant," Xander said.

  Xander was among the few who always monitored Nathan's every move. The cooking performance that had everyone talking had been captured by his eyes. For him, this was more worthy of celebration than ever. The guilt of taking Nathan's slot also lessened somewhat.

  Nathan wrinkled his nose, feeling neither pain nor discomfort from Xander's encouragement. He was extremely frustrated with this [Bad Omen] skill. Currently, it had 100% effectiveness after two occurrences.

  Zeryn noticed what had just happened and looked at his friend puzzled.

  "Has anything happened to you all these days?" Nathan changed the subject.

  He had heard about the clash with The Thousand Stars Pavilion, unsure if Verdant Spire Sect had faced any conflicts in the days after.

  "What could happen?" Zahra smiled brightly. "I just schooled some people from other sects at football."

  Nathan smiled at this eternally cheerful girl. Her carefree nature was truly infectious.

  "Nothing worth mentioning," Zeryn said. "They might openly hate us, but they wouldn't dare act like they did with Obsidian Fang Sect."

  Nathan nodded. He had heard that five disciples from Obsidian Fang Sect had been beaten severely enough to forfeit their participation.

  "You still haven't introduced who this lady is," Zeryn nudged Nathan's elbow, pointing.

  Celene, not wanting Nathan to feel guilty for forgetting about her, stepped forward and bowed slightly with refined manners.

  "Celene Nye. Very pleased to meet everyone. I'm currently an employee of The Amber Path Coalition assigned to assist Nathan here."

  She didn't dare reveal her subordinate status under Nathan without permission.

  As for her master, he was blinking at her, having thought she would take this opportunity to establish relationships. But it was fine, he wasn't too strict about such matters.

  Celene fidgeted anxiously, looking at the young group before her with admiration and a hint of fear. While the others weren't mentioned, Zeryn Valtaris was a name listed among the top candidates for The Shifting Trials. There was considerable debate about his combat prowess since he hadn't shown anything yet. The issue was that no one dared to challenge him. His calm yet somewhat imposing style made everyone wary.

  If Nathan knew what Celene thought about Zeryn, he would have laughed uncontrollably until the next day.

  Zahra stepped forward, enthusiastically chatting with Celene.

  "So you must know all about what Nathan's been up to these past few days, right?"

  "I'm the one who monitored and arranged everything for him," Celene confirmed.

  Zahra's eyes lit up, gossip mode activated.

  "Oh ho, then you can't hide any details about what happened."

  To the side, Xander silently inched closer to hear more clearly.

  After receiving a nod from Nathan, Celene changed her attitude, her face beaming with spirit as she told the story. She spoke as if talking about her own family member, full of pride.

  Ignoring Zahra and Xander listening intently, Zeryn caught Nathan's eye and moved to another spot.

  "The relationship isn't just what Celene said, is it?" Zeryn grabbed two drinks, handing one to Nathan.

  "She's a subordinate I just took in," Nathan replied, having no intention of hiding it.

  "That's good. You should start building your power base."

  "I think so too."

  "You must know tonight won't be peaceful for you specifically, right?"

  "Yes," Nathan rubbed his forehead. "Achieved the goal but stirred up a hornet's nest."

  "Need me to step in?" Zeryn shrugged. "I can give you a discount on being your guardian."

  "Only if it's for life."

  "Let me get a bed, knock you out so you can keep dreaming!"

  Nathan laughed, waving his hands.

  "I already boldly declared I'd do everything myself, so I'll see it through. If I fail, staying in Maelivar to cook a few more dinners for some mana stones isn't bad."

  "It's up to you. But when you need help, take it. Don't be too proud thinking you can handle everything."

  "Don't you know me well enough, Zer? For two years now, I've basically been freeloading off you."

  The two clinked glasses and smiled at each other. Who would have thought they could now appear together at the playground of the kingdom's most promising young talents? For Zeryn, it was genuine joy and pride seeing his friend come such a long way. As for Nathan, besides feeling grateful for the luck of meeting Zeryn and Orin, maybe adding Darkan too, there was aspiration. Only when truly feeling himself standing here, and not too afraid at that, did he see how far he'd come from the Nathan of the past. A Nathan who saw no way out, couldn't throw a decent punch, always nervously fearing expulsion from Verdant Spire Sect. That past Nathan waved at him, raising a fist in encouragement. Never stop.

  Participants steadily entered the courtyard surrounding the main building. Nathan did a rough count and was shocked by the numbers. At least five hundred people would be his opponents.

  Now the Keep's doors swung wide open, and a middle-aged man led a group of people onto the pre-built platform overlooking everyone.

  The young people, showing good measure, fell silent. The middle-aged man with his scholarly appearance cleared his throat and spoke.

  "Welcome, young friends from all corners of the kingdom of Caelindor. My name is Mingxia if you need it. I'll be hosting today on behalf of Duke Kael. Actually, there isn't much, just sharing some information about the upcoming Shifting Trials."

  No one was surprised at not receiving Duke Kael's welcome. If not mistaken, he was currently having a small party in the reception room with elders like Nalani. Being welcomed by Tier 3s was already honor enough for the young generation.

  Behind Mingxia were Duke Kael's subordinates and children, including Ruby Voss.

  Nathan narrowed his eyes in her direction. He wasn't hoping for acknowledgment but wanted to see which individuals she paid attention to. Currently, by his analysis, Ruby's focus was on Emrys Merinor standing quite far from where he was.

  Unable to resist, Nathan messaged Zeryn through PsiLink.

  "Do you know who Arthur Merinor is?"

  Zeryn whipped his head toward him, eyes full of surprise.

  "How do you know that name?"

  "Ruby Voss once asked me about him. What's wrong? Is he someone scary?"

  "Did Ruby Voss say anything else?"

  "That Arthur had appeared at one of my intimate cooking gatherings."

  "What?" Zeryn spoke out loud rather than using PsiLink, drawing some glances from those listening to Mingxia's welcoming words to each faction.

  Seeing this, Nathan voluntarily recounted everything to Zeryn.

  After pondering for a moment, Zeryn bit his lower lip, seeming uncomfortable.

  "Remember when I told you to become an inner disciple at a sensitive time?"

  "I do remember. Don't tell me it's related to this Arthur? No, related to the Merinor family?"

  "Still unclear," Zeryn answered. "That's the direction I predicted. But fortunately, he's not participating in this event. That's a future matter, you focus on what's ahead now."

  Nathan nodded somewhat understanding and not, finally listening to the introduction about The Shifting Trials from Mingxia's mouth.

  "We won't reveal complete information about The Shifting Trials' rules to you," Mingxia spoke loudly and clearly, winking at everyone. "Because where's the fun in that, right?"

  Some voices of protest rose up, but not as strongly as those who agreed. The more unstable elements there were, the more it emphasized the ability to handle situations. The young people here were mostly in their prime, always eager to showcase themselves in the most brilliant way possible. From there, lay the foundation for their future.

  Nathan felt knowing more was better. The blind spot in most people's thinking was believing they were better than others. This was hard to avoid when raised in an environment that always praised individuals with outstanding abilities. They might fear existences like Lachlan, Adrian, Sigrid, but naturally didn't think themselves inferior to the rest. This would be the foundation for unpredictable failure. Especially when lacking information to protect oneself.

  Unless you truly surpass the rest, you should grab every advantage.

  Though thinking this way, he didn't say much.

  "This event aims to identify the sixty-four strongest names among you young people here. It doesn't sound like much, but everyone should try hard. Because this list will be sent to the empire's central government. A major event is about to occur, and in response to the Emperor of the Ehyrian Empire's call, The Shifting Trials will have the honor of being the first qualification round."

  After a moment of silence at this announcement, everyone erupted in excitement. Discussions rose so loudly that nothing could be heard clearly.

  With just this information, this event would become increasingly bloody, though it was already brutal enough before.

  Nathan involuntarily shuddered thinking about the life-and-death battles in the coming days. His mind partly wondered about the Empire's actions. What necessitated mobilizing vassal states like this.

  "Damn fortune," Zeryn cursed beside him. "We're unlucky enough to live through one instability after another."

  Nathan heard and swallowed hard. He didn't understand why he felt The Shifting Trials didn't seem as heavy as before.

  "Please quiet down," Mingxia said calmly, his tone not raising at all. However, the pressure radiating from his voice quickly lowered the surrounding discussions. "As for how to determine the top 64, you'll have to discover that yourselves. The only initial hint revealed will be through a point-scoring system."

  "And how it's calculated, you can't tell us either, right?" Lachlan sneered.

  All eyes turned to this young man who acted like he owned the sky. Not everyone was a citizen of Maelivar, so not everyone was annoyed with him. Some agreed, some praised his straightforwardness, some even thought about allying with Lachlan. Someone who dared to speak so arrogantly couldn't be ordinary.

  "I'm afraid so, Mister Lachlan," Mingxia maintained his professional demeanor, showing no irritation, not even a frown. "But I promise it's not too complicated, everyone rest assured. Well, I've presented the basic purpose like that. A few noteworthy points are that the event will be broadcast live, so try your best to show yourselves."

  This was something everyone already knew, so there wasn't much discussion.

  Then, Mingxia took out a rather plain gray-black bracelet with only a few flowing lines.

  "This is the protective bracelet that Maelivar's upper echelons prepared for contestants. Each person will receive one. Though I hope no one has to use it. First because it's expensive and we hope to get them back. Second because a broken bracelet means that individual is eliminated."

  No one bothered listening to Mingxia's jokes, focusing only on the latter part.

  "If you find yourself in a life-threatening situation, break the bracelet to be teleported out of the event area immediately. You only need to channel mana into the bracelet with the intention from your Spirit. Of course, the array on the bracelet ensures others can't deliberately break it to eliminate someone. That would be too ridiculous."

  Some disappointed looks appeared upon hearing this information. Cultivators with Shadow Aspects could have really exploited this. Quick and effective.

  One individual who was worried was Nathan. He couldn't project mana to break the bracelet. He was about to raise his hand to ask when Zeryn covered his stomach laughing and shook his head telling him not to. The bracelet would still break if physically crushed. This was information Zeryn had gathered over the past few days.

  Nathan breathed a sigh of relief and continued listening.

  "But the bracelet isn't omnipotent," Mingxia warned. "If you don't activate the bracelet in time during a critical situation, you'll still be teleported back. However, whether you're intact is another matter. Emergency staff will work at full capacity, but the mortality rate still exists. You are the future of this country. If you want to withdraw, you can do so now. No one will judge you."

  Like hell! Nathan cursed internally, anyone who truly believed that would be even more foolish than him.

  No one moved. Even if they were afraid and had second thoughts, they wouldn't dare act due to peer pressure.

  "Excellent! So everyone agrees to seek fortune in danger. Isn't that the essence of cultivators like us? Danger in The Shifting Trials will come in countless forms, so I wish you all can stay safe, while pushing forward through all thorns, bringing glory not just for yourselves but for your organizations, for Maelivar, and for all of Caelindor."

  Everyone with burning fighting spirit raised their hands to the sky and roared. They were ready.

  "Alright, alright," Lachlan stepped out of the ranks, standing in the center, looking straight at Mingxia. "That's done now, can we get to the main event?"

  "Of course," Mingxia bowed politely. "What would Mister Lachlan like to do? Party, dance, or make friends? I'll be glad to assist."

  "Forget those trivial boring matters," Lachlan smirked, turning to everyone. "It's time to prove you have the strength to participate in The Shifting Trials. Otherwise, it would be a waste of national resources. Don't forget, this is an investment from all of Caelindor, not just Maelivar. Therefore, I won't allow unworthy ones to seize the efforts that citizens put forth through their precious taxes."

  Hearing these intimidating words, though Mingxia maintained his composure from start to finish, he couldn't hide his displeasure through his tightened jaw and cold eyes.

  Duke Kael's entourage standing behind shifted uncomfortably, wanting to rebuke this arrogant fellow. But they couldn't when they felt the pressure Mingxia was emanating.

  As for Nathan, he had already locked eyes with Lachlan Rourke.

  Lachlan's finger slowly rose, pointing directly at him.