Chapter 399 — First Trial: Puzzle

Entering the inheritance palace was neither difficult nor complicated.

All one had to do was approach the palace and present the inheritance token.

At the same time, the number of people who could be in the palace was not limited.

If desired, several people could undergo the trials simultaneously.

Therefore, Liora did not face any obstruction.

After approaching the building and presenting the inheritance token, the entrance of the inheritance palace opened, and a powerful force swallowed her figure.

She was not the only one.

Together with her were Assira and Alpha, who chose to undergo the trials at the same time as her.

Liora, however, did not have the time to pay attention to them.

The moment the entrance opened, her vision blurred. Within a split second, it had turned dark.

Soon, the boundless darkness swallowed the three women’s figures. Then, the entrance closed as if this scene were an illusion.

Only the figures of the Commander and his subordinates remained outside, staring at the inheritance palace with deep gazes.

--

Liora didn’t resist the inheritance palace’s "invitation".

Soon, she found herself teleported to another place.

It was a vast starry sky, with countless tiny dots shining brightly, each representing a far-away star.

Besides these stars, there was almost nothing.

Only a giant white canvas stood alone, stretching for several kilometers.

Below it lay billions of puzzle-like pieces, each one dyed with a different color and engraved with a different pattern.

The moment Liora’s eyes landed on this scene, a message poured into her mind, seemingly stemming from the starry sky around her.

She immediately understood what was happening.

"Assira previously mentioned that the first trial tests the challenger’s talent. But now, it seems that it would be more accurate to say that it tests their comprehension."

The message had let her know what this trial entailed.

The requirements to pass this stage were fairly simple: all one needed was to complete the puzzle.

Of course, although this seemed simple and easy to accomplish, Liora knew that it was actually extremely difficult.

"This puzzle is not an ordinary puzzle after all."

"It is composed of billions of puzzle pieces. If one wishes to combine them, it’s nearly impossible to achieve through brute force."

While she was deep in thought, Liora quietly approached the canvas and took her seat before it.

Then, one of the puzzle pieces flew towards her with a wave of her hand.

Glancing at it, she stared at the tiny patterns engraved along its surface and fell into thought.

"According to Assira, the faster one completes the trials, the better the rewards they will receive at the end."

"The previous message mentioned that I only have one year to complete the puzzle, otherwise. Otherwise, I will be considered to have failed."

"However, if I want to obtain something that can enhance my strength, I should set my goal to complete it within a month.", Liora thought.

After inspecting the puzzle piece for a little while, she carefully placed it on the canvas and watched the two blend together.

Then, she picked another piece and placed it beside it.

One after another, pieces were placed onto the canvas.

In just a few minutes, thousands of them had appeared, one seamlessly attaching to another.

Their complicated patterns blended together, seemingly merging into one of the puzzle’s many corners.

But just when it seemed that she would continue to build upon that foundation, Liora suddenly paused.

She frowned. She looked at the canvas, and a look of annoyance appeared on her face.

With a move of her mind, the puzzle pieces on the canvas returned to her hands.

Countless thoughts raced through Liora’s mind.

She recalled the previous process and tried to analyze what went wrong.

She soon had an answer. A few seconds later, she tried to solve the puzzle once again.

This time, the number of puzzle pieces reached ten thousand before Liora took them back.

"No. These pieces are not truly unified."

"This looks fine, but it will crumble once the one-million-fifth-sixth piece is added."

"There is a trap in the fifty-millionth puzzle piece."

"..."

--

Time quickly went by.

Combination after combination was attempted.

Before long, even Liora had lost track of how many times she had tried.

At first, she was annoyed and wished to tear the canvas and the puzzle pieces apart. But soon after, she found herself slowly getting immersed in this game.

Many Devils underestimated the importance of comprehension.

Most believed that by relying on their bloodline abilities and their ability to devour souls, they didn’t need to care about such a thing and could continuously evolve.

However, the more powerful Devils knew better.

Although comprehension didn’t matter in the early stages, once one advanced to an Archdevil, it was perhaps even more important than their bloodline.

Without sufficient comprehension, an Archdevil would be forever stuck in that stage, no matter how many souls they devoured.

Liora’s comprehension was not bad.

She was one of the few Devils who had created several abilities on her own, evidence of her talent.

Even when her memories had been sealed in the Demon Weapon World, "she" had managed to create a powerful technique in just a few decades and become an apex Warrior.

Although she had no one to compare to, Liora had always believed that her natural talent was extraordinary.

Now, completing this trial was not only a method for her to obtain the rewards of the inheritance, but also a way to test it.

--

"I see! This is not a mere puzzle!"

"In fact, the canvas and the puzzle pieces are part of a greater technique. This game is merely a method to convey this technique."

"To truly understand the technique and complete the puzzle, one has to gradually understand the pieces’ mysteries, and slowly piece them together."

"This is similar to trying to decipher a secret language."

Standing in front of the empty canvas, Liora’s eyes were wide open, and her crimson pupils shone brightly.

She had finally comprehended a way to complete the puzzle.

After hundreds of thousands, or perhaps even millions, of attempts, she had found a solution!

The moment she analyzed the perfect solution and comprehended the puzzle’s mysteries, something seemed to have awakened inside of her.

Within her originally dark soul space, a speck of light appeared and hovered above her soul.

That light did not increase her soul’s strength, nor did it grant her any abilities.

Yet, as her figure was illuminated by this light, Liora felt her mind become increasingly clear.

For a moment, she had the illusion that she had been favored by the world, becoming its incarnation.

It took her a few seconds to wake up from that illusion and recover.

"As expected of an inheritance of an ancient civilization.", she couldn’t help but smack her lips.

"Even if one doesn’t obtain any rewards, just participating in the trials is already worth the danger."

"If one is talented or lucky, the trials themselves can rapidly improve their strength."

Liora looked at the puzzle pieces and casually waved her hands.

Instantly, the billions of puzzle pieces around her began to float before shooting out.

They passed by each other and merged in the air before finally landing on the canvas.

With a click, they were all perfectly combined.

Billions of tiny patterns were integrated.

As the puzzle was completed, the figure of a massive star appeared on the canvas.

Just as Liora was about to admire it, a message poured into her mind.

At the same time, a cold voice echoed in the otherwise silent starry sky.

"Challenger 19024 has completed the first trial."

"Time consumed: three days. Rating: SSS+"

The moment these emotionless words fell, the starry sky shook violently.

The star on the canvas suddenly exploded, and five golden lights flew out and landed before Liora.

"Choose your rewards..."