Immediately they stepped in.

The final phase had begun.

The sight was different.

No towering buildings or cities.

No insane landscapes.

It was just a room that seemed to be never-ending.

You could tell the walls and floor spanned for infinity.

Why?

You could just tell.

Almost instinctively, Zeus transformed into his mana skin mode.

"Huh, where are the monsters?" he asked.

"You’re right. I don’t see anything."

"This space, for the most part, feels empty."

"Sawn?"

"On it," she replied.

She scanned through the room, trying to pick up signatures, even if only a little.

Mana reading was especially useful in times like this.

Most newbie hunters never invest in the skill on time.

It’s a trait whose importance can only be acknowledged by those with experience.

It’s surprising a hunter of under six months is capable of using it.

"I sense nothing."

"There’s nothing."

She said.

"Just us."

"That’s impossible," Xali followed.

"Well, it’s not," Shoba said.

’Here he goes again,’ Zeus thought.

’He’s about to get on my nerves again, man. I can just feel it.’

"The final phase?"

"You know, ultimate task."

"Why would it be same old monster slaying?"

"That’d be too boring."

Shoba paused.

Before he could continue—

"You don’t mean...." Zeus picked up.

"No, I don’t mean they expect us to go head to head."

"Besides, that’d be too boring."

"I heard you guys already did something similar."

"Those who came for the early training."

"Those who needed it."

’There he goes saying something baiting again.’

Shoba retracted.

He claimed to have only been teasing.

He was not.

He was really just gauging them to see how they’d react.

This thing he said, however, sparked an idea in Zeus’ head.

’We were only six who took up the exercise.’

’No other noob vessel.’

’Does that mean these guys all thought they were that hot to skip out on training?’

Zeus was confused.

He had time to think, as basically nothing was going on.

’I get this Shoba guy, but what of the rest? Why wouldn’t they come?’

’Do they underestimate the vessel system?’

’No, no, no.’

’It can’t be that simple.’

Xander saw Zeus was distressed.

He asked what was up.

Zeus just nodded, saying nothing.

He was still deep in thought.

He just wanted to figure things out for himself.

Probably didn’t want to be spoon-fed or whatever.

’If all of them reasoned like Shoba, then that means 24 vessels overestimated themselves.’

’Look where that got most of them.’

’Of the 24, only 5 were technically right to believe in their individual strengths.’

’But even then, you’ll have to account for things like team-ups.’

’It’s possible the rest just made it this far thanks to their team.’

’Not to brag, but we wouldn’t have gotten past that S-rank dungeon without my being present,’ he thought.

’Ok, scratch that. I’ll brag.’

’So Xali thought she was pretty competent.’

’I don’t know much about her, so I won’t judge.’

’Xander would know better.’

’But Sawn, hell no. She’s good, but not that good.’

’That Razga guy was also in Xander’s team, so that’s a nothing burger as well.’

’Xander probably did all the heavy lifting.’

’Zeus and pretty much the rest of the core six.’

’The originals, they hold Xander in high regard. Probably because of what he did during the first training.’

’Whatever it was.’

’Then there’s that other mysterious guy who chose to stay back.’

’He’s an even worse case.’

’I know literally nothing about him.’

’Not even a name.’

"Ok, ok. Just tell me what you think," Zeus forced.

He had given up.

He ran the numbers and things didn’t add up.

Rather, he just thought it was unlikely that all those vessels would assume they were all that.

He called Xander aside.

They were pretty much all in the same room, but those two walked some distance.

"Ok, so what’s up?" Xander asked.

"Well, you know how only 10 of us made it here?"

"Well, we started out at 30, but only 6 of those noobs made it to the vessel training a while ago."

"Why’s that?"

Xander just smiled.

"Well, it’s because most of them probably hadn’t awakened at the time."

Zeus fell comedically.

It was really that simple.

He was running ego and pride scaling when it was really just a function of time.

Xander joined him to laugh, even though he didn’t quite understand.

Things went tense.

"Oh shit," Zeus said.

"That means they’ve had even less training time and experience than us, but yet were able to even last this far."

"I guess you’re right," Xander responded.

He, on the other hand, was unbothered.

They returned, and Sawn started laughing.

"You guys know we could hear you, like the whole time," she said.

Once again, Zeus fell down.

Today was just not his day.

"Well, since you know already, may I ask?"

"How long ago did you become vessels?"

They all responded.

They were all at least 2 months in, meaning they were only ahead by a month plus.

Zeus felt kinda relieved.

"Oh, you feeling less tense now, brother?" Shoba teased.

"Well, let’s get those tensions back and active."

"That guy."

"The one who stayed behind."

"He only awakened 2 weeks ago."

No words.

Just silence.

It didn’t even feel silent.

It was like they all heard that comedic shock sound effect go off in their heads.

Xander was the least shocked.

He was just mostly startled, as he didn’t expect to hear something that insane this late in the game.

At least insane by noob standards.

Sawn called it a lie.

Razga just began pacing about, almost like a pre-meltdown.

He obviously played it off for dramatic effect.

Zeus sat down.

This time he didn’t fall.

He thought he had something to think about before, but this was just too shocking.

"Hey, hey."

"Does anyone have an idea of what his slot was in the first phase?" Zeus asked.

"He took on a pendulum."

"He’s already faced one," Xander exclaimed.

Zeus was shocked.

He didn’t know what a pendulum was.

Neither did the others, apparently.

’What the hell? It’s that scary? I mean, look at Xander,’ Zeus thought.

"How do you know all this, smart mouth?"

"How can we trust you?"

Zeus asked.

He was clearly boiling.

Shoba was known to be fond of getting on people’s nerves.

This could probably just be an elaborate scheme to belittle us momentarily.

"I don’t like you. I confess."

"But if you want me or anyone here to take you seriously, then I need you to cite your sources."

"Like right now."

Shoba turned his head.

He saw Zeus was serious.

His intent....

....nice.

He looked to the others.

They said nothing, but they stared just as intensely.

The tension was building.

It was reaching critical and needed to be iced.

And just then—

"Ok, ok. Chill, guys."

"You guys could kill with those eyes."

His joke didn’t land.

"Tough crowd," he remarked.

His expression changed.

"Ok."

"I know all this because that hunter in particular is my brother."

*************

In another dimension entirely, it seemed another assessment was being held.

This time for the 17th class of vessels.

The classes were not power based. It was an entire set of awakeners - the awakened vessels in this case.

The current set that consists of Rean and the others is the 18th class.

This assessment was a mainstay.

Since it wasn’t a thing of power. People from lower classes that are skilled enough can surpass those who started before them no problem.

However no matter how strong one is, they cannot be of a class higher.

The class system was put in place by the Council to control the vessels. It was a stock counting tool.

Essentially this vessel croaked, well deactivate his system and set its skill back to the source. Reset and the skill is available to be reloaded to another promising host.

Not all classes held strictly vessels.

There’s a documented class 0.

It didn’t end at one as one would expect.

Class zero was home to no vessel, unlike the others you could technically advance to it.

It would have made the whole rule of noone leaving their class null and void. But this is different as no vessel has ever made it to class Zero.

Class zero technically was attainable but at the same time it wasn’t.

It’s criteria are not common knowledge, not even those on this level know.

One things leds to another and then they find themselves here.

That is at least the majority.

Yes they do not know how they specifically became on this class, or why they specifically gain this privileges or are tasked in the manner that they are. But they are.

One factor reigned present.

It was the selling point.

Those of this class could move as they pleased. They had no System.

Perks were good and all but the hard work was gruelling.

There’s strong vessels who haven’t made it to class Zero.

Vessels far stronger than Rean and the others currently.

Why?

What’s this criteria?

One word.

The password, more like a pass status.

The pass.

All who dwelled in the class bore it.

One title.

The title of Monarch.