The Administrator sat back quietly observing the multiple screens in front of him, generously provided by the System. Multiple scenarios were playing out in front of him but each had a core theme, each was a Trial.

  He watched a woman he had come to know as Robin, making hard decisions left and right. All for the survival of the village that raised her. In the end she had been unable to save them and prevent their destruction. But she made an interesting choice, the System offered her an evolution and she chose well.

  He picked up a mug, taking a sip from it and leaning back in his chair. He had often wondered how Sirus was able to maintain concentration on so many things at once but now he knew. Duplicates were really coming in handy with all of the responsibilities thrust upon him.

  He took another sip and silently thanked Sirus for the knowledge before turning his attention back to the screens, slipping in an extra reward for Robin for choosing the path of wisdom rather than a shortcut to power.

  He rewarded everyone a little extra something for choosing a path of wisdom, he knew what a shortcut to power could do to someone and those that chose it would rise quickly but fall just as fast. Most of the time. Not everyone was able to redeem themselves.

  He turned his attention to another Trial, an Inquisitor named Eustace if the information he read was correct. He looked at the details for a moment before nodding silently, true justice versus obedience if he had to summarize. It would seem the young man had chosen obedience in the past and worked to right his wrongs in the System’s simulated past. Well, simulated didn’t do it justice, it was more complicated than that but it worked for now.

  He chose a path of wisdom, choosing to build rather than destroy. Auelda admired that, it was a tough decision to make. An extra reward slipped its way to Eustace as he was taken back to the present. He had given out a number of extra rewards this evening, and was glad so many were choosing wisdom over power. It gave the universe hope in its newest generation. Something may be built from the ashes yet.

  He frowned, another one had taken the shortcut to power. Though he wasn’t surprised, he had been watching this one for quite some time.

  Harald panted and grinned madly, a bloodied sword hanging loosely in his hand and a broken round shield was tossed to the side. He had four choices in front of him.

  Please make a choice

  He approached each choice.

  Path of the Primordial: Deny your Abyssal Bloodline its grasp over your future and purify it in the arctic will of the Great Serpent.

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  Path of the Abyssal: Power is your birthright, your heritage. Claim it and make the world yours. The Throne sits empty, will you strive to become King?

  Path of the Keeper: Your people need a leader, take up the mantle and show them the way to prosperity.

  Path of the Knight: Be the shield that protects and gives your people the hope to continue in this brutal new reality.

  Harald showed a bloody smile and selected the Path of the Abyssal. No one would dare keep him from his heritage, he was born to be a leader and now he would have the power to do so.

  Auelda sighed and struck Harald off of a list.

  “There goes another potential recruit.”

  He turned his attention to another screen and saw that the Wight he had met had truly succeeded in that hellscape. He still felt a little bad that the boy had been thrust into such a grueling Trial but it seemed to have worked out for him.

  He watched Specters set his father down against a tree and nearly choked when the System offered him the power of the Heldari. Coffee sprayed across the ebony desk before he relaxed. Crowley hadn’t given the Heldari a second thought and moved on to his other choices.

  Auelda blinked and leaned closer, a latent Celestial Bloodline? And the System was offering to corrupt it? Maybe he shouldn’t have been so worried about the Heldari, that bloodline would offer the boy plenty of resistance to its side effects. In fact he’d end up much more powerful far faster than anyone else in that world. He passed by the Abyssal Option and though he hesitated at unlocking his bloodline early it seemed to be more because he was in thought rather than considering the choice. In the end he chose to forge his own path and took a path of wisdom.

  Auelda couldn’t help but be a little disappointed but smiled, Crowley had learned what the Trial was trying to teach him. An extra reward went his way.

  He tilted his head watching the four people he had just seen all go back to the same little camp. A primal force, two celestial, and an abyssal all living within the same walls.

  He saw another return, she had also taken a shortcut to power. He went back through her trial and winced, a fallen noble family with necromancy deep in its history. What was her name, ah there it was, Tyriel. What path had she taken? Abyssal as well.

  Auelda leaned back and sipped at his coffee, things were going to be very interesting in that little village.