Amid her dancing fury, the unwilling Ktarolan still helped the two Bright Moon Professionals open the path to the trial.
One had to know that the Netheril era valued efficient living. So, no matter how important the God Seat Archmage's disciple selection examination sounded, the magical device used to conduct the trial still appeared remarkably "simple"—yes, the four concentric pale-purple ring-shaped arcane formations that swiftly emerged in the central plaza were the entrance to this trial. When the construct empress stopped wasting words and activated the trial device, the atmosphere on the Semi-Mechanical Moon remained as calm as though nothing had happened.
There was no need for excess radiance to flaunt luxury, nor any earthshaking noise to display passion. The formation slowly floated into the air, silently observing the two Bright Moon Professionals standing at the edge of the plaza like an ordinary teleportation platform. Then, as several pale-gold runes alternately flickered, an emotionless mechanical voice slowly echoed from within the mysterious trial formation:
"Trial participants, please enter Trial Screening Facility No. 127, under the Netheril Archmage Council. Each trial can accommodate no more than five individuals at once. Excess entrants, or intelligent creatures whose class level has not reached level twenty, will be expelled from the trial space. All Legendary professionals, please observe the rules. After entering the teleportation formation, silently recite 'Begin Trial' to enter the first stage. The trial is expected to take between one and one hundred years. Please plan your schedules accordingly. Those who fail the trial will be returned to the central plaza when the one-hundred-year time limit expires. Those who pass will be personally led by the construct administrator of the City of Sleepless Watchers to the 'Hub Hall' to await an audience with Mr. Dolush."
The explanation was simple and formulaic, and