Port Nyanzaru. The barracks.
Port Nyanzaru was a little different that day. Early that morning, over a hundred people had gathered in the courtyard beside City Hall's side entrance.
Most of them were elite warriors, and some were even officers of Port Nyanzaru. With no way to suppress the information, a rumor had been spreading among the city's officers: the city's leaders possessed a unique method of conducting trials. It allowed people to enter an immersive environment and hone their combat techniques, and even if they died inside, they would not truly die. Supposedly, everyone who had entered had improved considerably upon emerging. Some had even reached the threshold of the legendary realm, a prospect that tempted many high-level professionals.
Among these people, one man was particularly unusual!
He stood apart on one side of the courtyard, with a group naturally gathering around him. He seemed both at the center of Port Nyanzaru's power and outside it.
This man was One-Eyed.
He was one of the pirate leaders who had followed Soren from the earliest days, and the administrator of the waters stretching from Port Tyler to Serpent Island.
His participation in this trial had been entirely unexpected. After repeatedly failing to break through to the legendary realm, One-Eyed had learned about the trial through Port Nyanzaru's information channels. The long-established pirate leader had then appealed directly to Soren himself for permission to join. Since One-Eyed was among his earliest followers, Soren had considered it briefly and agreed.
During this period, Soren had been working on modifying the Battle Standard Plane.
As a deity, Soren progressed very quickly. His attributes had now changed somewhat, with particularly noticeable improvements to his basic skills.
The ability he had improved the most was currently alchemy.
``` "Name: Soren—[avatar form][medium divinity].
Race: half-elf [Godsbane