Chapter 406: Sera’s Test

“Please do not be puzzled. My body has indeed died, and what appears before you is merely a fragment formed from parts of my soul’s memories. This floating city is a gift I leave for future generations, but only the most suitable person can inherit it! So, you will soon face a test. Those who succeed will become the new masters of this floating fortress of Sera. If you fail, it’s okay—others will still receive appropriate compensation. Now, let’s first select those who can participate.”

The voice of Archmage Sera seemed to come from the depths of the heart. Though she spoke in ancient Elvish, everyone present could understand her.

“There are five candidates in total. Let me take a look! There are two human mages. Hmm, one of them also has divine Elven bloodline. Good—perfect talent and age. Qualified!”

Donald remained expressionless upon hearing this, while the old mage was very pleased with his disciple.

Next, Archmage Sera turned her gaze toward Carlisle. A glint appeared in her eyes as she concluded, “A human swordmaster with chaotic divine bloodline—also qualifies to inherit!”

Then came Chikofield. Sera, who clearly understood liches well, said without pause, “A high-level lich, transformed from an archmage in life? I hope you can find a way to return to your human form; otherwise, you won’t be able to advance any further. Out of respect for our shared status as archmages, you’re barely qualified!”

Finally, it was Sert I’s turn. Sera’s tone carried a hint of regret and sorrow as she said, “The last one is you, Holy Spirit! Having lost your body, you no longer meet the conditions to participate in the test—unless you intend to merge with the city’s intelligent system and remain trapped here forever…”

Sert I certainly had no intention of participating, especially since the master of the floating city didn’t even approve of him.

“Alright! Those who qualify, begin your challenge!”

As soon as she spoke, the figure of the Archmage Lord vanished in a flash of light. At the same time, a portal appeared before the other four, except for Sert I. Chikofield was the first to step through. As an archmage and now an immortal lich, it had few concerns. Besides, it didn’t think a high-level Archmage Lord would go to such lengths to harm them!

Donald exchanged a glance with the old mage and followed in without hesitation. In the end, only Carlisle was left. As a Sword Saint, he always had some reservations about the mysteries of magic. But seeing that he was the only one left, this legendary Sword Saint was not the kind to back down. Gritting his teeth, he stepped through the portal.

Beyond the portal was a world of nothingness. Upon entering, Donald was surrounded by mist, unable to discern any direction.

Suddenly, the scene before him changed. Donald felt as though his soul had entered another person’s body. All he saw were piles of gold and silver treasures, mountains of gleaming gold, and colorful jewels scattered everywhere like ordinary stones. Yet Donald did not rush to grab them.

He had desires for wealth but would not lose himself to them. Because once wealth reached a certain level, it was just numbers to ordinary people. Even the poorest could earn what they needed if they worked hard. Losing one’s true self in pursuit of more wealth was the greatest loss in life. In Donald’s view, the process of acquiring wealth and the results of spending it were the true joys!

This scene reminded him of a famous legend from his past life: a group of people entered a mountain graveyard and found piles of gold and silver treasures. But driven by greed, once they touched them, all the wealth disappeared, replaced by venomous snakes and beasts.

“Presumably, this is the first test!”

Everyone has greed and desires—these are the driving forces behind human progress. But whether one can withstand the test of desire and maintain their true self in the face of temptation is what a true success requires.

Sure enough, as soon as Donald finished speaking, the dreamlike scene changed again. This time, countless scantily clad beautiful women gathered around him—elves and humans alike, of various shapes and styles—making seductive gestures at him.

Everyone has a love for beauty. Having spent much time watching action movies from different countries in his past life, Donald had considerable experience. Though he admired these beauties, he wasn’t overwhelmed by desire and completed the whole process with a smile.

After the beauty, the third trial arose. This time, Donald became a powerful noble lord at a time when the royal family was declining and its heirs were incompetent. Various nobles grew ambitious, vying for the throne of the kingdom. Eventually, Donald emerged victorious and ascended to the throne, worshipped by the people and nobles alike. Yet on the very day of his coronation, a group of assassins composed of descendants of nobles he had defeated and killed infiltrated the palace. The moment he put on the crown, they assassinated him on the throne, and his reign vanished in an instant.

Having lost everything, his soul drifted into the dark underworld. Due to his arrogance as a king, he had no faith in any true god. Just as he was about to be banished to a place for the unfaithful to suffer, the demons of the abyss invaded the underworld to plunder souls. His soul was captured by a small demon, which devoured it whole, causing his consciousness to disappear.

When he regained his senses, this long yet brief experience, like watching a movie, left Donald deeply moved. Although he had little desire for power or dominion, these experiences strengthened his resolve. Without great strength to control his own fate, even if he became a king or built a mighty empire that dominated the world, he would ultimately be buried in dust. Even if there was an afterlife, it would not be him anymore!

Thus, the pursuit of immortality or eternity took deeper root in his heart, growing into an unshakable force. Seeming to sense Donald’s thoughts, the fourth trial arrived soon after.

This time, Donald’s perspective shifted to that of a powerful true god situated among the stars and clouds. From this godly perspective, he observed the survival, reproduction, and the innovation and development of civilizations among the various races in the main world. The powerful true god was not only immortal but could also create life, wealth, power, and more with a mere thought.

By this point, Donald had already broken free from the godly perspective of the trial. Having a thorough understanding of divine powers, he could clearly identify the flaws in the true god’s strength within this illusion, eliminating the possibility of getting lost in it.

Though true gods are immortal, they are not invincible, nor can they do everything. Even the supreme god cannot create a stone he cannot lift himself.

The existence that created this trial clearly didn’t account for situations like Donald’s—someone who, without stepping into the divine realm, still possessed considerable knowledge of the true gods’ powers. This illusion was utterly meaningless to those who had already entered the divine realm, but it represented an irresistible ultimate temptation for mortals. After all, those who hadn’t reached the divine realm found it hard to resist such all-powerful abilities, even knowing they were illusory.

After the trials of wealth, lust, power, and authority, chaos reigned once again before Donald’s eyes. Light flashed, and the figure of the Archmage Lord appeared once more.

“Congratulations on passing. As the first to succeed through all four trials, I’ll give you extra points in the final evaluation. Now, answer my question, candidate!”

“First question! On the battlefield, if you have a bottle of healing potion and six injured soldiers before you—one critically injured and on the verge of death, and the other five with minor injuries—you have two choices. First, give the entire bottle to the critically injured soldier, who will be healed and saved, but the five lightly injured soldiers will die from untreated injuries or infections. Second, divide the potion into five portions and give them to the five lightly injured soldiers, curing their wounds completely, but the critically injured soldier will die. How would you respond?”

Donald raised an eyebrow upon hearing this and quickly replied, “I’m not an omnipotent god and don’t have the right to decide others’ lives. But if the critically injured person were someone I know, even a family member or friend, I would selfishly choose the first option and try to save the other five. If they’re strangers, I’d ask them what they want and let them make their own choice!”

The Archmage Lord Sera showed a surprised expression, clearly very taken aback by Donald’s answer.

In fact, Donald had encountered a similar question in his past life. The dilemma of saving one person by killing five or killing one to save five was a well-known question discussed in philosophy classes. It seemed that no choice was perfect, so why not break free from those constraints and act according to one’s own conscience?

“Good answer. Second question! If an experiment could reveal a way to greatly enhance human physique and lifespan, but it required performing cruel physical dissections on five healthy humans, would you be willing to sacrifice these five innocent people for the benefit of all humanity?”

Another similar question, but the aspects it covers make it even harder to choose than the first.
Donald remained silent for a while before speaking:
“Still the same answer—whether we’re archmages or mages, we’re not what’s called ‘gods’ or ‘fate.’ We shouldn’t deliberately decide the fate of other intelligent, soulful beings. If I were faced with such a choice, I would choose those from evil factions or hostile entities who have committed countless evils as subjects for experiments. This way, it wouldn’t violate my own beliefs and morals, while still benefiting humanity!”
“Hahaha… What a way to avoid violating one’s own beliefs and morals!”
Sera laughed heartily after getting an answer and posed his final question!