Endless Horde: Through the Eyes of a Godking

Chapter 528: 2nd Step: Void Refinement Practice

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"Congratulations for completing the first step," Cedric said to a total of ten people below the podium.

Even though he congratulated them, it didn't really touch the participants. If anything, they just found it strange and only regarded it as pleasantries.

"Even though all ten of you have managed to last for 12 hours straight under the insistent corrosion of the Void, it doesn't mean that you're cleared. You moving up to the next stage of this project doesn't mean that you can relax. You still have to extend that time because you'd never know how long you'd have to endure it."

"Of course, on top of that, you'd have to practice another exercise that will help you make it through the ordeal of the Ancient Chaos Path."

Saying this, a small square compartment opened up on the floor in front of the participants. From below, a set of equipment appeared, one that none of them had seen before.

The equipment looked like a crystal ball placed on top of a small altar. The crystal ball was connected to the altar through a set of wires, and next to it was a holographic interface, which should indicate something once they begin using it.

They then heard Cedric's voice introducing this equipment to them and the purpose of the next step to this project.

"The next step is what I call the 'Void Refinement Step.'. Its goal was pretty straightforward; it's in the name itself; your task is to refine the void."

After saying this, Cedric unleashed his Inner World once more, dragging them within its confusing atmosphere.

"Focus on the dark zones." His voice echoed in their mind, prompting them to look over. "You all have seen this before; the Void is present in my Inner World, yet it's not as harmful as the raw one you've been exposed to."

The participants couldn't help but agree to this. The impact is stronger now that they've endured the ordeal of void exposure for long hours. They could feel the sheer difference of raw void compared to refined void.

Before they could completely immerse themselves in it, Cedric retracted his Inner World back to his body and said:

**

Seeing as some of them already moved on to the next step of the project, those who remained on the first step felt even more determined.

Deep down, they know that they're not really falling behind that far. And just like the rest, they too still have some time left. But seeing others advancing closer to the chance they all yearned for lit up a fire within them. They too wanted to make some progress soon and move on to the next step to get closer to their dreams.

Because of this, the remaining participants are especially eager today. And this enthusiasm shall continue for the next couple of days, or maybe even weeks. It might even get more intense the more people move on to the next step.

This prompted the medics to be on alert because they could tell that some of these people would start becoming reckless. They're desperate people, after all.

And they weren't wrong to assume this. In fact, their assumptions were proven right at the soonest possible time because a patient has already appeared. Of course, this participant was scolded heavily after treatment and was reminded to stop this recklessness. But whether they listened to it or not will only be proven as time passed.

Cedric saw this coming. In fact, it was he who alerted the medics about this. He even predicted which participant would show recklessness first, but of course he kept this information to himself.

It was really that hard. Cedric read the journal entries of the participants every day and already had a clear grasp of their personalities. Using this as a basis, he was able to predict their next course of action and plan ahead.

And while he couldn't say that he could sympathize, he could imagine what it's like for them, and he could hardly blame them for acting this way. That said, as the director of this project, he doesn't want them to turn into idiots just because they were desperate.

From here, the number of people who will move on to the next step will only increase. It's a good thing that Cedric already made sufficient equipment for their use. The materials needed were cheap and weren't all that difficult to make, so the camp could easily bear the cost; hell, Cedric bets their coffers wouldn't even feel that pinch.

As for the things needed for the final step...well, it's more or less ready, but Cedric wasn't in a hurry. He estimated that it should take a few months before someone reaches the appropriate level to move on. Hell, it might even be longer, so there's no real need to rush it.

He just hoped that the few promising ones he had his eyes on continued working hard and showing some results. These few had the best chances at becoming like him the most and might also be his future colleagues.

Cedric wouldn't hold their hand, though. Because he knows that he can't and shouldn't. This is something they had to go through by themselves. All he could offer was suggestions here and there; the rest were completely up to them to discover.

Because at the end of the day, Cedric's different from them. He can't use his exact experiences as the sole basis and extent of how this path should go. Cedric isn't that arrogant.