Chapter 234 - 228 : Forgotten

The entry-level trial was designed to make sure that the main trials Challenger would be capable and worthy of such. The main trials weren't simple tasks that could be completed over the course of a day because one wanted to. These were trials created to find the most appropriate inheritor for the achievements of the Caventry civilization. To make the trials that difficult, a lot of precious resources were used in its development making it so that the trials couldn't be challenged casually.

In order to reduce the amount of challengers, the entry trials were introduced to the fray and their difficulty were rated A-S rank. The entry trials came in various formats but the most popular was the illusion version. By using the glass orbs, the trials could be constantly reorated and challenged without any loss of resources, unlike with the main trials.

The entry trials focused on testing one's willpower and the best way to do that was to present to them a situation or a past experience where they are most vulnerable. By accessing one's memories, the System figs into them and searches for the player's weaknesses; be it an individual or an event. Because it is highly possible for the trials to end up reawakening one's traumatic experience, a warning is given to the player and they are required to sign a guarantee that they wouldn't sue the game company not hold charges to them. By agreeing to the mission, the player would also agree to this too.

While making someone experience a traumatic event once more would seem torturous and evil, it could also help them to recover from it. On this basis, IR went ahead with enabling the System to implement such tactics in the game. The entry trials of [The Caventry's Path (Series)] was the very first instance that this concept was actualized. Sadly for Sato and Xue Yan, they were the first 'lab rats' for this experiment. Passing would grant them rewards while still enabling them to participate in the main trials whereas failure would result in them being traumatized once more. The only way they could get out of this mess was is if they could figure out the aim of the trial and walk towards it without turning back.

"I just hope they do." Saimon sighed once more before turning his attention elsewhere.

As the last guardian of the Great Hall of Grey Chaplains and also the last remaining servant of the Caventry civilization, Saimon was charged with making sure that the entire building functioned properly. He simply couldn't place all his attention on two players even if they were participating in what could decide the fate of the entire Caventry.

"Mother..." Sato stood still frozen, staring at the figure in front of him. He just couldn't believe his eyes as someone he never thought he would see ever again and as before him.

"Sato!" The middle aged woman ran towards him and held him in her embrace.

Sato couldn't respond to this as he was stunned silly; only being capable of enjoying that familiar warm embrace.

"You had us worried there for a second. Don't you get suddenly go missing like that again." 'Kurosaki Izumi' said.

"I'm sorry." Sato's eyes got wet as he slowly lost himself.

'No! This can't be real! She's dead, they are dead! I saw it!' A voice spoke up in his head as Sato abruptly widened his eyes and shoved the figure away.

"Son ...?" 'Izumi' asked.

"I'm n-"

Before Sato could complete his words, a wave of memories rushed into his head as he felt a heavy heafache. Due to the mental stress, Sato could hardly keep his balance as he almost collapsed if not for Drake grabbing hold of him in time.

"Son!"

"Hey kid, what's wrong with you?" Drake asked as he patted Sato form behind.

Meanwhile, the centre of all this was stuck in his mind, experiencing an all new memory. Frames after frames passed before Sato as he saw himself living an all new life in this new world. It was as if it was all natural. As if he was the one who had experienced them all.

"What was that?" Sato absentmindedly asked himself once he recovered.

"What was what?" A deep voice asked him.

"Son! You're finally awake." 'Sato's mother' hugged him.

"Where am I?" Sato couldn't resist asking.

"At home. You're at home, son." 'Izumi' stroked him gently.

"At home..." Sato muttered quietly as he recalled the memories that had just 'awakened' within him.

From what he had seen, Sato discovered that he had lived here for most of his 11 years of life. He had gone out with a few of his friends to play and fell from a short cliff and entered a short coma. In his coma, he dreamed that he was in a technologically advanced world where he lost his parents and lived 10 more years trying to make ends meet with his sister and grandparents.

"It felt so real..." Sato couldn't resist exclaiming in a low voice.

"What felt real, son?" Izumi asked.

"Nothing." Sato replied softly. He was currently glad that all of that was a dream and he didn't lost his parents but he wasn't in support of describing to them this terrible nightmare.

"You know kiddo, you really made your mom and I worried."

Hearing that deep voice that spoke to him earlier before, Sato remembered that there was actually a 3rd person in the room.

"Dad..." Sato looked towards the source of the voice.

"Who else would it be you little weasel? Come give your old man a hug." A middle aged man with a well proportioned body came into view with his arms wide open.

"Father..." Sato's eyes began to moisten.

"Stop being an idiot, Kenshin. Our son just woke up so let him rest a bit ok?" Izumi fired at the middle aged man.

"Alright, alright. Huh? Why the heck are you crying?" Kenshin closed in on Sato and questioned.

"I just, I just missed you guys." Sato couldn't hold back the tears as 'his' 11 year old self kicked in.

"Aww. The little kid missed us. Come here." Kenshin dragged Sato to his side and gave him tight hug.

"Come on over too, honey." Kenshin pulled Izumi towards him.

"We're all one big family and we aren't going anywhere. Your parents would be here for you and won't be going anywhere, anytime soon." Izumi whispered.

"You got that right?" Kenshin asked Sato.

"Hmm." Sato nodded as he tried to call himself.

"Good. This is your life.. Our life."