"Time for the next trial"
The words appeared both like an enemy and a friend. It could mean that they had failed the first quest but had a chance to retake it. Or it meant that multiple trials had different readings. The best one was the one they needed.
This time they started inside a church. An elderly lady waved her staff across the front of the church.
"All glory to the current God." She shouted.
Rex knew that this was must be the man before the current Goddesses. Even then, he did not know of churches being put into place then.
A statue of the man was uncovered. It looked very similar to Rex. The height was different. Even then, it could be that it was when he was younger.
"That looks exactly like you Master Rex." The Shadow Maid spoke from his shadow.
Even the Shadow Princess felt that the statue was indeed Rex. She also commented on it.
As the two Shadow People commented, the others asked Rex to stand by the statue. Indeed, it was identical to Rex when he was in the middle school. This caused them to worry.
"We got Rex and a statue of Rex. An elderly woman waving her staff calling to the statue of Rex. Does anyone else find this odd?" Liz asked.
"We all do." They answered.
In the next second, a man entered the church. His eyes dull, his body bloody, and arms and legs looked like a predator nawed on them.
"All glory to the God." He proclaimed and bowed, "May I ask for healing? I have just killed six wolves and a bear. As the town's only protector I have managed to barely leave alive."
The elderly woman looked upon him. She wanted to heal him, however Rex felt that he did not deserve it. As for why, he could not tell.
"Does the man get to be healed?"
The question appeared.
"No." Rex answered.
The elderly woman tried to heal but the statue seemed to turn away. The man cried his eyes out. It was then that the mayor of the town came to find him.
"Hurry up and arrest him for daring to use the Holiness to escape from punishment." The mayor shouted.
The man tried to run but the back of the church had its own guards. He cried as he was taken away.
"Lady Iris, that was dangerous of you to do. What if he had gotten healed?" The mayor told her.
"The God did not want him to be healed. Now leave with your filthy feet before I have them removed and hanged." She was enraged.
The mayor bowed and walked towards the door. He turned and bowed saying, "Thank you Almighty God for not healing that demon."
Rex did not like his attitude either.
"What to do with the mayor?"
The question appeared.
"Strike him down with Lightning and Thunder outside the church."
Outside the church, once the mayor was off the steps. He got struck with lightning and thunder roared. He got struck until not even ashes remained.
"What could have been done differently in this trial?"
The question appeared.
"Absolutely nothing. The original man lied about being the town's only protector and the mayor was too caught up in the act of being good that he forgot where he was." Rex answered.
Just like the boy, this time it was the who asked for healing.
"I asked for healing and did not get it. However, since the mayor was a demon in disguise. He could get into the church without problem. He captured me amd tortured me until I lost my life. He continued it after me until he lost his life after crossing a man named Alexander."
The man disappeared.
As the group waited, a signal came from the Stairway.
"Enjoy the stairs up to the Ninth Mortal Realm."
Before them, the stairway appeared. They began to walk up to the Ninth Realm. Their eyes full of happiness and sorrow. No matter how they looked at the situation. The war would happen first, then followed by their cultivation, then the marriage ceremony, after all of that reclaiming Earth became their priority.
Even so, as they climbed. Each step made them shiver. As if cold wind blew on their chest without any clothes on, their feet wet not from sweat or water being on the stairs but naturally forming clouds around the stairway.
Suddenly without fail, they appeared in the Ninth Realm.
Iris appeared in her bedroom in the Sect along with the Shadow Princess and Amber.
Liz appeared in her bedroom in the Sect along with Margaret and Chiryousha.
Rex appeared beside his pets. The Shadow Maid was sent to his parents.
Oracle Aina was sent to a church and she was used to help heal people.
Morrigan and Violet both appeared in a forest. Violet carried Morrigan on a weird shaped vine branch that tore apart the ground.
Poor Fenggo was sent to a mountain range full of male dragons wanting her to become their treasure.
This is how the start of the Ninth Realm became a nightmare for the group.