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Silvia was utterly scared! Aquarina quickly realized her new friend didn’t even want to be qualified or go to the trial at all, the inheritance was said to have several challenges of high difficulty, so it made sense but even then, it was a big exaggerated.

"Hey, calm down, what’s wrong with that? You can come with me, and we can do it like a party, is that possible?" wondered Aquarina.

"Yeah, that’s why I had planned on picking your friends," said Svana. "But I was waiting for them to get a bit stronger, you’re just crazy Aquarina, growing so strong so fast… I’m very proud of you! You’re my strongest and fastest growing disciple in a very long time."

"Wait even Justicio is in?! And thanks I guess…" Aquarina muttered. "Dammit, he’ll probably panic too once we tell him he was qualified.

"Yes! Justicio has amazing potential he has been refining over quite some time already," said Svana. "He’ll make a fine addition to the little Inheritance group, which is usually a minimum of 3 friends that go in. Usually none or three can get the inheritance. Most of the time… none though."

"Eh? So they die inside?" asked Aquarina.

"Wait, what? Of course not, when you’re not qualified you’re simply thrown away," laughed Svana. "But yes… sometimes they had died, there are traps and dangerous tests, it’s a place that emphasizes working together as friends the most… But usually they come back, don’t worry!"

"Ah, really?" wondered Silvia, feeling even more nervous. "Uuhh, I don’t know if I’ll do this Aquarina! I don’t want to die you know?"

"Hm, it’s fine I guess, I wouldn’t want to force you to come with me," Aquarina nodded. "Can’t I go alone?"

"You can’t," said Svana. "You’ll simply have to ask another qualified contestants to come with you then."

"Agh, you never mentioned I needed two more friends! And I came alone- Wait Pyuku could count?" I asked.

"Your Slime Familiar? He doesn’t," said Svana. "You could bring him inside though, through your Soul Scape… but he’s counted as a familiar or spirit… so he is not considered as one of the necessary party members."

"Hmmm…" Aquarina nodded, feeling a bit conflicted. "I guess I’ll have to investigate and see who I can pick and whatnot."

"Hahh…" Silvia sighed, feeling a bit bad now. "Ugh, do I have to really… I mean, I never… Hmm… but I don’t want you to go on your own either or find a stranger! That’ll only make things worse, right?"

Despite acting aloof and carefree most of the time, Silvia showed a lot of concern when Aquarina least expected it.

"Really Silvia? I hope you don’t regret this later…" said Aquarina.

"I’m regretting it already but… I have to go anyways, we’re friends right?" Silvia smiled.

"Friends…" Aquarina recalled many people in her life.

Although it has only been a year without them, to her it felt like ten years. Recalling their faces and smiles, their giggles and voices, it made her feel a bit nostalgic.

And although she still loved them as her friends, the kids she had grown attached the most in this village…

They were also her friends, she didn’t really have to limit herself to her first group of friends after all, right?

"Yeah," she nodded. "I guess so!"

"Then at least let’s drag Justicio into this too," said Silvia with a slightly malicious smile. "Heheh. He’ll be our cannon fodder and meat shield."

"Oh nice idea," Aquarina giggled maliciously too.

"Uhh…" Svana glared at the two girls with a concerned look. "I mean Justicio does have amazing defensive techniques but still, don’t abuse that kid’s kindness, okay? Anyways, once you’re prepared, come back to me so I can give you the specifics. The inheritance trial ritual will begin at the beginning of the next week, so in seven more days. I want you to train, prepare, eat a lot, and train some more before getting there. Cultivate too, as much as possible! Alright kids?"

"Yes!" nodded Aquarina and Silvia.

"Good, good kids," Svana smiled, patting their heads. "Grab these for the way back."

She gave Silvia and Aquarina a few large, green-colored fruits, which were called Desert Apples, juicy fruits that sprouted from cactuses that people here ate, they were deliciously sweet, although filled with many little seeds, which most just ate anyways.

"Thank ye!" Silvia said. "Let’s go annoy Justicio, Aquarina!"

"Sure," Aquarina nodded, as she and Silvia jumped off Svana’s house from the window.

Svana waved her hand from the window, saying goodbyes.

"Take care of the kids, babysitter!" she told to Aquarina.

"Babysitter?!"

FLASH!

The fall was roughly fifty meters tall, yet the two girls landed on the ground like nothing had ever happened to them.

BAAM! BAAM! Continue reading stories on

The ground beneath them shattered a bit, but nothing else could be seen, they were tougher than stones. The most surprising thing was that Silvia was even barefoot, yet she didn’t even hurt her foot.

"Let’s make a race until we get to Justicio’s house!" Silvia said. "Last place’s a big baby loser!"

"Hey! Wait!" Aquarina saw Silvia running before even waiting for her approval. "Dammit!"

As she ate the juicy fruit, she ran forward, chasing her friend across the stony village.

Many people walked everywhere from one place to another, some carrying huge bags full of fruits and vegetables, mushrooms and so on.

Some others were groups of hunters that brought over their daily game, giant bull-like monsters known as the Dry Steppes Bullhorns.

Silvia leaped from house to house, as Aquarina kept close to her.

"Heheh, looks like I’m the winner today! Aquarina you’re a big baby loser today!" Silvia laughed.

"You cheated! You should have waited for my approval first," Aquarina complained.

"Cheated? I didn’t cheat! You cheat!" said Silvia. "Sometimes you do the same so I thought I could too…!"

"Okay we can agree we both cheat then," Aquarina laughed.

"Yeah!" Silvia laughed.

The two were not going to discuss over dumb things anyways, Aquarina didn’t pursue the matter, showing some signs of maturity that she didn’t have as much before.

"Justiciooooo!"

The two girls landed on a big house shaped like a block carved out of stone, it had a little garden of cactus covered on colorful flowers around it, but that had sharp spikes.

"Hmm? Who…?"

Justicio’s eyes opened wide as he showed his head from his room’s window on the second floor of his house.

"Aquarina? Silvia?"

He was quite the handsome looking lad, with a big muscular build, yet a gentle and cute face, long black hair made into dreads, and sleepy-looking emerald eyes, which he always had, not just in the mornings.

"Come out already! We gotta talk dude!" said Silvia.

"Yeah, we got something to talk about with you," Aquarina nodded, crossing her arms.

"E-Eh?" Justicio grew nervous every second. "W-What do they want to ask me now?"

He walked outside his house while eating a similar fruit the girls were eating, looking all groggy and still kind of sleepy, sometimes he would sleep until 1 PM.

"Yo! Wanna join the Inheritance Trial in a week from now?" asked Aquarina. "We got a party with Silvia, but we need our third, so you’re perfect."

"Yeah!" Silvia said, patting Aquarina’s shoulders.

"W-Wait what?!" Justicio spat out the many little black seeds of the fruit he was eating. "Don’t be ridiculous! I am not even qualified for that, man…"

"Nah, Svana said you’re in," Aquarina smiled.

"Yeppers," said Silvia.

"N-no way! Really?!" Justicio seemed to despair even more, grabbing his head.

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