Imprisoned for a Trillion Years, I Was Worshipped by All Gods!

Sarra couldn't believe her eyes.

Right in front of her was a mana core!

The cold energy radiating from it chilled the room noticeably.

From its features alone, it was clear that this was no ordinary mana core—it had come from a powerful spell beast.

What's more, Sarra felt a peculiar resonance between the mana core and her own bloodline.

This could only mean one thing: the mana core came from a spell beast of the same type as her bloodline.

Sarra had never told Nina about her class.

In fact, Sarra was a bloodline warrior, and the bloodline she had fused with was that of a wolf.

Now, the mana core Nina had given her was clearly from a wolf!

Judging by the energy fluctuations and other characteristics, it must have been a formidable wolf king.

Otherwise, Sarra wouldn't have felt this strong a connection.

She never imagined Nina would give her such a precious gift.

Mana cores of this level were incredibly rare and difficult to come by.

All Sarra had done was trade some mana stones, yet Nina had surprised her with such an extraordinary present.

At this moment, Sarra felt even more indebted to Nina.

...

"Sif, will the Headmaster come to watch?" Nina asked, looking at Sif.

"I've asked him. Daniel said he'll come to see your final match."

"The final match? I didn't expect the Headmaster to have such faith in me! I absolutely won't let him down. When the time comes… he'll get to see my latest ultimate move!"

As the days passed, the Trial of Gods continued to progress.

Soon, the final thirty contestants were determined.

These thirty individuals would each receive a reward from Bear Prime.

Of course, this was just the initial reward—a level 1 essence drop.

This unique treasure could benefit any class or system, enhancing the recipient's growth in a tangible and noticeable way.

It was the very reward that had drawn countless participants to the trial.

Being chosen directly by Bear Prime was an honor reserved for only a select few.

But for most, the essence drop itself was the ultimate goal.

And this was only the level 1 essence drop.

As the trial continued, level 2 essence drops would also be distributed!

On the day the top thirty were decided, Lord Cyre of Westwind Pass personally handed out the level 1 essence drops.

The drops were contained in exquisite little bottles, and everyone who received one was elated, carefully tucking their prize away.

Naturally, Nina was among those who received a bottle.

As she watched the other recipients celebrate with uncontrollable joy, she turned to Sarra with a puzzled expression.

"Sarra, what's so special about this thing?"

Sarra leaned in close and whispered,

"This isn't just any treasure. No matter what class you are, once you take it, you'll immediately feel its effects. Your mana will flow more smoothly, your body will grow stronger… all sorts of wonderful changes."

"And this is just the level 1 essence drop. When it gets down to the top ten, they'll hand out the level 2 essence drops, which are even more powerful!"

After hearing Sarra's explanation, Nina nodded, indicating that she understood.

That evening, Nina returned to her quarters.

She debated whether to save some of the essence drop for Sif.

After all, Sif's progress hadn't been as fast as her own.

Thinking of this, Nina took out the small bottle and opened it.

She sniffed the liquid inside.

The scent was strangely familiar, though she couldn't quite place it.

Logically, she shouldn't have encountered anything like the Bear Prime's essence drop before.

This was her first time in Winterrealm, after all.

But the smell… it was unmistakably familiar.

Curious, she tasted a small sip. The flavor, too, was oddly familiar.

What could it be?

A short while later, Sif entered the room.

"Here it is, freshly boiled hot water! Congratulations on making it to the top thirty, Nina!"

"A hot bath is perfect right about now," Sif said cheerfully.

As she stepped inside, she noticed Nina sniffing and tasting from the bottle in her hand.

"Nina, what are you doing?" Sif asked curiously.

Nina gestured for her to come closer.

"Here, Sif, try this. Doesn't it seem familiar? I can't shake the feeling that I know this smell."

Sif took the bottle, sniffed it, and immediately set it down with a surprised expression.

"This is just bathwater! You used this yesterday to wash your feet!"

"What?"

Nina froze in shock.

Then, as she thought about it carefully…

Could it be true?

She quickly went over to the wooden tub, dipped her finger into the water, and tasted it.

Her expression changed instantly.

It was exactly as Sif had said!

This stuff was no different from their regular bathwater.

...

"Oh?"

Daniel wore an amused smile as he examined the bottle.

The Bear Prime's level 1 essence drop was, in fact, nothing more than diluted mana droplets.

For some time now, Daniel had been using diluted mana droplets for everyday tasks, from cooking to bathing, to subtly enhance the physical conditions of both Sif and Nina.

This explained why Nina found the essence drop so familiar—she had been using it daily!

People tend to overlook the extraordinary in their daily routines, and Nina was no exception.

Daniel found it fascinating that the Bear Prime was using a similar method.

It suggested that the Bear Prime also had access to significant forge resources to produce these droplets.

It seemed that all major powers employed such methods to cultivate talent.

Fortunately, Daniel had left behind a similar setup at Crossbridge Academy, ensuring that Rose and others wouldn't fall too far behind the elites from larger factions.

"I also heard from Sarra that after the top three are determined, a projection of Bear Prime himself will appear to personally select them," Nina said.

She knew Daniel was interested in Bear Prime, so she shared the information.

"Excellent. After waiting so long, we finally have something concrete. All right, you should go rest now. If I'm not mistaken, your next battle is tomorrow. And… I'll be there to watch your final match," Daniel replied.

With that, Nina left the room.

"Phew…" Nina let out a sigh of relief.

It seemed Daniel hadn't noticed that the liquid in the bottle was slightly less than before.

And, thankfully, he hadn't realized she had drunk some of it.

She felt foolish—how could she not recognize something she used every day?

Still, she managed to resolve the situation perfectly by acting quickly.

If Sif had gotten to Daniel first, she might have let slip that Nina had been drinking something she didn't even recognize.

The Headmaster would never let her hear the end of it!

In hindsight, Nina couldn't help but admire her own quick thinking.

This was how adults handled problems!

...

The next day, the trial resumed.

This time, Nina's opponent was a fatecaster.

Daniel arrived at the venue, taking a seat in the area Ronan had prepared for him.

With only thirty participants remaining, Lord Cyre wanted to expedite the matches to bring the trial to a close.

For Daniel, this was a chance to observe a fatecaster in action and perhaps gain new insights.

As the referee announced the start of the match, Nina once again wielded her spiked mace.

The wolf king's teeth had proven incredibly durable, showing no signs of wear even after repeated use.

"Facing me means your trial ends here!" Fesya, the fatecaster, declared.

She had heard of Nina's unique abilities but had come prepared.

With her fate star, she believed she had the perfect counter to Nina.