Abyss Draconis

"A... memory trace?" Ryuk asked, but her reply came just as something slipped out of the Void.

A large golden mirror appeared right in front of Ryuk.

But when he looked at it, there was no reflection.

Only a revolving golden vortex-like effect.

"This is an Ammamora Identification Mirror, and it performs three purposes..." Radiant Aveia explained.

"The first is a memory trace, which helps us detect and verify your thoughts."

"My thoughts?" Ryuk asked in surprise and caution as she nodded.

"Your thoughts, including your past thoughts, emotional state, and hidden intentions, especially those related to Ammamora."

"Oh?"

"Yes. If you have revengeful thoughts toward Ammamora or you're a spy, it will detect it. You'll fail the identification and be sent out..." she said with the same nonchalance.

Ryuk didn't care much and simply shrugged it off.

He didn't hate Ammamora. If anything, it was the opposite.

"You can go in now," she said, but Ryuk didn't move. He turned to her and asked,

"You said the mirror performs three purposes. What's the second and third?"

"The second is identification of Origin Tag."

"It tracks your interdimensional visits and filters environmental mismatches, including forbidden traits from lesser or darkened worlds.

"Every realm a person enters leaves a stain on the soul. Ammamora rejects too many foreign colors," she explained.

Ryuk merely furrowed his brows for a moment before eventually relaxing.

That also was no problem.

"And the last?"

"A Soul Purity Scan. It helps determine whether your soul is under demonic possession, corrupted by Apex or Cursed Energy, or bound by Forbidden Contracts with Forbidden Beings," she said, drawing Ryuk's attention.

"Forbidden Beings?"

"Yes. Exiled Gods, Nullborns, Ashen Kings, Hollow Cults, and many more. If you have signed a contract with any of these beings, you will not be allowed into Ammamora," she explained.

Ryuk's eyes glimmered with curiosity.

Forbidden Beings, Exiled Gods, Nullborns, cults... those were terms he wasn't familiar with.

But still, he had no need to worry.

He hadn't made any contract with anyone whatsoever, so it was fine.

"That's all the mirror does?" Ryuk asked, and Radiant Aveia nodded.

"Yes, that's all it does," she replied, but Ryuk stared at her silently for a while before eventually shrugging.

He didn't believe a single word from her mouth, but he also couldn't refuse. Without the identification, he wouldn't get in.

It wasn't like he had much choice.

"Once you enter the mirror, you'll be stuck in darkness for just about three seconds before you're ejected out. You have nothing to worry about..." she said.

Ryuk floated forward, his hand reaching for the mirror's surface, and in the next instant, the vortex aura spread over his arm before he felt a pull that instantly dragged him within.

Immediately, a bright ray of light pierced out from the mirror before a clear surface was revealed.

One that displayed Ryuk's image paused in the air.

Radiant Aveia's gaze fell upon his image as her fingers moved, drawing runic lines over the smooth mirror surface.

Each of the lines lit up with brilliant golden light before fading off. She turned back to the floating holographics in front of her, pressing various runic symbols on them before returning to the mirror and resuming.

Although she mentioned three seconds, the procedure had been ongoing for nearly an hour, as she silently continued writing and typing before finally muttering,

"Now for the Soul Purity Scan..." she said as she rapidly drew golden lines.

Unlike before, where the golden lights lit up and immediately faded away, this time the golden light didn't illuminate as quickly, causing her brow to furrow.

Then she watched as a rainbow-like hue appeared over the runic symbols.

"Hmm, seems like he has a soul bind, but whatever he's bound with is harmless. Most likely a beast bond..." she muttered to herself with a shrug, her fingers moving to type when suddenly—

FLASH!

A faint crimson-black light shimmered for a moment, and her head snapped back to the mirror.

Yet when she looked at the words, she still found the rainbow color unchanged, the runic symbols slowly floating off.

Her hand hovered in midair, a confused expression growing on her face.

"Did I just sense a Nullborn color flash?" Radiant Aveia murmured under her breath, eyes fixed silently on the mirror. The color had already faded off, but she eventually shrugged.

"He's just an aboriginal from a wild world. No way he has a Nullborn contract on his soul..." she muttered as the smooth glass surface disappeared, replaced by a golden rotating vortex. From it emerged Ryuk, who turned to look at Radiant Aveia.

His brow twitched faintly as he noticed the panels of runic symbols around her were gone, replaced instead by a scattered rectangular card.

"You passed your identification very well."

"All that's left is the final test..." she called out to Ryuk.

"And that is the Combatant Identification Test, as specified by the card you were given.

"There are five levels of power that a Combatant can possess, and the higher the stage, the longer you can stay.

"The first stage is passing the test required for a Fallen Guard. It allows you five years of stay, along with a service you must render—determined by the Ammamora Council of Protection.

"You will be informed of their final decision regarding your service location in five days, but first, you must pass the test..." she said.

Ryuk watched as her hand stretched to the side, and soon enough, a golden light began cascading everywhere.

The Void gradually underwent a monumental transformation.

Almost like a domain was being laid—but this was no domain.

Quickly, the Void changed.

It solidified into a large golden hall, as Ryuk watched the ground beneath him solidify into a golden platform and he slowly lowered himself to the ground.

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A/N:

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