The celebration went on for hours. True to his word, the ghost king had several of his subordinates reconstruct the shrine in his castle.

When they had completed their task, the Ghost King called an end to the banquet. Following the ghost, Lucan, Silent, and More Food who trailed after them entered the top level of a tower in the castle. A small monolith had been constructed and engraved with many tribal symbols.

The Ghost King floated forward and stretched out his hand. He poured ethereal energy into the shrine.

Four eyes appeared floating over it.

Lucan and the others stood to the side while the Ghost King and the guardian communicated telepathically. After several minutes the Ghost King bowed and stepped aside. The guardian's eyes turned to Lucan.

'You have done the planeshifter race a service. No service goes unrewarded. If you wish, you can become a planeshifter right this moment, one with randomized abilities, or I can give you a chance to become more.'

'Go on.' Lucan answered telepathically.

'Each guardian may have a single champion. It has been over 10,000 years since I last had a champion. If you wish to become my champion, you must undergo a trial. Fail and you will become an ordinary planeshifter with only the most mundane abilities. Succeed, and you will become a variant planeshifter, acquiring an extra ethereal ability of the highest rarity and while you are in the ethereal realm you will be able to draw ethereal essence from the realm itself.'

'What can you tell me about this trial?' Lucan asked, intrigued by the guardian's offer.

'Each trial is unique, but I must warn you that the reason I do not have a champion is not due to a lack of participants, it is because none have succeeded. Do you wish to become my champion?'

Lucan thought it over. He could become a planeshifter right now and he may have good abilities or maybe not. The other option was to take the trial. If he failed, he would have the worst abilities, but if he succeeded, he would have the best.

Lucan telepathically explained his dilemma to Silent.

'I think you should go for it. Even if you fail you will get free ethereal abilities, given time you can learn actual ethereal spells. Its a chance for a good head start. Even if you become a planeshifter right now you still may end up with the most common abilities.'

Lucan gave her a nod. He wanted to try before he asked Silent, and with her support his, his doubts had disappeared.

'Okay, I will be your champion.'

'Then I will give you a chance.'

A portal opened before Lucan.

'Go forth and let me see if you can succeed.'

Lucan smirked. 'Ha, did you not hear me. I WILL be your champion.' He responded before walking through the portal.

After the warlock entered, the portal shut.

The Ghost King nodded happily. "Best of Luck." He said even though Lucan had already departed. Turning to Silent. "Every trial is different, there is no telling how long it will take. But the quickest failure came after three days."

"Hmm, seems like he will be gone for awhile then."

"Food lady, don't be sad. We no need stinky Luban."

Silent frowned. "More Food, you need to be nicer to Lucan. You may have a bad impression of him, but he is a Lord who rules over a whole land. He is very accomplished and can even create his own magic." Seeing that the goblin didn't care one bit she changed tactics. "His people admire him because he gives them so much food. In his fortress he has a whole vault filled with only the best and tastiest food that he gives out to people who help him."

The goblin jerked to attention. "Re-, really?" He asked stuttering.

Silent nodded. "He has fine wine, the rare vegetables and even a good stock of fresh dragon meat."

More Food couldn't stop the saliva from dripping down the chin. He then frowned.

"Maybe More Food try to make friends with meanie Lunan."

"You don't have to be friends with him. To be honest, there is almost no chance of that ever happening. You just have to accomplish deeds that benefit him, and he will reward you."

"That work." More food said while nodding. "Food lady and spirits are enough friends for More Food."

"Good, so I take it you are going to come back to the shadow realm with me."

"If food lady say good food there, I follow."

The Ghost King interjected. "If you like, I can open a portal to the shadow realm for you."

"It's alright. Lucan placed a shadow tunnel at our camp last night. It will take me directly back to the fortress."

"Good, good. Perhaps I will come and visit some time."

"You are still one of Lucan's acolytes from when you made a pact with him. If you ask him, I don't see a reason why he wouldn't let you operate the shadow tunnel. And I am sure his master would be very excited to meet you, but… I don't think you should meet him."

"Oh, why is that?"

"Well… Raze is the king of all scammers. Even Lucan is always getting the short end of the deal. If you ever meet him, always keep your guard up." Silent warned before departing from the castle with the lunar goblin.

Suddenly the lunar goblin stopped and tugged on her sleeve. "I need go back. More Food forgot shoe."

Silent looked and saw the goblin was only wearing one shoe.

"Okay, be quick."

The goblin ran towards the castle, once out of sight he had an uncontrolable urge to reach into his bag. Feeling something unfamiliar he pulled a small seashell from his bag. He didn't recognize the object and was curious as to how it got there. Taking a closer look, a burst of magic splashed across his face, launched from inside the object. His memories returned. He didn't hesitate to speak into it.

"She has fallen for your insidious plot. The warlock has entered a trial and will be temporarily unable to reconvene with her. She has invited me to their stronghold. By the command of moon goddess Marama , I will follow through with your plan, but do not continue to test the goddesses patience, deliver what you promised.

"Good." A voice echoed out of the shell.

When the shell was returned to the bag, the goblin's memory was erased and he happily strode into the castle looking for his shoe.

"Where shoe?! Shoe stop hiding!"

***

Lucan found himself in a completely white space. There was no up or down, he was floating, neither falling nor rising, he was unable to move forward, but there was nowhere to go to.

The face of the guardian appeared before him.

"The planeshifters exists to ensure the protection of the ethereal realm." The genderless face said. "But a champion does much more. The yellow river flows through the realm and is considered the end of all life, but it is also the beginning of life. In the many realms there are forces which seek to taint it, abuse it, or control it for their own desires. A champion ensures the continuation of the ethereal realm AND the yellow river."

All four eyes of the guardian changed to a deep blue color. In a flash Lucan saw the journey of his character from the first day he joined Evolution till now.

"I have witnessed your life traveler. You have been schemed against and learned to scheme. You have killed and you have died. Your heart is filled with both love and hate. I am satisfied with what I have witnessed. I will not test your mind, I have seen that even when you have fallen into insanity, you maintain the beliefs in your heart. I don't believe you will be swayed by others. I will not test your courage, I have seen that when you act arrogant and brave, there is none more scared than yourself. For your trial… it has been decided."

Suddenly a landscape appeared beneath Lucan's feet.

"A champion's duties do not only lay in the ethereal realm. Stretched out before you are echoes of numerous realms filled with their natural inhabitants. To pass the trial, journey to the end. Death will result in failure. You can use the amulet I previously gave you to determine what realm you are in. Reaching the end will prove that you have the ability to enter any realm and accomplish your task. Upon reaching the end you will have learned of what is truly out there to be discovered."

Before Lucan could ask any questions, the face faded from existence.

The sky turned red as ash started to rain from the clouds. The temperature of the entire area rose, and fast. Torrents of lava split the ground apart as magma flowed like rivers. Lucan pulled the guardian's amulet out of his bag and checked it.

[Elemental realm, quadrant of fire]

Red salamanders started to crawl from the lava, they stood up on their hindlegs and held weapons.

'Looks like I will have to fight my way forward. Somewhere ahead will be the entrance to the next realm, and then the one after that, and on an on.'

Lucan summoned his shadow drake and ran forward; he had no time to waste.

***

"Silent you're back. Where is Lucan? Things have been heating up in Eclipse." Super said as the rogue walked into the command room with a blue goblin following her.

"He is still in the ethereal realm and it looks like he will be there for some time."

Super frowned.

"What happened?" She asked.

"The quest has been working well, but another 2,000 troops under the Plague Baron's banner arrived in Eclipse this morning. With the numbers that he is amassing, our sabotage efforts are only a drop in the ocean. We are being annoying and causing the Plague Baron a headache, but he doesn't show any signs of slowing down."

"Hmm, what do you think about getting the Assassin's Guild involved? Maybe we could put out a few contracts to kill the leaders of their troops."

"I thought of that, it could work but it will be expensive. I just don't know if that is escalating things to much. That is why I wanted to talk to Lucan."

"Okay, I understand. Currently we can't reach him in game. When I log out, I will give him a call and see what he wants to do."

"Alright, I will wait to hear from you." Super said.