Of course, not everyone was able to simply cast aside their previous world on command. Many remained slumped over, continuing to murmur in anger and frustration. However, Alex noticed that those still reacting with such visible despair were not that many, to be honest.
In fact, among the several hundred people gathered in the hall, only a small fraction seemed truly broken by the news. It was almost as if the majority of them had come from lives they didn't care much for anyway. While some still carried a trace of grief, most now had a look of curiosity plastered on their faces as they waited for what would come next.
Then, amidst the murmurs, a girl seated in the front row, whose black hair was cut into a bob, raised a hand to ask a question. It was a question that Alex also had on his mind, and the room grew slightly quieter as Naomi gestured for her to speak.
"The cause of all this. The Fates. I keep hearing about them. Who are the Fates?" she asked.
Naomi hesitated for a moment before finally replying, "For now, all you need to know about the Fates is that they are the system that governs all."
Alex frowned because that was quite a vague answer. The girl with the bob also had the same expression and seemed ready to press further, and ask a bit more, but Naomi shook her head in a way that signaled the window for curiosity had officially closed.
She took a deep breath as her gaze swept over the people in the hall, then she continued.
"Since we have the matter of how you got here out of the way, it is time to talk about why you are here in the Pantheon."
She gestured with a slight, measured movement of her hand. "Well, there's two simple reasons as to why you are here." She raised a finger. "The first is that you are here to become a god." She paused, and when she saw the old man who looked to be in his seventies, she shrugged a shoulder and added, "Or at least try to be one."
She smiled and continued after a few seconds. "You see, there is meant to be a god for every fundamental concept and domain that holds reality together, be it a high-tiered god like the god of the Sea or the Heavens, or a low-tiered god like the goddess of door hinges or the god of manure or whatever.
Although a god cannot die until the concept and domain they rule over is extinguished from the universe, their current incarnation can still die. When that happens, the Fates look for a replacement, hence the invitation for the Trial of Ascension. After your trial, depending on your performance, you are placed on the path to becoming one of these gods."
'Oh… so the authorities are kind of like our pathways to godhood.' Alex thought as he processed the implications of her words. 'Then… since I have taken over the authority of hades, does that mean the current incarnation of hades is already dead?'
He got lost in that thought for a moment. If that was so, then… what could have killed him?
"Speaking of performances," Naomi continued. "The soul card you earned after killing your first creature in the Fates' Divine Mountain of Trials determines your tier, and your tier determines your potential. For instance, a low-tier soul card grants you a low-tier pathway and a minor realm, while a high-tier card grants you the capacity to wield a high-tier authority and govern a vast, more powerful realm depending on the tier."
Naomi opened her palm, revealing a gray card that wasn't there before. The card then shifted into a small round device, which she placed on the lectern as a large holographic screen projected upward from it.
"For those of you wondering how many tiers exist," Naomi said, gesturing toward the screen which had six cards of different colors, "there are six distinct tiers, each represented by these colors."
The initiates began to murmur at the sight of the colorful display. And as for Alex, well, his jaw had dropped. He looked at the screen, then swallowed as he realized exactly where he fit into the hierarchy she was describing.
'Holy shit. No freaking way.'
Beginning from the left was the one star card which was the green card, followed by the blue card, then the purple, crimson, gold, and finally black.
'That means I've really got the highest tier!'
How lucky was that?
This confirmation made Alex feel incredibly fortunate.
While he was still basking in his internal excitement, Naomi pointed to the green and blue cards, then continued speaking.
"The first and second tier soul cards are common because they are easy to obtain." She shifted her finger to the purple. "The purple card which is where the stronger paths begin is less common than the first two, and because it is rare, those with this card are immensely valuable."
Her finger moved to both the crimson card and the gold card. "The crimson card is even harder to obtain, and those who do obtain them get really powerful authorities, insignias and domains. The same goes for the gold, which is even more exceptional, to the point that there are only a few people in the world who possess one."
When her finger landed on the black card, she paused for a moment before speaking. "As for the black card, which is the highest and most powerful card, there can only be fourteen of them in the entire world and no more."
'And yet, I got one of them.' Alex thought as he grinned slyly, his expression fueled by both arrogance and joy. 'I still can't believe it.'
Naomi continued, "Within the last hundred years, we've had only nine ascendants finish their trials with a black card. We hope that there are people this year who have also been able to obtain a black card. But given the extreme difficulty, the chances of that happening are incredibly low. So we wouldn't be surprised if we don't have any this year as well."
She sighed and looked away from the screen to the hall. After a moment, she waved a dismissive hand. "That aside, let me say this now."
Both her gaze and tone grew matter of fact. "Your tiers cannot be changed, and your authorities are equally fixed. The soul card you brought out of the mountain is the soul card you will carry throughout your ascension. If you die, the authority you hold will simply return to the Fates and during the next trial of ascensions, another human will earn that authority."