Pain.
It was the first thing I felt when I regained consciousness.
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A dull, throbbing ache pierced through my chest, and every breath I took sent sharp stabs of pain through my ribs.
My body was heavy, like I had been crushed under a mountain.
I forced my eyes open.
The world around me was in ruins.
And the scent of burning flesh filled my lungs.
Screams rang in my ears—raw, desperate. I spun around, the sudden heat making my vision blur.
It wasn’t the empty void anymore.
I was in a village.
Or at least, what was left of it.
The houses were burning, flames licking at their wooden roofs, turning wood into ash. Smoke flew into the sky and bodies lay on the streets like peas in a pot.
Some people were charred beyond recognition, others still holding onto weapons as if they refused to die without a fight.
I stumbled backward, my breath catching.
A ding rang in my ears.
[System Quest Updated]
Suryi’s Trial: The Judgment of Flames
Objective: Survive.
Reward: ???
***
Survive?
I barely had time to process the words before a shadow jumped at me from the smoke.
Instinct kicked in.
My body moved before my mind could catch up. I sidestepped, the figure’s blade narrowly missing my throat.
The heat of the fire illuminated their face, revealing hollowed-out eyes and black veins spreading across their skin.
A corpse.
A moving corpse.
The realization made my blood run cold. This wasn’t just a burning village.
It was a massacre.
And the dead were stil walking?
The corpse soldier twisted unnaturally, its mouth opening wider than it should have. It let out a shrill cry and rushed towards me again.
I didn’t think.
I reacted.
Mana roared inside me, rising like a long-lost storm. I thrust my palm forward, and fire erupted from my fingertips, a golden inferno bursting from my skin.
The corpse didn’t even have time to scream.
The flames swallowed it whole.
The moment its charred remains hit the ground, more figures emerged from the smoke—half-burned soldiers, people whose bodies were broken yet still moving, all with hollowed-out eyes.
They weren’t alive.
But they weren’t dead either.
And all of them were coming for me.
A shiver crawled down my spine as I realized something.
The sky was no longer just red and gold—it had turned black, filled with swirling flames that moved like living things.
And in the middle of it all stood the being I had freed.
The girl looked even less human now. Her form flickered like a mirage with golden eyes burning with an eerie glow.
Power radiated from her in thick, suffocating waves, pressing down on everything like a invisible storm.
I swallowed hard.
This wasn’t a child.
This wasn’t even a person.
This was a monster.
"You finally woke up," A voice behind me said, tilting it’s head.
It was af if this being’s voice was layered with something ancient. "I was beginning to think you wouldn’t."
I forced myself onto my elbows, wincing as pain shot through my limbs.
The masked figure still stood nearby, unmoving. His sword remained in hand.
I clenched my fists. "You said this wasn’t about making the right choice."
The masked figure nodded once.
"It never was."
I took a shaky breath, my mind racing.
This trial—this entire situation—was never about freeing the child or leaving them behind.
It was about what came after.
According to what I realised…
Suryi Suryi must have freed this being.
And she had paid the price.
Now, it was my turn.
I gritted my teeth and forced myself to stand. My legs felt weak, but I refused to fall again.
The masked figure’s golden eyes gleamed with amusement.
"Oh? You still have some fight in you?" It spread their arms, power crackling at their fingertips.
"Good. Let’s see if you’re strong enough to survive your own mistake."
The air trembled.
And then they moved.
I barely had time to react before a wave of fire surged toward me, roaring like a living beast. Instinct took over—I threw up a barrier, pouring all my mana into it.
The flames crashed against the shield, pushing me back several steps. My feet dug into the scorched ground as I fought to hold my ground.
The masked figure leaped through the fire, his sword flashing like a streak of light.
He moved with impossible speed, their blade slicing toward the girl’s neck.
The girl dodged effortlessly, twisting her body like liquid.
"Too slow."
The girl raised her hand again. A pulse of energy erupting as she striked the Masked figure square in the chest.
The impact sent them flying and he crashed into a tower, the stones around him shattering on impact.
I barely had time to react before the being turned to me.
"And you?"
She vanished.
I felt a presence behind me—too fast, too sudden.
I spun around, swinging my arm in reflex, but she caught it effortlessly.
"Pathetic."
The grip tightened, and agony shot through my bones. I gasped, trying to pull away, but her strength was overwhelming.
Then—
A memory surfaced.
Not my own.
Suryi’s.
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She had stood in this exact place. Faced this exact trial. And she had failed.
She had tried to defeat this monster with strength alone. And she had lost.
But that wasn’t why she had been chosen as a goddess.
She had been chosen because she refused to give up.
Even when she was broken.
Even when the world burned around her.
She had endured.
I took a slow breath.
If strength wouldn’t win this fight—then endurance would.
I let my body go limp.
The girl’s grip faltered for a fraction of a second, caught off guard by my sudden stillness.
That was all I needed.
I twisted my body sharply, pulling my wrist free, and jumped back.
The girl’s golden eyes narrowed.
"Clever."
She raised a hand—
And a spear of pure fire formed above her palm.
I reacted instantly, gathering my mana, shaping it into something solid.
A barrier wasn’t enough.
I needed something defend myself.
I needed to fight back.
For Noah.
…And for Venus.
I wasn’t going to let go of that bastard this time now that I finally met him after years.
That bitch.
Mana surged through me, and a blade of pure light formed in my hand.
The girl smirked.
"Let’s see how long you last."
She hurled the spear.
I swung my blade.
The moment the two attacks clashed, a massive shockwave tore through the battlefield.
The ground cracked beneath us, and fire exploded in every direction.
I gritted my teeth, pushing back with everything I had.
The heat was unbearable. The force behind the attack threatened to crush me.
But I endured.
I wouldn’t fall.
Not yet.
Not until this trial was over.
The masked figure reappeared beside me, their robes tattered, but their stance firm.
"You understand now."
I nodded once. "This isn’t just a battle."
"No. This is a lesson."
The being let out a low chuckle.
"How amusing. You finally see it."
It raised both hands this time, and the flames around us began to spiral, forming a massive vortex of fire.
"But now that you understand… can you survive the final test?"
I tightened my grip on my blade. My breath was heavy, my body ached, but I refused to back down.
Because I finally knew.
This wasn’t about winning.
It was about proving that I could stand my ground.
That I could take responsibility of my choices.
That I was worthy of passing this trial.
I looked at the masked figure.
They nodded.
I turned back to the girl.
And then I charged.
The final battle had begun.
***