I stare at the cut-up corpse of the wyvern. Its scales are cracked, its bones crushed, and its wings are completely shredded.
I sigh and then allow myself to fall to the ground.
The holes in my body gradually begin to close, my broken bones start to heal, but the exhaustion still lingers.
Must be the system's doing.
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
Blood falls from my head, hitting the stone beneath me in an uneven rhythm.
My messed-up body made it incredibly hard to kill the wyverns. It may look easy from a different perspective, but every step I took while fighting them felt like a was being submerged in molten rock.
In short, it's agonizing.
I take a look around the cave.
Corpses lie everywhere I turn, cracks continue to spread, and the smell of blood still lingers in the air.
The cave is quiet now. The kind that comes after everything is over.
Fifty. That's how many there were.
But now, not a single one remains alive.
"…Pathetic."
But the words don't carry arrogance.
If anything, they carry disappointment.
Not in the beasts, but in myself.
I clench my fist.
The skin stretches as it heals, muscle fibers pulling back together.
Even with a battered-up body.
"If that was enough to push me this far…"
My gaze hardens.
"…then I'm still too weak."
[Notice]
[Title Acquired]
[The One Who Refused to Die]
My eyes flicker slightly.
Refused to die.
A faint smile shows on my face.
"…Guess that fits."
[Condition Met]
[You have fulfilled all requirements]
[Special Trial Is Now Available]
[Would you like to proceed?]
[Yes / No]
A trial!
After everything I've been through, you mean to tell me that was just the test for the right to a trial?!
I've gone against an enemy several times stronger than me, forced to use a skill that drained me of all my energy, and I still barely survived with my life on the line.
Yet because of the system, it landed me in a situation where I couldn't move and surrounded by beasts I couldn't protect myself from.
I almost ending up dead!
I was expecting monsters stronger than myself, so the battle with Eclipse makes sense, but for the system to restrict my movements and send me into the middle of a swarm of wyverns—that's a bit random.
After everything that just happened—
after barely surviving—
after being pushed to the edge—
"…No."
I should have expected this. I knew I would face strong monsters the moment I inserted the key into my door's keyhole (even if I didn't expect something 82 levels higher than me), but this time I have no idea what's coming.
What type of trial am I facing? What are the conditions for passing? What are the conditions for being able to take this trial in the first place?
I pause.
I'm not the only one with the system. Have other people also gotten the same trial? How did they pass it? Is every trial different from one another, or are they the same?
Then, a question I've never pondered suddenly rings in my head.
Will I be facing another… player? Is the trial that two people with similar levels have to face each other? No, no, no, no, no. I don't want to reveal myself more than I have to.
For a second, I think about rejecting the trial, then another thought immediately strikes it down.
If I reject, will there be some sort of penalty?
The more questions that surface, the heavier my thoughts become.
A dull ache spreads through my head.
I sigh.
"Well, I'm not gonna get any answers sitting here," I mutter to myself while lifting myself to my feet.
"This is disappointing." The words aren't directed at the trial but rather at myself.
Why?
Because I hesitated. I hesitated to do something that would make me stronger. That was the whole point of the system, yet I was reluctant simply because I might face another player.
I told myself I would become the strongest and kill all the gods, but if I'm really afraid of facing another player just because I don't want to stand out, then I don't deserve to be strong. I would be no different than those puny gods who rely on tricks out of fear to kill me.
I'm not going to back away. The title of the strongest belongs to someone willing to go into the unknown for the sake of their goals.
That is who I need to be.
But first.
I take one more look at the corpse. "You tried to kill me, so it's only fair you serve me."
I stick out my hand.
"Awaken."
[Skill: Soul Dominion Activated]
Thin strands of blue mana rise from the corpse of the wyverns. They begin to converge on top of each wyvern, forming a pulsing orb.
The orbs begin to expand. Wings form first, expanding like a bird preparing for flight. Next comes the tail and body, and finally, a head forms.
The wyverns, now made of pure mana, are under my control.
They look around before finally turning to look at me.
The wyverns close their wings and now bowtoward me, as a sign of respect.
"Don't think for a second that's enough to earn my forgiveness."
The wyverns let out a small whimper.
I exhale slowly.
"But I guess it's a start."
The wyverns lift their heads before slowly disappearing.
I turn around and stare at the system interface.
[Would you like to proceed?]
[Yes / No]
Without giving it another though, I answer.
"Yes."
[Confirmation Received]
[Inventory Accessed]
A single item materializes.
The Sovereign key.
It floats in the air for a brief moment—
Then, a thin line of light appears on the key.
More lines, no cracks, begin to form on the key, each one bigger than the last.
Flames leak from the cracks, and within seconds, the black surface of the key is replaced with a crimson flame.
A key composed of flames now lies before me. Its shape is the same, but its aura is completely different.
I reach out and grab the key.
It doesn't burn—in fact, it's as cold as an ice dragon's scale.
Then—
CLICK.
A keyhole appears before me. There is no door, no structure, no frame either. Just an ordinary keyhole with no special features.
I step toward the keyhole.
I take one more look at the flaming key and insert it.
With a flick of my wrist, I twist the key.
For a moment, nothing happens.
Then—
WOOOSH!
Flames erupt from the keyhole like a torrent, engulfing the cave in fire.
The pillars of rock melt quickly, the blood from the wyverns begins to evaporate into mist, and the corpse turns to ash in the flames.
Yet through it all, I stand tall (even though I have the height of a seven-year-old) and unwavering.
The flames don't seem to scorch me. In all honesty they heal all my injuries faster than the system did.
The holes in my body close completely, and all my broken bones are healed.
Even my fatigue seems to fade, and I can feel my mana replenishing.
Right in front of me, the keyhole now reveals its full form—a massive gate made of flames.
There are runes at the edges of the gate, but I don't understand what they say.
The gates open, revealing a space filled with nothingness. A void, so to speak.
Without hesitation, I step into the gate.
[ Notice ]
The moment I pass the threshold, the flames from the gate collapse inward.
It closes shut behind me.
[ Trial of the Undying Flame has begun ]