Endless ascent

Sylvarien Grove — Second Trial Begins

Tamer's breath caught in his throat as the forest around him shook. The ground trembled under a stampede of clawed feet and snarling beasts. Shadows darted between the trees—glowing eyes, twisted limbs, and inhuman growls echoed like a chorus of nightmares.

He raised his sword, aura rippling along the blade.

"Okay... okay. You've done this before," he told himself.

"Not a thousand, but you've fought worse. Just... one at a time."

But these monsters weren't ordinary. They were infested—twisted forms of once-normal creatures, now corrupted by some kind of astral plague. Mushrooms sprouted from their bodies, black vines writhed along their spines, and their mouths foamed with a purple mist. Their movements were unnatural, jerking like puppets under a sick will.

The first one lunged—a wolf-like beast with antlers, vines clinging to its ribcage.

Tamer sidestepped swiftly, driving his blade through its side, twisting it free just before another came from behind. His aura flared around him—a pale blue shimmer protecting him just long enough to spin and parry the incoming claws.

"These things don't bleed..."

He muttered as black ooze hissed off his sword.

Two more came from the side, but this time, he was ready. With a focused breath, he channeled his aura into his legs and leapt high, flipping over them as they collided with each other. Landing gracefully, he thrust his sword through both skulls in one sweep. Their bodies convulsed before turning into glowing ash.

3 down... 997 to go.

From the trees above, screeches rang out. Featherless bird-like creatures with blade-like wings dove from the branches.

Tamer slashed at one midair but was too slow for the next. Its wings sliced across his back, ripping through his shirt. He gasped, rolling forward as another dove in.

He threw his hand up—casting a small shockwave of aura that blasted the creature back, slamming it into a tree. It exploded into a purple mist on impact.

His back throbbed, blood seeping down. But he couldn't stop. He channeled aura into his wound, slowing the bleeding as his body absorbed the pain like fuel.

"If you want a willpower test, I'll show you one!"

He shouted, eyes glowing faintly with resolve.

The monsters kept coming, in waves.

Tamer changed his rhythm—no longer just swinging wildly, but moving with intention. He began counting every breath, every step, every kill. His aura began to evolve, sharpen.

Each swing of his sword became lighter, more controlled. He started to feel the forest, sense the movement of creatures before they appeared. His instincts were growing sharper. Like something was unlocking in him.

By the time the sunless sky began to dim into a darker shade of purple, he had already defeated over a hundred.

He stood panting beside the roots of a massive tree, wiping sweat and blood from his brow. His body ached, bruised, and slashed. But his grip on the sword hadn't loosened once.

Suddenly, a distant roar shook the trees—so powerful it knocked birds from the air.

Tamer's eyes widened.

From the depths of the forest, a massive beast emerged—twice the height of a building, crawling with hundreds of smaller creatures latched onto its back. Its face was a fusion of lion and serpent, its body covered in fungal armor, and its breath reeked of death and rot.

Tamer tightened his grip.

"This must be a trial boss... good."

"If I can take it down, maybe I can thin the horde."

He charged.

The boss roared and slammed its fist down, shattering trees. Tamer darted to the side, aura trailing behind him in a blur. He jumped onto a fallen log, sprinted up its length, and launched himself toward the beast's shoulder. With all his strength, he drove his blade into a weak spot—right between two plates of its fungal armor.

It screamed in agony, shaking violently. Tamer was thrown off, crashing into a tree.

He groaned but stood back up, chest heaving.

"I need to use something stronger…"

He placed his hand on the sword's hilt, breathing deeply.

"Flow… Align…"

"Draw!"

His blade pulsed with blue light as he unleashed a focused aura slash, tearing through the creature's midsection. The smaller parasites on its back shrieked as they burned to ash.

The boss staggered, falling to one knee.

Tamer ran up its back, leapt again—this time straight toward its head. As the beast looked up in fury, Tamer's aura ignited like fire around him.

"For my world... one without monsters like you!"

He plunged his sword straight through the beast's skull.

The forest fell silent. The giant creature slowly dissolved into smoke and ashes.

Tamer fell to the ground on one knee, panting heavily, his body trembling. Around him, the other monsters began to retreat back into the shadows.

A quiet chime rang in the air. The voice of Rhadan echoed again.

"You have slain 197. Not bad for the first day. Rest, human. You'll need it."

Tamer collapsed onto the forest floor, staring up into the dark canopy.

"Just... 803 more to go."

But as his eyes began to drift shut, a faint silver rune glowed on the back of his hand.