After completing my daily tasks, I took a deep breath, feeling the weight of my training settle into my bones. The system never let me rest. Every day, it pushed me further—beyond what I thought possible. My muscles ached, my mind screamed, yet the program whispered: again, again, again.
Training Regimen:
Six Senses Training: Enhance all senses while learning to fight smaller, faster opponents.
Field Battle Training: Adapt to different terrains, even ones that disadvantage giants.
Physical Training: Strength, endurance, flexibility—the basics, but pushed to the extreme.
Then there were the opponents. Beasts of terrifying power, each one meant to test some aspect of my growth:
Mountain Dragon: A beast the size of a mountain, mistaken for the land itself. Its scales carried entire ecosystems, and its roar split valleys. It controlled magic vast enough to turn rivers into deserts.
Storm Emperor: A phoenix wreathed in hellfire and purple lightning, summoning tempests with every beat of its wings. A single feather falling from its body struck like a meteor.
Elemental Ape King: A gorilla who embodied all five elements. Its fists shook the ground with earth, its breath spewed fire, its palms summoned water and wind, and its roar sparked thunder. It wasn't just strong—it was cunning, sharper than most humans.
I had faced them all. And yet, for all the monstrosities I endured, one opponent remained unknown.
Humans.
They were smaller, weaker in body compared to giants or dragons. But unlike beasts, they fought with strategy, with honor, with greed, with faith. They were unpredictable—and that was terrifying.
Until now.
---
Ding!
"Life and Death Training Hall gate has been opened."
Gate opening in 3… 2… 1…
A blinding flash of light engulfed me. When my vision cleared, I stood before an army.
Rows upon rows of armored men and women stretched across a vast plain. Their banners flapped in the wind: a dragon and lion, separated by a sword and shield. The steel of their armor gleamed beneath the pale sun, forming a wall of light and discipline.
Ding!
"Host meets the Imperial Knights of the Great Heavenly Order."
I froze. The Imperial Knights? Even in myth, they were said to be the pinnacle of human martial glory—knights who had faced demons, gods, and worse, and endured.
"Host requires experience fighting humans," the system droned. "Power does not equal invincibility."
I swallowed hard. This was my first human battle. And they expected me to survive for a hundred years?
"Then at least show me the list of enemies!" I barked.
Ding!
Opponent List:
Imperial Knights
Samurais of the Crescent Blood Moon
Shadowrealm Shinobi
Hell Demon Knights
Star Dragon Knights
Mount Hua Elite Disciples
Nine-Tailed Kitsune
…And more. Too many.
My fists tightened around my weapon. No use complaining. If this world wasn't merciful, then I wouldn't be either.
I grinned despite the fear gnawing at my chest. "Bring it on."
---
"TAKE THAT MONSTER DOWN!" the knight commander roared, his voice carrying like thunder across the plain.
Hundreds of warriors surged forward. Shields locked, spears leveled, spells already weaving through the air. The ground shook beneath their boots as the wave of steel and sorcery advanced.
I swung my sword in a wide arc. The air howled, a gale bursting from the blade. Dozens of knights were thrown back like leaves in a storm, their formation cracked but not shattered. The elites held their ground, their armor glowing faintly with blessings.
Their eyes burned with hunger. Not fear—battle lust.
"That thing is strong," one knight muttered.
"Good," another smirked, his blade gleaming. "It's been too long since we had real action."
The wall of soldiers parted. A figure strode forward, his golden-trimmed armor catching every glint of sunlight. His presence alone silenced the chaos. His very steps carried weight, as though the battlefield itself bowed to him.
"Be honored, beast," he declared. His voice was calm, proud. "I, Sir Gilbert, will be your opponent."
The battlefield trembled.
---
Blades clashed. Magic flared. My strikes split the air, scattering men like sand, but they closed in again and again. Lightning crackled from enchanted staves, holy spears rained down from the heavens, fireballs screamed across the sky.
The battle stretched. Days bled into weeks. Weeks dissolved into months.
No food. No water. Just blood and steel.
Time became meaningless. The rhythm of swords, screams, and prayers marked the hours better than the sun. Their bodies broke, their armor cracked, but the knights refused to yield. Even when limbs were lost, even when breaths came shallow and ragged, their blades did not falter.
Sir Gilbert stood among them like an unbreakable mountain, his cape shredded, his armor dented, his body bleeding from a hundred cuts. Yet his gaze never wavered.
"You're strong, beast," he coughed, blood flecking his lips. "But don't think I'll go down easily."
I lowered my sword. My breath steamed in the cold night air. My strength was far from gone, but my heart twisted.
I had no honor killing men who could no longer stand tall. That wasn't a fight—it was slaughter.
"Why do you hesitate?" Gilbert demanded, staggering forward.
"Leader, wait!" a knight in blue armor gasped, clutching his side. His voice cracked with exhaustion. "This giant… He refuses to kill weakened enemies. He's waiting for us to recover—to give us a fair fight."
Gilbert's eyes narrowed. "Is that true?"
I nodded. Then, reaching into my supplies, I set down water and bread—more than enough for all of them.
They stared in disbelief. For a moment, no one moved. Then hunger broke their pride, and they ate. The clatter of armored hands grasping rations echoed strangely across the battlefield.
When silence fell again, Gilbert exhaled. His lips curved into the faintest smile. "Sorry to keep you waiting, beast. Before we die… may I know your name?"
I hesitated. My true name—Justin—felt like a relic of another life. This world demanded something else. Something greater.
"…Ymir," I said at last.
Gilbert chuckled, his voice low and ragged. "A strong name. Fitting. Well then, Ymir—prepare yourself. We will fight you at our full strength."
---
The knights rose, renewed fire burning in their eyes. Their battered bodies straightened as though lifted by unseen hands. Weapons lifted, glowing with divine symbols.
[Azure Dragon Spear]
[White Tiger Sword]
[Iron Turtle Mace]
[Blue Phoenix Blade]
[Heavenly Sword Slash]
The air quivered. Their auras surged, weaving into a single tide of holy destruction.
I gritted my teeth, raising my blade high. This was no longer a trial. This was judgment.
The world cracked as steel and divinity collided. A blinding explosion engulfed us all.
Smoke. Silence. The battlefield a wasteland of broken stone and scorched earth.
A cough broke through the dust.
Gilbert, kneeling amidst the wreckage, bloodied and spent, managed a weak chuckle. "Well done, Ymir… You win."
I exhaled, lowering my blade. My chest tightened. "It was an honorable fight."
Gilbert's lips curved one last time. "Indeed… And for that, I thank you."
His body slumped, the light fading from his eyes.
For a moment, there was no war. Only silence, only the weight of lives spent for the sake of my training.
Then the familiar voice echoed.
Ding!
"Survival complete. New phase initiated…"