Josh's soul entered the training world's portal and was immediately swallowed by a wave of scorching heat. A desert—endless sea of golden yellow sand, and quiet—unfolded before him like the open jaws of a beast waiting to devour him.
The sand shimmered under the oppressive sun, dancing mirages flickering at the corners of his vision. The wind howled lowly, whispering secrets of warriors who'd failed before him, their bones now hidden beneath the dunes.
His feet sank into the fine grains with every step as he moved forward, the weight of exhaustion clinging to his soul like chains. His avatar was already frayed—its form pulsing dimly, leaking essence with every breath. He was dangerously close to collapse, but his resolve was ironclad. This was no time for fear or regret.
"Stormborn better not have brought me to a dead zone," he muttered, squinting into the endless horizon. This place looks like it wasn't a trial zone but then again, from experience none of the other places were what they seem.
And then he saw it.
A single well stood upright in the middle of nothingness like an ancient relic from a forgotten era. Carved from obsidian stone, it didn't match the world around it. It was too perfect—too deliberate. Floating above it, two panels glowed with eerie light.
> [FETCH WATER]
> [DESTROY THE WELL]
Josh narrowed his eyes. A cruel choice. The first option was the obvious one—a man dying of thirst in a desert would almost certainly reach for water. But in this realm, the obvious was rarely correct. The second option felt like a trap wrapped inside a trap.
"What is this... a test of desperation or of wisdom?"
He took a step closer, his hand instinctively reaching for the FETCH WATER panel, but then paused. Something gnawed at the edge of his intuition. What if the water was cursed? What if fetching it meant submitting to the world's illusion? What if drinking it erased part of his will, his memory, or worse—his desire to escape?
On the other hand, destroying the well might be the real test. But if he destroyed it, would he unleash some ancient guardian, or worse, deny himself the very thing that could sustain him in this trial?
He stepped back to reconsider—but froze.
His feet were glued to the sand. Not physically, but existentially—his soul tethered to the decision. The world had locked him in place. He could not move until he chose.
A timer appeared above the panels. Slowly ticking down.
5:00
4:59
4:58
Josh exhaled slowly. "Of course… make the wrong move and I'm dead. Make no move and I'm just as dead."
He looked up at the burning sky. "David Stormborn… you damned sadist…"
Then his eyes dropped back to the well. His reflection stared at him in the obsidian panels—tired, worn, but not broken.
He clenched his fists.
If this was a game of gods, then he would play like a king.
He stepped forward.
And then… he made his choice.
Josh tapped the [FETCH WATER] panel.
The moment he did, a pulse ran up his arm, and the stiffness that had frozen his limbs vanished like mist. He staggered a step forward, relieved—until the ground beneath him began to tremble. It was faint at first, like a whisper. But soon, the tremor deepened, rumbling through the sand with the growl of something ancient stirring.
Josh narrowed his eyes at the well, his instincts prickling. That doesn't sound like water…
Before he could decide whether to run or brace for a fight, a massive creature erupted from the sand with terrifying speed—an ant the size of a buffalo, its brown exoskeleton glinting like polished armor under the sun.
"Shit—!" Josh cursed, launching into a sprint.
His breath was ragged, his soul energy dangerously thin, and every movement screamed exhaustion. But survival was an excellent motivator. He ran, the ant thundering behind him, its serrated mandibles clacking like blades.
Worse still—they weren't alone anymore.
More ants burst from beneath the dunes, a dozen, then two dozen, an entire horde trailing him, their massive forms slicing through the sand like ships through waves.
Josh's mind raced. What now? What the hell do I do?
He continued to run with determination and pain.
And then he saw it.
A child.
A small figure, no more than seven years old, struggling in quicksand not far ahead—arms flailing, voice barely rising above the cacophony behind him.
"Mister! Please help me! I'm sinking! Please…"
Josh's jaw clenched. Everything in him screamed to keep running. He was barely holding on. One wrong step and he'd die here. Saving that child… it's suicide.
He cursed under his breath. "I knew it... My damn kind nature's gonna get me killed someday."
And yet his legs turned, veering toward the child before his mind could argue further.
He dove onto the edge of the quicksand, reaching out as the ants closed in with terrifying speed.
"Hold on!" he shouted.
Tiny, trembling fingers reached out and Josh grabbed them, yanking the child free with the last reserves of his strength. He turned to shield the kid, ready for the storm of mandibles and pain.
He braced for death.
…But none came.
Seconds passed.
A minute.
Josh slowly opened one eye, confused. The thundering footsteps had stopped.
He looked up—and froze.
The child that was formerly in his arms now stood behind him, perfectly still. The ants were no longer advancing. In fact, they were bowing—submitting before the child, who now radiated a divine glow.
The boy smiled gently at him. "You chose right."
Josh blinked. "What… just happened?"
The child's voice echoed with a resonance beyond mortality, older than the sand and sky. "I AM THE MASTER OF THIS WORLD. THIS IS A TEST YOU JUST CONCLUDED IS THE MAJOR TEST, AND IT IS A TEST OF CHARACTER. ABOUT 10,000 INDIVIDUALS HAS TAKEN THIS TEST, AND SO FAR, EXCEPT FOR YOU, OTHERS HAD MADE THE CHOICE TO SAVE THEMSELVES… AND THEY ALL PERISHED FOR IT."
Josh's mouth hung slightly open as the child's form began to shift—his small body expanding into a radiant figure clad in golden robes, his eyes burning like miniature suns.
"BUT YOU… YOU HAVE RIGHTLY CHOSEN SELFLESSNESS IN THE FACE OF DEATH. FOR THAT, I GRANT YOU MY BLESSING."
A glowing vial appeared in his hand, pulsing with swirling gold and blue energy. "Take this. It will grant you the strength to break through two levels of the 'I Am King Protocol'. Use it wisely, Josh Aratat."
Josh took the potion, still in shock, barely managing a nod.
He didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
But one thing was clear—he had passed the trial.