In Arden's dimension, the air crackled with the clash of blows. Akito and the fox had been training for hours.
"You're not half bad," Akito panted, blocking another strike.
"Don't flatter yourself. I'm not even going all out," Arden smirked and lunged forward.
Akito parried the blow and countered, but Arden reacted just in time. Their eyes locked—and in that same instant, they both burst into motion. But the world around them trembled, and the illusion shattered, throwing them back onto the floor of their apartment.
"Not bad," Akito muttered, getting up. "But I wasn't going full force either. Without our weapons, we're almost even."
"Sure, sure," Arden waved him off. "Everyone says that when they lose."
Before Akito could respond, a notification appeared:
[Guardian Ascension Available]
[Begin Now?]
[Yes] [No]
"Let's do it," he nodded and selected [Yes].
A dense forest enveloped them. Towering trees stretched toward the sky, as if reaching for the sun. Golden light filtered through the leaves, casting a dreamy haze.
"Where are we?" Akito asked, glancing around.
"How should I know? This is your ascension," Arden grumbled.
They moved forward. Everything looked the same. After half an hour of wandering, a new prompt appeared:
[Defeat the Enemy]
[Alpha — Direwolf]
[Minions: 0/15]
"Wolves? Seriously?" Akito muttered.
Just then, shadows emerged from the trees.
"Alright, let's—" he started, but Arden had already charged forward.
He was met by a massive paw. Alpha sent him flying, crashing through several trees.
"What is that thing?!" Akito cursed, drawing his blade. He rushed in, dodging a strike and slashing across Alpha's torso. The beast roared in rage.
The minions swarmed. One. Two. Three. Four—too many. Akito fought them off as best he could, but a third attack was about to land—
"Back off!" Arden shouted, reappearing just in time. He knocked a Direwolf back, but it immediately recovered.
"We won't win unless we give it everything we've got!" he yelled.
"Then let's go all out!" Akito called back.
Flames ignited on his sword. Arden activated Essence Drain, ripping 20% of Alpha's strength. He uprooted a tree and smashed it down on the enemies with a thunderous crash.
[Enemy Defeated: 4/15]
But Alpha withstood the blow and charged, more furious than ever.
"Plan: on three, we split. Then I switch with you, got it?" Arden shouted.
"Got it."
"One… two… three!"
Alpha chased Akito. The two switched, and Arden activated Fang of Deceit. Weak spot — right on the back. One strike — Alpha dropped to the ground.
Akito took down three more.
"Dang, Fox… you're a beast," he muttered.
But Alpha's eyes blazed with a red-black glow.
[Rage Activated]
He darted toward Arden, slamming him into the dirt with a paw, then instantly reappeared behind Akito. One blow — and Akito's body spun through the air, smashing into a tree.
[-400 HP]
[You Have Been Defeated]
The world faded. They were back in the apartment.
"Ugh… I died?" Akito asked, holding his chest.
"Yep. We lost. But hey," Arden smirked, "next time, we'll win."
Akito nodded.
"We will."
As they caught their breath, Akito wiped his brow.
"You ready to go again?" he asked, turning to Arden.
"Of course. You think I'd back down after one loss?" the fox chuckled, slapping his chest.
Akito reopened the system.
The [Retry Trial?] button still glowed.
He didn't hesitate and pressed [Yes].
In a flash, they were back in the forest. Right where they had fallen.
Alpha was waiting. His body burned with fury, eyes glowing red and black. He launched his attack instantly.
This time, Arden was ready — dodging thanks to the stolen speed.
Akito raised his sword, but it barely helped — he slid across the ground, barely keeping his footing.
"Damn…" he gasped. "We're too weak…"
Then a new system message appeared before him:
[New Skill Unlocked: Ruthless (Lv.1)]
If you receive a fatal blow, you revive with 1 HP. All stats are boosted by 200%.
Debuff: You lose control of your actions. Duration: 10 seconds.
"This… might be my best skill yet," he whispered.
The next Direwolf loomed, swinging for a finishing blow.
Akito… spread his arms and closed his eyes.
"What the heck are you doing, idiot?!" Arden shouted in disbelief.
Impact.
[-400 HP]
[Skill "Ruthless" Activated]
Akito slowly stood. His eyes were empty. Face emotionless.
The next blow — he stopped it with one hand.
The shockwave shattered the air, cracked the ground, uprooted trees.
One strike. The Direwolf died instantly.
Then—
[Enemies Defeated: 7/15… 15/15]
Akito moved like a ghost through the forest, eliminating each target with impossible speed.
Nothing could stop him.
He appeared in front of Arden. The aura around him was so heavy that even the fox froze in fear.
"A… Akito…" Arden whispered. He couldn't move — his body paralyzed by instinct.
And then… it was gone.
Akito blinked. He was himself again.
"Hey, Arden. Look… we won."
[Guardian Trial Completed]
[Guardian Rank Increased: D → C]
[Guardian Level: 50 → 100]
[Skill Upgrades: Essence Drain (Lv.2), Fang of Deceit (Lv.2)]
[User Level: 75 → 100]
[Rewards: 5000 enny | Bonus Points: 20 | New Skill: "Ruthless" (Lv.1)]
Then…
A massive blue-purple portal opened in the sky.
A gigantic hand, covered in deep scars, slowly reached out.
[Guardian No. 2 Activated]