Sieg dreamt of floating between two celestial phenomena — a bleeding crescent moon above him, the crimson blood was masking his visage, and below it, the reflection of an ominous black hole, both suspended in the eternal Astral Plane.
Terrified, he drifted in complete darkness and silence.
He couldn't hear the sound of his own voice — only the eerie emptiness of the void. Then, without warning, a myriad of eyes opened in every corner and direction.
They all gazed at him.
With each passing moment, his sanity waned, fraying like torn thread.
He blinked twice… and saw it.
A massive serpent with serrated fangs, resembling a deep-sea monstrosity, slithering through the void with the clear intention of devouring him whole.
It had an antenna made of a dying star.
Sieg couldn't escape — there was no space to swim through, no ground to run on, and no one to hear him scream.
All he could do was wait for it to swallow him — closing his eyes, accepting his harrowing fate.
The serpent drew closer, its impossible size revealed in terrifying detail — a length and girth comparable to an entire celestial body.
And Sieg was nothing more than an ant before its abyssal maw.
Did I finally die?
For once — he could finally conjure internal thoughts again, but the overwhelming pain throbbing in his temples was weighing him down.
Ouch!
He felt grass beneath him… then he opened his eyes.
He leaned up. He was wearing the same rugged clothing he always used to wear. He surveyed his surroundings — looming trees stretched around him, forming a bleak forest.
Massaging his head and rubbing his eyes, he took a careful glance toward the distant woods — and whatever he saw jolted him upright into a fight-or-flight response.
There's so many human-like eyes gazing at me… even the skies are full of them.
Indeed, he saw the same myriad of gazes lurking in the shadows behind the trees — a clear warning not to venture beyond, and to stick only to the path given to him by whatever creatures were watching.
And in front of him — was a sword in a stone.
I know what this is about — the Ascendant Trial.
I've heard of its existence for the longest time, but I've never once studied it. Well… I never expected to one day be a candidate for it.
Everything I've known was taught by my mother, and if there's one thing I need to be aware of—
Whatever happens… I must win this trial. Even if the risk of death is high — around 92% if I remember correctly — it's still my opportunity to turn my life around.
As he walked toward the sword, he remembered one crucial detail.
That Eisen… he was pulled into the trial as well. If I'm lucky, he'll die on his own — but if he succeeds, and the trial ends…
Sieg gulped. There's a chance we might emerge at the same time. And we'll have to face each other again — as completely different people.
The boy stood before the long-forgotten longsword. It wasn't fancy by any means. Its design looked like a standard issue blade straight out of medieval times.
"Harvesting my organs… and my mother still in a coma." His hand gripped the handle. He expected the sword to resist — but surprisingly, it wasn't difficult to pull free.
"I have far too many reasons to win." His grip tightened. Was it anger he felt? The countless eyes watching him from every direction no longer bothered him — he stared back at each and every one of them.
"Watch me… I'll win."
[Quest Accepted — Please walk down the designated path ahead and face every single tribulation that this trial might bring your way Ascendant Candidate> Reward for Completion: An Origin Arts]
Sieg saw a pale, white interface appear in front of him, glowing softly like frosted glass.
An Origin Arts — I wonder what I'll get.
---
—[ Sieg Ravel ]—
Elite Level: 0
Origin Arts: ??
Archetype: ??
Orbs: ??
Requirement for the next Elite Level — Obtain an Origin arts…
[Stats: Strength I, Endurance I, Dexterity I, Toughness I, Sanity I, Accuracy I, Lethality I.]
---
It's pretty straightforward, I'll learn on the way…
Closing the stat window, Sieg continued walking towards the designated path down the cobblestone road — for every step he took and every glance he looked at, he could feel a sharp pain radiating from his head.
This place is affecting my sanity, I need to get out of here as soon as possible.
Then he stopped — something was emerging from the road. Its silhouette was that of a human, but its body movement said otherwise.
"Who's there?!"
Soon it came into view. It was some sort of man, though its face was missing important features, such as eyes and a nose, but its mouth was ever present, smiling while holding a machete.
It started laughing…
[Enemy: Smiling Man, Elite 0]
[Warning: Fight for your life]
HUH?!
Wha—
The creature started sprinting towards him — the laughter was getting closer and closer.
Sieg barely had time to raise his sword before the machete came down with a metallic clang, the impact rattling his bones.
He staggered back, but the manic creature was already swinging again, it's movements were some sort of animalistic tendency, wild and jerky.
I can't be killed here!
The next slash of the creature managed to graze Sieg's skin — drawing first blood.
IT'S FAST!
Sieg ran away for his life, it only caused the creature to tail him back to the starting point — so much terror was wailing in his heart, perhaps he was starting to regret being chosen for the Ascendant Trial.
I don't know how to fight — and I don't even know how to defend myself.
The laughter was echoing from behind, the boy then stopped moving.
But…
I DON'T WANT TO FAIL!
Sieg tightened his grip and met the next strike of the murderous machete head-on — He pushed with everything he had, but the boy noticed something quite odd.
The smiling man wasn't that physically strong, in fact he can somewhat over power it — once the boy realized that he was merely being intimidated.
That boundary between courage and fear shattered itself, and as the smiling man's machete pressed closer, inch by inch, toward his throat.
"N—not happening!" Sieg pivoted his body and kicked the creature's knee. It buckled just enough for him to shove it off.
His heart beat was an all the time high, cold sweat covered his entire body, and in some instances he was feeling lightheaded.
Nonetheless, he endured forth — Sieg swung his sword in a desperate arc, but the creature ducked under it with an inhuman bend of its spine, then lunged again.
Shit!
Sieg barely sidestepped, feeling the wind of the machete brush past his ribs, in a panicked maneuver, the boy tried countering with a sloppy stab at the creature.
He did feel the steel piercing the creature's shoulder — to someone that has never harmed anyone, it was a jarring sensation.
But the smiling man didn't show any hints of feeling pain, It simply looked at the wound, then at him, then its smile widening.
"Oh, come on—!" Sieg yanked his sword free just as the creature swiped again. He ducked, rolled across the dirt, and came up panting.
Even if he lacked the proper technique and training, hus survival instinct honed in the harsh environment of the slums was his close companion.
Sieg simply refused to die here.
"AGHH!" When the machete came down again, Sieg stepped inside its swing and drove his sword straight through the creature's throat.
This time, it reacted — jerking violently as a sickly black fluid dripped from the wound. Sieg twisted the blade, pushed forward, and forced the creature to the ground.
It twitched once… and then twice…
Please be dead…
Then it stopped moving—
Sieg collapsed to his knees, with his chest heaving.
"I… I won…"
Despite the feeling of survival and victory, the more Sieg looked at the dreadful creature, the more he started to feel guilt — after all, it still looked like a man.
But he knew the truth: I didn't do anything wrong… it's kill or be killed, right?
[Calibration Phase 1 — Completed.]
[Congratulations your Origin Arts is shaping nicely — please continue further down the road.]
Chapter End.