This is utter bullshit. I feel like I've reached a whole new level of craziness.
I am surrounded by four monsters. I have no idea what they are, as I can't fetch any memories from this body regarding them. They look like they're supposed to be Abyssal fiends.
One is shaped like a giant ape, another like a dragon, and the other two are massive insects—a centipede and a beetle, to be more accurate.
They don't look ordinary; perhaps they are primordial monsters that the world has forgotten.
Shit. My knowledge is so limited I don't know what to do. They're positioned in every cardinal direction: the giant ape in the east, the dragon in the west, the centipede in the south, and the giant bug in the north.
They all appear to be sleeping. Maybe they haven't realized I've been summoned here yet.
In front of them, I'm nothing more than an ant. What can I even do? I stay perfectly still, not moving an inch. Surely I can get through this if I just stay quiet.
...Or so I thought.
After standing still for several minutes, the intense desert heat causes me to sweat terribly. If anyone saw me now, they'd think I had just stepped out of a bath.
This is bad. I'll die of excessive dehydration before the trial is over. I need to move. Perhaps I can use my enhanced vision now that my mana control is so refined here.
Wait... no, this has to be a joke.
A small, bitter laugh escapes me as I notice that all those monsters are resting in the only available shadows. Beyond them lies beautiful greenery filled with water and food.
"The trial is more ruthless than I thought. Those bastards designed it this way intentionally."
Should I loop back and come with more preparation? No.
The thought alone sends shivers down my spine. I can't go through that pain again. I've died three times by now, and every time was agonizing. I have to try my best to resist until the very end.
...
Walking through the sand is more exhausting than I anticipated. The thick dunes drain my energy, and the excessive sweating makes me dizzy.
But I have to keep moving. It's only for an hour. I must endure.
I choose the path toward the creature that looks the smallest of the four. I head east, toward the giant ape. Although I'm an ant compared to it, it seems like the least daunting of the group.
I've only been walking a short while when the ape opens its eyes.
Wait—does it already know I'm here? How? I'm so far away!
The ape lets out a roar of pure anger, and suddenly, it begins summoning smaller Abyssal creatures around me.
"What is this?"
Smaller versions of the beast appear. Minions perhaps.
But that wasn't the real issue here. The real issue was that I was suddenly surrounded by nearly thirty of them.
One jumps at me, but I dodge and slit its throat with my sword. Since mana isn't an issue in this place, I can go all out without worrying about mana exhaustion.
'Bloodrune Sword Style; Second Form: Flashing Steps!'
With each step, I cut through the apes surrounding me. I'm quickly bathed in blood. This is my first time killing anything, but it's... thrilling.
I stab one and use it as a meat shield, cutting through everything in my path.
In general, there are twelve styles in the Bloodrune sword technique, but bastards and servants are only allowed to learn four. My variations are limited, and I lack wide-range attacks. That's a problem.
One of the apes sinks its teeth into my neck. The pain is unimaginable, but I don't have time to cry.
If I stop, I'm dead. I stab it through the head, tear it off my neck, and hurl the carcass at the others. They're being summoned faster than I can kill them, but I keep cutting.
Soon, fatigue begins to catch up. The mana might be unlimited, but my body isn't.
'Bloodrune Sword Style; Fourth Form: Pierce!'
My sword lengthens as I drive it through ten more of them, but while I'm distracted, another ape attacks from behind. I grab it by the neck and drag it through the scorching sand. I don't stop until its flesh is shredded and its blood stains the dunes.
Suddenly, the summoning stops. I'm the only one left standing amidst a mountain of dead apes. I'm too tired. Even standing up feels like a monumental task.
The giant ape is glaring at me. It raises its massive hand to crush me, but I dash away just in time.
"That would have made me a sandwich." I wheeze.
Suddenly, my hands are caught. Vines erupt from beneath the sand. I try to hack myself free, but it's futile. The ape swings a jagged blade of mana... and my hand is cut clean off.
"Ughhhhh!!!"
It's blindingly painful. The blood loss is excessive. I'm going to die at this rate.
"Come on, you bastards! It should have been an hour by now!"
I shout in agony, but no response comes.
The ape scoops me up and hurls me several hundred meters. Fortunately, the thick sand cushions the impact, making the landing less than fatal.
But I'm certain the blunt force trauma has broken all of my ribs and several other bones. I would have been crushed to death if not for the dunes.
Just as I think I might have a second to breathe, the ape suddenly appears right in front of me.
"Teleportation magic? Isn't that supposed to be a lost magic? No wonder you guys are unusual..."
There's nothing left to do. I just sit there in the hot sand, clutching my stump, waiting for the inevitable.