Arthur's fingers tightened around the leather-wrapped hilt of his sword, his knuckles turning white as he drew the steel from its scabbard with a slow, deliberate metallic ring. Before him, the monster stepped away from its cage. The creature was a skeletal titan, standing three meters tall and looming over Arthur. Twin orbs of green light burned within its hollow eye sockets, matched by a polished gemstone embedded in the center of its skull. Another identical gem sat on the back of its right hand, which gripped a massive, heavy wooden log.
[NAME: GIANT SKELETON]
[RACE: SKELETON]
[TIER: 1 MID]
[CONDITION: EXCELLENT]
"I'm supposed to fight that?" Arthur's voice was low as he stared up at the towering heap of bone. He adjusted his stance, centering his weight on the balls of his feet. There wasn't another option. If he didn't kill it, he'd die. He'd have to give it everything.
In a single, explosive motion, Arthur lunged forward. He closed the distance in a low sprint, his blade pointed forward to pierce the monster's midsection.
The Giant Skeleton responded by twisting its massive spine, swinging the heavy wooden log in a wide, horizontal arc. The wind from the weapon whistled through the air just inches above Arthur's head as he dropped his center of gravity, leaning low to let the massive weapon pass safely overhead.
He noticed the skeleton was strong, but its swing was slow. Capitalizing on the opening, Arthur rushed forward and drove his blade into the thick bone of the monster's right leg.
[-2 HP]
The impact sent a violent vibration through the steel and into Arthur's hands. His grip stung from the recoil as he stared at the bone, which remained largely intact. "So durable," Arthur muttered to himself.
He glanced at the glowing emerald in the creature's skull, wondering what it was for. He pushed off the ground, lunging backwards to create a five-meter gap. He took his stance, positioning his sword directly in front of his chest.
The Giant Skeleton stepped forward, its massive frame rattling with every movement. It raised the heavy log high above its head and brought it down in a vertical smash. Arthur pivoted to the left, the weapon missing him by inches and cracking the stone floor. Seizing the opening, Arthur lunged forward again, dodging the lumbering strikes and delivering a flurry of strikes against the dense bone.
[-2 HP x9]
[GIANT SKELETON HP: 80/100]
The Giant Skeleton grew irritated. The green gemstone on its right hand flared with a blinding intensity, enveloping the massive wooden log in a thick, sickly emerald aura. It struck the ground with crushing force, and the resulting shockwave of pure kinetic energy sent Arthur flying backward. He crashed against the cold stone wall with a sickening thud, and a spray of blood splattered against the masonry.
[-20 HP]
"Too durable," Arthur wheezed, tasting copper. He needed a way through that defense.
As he struggled to think, the Giant Skeleton approached him, swinging its wooden bat in a thunderous vertical strike. Arthur managed to roll out of the way at the last second, the log shattering the floor where his head had been a moment prior. He couldn't give up yet.
He threw himself back into the fray. After a few more exchanges, he noticed that every time his steel connected, the skeleton's movements stuttered for a fraction of a second before the gem flared to light.
The gem, Arthur thought, staring at the light. Every time I hit it, it stops before that thing glows. That has to be it.
The problem was getting to it. He lunged forward again, striking both of the skeleton's feet with full force to try and bring it down, but the attempt failed.
[-2 HP x5]
The monster delivered a brutal, lightning-fast kick directly into Arthur's gut. The force sent him flying once more, crashing into the arena wall and forming a crater.
[-30 HP]
[ARTHUR HP: 50/100]
As the monster walked toward him, a flash of silver streaked through the smoke. Arthur had gathered every ounce of his remaining strength to hurl his weapon. The sword struck the gem on the skeleton's head, shattering half of it into fine green powder.
[-40 HP]
Arthur smirked through the pain.
His happiness was short-lived. The flickering green light in the skeleton's skull turned a deep, angry crimson as it entered its berserk state. It raised its wooden bat, swinging in a frenzy. Arthur ducked and wove through the frantic attacks. He was in a worse spot now—and he didn't even have his sword. He spotted the glint of steel ten meters away.
[01:59]
Seeing the time was nearing its end, he made a desperate sprint. Just as his fingers closed around the grip of his weapon, the skeleton appeared, charging for a final attack. Arthur pivoted and threw his sword one last time with unerring precision, breaking the remaining fragment of the gem. The skeleton's light vanished, and its massive form faded away into mist.
[FIRST TRIAL COMPLETE]
[REWARD: +2 TO EVERY STAT]
[REWARD: SKILL - BASIC SWORDSMANSHIP (LV. 1)]
[CONDITION: HEALTH FULLY RESTORED]
"Status window," Arthur muttered.
[NAME: ARTHUR]
[RACE: HUMAN]
[SKILLS: BASIC SWORDSMANSHIP (LV. 1)]
[HP: 100/100] | [MP: 10/10]
[STR: 10]
[DEX: 9]
[END: 10]
[INT: 14]
[WILL: 11]
As Arthur stood, a new gate appeared in front of him. "That must be the gate to the second trial. I wonder what lurks in there." He held onto his weapon firmly as he entered a much wider arena.
[WELCOME TO THE SECOND TRIAL]
[ENDURE THE MONSTER ATTACK FOR 5 MINUTES.]
[05:00]
Slowly, skeletons started to appear. They were smaller than the previous one, all of them standing at an adult human's height. They quickly rushed at him. "Time to test my newfound strength," Arthur muttered as he unsheathed his sword and lunged forward.
Unlike last time, with the skill Basic Swordsmanship (Lv. 1), his attacks weren't crude but flowed. Knowing the weakness was at the skeletons' heads, he quickly got rid of the first batch in his way.
As the timer hit [03:00], the frequency of the spawns increased. Three skeletons lunged simultaneously from different angles. Arthur's body moved before his mind could process the threat. He parried a rusted blade with a sharp clang, used the momentum to spin, and decapitated two of the monsters in a single horizontal sweep.
The rattling of bones filled the arena as more emerged from the floor. Arthur sprinted into the thick of them, his blade moving rapidly. He used the efficiency of the skill to target the cervical vertebrae and the joints of the jaw.
By the final minute, the arena floor was covered in piles of motionless bone. Arthur's breathing was heavy, but his movements did not falter. He was dissecting his enemies with precision. When the timer hit zero, the remaining skeletons collapsed into dust. He sat down, breathing heavily.
[SECOND TRIAL COMPLETED]
[REWARD: ALL STATS +2]
After collecting his thoughts, he entered the gate. He was in a normal room. The silence was heavy.
[WELCOME TO THE THIRD TRIAL.]
"Weird, is there gonna be no fight here? Maybe it's a psychological challenge since the previous two were physical," he muttered as he caressed his chin. He paced the room and scanned the plain walls for any sign of a hidden threat, but nothing moved.
Two identical interfaces appeared side-by-side in the center of the room.
[FIRST CHOICE]
Abandon the reward and leave. You'll get a normal class and live a normal life. You'll be permanently limited.
[SECOND CHOICE]
Your path will attract calamity. You will never live quietly again. Survival is not guaranteed. You will inherit the Temple's reward.
Arthur stood still, his gaze fixed on the glowing text. "A normal life," he muttered. He thought about going back home. If he picked the first one, he'd be a regular guy again. But he'd also be weak. If something like that skeleton showed up in the real world, he wouldn't be able to do anything.
He looked at his hands. They were still shaking from the vibration of the sword hitting the monster's leg.
"I didn't come here just to go back to being a nobody," he said. He looked at the second choice. It warned him about calamity and said he might not survive. "It's not like staying weak is safe either. If I'm gonna be in danger anyway, I might as well have the power to do something about it."
"To hell with the calamity and challenges. That's what I signed up for when I came here."
Without hesitation, he chose the second choice.
Suddenly, a black energy enveloped his body and shot upwards into the clouds. The force was immense, sending shockwaves across the forest and snapping branches. Outside, the monsters felt a new presence.
After some moments, the energy disappeared. Arthur looked at his hands. The shaking was gone. He felt a heavy, cold strength settled deep in his muscles. He closed his fist, testing the tension.
"So this is an awakened," he muttered. He took a breath, feeling the raw, dark power thrumming beneath his skin. "I'm way stronger than before."
He didn't waste any time. "Status window."
[NAME: ARTHUR] [LEVEL: 0]
[CLASS: HOLLOW SOVEREIGN]
[RACE: HUMAN]
[HP: 200/200] | [MP: 100/100]
[STR: 17] [DEX: 16] [END: 17] [INT: 21] [WILL: 18]
[SKILL: BASIC SWORDSMANSHIP (LV. 2)]
Effect: Attacks are fluid and precise; increased efficiency in targeting enemy vitals.
[SKILL: SOUL HARVEST (LV. 1)]
Type: Passive
Effect: Defeated undead release residual soul energy. A portion is absorbed, restoring a small amount of HP or MP per kill.
[POWER: UNDEAD DOMINION]
Effect: The innate authority of a Sovereign. Grants the user influence over the dead.
Arthur stared at the screen. The name was dark, and the stats had increased. He looked at the empty arena, then back at his own still hands.
"Hollow Sovereign," he said, his voice flat.
In a place far beyond Earth...
A figure sat in the dark, his eyes narrowing as he felt a resonance from a distant, small planet. A sharp smirk spread across his face.
"Hmm... this presence," the being rasped. "Looks like his plan is finally in motion."