Vale's skin burned as the acidic liquid of the creature's stomach slowly consumed him. Every second counted—his life was slowly slipping away, and if he doesn't act now his death is certain. Desperation took hold as he wildly swung his katana in every direction, slashing at anything he could reach in the suffocating darkness.
Several swings missed their mark, cutting only through empty air, and the crushing reality of his impending death began to settle in. His body was weak, battered from his injuries, and his strength was rapidly fading away. Just as his mind teetered on the edge of hopelessness, his blade struck something solid.
A sharp tremor rocked the creature's insides. Then, in an instant, the katana tore open a hole in its stomach, and Vale was violently pulled through.
His eyes shot open, but all he saw was darkness. He tumbled through the monster's insides, his katana still gripped tightly, carving deep wounds as he was thrown around. He could feel the beast thrashing in agony, but inside its body, he was beyond its reach. For the first time since the fight began, he was safe—at least from the raging creature outside.
But he knew he wasn't safe from death. His life was slipping away. His consciousness flickered, his body barely responding to his own commands.
Then, amidst the suffocating blackness, something caught his eye—a faint shimmer. A small, dark glow in the sea of nothingness.
With what little strength remained, he pushed toward it, half-swimming, half-climbing, using his katana to drag himself forward. As he neared the strange object, its shape became clearer—round, smooth, and eerily dark despite the void surrounding him.
Vale's breath hitched. He knew instantly what it was.
"It's the Core..."
He swung his katana with all his might, striking at the glowing sphere over and over. But no matter how many times his blade met the core, it simply slid off, leaving no mark on its surface. Frustration turned into desperation—each strike became wilder and more erratic, but none of it had any effect. It was as if the core rejected his attacks entirely.
Then, without warning, his weapon flickered. The familiar weight in his grip faded. In almost an instant, the katana was gone.
Vale was out of mana essence.
A hollow feeling settled in his chest as he stared at the vanishing blade. His last hope disappeared along with it. Despair clawed at him, numbing his limbs and drowning his thoughts in suffocating hopelessness.
Defeated, he let out a bitter breath and threw a weak punch at the core—nothing more than a feeble tap.
But the moment his clenched fist made contact, something stirred. A dark spark manifested from his hand, stretching around the core like living tendrils of shadow.
"Huh?"
Before Vale could process what was happening, a familiar voice echoed in his mind.
[ You have slain an S-Rank Dormant Monster: Ferocious Arachnid. ]
He felt himself fall. The flesh and fluids surrounding him hardened, quickly turning to ash. In mere moments, he lay on solid ground, the once-massive creature reduced to nothing but dust.
A hoarse, broken laugh escaped his lips as he watched the remains of the monster scatter into the air. Blood trickled from his mouth, staining his face in streaks of crimson, but he continued laughing—amused by the cruel irony of his victory.
But his laughter didn't last long. His body—already resembling that of a corpse—had nothing left to give. A wave of dizziness overtook him as his laughter faded into a weak, bitter smile.
This is the end.
In a final, desperate attempt at life, his fading eyes scanned his surroundings, and then—he saw it.
Just a few steps away, towering above him, was the Tree of Life.
A desperate fire reignited within him. He tried to stand—only to collapse, forgetting his legs were severed at the knees. A sharp gasp left him, but he wasted no time on something as meaningless as pain. Dragging himself forward with nothing but his arms, he clawed toward the tree, fueled by a sheer will to survive.
With each push, his vision darkened. His breath turned shallow, nearly indistinguishable. The world blurred at the edges, but he could still see it—the fruit, glistening high above him, glowing like a beacon of salvation.
He reached out, fingers stretching desperately toward the shining fruit, but it was too far. The distance was cruel, an insurmountable gap between him and survival. Unable to stand, he would never reach it.
His trembling arm fell to his side, the last of his strength leaving him. His eyelids grew heavy, and before he realized it, his consciousness slipped away into oblivion.
[ Congratulations! You have completed the first trial. You will be transported back to your world. ]
Unknown to Vale, who was already unconscious, a dark spark materialized into existence. Unbothered by his condition, it flew toward the fruit. The moment it touched the luminous orb of light, the Fruit of Life vanished—consumed whole by the creeping darkness of the tiny spark.
The familiar voice spoke again—as if trying to pull Vale away from his slumber.
[ Congratulations! You have completed the first trial. ]
Vale stirred awake—if you could call his current state awake. He was neither conscious nor unconscious. His mind floated in an abyss, and yet the darkness was not blinding. It was visible—strangely clear. He felt the darkness move. He could feel its presence, shifting, breathing.
Then—his eyes adjusted.
He looked down at his body. Somehow, despite the total blackness around him, he could see himself clearly. All his wounds were gone, and his once severed legs were whole. The unbearable agony that once consumed him had vanished without a trace.
And yet, despite the complete lack of pain, he felt more alive than ever.
The steady beating of his heart thundered in his ears. He could hear the blood coursing through his veins, the air filling his lungs, the faintest twitch of his muscles as he moved.
Everything was so vivid. So real.
His fingers curled into a fist, testing his newfound strength. It felt effortless. The exhaustion, the agony—everything was gone, replaced with something foreign yet strangely familiar.
"What is this place?"