"So this is it..." Gilbert muttered, blood trickling from his lips as his once-proud body trembled. His sword arm hung limp, shattered from the last exchange. His knees finally gave way, forcing him down onto the ruined battlefield. His eyes, dimming yet still holding that same burning will, locked onto mine. "Beast... before I die, please... tell me your name."
The wind howled across the wasteland. Shattered weapons, broken armor, and craters carved by our clash surrounded us. The silence felt heavy, suffocating, yet sacred.
I stood there, chest rising and falling slowly, the echoes of battle still humming through my veins. His request wasn't one of desperation—it was one of respect. After everything, after thousands of deaths and countless resurrections, this was no longer just a trial. It was something far greater.
"...Ymir," I finally said, my voice firm, my gaze steady.
For the first time since the battle began, Gilbert's lips curved into a smile. His teeth were bloodstained, his breath shallow, but his expression was radiant. "Ymir... that's a wonderful name." His chest rattled with a faint laugh. "Tell me... was it fun?"
The question caught me off guard. Fun? In a battlefield drenched in blood, surrounded by graves, where I had fallen over and over again? Yet as I thought about it, I realized the truth.
"Yes," I admitted quietly, almost against my own pride. "It was fun."
A rough chuckle escaped him, weak but genuine. "Good... Then I can die in peace."
His head tilted back, his eyes finding the heavens as though seeking something beyond mortal sight. His final breath left him with a faint sigh, and just like that—Gilbert, leader of the Heavenly Knight Order, fell silent.
For a long time, I stood motionless. His fallen comrades lay scattered around him, their bodies scarred and broken. A pang hit my chest—not from wounds, but something deeper. This ache wasn't physical. It was respect, sorrow, and the hollow weight of victory.
They weren't faceless mobs. Not anymore. They weren't just code, not mere scripted enemies. They had laughed, they had fought with pride, they had bled for honor. In their final moments, they were as human as anyone I had ever met.
So I did the only thing I could.
One by one, I buried them.
The battlefield became a graveyard under my hands. I used the jagged stones and broken weapons as markers, engraving their names into the earth with my own strength. Sweat mixed with dust, dirt caked under my fingernails, and still, I continued. For every knight, every warrior, every soul that stood against me, I gave them a resting place.
When I finished, I stood before the final mound—the one that held Gilbert. The sunless sky cast no light, only shadows, but even so, the graves seemed to glow with a quiet dignity.
"You gave me everything," I whispered, my voice carrying across the silent plain. "So I'll honor you with this. You won't be forgotten."
As if answering, the system's cold chime rang in my head.
Ding!{Host has completed the 1st Trial.}
My eyes snapped wide. "Wait... what? How?! It hasn't even been a hundred years yet!"
{Host need not worry. The quest did not end prematurely; due to a system error, host has been transported to Level 149: Hell Difficulty.}
I blinked. My brain froze. "...You're telling me... all those times I died—hundreds of thousands of times—it was because of a mistake?!"
{Affirmative.}
I wanted to scream. To laugh. To punch the air in fury. But instead, I just dragged a hand down my helmet. "Unbelievable... I got spawn-killed by a bug."
The system continued without a shred of shame.
{As compensation, host has been granted the following rewards:}
Martial God Breathing Technique
Heavenly Demon Breathing Technique
Weapon Techniques and Mastery
Additional Rewards Pending...
{Would host like to accept or postpone the rewards?}
My mind raced. "Wait... if I postpone them, do they stack?"
{Yes.}
A grin spread across my face, wicked and hungry. "Then postpone them until I complete the full hundred years—and put it all in Hell Difficulty."
{Affirmative. Trial difficulty has been increased to Hell Mode.}
High risk, high reward. The only way I rolled.
Another notification blinked into existence.
{Host, would you like to challenge all ancient-grade enemies?}
My eyebrow twitched. "How many years' worth are we talking?"
{Approximately 45 years.}
I let out a low whistle. "So every year, I have to fight these guys?"
{Every week, host.}
"...Wait. Every week?!"
{Affirmative.}
I dragged my hand across my face again. "...And the rewards?"
{Negative. Rewards will not stack weekly. However, due to the increased difficulty, rewards will be multiplied by 10 for each victory.}
I stared at the notification. Then slowly, my lips curled. This was madness. Pure, unfiltered madness. And I loved it.
"Alright then," I muttered. "Every week, huh? Let's see if they can keep up."
The system chimed again.
{Due to the system error, new features have been unlocked:}
Cultivation Rank System
Shop System
Practice Partner System
"Practice partner?"
{A realistic holographic model that allows host to test techniques and counter enemy attacks.}
I froze. "...That's literally a training dummy DLC pack."
{Affirmative.}
I snorted. This system was getting way too familiar—but I wasn't complaining.
"Alright," I said, cracking my knuckles. "Before I start fighting again, I need to understand these techniques. Let's train."
{Synthesizing techniques...}{Synthesis complete.}
Heavenly Yin-Yang Cultivation Technique – A fusion of Supreme Dao and Demonic Dao breathing techniques, achieving near-impossible balance.
The words alone sent a shiver down my spine.
I sat cross-legged, entering the lotus position. The moment I inhaled, the world itself seemed to change. Energy surged into me—searing, burning, flooding my veins like liquid fire. My bones trembled, my muscles screamed, and yet the power was intoxicating.
Then, the system's voice returned.
Congratulations! You have broken through!Congratulations! You have broken through!Congratulations! You have broken through!
My eyes widened. "Wait—wait—WAIT! Isn't this too fast?! If I keep going, I might actually explode!"
But the flood didn't stop. My body became a furnace, veins glowing with streaks of light, meridians blazing like golden rivers.
Congratulations! You have reached Peak Emperor Realm.
I nearly coughed out blood—not from damage, but from sheer disbelief. "WHAT?! I just started cultivating five minutes ago!"
{Host has skipped 10 cultivation realms due to perfect technique synthesis.}
My jaw went slack. "...Skipped... TEN realms?!"
The system displayed a new panel before me.
{Cultivation Stages:}
Qi Gathering
Qi Condensation
Qi Tempering
True Qi
Spiritual Qi
True Spirit Realm
Origin Realm
Enlightenment Realm
Sage Realm
Emperor Realm(More stages beyond)
{Each stage consists of 10 sub-levels: 1-4 (Early), 5-7 (Middle), 8-10 (Peak).}
{Host has also unlocked 1480 Meridians and awakened 490 Golden Meridians.}
I froze. "...Hold up. Golden Meridians?"
{Meridians enhance host's Qi flow and physical strength. Each regular meridian doubles host's power. Each Golden Meridian grants a 1,000,000x boost.}
Silence. Then, slowly, I whispered, "Is that... rare?"
{Golden Meridians are a 1-in-10-quintillion chance. Host has unlocked a perfect set, making host the first being in existence to achieve this.}
For the first time in forever, my mind went blank.
"...So let me get this straight," I said slowly. "With all my meridians, I'm currently—what—4.9 trillion times stronger than a regular Peak Emperor Realm cultivator?"
{Affirmative.}
I staggered to my feet, unable to contain the grin splitting my face. My aura erupted, shaking the training ground, splitting the air with raw pressure. Energy roared through me like a living storm, golden light wrapping my body until I looked less like a man and more like a star dressed in flesh.
I clenched my fists, sparks dancing across my knuckles, the air itself warping around me.
"Alright then," I whispered, a feral grin curling under my helmet. "Let's see just how far I can push this."
The ground cracked beneath me, space itself trembling as if anticipating what was to come.
And somewhere, in the far reaches of the system's realm, the ancient enemies stirred.
The real battle hadn't even begun.