Miguel woke up instantly, his body reacting before his mind fully caught up. The feeling of killing intent was heavy in the air. In one fluid motion, he unsheathed Killing Spree, his odachi, and raised it just in time to block the claws of a humanoid-looking monster that had pounced on him from the darkness.
The blade clashed with bone and muscle, stopping the attack a few inches from Miguel's face.
Around him, Auro and Aurora were still asleep. William, who was supposed to be on watch, was lying unconscious on a thick tree branch above them-completely out of commission.
The monster let out a deafening roar, enough to rattle the trees and send a flock of birds scattering from the canopy above. The roar jolted Auro and Aurora awake just as Miguel shoved the creature back and stepped in with a counterattack.
He drove his blade straight into its chest, aiming just below the sternum. His movements were quick, efficient-not elegant, not showy. With the sword embedded, Miguel gritted his teeth and pulled the weapon down with force, cutting through flesh and bone as the blade tore open the monster's stomach in one brutal motion.
Warm blood splattered across his arms and chest. The monster stumbled, letting out a strangled noise before collapsing at his feet. But it wasn't over.
Five more of them stepped out from the trees, surrounding Miguel and the others. Auro instinctively pulled Aurora closer, shielding her with his body.
William was still knocked out, so Miguel didn't even look his way. "Auro, I'm leaving Aurora to you. Keep her safe. I'll handle the rest."
Miguel didn't wait for a reply. He lunged at the closest one before they could all close in at once.
These monsters were dormant, just like him, but they were fast, strong, and coordinated. He knew he couldn't rely on brute strength alone. His edge came from two things-Killing Spree, which cut through flesh like it was nothing, and his battle instincts, sharpened through an attribute.
He sidestepped the second monster's charge and slashed across its side, a clean, deep cut that left it bleeding heavily. He didn't finish it off right away-it wasn't worth staying still.
The third monster tried to flank him, but he twisted around it, slicing upward and splitting it from hip to shoulder. The thing dropped without a sound.
The fourth and fifth came together. Miguel ducked low to avoid their swipes, then rolled between them, cutting at their legs as he passed. One screamed and fell. The other spun around only to meet Miguel's blade directly to the neck. It was over in seconds.
The second monster-the one he wounded earlier-was still breathing. Miguel walked over to it, grabbed it by the throat, and without hesitation began cutting. Slowly. He didn't need to, but something in him didn't care anymore. Maybe it was the trial, maybe it was the silence in his own head, but he didn't stop until the creature stopped moving.
When it was all done, Miguel stood there, drenched from head to toe in gore. Blood clung to his skin, soaked into his clothes. Some of it dripped into his mouth.
He didn't even flinch.
He hadn't eaten since arriving in this place. The blood didn't taste disgusting-it tasted like relief. Like cold water after walking under the sun too long.
"Alright," he said, breathing out slowly. "I'm done."
He turned to the others. "Now what the hell happened to William? He looks pretty damn comfortable up there, sleeping like a baby while we were almost getting butchered."
Miguel glanced at Auro and Aurora. "Anyway... are you two alright?"
Auro nodded. "We're in one piece. That's what matters. I'll go wake William. We should keep moving after that."
Before he could leave, Aurora looked at Miguel with something strange in her eyes.
"Hey, Miguel," she said suddenly. "I know what I'm planning could end in suicide for all four of us, but if we somehow survive... how about you marry me?"
Miguel blinked.
"You're extremely talented," she continued. "At this rate, it looks like you'll Awaken within a month. You might even Ascend within a year."
Miguel didn't answer right away. He wasn't shocked, just... detached. He shrugged. Not because he was against the idea of marriage, but because this was a trial. None of it was real. Probably. Everything here was part of a setup-an illusion twisted by the spell.
So why care?
He also felt slightly dizzy, maybe cuz of the blood that got into his mouth, It was a handful portion of blood that seeped onto it after all.
Later, time had clearly passed.
"That was a long time skip," Miguel muttered, staring at the massive base of the gargantuan tree.
"What did you say?" Auro asked, glancing at him.
"Talking to myself," Miguel replied, brushing past him and walking up to Aurora.
She was smiling. "Well, now we just need to get to the top."
William frowned. "How are we going to do that? Climb it?"
Aurora laughed. "Of course not, silly. Only an Ascended One could climb something like this. We'll go through the gate the kind priest opened for us."
Sure enough, a glowing, spiral-shaped portal stood just ahead, pulsing with faint blue light.
The four of them stepped through.
In an instant, they were standing on the top of the enormous tree. The sky stretched above them, and clouds drifted far below. The air was thin, but none of them complained. They were used to discomfort by now.
A figure stood ahead-an old man dressed in robes woven with lightning patterns, eyes glowing faintly like storm clouds.
"Welcome, children of war," the priest of the storm goddess said. "I assume you brought the sacrifice. The storm goddess will channel a fragment of her power to drown this land. But a price must be paid."
Aurora stepped forward without hesitation.
"That's right," she said. "A gift from the gods has arrived. This boy here... he has nothing to live for, and nothing to die for. So he will gladly become our sacrifice."
She was smiling.
Miguel blinked, slowly. "Who are you talking about?"
"What are you saying, silly?" Aurora said sweetly, still smiling. "We're talking about you, of course."
There was a long pause.
Miguel looked at Auro. The boy looked stunned.
"This is truly a hellish day," Auro muttered, remembering what Miguel had said that night by the fire.
Miguel looked at the priest.
Then he looked at the edge of the tree, the clouds far below, and the blade at his side.
"Sorry but I never agreed to those terms, Princess."