The battlefield was quiet a. Only the echo of Ming's breathing filled the silence. His body throbbed with pain, his leg shaking and screaming against his will to stay standing.
The system still lingered above his head:
> [Trial Complete.]
[System Synchronization: 12%.]
His grip tightened on the blood-soaked blade.
He staggered forward a few steps before collapsing to one knee. Blood dripped down his arm, pooling on the dirt. He wanted to close his eyes and let darkness take him. But then the system spoke again.
> [Warning: Host has entered critical state.]
[Next trial scheduled: 24 hours.]
A sharp pain seized his ribs, and he fell to one knee. His wounds still bled, though slower. The system wasn't healing him—only keeping him alive.
He spat blood, laughing bitterly.
Twenty-four hours? His voice was hoarse, broken.
That meant there was no rest. This was only the beginning.
The warmth from the system's earlier synchronization was fading, but some part of it lingered. His body wasn't healing completely, but the bleeding slowed, and his vision sharpened just enough to move.
He dragged himself upright, clutching the sword for balance. His gaze swept across the land. The graves he had dug for his family were still there, silent mounds beneath the broken earth. He bowed his head once, wordless, before forcing himself to turn away.
If he had twenty-four hours, he would not waste them.
He needed strength. He needed answers. And above all, he needed to prepare—because the next beast wouldn't give him a chance to crawl away alive.
The wind carried the stench of blood and ash.
In the distance, he saw faint lights flickering—torches, or perhaps fires. Civilization, or what remained of it.
His body screamed for rest, but vengeance burned louder.
He limped forward. One step. Then another. The sword dragged at his side, leaving a faint trail in the dirt.
The system pulsed:
> Count down for the next trial will soon begin
Ming's lips curved into a bitter smile.
> "Good. Then I'll use every second."
The countdown
has begun.
The system pulsed.