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Awakened
Ch. 39 [Blood Moon] Trial of Strength

Ch. 39 [Blood Moon] Trial of Strength

Upon finishing the Trial of Courage Hayato enters the door and finds himself in a blank room, a shadow-looking figure appears in front of him holding a bow. The shadow shot an arrow towards Hayato piercing him in the hand, and then shot another and pinned Hayato to the wall.

(Hayato) - What is the meaning of this?

(Voice) - The next trial you will face will be the Trial of Strength.

(Hayato) - What do I need to do?

(Voice) - You need to survive the challenges.

The shadow-looking person aimed and released the arrow, Hayato was looking straight into the arrow. He opened his mouth and caught the arrow before it pierced him.

(Voice) - You pass this challenge. I wish you good luck on the next ones.

The shadow-looking person disappeared along with the arrows that pinned him. The door appeared and before the door, a pillar emerged from the floor revealing a quiver with a single arrow. The quiver was dark with two stripes of green, one of them bright green and the other a dark green. The arrow had a tip made of cobalt, very sharp and very durable. Hayato picked up the quiver and entered the door. The door opened in the middle of the jungle.

(Voice) - Find the Hyperion tree and climb it.

(Hayato) - Hyperion?

(Voice) - It is the tallest tree known to humans.

(Hayato) - How do I find it?

(Voice) - You will know.

Hayato spent a couple of days looking for the tree, but it was hard in the jungle. Every tree was tall, but they had nothing distinct about them. Hayato spent the night under the bright sky and noticed something. A shadow was being cast from the South every night. This shadow meant that the tree was in that direction. Hayato endured the climate for 5 days until he reached the Hyperion.

(Hayato) - This must be the tree.

*Thinking*

(Hayato) - The voice said I need to climb it, but how?

He tried to climb it a couple of times and fell, hurting his back. Then he made a camp near Hyperion. Hayato rested and thought of a way to climb the tree. After a long night's rest, Hayato prepared himself for the long climb. He used his arrow to cut and tie some vines. With them, he made something strong enough to hold his weight tied a rock to one end, and started climbing.

After what felt like a day of climbing he reached the first branch. Hayato was looking up, but he was unable to see the end of the tree. He started to climb once again and a gust of wind made him swing to the other side of the tree. The vines he tied together broke and made him fall back to the first branch.

(Hayato) - Ugh... This is going to take me forever.

He walked around the branch and saw some spots that he could use to climb further. He used them and ascended towards the next branch. This took Hayato 60 days and a lot of failures until he reached the top.

(Hayato) - I made it, I finally made it.

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(Voice) - Congratulations, it took you more than I thought.

(Hayato) - Did I finish the trial?

(Voice) - No, you only completed one more challenge.

(Hayato) - Are the other challenges as hard as this?

*Silence*

A door appeared at the top of the tree and Hayato went through it. A strong light blinds Hayato and he wakes up in a boat with his ankle tied to a rock. The chains were very strong and he could not untie or break them. The boat started to slowly sink.

Hayato turned the boat upside down and created a pocket of air in between the water and the roof of the boat. He was holding it very tight but the weight of the rock started to pull Hayato under water. It gave him a couple more minutes to think before he was fully underwater. He was holding his breath and tried to break the chain with the tip of the arrow.

The chain broke but at his other leg, another rock appeared and continued to drag him on the ocean floor. Hayato patiently waited to reach the bottom but he was unable to see it. He was at his limit when he finally saw a light. It was a lantern fish. The fish got closer to Hayato and then Hayato lost his breath.

He could still feel the water around him and the fish seemingly dragging him around. Guiding him in the dark abyss. After a couple more hours he felt a thud. Hayato reached the bottom of the ocean. Hayato realized that but he was unable to move. He could barely hear the Voice talking to him. Slowly the pressure of the water felt lighter. The ocean dried up and a door appeared. Hayato could hear the Voice more clearly now.

(Voice) - This is your limit. You are not worthy of the bow.

Hayato started to regain his senses. Moved his fingers and then his whole arm to the point he got up on his feet. The door was slowly closing. Hayato put up all his strength and grabbed the door handle.

(Hayato) - I am not done yet.

(Voice) - Interesting. I thought you were done.

(Hayato) - I can not let my friends down, not after I got this far.

(Voice) - I am glad to hear that. Ready for your next challenge?

(Hayato) - Yes.

After Hayato answered he fell to his knees and passed out.

(Voice) - You are a very interesting fellow.

Hayato woke up in a wooden lodge.

(Hayato) - Where am I?

(Voice) - Waiting to start your next challenge.

(Hayato) - Where do I start?

He got up and looked out the window. There was a huge mountain and the wooden lodge was on the side of a cliff.

(Voice) - Once you climb up this mountain you will finish this trial.

*Sigh*

Hayato grabbed his quiver and the arrow and opened the door. Outside was so cold that his breath was freezing. After a couple of steps, the wooden lodge fell down the cliff making it impossible for Hayato to return to it. He clenched his teeth and advanced through the snowy path. The more Hayato advanced the further the top of the mountain was.

He spotted a cave and headed towards it. In a couple of hours, he managed to take shelter in the cave. Outside a storm was brewing and Hayato was concerned about heading outside in such weather. Deeper in the cave a snoring sound was slightly heard by Hayato. He decided to wait for the weather to calm down and went deeper into the cave.

The sound became louder to the point Hayato felt it as if it was in front of him. He looked around but it was too dark to see. Hayato leaned to what he thought was a rock but it was so soft that it soaked him in. He slowly backed off and he noticed that this soft rock was a huge bear. Hayato took out his arrow and gently started to peel some fur from the bear. In a couple of minutes, Hayato managed to take just enough fur to make himself a coat.

Greedy as humans are he wanted more of the bear's fur, but the bear snorted and started moving, and Hayato left the cave as fast as he could. The weather outside was slightly calmer. He put on his new coat and started moving once again towards the top. The path felt like it would never end. Exhausted, Hayato stopped to take his breath. An earthquake shook up the mountain and snow started to fall forming an avalanche.

Hayato pulled out his arrow and struck it into the ground as hard as he could. In a couple of seconds, Hayato was covered in snow and the coat was soaking wet. Soon after the avalanche finished he tried to get out of the multiple layers of snow. Hayato took off his coat because it was frozen and no longer provided him warmth and put the arrow back in the quiver. This time the top was closer, as if the avalanche had taken him towards it. With the remaining of his powers, Hayato pushed through and reached the top. His limbs were frozen and he was barely moving.

(Voice) - Congratulations.

A door opened beneath Hayato and he fell into a room. It was warm and cozy.

(Voice) - Rest and prepare for your next trials.