"Am I going to die here? I knew it was a stupid idea to enter the forest at night. I should’ve been more careful with my body. Why wasn’t I more careful with my body? I’m such an idiot! A huge idiot!"
Cursing my own ineptitude, the distance between the wolves and me was almost gone.
[H-here goes!]
An idea struck me.
Even in my current physical state, I managed to relax, calming my breathing and locking eyes with what seemed to be the pack leader.
'If I do something dumb, I’ll die. So my best option is...'
Taking a deep breath, I raised my sword, trying to make myself look taller. The wolves hesitated, stepping back slightly. For a moment, it felt like the world slowed to a crawl.
"AAAAAAHHH!!!" I broke the silence, swinging my sword and screaming at the top of my lungs. Miraculously, I didn’t choke.
The wolves started glancing at each other. The silence between us stretched for what felt like ages. Finally…
The pack decided to ignore me and walked away.
'That wasn’t pity, right?'
Seeing one of the tips from the book Tips and Secrets Hidden by the Best Candidates actually work was a huge relief.
But it felt strange.
I had thought yelling with such force would be impossible with my throat so dry. And yet, for such an idea to pop into my head in this state... It was almost like a miracle.
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
[Congratulations!] A voice chirped excitedly. [You’ve passed the first trial to become a candidate.]
Hearing that, I couldn’t help but feel elated.
"Heh, thanks! Honestly, it wasn’t that hard." Fixing my hair, I continued my boast, "It’s all thanks to books."
For a moment, the voice went silent. But oddly, I could clearly hear its breathing.
[Yeah... That makes sense...]
It muttered something under its breath, but I couldn’t make it out.
"Sorry… could you repeat that-"
[No, forget it. It’s nothing important.] It coughed and took a long breath, its tone shifting to sound more feminine.
[Ohhh~, candidate! The trials ahead of you will not be easy!]
"Yes!" I responded eagerly.
[Are you ready for the next trial?!]
"Yes!!"
[Great, now come find me.] Completely ruining the atmosphere it had built up, the voice ended with a blunt, dry remark.
◇◆◇
[Hey... Are you sure you don’t want me to help?]
Ignoring the mysterious voice, I continued my search to find its source.
Why?
Because I refuse to cheat!
I’d already failed to find the goblins. If I let it help me... would I even deserve to be a candidate?
During my journey so far, I had rolled out of the way of golems, ignored snakes to avoid their venomous bites, distracted demon deer by throwing a stick for them to chase, and even pretended to be a bird so they wouldn’t attack me.
'I’m starving... Have there been candidates who died of hunger during their trial?'
Lost in thought, I didn’t realize until it was too late...
[Congratulations.]
Right in front of me stood a pitch-black sword, embedded in the ground. A faint chill ran through my entire body.
Looking around, I noticed strange symbols carved into the trees and on nearby gravestones. As I studied the markings, the sword, seemingly impatient, shouted:
[Hey, pull me out already! What are you waiting for?!]
"Oh, but..."
[What?!]
"The books say every candidate must face three trials. Doesn’t deciphering these symbols count as one?" At my words, silence fell between us.
[Hmmm, I see.]
"Then—"
[Let’s skip that! Do you have any idea how long I’ve been stuck here?! I’ve been trapped for centuries, and now you’re wasting time analyzing something I couldn’t care less about!!]
'This sword… What happened to the sweet tone you used earlier?'
"Uh, look on the bright side. You don’t have to wait anymore, right?"
[Just pull me out already.]
"Okay, okay..."
As I approached the sword, unease grew with every step. My heartbeat quickened, and a strange thought crossed my mind:
'Don’t do it.'