(You completed Trial of Unrelenting Onslaught.)

(Rating party’s performance…)

(B+)

(You were awarded with the key item Stone Key of Toughness.)

(You were awarded with the Box of Unbroken Boulder.)

(You will be transported back in 60 seconds.)

The system notifications blinked in my vision as I collapsed onto one knee, sucking in ragged breaths. My whole body ached—every muscle, every bone—but a wave of relief washed over me. We had done it. We finished the probably the hardest trial. But B+ huh? Not bad, I guess. It stung a little that we hadn't reached higher, but after the absolute chaos of that battle, I wasn't complaining.

The Stone Key of Toughness and Box of Unbroken Boulder appeared in front of me. I put them into my Shadow Storage to later inspect. I glanced over at the others. Artemeni leaned heavily on her spear, her shoulders rising and falling with deep breaths. Gökbörü was by her side, trying to eat as much as of the monsters before we got transported back. Aurora had collapsed to the ground, sitting back with a satisfied but exhausted grin.

As the notification indicated, we had 60 seconds before we were transported back to the altars. I clapped my hands together.

“Alright. Good job everyone. We will be resting now. Let’s cook some food.”

Aurora groaned softly as she stretched her arms, clearly still exhausted.

“You can stomach a meal after all that carnage?”

I chuckled.

“Yes.”

Gökbörü’s attention immediately shifted at the mention of food, his ears perking up as he sniffed the air. Artemeni, leaning heavily on her spear, gave a tired smile. “I could use a good meal right about now.”

“If Poyraz cooks I also want it.”

Blanche said, causing others to turn to her. Guess she acquired a taste for my cooking after our previous adventure. I walked over to one of the nearby stone slabs, pulling out a few provisions from my Shadow Storage. I weighed them in my hands, thinking of a quick and easy-to-made meal. Aurora snapped her fingers, creating a fire. As the fire crackled and the aroma of the cooking food filled the air, I leaned back against one of the altars, finally allowing myself to relax. I pulled The Stone Key of Toughness to inspect.

(Locked)

(Locked)

(Can only be used after conquering the first floor of War God’s Battle Area.)

(Key Item)

(Put it in its respective altar to complete the first floor.)

I would, after completing the rest of the trials.

The scent of sizzling meat filled the air, mixing with the earthy aroma of the battlefield around us. I flipped the skewers, watching as the fat dripped onto the flames, sending sparks into the air. There was something calming about cooking after a fight. After everyone ate their share, I pulled the box out of my storage to see if it contained something that could help us.

It was a heavy heavy-looking chest with a stone exterior, seemingly indestructible. Artemeni glanced over my shoulder at the box. “Think it'll be something good?”

“Only one way to find out.”

Things inside were good indeed.

I opened the box and was not disappointed. Inside was a greatsword named Boulder Cleaver, boasting a power rating of 25 and two options. I handed it to Artemeni as a backup to her spear. I also gave her a skill book for Rockskin Stance, which she learned on the spot.

Next was the Tectonic Core, a head-sized sphere with intricate runes etched into its surface. It had the ability to summon a golem. I passed it to Aurora for her to study.

The Mantle of the Unbroken, a light but sturdy piece of armor, came next. It had solid defense and granted the wearer the ability to strike twice as hard after being hit. Blanche received that, her eyes lighting up in approval.

Then there was the Potion of Iron Will, a potion that blocked status effects. I handed that to Thalia since she could remove negative effects from others. She would save us if we got hit by an area-wide debuff. I also gave her the Unyielding Boulder Charm, a defense-boosting trinket that could create a protective shield. Since Thalia had the least combat ability in our group, giving her extra protection made sense.

Lastly, the box contained various gems and lesser potions, useful but not noteworthy compared to the rest of the items.

“Bark!”

I looked at Gökbörü.

“What? You don’t need items.”

“Bark!”

“Fine. Fine.”

I said, tossing him a chunk of well-done meat from the fire. Gökbörü snapped it out of the air, gnawing on it with satisfaction.

“Which trial will we next take?”

Blanche asked, coming closer and petting Gökbörü.

“Trial of Eternal Night but Gökbörü and I will be taking it while you guys rest.”

I closed my eyes as soon as I said it and waited for the rest of my team to ask to join me. Just like many times before, Thalia was the first one to do so.

“We can still join you, Champion. We are already well rested.”

Thalia folded her arms, her brow furrowed in mild disapproval.

“Same here, Champion. I am itching to try out my new weapon.”

Artemeni quickly followed her. Aurora and Blanche, being more rational looked at me like they were expecting an explanation.

“My skill kit is enough for this trial. Both Gökbörü and I can see in the darkness. We can also turn into shadows to combat beings that are made of shadows. This is not a decision I made with emotions. I simply calculated that my strength is fit to complete this trial by myself.”

Gökbörü barked angrly.

"With Gökbörü."

I corrected myself. I met their eyes in turn, appreciating their concern but knowing this trial would suit my abilities best. Darkness wasn’t just an element to fight against—it was something I had learned to embrace, mold, and manipulate. This trial would be more efficient with just Gökbörü and me. My mana reserves, though taxed, would recover by the time we got there, and in shadowy environments, my skills would be at their peak.

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“If I haven’t returned in 2 hours, go into the other trials. Aurora, you will be the lead.”

I stood and stretched before touching the altar. Gökbörü finished his meal, licking his chops with contentment before trotting to my side.

The world around us warped, dark tendrils of energy wrapping around my body and pulling me into the next trial. The light from the fire and the faces of my companions faded, replaced by absolute darkness.

(You entered Trial of Eternal Night. Navigate the labyrinth and reach the end.)

A notification rang in my mind, and I immediately took in my surroundings.

“Hmm. This is less than optimal.”

Even though I was borrowing Gökbörü’s Enhanced Senses and had my Night Vision, my vision range wasn’t very large. The darkness in here must be magical, like the one created by a fallen elf back in Mother Tree. I was glad that I didn’t bring my companions with me. They probably wouldn’t even be able to see their noses.

“Gökbörü, give me some lightning.”

Gökbörü let out a low growl, electricity crackling around his fur as tiny arcs of lightning flickered in the suffocating darkness. However, it did nothing to help me see.

“Just like the info. Light sources are useless here.”

Well, at least I had a good place to train my Night Vision. It was stuck at B rank for some time.

“Let’s move,” I whispered, my voice barely more than a breath. Together, we started walking, our footsteps echoing softly against the cold stone floor. Every turn felt the same, every pathway identical to the last. Without Gökbörü’s enhanced senses, I’d have probably already been lost.

As we ventured deeper, a faint sound reached my ears. A soft, rhythmic scraping, like something being dragged across the stone. I halted, causing Gökbörü to stop too. The sound grew closer, accompanied by what sounded like tens of people whispering at the same time. I tried to focus on what was being said or where it exactly came from but it was useless. It came from everywhere and nowhere all at once.

I waited for any signs of a hostile being. Ready to dodge and counterattack. But after I stood as still as I could for a minute nothing came. I unclenched my jaw and realized that I was clenching my jaw hard enough to cause my gums to bleed. Was I that stressed out? It made no sense. Was I under some kind of status effect? It was a possibility but my resistance towards them, especially against mental ones was massive. I also didn’t get a notification.

…

Wait. What were the notifications and what were those so-called abnormal status effects? For example, I’d never gotten a notification for things like regular bleeding. Yet when Aldric inflicted me with Exsanguination, I did. Why the difference? Both were forms of blood loss, weren’t they? Was the system selective about what it categorized as an "abnormal status effect"?

It started to click.

Maybe it wasn’t just the effect itself but how the effect was applied. When Aldric cast Exsanguination, it wasn’t just causing blood loss—it was a magically reinforced curse designed to accelerate and amplify the process. The system only seemed to recognize and notify me of effects that were bound to magical constructs or supernatural sources. Normal bleeding? It happened through natural damage—an injury causing blood to flow out. The system didn’t interfere with mundane processes like that. But when magic, curses, or any supernatural forces came into play, the system flagged it as abnormal and notified me.

But what about now? Why I was this scared and on edge?

“Perhaps.”

This trial… What if it wasn’t about inflicting some status effect but rather amplifying natural feelings? It didn’t need to break my mind or invade my willpower like some curse or mental attack. It simply nudged at what was already there, beneath the surface. Anxiety, fear of the unknown, the primal human instinct to recoil from darkness and danger—those were normal. Even with all my training and experience, those feelings still existed deep within me. My logic controlled them. My discipline suppressed them. But what if this place was designed to weaken that control, to awaken those dormant emotions?

It wasn’t an invasion of my mind, not like a spell or status effect I could resist. It was like watching a horror movie late at night—a gradual, creeping fear that thrived on my own natural instincts. Something subtle, a constant whisper in the back of my thoughts that said, Be afraid.

“And how one can defend against it?”

I asked myself. I couldn’t just break out of it by putting mana into it. The only defence I seemed to have was my passive skill Iron Will but Gökbörü didn’t have that and I could feel his stress too. Plus, I just couldn’t go on like this.

“Okay, let’s try this.”

I closed my eyes. Not that I could see a lot of things anyway. Recalling my experience with Ancestors, I tried to focus on my soul, mind, and self. If something really was touching them, I could feel and dispel it and since Gökbörü and I were bonded in theory I could do it for both of us.

I took a deep breath, reaching deep within myself as I focused on the core of my being. My thoughts shifted inward, seeking the boundary between my mind, soul, and body. It was subtle—almost imperceptible—but there, in the recesses of my mind, I sensed a faint disturbance. Like a thread of anxiety being tugged, pulling at my nerves with every echo of the darkness.

I concentrated harder, visualizing the tangled web of fear and unease that had been growing since we entered this trial. It wasn’t a foreign entity or curse—just something gently amplifying what already existed inside me. I had to actively push it away as if I were calming my own turbulent thoughts.

I extended my focus to Gökbörü, our bond allowing me to reach his consciousness. His stress mirrored mine—natural instincts of fear heightened by the oppressive darkness. I steadied myself and, with a mental nudge, sent a wave of calm across our link. Slowly, his erratic breathing leveled out, and the tension in his posture eased.

I opened my eyes and the grasp I had on the edges of my being disappeared like sand in the wind, causing the anxiety to return.

“Fuck.”