Ren closed his eyes. Clearing his mind, he surrendered control to his instincts.

The clone didn’t relent on its attacks. Slash after slash stormed into the barrier, barely missing him.

Ren’s eyes lost focus, and his body moved autonomously. He was no longer in control of his body. Instead, his instincts were in charge.

His movements were erratic, lacking in any rhythm. But, they lacked lag and smooth. Even Ren fell surprised at his maneuver. However, having sacrificed control, he had unknowingly abandoned attacking. His instincts prioritized defense.

This created an impasse between the two combatants. The clone attacked with all its might, but it didn’t hit even once. On the other hand, Ren refused to retaliate. He watched the battle, but his consciousness weakened, plummeting his influence.

Soon, having lost the capacity to think, he turned into a silent witness.

The clone advanced, persisting with its relentless attacks. However, Ren noticed a sudden change in its behavior.

The clone halted. The clueless Ren also stopped. Lacking a threat, he didn't know how to react. His lifeless eyes stared at the clone.

With hesitant steps, the clone approached him, but he did not feel any danger. Thus, he didn't react.

Reaching a sword’s distance, the clone grinned. At that moment, everything changed. A grave threat of death alarmed Ren. He saw a flash in the corner of his eyes. The next moment, it expanded to a blade, slicing towards his head.

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‘So relaxing…’ Ren smiled. Staring at the red river, he dove deeper into his dreamland.

A young girl emerged from the river. Her long blue hair contrasted with the red river.

“Who are you?” He asked.

The young girl paused. The light in her eyes dimmed as he mumbled to herself.

“Who… am I?”

“Ah, you’re suffering from amnesia? Don’t worry, you’ll get your memories back.” He smiled and collapsed onto his back. Staring at the blood-red sky, his smile widened.

‘Red, what a breath-taking color. Much better than a blue sky…’

‘Weird, why would I think that the sky is blue? What a peculiar thought! I must determine the origin of these weird thoughts.’ He closed his eyes, and his breathing stabilized.

“You… You’re about to die.” The girl’s voice disturbed his sleep.

“Die? What do you mean? There’s no death here.” He returned his sleep but an unnatural sound stole his attention.

The girl choked. She fell onto her knees crying.

“I’m sorry… I can’t… protect…”

“Why are you crying?” Ren approached her, more confused than a squirrel in a volcanic eruption.

'Something is wrong. Why do I feel so uneasy? There's no logical explanation for this.'

“Don’t know… what to do… I’m sorry…” Her short whimpers perplexed Ren. A sense of disillusionment hit him.

Just as he opened his mouth, the world bent and warped.

'Huh?' A nauseous feeling overwhelmed Ren, as the world shattered.

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The clone’s sword flashed, targeting Ren’s neck.

His eyes regained light at the same moment. He ducked while his left hand met the glistening blade.

Tzuuk! Blood splashed. Four fingers dropped onto the ground. Ren barely shifted the trajectory of the weapon as it missed his head.

A dangerous gleam flashed past his eyes. He flung his uninjured fist towards the clone’s undefended abdomen.

[‘Killer Punch!’] Ren’s right arm bulged and his bones crackled. He abandoned all his reservations.

His punch ripped through the air, crashing onto the clone’s abdomen.

The world momentarily fell silent.

BAAM! The clone exploded, a large hole on its abdomen. Ren saw the confusion on its eyes as it collapsed to its death.

Ren panted. The skin on his arm cracked, spilling blood everywhere. His muscles failed, and his arm dangled.

‘Damn it! That was terrible…’ Ren ground his teeth. He curbed his urge to curse.

‘My instincts took over again… Damn it! Why isn’t there any solution to this nonsense?’ He instinctually attempted to clench his fist when the pain reminded him of a cruel fact... He lacked fingers.

The circle dimmed and the clone’s fading body stole Ren’s attention.

‘Honing… is dangerous. I don't understand it, but those invisible sword slashes… Honing is very dangerous.’ He stared at his fingerless palm.

Small protrusions arose from the wounds. They expanded, substituting his fingers. Soon, his palm returned to its original state. A green wave of energy regenerated his damaged limb.

Satisfied with the regeneration, Ren stretched his body, ‘Thankfully, this is the trial world. I must stop using Killer Punch once I leave this place.’

Ren lounged for a while, his mind wandering to his experience in the dream world.

‘Who was that girl? And the red sky… Ugh… Whatever! There are so many things I don’t understand. Adding a couple of things to that list won’t make any difference.’ Despite the consolation, Ren was more frustrated than a poor child in a cake shop. He could see all the sweets, but he couldn't buy anything.

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After his wounds healed, Ren proceeded to the last circle.

'It's a Kyo Practitioner. This is my real test.' His expression turned grim. This field was his expertise. Yet, he didn't know what to expect from the last clone.

‘I can do it. I’ve been training in Kyo for many months. A duplicate can’t defeat me.’ He punched his face and entered the last barrier.

The clone awakened. Its first actions caught Ren by surprise.

It inserted its fingers into its ears. Soon, blood dripped down its ear canals.

‘What is it doing?’ Ren felt a premonition. The clone’s actions weren’t over.

The clone removed its fingers. Blood uncontrollably poured down its ears. It grinned at Ren and positioned its thumbs before its eyes.

Predicting its next move, Ren flinched. The clone pierced its dark eyes.

‘Decisive… He sacrificed everything. This battle won’t be easy… He has to be an expert in instincts. Otherwise, he wouldn’t opt for such drastic measures.’ Ren took a deep breath to regain his composure.

‘An instinctual type. Most likely even better than me. I can't meet him on instincts. Logic is the right approach.’ Ren squinted. His mind wandered, crafting plans and countermeasures for the battle.

'I must find his limits.'

Ren dashed towards the wobbling clone.

[“Pain Series: Body Enhancement!”] His veins bulged and his expression darkened.

The clone’s veins also bulged at the same instant.

‘He knows Pain Series?! I invented that! How dare you steal my invention!?’ Ren's eyelids twitched. He launched a palm at the clone. The clone deflected it and launched a counterattack.

Prepared, Ren met its punch.

Bam! Following a loud collision, Ren withdrew.

‘His expertise in Pain Series is slightly lacking. I’m better than him in pure strength unless he’s hiding his streng- HUH?’ Ren’s eyes bulged.

The clone dashed towards him. Ren retreated, but the clone followed him like an angry wasp. For an instant, Ren felt like the clone could see his movements.

‘This clone... How is it following my actions? And he’s attacking proactively? What is going on?’ Ren frowned while mulling.

‘Ah! Did he master his instincts?! That’s unfair!’ Although Ren complained, he felt better. At least, the clone had revealed this trump card earlier than late. This ability could determine victory and defeat. A logical combatant would consider this a failure on the part of the clone.

While retreating, Ren's back collided against the barrier. He climbed it, awaiting the clone's response. The clone didn’t stop, it also chased after Ren, using its qi to climb after him.

‘He can also use qi… Damn it! There are no safe spots in this battleground.’ Ren leaped.

The clone jumped after him, launching a punch midair. Ren blocked the punch, but the clone had closed the distance between them.

They landed together, and the clone began its offense.

Blow after blow flew between the two combatants. It was mainly the clone on the offense while Ren stood his ground.

'What poor luck... Even while using logic, I'm on the defense... Wasn't instincts supposed to be all about defense!? Kaero! You liar!'

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As the battle prolonged, Ren’s condition worsened. His stamina couldn’t compare with the clone’s seemingly endless vitality. On top of this, the pain from his Forbidden Skill took a deep toll on his psyche.

'Can't think... The pain... This can't continue!' A ruthless glint flashed past Ren’s eyes, ‘I have to risk it!’

He stretched his arms, opening his torso. He presented a juicy opportunity to the clone.

However, the clone paused. Seeing its reaction, a weary smile crept up Ren’s face.

‘One move! He can only see one move! But, how can I use this?’ Even while thinking, Ren exuded an aura of pressure. He was prepared to execute his killer moves the moment his brainless enemy made any untoward movement.

‘My advantage is pure raw strength. I could overpower it, but its instincts are good. It’ll avoid a frontal confrontation, and my efforts will be wasted.’

‘Then I can only trap it, forcing it to a battle of strength. But how do I do that?’ Ren frowned. His head hurt, and pain fogged his mind.

‘Trap. One move. Trap. One move…’ Ren’s eyes gleamed. Gritting his teeth, he took a step forward.

The clone retreated. Ren advanced until the clone had its back to the barrier.

‘This is it. I’ll either succeed or fail here. Do it!’ Ren relaxed his body. The clone seemed to have caught his message as it immediately attacked the undefended Ren.

Its arm bulged unnaturally as it tore towards Ren’s chest.

'Foolish!' Ren hid his smirk and brought his arm towards his chest. It also bulged, prepared to meet the clone's punch.

BAAAM! The sound of the collision was deafening.

“Aaarhhhr!” Ren shouted, and took a step back. He couldn’t feel his arm, and a red fog blinded his vision. He knew that the result was far from pleasant.

His face contorted, and he launched his other fist.

BAAM! Another loud collision shook the battle circle. Ren lost control over both his arms and mind-numbing pain assaulted him at once, but he didn’t stop. Otherwise, all his effort would be wasted.

“DIE!!” Roaring, his leg tore through the red fog. He encountered a slight resistance, but that was it. His leg exited the bloody fog, decorated by broken bones and chunks of flesh. It brought a repulsive smell of gastric juices.

Immediately, the skin on Ren’s leg cracked. He lost balance and collapsed onto a pool of blood, It extended to his face.

The circle faded, but Ren found little joy. He welched at the horrible stench from the blood and the clone's corpse.

‘Red… what a distasteful color.’ He complained while a tingling sensation healed his devastated limbs.

‘I lost three limbs. Even then, the result was too close. If I were outside…’ His expression worsened. The thought drained all the joy from his hard-earned victory.

After a while, the pain subsided, and Ren returned to his feet.

'Ugh... Never, ever, fight a Kyo Practitioner. NEVER!' Confirming his decision, he departed.

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The amber orb had dimmed, signaling the completion of another door.

He ambled to the third door, the last one in the gruesome trial. Two gargoyles guarded it, and a black orb glowed at its center.

“Welcome to the Door of Inner Demons.” He heard a familiar grating voice. The red eyes of the gargoyle glowed, and they disgusted Ren.

“Enter this door to face your inner demons.” The monster returned to a statue.

‘Inner demons? Can't you explain any further?’ Ren frowned. Staring at the black orb, he felt like it was calling him, inviting him into an abyss.

He sighed and slapped himself, removing all unwanted thoughts.

'This is the last door. Once I complete it, the trial will end. I can meet the Divine Emperor and gain freedom from Azen. Yes! Just a few demons stand in my path.’

He pushed the black orb. A lonely mirror greeted him.

'Is that mirror my enemy? Since when did mirrors become demons?' He approached the mirror. It was dark, and he couldn't see his reflection.

'You only had one-' He fled before he could complete his line of thought.

The image in the mirror transformed. It morphed into a young blue-haired girl.

Only after gaining a comfortable distance, did Ren stop.

‘Why do I feel like I’ve seen… Ah! It’s that girl from the dreamland! What is she doing here?’ His brows furrowed.

The girl’s face contorted in anguish as she stretched her arm out of the mirror.

“Brother…” She called out in a weak voice.

Ren panicked. His instincts blared at him, coercing him to avoid this unknown girl. They preferred failing the trial over approaching her, even if it meant assuring Ren's doom.

‘What’s happening?’ Fear crept into Ren’s heart. He approached the girl, but he didn't dare to touch her.

Black tears poured down the girl’s face. They created minor ripples into the pool of black water.

‘The floor is made of her tears?!’ Ren’s heart wrenched at the sight. The young girl’s voice, her face… all of it felt familiar.

Steeling his heart, he decided to accept the girl's arm. Although his instincts warned against such an action, he chose to ignore the warning. But before he could execute his decision, his face paled.

‘Why? WHY? Move!’ He screamed internally. His body refused to move. Instead, it retreated autonomously.

This movement frightened Ren. He couldn’t control his body!

Seeing the sorrow on the girl’s face, he gritted his teeth.

‘This is my order! Move forward!’

[‘Pain Series: Body Enhancement!’] The veins on his body popped. He rebelled against the will of his body and lifted his arm.

"Guhrr!"

Ren gritted his teeth. He felt a mountain on his arm. Nevertheless, he persevered. Ignoring all the warnings, he grabbed the girl’s hand.

The next moment, the mirror swallowed his body as he disappeared.