Asdras dashed to the right, narrowly avoiding the spot where he had stood moments ago, now shattered by the creature's massive claw.

He rolled left three times, almost getting his back slashed by the creature’s talon. He couldn't afford to think; if reason overtook instinct, he would be dead.

He deduced from the notepad that even though their sacrifices had rendered the creature weaker, it was still too powerful for a newly awakened warrior to face head-on. Second had devised a simple strategy for him to follow.

‘Dodge it; don’t attack; tire it out and use the trap.’

His primal desire to tear apart the creature disrupted his calculations, and Asdras paid the price as the crow’s claw tore a chunk of flesh from his shoulder.

Asdras didn’t feel any of it. He turned, rolled left, and struck. His strength, once something he marveled at, was nothing against the monster's steel-like flesh and bones.

His heart pounded, each beat echoing in his ears like war drums. His breath came in short, sharp gasps as he squared off against the monster.

The creature moved with a predatory, angry look, its talons scraping the earth and its chains rattling with each step. It didn’t understand the reasons but felt weaker and knew its food source was gone, driving it into a frenzy.

The beast lunged, and Asdras barely dodged, feeling the rush of air as the chains and talons swept past his face. He was outside the campsite, beyond the protective dome. He needed to be there since the trap was set where the wheel and the statue were located.

He rolled to the side, dirt and dead leaves clinging to his sweat-drenched skin. Clarity showed in his eyes for the first time. He sprang to his feet and swung his sword with all his might, aiming for the creature’s exposed ribcage.

The blade connected with a jarring impact but glanced off the bone, sending shockwaves up his arms.

‘Strategy number one: If it is near you and you need to attack, slash its exposed ribcage.’

The creature stumbled back. It didn’t feel much of the impact or pain, but it knew the place the humanoid aimed was its weak point.

Asdras took the moment to run, using the cover of trees and rocks. He barely had time to think and let instinct take over. A shiver ran down his spine as he saw a creature's arm strike a nearby tree, sending it crashing into two others.

‘Curses!’

Asdras faced an intersection of trees and an open path. His mind calculated he should mingle among the trees, but his body rolled instinctively to the clearing.

The monster retaliated with breathless speed, swinging a chain-wrapped limb that caught Asdras across the chest. The blow knocked the wind out of him and sent him sprawling.

Stars burst in his vision, and his knees almost gave out, but he forced himself to stand, adrenaline coursing through his veins like liquid fire.

He searched for the small pocket wrapped around his leg with the rope Sixth used. Inside were two small balls.

‘Strategy number two: If you need time to run, use a magnetic ball. It will attract the creature’s chains and stall it briefly. Use it once, as you will need one for the trap.’

With shaking hands, Asdras retrieved one of the balls and hurled it toward the monster. The magnetic force took hold, and the chains wrapped around the creature’s limbs jerked violently toward the ball, binding the beast in place for a crucial moment.

He used the precious seconds to dash toward the target location. His legs knew the path as if he had spent his whole life walking it. He felt strangely awake, his wounds burning and his muscles refusing to give up.

It took barely half a minute for the monster to close the gap, its crimson eyes glowing with madness. Asdras knew he had to be quick. He feigned to the left, then darted right, dodging the beak-like thrust.

He ran past a tree and rolled back to use it as cover, then circled and slashed at the beast’s legs. The sword found purchase, slicing through feathers and sinew, but the victory was short-lived.

The monster's beak snapped down, grazing his shoulder and tearing through flesh. Blood flowed freely, staining his fabric, but Asdras gritted his teeth and pressed on.

He grabbed a handful of dirt and tossed it over the beast’s eyes, then kicked off its ribcage and rolled to the left, propelling himself back to running.

‘Strategy number three: If you are close to it, throw dirt in the creature’s eyes. It will give you a brief moment to dodge.’

He saw the wheel in the distance, but he could also smell the creature beside him. He weaved and dodged, desperately staying one step ahead of the claws and beak.

His muscles burned with exertion, and his vision blurred with sweat and blood. Near the clearing's entrance, where the wheel and statue were, he almost stopped.

He couldn’t find the creature. He pivoted and rotated while running, but his eyes didn’t spot it. He only registered the monster when its leg kicked him from above.

It couldn’t fly, but it had found its way above the trees and jumped down on Asdras, sending him crashing against a tree. The impact knocked out his hearing and vision for a moment.

Asdras used the hilt of his sword against his heart, beating fiercely three times, helping him recover enough clarity to dodge the claw that swept where his neck had been.

‘Strategy number four: Use the hilt of your sword against your heart for a burst of adrenaline.’

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With renewed energy, Asdras rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding another deadly swipe. He pushed himself up, his body screaming in protest, but he couldn't afford to stop. The wheel was just ahead; it was his chance.

The creature hesitated when Asdras stepped near the wheel, but its frenzied mind ignored its fear of the water. The hesitation gave Asdras enough time to bathe his sword in the water and dash toward the trap.

In the heart of the clearing, where remnants of once-standing houses lay crumbled among the trees, the trap was set. It consisted of an elaborate framework of wood beams, held together by ropes that crossed and intertwined, creating a deceptive maze.

At the center stood a solitary beam, distinctive for its small, precise hole, designed to hold a specific object — the key to the trap, anchoring the surrounding ropes and beams.

As the monster neared, Asdras hurried in, launching another attack. He rolled and cut the two sacks hanging over the entrance, filled with dust and earth, positioned like silent sentinels.

The sacks were rigged to spill their contents if disturbed, releasing a blinding cloud of dust. The dense fog enveloped them.

Asdras knew where to go. The creature swiped randomly with its talons and claws, trying to dissipate the dust and hit its target.

Asdras placed his sword horizontally in the center beam, pressing the hilt into the hole just above his shoulders.

‘Strategy number five: Bathe your sword in the wheel’s water, then place it in the center beam of the trap.’

As he did it, he jumped left, feeling the chains' coldness over his arm, scratching his skin.

He breathed low and used his frame to roll between the monster's legs. It was risky, but he couldn’t afford the creature cutting through the beams. As he did, he pivoted to deliver a quick kick at its ribcage, attracting the creature's eyes.

He baited an attack to its left, then used the opportunity to press his feet hard against the ground and jump back out of the trap. As the creature was about to jump towards him, he threw the last magnetic ball past it.

As if time had slowed, Asdras barely had time to adjust his back against the ground when he saw it. The magnetic ball attracted the scattered chains, which pivoted towards it like serpents. The wooden beams in their path caused the chains to tie around them.

The pulsing force drove the creature back. The tension of the ropes holding the beams broke apart, and like a cascade of dominoes, each beam stacked upon another and pressed against the creature's body, driving it toward the center beam where the sword was.

The creature howled as the sword pierced its ribcage, tearing it from the inside. The tension of the ropes and the pulse of magnetism drove the creature's body deep, causing the sword to burst open in reverse.

‘Strategy number six: Lure the creature to the trap with your sword in the center beam, and use the last magnetic ball. It will create tension between the chains, ropes, and beams, leading the creature's exposed ribcage to clash against the sword.’

The trap worked perfectly. The creature's struggles grew weaker, its horrific form collapsing into a heap of feathers and bones. Asdras stood, panting and bleeding, feeling victorious.

‘I’ve done it! I killed it! I—’

His eyes nearly bulged when he saw the creature rise again. The tattered feathers were nearly gone, fragments of wood and dust mingled with its flesh, and its exposed ribcage still held his sword.

The elongated beak and glowing eyes wept blood, crimson liquid seeping over its bones and skin. It launched forward, its claw angled like a spear. Asdras couldn’t move; his strength had drained before he could process it.

‘I failed. I’m going to die. I made the vow, yet I lost—’

He panted hard, his veins burning and his bones feeling like jelly. Just when he thought he would let the villagers and himself down, he heard it.

“Use the flame, I say!”

It was the crow. Asdras didn’t expect him, but somehow knew that using the water would make the crow appear, as it had the last two times.

‘Flame?’

The claw drew closer. Asdras felt the rotten, foul smell of the beast, worse than the water he drank. He shivered; it was close enough that he could feel the world becoming colder, colors losing their tone.

“Close your eyes and let it consume you, I say!”

He closed his eyes and thought of nothing. Something within him felt different, but he couldn’t tell what. It made him forget that the claw was almost touching his skin.

A fierce flame ignited within Asdras, starting as a small spark of rage and resolve but quickly growing into an all-consuming inferno. It enveloped him, surging through his veins and manifesting as a searing, ethereal fire that radiated from his body.

The intense heat and light of the flame mirrored his inner turmoil, a physical manifestation of his anger and desperation. Asdras's eyes blazed with an otherworldly glow, and with a primal scream, the fire exploded outward, unleashing a torrent of destructive energy upon the path around him.

The flame swept across the clearing with unstoppable fury, consuming everything in its path. The wood beams and ropes of the trap ignited instantly, collapsing into ashes. The flames leapt onto the surrounding trees, turning them into towering infernoes. The decayed houses, remnants of a once good time, crumbled into charred ruins.

The relentless fire engulfed the creature, which had once been a terrifying figure, and reduced its monstrous form to smoldering embers. Asdras stood at the center of the maelstrom, his scream reverberating through the blazing chaos, a raw expression of his unleashed power and defiance, honoring his vow.

Then he heard the whispering of the world itself. It was smooth and tranquil, making everything feel dreamy and in control, giving him a sense of security. The flames around him began to subside, their ferocity dimming until they were just a gentle warmth on his skin.

"Asdras Morie had awakened on the seventh day of the lunar cycle, in the shadowed depths of Ravenwood, by choosing the path of sacrifice and slaying the cursed beast. By finding his way to the Twilight Flame, cursed by its haunting whispers and his own crow, he was rewarded with my power, witnessed by my own eyes and the eyes of the void."

The words hit him like a thunderclap. When he heard his name, he froze. It felt as if he were traveling back in time. He saw himself walking through the subterranean pathways of the academy, sitting and holding the stone. The stone transformed into a liquid that seeped into his blood, changing his vision.

He saw himself falling freely toward the ground. Before losing consciousness, he felt something in his pocket break free, becoming rigid and solid. Everything connected with his last memories of himself within the tent.

The world around him became thin and transparent. Colors fled as if afraid of what had arrived, and sounds became mute, not daring to test the patience of the one who made them heard. Everything turned void and black except for the flame-like text he saw.

[Asdras Morie, awakened by the Twilight Flame]

[Path: Devoted Sacrifice]

[Core: Tainted]

[Curse: Madden Crow]

[Key: Pathway to Ravenwood]

His eyes turned completely red for a moment, then everything around him distorted and broke apart like smashed glass. He found himself standing in the main square of the academy. He looked at himself; his body wasn't wounded, and his clothes were the light armor he had been given.

"Now, awake!"