Alex's world spun as he plummeted toward the abyss. His body, bruised and battered, barely responded.
He had fought tooth and nail against the ancient warrior, only to find himself dangling over the edge, his fingers barely clutching the platform's surface.
Instinct kicked in. His hand shot to his belt, gripping the Emergency Dagger Hook. With a flick of his wrist, he hurled the dagger toward the nearest solid structure, the blade digging into the platform's side with a metallic thunk.
A split second later, the enchanted chain extended, yanking Alex to a brutal stop midair. His breath hitched as his injured body screamed in protest.
"Hah! I knew carrying you wasn't a mistake," Alex coughed, speaking to the dagger like it was an old friend.
He swung his legs, using momentum to pull himself up, beads of sweat trickling down his forehead. "If I die here, I swear I'm haunting whoever designed this trial."
Just as he hoisted himself halfway up, a shadow loomed above. The ancient warrior's blade gleamed as it descended upon him like a judgment from the heavens.
"Not today!" Alex gritted his teeth, activating [Shadow Step]. His battered body flickered, appearing a few meters away on the platform, rolling onto solid ground.
He barely had a second to breathe before the warrior lunged at him again.
The battle resumed with renewed ferocity. Every time Alex parried, his hands stung as if he were hitting a mountain.
He wove through elemental sword slashes—fire searing past his shoulder, water slicing his leg, wind whipping against his battered frame. His body screamed for rest, but his mind, fueled by his talent [Dual-Soul Resonance], analyzed every movement. The warrior's patterns, his feints, the slight pauses before he unleashed devastating attacks—Alex absorbed it all like a sponge.
Yet, even with this, he was barely hanging on.
Blood dripped from his wounds, soaking the tattered remains of his shirt. His left arm was sluggish, numbed by countless parries.
A fresh gash on his thigh made stepping an agonizing endeavor. But he endured. He had no choice.
"I swear, you're enjoying this way too much," Alex panted, dodging a strike by a hair's breadth.
"For a fledgling, you endure well," the warrior responded, eyes filled with intrigue. "But endurance alone is not control."
The warrior's sword shimmered, the space around it distorting. Alex's eyes widened—[Spatial Rend].
He had no time to react before a ripple of compressed space exploded outward, sending him flying.
He crashed hard, his back slamming against the ground. His lungs burned, his vision blurred, yet he forced himself to roll away as another slash nearly split him in two.
Through sheer will, he got back up. Every nerve in his body protested, but he forced himself into a fighting stance.
His talent whispered—adapt, change, grow. He had to outthink his opponent.
'He's always one step ahead. Then... I'll move unpredictably.'
Gritting his teeth, Alex changed his approach. He discarded traditional footwork, moving erratically, switching between his sword and dagger at irregular intervals.
He feigned weakness before launching surprise counterattacks. He let his wounds deceive his opponent, striking from blind spots.
And finally, for the first time, he saw the warrior's stance shift—not out of superiority, but out of acknowledgment.
"Good," the warrior said. "But not enough."
The attacks came even faster. Alex felt himself fading, his body barely keeping up. He couldn't last long.
'I need to end this now.'
He made a gamble. He took a reckless step forward, opening his guard. The warrior seized the opening, his sword thrusting forward—exactly as Alex planned.
At the last possible second, Alex twisted, allowing the blade to graze past him, sacrificing his shoulder.
Blood splattered, but his free hand moved—his dagger hooking onto the warrior's sword hilt, locking it. At the same time, he drove his sword upward with everything he had.
A second passed.
Then another.
The warrior froze. Alex's blade was at his throat.
Had he been even a second slower, alex head would've been the one on the ground.
A deep chuckle left the warrior's lips. "Impressive you pass."
A system notification rang in Alex's ears, but he barely processed it before his vision swam. His body, pushed beyond all limits, finally collapsed.
And darkness took him.