Chapter 59: The Second Trial #2

Chapter 59: The Second Trial #2

The sun sets quickly in Garden.

Silence fell upon the wilderness. The surroundings grew quiet, and darkness descended upon the horizon.

“Hoo, haa.”

My heart pounded fiercely. I hadn’t stopped running since earlier.

‘Where is Flora?’

I had a strangely ominous feeling.

The trial shouldn’t be that difficult based on its description alone.

What is this feeling that something contrary to my expectations will happen tonight?

‘Let’s not dawdle and finish quickly.’

I don’t know why, but the feeling is not good.

I stopped for a moment to catch my breath.

There was still quite a distance to the meeting point.

“Oh, who are you?”

A voice came from nearby.

An adventurer was looking at me with a surprised expression.

“Estel… right?”

“You’ve mistaken me. I’m not that kind of person.”

“Ah, you are. I remember your face. Wow, I’m a fan of yours. Meeting you here of all places.”

The adventurer and I exchanged awkward smiles for a moment.

“If you’re a fan, you’ll give me your badge… but you’d refuse, right?”

“Yeah. Sorry, Estel. I’m desperate too.”

“Well, I suppose so.”

The adventurer wore a troubled expression and took out the whip he wore at his waist.

“I didn’t want to do this, but…”

Shhh-

The whip cut through the air, creating a sharp whistling sound.

If I get hit by that once, my bones and flesh will separate.

‘You said you were my fan, you bastard.’

You can’t expect mercy in a survival game.

Everyone you meet is an enemy.

“I won’t kill you, but it’ll hurt a bit!”

The adventurer swung his whip.

As expected of an adventurer who reached the second trial on their own, this wasn’t the clumsy skill of a novice.

The adventurer utilized the whip’s long reach to attack from all directions, front, back, left, and right, leaving no openings.

‘No openings? That’s not right.’

I corrected my previous thought internally.

If there are no openings, I’ll create them.

Tadak-!

I dodged the whip and leaped into the air.

If there’s no space to dodge on the ground, the answer is to fly up.

“Huh? Is that right, Estel? If you jump into the air, you won’t be able to dodge anymore!”

The adventurer quickly retrieved his whip and assumed a stance to swing it again.

“I’ll shoot you down right here!”

Shhh-

The whip shot towards me like a snake.

However, I was no longer where the whip was aimed.

I stepped on the dagger I had placed in the air and used the recoil to propel myself forward.

Bang!

The adventurer’s eyes widened, as if he hadn’t expected my movement at all.

“What was that – that’s cheating – Huk.”

The adventurer couldn’t finish his sentence.

His body collapsed after receiving an elbow strike to the solar plexus.

“I didn’t know I had fans. Anyway, it was nice meeting you.”

I whispered as I passed the fallen adventurer.

He wouldn’t be able to hear me anyway, as he was already unconscious.

“I’ll take the badge.”

With this, I have four badges left.

No, finding Flora is more important than the badges.

There seemed to be some danger in this trial that I hadn’t yet grasped.

I have no basis for it. It’s just a feeling.

Others might laugh at me for being ridiculous, but…

However, since coming to this world, I’ve survived crises many times thanks to this intuition.

Shall I call it a sixth sense for detecting danger? Like Spider-Sense?

I can feel it now.

A disturbing sensation, as if a snake is opening its mouth, slowly coiling, and tightening its grip.

‘My premonition is really bad.’

The inexplicable anxiety grew stronger.

***

‘My premonition is very good.’

The priest Eden, who had arrived at the boundary of the Garden wilderness test area, looked around.

Fwoosh.

At regular intervals, pillars of magical fire stood in a circle.

It was a barrier that prevented participants within the area from leaving, and also prevented those outside from entering.

It was fortunate for Eden.

Thanks to the barrier, the search area was narrowed down.

He was spared the trouble of meticulously searching every corner of the vast wilderness.

Eden took off the rosary he wore around his neck and brought it to the barrier.

Fzzt-

The magical barrier and the rosary collided, creating sparks.

Cracks appeared on the magical barrier, and a hole large enough for a person to pass through formed.

Eden passed through the barrier without difficulty and entered.

Clang, clang-

From various parts of the test area, where the night was deepening, shouts and the clash of swords could be heard.

The trial was in full swing.

‘Where is Estel?’

Eden realized he had reached the vicinity of Lich, whom he had been pursuing.

He was almost there. All that remained was to reap the reward.

“⋯Who are you?”

A voice came from atop a tree.

Eden looked up and gazed in the direction of the voice.

“A priest? We didn’t call a priest for our trial.”

Eden did not reply.

Was he an examiner from the Adventurer’s Guild? He had no intention of seeking cooperation anyway.

What Eden was about to do now was something he couldn’t expect the Adventurer’s Guild to approve of.

“Are you mute?”

“⋯.”

“I’ll warn you. Turn back immediately and go back the way you came. Otherwise-“

Eden quietly made the sign of the cross.

‘Justicia, I will now assist you in your work. Please watch over me warmly.’

The next moment, the tree where Examiner Jack was perched was engulfed in white flames and burned.

“Wh-what!”

White flames illuminated the dark night sky, and Jack fell from the tree.

Jack couldn’t hide his bewildered expression as he threw off his burning cloak.

“You’re insane. Are you trying to provoke me!”

It was a sacrifice he had to make. Eden thought so.

Lich is skilled at disguise.

Eden knew her true face, but he couldn’t guarantee she was wearing it now.

The only certain information was that Estel was somewhere among the participants in this trial, and that was all.

Ultimately, he couldn’t pinpoint Estel cleanly.

He had no choice but to use a brute-force method, even if it was a bit extreme.

‘The easiest way to find a needle in a haystack is to burn down the entire haystack.’

If he delayed, Estel would have another chance to escape.

Eden gripped his rosary.

Fwoosh-

A blade of white fire ignited on the rosary.

“Holy Sword.”

This was a divine skill that had beheaded a dragon during his time with the ‘Hero Party’ alongside Michael.

“That skill… You, surely?”

Eden silently looked into the opponent’s eyes.

He held no grudge against this adventurer.

He didn’t even know who he was.

He was merely obstacle number 1 in front of him.

‘It’s an unavoidable sacrifice.’

As Eden approached, Jack leaped high, creating distance.

“I can’t understand it at all… Why are you attacking me, a companion of the hero? What’s your objective? I want to know the reason!”

Eden’s ears were already deaf to his words.

Lich revives even if killed.

Therefore, after killing everyone gathered here tonight, the one who revives is Lich.

It was a clear verification method for Eden, but he didn’t have the confidence to explain it in a way others could understand.

It couldn’t be helped if he was called crazy.

‘Please remember that your sacrifice is worth it.’

Justicia is with him.

Eden’s body was filled with the vitality to begin his great undertaking.

“You’ve completely lost it. You’re not making any sense.”

Jack’s pupils wavered. He shook his head, looking at Eden as if he were a monster.

“It’s too late to regret it. You will pay the price for your foolish actions!”

Jack retreated into the dark forest where trees loomed.

If I let him escape, it’ll become troublesome.

Eden aimed the Holy Sword and pursued him.

A chase like a scene from a horror movie ensued.

Swoosh-

“Kugh!”

Jack’s left arm was severed by the white flame sword and fell to the ground.

‘I don’t want to die.’

The veteran adventurer Jack’s life flashed before his eyes.

Every adventurer wonders at some point what kind of death they will meet.

But Jack didn’t know. He would be killed so futilely by the hands of such a madman.

‘At least fight back! I can’t just sit here and die.’

Defiance flickered in Jack’s eyes.

‘Bastard.’

Jack took out the crossbow strapped to his back and aimed it at Eden.

It wasn’t easy to operate the crossbow skillfully with only one arm.

‘It’s fortunate that my left arm was cut off.’

Jack pulled the crossbow string with his teeth.

Fwush-!

The crossbow bolt flew towards Eden’s face.

Eden didn’t dodge.

The crossbow bolt was blocked by a transparent barrier surrounding Eden’s body and fell harmlessly to the ground.

‘As expected, it’s not working. But…’

Jack didn’t give up and continued with a second and third crossbow shot.

By now, his teeth were stained with blood.

The pain from his severed arm, the despair of impending death, all mixed together, making his head hazy.

“⋯.”

Eden walked slowly towards him.

The prey, which had lost its ability to escape, was now just waiting to be reaped.

Bang-

Suddenly, an explosion was heard from behind.

Eden glanced in the direction of the sound and frowned.

‘Fireworks…?’

A stray arrow exploded with a bang, and a brilliant flash spread out, illuminating the night sky.

‘It’s a signal flare. It seems he wanted to inform his comrade of something.’

Jack smiled faintly, his face pale.

“Whatever it is, it won’t go entirely according to your plan.”

A signal flare with a warning meaning.

Maria would understand the meaning of the red flare.

And any participant who had paid close attention to the Adventurer’s Guild’s common signals would also notice this signal.

The trial is canceled.

If you see this signal, do everything in your power to ensure your survival.

‘Live, Maria.’

Jack quietly closed his eyes. In the corner of his vision, as it closed, he caught a glimpse of Eden raising the Holy Sword.