Chapter 32: Trial (3)

Chapter Thirty Two

Two figures moved across what seemed like a thin string that looked as though it could snap at any moment. Below them was what appeared to be a bottomless abyss whose depth remained completely unknown.

The darkness below seemed to stretch endlessly, swallowing everything within it without leaving even the slightest trace. Yet the duo knew with absolute certainty that if they fell, they would die. Perhaps what awaited them at the bottom was even worse than death.

They had no idea what might be waiting below, but the fact that the string they were walking on was incredibly thin and occasionally twisted and swayed beneath their feet was enough to make them tense. At times, it even creaked loudly, as though it were about to snap apart at any moment, causing the duo, whose lives depended entirely on that fragile string, to shudder in fear whenever they heard the ominous sound.

Yet, despite the terrifying noises, the string never broke. No matter how loudly it creaked or how violently it bent beneath their weight, it remained intact. The real danger of this trial wasn’t the string breaking in the first place.

It was the massive wind that struck them from time to time, attempting to make them lose their balance and fall to their deaths. This had already happened more times than the duo could count. Suddenly, another powerful gust of wind rushed toward them and slammed directly into Orion.

"Ugh!"

His entire body was knocked sideways, and his bones felt as though they had suddenly turned into jelly. The concentration he had been maintaining while walking along the string of life shattered instantly, causing his foot to slip off the thin surface. His body immediately began to fall.

Death seemed ready to welcome him when a hand suddenly reached forward and grabbed him. With a sharp pull, Sir Dwaine hauled him upward, dragging Orion’s body back onto the thin string. His feet barely managed to find their balance again, but he eventually steadied himself.

The duo immediately switched positions. Sir Dwaine began walking at the front while Orion remained behind, allowing his body, which had been rendered weak and vulnerable by the massive gust of wind, to gradually recover its strength.

They had already done this countless times, far more times than either of them could possibly count. It was the only reason the duo were still alive after everything they had experienced.

They relied on each other, lending one another their strength whenever necessary. When one of them fell, the other would reach out and grab his hand, helping him continue forward while the person who had fallen recovered enough strength to proceed once again.

There was no shame in relying on each other, nor was there any pride to be found in walking alone. Their only concern was surviving. Orion felt his strength gradually return as his breathing slowly stabilized and his trembling body regained control.

His steps on the thin string became steadier as well. He took one step forward, followed by another, and then another, gradually advancing farther along the dangerous path.

Unlike what most people might believe after seeing this trial, thinking that it was probably easier than the countless other trials the duo had already faced and conquered to reach this point, they would have been terribly mistaken.

Yes, there was no soul-rending pain accompanying each step, nor was there any mind-numbing agony that forced every nerve in their bodies to scream. However, that did not mean this place carried any less danger.

In fact, this trial was deadly in an entirely different way. Orion’s eyes drifted toward the dark abyss below them, and his heart shuddered at the sight. Simply looking into its terrifying depths made him feel like a newborn ant staring up at massive creatures said to feed upon entire worlds.

The comparison wasn’t exaggerated. That was genuinely how insignificant Orion felt whenever he looked into the abyss. The darkness below seemed to possess neither a bottom nor an end, and there was no visible destination anywhere within it.

It was simply an endless void waiting patiently for them to fall. The dread this abyss inspired within Orion was greater than all the other dread he had experienced throughout the several trials before this combined.

Although, even that dread still paled in comparison to what he had felt while kneeling before the being seated upon the white throne. That was the only exception. The existence of that being was something Orion couldn’t even compare with this abyss.

This trial was deadly. Whenever the massive wind pressure struck their bodies, more than 99.99% of their strength, stamina, and everything else they possessed was lost in an instant, making their ability to remain standing on the thin rope almost impossible.

One wrong step, one moment of imbalance, or even a brief lapse in concentration could send them falling into the abyss. Whatever awaited them down there must have been even worse than death.

If there weren’t two of them here to completely support each other, then this trial might very well have marked the end of Orion’s journey. Orion let out a small sigh. It felt as though several centuries had passed since he had stepped into this dungeon and entered this trial.

So much time had passed that he felt the kids must have already grown up by now. Yet, a part of his mind immediately dismissed that thought. Yes, countless decades had passed, perhaps even more than a century.

But who was to say that the flow of time inside this dungeon was the same as that of the outside world? For all Orion knew, perhaps only a week had passed in the real world. Maybe even less. Of course, that was less of a certainty and more of what he desperately hoped to be true.

Still, Orion’s gray eyes shone with cold determination. Whether centuries had passed or merely days had passed in the outside world, it didn’t change the fact that he needed to conquer this trial if he wanted to see them once more.

And that was something he would do, no matter what. With that thought firmly in his mind, he continued walking forward.

When old Dwaine fell, Orion lent him a hand, pulled him up, and took the forefront. When Orion fell, old Dwaine returned the favor, lending him a hand, pulling him up, and taking the forefront once more.

Like this, the duo continued their journey across the thin string hanging directly above the abyss. They advanced step by step, constantly helping one another whenever either of them lost their balance or strength.

Soon, they finally completed that trial as well. The moment they reached the other side, their exhausted bodies collapsed. They gasped for breath, overwhelmed by the relief of having survived yet another deadly trial.

The duo remained in a state of stasis for several long minutes as their exhausted bodies slowly recovered once more, preparing themselves for yet another deadly trial meant to unfurl their will and crush their very beings.

Eventually, Orion’s gaze moved toward the number displayed on the floor they were currently standing on. It read...

35th.

They had come a long way. They had survived several perils that most people wouldn’t even dare pray to face in their nightmares. Some of those trials had been so terrifying that the worst nightmares of ordinary people would suddenly feel like sweet, beautiful dreams in comparison.

And yet, the duo had survived them all. They had made it to the 35th floor, and even now, the road they needed to walk remained incredibly long.

They were still heading toward the 1000th floor, after all. The thought alone was enough to make everything seem hopeless, but the duo didn’t dwell on it. Instead, they relied upon the principle Orion had shared with Dwaine.

As long as our legs keep moving, we have not lost, and we will surely not lose. One step at a time. That was the key to victory.

After resting for a long while, they finally stood up. They prepared themselves as much as possible to face another nightmare, their gazes sharpening as their expressions became solemn.

Then they stepped forward to continue their trial. The moment their legs moved onto the next step, another tormenting and mind-numbing trial unfurled before them.

The duo exchanged a glance before stepping forward and walking directly into another sort of hell. By now, they had already made up their minds.

No matter what danger awaited them, they would keep pushing forward. No matter the pain, agony, terror, or fear that awaited them, they would continue moving.

As long as they weren’t dead, they would keep pushing forward. And speaking of death, this place was capable of making their lives a living hell.

It could torment them far more brutally than actual hell. It was capable of breaking them apart layer by layer, crushing their bodies, tormenting their minds, and battering their souls until they questioned their very existence.

And yet, there was one thing it didn’t seem capable of doing.

It couldn’t kill them.

That was understandable. After all, this was a trial, not an execution. Although the experience was as nightmarish as anything they could possibly endure, as long as they continued moving forward, they wouldn’t die.

They wouldn’t be erased. They would continue, suffer, break, recover, and then continue once more.

The mighty being seated upon the throne suddenly opened his eyes. A hint of surprise flashed briefly within his scarlet eyes before disappearing just as quickly.

These humans were among the few praiseworthy individuals who had challenged the Origin Trial in a very long while. The fact that they had now reached the 40th floor was enough to demonstrate just how extraordinary this duo was.

And yet, the being didn’t see them winning this trial. Not at all. The first 100 floors could be considered Level One, followed by Level Two and the levels beyond it.

With each successive 100-floor level, the hardship and impossibility increased tremendously. The difference wasn’t merely a matter of numbers. It represented an entirely different level of despair.

The duo were still only playing around within Level One. If they managed to complete Level One, then perhaps they would finally be worthy of receiving his acknowledgement.

For now, however, they had tried, but they were still not worthy.

With that thought, the being closed his eyes once more.

The dire trial continued, and the duo continued advancing through every impossibility placed before them. Over and over again, they conquered one seemingly impossible trial after another.

Trial after trial, pain after pain, nightmare after nightmare... Every single one of them pushed the duo to their limits, making them question their existence and crushing them thoroughly. Yet the fact that they continued moving forward only fueled their determination even further.

Who knew? Perhaps they really might survive all of this. Perhaps they could actually make it.

But not long after that thought crossed their minds, they encountered the next trial.

It was a trial that made every pain they had been tormented with and experienced thus far feel like beginner-level suffering.

The pain that awaited them now...

Was god-level pain.

"AAAAARGH!"

Cries of pain and agony immediately filled the air.