CHAPTER 93: RANK II TRIAL 4

The Monarch’s final scream shattered the last ruins of Avernus into dust.

Stone, ash, and void-fire spiraled upward in a column that tore the night itself apart.

The shadow-wings collapsed inward, the abyssal ribs splintering as the emerald vines constricted tighter, until the entire monstrous frame was dragged into its own imploding core.

Then—silence.

No echo, no breath of wind. Just a hollow stillness where the city had been.

Rhys crashed down hard, Verdant Scholar still clenched in his grip, the blade’s glow guttering to faint embers. His knees struck fractured cobblestone, his lungs burning like they’d been seared from the inside.

"...Is it... over?" His voice was little more than a rasp.

Bounce limped into view, his silver mane still faintly shimmering but his body trembling from torn muscles and burns. He gave a low, stubborn growl—half pain, half defiance.

Puddle descended slowly, her halos cracked, flickering like candles struggling against the wind. Her aura of light and dark was faint now, but steady. She landed beside Rhys and extended a small hand toward him, glowing faintly with healing warmth.

[System Notice:

Boss – Monarch of Night (Calamity Incarnate)

Status: Destroyed.]

But before relief could fully sink in, another prompt followed:

[Survival Trial – Avaernus Ruins]

Status: Ongoing.

Nightfall has not yet ended. Remaining Time: 4 hours, 37 minutes.]

Rhys’ eyes widened. His hands tightened on Verdant Scholar. "Four more hours...?"

The Monarch’s final scream had ended in silence, but the silence was only a lie.

The trial was not finished.

The ruins of Avaernus shifted, broken towers groaning as though the city itself wanted to rise and fight them. From the shadows, the revenants came again. First in dozens, then in swarms—hollow-eyed soldiers with shattered armor, beasts made of bone and smoke, crawling things with too many claws. Their cries mixed into one endless chorus, filling every ruined street.

Rhys staggered to his feet, Verdant Scholar heavy in his hands, its green light guttering. His chest heaved, his body shaking, but he forced his stance straight. "Until dawn," he whispered, and looked to his companions.

Bounce stood despite his wounds, silver mane flickering like fire in a storm. Puddle hovered low, her cracked halo spinning faintly, her eyes sharp with the will to continue.

They would fight.

They had no other choice.

The first waves came in a rush.

Rhys swung Verdant Scholar, the blade pulling arcs of green across the square, cutting down revenants in wide bursts. Bounce dashed into their ranks, silver claws carving paths through bone and shadow. Puddle’s light bullets and dark tendrils weaved through the chaos, cutting down stragglers and keeping the swarms at bay.

For minutes it was manageable—until the ground itself cracked.

A hulking shape rose from beneath, dragging chains of molten iron. A knight-shaped corpse, its chest hollow and burning with black fire. Its helmet was broken, exposing a skull with fangs instead of teeth.

[Mini-Boss: Hollow Knight of Ash]

It raised its chain, slamming it across the ruins. The shockwave hurled Rhys into rubble, forcing the breath from his lungs. Bounce leapt at it immediately, claws meeting chain in a burst of sparks. The two locked in place, strength against strength, the ground buckling beneath them.

"Bounce! Hold him!" Rhys shouted, pulling himself free. He darted up the fallen rubble, leaping high.

"Scholar’s Sever!"

His blade burned green as it carved across the Hollow Knight’s arm. The chain clattered free, and Bounce tore into its chest with silver claws, ripping it apart. The knight shrieked once before collapsing into ash.

But the swarm did not slow.

Hours blurred.

A beast with a wolf’s body and a scorpion’s tail crawled over the ruins, its venom stinging like fire when it lashed. Bounce fought it tooth and claw, even when the venom burned through his skin. Rhys cut its stinger away, and Puddle sealed his wounds with a weak Gleaming Halo.

A towering priest of bone and shadow appeared, swinging a staff that sent waves of despair across the plaza, slowing their movements, making their arms feel like lead. Rhys’ teeth ground as he forced his body forward, Verdant Scholar glowing brighter with every step. He cut the staff in half, and Bounce finished the priest with a crushing blow.

Once, an entire horde of armored revenants marched in order, shields locked together like an army of the dead. They pushed forward like a wall. Rhys and Bounce slammed against them, claw and sword ringing against steel, while Puddle broke their ranks with exploding orbs of shadow and light.

Time dragged on.

Three hours left.

Then two.

Their bodies felt like they would break with every swing, every step. Blood coated Bounce’s silver fur. Rhys’ vision blurred red, his arms shaking with every strike. Puddle’s voice cracked with every spell, her halos dimming until they were little more than sparks.

Still, they fought.

Another mini-boss crawled out of the ruins: a Revenant General with four blades, each one dripping void-fire. It slashed like a whirlwind, cutting trenches into the stone. Rhys met it head-on, his own blade ringing as sparks filled the air. They traded blow for blow, the sound deafening. Bounce lunged in from behind, his claws tearing one arm free. Puddle bound its legs with dark tendrils, and Rhys finished it with a downward strike that split its skull.

Finally—

The first streaks of dawn touched the sky.

The revenants began to slow. Their screams grew weaker, their movements faltering. When the sunlight spilled fully over the ruins, the monsters froze in place.

And then—like smoke—they dissolved.

Every last one.

[System Notice:

Trial – Survive the Avaernus Night

Status: Complete.]

Rhys fell to his knees, Verdant Scholar slipping from his grasp, the blade sinking into cracked stone. He could hardly breathe. Bounce staggered beside him, collapsing with a tired growl, bloodied but alive. Puddle drifted down gently, her small hands still glowing faintly as she healed what little she could.

The city was gone. Nothing left but dust, broken stone, and silence.

But they had survived.

They had endured the night.

Rhys’s chest heaved as he sat in the ruins, sweat and blood dripping down his face. His hands shook, but he didn’t let go of Verdant Scholar.

Bounce collapsed beside him, lying on his side, his silver mane dim, his breaths rough and shallow. Yet even broken, his golden eyes were stubborn and alive.

Puddle floated lower, her small body trembling. Her cracked halos dimmed to faint glimmers, but still she pressed her hand against Rhys’s shoulder, pouring the last of her strength into him. Warmth spread through his battered frame, not enough to heal, but enough to steady.

The sky above was pale now, the endless night finally over.

Then the system spoke.

[System Notice:

Survival Trial – Avaernus Ruins

Status: Completed.]

[Rank Advancement Unlocked.]

[Congratulations!

Class: Ancient Tamer/Akashic Ruler

Rank: 2.

Levcel: 205]

Emerald light burst around Rhys, circling his body in rings of glowing runes. His veins burned as though filled with fire and ice together. His heart thundered, his mana storming through him like a river breaking its dam.

He clenched his teeth, holding on as the power tore him open—only to stitch him back together stronger. His senses sharpened. His aura expanded, pressing against the broken stones, against the air itself.

The system chimed again.

[New Trait Unlocked: Bond Resonance.]

— When fighting beside bonded beasts, all stats increase proportionally to their strength.

— Shared growth between master and beast enhanced.

[New Skill Acquired: Dominion Call.]

— Temporarily amplifies the power of all bonded beasts within range.

[New Authority Granted: Predator’s Archive II]

— Can record and analyze any monster or ancient beast encountered.

— New Function: Assimilation Notes – allows partial simulation of monster skills without needing a contract.

[New Trait Unlocked: Archive’s Reach]

— The Akashic Tome now connects directly to bonded beasts. Their growth paths and hidden evolutions can be revealed at the Ruler’s discretion.

[New Title: Keeper of Forgotten Names]

— Recognition by the Akashic Flow. Chance to uncover erased histories of monsters and ancients.

Rhys’s eyes widened as the light threads bound him to his beasts, deeper and brighter than before. He could see them now—paths unfolding like pages, skills blooming like hidden words finally read aloud.

A rush of system prompts echoed through him: new traits, new authority, new openings.

"Good..." Rhys muttered, a shaky grin tugging his lips despite the blood on them. "Good skills... good traits." He staggered but forced himself upright, leaning on Verdant Scholar. "We’ve grown again."

Bounce shook violently, silver mane flaring brighter than ever. His claws sparked with light as if the moon itself had been sharpened onto them. He roared, and new words rang clear:

[New Skill Unlocked: Lunar Fang — Condenses silver aura into a single strike that pierces even through void defenses.]

Puddle gasped, her halos no longer cracked but reforged, spinning in perfect symmetry. Her hands glowed with twin colors—white light and abyssal black weaving together in harmony.

[New Skill Unlocked: Duality Halo — For a short time, allies gain both regeneration and resistance to shadow.]

She looked at Rhys, voice trembling. "Master... it feels... like I’ve broken free of something."