NOVPUB"Weme to the War God's Trial. Only those worthy of power shall proceed. Fail, and you will perish."
Serena tensed. "That's reassuring..."
Before theyuld react, the statues came to life, their stone bodies creaking as they stepped down onto the battlefield. Each one wielded massive weapons—blades, spears, war hammers—emitting a fierce aura of battle-hardened warriors.
Asher's lips curled into a smirk. "Finally, something interesting."
With a snap of his fingers, his Sanguine Supreme ability flared to life, blood-red energyiling around his arms. Serena tightened her grip on her Executioner Chains, her eyes glowing faintly as she activated her Elemental Mastery.
The first statue lunged. The battle had begun.
Asher sidestepped the iming strike, feeling the sheer force of the massive stone blade slicing through the air where he had just stood. The impact shattered the ground, sending cracks sprawling outward. Without missing a beat, he clenched his fist, and his Sanguine Supreme ability flared—tendrils of crimson energyiling around his arm like living veins.
"Let's see how tough you really are," he muttered.
He launched forward, his fistlliding with the statue's chest. A shockwave rippled through the air, but the warrior barely budged. Instead, its stone eyes glowed brighter, and it retaliated with a thunderous punch of its own.
Asher barely had time to raise his arm in defense before the impact sent him skidding backward. Dust and debris kicked up around him as he came to a halt.
"Tsk, sturdy bastard," he clicked his tongue.
Serena, meanwhile, leaped over another statue's swinging spear, flipping gracefully through the air. With a flick of her wrist, her Executioner Chains extended, wrapping tightly around the statue's arm. She twisted her fingers, and the chainsnstricted—cracks forming along the stone limb.
"These things don't go down easily!" she called out.
"They're not supposed to," Asher replied, his grin widening.
Instead of dodging the next attack, he let his Sanguine Supreme ability do the work. The bloodursing through his veins pulsed unnaturally, shifting, adapting. His body hardened, absorbing the impact of the statue's next punch. The force dented the ground beneath him, but Asher didn't move an inch.
Then, with a quick inhale, his blood boiled.
Crimson Overdrive.
In an instant, his speed and strength multiplied. He vanished from view, appearing behind the statue before ituld even process his movement. His palm slammed against its back—Blood Rupture.
A deep crimson glow pulsed from within the statue, and a snd later, it shattered intountless pieces.
Serena whistled. "Show-off."
"Just efficient," Asher shrugged, already shifting his focus to the next opponent.
But before theyuld advance further, the deep voice echoed once more.
"First trial… cleared. Snd trial… begins."
The battlefield trembled. The remaining statues froze before suddenly crumbling into dust. In their place, the stone tiles split open, and from the depths emerged new figures—warriors clad in ancient armor, their eyes burning with an ethereal glow.
These were no longer just statues.
They were spirits of fallen warriors.
Asher and Serena exchanged glances.
Serena smirked, tightening her grip on her chains. "Looks like the real challenge is starting now."
Asher cracked his knuckles, his blood power surging once more. "Good. I was just getting warmed up."
The spirits charged.
The snd trial had begun.
Asher lunged forward, his Sanguine Supreme ability surging through his veins like molten fire. The spectral warriors moved like shadows, their forms flickering as if phasing between worlds. Their swords, however, were entirely solid—theld steel whistling through the air as they swung at him.
He ducked under the first blade, feeling it barely graze his hair. Pivoting on his heel, he drove his fist forward, activating Blood Rupture. The moment his knucklesnnected with the ghostly warrior's chest, a burst of crimson energy exploded outward.
The warrior let out a hollow, echoing scream before its form shattered into fragments of light.
Serena, on the other hand, had already bound two of them with her Executioner Chains, the cursed links glowing ominously as theynstricted tighter. With a sharp pull, she yanked the spirits together before slamming them into the ground. They flickered and dissipated upon impact.
"Not bad," Ashermmented, sidestepping another attack.
Serena smirked. "You're not the only one who's been improving."
The remaining warriors didn't hesitate. They rushed forward with inhuman speed, their weapons gleaming under the dim glow of the trial grounds.
Asher took a deep breath, his Sanguine Supreme shifting once more. His muscles tensed, his perception sharpening. Heuld see every movement, every flicker of light in their ethereal bodies.
Then he moved.
To an outside observer, it would seem as if he had teleported. One moment he stood still, the next, he was behind one of the warriors, his arm already buried in its spectral chest. The warrior didn't even have time to react before it burst into particles of light.
Serena twisted midair, her Element Mastery ability allowing her tonjure a gust of wind that sent two spirits tumbling backward. She followed up instantly, summoning a blade of pure light and slashing through them in one swift motion.
Within snds, all the spirits were gone.
The trial grounds fell silent.
Asher exhaled, rolling his shoulders. "That was fun."
Serena let out a breath, her chains retracting. "More like exhausting."
Before theyuld celebrate, the deep voice of the trial resonated once more.
"Snd trial… cleared. Final trial…mmences."
The air grew heavy. The ground trembled beneath them as an enormous crack split the battlefield apart. From the darkness below, a massive, ominous figure began to rise.
A towering knight, clad in pitch-black armor, with glowing crimson eyes. His weapon—a jagged greatsword pulsing with dark energy.
"Face the Champion of War."
Asher's lips curled into a grin.
Serena groaned. "You just had to say that was fun, didn't you?"
The War God's Champion took a step forward. The ground beneath him shattered from the sheer weight of his presence.
Asher clenched his fists, blood-red energy surging through his body.
"Alright then," he muttered.
"Let's see how strong you really are."
The final trial had begun.
