Dark Trial

Chapter Six: Dark Trial

A suffocating darkness pressed down on Theodore's chest, threatening to crush him under its weight.

His lungs burned. His body trembled.

Yet, he could not wake up.

This was no ordinary dream.

This was a memory.

But not his own.

A grand obsidian throne loomed before him, its edges lined with black flames that did not flicker. The very air trembled under the weight of malice and supremacy, as if the universe itself was afraid to breathe in this place.

Figures stood around the throne—lords of the demon continent—each one an apex predator in their own right, their eyes glinting like dying stars. And seated at the center of them all…

The Demon King.

His presence was beyond comprehension.

It wasn't just his crimson eyes, burning with an unnatural glow, nor the black veins that pulsed with power beneath his skin. It was the very concept of him.

A being that should not exist, yet ruled as the greatest authority in the demon continent.

And kneeling before him, his head bowed, was a figure Theodore recognized instantly.

Karnak.

The previous wielder of the Dark Royal Bloodline.

Or, more accurately—the dark mana that now pulsed within Theodore's veins.

"My King, the war approaches," Karnak spoke, his voice unwavering.

The Demon King said nothing at first. He merely leaned forward, resting his crimson-clawed hand against the throne's armrest. The pressure in the room doubled—a formless weight that threatened to break reality itself.

Then, he finally spoke.

"Then let it be so."

A single sentence.

But Theodore choked as an unseen force crushed his very soul.

His vision darkened.

His veins burned.

His own dark mana surged, as if trying to answer a call from something greater—

"THEODORE!"

A voice—sharp, urgent, real—cut through the suffocating void.

His eyes snapped open.

—

Reality

The moment Theodore woke up, he knew something was wrong.

The air around him was charged—unstable. Red warning sigils flickered in the training hall, casting eerie shadows on the walls.

Three legends stood at a distance, their weapons raised.

"The hell was that?!" Bryan barked, his muscles tense.

Angelica's face was pale as she clutched her staff. "Your mana—it was leaking uncontrollably. We couldn't wake you up at first, and then suddenly…"

Theodore followed her gaze—

His hand.

His right hand was pitch black, pulsing with veins of dark crimson energy.

It wasn't just a visual change. He could feel it—a foreign force, an ancient hunger, the will of something that did not belong to him.

And it was still spreading up his arm.

A new notification appeared before him.

[ Sub-Quest Activated: Dark Trial ]

Objective: Subdue the Dark Royal Bloodline.

Failure Penalty: Forced Submission to the Bloodline.

Theodore's jaw clenched.

This wasn't just a test.

This was a war for control over his own existence.

If he lost, he wouldn't just die.

He would become something else entirely.

—

Inside the Trial

The world shifted.

Theodore found himself standing in an endless black void, where the ground rippled like liquid darkness. His own breath echoed unnaturally in the emptiness.

And then—

A figure stepped forward.

Theodore's eyes widened.

It was him.

A perfect copy, but with crimson eyes burning like molten fire. His presence radiated pure abyssal energy, heavy with malice.

Unlike Theodore, this version of him wasn't resisting the dark royal bloodline.

He had embraced it.

The doppelgänger tilted his head, smiling coldly. "You think you can control what isn't yours?"

Theodore didn't answer. Instead, he focused on his own crimson energy, letting it pulse around his body.

He had no weapon.

No armor.

Nothing but his own will.

But that was enough.

Closing his eyes, he channeled Sword Qi—letting it flow through his body, condensing at his fingertips.

A crimson blade of pure energy formed in his grip, humming with restrained power.

The doppelgänger smirked. "Good."

And then, he attacked.

—

The Battle Begins

The dark version of Theodore moved first, stepping forward with terrifying speed—

CLANG!

Theodore barely blocked the first strike, their crimson swords clashing with a burst of energy that shattered the ground beneath them.

The force sent Theodore skidding back, but he regained his balance instantly.

His opponent was fast.

Too fast.

Before he could react, his doppelgänger appeared behind him, slashing with lethal precision—

Theodore twisted his body at the last second, narrowly dodging. He retaliated with a dual-blade cross slash, aiming for the throat—

[Dual Blade: Second Slash.]

The attack was flawless—but his doppelgänger dodged effortlessly, his movements eerily fluid.

"Is that all?" the dark version of him mocked.

Theodore exhaled sharply, eyes narrowing.

No hesitation.

He activated [Sword Qi: Phantom Step], his body blurring as he vanished from sight.

His doppelgänger's eyes widened. "Wha—?!"

SHING!

Theodore reappeared behind him, unleashing a devastating crimson X-shaped cross slash.

SLASH—!!

His doppelgänger barely managed to block, but the force of the impact sent him crashing into the void-like ground, creating a deep crater.

For the first time, the smirk on his opponent's face vanished.

Theodore stood over him, both blades raised. "You lose."

But his opponent only grinned.

"Do I?"

Before Theodore could react, a surge of pure abyssal energy exploded outward—

And suddenly, his opponent was gone.

No—

He had merged with the darkness itself.

The void trembled.

The air twisted.

Theodore's instincts screamed—

But it was too late.

A shadow rose from behind him—

SLASH!

Pain erupted through his shoulder as a dark crimson blade tore into his flesh.

His vision blurred.

His own blood—blackened by the corruption of the dark royal bloodline—spilled onto the ground.

His doppelgänger stood over him, expression unreadable. "You hesitated."

Theodore grit his teeth.

No.

He refused to lose.

His grip tightened on his blades. His crimson aura flared.

And this time—

He did not hold back.

—

Trial Completed

A final explosion of energy tore through the void.

The doppelgänger staggered—his form unraveling like shattered glass.

The darkness that had once fought against Theodore retreated—no longer a force of corruption, but one that now belonged to him.

[ Dark Trial Completed. ]

[ Dark Royal Bloodline Subdued. ]

Theodore opened his eyes.

He had won.

And this time, it was his will—not Karnak's—that ruled over the darkness within him.