Chapter 27: The 500 Deaths Training

Ryo stood frozen, staring at the massive shadow that emerged from the darkness. A towering, pitch-black dragon—its eyes glowing with a sinister red light—hovered in front of him, an overwhelming presence that shook the very air around him.

"Wh-What… is this?" Ryo stammered, his heart racing as his instincts screamed at him to flee. The Shadow Dragon, level 9573, loomed over him, its wings casting a shadow that engulfed the entire area.

The system's voice rang out coldly: "This is your training, Ryo Takashi. You are required to die 500 times to complete the first phase of your development."

Ryo's eyes widened in horror. "What?! 500 times?!"

"Impossible! How the hell am I supposed to survive this at level 31?!" Ryo screamed in frustration, his hands trembling as he instinctively reached for his weapons, but his strength felt so minuscule compared to the dragon's immense power.

"You don't need to defeat it. You just need to die… 500 times." The system's voice was eerily calm, as if it had no empathy for Ryo's fear.

Ryo's mind raced. "Die… 500 times?!" He could barely comprehend the absurdity of it. He wasn't even close to being powerful enough to even scratch this beast. But there was no way out. He knew that running wasn't an option. His only choice was to obey.

The dragon let out a deafening roar, and before Ryo could even make a move, a massive wave of shadowy fire shot towards him, incinerating him instantly.

"Aahhh!"

He screamed in pain, his body disintegrating into ash in an instant. His senses faded, and he found himself back at the starting point—alive, but not for long. The dragon's monstrous form loomed once again in front of him.

Ryo gritted his teeth. "I won't be weak… I can't let this be the end!" But before he could take a step, he was hit by the same fiery blast.

The cycle began.

Ryo's mind began to warp as he died over and over.

20 deaths passed, and each time he was consumed by the dragon's flames, crushed by its massive claws, or torn apart by the ferocity of its attacks. His body came apart in every conceivable way, and yet, he would return again—each time with more understanding of the dragon's movements.

50 deaths. By this point, Ryo's sanity was starting to crack. He could barely remember what it felt like to be alive. His body was no longer his; it was just a shell, being constantly destroyed and rebuilt, with no end in sight.

150 deaths. Ryo began to observe. His mind, despite its crumbling sanity, was still sharp enough to notice the dragon's attack patterns. Each time he died, he was able to dodge slightly faster, or counter slightly better. But the gap between his power and the dragon's was still so vast.

230 deaths. Ryo was starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. He had learned the dragon's weaknesses—the subtle shifts in its attacks, the way it telegraphed its deadly breath, and the gaps in its defense. He managed to get close, landing a single scratch on its scaled hide. The dragon roared in anger, and Ryo was immediately consumed by its flames once again.

400 deaths. His body was practically beyond recognition. His mind, however, had undergone something of a transformation. The pain of the deaths had ceased to be overwhelming. Ryo was on the verge of losing himself completely, but somewhere deep within, his will to survive, to grow stronger, kept him moving forward.

Finally, after countless trials and innumerable deaths, Ryo faced the dragon one more time. This time, he didn't hesitate.

His heart pounded as he charged in, drawing on everything he had learned. The dragon's attack came, but Ryo dodged, timing his counter perfectly. With his last remaining strength, he slashed at the beast's massive body. His weapon, imbued with a strange new energy, left a visible gash along the dragon's scales.

The system's voice echoed through the air, "Training phase 1 completed. 500 deaths confirmed. Congratulations, Ryo Takashi."

Ryo fell to his knees, utterly exhausted. "Is… is it over now?"

The system responded: "Yes. The first training phase has ended. Begin phase two."

Ryo's breath was ragged as he collapsed onto the ground. The dragon had vanished, but his mind was still spinning. He had never experienced anything so grueling.