Chapter 9: The Warden’s Judgment

The Watcher in the Dark

The Sanctum was silent.

Not the quiet of an abandoned ruin. Not the stillness of a dungeon.

This was the silence of something ancient. Something watching.

Ryosuke's breath was slow, measured, but his pulse thundered in his ears.

At the far end of the cathedral-like hall, standing atop a black stone platform, was the figure that had been waiting for him.

The Warden.

It was massive—easily twice his size, clad in blackened, tattered armor, its face obscured by a shifting void-like hood.

But what caught Ryosuke's attention were its eyes.

Violet flames burned within the void, flickering with something akin to judgment.

🔹 [Entity Detected: Warden of the Forsaken]

🔹 [Sanctum Keeper – Last of the Forsaken]

"Last of the Forsaken."

That title...

Was this thing like him?

Nyx, the creature that had once tried to consume him, knelt at his side—unnaturally still. It didn't move. Didn't hiss.

Even it seemed to recognize what this thing was.

Then, the Warden spoke.

Its voice was not human.

It was layered, as if many voices spoke at once, carrying the weight of centuries.

"You have entered this place, Forsaken One."

The torches dimmed.

"But inheritance is not given. It is earned."

Trial Notification – The Challenge Begins

The Warden raised one armored hand.

🔹 [Sanctum Trial Activated]

🔹 [Trial 1: The Forgotten Blade]

🔹 [Status Window Updated]

A sharp pulse of energy rushed through Ryosuke's body.

His vision flickered—then, a holographic window appeared before him.

[TRIAL OBJECTIVE]

🔹 Trial Name: The Forgotten Blade

🔹 Objective: Survive and defeat all Forsaken Revenants.

🔹 Time Limit: 30 Minutes

🔹 Reward: ???

🔹 Failure Penalty: Permanent Elimination

Permanent elimination.

Ryosuke's fingers tightened.

This wasn't a game.

If he failed—he died.

Before he could react, a violet light flashed around him.

Suddenly—his hands felt heavier.

🔹 [Basic Equipment Assigned]

A worn longsword materialized in his right hand. The blade was dull and chipped, but it was solid.

A small iron buckler formed on his left arm.

🔹 [Trial Equipment Assigned: Worn Longsword]

🔹 [Trial Equipment Assigned: Reinforced Buckler]

His breath steadied. This was real.

Then, the world collapsed.

The Testing Grounds

The Sanctum chamber vanished.

The ground beneath him fractured—and suddenly, Ryosuke was falling.

He barely had time to brace himself before he landed hard, rolling to absorb the impact.

Pain flared in his arms, but he pushed himself up immediately.

The world around him was vast and endless, a battlefield of black stone and white mist.

Then—

🔹 [Trial 1 Opponents Summoned]

Figures emerged from the fog.

Armored beings, humanoid but unnatural, their violet eyes burning with cold fire.

🔹 [Forsaken Revenants – Executors of the Throne]

The Warden's voice echoed across the battlefield.

"Power is not for the weak. Dominion is not for the unworthy. Prove yourself, Forsaken One."

The revenants charged.

A Fight Unlike Any Before

The first one moved too fast.

Its blade whistled through the air, a downward arc aimed straight for his head.

Ryosuke's muscles screamed as he threw up his buckler—

CLANG!

The impact rattled his bones, sending a shockwave through his entire arm.

Too strong.

Too fast.

His mind worked instinctively, processing everything at once.

✔ Enemy speed—exceeds D-rank Hunter agility.

✔ Enemy strength—above human limits.

✔ Reaction time—too slow for head-on combat.

If he tried to block another direct strike, he would die.

The second revenant lunged, sword flashing.

Ryosuke's grip tightened around his own blade.

And he moved.

He wasn't a swordsman.

He wasn't a warrior.

But he was a Scrivener.

And he had spent years watching Hunters fight.

Every technique. Every dodge. Every parry.

He had seen it all.

Now, he used it.

He pivoted his stance just before impact, the revenant's sword missing him by inches. His own blade lashed out, striking at an opening—

CLANG!

The revenant blocked easily.

Its violet eyes glowed brighter.

Then it attacked again.

Faster. Stronger.

The battle wasn't fair.

And he was losing.

Adapt or Die

His breathing was ragged.

His arms felt like lead, every impact sending waves of pain through his limbs.

He had avoided most of the strikes, but some had grazed him—shallow cuts already staining his clothes.

🔹 [Warning: Life Force Decreasing]

It wasn't enough.

He wasn't strong enough.

If he kept fighting like this, he would die.

His grip tightened.

Then he remembered.

He wasn't alone.

Ryosuke's gaze snapped to Nyx, who had remained motionless, awaiting his command.

A realization hit him.

This wasn't a battle of strength.

It was a battle of dominion.

Power wasn't about brute force.

It was about control.

And the Warden wanted him to fight alone.

But he wasn't alone.

His lips curled into a sharp grin.

"Nyx," he commanded.

"Kill them."

The True Meaning of Dominion

Nyx moved.

One moment, it was beside him.

The next—it wasn't.

The shadows exploded, a flash of black chitin and violet flames as the first revenant's head was torn from its shoulders.

The second one pivoted, blade raised—

But Ryosuke was already moving.

Not attacking.

Directing.

His mind worked like a battlefield strategist, analyzing everything at once.

He wasn't the sword.

He was the hand that wielded it.

And for the first time—

He was in control.

The revenants fell one by one.

And the battlefield became his.

🔹 [Trial Progress: 53% Completion]

The Warden watched from the shadows.

Its violet gaze burned.

This was not the battle it had expected.

This was not the outcome it had foreseen.

But the battle he had expected to see.

But the outcome he had hoped for.

For the first time in centuries,

A Forsaken One had begun to rise.