Forged in battle
The clang of steel rang through the courtyard, a rhythm Eris was slowly becoming familiar with. Sir Alec's blade pressed against hers, forcing her to dig her heels into the dirt. Her arms trembled under the pressure, but she refused to yield.
"Too stiff," Alec muttered. With a sudden shift, he knocked her weapon aside, sending her stumbling. "You're bracing for impact instead of moving with the attack."
Eris swallowed her frustration and straightened, gripping her practice sword tighter. She knew she was improving—her footwork was cleaner, her strikes sharper—but it still wasn't enough. Against someone like Sir Alec, she may as well have been wielding a twig.
Alec studied her for a moment before lowering his blade. "Enough for today."
Eris hesitated, then nodded. She wasn't sure whether it was relief or disappointment curling in her gut.
As she wiped the sweat from her forehead, she caught sight of the weapon rack near the wall—rows of swords, spears, daggers, even heavier polearms. Her gaze lingered, a thought stirring in the back of her mind.
What if her weapon wasn't a sword?
Her creativity wasn't meant to match others. It was meant to make her unpredictable. If she kept training like everyone else, she'd never find her own path.
Alec followed her gaze. "You should familiarize yourself with different weapons," he said. "Even if you don't master them all, knowing their strengths and weaknesses will help you adapt."
His words stuck with her long after the training session ended.
Expanding the Arsenal
Over the next few days, Eris began experimenting. The training grounds had no shortage of weapons, and though her tutors were only neutral-rank instructors, they weren't entirely useless. They knew things others overlooked—small tricks, hidden techniques, the mechanics of movement.
One instructor, an aging spearman, showed her how to wield a quarterstaff, emphasizing its reach and speed. Another, a dagger specialist, explained how smaller weapons could exploit an opponent's blind spots.
Eris soaked in everything.
She wasn't strong enough to rely on brute force. She wasn't fast enough to dodge every blow. But she could be clever. She could switch weapons mid-fight, use terrain to her advantage, and—most importantly—shape her creativity to match her style.
That was what she lacked before: direction.
Now, she had a plan.
Her creativity training evolved alongside her combat practice.
At first, she tried summoning basic constructs—small shields, shifting patterns in the air. The more she trained, the more she realized her power wasn't about raw strength, but fluidity.
She started forming phantom weapons—not solid enough for direct impact but sharp enough to redirect an opponent's strike. A dagger that flickered away the moment it made contact, a spear that extended just long enough to keep an enemy at bay.
The creations drained her quickly, but they felt right. Like they belonged to her.
But it wasn't enough yet.
She needed to refine it. Sharpen it.
A Temptation, Then a Decision
One evening, as she rested after a brutal session, her thoughts drifted to the others—Ash, Aven, and the rest. She remembered the way they were capable during the first trial, how the rest of the crew were experienced.
They were the kind of people she could learn from.
For a moment, the idea was tempting. Seek them out. Train with them. Learn faster.
But then…
She looked at her hands. Bruised. Calloused. Stronger than before.
If she went to them now, she would be nothing but a burden.
She needed more time. She had to become something first.
Clenching her fists, she made her choice.
Not yet.
She would keep training alone.
Because the next time she stood before them, it wouldn't be as a weak, lost girl.
It would be as someone who could fight alongside them.
---
Returning to the Hub
Eris stepped into the Hub, her body aching from hours of relentless training. The faint hum of the system pulsed through the air, the endless market stretching around her in a shimmering maze of stalls and glowing interfaces.
Her steps slowed as she approached the Dungeon Crystal Terminal. She had fought once before in a trial, testing herself against the system's challenges. But now, she needed more.
More growth. More power.
Her fingers hovered over the purchase options. The basic crystal (750 coins) had given her a challenge, but it wasn't enough. Her progress was too slow.
Then, her eyes landed on another option.
[Intermediate Dungeon Crystal – 1,500 Coins]
✔ Higher difficulty
✔ Greater experience gains
✔ Improved reward quality
The decision was easy. She confirmed the purchase, feeling the weight of the crystal materializing in her palm.
"This better be worth it," she muttered. The First Wave
The moment the trial activated, the world cracked open.
The air rippled with heat, the sky bled crimson, and the battlefield stretched into a vast ruin of shattered stone and broken pillars. The ground rumbled, fissures splitting apart as shadows slithered out.
Then, the monsters came.
Not six. Not ten. Fifty.
A wave of grotesque creatures surged forward, each one twisted and unnatural—elongated limbs, gaping maws, jagged claws, and flesh stitched together from nightmares. Their glowing red eyes locked onto her, filled with endless hunger.
Eris tightened her grip on her phantom blade.
Her heart pounded. Her breath quickened.
Then— They charged.
First Blood
The first creature lunged, a beast with six arms and a mouth splitting its chest open.
Eris sidestepped at the last second, her blade flashing as she sliced through its arm. Black ichor sprayed, but the creature didn't falter—instead, it whipped its other limbs toward her.
She ducked low, spinning her blade upward— SLASH!
Its head severed, body crumpling into mist.
No time to breathe.
Two more beasts leaped at her.
She rolled backward, conjuring dual phantom spears mid-motion, then hurled them forward.
One pierced a creature's skull. The other impaled a beast through the chest.
Both dissolved into black mist.
But the horde kept coming.
Relentless Assault
A massive quadrupedal horror lunged—its clawed legs like spears, its back lined with bone spikes.
Eris threw up a barrier just as it slammed into her.
The force shattered her shield.
She flew backward, skidding across the ground, pain shooting up her spine.
Before she could react, another beast pounced from above.
She barely twisted aside, its claws grazing her arm, tearing fabric and flesh.
Blood dripped.
A sharp, hot pain burned down her shoulder—but Eris ignored it.
She lashed out with a phantom chain, snaring the creature's leg mid-air and yanking it downward.
As it crashed, she drove her sword straight through its skull.
No time to recover.
Five more were already on her.
Pushed to the Brink
Eris swung her blade, but the monsters were learning.
A shadowed beast ducked under her attack, its tail slamming into her ribs.
She staggered.
Another clawed at her thigh, forcing her down to one knee.
The third lunged for her throat.
Instinct took over.
She let go of her sword and thrust both hands forward—
Phantom spikes erupted from the ground, impaling the three creatures in an instant.
They shrieked and dissolved, but the fourth was already moving—
Eris snatched up her sword, spun— And sliced its head clean off.
Her breath came ragged. Her arms shook.
But the monsters weren't stopping.
A horrific chorus of screeches filled the battlefield.
From the ruins, twenty more creatures emerged, moving in unison.
Eris clenched her teeth.
Her energy was draining. Her limbs were screaming. Her mind was fraying.
But she wasn't done.
She wouldn't die here.
The swarm attacked.
Eris moved faster than thought.
She vaulted backward, conjuring phantom daggers and hurling them mid-air.
Three creatures fell— But the others climbed over their corpses, unfazed.
She landed, spun, and—
A massive beast slammed into her from behind.
The world tilted.
She hit the ground hard, the taste of iron in her mouth.
The creature reared back—a hulking monstrosity with blades jutting from its arms.
It swung down.
Eris rolled— but not fast enough.
A blade ripped into her side.
White-hot pain exploded.
She choked on a scream.
Blood poured down her ribs.
Her vision blurred.
The monster raised its blade again—
NO.
Something in Eris snapped.
She gritted her teeth, power surging through her veins.
Before the monster could strike, she forced her phantom constructs outward—
The ground broke apart.
Jagged spikes of phantom energy ripped through the battlefield, skewering half the swarm in an instant.
The monster looming over her froze—
And then, Eris lunged upward, driving her blade through its chest.
It screeched, body disintegrating into mist.
She staggered to her feet, clutching her bleeding side.
The battlefield was littered with ashen remains.
But ten monsters still stood.
Her vision darkened at the edges. Her limbs felt like lead. Her breathing came in short, pained gasps.
She had almost nothing left.
The monsters knew it.
They moved in slowly.
Hunting.
Waiting for her to collapse.
Eris's fingers tightened around her sword.
If they wanted her life—
They'd have to rip it from her hands.
She charged.
The first beast swiped—she ducked low and drove her blade upward, gutting it in one strike.
The second came from behind—she whirled, forming a phantom axe mid-motion and cleaving its head off.
The third lunged from the side—she twisted, her fingers forming a claw, and raked phantom talons through its throat.
Seven left.
Her body was screaming.
She ignored it.
Another beast lunged.
She didn't dodge.
Instead—she stepped into its attack, grabbing its wrist, and slammed her knee into its jaw.
A sickening crack.
She spun the monster's own momentum against it, twisting its arm, and snapping its neck.
Six.
The next two attacked together.
Eris exhaled— Summoned two phantom greatswords— And cut them down in a single arc.
Four.
The last ones hesitated.
Eris smiled, blood dripping from her lips.
She vanished in a blur.
By the time the monsters realized— Her blade was already slicing through them.
Silence
The battlefield fell quiet.
The air was thick with the scent of blood and ash.
Eris stood alone—her body covered in wounds, breathing ragged.
The trial was over.
Very quickly, she was transported back to the hub.
Looking at the familiar city in the distance, her legs buckled.
She sank to one knee.
Then, the system's voice echoed.
---
[SYSTEM REWARD CALCULATION: ERIS VALE]
✔ Enemies Defeated: 150 (Outstanding)
✔ Survival Duration: Endurance Level Reached (Elite)
✔ Skill Adaptation: Battlefield Low Level Mastery Unlocked
---
[STATUS UPDATE]
[NAME] Eris Vale
[MAGIC CLASSIFICATION] Neutral Magic – Creativity
✔[MAGIC POWER] +150 Units Increase (Battlefield Surge Bonus)
✔[ENERGY RECOVERY] +8% (Survival Adaptation Bonus)
✔ [SYSTEM RECOGNITION] Minor Growth Detected
---
[REWARDS GRANTED]
✔ Blood Coins Earned: 2,000 (Extreme Combat Bonus)
✔ New Skill: Phantom Awakening – Formless Combat Mode
✔ Title Unlocked: The Unyielding
✔ Stat Bonus: Physical Endurance +10% (Adaptive Muscle Growth)
✔ Mental Resilience Boost:Lesser Fear Resistance Unlocked
---
Eris exhaled, her body trembling from the ordeal. The system's rewards flashed before her eyes, but the searing pain in her side demanded immediate attention.
Staggering slightly, she navigated through the bustling Hub, each step a reminder of her injuries. The ambient glow of the marketplace seemed to blur as she focused on a nearby system terminal.
With a shaky hand, she accessed the system shop, her vision narrowing on the "Consumables" section. Various potions and elixirs scrolled past, but she honed in on one:
[Advanced Healing Potion – 1,500 Blood Coins]
✔ Instantly restores significant health.
✔Accelerates natural healing processes.
✔ Minor chance of temporary fatigue post-use.
Without hesitation, Eris confirmed the purchase. A vial materialized in her hand, its contents glowing with a soothing blue hue. Uncorking it, she downed the potion in one gulp.
A warm sensation spread through her body, knitting torn flesh and mending broken tissue. The immediate pain dulled, replaced by a comforting numbness. However, a wave of exhaustion washed over her—a known side effect of accelerated healing.
Eris glanced around, noting the curious stares of other adventurers. She needed rest, away from prying eyes. She quickly chose the option to return immediately and she was soon home.
She collapsed onto the bed, her body heavy with fatigue. As her consciousness faded, she couldn't help but reflect on the day's events—the brutal trial, the relentless monsters, and her own unwavering resolve.
"I survived," she whispered to herself, a faint smile tugging at her lips.
Sleep claimed her swiftly, her body and mind surrendering to the much-needed respite.