Trial (3)

[Beginning the 4th trial...]

Jin's gaze locked onto the glowing system notification, his chest tightening with a sense of foreboding.

'Increase in difficulty, huh? I should've expected this,' he thought grimly, gripping the hilt of his sword until his knuckles turned white.

He had a bad feeling about this one. The system had warned him before, but now he could feel it. A tension in the air. A challenge far beyond the goblins and red goblins he'd faced before.

[Quest: Defeat 3 Lycans]

[Time: 10 Minutes]

[Reward: ???]

Jin felt his stomach drop.

'Lycans? As in Werewolves? Oh, you've got to be kidding me...'

His fingers twitched against his blade, his mind racing. Not only were the enemies stronger, but he was now working against the clock. The system was no longer giving him the luxury of time to strategize; it was forcing him into action.

'And here I was, thinking I could abuse the spawn delay trick again… No way the system will let me get away with that now.'

A bead of sweat rolled down his temple as he caught the first glimpse of a monster materializing before him. The air crackled with energy, a faint blue glow outlining the massive, forming creature.

Jin wasted no time. With a burst of speed, he lunged forward, sword raised high, aiming to strike before the beast could fully spawn.

The instant his blade descended, the Lycan's eyes snapped open.

With terrifying speed, it bared its massive fangs and caught his sword between its teeth.

Jin's eyes widened. "What the—?!"

The beast growled lowly, its yellow eyes gleaming with an almost mocking intelligence. But Jin wasn't about to let this thing overpower him. Gritting his teeth, he twisted his sword, slicing through the Lycan's gums. The monster snarled in pain, releasing its grip, and Jin seized the opportunity.

He swung again, rapid and relentless. The Lycan dodged with unnatural agility, its powerful limbs propelling it away. But Jin was faster. He pressed forward, blade flashing as he aimed for its throat.

Then he felt it.

A blinding pain tore through his back, sending him stumbling forward. His breath hitched as warm blood soaked his shirt.

He barely had time to process what had happened before a second Lycan lunged at him from behind.

'Two more already spawned?!'

His body hit the ground hard, but he rolled just in time to avoid a crushing claw swipe that embedded itself into the spot where he'd just been. He grunted, pushing himself up on shaky legs.

"Gahh!...One is doable, but three? This isn't like those goblins... They're faster, stronger, and way more durable."

The three Lycans circled him, saliva dripping from their snarling mouths, their gleaming claws flexing in anticipation of their next attack.

Jin forced himself to stay calm. Panic would get him killed.

'If this is the fourth trial, what the hell is the fifth going to be like? No wonder only five people made it this far… These things aren't normal.'

Then, he remembered something—the complimentary water bottles.

Without hesitation, he reached into his inventory and pulled one out, chugging it in seconds.

[Stamina has been restored.]

He immediately felt the difference. The burning ache in his muscles dulled, and even the bleeding wound on his back seemed to be closing at an accelerated rate.

Jin let out a breath, then… he grinned.

A slow, confident grin stretched across his face, and then a chuckle bubbled up from his throat.

The Lycans hesitated for a brief moment, sensing a shift in his aura.

"Alright, you damned bastards. You wanna jump me? Come and get me!"

With newfound vigor, Jin charged straight at them.

His focus narrowed. He locked onto a single target, feinting to the left before suddenly slamming his shoulder into the Lycan's ribcage. The beast let out a surprised yelp, tumbling backward from the unexpected force.

Jin didn't waste a second.

He whipped his sword through the air, hurling it toward the remaining Lycans. They reacted instinctively, leaping apart—only to crash into each other mid-dodge.

His blade buried itself deep into one of their throats.

[You have killed a Lycan.]

"One down. Two to go."

The moment the words left his mouth, the Lycan he had shoved recovered, launching itself at him with deadly precision. Its massive jaws aimed straight for his face.

But Jin was already moving.

He pivoted, the air whistling past as the beast's fangs barely missed his cheek.

He darted toward his sword, his fingers closing around the hilt just as the remaining Lycans lunged again.

Jin twisted, raising his blade just in time to block their claws. They pressed against him, their monstrous strength threatening to crush him into the ground. His arms trembled under the pressure.

With a growl of effort, he threw his weight to the side, twisting his body in a sweeping motion. His foot connected with one Lycan's ribs, sending it stumbling. In the same movement, he brought his sword down in a deadly arc.

His blade cleaved through the second Lycan's maw, slicing it in half.

[You have killed a Lycan.]

Jin exhaled sharply. Just one left.

The final Lycan stared at him, ears pinned back, hackles raised. It let out a snarl, baring its fangs.

Jin smirked, lifting his sword lazily. "Give up now, and I'll make your death painless."

The Lycan roared in defiance and lunged.

Big mistake.

Jin stepped aside at the last second, his sword moving in one swift, fluid motion.

A moment later, the Lycan's head hit the floor with a dull thud.

[You have killed a Lycan.]

Jin exhaled, running a hand through his sweat-drenched hair.

Then, the system notifications poured in.

[You have completed the 4th trial, becoming the 6th person to do so.]

[Completion Time: 4 minutes, 58 seconds]

[You rank #2 in time completion.]

[You have leveled up!] (x6)

[Rewards are being given...]

[+5 to all stats.]

[Ring of Life]

[Rank: Unique]

[+10 Tenacity. Grants 25% stamina and health regeneration upon use. Limited uses: (7/7).]

Jin's eyes widened.

'A healing ring that restores stamina and health? And it boosts Tenacity, too? That's insane…!'

He quickly checked his status and distributed his remaining points.

< [Name: Jin Tempest] >

-[Rank: -Nil]

-[Level: 27]

-[Class: -Nil]

[Status]

-[Skills: Sword Path]

-[Body: Fatigued]

-[Power: 46(+5)]

-[Agility: 46]

-[Tenacity: 31(+5+10)]

-[Will: 15]

Then, another notification popped up.

[Would you like to begin the 5th trial?]

[Warning: The difficulty will increase drastically. No one has moved to the 5th trial and survived thus far. Think wisely before continuing.]

Jin hesitated for only a moment before his lips curled into a determined grin.

"I've come this far. Might as well keep going."

[Beginning the 5th and final trial...]