Chapter 12: The Thousand Trial
The sky above Sector 10 fractured into a pulse of red.
Kael felt it before he saw it—an unnatural lurch in the air pressure, a hum of energy that passed through his bones like a low, silent scream. He shot to his feet, Kureha already in hand, senses sharpened.
Then came the flare.
The Beacon flame, once a soft blue glow in the heart of the rooftop safe zone, erupted into crimson fire. Not flickering. Not fading.
Burning.
> [SYSTEM ALERT – GLOBAL PRIORITY QUEST INITIATED]
Warning: Failure to comply will result in permanent deletion.
New Objective:
Report to Designated Rally Point: Sector 14 – Tower Spire Grounds
Time Limit: 2 Hours
Penalty for Noncompliance: DEATH
Reward: Continued Existence + Eligibility for Advancement
"There is no opt-out. This is your war now."
Kael's jaw tightened.
The quest window didn't close.
It hovered in his HUD like a brand, every word etched in red. There was no confirm button. No map. Just a direction marker that glowed like blood in the air.
"…So that's how it is."
He didn't wait. He gathered what little rations he had left, slung his gear into the side pouch, and vaulted over the rusted railing of the rooftop. His boots hit gravel. Then he ran.
---
The journey to Sector 14 was longer than expected — winding roads, collapsed highways, scavenged barricades. He passed by dead zones where the system had gone dark entirely, as if reality was losing power. Along the way, he noticed something he hadn't before:
Others.
Survivors.
A trio sprinted past him across a rusted footbridge — all armed, one limping, another dragging a second sword in each hand. They didn't stop. Didn't speak. Only glanced once at Kael's crimson marker before vanishing into the trees.
At a ruined junction, Kael saw another lone fighter — a woman in bone-white armor, soaked in blood, riding a dirtbike through a broken church window. Her HUD shimmered like his.
They were all going the same way.
All drawn by the same threat.
> Time Remaining: 1:23:16
---
By the time Kael reached Sector 14's outer wall, there were dozens already gathering.
It was a graveyard of rust and asphalt — the ruins of a stadium, now converted into a massive staging area by system architecture. Glowing walls of light sectioned off the battlefield. Drones hovered silently, scanning every player that arrived. The checkpoint here was massive, anchored into what remained of the old Spire's stone base.
Kael slowed, then stepped into the scan ring.
> [Identity Confirmed: Kael Draven – Ronin Class – Rank #8,917]
Mental Clarity: 7
Ash Memory: 9%
Directive Status: ACCEPTED
"Await further instructions. Trial initiation begins shortly."
Kael looked around.
There were more than a hundred others here already — fighters, scouts, mages, machines. Classes he didn't recognize. People who looked too clean to be real, and others who looked half-mad from surviving too long alone.
And they were staring back.
Some muttered. Some ignored him.
But one approached.
A tall man in scorched armor, carrying a halberd wrapped in barbed wire. His HUD flared briefly with his name and class:
> Player: Darius Vale – Juggernaut Class – Rank #6,201
"You the solo Ronin?" he asked, voice like gravel. "Heard one of you cut down a Broodguard without backup."
Kael nodded slightly, eyes never leaving the halberd.
"I did what I had to."
Darius snorted. "Then you're either brave or suicidal. Let's hope it's the right one."
---
Ten minutes later, the system darkened the sky with artificial clouds. Then came the directive:
> [MANDATORY GLOBAL QUEST – STAGE ONE INITIATION]
The Thousand Trial
Objective: Slay 1,000 Ogres
Classification: Tier-Black Mass Cull
Each Player Must Contribute to Progress
Failure to Slay a Minimum of 1 Ogre Every 3 Hours = Death
Final Target: 1,000 Global Ogre Kills
Time Limit: 48 Hours
Reward: Global Rank Evaluation Boost + Class Advancement Unlock
Kael didn't even have time to process it before the battlefield cracked open.
The stadium floor shifted — replaced with a massive, tiled expanse that stretched for kilometers. Glowing system sigils lined the ground.
And from those sigils, the ogres emerged.
Huge. Brutish. Covered in bones, spikes, tribal paint. Some carried axes the size of cars. Others wore the skulls of beasts like helmets.
> [Ogre – Tier: Corrupted Elite – Lv. 10–15]
Traits: Berserk, Fire Resistance, Regenerative Hide
Weakness: Precision Piercing (Neck, Underarm, Spine)
Danger Rating: RED
The first kill came quickly.
A sniper-type player exploded an ogre's head from three hundred meters out. The system flared:
> [Kill Count: 1 / 1000]
Then chaos erupted.
Players scattered. Some formed squads instantly. Others went rogue.
Kael stood at the edge of the staging field, watching the bloodshed unfold. Darius was already in the fray, laughing like a madman while smashing his halberd into a charging ogre's kneecap.
Kael unsheathed Kureha.
The katana shimmered, as if it too sensed what was coming.
"Alright," he muttered. "Let's see how far this goes."
He dashed into the melee.
---
📊 Kael Draven – Status (End of Chapter 12)
> Level: 9
Class: Ronin (Unique)
Checkpoint: Sector 14 Beacon – Stadium Hub
Wounds: None
Mental Clarity: 7
Ash Memory: 9%
Reputation: 2
CP: 122
EXP: 90 / 1200
World Rank: #8,917
Skills & Techniques:
Draw Cut Lv. 1 (Sync: 24.0%)
Iaido Step Lv. 1
Reflex Trace Lv. 1
Phantom Draw Lv. 1
Perks:
Edge Memory
Keen Edge
Swarmbane
Nest-Culler (Title Perk)
New Quest:
The Thousand Trial –
> Kill at least 1 Ogre every 3 hours
Global Goal: 1,000 Ogre kills
Time Limit: 48 Hours
Penalty: Death
Status: Forced to Fight. No More Retreats.