The Second Trial: Desperation

The knight vanished.

One moment he was there—towering, still, calm. The next, he was gone.

And then—

CLANG!

His blade came down in a vertical arc so fast it split the air like thunder.

Hundreds of deaths had sharpened my survival instincts into a weapon—one that would keep me alive.

My body didn't wait for my brain. It moved on its own, arms snapping the katana up just in time to block the strike. Sparks screamed as the blades clashed, and the force behind it sent a violent shockwave down my arms, rattling my bones like a drum.

I staggered, feet scraping against the polished marble as I was hurled backward.

But this time, I didn't fall.

I held my ground.

The knight didn't follow up. He stood there again, silent and poised, as if measuring me. His stance was loose, almost lazy—the blade lowered toward the floor, his right hand forward, his body leaning ever so slightly.

He wasn't even trying.

But I was.

I stared at him, my breath ragged. Then, instinctively, my body shifted—mirroring his stance. My blade lowered, my knees bent, my muscles coiled like a spring. It wasn't perfect; my movements were stiff, clumsy even, but it was something.

In the corner of my eye, a faint flicker caught my attention.

A translucent screen hovered in my vision, the familiar glow of a status window.

But I wasn't looking at stats. My focus zeroed in on a single line under Traits.

[Adaptive Learning]

Your rate of learning and comprehension has reached an unprecedented height. The stronger your enemy, the faster your ability to adapt and evolve in the face of overwhelming odds.

For a moment, the crushing weight in my chest lightened.

And I smiled.

A small, dangerous smile.

"...So that's how it is."

The knight shifted, barely noticeable, his burning eyes fixed on me.

And I moved too.

This time, it wasn't just survival.

This time, I was learning.

Our blades clashed again and again, the sound of steel ringing out louder each time. The pace grew faster, sharper, more vicious. Yet no matter how hard I pushed, the gap between us remained—an impossible chasm. The knight wasn't even using a fraction of his strength.

And still… thanks to my trait, the longer we fought, the more my swordsmanship evolved. Every swing, every parry, every faint movement of his blade—I absorbed it all. The more I saw, the more I mimicked, and the more natural it felt.

It was strange… almost as if the knight wanted me to grow stronger.

There was no question: he was leagues beyond me.

But these trials… they didn't seem designed to kill me or crush me. No, they were forging me into something else. Teaching me lessons I couldn't yet put into words.

After what felt like an eternity of relentless combat, the knight suddenly leapt back. His armored boots slammed into the marble floor, sending cracks spiderwebbing across it.

He thrust his blade into the ground and stood still, an unmoving colossus of black steel.

I staggered. My breath tore out of me in ragged gasps. My knees buckled, and before I realized it, I was on the ground staring up at the vaulted ceiling.

"Haaah… haaah…"

Why? Why had he stopped?

It hit me then—he was giving me time to recover. The exhaustion in my bones, in my lungs, in my mind, had been screaming at me for some time now. I simply hadn't noticed.

What a considerate knight you are…

Truly… thank you, Mr. Knight.

The things I had learned in just this short span of time were invaluable. My stats hadn't shifted much, but my movements, my technique—my very understanding of combat—had transformed.

[Swordsmanship: E- → D-]

A grin stretched across my face. This feeling… this rush of growth… it was addictive.

I didn't hesitate. I pushed myself to my feet, shoulders heavy but resolve burning in my chest. My katana pointed toward him, the blood-red blade glinting in the light.

Tilting my head slightly, I smirked, arrogance dripping from my voice.

"Let's do it again, Mr. Knight."

For the first time, the knight's fiery eyes blazed even brighter. He gripped his blade, pulling it free from the ground, and copied my stance.

Or at least… he tried to. I doubted he could match my expression

---

The storm came crashing down.

CLANG!

The knight's blade descended like a bolt of black lightning, and my arms nearly snapped from the impact. The force shoved me to my knees, marble cracking beneath me.

"Tch… damn…" My teeth ground together as I pushed back with everything I had. My katana trembled under the strain, the edge groaning as it struggled to hold against the immense weight of his strike.

He wasn't holding back anymore.

BOOM!

His knee shot forward, slamming into my stomach like a hammer. Air exploded from my lungs. My body flew backward, skidding across the polished floor and leaving a trail of blood.

Haaaah… haaaaah… My chest heaved as I forced myself up again. My fingers felt like lead around the hilt, my legs screaming in protest.

But I didn't fall.

I couldn't.

"Again…" I muttered, dragging my blade up into position. My lips cracked into a grim smile. "Show me more… Mr. Knight."

The knight stepped forward slowly this time, his boots echoing like the toll of a funeral bell. That suffocating pressure around him grew heavier with each step—an aura of death, thick and choking.

Adapt.

My eyes darted over his movements, tracing every minute detail. His shoulders were relaxed. His center of gravity low. His grip firm but not rigid.

The trait in me flared, burning hotter, sharpening every sense.

I could almost see the flow of his attacks before they came.

When he lunged forward, my katana rose instinctively—CLANG!—deflecting his strike just enough to slip past the worst of the impact. I pivoted, stepping to his side, and lashed out with a desperate slash.

CLANG!

He parried it easily, his blade knocking mine aside with casual strength. But for a moment, just a moment, I saw his head tilt.

"Haaaah… haaaaah…" My lungs burned, my body trembling like a bowstring stretched to its limit.

"You're… really not making this easy."

BOOM!

His next attack was faster. I didn't see the blade—I felt it, death rushing toward me in a cold wave. My body twisted on instinct, the edge of his katana slicing a shallow cut across my shoulder.

"Tch—!"

Pain flared, but I didn't stop. My hands tightened on the hilt, my own blade cutting upward in a desperate counterstrike.

CLANG!

The knight blocked again. Sparks showered between us, the shriek of steel echoing through the endless hall.

And yet—

Something was different.

I could feel it. The knight's movements weren't unreachable anymore. The gap was still there, but it was narrowing, inch by inch, strike by strike.

My swordsmanship pulsed in my mind.

[D- → D+]

I felt it. The weight in my arms shifting, my stance becoming more fluid, my breathing falling into rhythm with each swing.

The knight stopped for a heartbeat.

He adjusted his grip—his blade raising high, the aura of death around him intensifying until it felt like my soul was being crushed.

"…You're finally taking me seriously, huh?" I whispered, my smirk widening even as blood ran down my arm.

I raised my katana in return, mimicking his stance as best I could. My body screamed in protest, but my spirit surged with defiance.

"Good. That's what I want."

The knight's glowing eyes flared. Then—he moved.

Faster. Harder. Deadlier.

CLANG!

CLANG!

CLANGCLANGCLANG!

Each impact rattled my bones, each parry barely keeping me alive. My feet slid across the floor as I fought to hold my ground, my blade dancing to a rhythm I didn't know I could follow.

This wasn't survival anymore.

This was growth.

I will reach you.

The knight's blade came down in a devastating overhead slash. My body screamed as I twisted, the world slowing to a crawl.

I stepped in, my blade cutting upward in a perfect arc.

CLANG!

Our blades locked, sparks bursting like stars between us.

"Haaaah…" I panted, staring up into his burning eyes. "I'm not done yet… Not even close."

The knight didn't respond, but I swear—

I saw his helm nod.

And then he pushed harder, sending me skidding back again.

We locked eyes again.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then, his aura began to swell—slowly at first, then surging like a storm breaking its chains.

The air grew heavy, thick enough to crush my chest. My body stiffened under the weight, every instinct screaming at me to run, to survive.

But I didn't move.

There's still so much power in him… how incredible!