Chapter 14: The Trial of Truth and Lies
The arena had changed.
Gone were the black monoliths and storm-lit skies of the first trial. Now, each contestant stood isolated in vast, shifting illusions—mirror realms tailored to them alone.
This was the Trial of Truth and Lies.
It didn't test strength.
It tested what came before strength: belief, memory, and the will to face who you really were.
A voice echoed across the sky, calm and cruel:
"Those who run from truth shall drown in illusion.
Those who embrace it… shall glimpse the sovereign path."
Luo Shen's Mirror World
In his illusion, Luo Shen stood before a grave.
No name. No epitaph.
Only a simple inscription:
"To the one who forgot."
The air was silent, heavy. Then—his reflection appeared.
Not in a mirror, but in the air itself. The reflection smirked—dressed in black robes trimmed with voidsilver, the same eyes, but colder… older.
"You're still pretending to be human," it said.
"Still hiding what you are. From them. From her."
The world cracked slightly.
Another memory surged—he saw a woman crying in the rain, begging someone to remember her name.
The voice of his system whispered:
"Your memories are sealed.
But each trial brings one key."
"Shall I unlock one now?"
Luo Shen closed his eyes.
"Yes."
Meanwhile – The Other Contenders
All over the globe, others faced their own truths.
In the Skyhold Empire, the prodigy from House Vaelin relived the moment he betrayed his own brother for power. He screamed as his image shattered.
In a federation military base, a high-ranking system wielder was exposed to the world for secretly colluding with demons. His downfall was livestreamed to billions.
Aria, standing in a field of starlight, saw a vision of Luo Shen. Not just his face—but his past self. Older. Wiser. Terrifying.
She fell to her knees, hand trembling.
"Why… why do I know him?"
Behind her, the stars whispered.
The Starlight Sovereign Protocol flared to life.
"He is your memory. Your vow. And your end."
Back in Luo Shen's Realm
A gate appeared before him. Behind it, shadows screamed, claws reached, and illusions tried to mimic people he once loved… and lost.
But he walked forward without blinking.
Every lie fell apart before him.
Until one truth stood alone—
A name carved into obsidian flame:
"Void Monarch… Azaryn."
He stared.
It meant something. But not yet everything.
"Name sealed. Identity: unknown. Power: incomplete," his system whispered.
"But the world now knows you are not normal. The myth begins."
Outside, the Results Came In
89% of contestants failed.
6% broke mentally and had to be removed.
4% passed… barely.
And 1 was marked as undefined.
"Contestant: Luo Shen.
Status: Unreadable. System Tier: [REDACTED]. Reward: Key of the Forgotten Star."
The world gasped.
Far Beyond, In the Demon World
The Demon King sat upon a throne of rotted time, staring at the result screen through a rift.
"He walks again. And even the stars fear him…"
"Azaryn… Your war isn't over."
He rose, shadows roaring at his feet.
"Begin the summoning. The world will remember why we feared the Void."