Chapter 22 – A Moment to Reflect
Kaden sat atop a tree, back resting against the rough bark, eyes closed. His breathing was steady, calm.
If someone saw him right now, they might think he was asleep.
He wasn't.
His mind was moving—fast, sharp, brutal. Replaying everything he'd just gone through. The wolves. The vines. The dungeon. Nocthar. Death.
Every moment.
Every mistake.
Every time he fucked up.
He was dissecting it all.
What could I have done better? What was unnecessary? Which mistakes cost me my life—literally?
And the answer?
"Too many," Kaden muttered.
Way too many.
So many wasted movements. Too much hesitation. In his first fight with the wolves, he'd lost focus—fixated on just one target and forgot the others. That moment of tunnel vision almost killed him.
It did, actually.
And then again in the dungeon—trying to fight multiple beasts with no plan, no rhythm. Just swinging and surviving. He wasn't ready. Not even close.
He gritted his teeth.
He was still just an Awakened.
Still a newbie.
The only real thing he had mastered was his sword slash. A single perfect move he could perform no matter how broken his body was.
Cool.
But not enough.
"Not even close," he muttered, his fists tightening.
He needed more—more techniques, more instincts, more strategy. He needed to understand the art of combat at its root. Not just fight, but dominate.
He needed to master war.
And for that… who better to learn from than the ones who lived in it? Who were born in it?
"Then it's settled," he said aloud, "I'll ask my parents."
His clan was a blood-soaked legacy of warriors. War was their religion. If there was a way to learn fast, to shape himself into something real—it would start there.
Still, despite everything this trial exposed, it also broke something else.
His fear.
Kaden was no longer afraid of death.
No longer afraid of failure.
No longer chained to his past.
He had accepted who he was now. Fully. Completely. Death wasn't a punishment. It wasn't even an escape. It was an ally. A dark companion that walked beside him on this path.
And once he made peace with that…
Something shifted inside him.
A man who doesn't fear death is terrifying. But one who uses death to grow stronger? To steal your power and keep coming back?
That's something the world hadn't seen yet.
But it would.
DING!
[You have completed your quest: First Trial.]
[Your performance has been excellent.]
[You have faced death, acknowledged it, and made it a friend. You have battled thousands of beasts and improved with each encounter. You have survived an attack far beyond your current comprehension.]
[…You were, hardworking.]
[Rewards: 900 Death Coins | 50 Stat Points.]
Kaden's lips curled into a smirk. It wasn't arrogant—it was satisfaction. The deep, personal kind you only get after crawling through hell and coming out stronger.
Rewards were nice. But it was the proof that mattered.
Proof he was improving.
Proof he was worth it.
And that proof? It was addictive.
The more he tasted this power, this growth, the more he wanted. The more he needed.
He was starting to become obsessed.
And that was fine.
Because obsession was the only thing that got people far in this world.
"I'll take the compliment, Death," Kaden said, eyes still closed.
[I am simply honest.]
Kaden chuckled. "Yeah, sure. You were probably programmed to sound cool again, right?"
[…]
"Thought so," he sneered.
"Show me my profile."
<<<<< Profile >>>>>
Name: Kaden Warborn
Age: 10
Rank: Awakened
Origin: Bloodsoaked Sword King (Legendary)
Titles: Child of Blood
Trait: Corrosive Blood
STR: 35
AGL: 45
CONS: 65
MANA: 42
INT: 38
WILL: 90
PER: 30
Stat Points: 50
Fragments: Wolf's Instincts
Death Coins: 2000
Skill – Awakened:
Blood Reservoir: Every successful kill adds blood to your internal reservoir. This blood can be used as fuel—form, weapon, or recovery.
<<<<< End >>>>>
Kaden scanned the screen silently.
So much had changed. He had a Trait section now, even his first fragment. His stat sheet was miles away from what it was when he entered the trial.
I'm starting to look like someone dangerous, he thought, a grin tugging at his lips.
"If this keeps up, I might get addicted," he whispered.
But he knew better.
Constant death, with no pause in between, would eventually break him.
It wasn't about fear.
It was about the mind. The human brain wasn't built to die and come back over and over without cracking.
But Kaden… was no ordinary human.
"Put twenty into Will," he commanded. "Then ten in Strength. Ten in Mana. Ten in Intelligence."
His priorities were clear.
Will came first.
Because with a strong enough Will stat, he could hold himself together. Not just resist pain—but ignore it. Not just endure fear—but erase it.
Will didn't just make you survive.
It made everything else fade. Doubt. Panic. Pain. All turned into background noise when your mind locked in.
Will was control.
And control over your own mind?
That was power no weapon could match.
If you could tell your brain when to fear, what to feel, and how to respond—not the other way around—you'd already won the hardest war.
The war against yourself.
Kaden exhaled softly as he felt the stat boost take root. His thoughts cleared. His body pulsed with new power. His mana expanded like lungs finally filled with air.
A faint mist of energy escaped his mouth.
He stood up, bones popping, tendons flexing beneath his skin.
He cracked his neck.
"Time to go back home."
—End of Chapter 22—