Maximilian reached the starting area with the trophy in hand. At that mont, the trial ca to an end.
The view shifted once more—Maximilian was transported into the sa white void with only two chairs facing each other.
Shadow Thief, still in his black infiltration outfit, was pacing around in frustration. He looked at Maximilian with gritted teeth, his eyes full of anger, frustration... and regret. But eventually, all those complex emotions lted away, replaced by a long, weary sigh.
"You've won..." Shadow Thief said, sitting down in his chair, then looking up at Maximilian, who was walking toward the other seat.
Familiar with the process, Maximilian asked, "What do you need to do?"
This space was ant for the soul who lost in the trial to share their final wish with the victor. Maximilian didn't know whether fulfilling such requests would give him any kind of reward—but he had a feeling it would be sothing extraordinary.
"There's one thing... I want you to steal for , Mr. Graham," said Shadow Thief.
"What is it?"
"I want you to steal all the information contained in the personal computer of Luther Rook, the Chairman of the Arkadia Resources Committee," Shadow Thief said.
"Luther Rook? I think he's one of the candidates running in the City-State Governor election," Maximilian replied. He rembered seeing the na in the news—Luther Rook was indeed among the leading candidates in the upcoming election.
"That bastard..." Shadow Thief muttered under his breath. "Then... please, copy all of Luther Rook's data from his personal computer and destroy all the data he's kept there. You don't have much ti! You need to do it before the election! Please!" Shadow Thief pleaded, desperation in his voice.
Maximilian didn't know the full extent of Shadow Thief's dilemma, but stealing from Luther Rook sounded manageable enough. Especially since the request from Blood Mongoose had hit a dead end for now, and it would take so ti before he found a new lead to track down Blood Mongoose's daughter.
With a clear target and objective, Maximilian nodded. "Okay. I'll do it for you. Don't worry."
"Thank you! Thank you so much!" Shadow Thief said gratefully, just before his form began to fade—breaking apart into motes of light that slowly absorbed into Maximilian's body.
-The Second trial of the Trial of Soul Concluded -
Type: Trial by Theft
Trial Master Special Rule: No Kill
Status: Second Round - Passed
–Trial Master–
Na: Sean Brown
Villain Na: Shadow Thief
EF (Evolution Factor): Shadow Sphere
Skills/Abilities:
- Expert in Security Systems
- Mastery in Security System Bypassing
- Master Lockpicking
- Advanced Hacking Skills
- Mastery in Stealth
- Wildwalker's Wildland Knowledge
- Wildwalker's Bestiary Knowledge
-Reward-
- Full assimilation
The knowledge of Shadow Thief began assimilating into Maximilian's entire being. Although there were no mories of the trial master mixed in, all of the experience—all of the know-how, pure knowledge—was absorbed into Maximilian.
The experience, instincts, and even muscle mory from every hack and infiltration were now ingrained in him, as if Maximilian had perford those actions hundreds of tis himself.
Slowly, Maximilian adjusted to the influx of new knowledge and experience. Then... the view shifted once again.
He was back in his room... sa ti, sa place. Maximilian removed his armor and stored all of his weapons in the system storage before lying down.
"Good night," he said to the system, before drifting off to sleep.
—
Within the dreamscape, Maximilian dread of a day-long past... a past he thought he had long forgotten. As the fog of the dream slowly subsided, it revealed the scene behind it like a parted curtain. It was a mory from when Maximilian was nineteen—the ti he had just been friend-zoned by his first love, Abigail.
He managed to overco it quickly, thanks to the people he t in the MMORPG he played. Especially one girl who played as an elf in the ga—her personality and interests were similar to his own. They hit it off from the very first day, bonding over shared hobbies and conversations.
At first, Maximilian thought she was just another guy pretending to be a girl online, and he chose to humor her.
After all, there's a saying: "Everyone on the internet is a dude until proven otherwise." And that's not just a rumor but a proven fact.
How many single guys online, especially in MMORPGs, had lost rare items and hard-earned materials to digital avatars run by n laughing behind their screens at the gullible "white knights"?
Maximilian didn't plan on becoming one of those simps. He treated her as a friend—especially since she never once asked for rare items or help upgrading her gear. Their friendship progressed rapidly to the point where they decided to et offline.
Maximilian agreed. He even thought about teasing the guy when they t... but when the ti ca, instead of eting a nerdy, chubby dude, he was stunned to see a goddess-like girl.
Her blonde, almost platinum hair flowed like the finest silk. Her sapphire-like eyes looked straight at him, piercing his soul. Her milky white skin was flawless as if God had sculpted her with all His heart.
She wore a simple white dress with a bolero jacket, exuding a modest elegance that hinted she ca from a good, perhaps prominent, family.
With one look... she took his breath away.
"Hey! Are you Belenas!? Belenas the dark elf!? The dark knight who always dies in the dungeon!?" the girl asked with a goofy smile.
Her question snapped Maximilian out of his stupor.
"Ah! Yeah! That's ... and you're... that elven Priestess? Lineara? I thought you were..."
"I'm what? You thought I was so chubby nerd pretending to be a girl!?" she said, feigning shock. "Wait! Are you one of those with a heavy, niche kink? I'm sorry to burst your bubble!" she added in an exaggerated voice, pretending like she had just uncovered sothing scandalous.
"Hey! I'm straight!" Maximilian protested, which only made her burst into laughter, her voice ringing like a bell.
"Sorry, sorry, Max, I couldn't help it. You're fun to tease, you know that?" she said with a smile, patting his shoulder before extending her hand.
"I'm Eleanor. Nice to et you."
"Maximilian. Maximilian Sterling Graham. Good to see you," he replied, shaking her hand. The touch of her hand was instantly imprinted in his mind.
That day, Maximilian had a blast. It was the first ti he had spent ti with soone of the opposite sex and didn't feel any pressure. Maybe it was Eleanor's goofiness. Perhaps it was their shared hobbies... similar movies, ani, and gas.
The difference was that Eleanor liked them because they were fun and entertaining, while Maximilian liked them because he wanted to beco one of those characters—like that brooding, overpowered ninja from a popular ani. This difference led to plenty of teasing from Eleanor.
Their friendship lasted for years and slowly turned into a deeper relationship—until Maximilian was near graduation. Then, one day, during a date, Maximilian noticed Eleanor had a heavy nosebleed. The date was cut short.
Eleanor was admitted to the hospital, and Maximilian visited her often. The doctors said she had leukemia.
Her body worsened by the day... and on the day Maximilian graduated, he visited her again. This ti, Eleanor spoke to him with rare seriousness.
"Max... Let's break up."
"Wha... What!?" Maximilian was stunned. He never expected those words to co out of her mouth.
...
"Why?" he asked.
"Don't you understand? Look at ..." She gestured to herself—her thin, frail fra a far cry from the vibrant girl he had first t. "I don't have much ti left... I'm so ugly now. I don't want to ruin your youth. I—"
Maximilian gently closed her mouth with his hand, his eyes staring straight into hers, piercing her very soul.
"F*ck my youth then. There's no point in having it if you're not with ," he said earnestly, aning every word.
"You stupid simp!" she cried, protested, tears bursting from her eyes as her thin hands—almost skin and bone—hit his shoulder in frustration.
"Only for you..." Maximilian whispered, then kissed her.
It was his first kiss... given to her under the setting sun. Her dry lips t his healthy ones, disbelief shining in her eyes.
"I'll visit you again after my graduation ceremony, okay?" Maximilian said with a smile as he helped her lie back down to rest.
But... in the days that followed, when he visited again, only an empty bed awaited him.
The doctors told him she had suffered a stroke that morning and passed away. Her family had already co to collect her body.
That day... Maximilian lost a part of his soul.
If Abigail was his first love, it was unforgettable by nature. Then Eleanor was his true love, unforgettable because she had beco a part of his soul. And when he lost her... it was as if she took a large piece of his soul with her.
—
Slowly, Maximilian's eyes fluttered open, with traces of tears at the corners. The mories he had deliberately buried deep within his mind... why were they resurfacing now?
But unknown to him, another person had experienced the sa dream...
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