"That should be the end… right?"
Lisa looked around, breath ragged. She had expected more sohow—so grand closing mont, a flash of light, a lody declaring her victory. But all she felt was exhaustion.
Her legs ached, her armor clung uncomfortably to her sweat-soaked skin, and her body scread for rest after walking for what felt like kiloters. With nothing left to eat or use for healing she desperately looking for a way out.
Then, her shield glowed softly.
The next mont, she found herself back at the crystal city near the twin gatekeepers. The sa ones who had watched her leave now stood in quiet surprise as she passed through. Their glowing figures seed to have moved slightly to acknowledge her return.
"Interesting... You finished faster than expected," a voice called from nearby. "Your ability to survive in the Chaos Abyss is rare as only shadows remain there now."
The voice belonged to Fernus, the small winged light spirit, who appeared from thin air, radiant as ever.
"Good to see you again," Lisa said dryly. "Now let go back. I need sleep."
"Can't do that yet," Fernus replied, his tone maddeningly cheerful. "That was only the first trial. It tested your survival instincts and willpower. But next is the Trial of Purity. You must harmonize with raw mana—convert it into light elent without our aid. Only then will we know if you're truly able to use our power correctly."
Lisa's eye twitched slightly in anger.
"And the third?" she asked, already regretting the question.
"The Trial of Judgnt," Fernus said solemnly. "We spirits have watched two heroes fall, and one beco corrupted. We will not allow another to grow stronger without proving their goal matches ours. Your judgnt must be tested."
Lisa, beyond fatigued, had half a mind to slap the floating fairy out of the air. But her body refused to lift a hand.
All she wanted was to be wrapped in Logan's arms in Rosethorn's softest bed, not dragged into yet another exam.
"Relax," Fernus said, sensing her annoyance. "The second trial is passive. You'll be asleep for most of it. Now co, it's ti to prepare."
The fairy fluttered ahead, and Lisa followed, nearly dragging her feet. The crystal city stretched endlessly before her—every building identical, every path shimring with the sa ethereal glow from the crystals. She had no idea how anyone, even a spirit, could find their way through the place.
Still, she pressed on.
Eventually, the spirit led her to what looked like a temple—larger than the others, pulsing faintly with mana. Inside, it was silent. Just the two of them moved through the spacious halls, their steps echoing faintly within the eerie space that clearly wasn't designed with humans in mind.
"There," Fernus said, gesturing to the center of the chamber. "Rest on that. It will take your form and adapt itself to help you recover."
Lisa looked at the strange surface. It resembled a mirror—glassy and perfectly still—but when she touched it, the surface rippled like liquid rcury. Carefully, she lay down on it. The material didn't feel solid, nor did it seem to touch her directly. It was like floating—suspended just milliters above the surface.
And it was warm. Not in temperature, but in sensation. Her body began absorbing mana through her skin, a gentle stream that flowed directly into her core. It didn't just replenish her energy—it felt like it was healing her, reinforcing her mana core and making it stronger.
"Well then," Fernus said softly, hovering above her. "Your next trial begins now. It will take place in dreams. You will feel the raw mana either embrace you… or burn you. If it burns, the trial ends—and you will not beco a Sanctified Valkyrie. A different class will be chosen instead, one that requires less harmony with the light."
Lisa didn't respond.
Her limbs had already grown heavy. Her mind drifted, untethered from her body, lulled by the warmth and exhaustion. The last thing she heard was Fernus' fading voice.
"Now… sleep."
And with that, she was gone—sinking into the depths of the trial that awaited her in her dreams.
As Lisa slept within the Spirit Realm, outside in the material world, Silvia was busy combing through the Light Temple's ancient library. The multicolored-haired girl had initially wanted to keep an eye on Lisa, but this place felt… off. Not openly hostile, but cold and distant. Unlike most cities or kingdoms she'd visited, here she was rely tolerated—not welcod.
After skimming through volus of magical theory and light-based enchantnts, Silvia's curiosity drew her toward a different subject: the Hero Roland.
It had beco sothing of an obsession lately—this mysterious figure praised as the liberator of the world. And yet, so little was ever said about his later life. Where did he go? What did he do after the war ended? Where was he buried? The details were always vague, as if purposely hidden.
From what she had pieced together, Roland had been twenty-four at the ti of his summoning. He appeared near the Empire of Gernel current territory—at that ti it was desperate haven for humans who had escaped the clutches of vampires and demons who had overrun the lands.
It was the spirits who aided humanity back then. Though weakened and lacking the imnse power they wielded now, they had provided the materials for the ritual. In exchange, they demanded sacrifices—mana-infused blood, lives, or sothing equally costly. Magic was scarce then. The human world was on the brink.
And yet, Roland changed everything.
The ideal warrior, born of desperation and given all the power of the seven spirits, purged an entire kingdom of its vampiric and demonic lords. With the support of those who summoned him, he led the charge against chaos and oppression.
Later, he blessed each mber of his original team, possibly like Logan had blessed his creatures in a way. Silvia had discovered that those companions eventually scattered across the continent, founding their own territories—each one shaping the world in different ways.
Still, there were gaps in the records. Entire decades missing. No account of Roland's death. No record of a burial site.
Silvia sotis played with the idea that Hero Roland might still be alive. Or maybe… he'd returned to Earth. A selfish wish, perhaps, but one she clung to—just in case this world beca too much. The deaths of George and Jonathan had left deep scars on everyone even if they weren't they most liked. So students still flinched at the ntion of their nas, unsure if survival here was worth the power they were given.
"Nothing. Again." Silvia exhaled, setting down the last to. "The only place left that might hold answers is the Empire of Gernel… but that'll probably be our final stop before the great war begins."
With a quiet sigh, she returned the books to their proper places and prepared to leave. Logan had been off in the forested edges of the light temple, hunting the elusive unicorn for two days straight. He only contacted them occasionally with brief updates, but it sounded like he was close.
"Kryst, I'll need you to take my form again. I'm heading to help Logan," Silvia whispered.
If the guards of the Light Temple—who still harbored clear hostility toward Logan—realized she was gone, it could raise suspicions. A disappearance from the 'Sage' wouldn't go unnoticed. Better to leave a perfect decoy in her place.
Kryst, already prepared, gave a quick nod and began the duplication process. With just a single drop of Silvia's blood, the level 80 sli monster replicated her form flawlessly. Skin, voice, presence—down to the faint shimr of her elental aura.
Silvia handed over her actual clothing next. While Kryst could create imitation garnts, they always looked… a bit too organic. Too seamless, like her body just changed colors rather than wore fabric.
"Call if anything happens," Silvia said, handing her a book ant for kids wondering if the sli would be able to learn how to read. She then pointed to a nearby desk stacked with other texts left there to keep up an appearance.
"I will stay here... I'll even read a little." Kryst, now indistinguishable from Silvia, gave her a reassuring smile in her exact voice. The mimicry made Silvia shutter feeling her identity had been stolen.
Shaking her head in amusent, Silvia cast her teleportation array and vanished in a blink, golden light trailing behind her.
Kryst, now indistinguishable from Silvia, sat down with the beginner's to in hand. At first, she struggled. The concept of symbols forming words was still foreign to her, and her mind—more attuned to mana currents and instinct—found it tedious.
But with ti, she began to understand.
Each symbol held aning. The logic behind it all was slow to piece together, but it finally clicked.
Within the hour, she had finished the first book.
Her curiosity ignited, Kryst turned to the nearby tos piled on the desk. One after another, she read through them. Then, thinking practically, she split her body—sli replicas forming from her sides like droplets peeling from water. Each copy of her main body picked up a different book and began reading independently.
Her mind buzzed.
So many thoughts. So much to process.
But Kryst didn't mind. It was for her master. And what helped Logan—even sothing as small as reading—was always worth it.
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