Sam steadied his breathing and tightened his grip, bracing himself for a fight if it ever ca to that.
The heavy fog that surrounded him made it hard to see anything beyond a faint glow, but his [Aura Radar] allowed him to sense three distinct presences standing ahead.
Sothing had fallen from the sky only monts earlier, striking the ground with a weight that sent a dull tremor through the air.
Whatever it was, it hadn’t attacked yet, but Sam kept his guard up all the sa.
He waited, still and silent, as the mist slowly began to thin.
Seconds stretched longer than they should have, each one filled with quiet tension.
Finally, the last of the haze faded, revealing what had been hidden from view.
The so-called "object" that had fallen wasn’t an object at all.
It was a massive scale, ancient and worn, its tal dark with age.
Three platforms rested atop it like balanced plates, each one perfectly level despite their weight.
And standing on each platform was a figure.
Three beings, each radiating a quiet power that made the air feel heavier, stood motionless on the great balance.
They were the monarchs of this place.
---
[The First Judge]
[Level: 95]
[Skills: Judgnt, Guilty, Innocent]
[Description: One of the three beings that makes up the monarch of this zone, they judge those they deem "guilty" and bring judgnt to them.]
---
[The Second Judge]
[Level: 95]
[Skills: Judgnt, Guilty, Innocent]
[Description: The second judge, sa as the first.]
---
[The Third Judge]
[Level: 95]
[Skills: Judgnt, Guilty, Innocent]
[Description: He’s going to judge you or sothing.]
[Hell-Mode Analysis: Doesn’t seem that strong =), let’s get rid of them.]
---
Sam studied the three with narrowed eyes.
The first thing that caught his attention was their titles.
Unlike the [Pale Monarch] he had faced before, none of these beings carried the na "monarch," even though their presence scread authority.
Maybe the Pale Monarch was simply unique, or maybe these creatures chose a different title.
Whatever the reason, the power rolling off them in steady waves told Sam that nas didn’t matter.
They were dangerous.
What bothered him more was the simplicity of their skill panels.
Each of the three possessed only the sa three abilities: [Judgnt], [Guilty], and [Innocent].
No variety, no hidden talents, at least not on the surface.
But their descriptions gave enough to make him cautious.
---
[Judgnt]
[Rank: Primordial]
[Description: The judges stand before you. They shall see all of your actions and judge you based on them, granting you a "guilty" or "innocent" title.]
---
[Guilty]
[Rank: Primordial]
[Description: You are about to regret doing everything you did, criminal.]
[Hell-Mode Analysis: We’re as guilty as one can be, brace yourself.]
---
[Innocent]
[Rank: Primordial]
[Description: The judges have decided that you are innocent, allowing you to pass without harm, and even receive a reward.]
[Hell-Mode Analysis: No chance, let’s kill them.]
---
All three abilities revolved around one concept: judgnt.
Sam lowered the panels and focused on the figures themselves.
They stood perfectly still on their separate platforms, each clad in rusty bronze armor that shimred faintly in the dim light of the zone.
Their gauntlets caught the glow like dull mirrors, and their faces were hidden behind strange masks.
They had no mouths, only the faint outline of eyes, dark streaks trailing down as if endless tears were carved into the tal.
Their forms were nearly identical, but subtle differences set them apart.
The [First Judge] carried a round bell and bore a single horn atop his head.
The [Second Judge] held a scale of his own and had two horns curving upward.
The [Third Judge] gripped a length of rope, three horns rising from his crown.
Their weapons and the number of horns were the only ways to tell them apart.
Sam didn’t care for details like that.
What mattered was the weight of their presence.
The giant scale beneath them shifted with a slow, deliberate motion, the platforms rising and falling as if responding to an unseen force.
Their combined aura pressed against him like the air before a thunderstorm, thick and suffocating.
[You will be judged now, Primordial.]
[For all the cris that you and your kind have brought to the realms.]
[And to make sure that these mistakes are not repeated.]
All three spoke at once, their voices blending into a single layered echo that filled the silent space.
Despite the overlapping tones, their words were perfectly clear.
Sam tightened his stance, refusing to drop his guard.
He was preparing to strike first when another sound interrupted him.
Ding!
[You are being judged.]
[You cannot leave this place anymore until the verdict is given, and... you might not like what happens next.]
These panels weren’t spoken by the judges.
They were system ssages.
That ant the creatures had activated [Judgnt].
Sam clenched his jaw.
As a Primordial, he doubted there was even the slightest chance he would be deed "innocent."
The outco was obvious.
A fresh panel appeared, colder and sharper than the last.
[A deep sense of DOOM overtakes your being at the thought of being guilty.]
"...Oh, shit."
The last ti he had seen a ssage like this was when he prepared to challenge the [Seventh Layer] and confront the final Forsaken Lord.
That fight had nearly killed him—and that was saying sothing, because near-death experiences were practically routine for him by now.
But this ssage felt worse.
It wasn’t just a warning.
It was a promise.
Still, Sam wasn’t the type to cower.
They weren’t the only ones capable of judgnt.
He had recently gained the [Judgnt] affinity himself, along with a unique class skill known as [Blood Verdict].
---
[This skill allows you to see the "Verdict Bar" above an opponent, to see just how guilty they are, and so of the cris they committed.]
[Attack them until the bar is full, and the skill will be able to give them "judgnt."]
---
When he first tested it against ordinary monsters and even powerful bosses, the skill hadn’t worked.
The ssage always ca back the sa: the target could not be judged.
But these three... Sam’s eyes narrowed.
This ti would be different.
"Blood Verdict," he muttered, activating the ability.
A sharp glow burst behind his eyes, a bright yellow light, the mark of his [Judgnt] affinity.
Panels flickered into existence almost instantly.
Ding!
[Do you wish to judge the "First Judge," "Second Judge," and "Third Judge"?]
A grin crept across Sam’s face.
"Bingo," he whispered.
It worked. He didn’t hesitate.
His mind confird the action without a flicker of doubt.
Whether these beings were three separate monarchs or a single entity divided into three forms didn’t matter.
The Hell-Mode analysis even offered a smug comnt.
[Hell-Mode Analysis: It IS one entity =)]
"Huh," Sam muttered, but the revelation changed nothing.
They wanted to judge him for his cris.
He would judge them for theirs.
If guilt was the currency of this battle, then the most guilty would decide the victor.
Sam’s eyes blazed brighter as the verdict bars began to fill, his stance firm and unyielding.
’Let’s judge each other, then,’ he thought, his grin sharpening into sothing cold and determined, ’And we’ll see which of us carries the greater sin.’
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