Amidst the darkness, an ancient yet rusty voice pierced through my senses.
[Welco, young one.]
[You are one of the countless few who stumbled upon to carry the greatness of His Sovereign.]
[Are you prepared to face the trial and endure the hardships to inherit the glorious legacy of your predecessor? But before that, let remind you…]
"Yes, I am!" I replied confidently.
[To gain sothing, you must sacrifice sothing. You might achieve the legacy, but you might lose sothing precious, sothing that might be an impeccable part of your life.]
[So, what is your choice?]
The words planted a seed of caution in my mind, making wonder just how much things would differ from the original content. But the thought waned imdiately.
This wasn't a playable event; it was a backdrop.
[Are you ready?]
For my survival and my goal, I need to toughen up.
"YESSS!"
I shouted, mustering every ounce of courage.
[Then, good luck, young challenger.]
[May the odds be ever in your favor.]
SWOOSH!
_____
"HUH!"
My eyes opened on their own and I found myself standing on a mound of parched land.
[Pass through the desert to reach the other end.]
"A desert…" I muttered, confused by the sudden shift.
I had expected a fighting scenario or sothing akin to a dungeon boss ga, but this threw off a bit.
The landscape stretched on endlessly—a barren wasteland of cracked earth and sun-scorched stone. No shade, no water, no sign of life.
The air felt heavy, and hot, pressing down on like a smothering blanket. I took a deep breath, the taste of dust settling on my tongue, and forced myself to move forward.
I rubbed my hands a bit but paused when a sudden realization struck .
"My storage ring. It isn't there."
My senses sharpened, and panic set in. I patted myself down frantically, searching my body. Sweat poured down crazily as I wrestled in the hot parched weather.
"Damn it. I will have to brave the desert without water or food."
The weight of the challenge dawned on heavily.
This was a hell mode of a task, especially since I had no idea where to go, which direction to look for, or how vast this desert truly was.
Every instinct scread for to turn back, but I knew the only way out was to cross the desert.
I looked up, glancing at the rising sun.
"That should be East. My best bet is to go that direction." With that conclusion, I strode forward, following the call of the sun.
______
"I never thought that a day would co where I would miss Man in the Wild… or regret not paying closer attention to it."
They say the first few hours are the easiest. Just keep walking. Keep one foot in front of the other. Don't stop. Don't think too hard. And most of all, don't give up.
Till now, I haven't spotted a single creature nor even a patch of vegetation.
The sun blazed rcilessly overhead, an unblinking eye watching as I stumbled forward. I started feeling the thrill of the challenge pushing on, but as ti dragged on, that thrill faded, replaced by only a bone-deep exhaustion.
My throat was dry and parched to the point that pain flared with every breath, and the sun's relentless heat sapped what little strength I had left.
Every few minutes, I had to check my bearings, make sure I was still on the faint trail—an almost invisible line in the sand marking that hinted at the path I had co from.
But every ti I looked down, the ground seed to ripple, twisting the trail into patterns that made second-guess my steps.
"Haa…Haa…" I gasped, covering my face as a sudden gust hit my face with a layer of dust. My lungs felt like they were set on fire and filled with sand.
I had no idea just how long I had been walking, stumbling through this endless trail like a clown.
'Should I give up?'
Then I heard it. A faint voice drifting on the hot wind, soft and coaxing.
I froze.
The voice was hauntingly familiar, a sound that stirred sothing deep inside —an old mory I couldn't quite place.
[Co back,] it whispered. [This isn't worth it]
"Who… who are you?" I shouted, spinning around wildly.
I turned again and again, searching for the source of the voice, but all I saw were endless dunes and the howling wind.
Shaking my head, I blinked rapidly, trying to clear the sound from my mind. It had to be an illusion—a trick. The trial was testing , trying to pull off course. I kept moving, forcing myself to ignore the voice, even as it grew louder, more insistent.
[Co back,] it repeated.
[You don't have to do this alone.]
[It's aningless. You aren't seeking power; you are throwing away your life.]
"Who is this?"
[It's , Lukas… your inner voice. Just like you were, I am now trapped in your soul, forced to watch every action of yours while you suffer.]
[Just as you did for the past 17 years.]
"No, it isn't possible," I shrieked, my voice cracking with hysteria.
"Inner voice… You are dead. This… this is bullshit."
[No, it's not. Believe . Give up.]
"Really?"
For a mont, my eyes lost their shine and my knees bent a bit, relaxing my body. My mind teetered on the edge of surrender.
"Give up… Can I really give up?"
[Of course you can.]
[A single trial can't decide your future.]
"You are right," I murmured, the faint seed of doubt taking root.
"I should let it go," I murmured with a faint realization and opened my lips to speak but then I jolted up.
'NOOOO!'
'Sothing is stirring my mind.'
"Shut the fuck up."
The voice tugged at , stirring mories of comfort, warmth and a sense of safety I hadn't felt in years. For a mont, I almost believed it. I could turn back. I could be safe.
I clenched my fists, nails digging into my palms, and then scratched my face. The pain and burning sensation woke up.
"No," I muttered, gritting my teeth. "This is just the beginning. I understand now—this is a trial of testant."
As I realized sothing, the voice faded, leaving a deep, hollow silence that seed to seep into my very bones.
"Close… I can feel it…"
_____
The heat oppressed relentlessly as I continued to stumble forward, feeling my legs grow heavier with each step. The landscape around blurred, shifting under the relentless heat, and I struggled to keep my mind focused.
Ti felt strange here, stretched thin and twisted until I couldn't tell just how long I'd been walking. Hours? Days? The sun never moved, frozen at its peak, never moving, never relenting.
Night never descended. I hoped, no I prayed to the Goddess of Night to have a glimpse of night cause with the descent of night, I can finally get rid of this unbearable, searing heat.
It was so hot and I was sweating too much. I even pondered about tearing my clothes and walking naked but it might prove deadly so I persisted just the way I was.
That's when I felt it…
An unbearable itch that clawed at my throat, a burning need for water.
The itching thirst to drink sothing, to soothe the burning throat.
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