The lava lake suddenly trembled violently. Something was rising. Something unimaginably colossal. Its massive form blotted out the sun, casting a shadow over a vast area. As the molten lava was pushed aside, three enormous heads of a Cerberus emerged. Its heads were bound by gigantic iron chains, densely engraved with runes that emitted a faint bluish glow. It was the lord of this region, a monster of the Emperor rank. Terror the Hellkeeper.

  Thane swallowed hard. His entire body was probably no larger than one of its fangs. Terror drew in a deep breath, its nostrils generating a powerful suction like a small storm. It sensed a familiar scent clinging to the boy.

  “Vargan?”

  Its voice rumbled like thunder. Six massive eyes fixed upon Thane, sending a chill down the boy’s spine. Thane had never encountered an existence like this before, not even in his worst nightmares. If Vargan was a gentle and mysterious moonlight, then Terror was a blazing crimson sun filled with annihilating force.

  Terror did not immediately destroy the intruder before it. The runes carved upon the boy’s body were the Ancient Pact. The boy was a Challenger.

  “I can smell the scent of an old opponent on you, or something very similar.”

  The monster was surely referring to Hati’s scent. Thane’s body was currently stained red with Cerberus blood and dust, yet it could still recognize it.

  Thane gradually calmed down. He realized that Terror had no intention of attacking. It was strange that a being known as the ruler of this region was chained like a guard beast. Whatever it was guarding must be a dreadful secret.

  “I did meet him. Unfortunately, he is dead.”

  Terror did not reply. It already knew. It could hear the wailing of the BloodClaw wolves. In any case, it was still better than its own situation. At least Vargan had obtained freedom.

  “It has been a long time since a Challenger came here. The last one was over a hundred years ago.”

  Thane frowned. Had not SilverFang been destroyed only a few decades ago? More than a hundred years ago would have been the era of the Dark God, when Ossa was temporarily unified by Reddan.

  “Go in, boy.”

  Terror spoke in a deep voice. Few Challengers survived. Most perished beneath this lava lake. It was merely a guardian. Perhaps if Thane survived, it would find interest in speaking with him.

  “Go in… this lava lake?” Thane stared in disbelief.

  “Did your priests not tell you? Challengers come to receive the baptism of fire.”

  Thane suddenly recalled Ullar’s words. Could it be that she meant for him to immerse himself in this lava lake? Seeing the scorching heat of the molten lava, Thane instinctively stepped backward. His reason told him that jumping in would certainly mean death, yet his bodily instincts urged him to do it.

  “All children of Ossa must overcome fear, death, and surpass themselves.”

  Ullar’s words echoed in his ears. Thane hesitated between resolve and retreat. He turned his head slightly and saw the endless staircase and the strange cracks etched into the ground. His eyes narrowed in surprise. From above, those cracks looked like the claw marks of an unimaginably massive creature.

  “Be wise.”

  Thane suddenly trembled as realization dawned upon him. The Cerberus had not attacked because he was a Challenger. If he retreated now, he would no longer be one.

  The Cerberus gazed at Thane with interest. Its intelligence was no less than that of humans. It knew the boy had understood. What a pity. Thane still had not stepped onto the lower stairs. It had been a very long time since it had tasted fresh flesh. Surrounded by nothing but rock and earth, it had long grown weary.

  Thane let out a sigh. Just as Exitus had once said, the weak had no choices. The boy’s eyes reflected the crimson glow of the lava lake. Swollen bubbles expanded and burst with frightening plopping sounds. Thane slowly walked toward the edge of the lava lake. His movement caused the Cerberus to lose interest.

  “Another reckless fool.”

  Terror sighed. It did not believe Thane could survive. It only regretted losing a fine meal. In its view, those who jumped into the lava were all fools. Since the end was death, dying by its hand would at least be much gentler.

  The heat rising from the lava scorched Thane’s skin. This sensation was far more intense than before. Fear enveloped the boy. Thane had never considered himself brave. Everything had always been within his calculations. Everything could be resolved with knowledge and experience. But faced with this situation, there was nothing left to calculate. Only those who overcame fear could be called brave.

  “Retreating means certain death, but jumping in still leaves a chance to live.”

  Thane clenched his teeth. His fists and every muscle in his body tightened. A simple act like jumping had become unbearably difficult today. His body felt as heavy as a mountain, unable to move even slightly. Veins bulged across the boy’s face, his complexion flushed red. Then, with a dull splash, Thane finally sank deep into the searing lava lake.

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  The part of his body that touched the lava first was rapidly burned away, then melted. His senses were gradually erased. There was no scream, no sound. All noise vanished the moment Thane jumped in. In that instant, it was pain beyond comparison. Yet Thane was fortunate enough to retain his consciousness. Consciousness was the key to survival.

  At that moment, the runes on his body began to glow, resonating with the chains binding the Cerberus. A portion of its power was siphoned away, transmitted through the iron chains and into the lava lake.

  “Impossible. He is just a boy. How can he remain conscious under such pain? Graooo.”

  Terror roared in fury. Its voice shook the entirety of Infernic. The surrounding volcanoes erupted, the ground trembled, and every Cerberus within range knelt in fear. Its power was being drained once more.

  Thane could see himself as transparent. The runes were reshaping his melting body. Flesh and blood vessels were slowly reconstructed by a strange source of energy. Sensation returned to the boy, naturally including pain and torment. The true trial had only just begun. Once again, consciousness was the key to survival.

  The disturbance in Infernic spread outward, affecting even the town of Siver. The townspeople knelt in terror, praying and begging Enesur for protection.

  Leaning on her staff, Ullar gazed toward the distant HellHowl Mountain. She knew Thane was undergoing the trial.

  “The runes you carved for the leader seem different from what you taught me,” Rin said curiously. She had already noticed the difference in the blessing runes. Judging by the current upheaval, she believed it stemmed from those strange runes.

  “They are the Ancient Pact. A type of rune that has existed since long ago. It will protect the boy from Terror’s fangs and awaken the true power of SilverFang.”

  Ullar clasped her hands in prayer. There was something she did not tell Rin. The mortality rate of those who undertook this trial was extremely high. She did not want the girl to worry. From Rin’s eyes, she could see hope.

  “The badge will not be wrong.”

  Ullar shook her head, dispelling her doubts. The light of the badge had faded along with its last master during the Dark God battle. Since then, through several generations of clan leaders, none had ever been acknowledged by it. What they possessed was merely a lifeless piece of metal.

  “The boy will surely succeed.”

  Thane was now in a delicate state of balance. He struggled to maintain consciousness at the brink of collapse. Thane knew that if he closed his eyes at this moment, he would likely never awaken again.

  Physical pain tormented him every second. The protective runes flickered and gradually dimmed. Newly formed flesh once again disintegrated. Thane was losing consciousness, sinking into a deep stupor. The serenity of his mind and the lightness of his body made him unwilling to wake.

  …

  Thane opened his eyes and found himself in a military camp. Around him, soldiers were training intensely for the upcoming battle between Hesmor and Golden.

  “This is the camp at Hesmir.”

  Thane was dazed. Had he just experienced another terrible nightmare? It felt so real.

  He swung the greatsword in his hand. This was the weapon Exitus had custom made for him. It helped him train his abilities and control his power when necessary.

  In his dreams, he wielded this sword with perfect mastery, slaying countless monsters, even using it to sever someone’s limbs. Thane’s pupils contracted as he tried to recall something, but the images were hazy.

  “You look unwell, Thane.”

  A boy’s voice sounded behind him. A boy with deep eyes filled with intellect. With his hands clasped behind his back, the boy walked slowly over and studied Thane carefully.

  “It is nothing, Teacher. Just a nightmare,” Thane said, shaking his head.

  Perhaps he had endured too many nightmares lately, causing reality and illusion to blur together. Thane no longer knew which was real and which was a dream.

  Exitus smiled strangely. The pitch black pupils in his eyes slowly rotated. Everything around Thane began to twist unnaturally. Space shattered like fragments of glass.

  “Was it truly just a nightmare, Thane?”

  Thane jolted in fear, staring straight into Exitus’s eyes. Memories surged back, images growing clearer and clearer. Even the searing heat and agony were amplified countless times.

  “Wake up, Thane.”

  “Wake up and face your trial.”

  …

  The SilverFang emblem on Thane’s body released thick black smoke. It revealed its true form as a thin page covered in strange dancing symbols. What Exitus had given Thane from the very beginning was never a true emblem. It was merely the incarnation of a page from Madenes’s book.

  Nightmare energy enveloped Thane and pulled him back into reality. The runes on his body shone with blinding intensity. Flesh and bone were reconstructed once more at an astonishing speed. Thane no longer felt pain. Instead, a strange comfort washed over him, like a moment of transcendence.

  His skin was pale and smooth. The runes were imprinted upon it like faint, illusory tattoos, nearly invisible unless closely examined.

  Thane now felt his body brimming with power, strength surging through every fiber of muscle. He leapt out of the lava with a long roar. Fire elements gathered and danced around him. Every shackle was shattered. Mana surged through every cell of his body.

  Boom.

  Boom.

  Boom.

  Thane’s level quickly reached the peak of Warrior. With only the comprehension of an Ultimate Skill, he could easily break through to Warlord and rapidly advance toward Battle King.

  “So this is mana.”

  With the seal gone, beyond his terrifying physical strength, Thane could now use mana. Mana gathered in his palm. He threw a powerful punch into the air, producing a thunderous explosion.

  As Thane reveled in his joy, the black page floated out of the lava lake and hovered before him. Its authority was gone. The page gradually disintegrated into countless tiny black specks.

  “Thank you, Teacher.”

  Thane bowed deeply until the page completely vanished. He knew that his success was thanks to Exitus’s help.

  At that same moment, at a mysterious spatial coordinate within The First Place, deep inside the Abyss, Exitus sat with closed eyes upon his throne. Nightmare power swirled around him. More than half of his body had transformed into an Abstract Body. Once the transformation was complete, Exitus would become a powerful demigod.

  Suddenly, the Book of Madenes within his mind trembled. Exitus sensed something and smiled in satisfaction. He took out a glossy black feather. It slowly disintegrated, bearing witness to the conclusion of a pact from the past.

  “One soul in exchange for one life.”

  “Our pact is complete.”

  Exitus opened his profound eyes and gazed into the distance, as if seeing a boy bowing his head in deep respect. The boy was growing, becoming stronger, taking his first steps on the path toward becoming a great hero.

  “Until the day we meet again, Thane. Until the day we meet again.”

  Exitus once again sank into a deep slumber. Black energy enveloped everything, devouring both light and sound.

  "This boundless source of nightmare energy… where did it come from?"

  “Perhaps only Madenes knows.”