Chapter 115: Trial of emptiness.

Chapter 115: Trial of emptiness.

Warning: gore, mentions of suicide, psychological torture through sensory deprivation.

Very heavy chapter.

---

Cold droplets of water fell to the floor of the dungeon, making quiet splashes as they impacted the cobbled tiles. I had to hold back a groan as I realised that I would be stuck in this damp shithole for who knew how long, since trials could take days in extreme cases. I had no other choice. This dungeon had been meticulously prepared for me over the past few months, ever since I told Doran that I would be tiering up at the guild. He had relayed that information to Andross, who had stuffed the dark room full of black crystals, which he assured me could help during some trials.

Somehow, he had forgotten to look for a better spot, that wasnt leaking like this room was.

Oh well. I had to admit that my frustrations were just a way for me to express the stress I was feeling at the moment. The last trial had been a true ordeal that came out of nowhere, and they were supposed to get harder and harder. Even worse, I had no idea what was in store for me.

At the end of the day, there was nothing for it. Time to begin.

TIER 2 MAX LEVEL REACHED

Advance to tier 3?

I nodded in affirmation.

Ding! Class evolution initiated....confirming background....noting behaviour....noting status....calibrating....

Ding! Commencing evolution!

Then, I passed out.

-scene transition-

I woke up to an empty landscape. No, THE empty landscape. The one I had found myself in, all alone, at the end of my last trial.

I was surrounded by white emptiness, standing on an ocean of dry, white dust. The horizon was as blank as that of the sea, with no building or sign of life in sight.

I remembered this place. This had been my end, the end of the empty path I had followed in my dream. And yet, this time, I felt in control. I could walk, run, and talk. I remembered my family, my friends and what I had achieved. This time, the trial couldnt control me... I was sure of it.

All I had to do was find out what the trial wanted, before I could move on. Maybe it would attempt to show me more sad scenes...

And so, I waited. A few hours passed, I think. I waited for something to happen, someone to appear, for something to do.

But nothing happened.

I waited a little more. A few days, maybe?

Nothing.

With no other option, I decided to start experimenting. I attempted to dig through the dust, but couldnt pierce the crust below me. Then, I tried running around, in search of anything that could help me progress. Still nothing. No matter how far I ran, everything was the same. I tried flying upwards, since I had plenty of mana to spare. Still nothing. Mental palace? Didnt work.

Eventually, I got bored and decided to continue waiting in one spot. A few more days passed. A week, a month, which eventually turned into years, possibly decades. A long time. There was no sun here, but I could see in the dark.

Still, nothing changed. Nothing changed about me, nothing changed in my surroundings, nothing changed at all.

Was this it? The end of my life? Would I forever be remembered as a kid that got stuck in a trial for eternity?

I asked myself for an answer a thousand times, but I got tired of hearing my own voice after a while.

-scene transition-

I think a few more years have passed by now. The system hasn't let me go yet. Everything feels the same. Practicing skills feels pointless; nothing changes or grows. I've tried everything, but it all feels pointless after a while, like I've been chained in an invisible prison. I'm still alone, I still can't feel anything...

My memories are becoming blurry and I think I might have forgotten my name. I know it'll come back after a while, the memories I lose don't tend to stay gone. Well, not like it matters. At this point, I've spent more time here than outside, I think.

I lifted the bowl, only to be greeted by pure darkness. I couldnt see inside, for some reason. Wasnt I supposed to be able to see in the dark? Oh well. Maybe I could sacrifice the darkness, this time.

The bowl seemed to disappear as I stepped inside. Instead, I was surrounded by pure darkness. I began to move, reaching for the walls of the bowl, but couldnt find any solid surfaces. Just pure blackness. Then, a voice came from the darkness.

Arthur? What are you doing here?

That voice... It couldnt be...

Cerion?

Arthur! Its been such a long time! Where have you been?

Before I knew it, a dark figure enveloped me in a hug. I couldnt see him, but I knew Cerion was there. Carefully, I tried to hug him back. Instinctively, I squeezed. I felt his body compress. Cerion broke and fell to the floor, dead.

Cerion? Cerion! I screamed out into the darkness. It was no use. He was gone.

I stood still in shock for a while, until I heard another voice.

Art! I finally found you!

Dad.

Youre not real, not real, not real, not real, not...

What are you muttering about, Art? Of course Im real!

I squeezed. He broke. I think I cried.

Again, I considered killing myself. Then, I considered destroying everything I came across.

But, I refused. Doing either of those would be the same as admitting defeat to the trial. I had persevered for years and survived near-endless solitude. Giving up made It all worthless.

So, I swore not to compromise with the system. I wouldnt pick any of the choices it was forcing on me.

I wouldnt sacrifice anything, anymore. I would live endlessly in this emptiness if I needed to, without breaking anything.

More voices appeared. My mom, Andross, Doran, Cerion and dad again... even little ambers bubbling. All fake. The system showed no mercy.

More and more voices, all of them I recognised. They spoke simultaneously. They tempted me, they hugged me, kissed me, loved me. I hated them. But I refused to kill them.

My fingers dug into the impenetrable crust of the big nothing, and the darkness wrapped around me like a cloak.

Days passed. Months. The voices persisted.

My fingers dug deeper and deeper into the crust.

A year passed, I think.

The voices were loud, and constant. They never seemed to give up.

My fingers dug a little deeper. Until... I felt them pierce through the crust. Finally. I squeezed. Everything around me... broke.

The voices stopped, and the darkness lifted.

I woke up on the cold, hard floor of the dungeon, tears blurring my vision.

Ding! Class evolution complete!

Assigning class....[Hollow essence knight]