[You have chosen Extreme difficulty.]
[Waves of monsters will appear. You can only stop the trial after a wave has ended.]
[Wave 1 is appearing.]
Sora remained focused as orcs appeared around him. The first wave consisted of five normal monsters, their names floating above their heads:
[Level 150 Blood Orc]
Without hesitation, he activated his buffs through his perfected [Condense] skill, channeling mana into his summoned weapon.
[T1 Soul Sledge Hammer] (Legendary, Level 120)
The plain name of the weapon was misleading, probably enough to deceive most people, but Sora had discovered its true worth.
It was a creation forged through his innate talent’s [Prestige Forge], equivalent to a legendary weapon and costing him 50 Soul Power. Although he enjoyed wielding a staff, his heavily forged body had grown so powerful that the temptation of using a hammer felt exciting. His condensed mana flowed into the hammer as he dashed toward the monsters.
Wherever the hammer swung, orcs were obliterated into bloody mist, before disintegrating into light particles as their remains vanished, leaving no trace of blood behind.
Within seconds, all the monsters were gone.
[You have earned 300 Ascension Points.]
Sora noted there was no experience or gold here. ’What a shame... No loot, no level-ups, nothing,’ he thought.
[Wave 2 is appearing.]
A dozen more Blood Orcs emerged, followed by Wave 3, and the numbers continued to grow with every wave.
By Wave 6, the enemies began to shift. [Level 150 Elite Blood Orcs] started appearing, gradually replacing the common monsters. Sora, who had been cutting through enemies effortlessly, began to feel the pressure as the elites proved far more powerful, and sturdy.
[Wave 10 is appearing.]
Sora was surrounded by 50 elites. "This is getting annoying," he muttered under his breath.
With his hammer in hand, he leapt out of the encirclement, targeting an Elite Blood Orc that was slightly far from the group. He tried to eliminate it before the others could get close. However, before he could finish the monster, the rest caught up, surrounding him once more and inflicting damage. His [Adaptive Regeneration], a passive effect from his supreme skill, kicked in, buying him time to prepare his next move. He couldn’t help but miss Kara’s [Soul Link], which usually replenished his vitality and gave him an edge in such situations.
Jumping out of the fray once more, he repeated his hit-and-run tactic on another Elite Blood Orc, keeping a close watch on the one he had already injured.
After an injured enemy hit him, and regained his health, Sora had figured out the key to these enemies—they regenerated health based on the damage they inflicted. Worse, the lower their health, the stronger they became, akin to Berserker classes he’d seen before. Even worse, the more damage they dealt to him, the more they healed themselves.
The pain was excruciating, forcing him to channel all his focus into [Peak Meditate] just to ignore a fraction of it. The skill disconnected his mind from his body enough to make the form bearable, but it also dulled his physical control.
’Kara was right, I should’ve learned [Focus] instead of [Meditate],’ he cursed, frustration boiling as he fought through the chaos in his mind.
Refocusing on the fight, Sora disappeared from his spot in a burst of speed, leaving a massive crater where he had been standing just seconds earlier.
Sora reappeared mid-air above the [Blood Orc Lord], his hammer raised above his head, glowing with an incredible aura. The orc, sensing the change in the air pressure, looked up, its massive axes slashing through the space where Sora had appeared a fraction of a second ago. But Sora’s speed was overwhelming.
’You’re dead.’
Sora brought the sledge hammer down with all his might. The impact was devastating, a massive shockwave ripping through the air as the hammer collided with the orc’s shoulder. The force shattered bone and muscle, sending the [Blood Orc Lord] crashing to the ground with a loud cry, its left arm hanging limp from the brutal blow.
Before the orc could stand to his feet or react, Sora was already moving again, his body appearing behind him. He slammed into the orc’s back, delivering a series of rapid hammer strikes breaking his bones one by one.
The [Blood Orc Lord] roared in defiance, swinging one of its axes in an attempt to push Sora away, and recover control over his body. Sora danced around the massive swings, dodging each attempt.
’I can’t let him heal... I need to finish this,’ Sora thought, his eyes narrowing as he saw the faint glow signaling the orc’s wounds slowly mending themselves.
In a hurry to end the battle, Sora channeled a surge of energy into his hammer, causing the soul weapon to pulse with raw, overwhelming power. With a burst of speed, he closed the gap in an instant, aiming a devastating strike at the orc’s chest.
But just as he was about to land the finishing strike, pain exploded through his heart. Sora coughed violently, spewing a mouthful of black blood. His vision blurred, and he could feel his strength faltering.
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!" he shouted, his frustration and anger boiling over as his body betrayed him at the worst possible moment.
The [Blood Orc Lord] seized the opportunity, swinging its massive axes with renewed fury. The brutal series of attacks smashed into Sora, sending him flying on the same wall and allowing the orc to regenerate most of its health in the blink of an eye.
’No way... this is the worst possible scenario,’ Sora thought, barely able to stand from the devastating internal and external damage . ’I’m lacking control... I still don’t know my limits...’
[You have overloaded your heart with [Lava in my Veins].]
The notification confirmed what he already knew—he had pushed his body too far, and now he was paying the price.
Sora gritted his teeth, slowing down the flow of "lava" coursing through his heart. He redirected the energy to fortify the rest of his body, boosting his endurance but reducing his offensive power in exchange.
Panting heavily, Sora steadied himself. The battle was not lost, but now he had to rely on endurance rather than brute force. He resumed his attacks, this time focusing on harassing the orc with precise strikes, rapidly chipping away at its health, taking his hopes of recovering.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the [Blood Orc Lord] let out a final roar and collapsed, its health fully depleted.
[You have earned 50,000 Ascension Points.]
Breathing hard, Sora stood over the fallen orc, who was turning into particles. ’I can’t let that happen again,’ he thought, wiping the sweat and blood from his face. ’I need to master this ability before it kills me.’