Axel's eyes fluttered open, met by an intense brightness that forced him to shield them with his hand. His skin burned under the heat as if the very air around him was set ablaze.
"Shit..." he muttered, adjusting to the sudden shift in his environment. Just a moment ago, he'd been traversing through the dark, narrow tunnel, its walls damp and sinister. Now, he found himself under an unrelenting sun, standing in what felt like an arena of death.
**[You have entered the first trial]**
**[Trial of the Aztec]**
The words floated in his vision, but before he could fully process them, another prompt appeared.
**[Kill the Boss and Clear all Holds on the Map]**
Axel blinked a few times, his vision now accustomed to the blinding light. He raised his gaze, taking in his surroundings. Vast and ancient trees loomed at the edges of the forest, their bark cracked and decaying as if they'd been left to rot in a forgotten era. The ground beneath his feet was rough and coarse, filled with skeletal remains.
And there, standing in a kill circle around him, was an army. Not of flesh and bone, but of bones alone—skeletal warriors of various shapes and sizes. They held rusted weapons—maces, flails, swords—and their red eyes glowed with malevolence, locking onto him. The sheer number was staggering. Hundreds, if not more.
"So, this is what that notification meant..." Axel murmured, eyeing the army warily. His lips curved into a small, sardonic grin. "It's been a while since I've had to clear a trial like this."
With a swift motion, he raised his hand, summoning his sword. The familiar weight of it materialized in his grasp, the gleaming edge reflecting the hostile light around him.
The moment the blade appeared, the skeleton army let out a deafening war cry, shaking the earth beneath them. They surged forward, weapons raised, each aiming to crush him.
The first attacker—a towering skeleton wielding a flail—came swinging down with tremendous force. Axel ducked under the attack effortlessly, pivoting on his heel. With a brutal elbow strike, he shattered the creature's spine, sending its bones clattering to the ground.
Before he could even exhale, another skeleton lunged at him, this one brandishing a sword. Axel sidestepped, his movements fluid. As the sword missed its mark, he shot out his hand, grabbing the creature by its skull. With a grunt of effort, he lifted the skeleton off the ground and hurled it into a cluster of its allies, sending them sprawling.
**[All your soldiers have been killed.]**
Axel stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes widening. "What?!" His voice was tight with disbelief. He whipped around, looking back the way he came, but he could already sense it. His army, his loyal Fatek, had been annihilated in a matter of moments.
"Hehehehe..." A sinister laugh echoed through the forest, sending a shiver down Axel's spine. "So you're the human who dared step into my domain?"
Axel's heart raced as his eyes scanned the dense woods ahead of him. The voice was near, yet the figure remained hidden. His instincts screamed at him to stay alert.
Then, through the shadows, he saw it. A figure emerged, slowly stepping into the light. He was tall and lean, his skin unnaturally pale, almost translucent. His long, white hair flowed down to his waist, and his pointed ears marked him as something... otherworldly.
The figure's eyes glowed an eerie white, and his bare chest gleamed under the harsh sunlight. His lips curled into a disgusted sneer as he studied Axel.
"No, you're not fully human, are you?" the figure hissed. "Half-elf, aren't you? Filthy creature."
Axel's jaw tightened. His hand instinctively moved to the hilt of his sword. "You... you're the one who killed my army?"
The pale figure wiped the blood from his lips with a languid motion, smirking as he did. "That's right. It was almost too easy."
Axel's mind raced. This being... it wasn't just powerful. It had slaughtered his army—including his generals—without him even sensing it.
The pale man inclined his head, his smirk widening. "I am Megicula, the fifth general of the Land of Hell. And you, little half-elf, are trespassing in my forest."
***Author's note***
I'm scared to check WPC results... I hope I win