Chapter 19 – One Strike
Kaden's consciousness reappeared in the endless void of absolute darkness.
DING!
[You have died.]
[At what point in time do you wish to revive?]
There was no hesitation this time.
"The same as last time."
He knew it was foolish. The beasts numbered in the thousands, and he was just one person—an Awakened, no less. The being clearly didn't want him to pass this test.
No. It wanted him to die.
And strangely, that aligned with Kaden's goal. Because now he understood:
To grow stronger—he had to die first.
DING! Confirmed.
[You were killed by an Awakened Black Wolf. You have obtained a trait fragment: Wolf's Instincts.]
[You have unlocked a new attribute: Perception.]
Kaden blinked in surprise. Already, on his second death, he had gained a trait fragment, and one that unlocked a whole new attribute.
"Death, can I view my profile here?"
[Yes.]
A sudden curiosity struck him.
"What happens to the outside world while I'm here?"
[Time does not exist in this space. The world outside remains frozen at the moment of your death.]
It was a strange explanation—one he didn't fully grasp. But one thing was clear: he had no time limit here.
A small, satisfied smile crossed his face.
"Show me my profile."
<<<<< Profile >>>>>
Name: Kaden Warborn
Age: 10
Rank: Awakened
Origin: Bloodsoaked Sword King (Legendary)
Titles: Child of Blood
STR: 30 → 35
AGL: 45
CONS: 50
MANA: 32
INT: 28
WILL: 8 → 50
PER: 30
Stat Points: 0
Fragments: Trait – Wolf's Instincts
Quests in Progress: 1
Death Coins: 500
Skill – Awakened:
Blood Reservoir – Every successful kill adds blood to an internal reservoir. This blood can be used as fuel—for weaponry, formation, or healing.
<<<<< End >>>>>
Kaden studied his profile closely. He had made real progress—especially his Will stat, which now stood equal to his Constitution, his previous highest.
He grinned.
"But it's still not enough."
Progress was good, but it wasn't victory. Not yet.
"Revive me, Death."
The black clock appeared again.
Click—
Everything turned blank.
"Do you accept this test?"
The voice rang out again. Kaden rose from his kneeling position.
"I accept."
"Perfect!"
"Let the test begin!"
With a clap, the test commenced once more.
But this time—Kaden struck first.
SLASH!
A sweeping red arc carved through the beasts before they could even react.
Red spears rained from above. Explosions erupted amidst their ranks. Kaden dove into the horde, Reditha flashing crimson in his hand. Each swing severed heads with precise savagery.
A hammer suddenly crashed toward him—but he ducked, instinctively.
It whooshed overhead.
He turned—an ogre.
Without a word, blood daggers formed in his hands. He stabbed deep into the ogre's legs, vaulted onto its back, and plunged Reditha into the back of its skull.
All in seconds.
Kaden moved like a predator. His new instincts were sharper, his reactions fluid.
Like a wolf—sensing danger before it even appeared.
"Oh... this brat is actually not bad," the being said, intrigued.
His skeletal wings stretched behind him, pale and still.
"He has potential."
But that was all—potential.
And the being had seen too many come and go. He'd lived too long, seen too much, to be impressed by only potential.
So, even when—after two hours—Kaden was eventually buried alive beneath a mountain of beasts, the being didn't lift a finger.
He didn't even blink.
Because in the end, potential wasn't enough.
Kaden died. Again.
...
His consciousness returned once more to the black void.
But this time was different.
This time, Death gave him silence. Space. Time.
After all, Kaden had died three times in barely five hours.
And no matter how fearless he claimed to be, no matter how much he believed in death as a companion—this was still his first time experiencing it.
And it was taking a toll.
His first death—head crushed.
His second—throat ripped out.
His third—a quieter one, much better than the first two. Just uried beneath the weight of beasts and uffocated by their flesh.
Quite nice right?
They had resorted to that only because he had killed more than half of them. They had no other choice but to do this.
It was incredible.
That wasn't failure.
That was progress. A real one.
Lying in the void, Kaden whispered his mantra:
"Death is a companion."
He repeated it.
Again.
And again.
To cope. To heal. To believe.
And slowly... he did.
His mind stabilized.
But he also knew:
"I can't afford to die again. Not yet."
A dry laugh escaped his lips. He needed time to adjust, to get used to it. He needed to rethink.
"I guess it's time to end this."
DING!
[You have died.]
[At what point in time do you wish to revive?]
"Just before he proposed the test."
This time, he revived earlier than before.
DING! Confirmed.
[You have been killed by the weight of multiple beasts. Because the killer is unknown, you gain +5 Will.]
Kaden smiled faintly.
Will was important. Very important.
It wasn't just strength. It was more than that. He would need every bit of it for the deaths yet to come.
"Revive me."
The black clock ticked.
...
"Isn't it fair to defend your home when intruders enter?"
The voice rang out again.
Kaden opened his eyes.
"Indeed," he replied softly. "I'm sorry for that."
The being blinked, surprised by the sincerity.
"But I know that being sorry isn't enough."
Then—
A bold, mad grin broke across Kaden's face.
"So I'll take one strike from you. If I survive—you let me go."
One strike.
Better than facing thousands of beasts, right?
...Right?
—End of Chapter 19—