[A/N: This chapter contains heavy themes and imagery that may be sensitive for some readers.]
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"Welcome to my performance, new challenger."
A voice echoed before Alden could say anything.
It was smooth, theatrical and worst of all—pleased.
As the words faded, the crowd began to stir. One by one, their heads lifted.
Some simply stared at Alden with eyes too blank to be real yet far too human to ignore.
He activated his [Eyes Of Supreme], trying to find the one controlling them.
But there was no-one.
"Don't try to find me… little challenger. I'm merely a part of the performance myself."
The distorted voice echoed again.
Part of the performance?
Does that mean he's among the puppets?
Alden's eyes sharpened immediately.
His gaze passed through the puppets before he froze.
How? How is this possible?
All of the puppets were alive.
There was no illusion. No necromancy. Every single puppet had the same aura.
Just then, with a ding sound, the system window appeared.
[Trial Of The Third Chamber Initiated.]
[Defeat The Guardian Of Puppets]
Alden stared at the message.
That's what they called this?
He looked back at the crowd. A girl no older than seven clutched a bloodstained doll. A man with no arms stood beside her, swaying like a broken toy. None of them had spoken yet. But their eyes… they pleaded.
No cries. No screams. Just that same unbearable silence.
The silence of those who couldn't even beg for mercy.
He clenched his fists. This wasn't combat. It wasn't some lesson in willpower or strength or sacrifice.
This was butchery dressed as a trial.
He was genuinely furious. This wasn't just killing. This was a slow and silent theft of sense of self, leaving only hollow shells behind.
It was worse than death.
It was like forcing souls to watch their bodies move, suffer and kill… all while being unable to scream or sleep.
Alden's grip tightened around the hilt of his Sword of Chaos.
He had killed before. He had spilled blood for survival and even for mercy. But this… this was something else entirely.
Still, he couldn't afford to be soft.
A man came first—middle-aged, maybe forty. His hand held a small dagger. He attacked, aiming for Alden's head.
Alden ducked, his sword moved in a vertical arc, slicing through the man's neck.
Puppet or not, his eyes widened the moment the blade connected.
Only a slow and stunned silence.
Alden stepped back. He didn't want to do this. But he had to.
Immediately, other puppets surrounded him. Their individual strength was low to none… but they attacked in groups. That made it difficult.
Most importantly, unless he sliced their necks off… their attack remained relentless.
Just then from within the crowd,
A child's puppet—a little girl with a teddy bear stitched to her hand—rushed forward, knife in her palm like she'd done it a hundred times before.
Alden hesitated just for a moment as he saw Yuna—The child he failed to protect once—overlap with her figure.
The same kind of small frame. The same messy hair. The same wide eyes, searching for something no one ever gave. Googlᴇ search novel·fire.net
And in that small moment of hesitation, the blade dug into his side. He staggered, not from the pain… but the clarity.
So this was the trial.
Not just a fight. Not a puzzle.
A lesson in cruelty. In mercy.
He gritted his teeth, staring at the girl's empty eyes. She wasn't dead. Neither was she alive. She was just trapped.
Every second of his hesitation meant another second in this hell for them.
And if he died… that meant they would still be trapped here forever.
So, he knew… death was the best mercy he could give them. Only once he cleared the temple could their souls rest in peace.
"…I'm sorry for hesitating."
He whispered it just once before his hand moved. As another puppet collapsed.
The girl's puppet had vanished within the crowd once again.
He took a deep breath… then another. And he stopped feeling.
He let the [Voidheart] take over.
[VOIDHEART IS ACTIVATED STRONGLY]
The last bit of hesitation washed away with all the emotions he was feeling.
Only a chilling indifference remained on his face… as he stopped holding back.
One after another, they came. Old men, limping. Women screaming without a voice.
There was silence again.
Until, he was the only one standing...
Bodies lay across the platform, silent and still.
A single puppet kneeled before him. The little girl. The one with the teddy. Still untouched. She was the one controlling the puppets all this time.
She raised her head. Her eyes were clear. No fury. No malice. Just… curiosity.
"Why did you kill them?" she asked. "Humans hesitate. That's why they die… isn't it?"
Her voice wasn't accusing. She was just wondering.
Alden looked down at her, blood trailing from his whole body… still his expressions didn't even twitch slightly.
He didn't answer right away.
Then his cold voice echoed—
The girl tilted her head. "I just wanted to play with them."
Alden raised his blade.
The final cut was quiet.
And so was he as the [Voidheart] faded.
He was Alden again. And he was very, very tired.
He kneeled on the ground as a system notification appeared before him.
[You have defeated the Guardian of Puppets]
[Trial of Puppeteer Cleared]
Alden didn't smile. He just stared into the dark void around him.
The girl—the one who had controlled the others—she hadn't even realised what she was doing was wrong.
She was probably just another sacrifice to this damn temple. Like Elva.
The other puppets were probably also sacrifices… or maybe the challengers who hesitated.
And that… somehow made it worse.
This was the second time he understood how messed up this world truly was.
I just wanted to take a moment to talk about the bigger picture.
These trials? They're not just boss fights or puzzles. Each one carries something deeper—something quietly human beneath all the madness.
The first trial was about someone who was too kind. A woman who tried to befriend every challenger… until she realized that kindness doomed them both.
The second trial was all about deception vs. honor. A false knight, hiding poison behind noble words.
The third was a test of mercy in the face of cruelty. Not just a fight—but a choice to end suffering when the only cure was death.
These aren't random. They're shaping Alden.
Thanks for reading as always.