A punch came flying like a meteor. Darian moved with agility and dodged cleanly. Right after, the Dragoness kept charging at him nonstop, throwing fists, kicks, everything she had in a head-on assault.
But... Darian dodged it all, like it was nothing.
That's because all it took was a glance at her — then, instinctively, from the tiniest changes in her eyes and body, he could already tell where the next strike would come from.
Darian had long become experienced in combat. When fighting ordinary people, those with black karma but nothing too extreme, he only relied on 50% of his senses to dodge. The rest came from his skill, honed over time. After countless fights, he could even handle someone with no karma at all. Of course, it wasn't flawless, but still...
'It's a perfect replica of Niara,' he thought, startled, as he backed away.
After several exchanges, the two of them broke apart. The Dragoness didn't charge again — she just stood there, staring at him seriously.
Because he knew Niara so well, and had been connected to her for so long, Darian could perfectly read what was going on in her mind just from the tiniest shifts in her movements, her gaze, her posture. And this illusion... it was completely identical.
"What's wrong, Dan? You gonna keep running from me forever?" suddenly, her voice rang out, tinged with resentment.
Darian's eyes went wide. It could even talk... and it copied everything he knew about her. This test was some terrifying bullshit.
She stomped her foot on the ground, furious: "Isn't it enough that you keep ignoring me and pretending you don't understand how I feel? Now you're gonna make me a complete fool too?! Fight me for real, damn it!"
Darian swallowed hard. Suddenly, she spread her wings and rushed at him again, fists clenched.
He slipped aside, but his face stayed tense.
Because after that kiss, he had already understood the pain she carried inside.
Darian wasn't stupid. He'd already realized how much he missed her... and also that he hadn't seen her, for a long time now, as just an ally. But...
He knew too well the pain of losing someone important. He knew the pain of wanting to protect and being unable to. That's why, deep inside, without even realizing it, he kept trying to avoid adding more things to his heart.
Life was too harsh, and the moment he gave in to that... the weight he carried would multiply.
"You'd rather I just be an accessory to you, you idiot?!"
"We feel everything the other feels! I know you see me as a woman. Is it fun to keep playing these games and acting like a fool?!"
He kept dodging, while Niara kept grumbling, insisting, demanding that he fight her.
Countless attacks and evasions went on nonstop.
For the first time, Darian truly thought about her deeply as he listened to those angry words. Until...
He felt unbearable pain when he saw tears welling up in her eyes. Seeing that face full of resentment directed at him was more than he could take.
In that instant, he froze.
A direct hit landed brutally. He was blown back and pain surged through him... but even so, it felt like nothing compared to what he had just felt inside.
It was all happening in his mind, so he slowly stood back up. Looking at her, he saw her serious face, stripped of any joy.
She didn't even seem like she was fighting. It was more like she was unloading her frustrations on him with her fists.
With a leap, she charged again.
But... this time, he didn't dodge.
Back in reality, Tir, Awel, and Eleri suddenly woke up.
Less than an hour had passed, but inside, that trial had lasted for days.
The three of them smiled — they had managed to win, and they could hardly believe it. Immediately, they turned to the side and saw Darian slowly opening his eyes.
The three instantly felt something was very wrong. A melancholic, depressed light was on his face.
[Calculating score...]
A green screen popped up in front of the four, each one separately. Seeing that, they focused.
"727!" Eleri roared, excited.
Awel spoke with a smile, "713."
The two turned to Tir. He nodded and said, "709."
The three looked radiant, then turned to Darian and saw him staring into nothing. In front of him, the green window was floating.
He let out a heavy sigh. He already knew that would be the result. He refused to fight against her… so he just got beaten down without reacting, for a long time until the challenge was over.
Even so, he couldn't do it. If she really faced him as an enemy and wanted to kill him, maybe… but she was only frustrated with him, throwing the raw truth right in his face.
He understood. In the past, he had been selfish and only thought about not getting hurt, but in the end he ended up hurting her deeply. The biggest proof was her attempt to mark him in their farewell. She even left her final words, telling him not to forget her.
[Calculating rewards…]
Darian read the message with a sigh. If it weren't for this test, he would've avoided thinking about that until he saw her again. But now, his mind was a mess. He wanted to see her again and apologize in person.
[Congratulations, you've unlocked the maximum reward]
Suddenly, a blue box appeared from the void right in front of him.
Darian grabbed it, still stunned. What the hell just happened?
Only then he remembered the final test back in the earth array. The creator of that array and of this world were two people who had fought alongside the Heaven's Will in that war and won. They learned everything from that person, assimilating their principles. That's why they left behind tests, to pass on similar teachings to future generations.
In that array, Darian had to kill his family. Here, he had to fight against the most important person in his heart. The foundation was the same.
Ordinary people would try to win, hardening their hearts and focusing on the result. But just like before, Darian chose that he would never do that. Scoring zero points and not fighting was, in fact, the most correct answer.
As for the three Heavenly Elemental Spirits, they were far too simple and pure. They surely had fought against Eldu, who was the one that taught them everything and probably trained them by fighting against them.
So they faced it happily, like training they thought they'd never have again. They wanted, one last time, to show Eldu that they were capable, so they gave it 200% before him. In the end, they got a great score.
Darian took a deep breath, trying to calm his chaotic mind.
'No use regretting. I gotta get out of this place fast, so I won't leave her waiting all anxious.'
He thought seriously. Then, he opened the box and looked inside…
[Maximum reward: Phantom Vow Ring]
He read the green window and then saw a small ring inside the box. It was encrusted with tiny blue celestial stones, glowing brightly.
At that same moment, outside the ruins of the Primordial Challenge, a great commotion was happening in the city.
Some figures that weren't Primordial Beasts entered the city with serious eyes.
The leader of the Primordial Beasts allowed them in, taking them to a hall where they had a long talk. By the middle of it, it was already clear: this was a huge opportunity for both sides.
"Excellent. When the seven days are over, they won't escape."