The very first thing Sam did after seeing the three gates ahead of him, each bearing a different symbol, was target the one in the middle.
The one with the chained door.
The moment he understood that the two side gates represented individual trials, and that clearing them would unlock the main path, he had an idea.
With a sharp glare and a firm grip on his [Primordial Sword], Sam stepped up to the center gate and swung down with all his might at the two corrupted chains coiled tightly around it.
The sound echoed like metal grinding against something far beyond steel.
But the chains didn’t even scratch.
It was as if his slash hadn’t even existed.
Nothing. Just pure resistance.
[Such an idiotic attempt.]
A panel appeared before him once more, dark purple and marked with the star-shaped [Titan’s Mark].
The voice of the [Roaring Titan] practically oozed with mockery.
Sam clicked his tongue.
"Guess I should’ve known..." he muttered under his breath.
If this place truly functioned on game-like rules, then brute force wouldn’t solve everything, —not even with his strength.
Even a [Forsaken] Rank awakener likely couldn’t bypass these rules.
These weren’t just chains. They were the laws of the sub-layer itself.
Rules that couldn’t be bent or broken, no matter who you were.
So Sam turned his attention to the other two gates.
The one on the left had the symbol of a dragon’s head carved into its arch.
Sam narrowed his eyes.
’More of those damn things? I guess the Titan doesn’t only have one pet dragon after all...’
The right gate, on the other hand, bore a different symbol entirely, an ominous skull with a ticking clock in its mouth.
He didn’t dwell on it. Not yet.
He took a step toward the left gate, his crimson aura flickering around his body as he walked.
Then, without hesitation, he passed through the veil of darkness beyond, ready for whatever the titan tried to put on his path.
[You have entered the "Dragon’s Trial"]
[Defeat the monsters that will appear before you to complete it.]
When he stepped out the other side, Sam immediately recognized the environment.
The same dead plains of gray grass and a starless sky. Same terrain as before.
Except now, the three gates had vanished, and above him—
He heard wings. Massive ones.
Sam looked up and spotted them. Three enormous silhouettes circling in the air.
Dark scales. Twisting horns. Glowing purple eyes. Three dragons.
The moment they spotted him, they dove down like comets, slamming into the ground with earth-shaking force.
Dust erupted everywhere, and when it cleared...
Sam found himself face-to-face with three [Roaring Dragons].
Their eyes, pulsing with corrupted light, locked on to him.
He sighed and muttered to himself. "Aw, shucks."
[Roaring Dragons (Boss)]
[Description: Loyal pets of the Roaring Titan, they live only to serve and please their master.]
[Hell-Mode Analysis: Three of them? So we’re cleaning up all the Titan’s pets now, huh? =)]
Sam grinned and positioned his primordial sword while all the dragons faced him.
With a flick of his wrist, he activated one of his skills: [Forsaken Clone].
Three pulses of shadow, chaos, and void aura flickered around him before converging.
A clone of Sam materialized at his side, identical in form, its crimson eyes glowing with malice.
"You take one," Sam ordered calmly, eyes still locked on the dragons. "I’ll take the others."
The clone nodded, smiling wide like it was enjoying the idea of the slaughter ahead.
Then it dashed forward, blade raised, and met the nearest dragon head-on.
Its sword slashed across the creature’s throat in a brutal arc.
The dragon screamed, retaliating with a sweeping claw, but the clone danced backward effortlessly, taunting it.
Meanwhile, the two remaining dragons took flight.
Their wings spread wide, and with a unified roar, they began to inhale.
Sam recognized what was coming. Flames. A lot of them.
Bright purple light built in their throats, flames brimming with corrupted energy.
And then, they exhaled.
Twin streams of fire poured downward, engulfing the battlefield in a sea of destruction.
Sam didn’t stand still.
He raised a hand and instantly summoned his [Sovereign Inferno], the flames of his affinity roaring outward to clash against the dragons’ breath.
It soon became obvious both for him and the dragon that Sam’s fire was stronger.
’I mean, it IS a [Forsaken] rank skill.’
But just in case, he didn’t stop there.
With a snap of his fingers, [Tendrils of Oblivion] erupted from his sword, black tendrils shooting through the sky like chains of shadow.
They wrapped around one of the flying dragons mid-breath, crushing its wings and clamping shut its jaw.
It flailed helplessly as the tendrils dragged it downward.
Sam watched with a grin.
"Looks like it even can restrain dragons."
He activated [Void Rush], melting into the shadowy ground and vanishing.
The restrained dragon tried to roar as it was pulled down, but couldn’t.
Sam jumped out of the ground, his sword glowing with deadly energy.
The restrained dragon’s head fell from its body.
"First one down," Sam said, flicking blood off his blade.
The second dragon, now alone, panicked and flew straight into the sky, then dove downward, preparing to crush Sam with a final attack.
Its body pulsed with energy.
Sam braced, but just before the dragon could reach him—
The [Forsaken Clone] intercepted the beast midair, cutting into its skull with brutal force. It had already slain its own opponent and come to help.
Sam blinked, slightly impressed.
Two down. Now, only one remained.
Sam and his clone exchanged a quick nod, then blitzed forward as one.
The final dragon tried to defend itself with claws and tail lashes, but it couldn’t handle both of them. Not in this formation. Not at this speed.
It fell like the others.
Sam walked toward the corpses, grabbing what loot he could find from their remains, scales, wings, and a weird stone that shone.
[You have completed the "Dragon’s Trial." You are being sent back to the main area...]
A veil of darkness swallowed him whole.
Moments later, he reappeared in the original sub-layer plains.
The sky above still pulsed with that eerie violet moonlight, but now—
The left gate was glowing. Its symbol faded.
Then the gate itself dissolved into light and vanished.
A heavy clinking noise followed—
One of the two purple chains wrapped around the center gate shattered violently.
Sam stared at it, his expression unreadable. Just one chain left.
’No tricks yet,’ he thought. ’I can do this.’
Even in enemy territory, the [Forsaken Lords] still had to follow their own rules.
They couldn’t cheat. At least, not until he reached them directly.
[The hatred of the Roaring Titan grows as his gaze remains on you.]
"Keep watching," Sam muttered, voice quiet but firm.
The [Forsaken Clone] reappeared beside him, calm and ready, awaiting further orders.
Sam turned toward the second gate.
The one with the skull and clock.
No words were spoken. He stepped forward. The clone followed.
[You have entered the "Death Trial."]
[Withstand a single direct strike from the Roaring Titan to complete this trial.]