Shortly after that meeting, Jin wandered aimlessly, his mind scattered. He had learned many strange things; had he not refrained from asking more, his mind would have been set ablaze. After a while, he reached the Trial Grounds.
[System]
[Do you wish to begin Trial Number 39?]
"Start."
A dimensional gate opened before him, and the boy stepped through.
Inside the gate, the place was somewhat strange.
A vast plain, filled with hills, massive boulders, and trees everywhere—it was the perfect place to release rage.
[System]
The Trial will begin.
Survive the hordes of monsters until the time expires.
Time: ?
Monsters began to appear before him. There were dozens of types he had fought before, and new species as well.
Jin: "These monsters… their numbers are endless. They emerge from the rifts… where do they truly come from?"
Thousands of monsters appeared. The boy charged toward them…
But… the sword was not the same sword… and the mind was not as it used to be.
His beautiful combat style… had vanished. His genius in controlling Mana and Aura… did not show today.
It was a fight of pure violence. He used his unique sword directly.
He cut through everything in front of him: monsters, rocks, and trees.
A head falling here, a body severed there.
It reached the point where he drew a fire rune upon the blade, fighting with a flaming sword.
It was a battle defined by anger.
Every question that defied him, every helplessness he felt—the debt was paid by those wretched monsters.
One hour passed.
Two hours.
Three hours.
Five full hours had passed!
And there were no living monsters left.
The boy stood upon a mountain of corpses, gripping the hilt of his sword, staring at the ground with a cold, harsh expression.
Blood covered his entire body—green, purple, and red blood mixed upon his face.
Thousands of mutilated monsters lay as far as the eye could see.
The boy had lied before; he didn't want to increase his strength. He wanted to empty his burning rage.
[System]
[You have eliminated the monsters and achieved a Special Achievement]
[Survival Quest has changed to Annihilation]
[You will receive your rewards soon]
Jin spoke in an angry tone.
Jin: "You… stop this nonsense and start the next Trial."
[System]
[......]
[Trial 40 will begin]
Trial [?????????????????]
The setting did not change, and no other dimensional gate appeared.
Jin stood waiting, consuming Mana recovery and healing potions.
His mind was pondering something, but he waited to finish what he was doing before asking.
[System]
Trial [Clone]
Only a few minutes passed before the clone appeared before him.
Jin looked on coldly. It looked exactly like him: the charcoal-black hair, the deep crimson eyes, the sharp dragon-like pupils, even the build of his body.
But Jin felt a doubt; the person before him did not match his face perfectly. He was slightly different, though Jin was certain they were the same age.
More importantly, the hair was not long like his current hair, but short, resembling the hairstyles of nobles in the continent of Astarion. His clothes were not Murim attire, but Victorian-style garments.
Even his sword—Jin was sure it was made of Orichalcum as well; the design was very similar, yet it was different.
Jin: "This… is not me!"
Jin attacked immediately.
Inferior Heavenly Demon Sword Art - First Movement.
His enemy parried it as if it were nothing.
Lesser Heavenly Demon Sword Art - Final Movement.
Jin's rage manifested fully in this attack; an aura of darkness mixed with a bloody aura appeared.
But his enemy? He blocked the attack. It was clear he was at Jin's level, perhaps higher.
The clone launched its first attack. It was a new art Jin had never seen before.
It did not resemble the Heavenly Demon arts at all. It was a roaring art—violent, yet terrifyingly precise. But it was not pure destruction!
Jin was shocked! It was a truly strange art. Even with Jin's talent… he could not see the essence of that art or even imitate it!
Clash followed clash.
New arts the boy had never seen, a terrifying, roaring power in every swing.
Jin thought in confusion:
What is this? What are these styles? And who is this person anyway?
Engagement after engagement, art met art.
The battle dragged on.
Fifteen minutes.
Half an hour.
An hour.
Jin's wounds and exhaustion increased greatly.
He became certain that this person was at a level beyond his own.
And worse, the talent of this clone's owner matched Jin's talent exactly.
The boy became bewildered. Chun Ma, Yuan, and this person before him.
They all possessed exceptional talent beyond humans. How could this be?
The battle continued, and Jin's anger reached its peak.
He poured all his energy into the sword… a massive blade of Aura formed around the steel.
A single horizontal swing.
His enemy managed to block it with his sword, but…
Visible cracks appeared on the blade. The enemy was thrown back dozens of meters.
As for the surroundings… the ground at the point of impact was destroyed in a massive circle. Everything touched by the swing was severed—dozens of trees and every boulder in front of him were cut in half.
The veins in the opponent's hand burst; he was struggling to stand.
Jin seized the opportunity and rushed toward him… his intention wasn't originally to attack, but to lure his opponent… and indeed, he succeeded.
The opponent quickly took a perfect stance. A giant blade of Aura formed around his sword.
A terrifyingly precise vertical swing. Jin managed to evade it because he had lunged in a calculated way to deceive his opponent and gain the chance to dodge.
The killing intent and coldness on Jin's face turned into tension.
Behind him… forty full meters of ground were violently split open. A giant rock in the middle of the path had been sliced in two.
But… the clone had reached its limit.
The sword fell from his hand. The veins in his hand and entire arm had burst and were bleeding. His legs gave way after exhausting the last of his energy in that attack.
Jin stood before this helpless person, preparing to take his head, but…
The clone of that man raised its head and looked at him… then smiled sincerely!!!
Jin stopped, unable to finish the deed out of shock!
It was a strange and unfamiliar situation.
He knew that the clones created by the Tower were soulless things—they weren't real, though they possessed the abilities and consciousness of the real person. So who was this who would smile with pride at his enemy while about to be killed?!!
The clone fell unconscious.
[System]
[Trial 40 has ended]
The body vanished from before him.
Doubt and distraction took hold of him; he found no explanation for what he had just experienced.
He sank to his knees, panting heavily, his strength gone.
He spoke in a broken tone.
Jin: "System… why are the trials you set before me different from everyone else?"
"Every trial is tailored to my state. Trial 39 was a clear chance to vent my anger."
System
[......]
Jin found no response from the System…
He asked in an even more broken voice.
"Who is the owner of this clone? This is not me."
System
[......…]
Jin thought for a moment and remembered the words he heard when he was a child.
(You inherited your hair and unique eyes from your father, and you will become an amazing swordsman like him when you grow up.)
Jin asked, hoping he wouldn't hear an answer that confirmed it.
Jin: "System...… is this person...… my father?"
System
[...]
[Yes]
The boy's facial expression did not change, but his mind was on fire and shock took control of him. He could not even speak again.
A dimensional gate appeared. He walked and entered it slowly, emerging into the First Floor city once more.
And as was the boy's lot and luck always.
He faced a new shock and a new question without an answer.
He remembered all the strange events that had happened to him.
His arrival on Earth, his entry into the Heavenly Demon Cult, his instinct that he didn't understand, Chun Ma who knew him well and manipulated him, the Regressors he met, and now... his father.
Yet, he did not ask about the truth of all this.
The boy stood before the Trial Grounds, looking at the ground while trembling. Then...
He cried. His tears fell without his permission. He bit his lips until they began to bleed.
He whispered only one thing in a broken, trembling voice:
"Why? Why is all this happening to me? I… I don't want all this… I just want to find my sister… and live a quiet life… Why is all this happening to me…"
And so… the boy resolved to stop asking questions. For no question mattered to him anymore except this one.
End of Chapter.