The Trial Spire loomed like a blade stabbed into the world.
Its surface was obsidian-black, etched with runes that shifted when stared at too long. The air around it pulsed, heavy with judgment—not hatred, not mercy, but selection.
Kael stood at its base.
The moment he stepped within the boundary, the world changed.
The crimson sky vanished.
Stone cracked.
Darkness fell.
[Demon Lord Trial Initiated.]
[Trial Type: Abyssal Qualification.]
[Rule: Only existence may pass.]
Kael's vision cleared.
He stood in a vast circular arena suspended over nothingness. Chains of black light stretched across the void, anchored to unseen pillars.
Other figures appeared around him.
Demons.
Young. Old. Horned. Winged.
All of them pure-blood.
Whispers spread instantly.
"A human?"
"No… half-blood."
"Why is that here?"
Kael felt the pressure multiply.
The system reacted.
[Trial Modifier Applied.]
[Host Status: Abnormal Candidate.]
[Difficulty Increased.]
Kael sighed quietly. "Of course."
A booming voice echoed across the arena, ancient and absolute.
"ONLY THOSE WHO CAN STAND SHALL REMAIN."
The pressure descended.
Not physical.
Existential.
One demon screamed and collapsed instantly, body dissolving into black ash.
Another fell to their knees, blood streaming from their eyes.
Kael's vision darkened.
Human Qi surged upward, reinforcing his spine.
Abyssal authority pressed downward, anchoring his soul.
Two opposing forces—
Holding him upright.
His teeth clenched.
[Dual Cultivation Conflict Detected.]
[Stability: 74% → 61%]
Kael forced his breathing steady.
Balance. Don't fight it. Let it overlap.
The pressure stabilized.
Kael remained standing.
Silence spread.
Dozens of demons were gone.
Those who remained stared.
"…He's still up."
"A halfling?"
"That shouldn't be possible."
The voice returned.
"FIRST JUDGMENT COMPLETE."
The chains shifted.
The arena fractured into multiple platforms.
"SECOND JUDGMENT: PREDATION."
Kael's platform solidified.
Across from him, another demon formed—tall, lean, eyes burning violet.
A sneer curled its lips.
"I am Zar'keth of the Black Fang Clan," he said. "I will enjoy breaking you."
The system chimed.
[Opponent Identified: Zar'keth.]
[Cultivation: Equivalent to Abyss Authority Stage.]
[Threat Level: High.]
Kael rolled his shoulders.
"Get in line."
Zar'keth attacked.
Fast.
Too fast.
Claws tore through the air, shredding space itself.
Kael twisted aside, human Qi reinforcing his legs while Abyssal mist surged around his arms.
The clash shook the platform.
Zar'keth hissed. "That movement—human technique?"
Kael didn't answer.
He countered.
Not with brute force.
With suppression.
[Abyss Mark: Suppression Sigil — Activated.]
Zar'keth's aura flickered.
Kael followed instantly, channeling human Qi into a focused strike—clean, efficient.
A contradiction made lethal.
Zar'keth staggered.
"What are you?!"
Kael's eyes burned crimson.
"Someone who won't kneel."
He slammed his palm forward.
Abyssal authority crushed inward while human Qi pierced through the gaps.
Zar'keth screamed as his body shattered into black shards.
Silence.
[Predation Complete.]
[Abyss Mark Progress: +12%]
[Dual Cultivation Insight Gained.]
Kael exhaled sharply.
His body shook.
[Stability Warning: 48%]
The voice spoke again.
"THIRD JUDGMENT APPROACHES."
The remaining platforms began to draw closer.
Kael looked around.
Other survivors stared at him now—not with contempt.
But fear.
And somewhere beyond the Trial Spire—
Multiple thrones stirred.