“You beat me, Artemeni.”


    I said as I returned back from the trial. Artemeni was already there, taken care of by Thalia. She looked much better than me, though I wasn’t sure if it was because she was healed or just had an easier time. Thalia turned towards me and frowned as soon as she saw me. I could sense that a harsh scolding was about to rain upon me.


    Thalia crossed her arms, her gaze sharp and full of reproach. She pointed towards in front of her. I walked closer and sat down.


    “I told you to be more careful, Champion.”


    She stepped closer, inspecting the bruises and cuts across my body with a mix of frustration and concern.


    “I was fighting against someone as strong as myself. I think I did good.”


    I replied, attempting a lighthearted grin, though it quickly faltered under Thalia’s unyielding stare.


    “ I didn’t receive the key item. Is it with you, Artemeni?”


    I asked while Thalia wrapped my wounds and healed my wounds. Artemeni nodded.


    “It is here, Champion. I took it to inspect it. Though I am afraid I couldn’t appraise it. It is just like the others.”


    Aurora handed me a large mirror.


    “Well, it is not important. It will be unlocked after we get to the second floor. So, Artemeni, how was the trial?”


    Artemeni glanced at the mirror in my hands before looking up at me. Her expression held a mix of satisfaction and lingering intensity, as though she was still processing everything she’d faced in the trial. I couldn’t blame her. I was the same too. Even though I answered my reflection’s words, did I really believe those answers?


    “It was intense.”


    She said slowly, her voice thoughtful.


    “I expected it to be a test of skill but it was more than it. It felt like a test of character. I suppose it wanted me to question everything, but I think I came out with even more certainty."


    She stopped, her gaze dropping to her spear, fingers idly tracing its edge. I nodded and patted her hair.


    “You did good. Better than me. Remember, conviction is not a lack of doubt. It is the ability to continue believing even with them.”


    Her face grew as red as her hair for a second, though she tried to hide it by focusing on her spear. She mumbled a soft, “Thank you, Champion,” barely loud enough to hear, as if she wasn’t used to this kind of praise. Thalia, noticing the exchange, raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment, instead continuing to tend to the remnants of my bruises with a sigh.


    “Champion, we had this talk before but since she is not here I want to ask you again: Is Blanche Silverfox really trustworthy?”


    Aurora’s question caught me off guard.


    “She is bound by a geass.”


    I answered. Aurora frowned, her expression not quite satisfied.


    “Her family is too shady. They gained power through mysterious means and slavery. Not to mention she is regarded as a mortal enemy by Whifur. She is powerful indeed but if you really wanted to you could have hired an even stronger someone. Why her? Is this related to your past?”


    I took a slow breath, feeling the eyes of not just Aurora but Thalia and Artemeni on me too.


    “Two reasons.”


    I lifted two fingers up.


    “One is she is bound. Let’s say rudely that I held both the leash and the carrot for her. I know what their mysterious power is and how to control it more effectively. This makes her a perfect “hound”.”


    I paused, meeting each of their gazes in turn. Thalia''s concern, Artemeni''s curiosity, and Aurora’s suspicion all mirrored back at me. They had every right to question my decision, especially in life or death sceniore like this. I continued, my tone calm but resolute.


    “The second reason is I can’t change things from outside. I can but with too much bloodshed. Even if I gain power in Quipax, I can’t stop slavery and racism in other kingdoms. I need doors to other kingdoms, to nobles. Plus, Whifur and Silverfoxes are bound to fight. Gotta keep your allies close, and your enemies closer.”


    Aurora’s gaze remained skeptical.


    “Leashes can snap and carrots can be stolen, Champion… But I understand. If it is your order, I will follow it.”


    “Thank you, Aurora,” I replied. “And know this: if things do change, if she shows even a hint of betrayal, we’ll deal with her swiftly. But until then, I need you to trust my judgment.”


    Aurora nodded, albeit reluctantly, mana crackling in her fingertips. Thalia finished patching up my wounds, her hands lingering for a moment longer, almost as if to remind me of her earlier reprimand. “You make things harder for yourself sometimes, Champion,” she muttered, shaking her head but unable to fully hide the warmth in her gaze. “But we’ll follow you, no matter how messy things get.”


    “Thank you, Thalia. Now I will rest my eyes until Blanche comes back.”


    I leaned back towards her. Sigh.


    I knew what Aurora meant. It wasn’t necessary for me to take Blanche with me. But I still did. The reasons I’d given Aurora—they were logical and rational. But was that all there was to it?


    I wondered if, beneath it all, I was holding onto the hope that Blanche could change. That maybe, just maybe, she could move beyond the arrogance of her bloodline, the casual cruelty towards beastkin, the cold indifference towards the suffering of those she deemed beneath her. When I was younger, before the trials and tribulations that had hardened me, I would have likely brushed off Blanche’s kind as a lost cause. But if she could change… maybe it would mean something for this fractured world.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.But why? Why do I try to change her? Yeah, I give people advice before but I didn’t try to change them. Perhaps the one who is changing is me.


    …


    I was an… apathic person to people who I thought was wrong or needed help. Not that I didn’t care about them but whatever they changed for better or not wasn’t something I was personally invested in. In the past, I would have let someone like her be, would’ve kept my distance, maybe offered some advice if they were open to it. I’d tell them what I thought, even knock some sense into them if they needed it, but I didn’t get personally invested.


    “But how did that approach turn out with William?”


    A voice in my head asked and I agreed with it. It was right. How I did things wasn’t good enough, if it was the Earth wouldn’t have lost. Sigh.


    I felt the divine power of Aliera inside me.


    Champion.


    Guardian.


    Hero.


    Not just a simple soldier.


    God, every day I feel more like Bolverk even though I only knew him for a day or so.


    “Champion, Blanche is here.”


    I opened my eyes, blinking the lingering haze of fatigue away, and sat up to face Blanche Silverfox as she entered the chamber. Her silver hair gleamed under the dim lighting, her posture upright, as composed and aloof as always. Her eyes swept the room, noting the wary gazes of the others before settling on me.


    “Welp looks like we are done with the first floor.”


    Stone Key of Toughness


    Cloak of Midnight


    Stormclad Arrow


    Orb of Undending Flow


    Mirror of Reflection


    5 key items for 5 trials. I put all of them into their respective altars.


    (You completed the first floor of War God’s Battle Area.)


    (All stats increase by 1.)


    (Key items are unlocked.)


    Rays of light shone from each altar, coalescing together to form a gate. The gate''s light shimmered, casting a warm glow across the chamber. We each exchanged glances, knowing that what lay ahead would only grow more challenging. This was just the first floor, after all.


    “But first let’s see what the key items are capable of.”


    (Stone Key of Toughness)


    (A key forged from the bones of the earth itself, carrying the unbreakable resolve of the ground beneath every living being. This relic resonates with the strength of ancient stone, urging its wielder to stand firm, unshaken.


    (Durability: 1000, regenerates when in touch with ground)


    (+10 Defense)


    (Martyrdom of Stone: Whenever the User is struck, the key intercepts up to 20% of the damage, reducing its own durability proportionally. It stands as a silent protector, bearing the weight of each blow so its bearer may endure.)


    (Tenacity of Mountian: Once per day, the User may draw upon the key’s boundless resilience, gaining a 20% boost to Defense and Vitality for 10 minutes. During this time, User’s stamina will not be consumed.)


    (Cloak of Midnight)


    (This cloak flows like a liquid shadow, enveloping its wearer in darkness as deep as the void. Its touch is cold, yet comforting—a promise that beneath its folds, one can become invisible, a specter in the night.)


    (Defense: 20)


    (Durability: 300, regenerates when in darkness)


    (Dark Wraiths: Once a day, the cloak grants the User the power to summon up to five shadowy wraiths. These spectral guardians, with the intelligence and loyalty of hounds, grow stronger in dim or dark environments. They will protect their master tirelessly, vanishing only when light overtakes them or their task is done.)


    (Watcher in the Dark: All of the User’s senses will increase by 30 percent while they are in a dark place.)


    (Stormclad Arrow)


    (An arrow humming with the power of a storm, eager to unleash thunder upon those who would stand in its User’s way.)


    (Power: 30)


    (Durability: 250, regenerates when not in combat)


    (Arrow Rain: By channeling mana, the User can split this arrow mid-flight into multiple copies, creating a barrage of projectiles. The number of copies depends on the mana invested, transforming a single shot into a deadly storm of arrows.)


    (Lightning Strike: Once per day, the arrow can summon storm clouds that rain down lightning on every target it strikes for three minutes. After the storm subsides, the arrow’s Power is halved as its energies replenish.)


    (Orb of Undending Flow)


    (A magical orb that continuously stores and flows mana inside. In its depths, one can glimpse the tranquil might of an unbroken current.)


    (Violent Flow: The User can tap into the orb’s reservoir of stored mana to fuel destructive abilities. This mana, accelerated by the orb’s nature, amplifies the power of all destructive skills and magic by 30%, allowing the User to unleash devastating force.)


    (Calm Flow: Once per day, the User may soothe all mana in the surrounding area, subtly weakening the magical defenses of every creature within range. This pacifying influence leaves them more vulnerable to the User’s magic.)


    (Mirror of Reflection)


    (This floating mirror is attuned to its wielder’s mana, shimmering with a faint glow that pulses in rhythm with the User’s heartbeat. When called upon, it mirrors their own abilities, a silent and loyal partner in battle.)


    (Mirroring: Once every minute, the mirror automatically replicates the most recent mana-based skill or spell used by the User, with a three-second delay. It will only perform abilities for which it has sufficient mana, effectively turning the User’s power against their foes with a spectral echo.)


    “That’s a lot of words.”


    Blanche arched a brow at my muttering, clearly unimpressed. “Is reading too much for the Champion?”


    “Perhaps it is. Let’s go. We will discuss how we will distribute them on the second floor.”