The second floor's brutal trials (remade)

Nighttime within this place is dreadful.

"Damn, how long is it until sunrise again, Lily?"

"Approximately 54 minutes more, hold on just a little longer, Manu."

Every night, the creatures from the deep along with these strange black knights emerge from the sea and attack our island. The first night was horrible, with us almost losing Genna. We're managing to push them back, but each night the number and what attacked us increased. Fast and agile, strong and bulky, smart and creative. All sorts of monsters attacked us and along with them were these knight creatures we call Darks.

"Four Darks approaching from the sea in front, watch out!"

"Roger!"

I was the frontline of our small team. I engage the incoming monsters, brutally murdering anything bearing danger in sight. My mind was more or less numb to the bloodshed that splattered across my face and painted my body. Everything in front of me was more or less just something I needed to make chunks and pieces out of.

To be frank, I'm tired. Each night is too much, maybe once every two or three days, but every night is wearing me down too quickly.

'No… I must persevere. For them, I must continue. For them, I must become stronger.'

The need for power wasn't something I took for a goal, it's more like a hobby. But now, I wished I wasn't that foolish. I wished that I sought more out of my father, but now it's too late to think that. Too late to blame myself, my past self.

''Come! I'll take you all on!"

It was the cue for my Skill that I have yet to name. My body was lighter considerably, any fatigue momentarily faded away and provided my body with wings to carry on a little longer.

"Argghhhhh!"

I tear through the sea creatures of this night, a bunch of octopods with humanoid features dressed with rusty full body armor. The armor was old, had holes, and I used that gap in defense to kill them. I plunge my knife and short sword in both my hands through every hole I could aim to. Bluish blood spilled and drench my hand that's now also blue to an even darker shade.

The octopods were killed pretty quickly. My eyes however were getting blurrier and blurrier by the second. My head began to feel dizzy, and my arms shook slightly more and more. So, I disengage for a second to stabilize my shaky mentality.

"Hahh… Hahh… Hahh…"

Tiredness and fatigue plagued my mind and body. The Skill I just used did little in terms of relieving me of that, a shame but whatever.

"Lily! I'm gonna need you to do it fast!"

"I'm concentrating, don't rush!"

I gritted my teeth. I don't know why, but I'm getting a bad feeling coming up.

I slaughtered the octopods for twenty more minutes, just constant bloodshed and my vision was getting worse as time went on. My head is burning internally, too much, this is too much for me.

'Just… a little bit more.'

But even if the need for rest is tempting, so very tempting, I still held on for just one more second until Lily's voice finally gave me the signal.

"Fall back, Manu!"

"Alright!"

I immediately turned tail and ran at full speed. I activated all of the Skills I have to boost my speed and arrive in front of a dug out trench. I threw myself into the trench and roughly landed on the wet and mushy ground that broke the momentum.

"Manu!"

Genna was in here with me, her worried shout gave my consciousness a jolt to stay awake just a bit more.

"Are you alright?! I'll patch you up right now!"

"I-I'm good, Genna. Save it for the next night if possible, these are just flesh wounds."

I was lying. It hurts, it burns so much from the wet soil making contact and sticking to it. However, in spite of this feeling, my fatigue was so much that the pain couldn't register properly. I'm too tired, and I want to sleep.

"Stay conscious now, Manu! Don't go dying on me now."

"Relax… Genna. I'm just, tired is all. Just give me a few seconds to catch my breath."

With that sentence, a boom resounded from out of the trench. I sighed in relief, cavalry had arrived to relieve me of my duty.

"Sorry for that, Manu. I should improve my cast-time of the Spell so that you don't have to overexert yourself."

The Spell she's talking about was one of the stolen Spells she learned from sneaking into the village's library. Halem's Retainer Knights, Halem being the name of an Elvish hero from a fairytale that once fought in a war somewhere. The Spell summons apparition-like entities that fight for the caster, with their might being capable of defeating several hundreds of ordinary human soldiers, if the rumors are to be believed.

"You can get a few shut eyes, I'll keep a look-out for any trouble."

"Thanks… Lily."

"No prob."

Lily, she's always been a good friend. She's thoughtful, nice, and beautiful to boot. Her intellect may be a little too overbearing at times, with her bragging, nagging and berating, she would always base it on something and not just meaningless words or fabricated lies.

I could fall asleep quite easily when she said that, because I know she'll be able to keep us safe in my stead. Ahhhh, the drowsy sweetness of respite is comforting.

......…

"Manu's asleep, Lily."

"Good, he needs it more than us."

I gaze briefly at the sleeping Manu, who has blue blood stained across his entire body and smeared his face dirty and disgusting.

"Keep him safe, Genna. If it needs to be, use your strength."

"Of course, I will do it for his and your safety."

Genna, my long time friend and other female elf in our group. She is gentle, kind, hard working and a little bit of an airhead at times. But, even so she always had this unnerving feeling around her. We've grown to ignore it, Manu, Charles and me, but it's undeniable that she has this profoundly disturbing air around her.

And we got to know why we felt that feeling when the four of us met each other way back. Genna possesses great physical strength, no, her entire body was toned to the point it's unbelievable she's the same age as us. I got the chance to see her bare body, something she'd never shown to any of us, not even me who's the same gender as her, all the way back on the first night of our stay here.

Manu was knocked out, I was tired and out of Mana, my consciousness wanes from awake to dead every few seconds, and that's when Genna showed up to decimate everything that night. Her bare body was like that of a statue's, immaculate and all muscle, no signs of any fat too.

'Why did she hide this incredible strength?'

I wondered why, ever since that night has ended. I wanted to ask her, but out of consideration of our friendship, it would seem rude if I just asked her something she most likely didn't want to be revealed.

"Now, only 30 minutes more."

I could see the glow of the sun, or whatever the thing that resembles it, in the distant horizon. A smile crept up on my face, relief was starting to excite me.

'No, it's not yet time to celebrate. Don't jinx this.'

Many careless deaths and defeats came from overconfidence in one's success and victory in sight. If I slack off and cause us our lives, then I won't be able to say anything to them in the afterlife.

'...Huh?'

I was peeking out from the trench we dug two days ago, and what I saw was making me nervous.

"Ur'kha Kilvoth Artes, Zur'than Alftos Karn!"

A group of octopods were gathered in a circle position, chanting loudly some kind of incantation that discharged some kind of purple smoke.

The intensity of the smoke was ominous, and honestly foreboding. The feeling of dread slowly spread through my body, and when I thought I saw a glimpse of a dark cloud gathering above where they were, a white streak that looked like lightning descended and struck the middle of the circle. The octopods were killed from the looks of it, since they got blown back, but there was no sound.

"...What is that?"

What came from the white streak was a Dark, no, a different kind of Dark that we fought at the beginning of each night. This one was more on the bigger side, bulkier with a visible face on its head. An 'orc', if I'm not mistaken. Two white tusk-like teeth protruded from its mouth, its body a full black color with only a few different colors mainly coming from its clothing.

"What… it was you feeble beings of the sea that summoned one of his God's esteemed warriors?"

The voice of the Dark Beast, what I'm gonna call it from now, was deep and filled with disdain. His flaming blue eyes scanned the surroundings and eventually made contact with mine.

"Hoh?... Interesting."

The Dark Beast seemed to be intrigued, as it made its way towards us.

"Halem's Retainer Knights, intercept!"

I let out a panicked order to the summons. They immediately went to engage the Dark Beast, who stopped for a moment to look at them.

"...Hmph, trivial."

With unbelievable words, it followed up with unbelievable actions. With a simple move of its arm, which seemed to just be rising up, it punched what seemed to be several times and created powerful air explosions. The punches are aimed at the Knights, smashing their spectral armor with ease.

"Are these supposed to stop me? Pitiful, utterly weak and feeble."

Its mocking words had no effect on me, but it is indeed the truth. The Dark Beast's power was off the charts, its brute strength nothing like I've seen before.

'Even Genna would probably have difficulty facing off against this thing in terms of strength.'

I stood up and got out of the trench.

"L-Lily? What are…"

"I'll be back, take care of Manu."

"W-Wait!"

I didn't stop in my resolve and came face to face with the Dark Beast in the distance. It stopped in its tracks, but its punches weren't. The twenty Halem's Retainer Knights were no match for the Dark Beast, since they were apparently too slow in their approach and attack to hit it.

"So, you must be the one those pesky deep callers were bugging His Holiness about. What a waste of precious time for my God, and for him to send me? One of his esteemed Warriors? He must consider you to be my rival."

It spoke a lot, surprisingly chatty for something that's like a brick wall. Arrogance, high as the tree the chief's house is at. If it's more of a talk and not much of the acting, then this'll be more bearable. But nope, this thing packs heat and spite with it.

"Let's see… I have until sunrise to kill you and your companions. Shall we see if you can hang on until the salvation of light dawns on you?"

"Haha, pretty nice for something that I'll kill before sunrise."

"Hmm, very amusing, yes. I like your barking."

Without further ado, we began our fight, Melee versus Magic.

"Magic Strengthening, Fortitude Enhancement!"

My first objective is to stall, and what better tools to stall than the Halem's Retainer Knights right now. So, their survivability is the utmost priority right now if I wanted to extend my life and this fight a little bit more.

'Its strength isn't something to scoff at it seems.'

"This is it? Just more of these things attacking?"

The Halem's Retainer Knights are special existences. What made them special is the fact that none of the twenty Halem's Retainer Knights had fallen or disappeared during this intense fight. They were merely just knocked down.

The dents that they sustained from the Dark Beast recovered when I spent some of my Mana to regenerate them. The process is very consuming, but I can maybe manage until sunrise at this speed.

"...Boring, is this it?"

The Dark Beast wasn't moving for some reason, I don't know what it was expecting, but apparently I was supposed to do something. The monster that's now bored, it began approaching me with the clear intent to inflict the same damage it did to the Knights onto me. I was afraid, of course, but that alone wasn't gonna make me back down.

'Gotta do something about this.'

With the recent Buffs, the Halem's Retainer Knights are able to withstand a single punch of the Dark Beast. Progress, but not good enough to be satisfied.

'I'll need time to cast the big Spells, but I'm sure that thing won't allow me such freedom.'

If it did, then all the better. But, I'm not about to risk it all or nothing just yet. I still have options, but those options would run out eventually. Damn, I'm really in a tight spot, aren't I?

"Hear my call, bringeth upon my enemies the wrath of flames, extinguish all that is life with thy heat, Surging Flame Coils!"

Several pillars of flames came to life beside me and wiggled like they had a mind of their own. Their target was none other than the Dark Beast that's approaching at a leisure pace.

"Magic…? Hmph, too weak to even bother."

"Magic Unleash: 120%!"

Overexertion, this is a technique that's recorded within one of the books I've stolen from the library. Magic Unleash, as it's called, boosts the Magic's strength to a certain degree with the cost of extra Mana being consumed. However, due to my unknown affinity with Mana, I only needed to pay half the price. This is what I learned when I tested the technique with a few basic Spells.

"Oh? This technique… such youthful strength and prowess you have, elf girl."

The Dark Beast raised up a stance and immediately launched himself forward. This sudden change of pace was hard to adjust to, but it's not a problem yet.

"Raise Earth!"

I casted the most basic of earth Spells, Raise Earth. A Spell that lets you shape the soils beneath you to your liking, and right now they sprout up as spikes to try and impede on the Dark Beast's movement.

"Haha, what, this is it?"

Nope, far from it.

"Magic Unleash: 500%!"

"?!!!"

The move that not even Manu could react to the first time. If I were to 'overexert' with Raise Earth, I could improve its power output to the utmost limit in shaping the earth.

"Guargkk!!"

A single spike of black earth punctured through the Dark Beast's stomach.

"Arckk!!"

Then followed with another to his left leg.

"Kuack! Ark! Urk! Akk!!"

Several more spikes made a mess out of the Dark Beast and they also didn't stop emerging further. They spread out more spikes of their own, skewering the Dark Beast from the inside and tore away more of its flesh and enlarging its wound.

It was lifted, body parts moved to different angles as it does so.

"...."

Soon, the Dark Beast no longer said anything. Its flaming blue eyes, no longer alive as now a pair of hollow sockets were its true eyes.

"...Kuhahahaha…"

But, this battle wouldn't end so easily.

'Expected as much…'

The Dark Beast showed great physical prowess, and like I've seen from Manu, Charles, and even Genna. They weren't the kind to die so easily. As the Dark Beast is much stronger than them in my opinion, it would be able to survive and brush off against this otherwise devastating attack.

"Very cunning of you, little elf girl. But, it'll take more than that to kill me."

The sunrise is imminent, just ten more-

"Gotcha~."

"?!!!"

I made a Mana barrier out of surprise, but due to the suddenness of it the barrier meant very little for what's to come. The Dark Beast destroyed its bondage, and with a grin its hand was now in front of my face.

"Argh!"

It slammed my head along with my body to the ground, my consciousness died there.

............

"L-Lily?"

I peek my head up from the trench. She said she'd be back, so I just hid in the trench while tending to the wounds Manu sustained in combat. But, after a while she didn't come back. Even when the sound of battle died down to a silence. I thought it was over, but the sunrise is still not fully up yet.

So, out of curiosity, I peeked up from the trench. And that when I saw 'it' having its ways with her body.

"Huhuhu… I can't believe my God would allow me to taste the flesh of this beautiful elf."

Its tongue, although transparent somewhat, was leaving residues on the bare skin of my companion. Both hands were cradling her softly, while slightly gripping her as it 'taste' her. This sight, coupled with what it said, gave me a harrowing premonition for what's to come.

'N-No!'

I wanted to rush out there, I wanted to protect her like I'd promise her, but I can't.

'Please, wake up!'

I shouted within my head, a plea to give me strength.

[Unable to connect to Spirit Origin]

[Body in calibration process]

[Please refrain from summoning further power]

'Still?!!'

But, that plea was denied as a cold robotic voice resounded.

'Please! I need it, now! Ignore the calibration process and connect me with my Spirit Origin!'

[If connection is made with Spirit Origin in this current state, Vessel's physical body will sustain an incalculable amount of damage]

[Order is hereby negated due to risks to the Vessel's physical wellbeing]

'I don't care! Just connect me!'

[Apologies, the Vessel's wellbeing is placed at utmost priority until further changes]

'Grrr! Dammit! This can't be happening!'

[Incoming voice message from Spirit Origin]

[Connecting… transmission live]

[I recommend listening to the machine. It's too dangerous right now, give up this fight. At least you're not the one-]

'Shut up! Give me your power, now!'

[...You do know which one of us is the one in command, right? Your words are meaningless to me, and besides what benefit will it give us when we save that girl? A few moments of happiness? A sense of pride or fulfillment knowing that she'll owe you? Or is it because of morals, those flimsy rules that keep oneself in line?]

"Dammit! No, give me… please, I beg of you, give me your powers one more time."

"Uhmmm… Genna…? Why are…"

"M-Manu! H-Hurry! Wake up, Lily's in danger!"

Ohh, thank the Moon Goddess Manu woke up. I-I don't know what might happen anymore. My head is heating up too much, I don't think I can keep up at this rate.

''What…? Lily… what's happening?!"

Manu woke up completely, and I explained the situation to him by pointing from up the trench.

"There, d-do something, fast!''

"Oh fuck… on it!"

Manu instantly rushed out from the trench. I could see anger within his calm, shaky eyes as he left as quickly as possible.

.........

'Ah, the taunting worked.'

I know there's only about 6 minutes left, but I want to make use of the time as efficiently as possible. So, I ordered the General Shadow I sent down to say a few words at the moment of my command and to also act as requested.

'Oh? The boy is the one to come out?'

But, it seems like the one I wanted to watch the most isn't going to show off her powers this time.

'The amount of Mana discharged from her at that time… it's beyond what she's capable of.'

While I may not be here when she was fighting the first time, I have one of my Shadows to report on their progress each day I was absent. Genna, the first time I've seen her and come into close contact with her in the Bone Mausoleum, I could feel something off. But, it was faint, so I dismissed it entirely. I thought she's something special, just like her friends. Now, she has my attention.

'She has a Spirit Origin.'

A concept that's also in the game World Saga Online. Spirit Origins are only available for NPCs and Players who have died but decide to still continue afterwards. Spirit Origins are the previous forms they have taken or a similar form that's close if not one in the same to the current them. And she possesses quite a strong one at that.

'A barbarian-like nature… fights with fists and is still of Elvish temperament. Could she be one of those War Generals that belonged to the first Elf God of War?'

One of the major contributors to the Elf's lore of my World. The War Generals, as they're called in the Common Language, or the Đại Cửu Tướng Sĩ in the High Elf language.

'The Cửu part is nine… and from the lore I dug up it's attached to a special Curse that they're afflicted with. So, this is how the Elf God of War did it. He formed a Spirit Origin for all of them?'

Forming a Spirit Origin is a very big deal, since its values can't be measured other than it's essentially a Second Life for the holder. For NPCs who possess them, it's indeed like a curse as described. Who wants to live another life, when your own has already been filled with nothing but hardship and suffocating challenges?

The NPCs who possess a Spirit Origin are few in every World, some don't even have more than two. And not just any can possess a Spirit Origin, only those with a strong and noble Soul developed through countless traumas and beatdowns, and yet still rise up, can attain such a rarity. And for most, they would rather be rid of it than to have it. They've been through enough, and going through it again in another life is just asking for too much.

However, there are other alternatives to gaining this power of perfect rebirth. One of the most common ways of creating a Spirit Origin is using Divinity, shaving off a portion of your own being to create this all-powerful means of defying natural Death. If it's made using Divinity, then the quality of the Spirit Origin is dependent on the quality of the Divinity it's made of.

I don't have a Spirit Origin, interestingly enough. You would think someone as powerful as me would have more than two digits, maybe even in the three digits. But nope, I don't have one. Don't need one to be exact. For as long as Death still exists as a concept, then I too shall be alive, in one way or another.

'Well, either way, this fight is approaching its dawn and twilight. Let's see how much you can struggle further, Manu.'

.........

The fight resumes, as do all conflicts. A constant in any World, no matter how 'civilized' the Race is, no matter how 'kind' a person is, there will always be the presence of 'violence'. It's a necessary function to operate as an existence, as a being of any World. To ensure one's survival, one must take up arms, to ensure one's safety, one must be willing to trade kindness for strength.

It's a tale as old as the first whispers ever made and spoken. A natural cog in any being, as is Death. My Older Brother, you don't change easily, do you?

He sees everything as a toy, a chess piece on a wide and boundless battleground. His every move must be calculated, and even at this moment he seeks to empower them for his next thousand moves. Truly, Older Brother, you must change somewhat from the eons you've been absent.

But I guess Death doesn't, or rather, never changes much.

......…

''Get your hands off of her!!"

"..."

Immediately, the Dark Beast dropped his hostage in a heartbeat. Manu, blinded with rage, brandished his weapons, a short sword and a knife.

"Argghhhh!"

"..."

The Dark Beast was silent, his face showed nothing but a tinge of sadness.

The fight begins, with the Dark Beast using its immense speed to overpower Manu in an instant. He first punched Manu in the guts, making him spit out a mouthful of blood from the sudden massive force.

"It is a shame, I can't fight you right now.''

The sadness was because of an absolute order from his God. He wanted to spill blood, anyone's blood, specifically the blood of his God's enemies. But, there are none.

"Take the punch and lie down, if not, then there's still a spare few more minutes."

The Dark Beast showed Manu some consideration, even if the other side takes it negatively.

'Guh… beaten, just like this…?'

But, he thought this was fine. Lily is released from danger, and there's only about three or so minutes now. Sunrise that signifies the end of the terrors they have to face every night. The dawn that drives away the creeping dark.

'Ahh…'

Desperate, weak, tired, wishing to die yet unable to do the last cut and thrust, unable to close his eyes for a long time, wanting to break down into crumbs of tears and despair, etc.

Manu, the boy who has faced many challenges by his father, gaining his trust that he'll be able to survive through any ordeal and hardship, gaining the confidence to face any that obstructs him, the boy is now at the first day of his training, unable to move an inch without feeling an excruciating pain, unending agony, and his mind breaking further and further.

''You have done well, and so my God, the revered and merciful Absolute Death himself, has decided to commend your efforts forged with blood and sweat. Continue, and always remember what you're fighting for. Stand back up, for that is the only natural thing to do to defy my God."

With those parting words, the Dark Beast vanishes into black smoke. The sunrise that shines upon the horizon, signifying the end of yet another night in the long line of nights ahead.

'I need… to get, stronger…'

Those were his last words as he became unconscious from the fatigue and mental stress.

.........

'Welp, satisfactory results if I do say so myself.'

The three were performing well, only Genna is the oddball out of the group. She has a trump card, yes, and it could very well have given the group the win against my General Shadow. But for some reason, she couldn't activate that trump card at the crucial moment.

'Maybe the Spirit Origin is not under control…?'

That is a likely possibility, since Spirit Origins are particularly prideful in their strength and are stingy in sharing it with their vessel.

'Since the Spirit Origin inside Genna is most likely one of the War Generals from the first Elf God's era, it's no wonder it's stingy.'

With the overbearing title such as War General, it's to be expected I guess.

'But there's also the possibility of being under-leveled… which is also a likely one.'

Under-leveled to possess and exert the full extent of the Spirit Origin. Many Players have experienced this, and it's a balancing thing so that they don't get too overpowered if their previous character was powerful.

'...Let's just leave it at that.'

For now, it's more important that I guide them. They're just kids, although they may have experience they still lack practical experience gained through living. And since I just dipped on them, it's only natural that there would be another guiding figure to shine their way. A 'sensei' character if I'm not mistaking tropes.

'...Yes, maybe this will work.'

A plan to further their progress and development is being processed inside my mind. First, I need to choose who I want to send down as the first 'sensei'.

.........…

Game-related:

-There are several rankings a Shadow belonging to Absolute Death's army can take.

-From the common Soldier rank to the esteemed Monarch rank, there's many other variables and things to consider when ranking a Shadow, and sometimes a Shadow can have two ranks depending on what they're good and not good at.

-The Soldier rank: the most common, and also numerous, so to simplify the Soldier rank they're each assigned a number. The number is a title to the Soldier rank, and number 1 is the highest one can go to. Most Shadow Soldiers were once commoners, simple soldiers that one can find in anywhere that has a military structure. But, for the esteemed Absolute Death, the Shadow Soldiers aren't just numbers, but also a show of strength on those who wish to use the number advantage on him.

-The Commander rank: those who have pushed through their limits, or those that possess exceptional abilities when they were alive. The Commander rank consists of former number 1s from the Soldier rank, though in recent years the number of Commander rank Shadows have stopped increasing due to the number 1 Shadow Soldier refusing to be promoted and instead stayed a Soldier.

-The General rank: unique existences that were once leaders or people of great importance in their lifetimes. From here on out, the number of Shadows who've been promoted from the Commander rank are very few. The General rank consists mostly of Demi-humans and exceptionally unique humans who've trained until they hit their limit in their lifetime.

-The King rank: those of Legendary quality consist within this rank. Mostly humanoids, they were once hailed as the best of their era or year. From swordsman who've reached or is near to be called Sword Saint, Mages who mastered more than one form of elemental control or has their own unique style, Fighters who've demonstrated their prowess that can bisect mountains to obliterating an small island 50 kilometers in radius, and finally Unknown individuals, Wildcards of sorts, that has a very distinct way of doing combat. Most of the Shadow Kings are eccentric, volatile and dangerous to everything around them that are sentient.

-The Monarch rank: the most special ranking one can get. There's only a handful of Monarchs, World Bosses to be exact, that Absolute Death has gathered through the many years playing the game World Saga Online.