There was no welcome inside the flame.
Only heat.
Kael stepped deeper into the molten-lit corridor. The air was dry and heavy, almost syrup-thick, wrapping around his limbs like invisible pressure. The deeper he walked, the more the entrance behind him faded into shadow, until only the dull pulse of golden-red veins along the cave walls remained.
> [Trial Phase: Initiated – Trial of Flesh]
Objective: Survive the Scorching Path.
Restrictions: No system healing, no mana assistance, no divine resonance.
Duration: Until collapse or completion.
Failure: Permanent denial of weapon bond.
He exhaled slowly, the air already burning his lungs. No spells. No healing. No external force. Just him—his body, his instincts, and his will.
The Trial of the Flesh was exactly what the name promised: a test of body before spirit.
---
Hour One
The tunnel began to slant downward, and with it, the heat intensified.
The walls narrowed, the ceiling sank, and the golden veins now pulsed slowly—like the heartbeat of a buried god.
Kael's shirt clung to his back with sweat. The wooden spear he carried wasn't a weapon here—it was a crutch, a weight, a piece of reality he could cling to.
A narrow bridge came into view. Below it, a pit of liquid magma glowed hungrily. The bridge was old, uneven, made of blackened stone tiles that cracked under the weight of each step.
> [Environmental Hazard:
– Bridge stability: 45%
– Heat exposure nearing critical.]
He gritted his teeth and moved quickly, keeping his balance low, using the spear to anchor his steps like a tightrope walker.
Halfway across, a tile gave way.
Kael dropped to one knee, heart hammering. A breath. Another. He crawled the last six meters—like a beast, like a survivor.
> [Injury Avoided: +1 Instinct]
[Stamina: -12%]
[Body Temperature: Elevated]
When he reached the other side, he collapsed on his back and stared up at the faintly glowing ceiling.
Already, the trial wanted to break his pace. But Kael knew better.
That was the point.
---
Hour Four
Kael had lost track of turns. The corridor had widened now into a narrow canyon, the rock charred black and glowing red in patches. Great cracks ran along the ground where steam hissed and surged in timed bursts.
A field of volcanic geysers.
He watched for a full five minutes, memorizing their patterns.
One. Two. Skip. Burst.
Again.
He moved low, using his spear to test ground pressure. One wrong step and he'd be launched skyward—or burned alive.
> [Environmental Puzzle: Reactive Movement]
Progress: 41%
The sweat had begun to sting his eyes. His hands were blistered from the shaft of his training spear. His breath rasped.
But he pushed on.
Each success sharpened him. Each mistake taught him.
This wasn't about talent.
It was about survival.
---
Hour Seven
His legs were shaking.
He'd found water, surprisingly—carved into the form of condensation dripping from the cavern ceiling into stone basins, purified by some ancient sun-warding glyphs. Cool. Sharp-tasting. The best drink he'd ever had.
He drank only enough to steady his pulse, then moved again.
A narrow tunnel descended even further—this one carved with unfamiliar sun-script symbols that felt almost too warm to read. He didn't recognize the meaning, but the shape of them tugged at something in his blood.
At the end of the path was a door.
It wasn't locked. It just waited.
When he pushed it open, the heat died instantly.
---
The Chamber of Flesh
Kael stepped into a silent, circular chamber. No fire. No smoke. Just a red glow pulsing gently from above, as though a sunstone heart was embedded in the ceiling.
In the center: a stone platform. Carved into it, a single sentence:
> "Break the body. Temper the soul."
Then the pain began.
No monsters. No traps.
Just gravity, multiplied tenfold in an instant.
Kael collapsed to one knee, bones creaking. His arms trembled. His body screamed. The pressure felt like a mountain was pressing on his spine.
> [Final Phase: Gravity Compression Trial]
Objective: Remain standing for one full cycle (9 minutes).
Caution: Muscle tearing, bone stress, and internal strain likely.
Kael grit his teeth and tried to rise.
His legs shook.
Failed.
Again.
Again.
By the fourth attempt, he managed to stand upright—barely. He planted his feet shoulder-width apart. He anchored the training spear into the stone beside him.
His vision blurred. His breath came in short, sharp bursts.
He screamed once—but didn't fall.
The pain tore through his back, shoulders, knees. His joints screamed. His chest ached.
> [Timer: 4:12 / 9:00]
He focused on one thing:
The weapon.
The bow and spear that once belonged to a warrior greater than any legend.
Vijay Dhanush. Vasavi Shakti.
They wouldn't come to the weak. They wouldn't answer the unbroken.
To wield divine flame, he had to prove he could carry the weight of the sun itself.
His blood burned.
His knees buckled—but did not break.
The timer ticked.
> 6:48.
7:23.
8:19.
His vision turned red. His lungs screamed. His heart thundered—
And then—
> [Timer: 9:00 / 9:00 – Complete]
[Trial of the Flesh: CLEARED]
Reward: +1 Endurance Rank
Trait Unlocked: "Sunforged Resilience"
Description: Your body has survived trial-level solar compression. You gain 15% resistance to pressure, fire, and internal stamina collapse.
Access Granted: Deeper Trial Gate.
Kael collapsed.
Not in defeat.
In relief.
He lay there on the stone floor, panting, limbs numb. Sweat pooled beneath him.
> [Vital Signs Stable]
Rest Required Before Next Trial: Recommended
The cave pulsed again.
This time not with fire, but approval.
---
Later
Kael stirred awake. Minutes? Hours? He didn't know.
The pressure had lifted. The chamber had cooled.
And in the wall before him, a second door now pulsed with light.
He stood, slowly.
A little taller. A little stronger.
And far more certain of the path ahead.
---