The system's cold timer ticked in the corner of Kael's vision.
> [Quest: Survive the Trial of the Stone Guardians]
Time Remaining: 9:59
Each second was a drumbeat against his heart. The chamber reeked of blood and crushed stone. The once 30-strong hunting party had already been reduced to less than half, and those who remained were scattered, desperate, or dying.
Kael's rusty blade shook in his grip, but he didn't back away. The glowing numbers in his status window weren't just illusions — his body felt alive, sharper than ever. His senses screamed at him, guiding his movements.
A guardian statue charged. Its granite greatsword swept sideways in a brutal arc, enough to cleave three men in one strike. Kael ducked low, rolling across the blood-stained floor.
> [Basic Dodge Lv.1 → Lv.2]
Kael's breath caught. It leveled up again… just by moving?
The statue's blade slammed into the wall where he'd stood. Stone cracked, rubble rained down, and the ground trembled. Kael scrambled to his feet, eyes wide. This wasn't just about strength. Every action was recorded, measured, and rewarded.
Another guardian advanced, its hammer raised high. Kael reacted without thinking, sidestepping just as the weapon smashed down. Dust blasted outward, knocking weaker hunters off their feet. Kael tightened his grip on the short sword and slashed.
CLANG!
The blade struck the statue's leg — a shallow scratch, nothing more. The guardian didn't even flinch.
> [Damage: 1]
Kael's stomach twisted. One? Just one?! At this rate, I'll never bring them down…
But the system's next message gave him a spark of hope:
> [Proficiency Increasing: Swordsmanship Lv.1 Acquired]
He blinked. I… I can actually grow stronger while fighting them.
"Kael!" the guild master roared, blood streaming down his arm. He barely blocked another statue's spear with his shield, but the impact shattered the metal like glass. The force hurled him backward, his body crashing against a cracked pillar.
Kael's instinct screamed to help, but the statues gave no room for hesitation. Another one lunged, its red eyes blazing. Kael rolled forward, stabbing upward with all his strength. The rusty blade jammed between the cracks of the statue's chest. Sparks flew.
> [Critical Hit! Damage: 10]
The guardian staggered back slightly, stone fragments crumbling from its chest. Kael's breath caught. He actually hurt it.
But the victory was short-lived. The statue's hand swung like a boulder. Kael barely raised his sword in defense before—
SMASH!
Pain exploded in his arm. The sword snapped clean in half. Kael was flung across the chamber, his body slamming into the ground. The air whooshed from his lungs, and for a moment, all he could do was cough and gasp.
> [HP: 22/100]
He groaned, forcing himself to rise. His vision blurred, his chest ached, but he wasn't dead. Not yet.
The system chimed again:
> [Survive: 7:23 Remaining]
Kael grit his teeth. Seven minutes felt like seven lifetimes.
Hunters around him screamed. A C-Rank tried casting fire magic, but the flames only blackened the statues' stone skin before a hammer crushed his skull. Another hunter fled toward the sealed door, pounding on it desperately, only to be skewered through the back.
Kael forced himself to focus. His sword was gone, but the broken half was still sharp. He gripped it tight. If I can level up skills just by surviving… then I just have to keep moving.
A guardian lunged, spear thrusting. Kael sidestepped, his body moving smoother than ever.
> [Basic Dodge Lv.2 → Lv.3]
He ducked low, slashing across the statue's ankle. A shallow crack appeared. The stone warrior staggered, just slightly.
Kael's heart pounded. It's working. Slowly… but it's working.
The guild master groaned nearby, his shield shattered, his body bleeding. "Kael… you're still alive? Good… then listen…"
Kael rushed to him, panting. "What is it?!"
The man coughed blood, gripping Kael's arm. "There's no… winning this trial. It's not about strength. It's about proving you can endure. Hold out, no matter what. Survive… even if the rest of us die."
Kael froze, his chest tightening. Around him, bodies fell one by one. The statues didn't tire, didn't bleed, didn't stop. But the quest's words echoed in his mind: Survive.
He clenched his jaw, lifting the broken blade again. "Then I'll do it. I'll survive."
The guild master managed a faint smile. "Good… then live for us." His head slumped, his body still.
Kael's vision blurred, but he forced the tears back. There was no time for grief. Another statue swung its axe. Kael leapt aside, rolling across the rubble.
> [HP: 19/100]
[Time Remaining: 4:58]
Four minutes left. His chest burned, his arms shook, but his movements grew sharper with every dodge, every slash. Notifications filled his vision:
> [Basic Dodge Lv.3 → Lv.4]
[Swordsmanship Lv.1 → Lv.2]
[Endurance +1]
Kael gritted his teeth, stabbing again. His blade pierced deeper into a crack this time, breaking off another fragment of stone. It wasn't much, but it was progress.
One guardian roared, lifting its weapon for a final blow. Kael braced himself—
> [Skill Unlocked: Survival Instinct Lv.1]
Suddenly, his senses exploded. Every sound sharpened, every movement slowed. The statue's greatsword fell toward him, but in Kael's eyes, it was sluggish, predictable.
He rolled, slashed upward, and tore a chunk of stone free from the guardian's side. For the first time, the monster staggered back with a heavy thud.
Kael's eyes blazed. "I can fight… I can actually fight!"
The timer blinked:
> [Time Remaining: 0:59]
One minute. Just one more.
Kael screamed, throwing himself back into the fight. His body was battered, his blade nearly useless, but his spirit burned brighter than ever. He dodged, rolled, slashed — not to win, but to endure. To prove that even the weakest hunter could defy death itself.
The final seconds ticked down.
> 10… 9… 8…
A guardian's spear grazed his side, tearing flesh. He howled but kept moving.
> 5… 4… 3…
Another statue swung at him. He ducked, sliding across the floor as the blade whooshed overhead.
> 2… 1… 0.
The system chimed.
> [Quest Complete: Survive the Trial of the Stone Guardians]
Reward: Beginner's Package Unlocked
The statues froze. Their glowing red eyes dimmed, their weapons lowered. Then, one by one, they crumbled into lifeless rubble.
Kael collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath, his body drenched in sweat and blood. Around him lay silence — broken bodies of hunters, shattered stone, and the weight of survival.
The system's voice rang once more:
> [Congratulations, Kael Ardyn. You have survived.]
⚡ End of Chapter 9 ⚡