〈 Chapter 13 〉 Trial (1)
*
‘Damn.’
I’m thirsty.
The sun is scorching.
How long do I have to walk?
As I sink beneath the surface of the lake, what stretches before my eyes is a desert.
A vast desert that seems endless.
‘By the way…’
There was no objective given for this trial.
No goal to defeat monsters or reach a certain place.
Now that I think about it, I recalled the information about the trials I had heard from Gwen.
‘The trial seems to dig into a person’s weakest point. Overcoming that is the trial.’
My weakest point, huh?
If I could figure that out, I might uncover the objective of this trial.
I opened my status to think about where my weakest point lies.
[Status/]
1. Information
Name: Allen Pleuk
Age: 15
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Stigma: ???’s Mark
2. Stats
Stamina: F
Strength: F
Agility: E
Magic Power: F
3. Skills
[Swordsmanship (B)]
4. Traits
[Absolute Obedience]
“Hmm…”
No answers are coming to me.
It’s tough to pinpoint my weakest point when all my stats are a mess.
Stamina, strength, agility, magic—the works are all weak. I’ve managed to increase stamina, strength, and agility a bit through basic exercises, yet here I am.
It’s not just the stats; the skills and traits sections are painfully empty too. Sure, it’s hard to rate [Absolute Obedience], but [Swordsmanship (B)] is fairly decent compared to my pathetic stats, yet that’s it. Compared to the heroes who come for the trial, I’m nothing.
‘At this rate, I can’t even really tell what my weakness is.’
If I had to pick, I’d say my stamina is probably the lowest stat.
‘If stamina is the weakness…’
I looked around the desert.
The mirage was rising dynamically, and the desert stretched endlessly.
“Should I just start walking?”
Yeah, no matter how infinite it seems, there must be an end somewhere. Maybe there’s an oasis in between.
If the trial is about overcoming my stamina, then the goal is likely to either get out of this desert or find an oasis.
With that thought, I began to walk.
‘Damn it.’
Before long, I solidified that possibility.
However, that didn’t mean the trial was a success.
In fact, it was the opposite.
I’m thirsty.
The sunlight is scorching.
How long do I have to walk?
Sweat that had gathered at the crown of my head fell onto the sand, creating tiny dots.
After a while, I took off my hood, but the hot sun made me put it back on.
Looking ahead, the endless desert was still there.
‘What the hell…’
Not a hint of an oasis, not even a spot of shade to rest.
It felt like it was set out to completely bake me alive.
My throat was already boiling with thirst.
‘Inventory.’
I reached into my inventory and pulled out a water bottle.
I never thought I would end up like this, but I had brought these supplies just in case I got isolated somewhere.
With no one around, there was no reason to hide my use of the inventory. So, I had already put all my heavy burdens into the inventory.
‘I need to sip it sparingly.’
I had no idea how long I’d have to walk through this damn desert.
So I should only drink a little when it’s really risky.
I brought the water bottle to my lips.
Suddenly, an incredibly cool and sweet liquid began to slide down my throat.
Just a bit more, just a little more and I could hydrate my mouth entirely. I had to stop myself from doing that.
‘Stop.’
[Trait [Absolute Obedience] activates.]
My hand that was about to tip the bottle froze.
Once the flow was interrupted, it was easy to put the bottle back into the inventory.
Although it was disappointing, I resumed my walk through the desert.
‘That is, the sun is going to set soon anyway.’
The sun was already almost down.
When night falls, I should be able to rest a bit.
*
That thought was off base.
Clickity-clackity-clack
The sound was coming from my head.
I was trembling from the cold, my teeth knocking together.
‘Now I’m going to freeze to death.’
The once hot sand had gone cold.
Just as I was trying to cleanse my spirit as much as possible.
Suddenly, I heard a sound from the sand. There wouldn’t be anyone else around. I thought it was the wind and closed my eyes again.
Swish
Not the wind.
I hurriedly got to my feet.
The darkness of the desert was so intense that I could barely see ahead. Only the stars and the moon above were faintly shining.
In the shadows of that darkness, something sparkled. Behind the two shining points, a shape was revealed by the moonlight.
A wolf.
Meeting a wolf even out here seems like a bad omen.
And it wasn’t just one. True to their nature, they were gathering in a pack.
‘This is dangerous.’
The wolves were still just observing me, not yet charging.
But I couldn’t think they would only keep watching forever.
I reached into my inventory and drew my sword. The blade reflected the moonlight and caused the wolves to flinch a bit.
‘Come at me if you dare.’
There were only five wolves.
With [Swordsmanship (B)], I wouldn’t lose to a fight against five of them.
The problem was, the wolves acted like they knew that too.
They were merely keeping their distance, surrounding me, but never making the first move.
‘What are they planning?’
*
I understood their intent.
These meticulous hunters were trying to drain my stamina.
The wolves heinously disappeared with the sunrise and then would appear to surround me at sundown.
‘Those damn things.’
Thanks to them, I hadn’t been able to rest properly for days while walking through this desert.
I couldn’t even afford to ignore the need for sleep. The moment I fell asleep, they would pounce and start tearing me apart.
‘Just how vast could this desert be?’
On top of the heat already exhausting me, the lack of sleep was turning my body into rags.
But even while walking like this, I could see nothing but wolves.
‘Did I go the wrong way?’
In truth, I couldn’t even tell which direction I was heading.
I was attempting to move in as straight a line as possible, so it was safe to say I hadn’t retraced my steps.
‘If testing my stamina is the objective of the trial, then it must be going just fine.’
I pulled out a water bottle from my inventory.
The sound of water sloshing inside the bottle was cheerful.
But it also meant that there wasn’t much water left.
‘Damn it.’
I suppressed my immediate thirst wanting to drink, and I looked up ahead.
I had just crossed over a sand dune.
And yet beyond that dune, yet again, the desert stretched infinitely.
No, I couldn’t say for sure it was infinite, though.
In the distance, I could see another sand dune.
Perhaps behind that dune, there might be an oasis or even the end of the desert.
But I couldn’t be sure of that either.
‘I’ve been crossing this desert with those thoughts so far.’
Surely beyond that sand dune, there’s an end.
With that thought, I climbed over dozens of dunes.
But each time, what lay before me was only the endless desert and the next sand dune.
‘Will there really be an end behind that dune?’
Now I was starting to doubt it.
With my current water and stamina, I could probably make it to the next dune.
But that experience would surely be horrific. My past experiences reaching this point proved that.
It might even be worse than what I’ve already gone through.
‘Damn it.’
I couldn’t muster the courage.
I sat down right there on the sandy ground.
The sun-baked sand felt burning hot against me.
But my legs didn’t have the strength to get up.
Rustle
Suddenly, I heard a sound.
Looking around, I saw the wolves closing in.
Had they decided my stamina was weak enough?
I couldn’t help letting out a hollow laugh.
“Hah…”
Even if I dragged my body to that next sand dune, what if that wasn’t the end?
Looking at my past experiences, that seemed more likely than not.
What, do you want me to surpass my stamina limit? That’s a ridiculous mental game.
No matter how hard I push, there are limits to what one can do physically.
Let alone, the water situation is dire. I might die from thirst even if I have stamina.
If this really is a trial of stamina, then…
Isn’t this good enough?
I thought I had done enough.
And in that moment.
‘Huh?’
My vision distorted.
Is it dizziness? Or is it a mirage?
The swirling distortion of space became distinct, and I realized that the surroundings had changed.
And unexpectedly, the place was incredibly familiar to me.
‘This is…?’
My room.
Not Allen’s room, but my narrow, messy room back on Earth.
*
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.
