I had a plan.
I'd spent three days preparing it. Traps laid. Poison mixed. Terrain memorized. I studied that clearing like a tactician prepping for a siege.
It wasn't arrogance.
It was survival.
I knew the Trial Guardian was stronger than me — stronger than anything that I've faced so far in this cursed tutorial. But I thought that maybe, just maybe, if I played smart… I could win.
I'd killed monsters bigger than me before. Hell, I once strangled a venom wolf with my own belt.
This was just another obstacle.
Right?
[Trapcraft Lv. 1 – Active]
[Crude Field Poison (Slime Gland Extract) – Prepared (x2)]
[Weapon Improvisation – Enabled]
[Sword Proficiency Lv. 4 – Active]
[Parry Lv. 3 – Active]
[Mental Fortitude – Holding]
[HP: 20/20]
[System Notes: Combat Survival Logging Initiated]
The Trial Guardian stood where it always had, unmoving, hunched like a demon frozen mid-charge. Blackened armor, enormous blade, dead silence.
I approached the platform, one hand tightening around the hilt of my rusted sword, the other brushing against the hilt of a poisoned dagger.
The traps were set.
The ground marked.
The fallback points memorized.
This was it.
Its head tilted toward me.
The moment I stepped on the stone circle, the air grew heavier.
[Trial Guardian – Executioner of the Unsworn]
[Level: ???]
[Status: Hostile]
[Warning: Enemy HP Display Unavailable]
I launched the first strike.
"Diagonal Slash!"
A downward diagonal from my shoulder to its hip — clean, strong, aimed for a gap in the side plate.
The blade hit.
Sparks. Recoil. No damage.
[Diagonal Slash – Registered]
[Damage: 0]
[Durability: -1]
Before I could recover, the Guardian moved.
Too fast.
It countered with an overhead cleave.
I dove left, rolled, came up in a reverse grip, already shifting into a tight stance.
It followed with a horizontal sweep — aimed low.
I jumped.
Blade passed inches under my feet.
As I landed, I snapped a feint slash at its sword arm, then pivoted into a thrust at the joint in its chest plate.
[Hit Registered – Damage: 1]
That's it?
Just one?
I backed off immediately, blade scraping stone as I slid into the first trap zone.
The Guardian chased.
Its heavy foot triggered the tripwire — clack!
Spikes erupted from beneath.
It didn't even hesitate.
Two punctured its ankle guard. Acid hissed.
Still, no reaction.
[Trapcraft Activated – Damage: 0]
[Momentum Core: Stable]
Momentum Core… what the hell was that?
I drew the first poisoned dagger. Flicked it at its helm — the eye slit.
Direct hit.
[Crude Poison Applied – Resistance Detected]
Of course.
It lunged.
I blocked.
Our blades met — and I parried, twisted, redirected.
The shock of it numbed my arms.
[Parry Successful – Reduced Impact]
[HP: 17/20]
I staggered but didn't fall.
Tightened grip. Dropped to a low stance. Slashed upward.
Steel kissed metal — a shallow scrape along its side.
[Damage: 1]
I exhaled hard, retreated two steps, and circled.
It pivoted with me — always facing.
I advanced again. Step. Slash. Step. Parry.
Another low sweep — I jumped, flipped forward, landed and swung in a rising arc aimed at the knee joint.
[Damage: 2]
[HP: 17/20]
It swung a backhand fist into my chest.
[HP: 13/20]
Pain bloomed in my ribs.
I ran.
Toward fallback zone B.
Let it follow.
It moved with unrelenting speed, dragging that massive blade in wide sweeps that carved through ancient stone like butter.
As I reached the oil trap line, I triggered it with a kick.
A fireball exploded between us — roaring heat and light.
Smoke blinded me for a second.
When it cleared, the Guardian was still standing.
Scorched.
But whole.
[Environmental Damage: Negligible]
I gritted my teeth, raised my sword, and charged again.
This time I went for rapid attacks — a flurry of light slashes to probe for weaknesses.
One to the shoulder — deflected.
Another to the side — no penetration.
Final cut across its helm — shallow scratch.
It swung down mid-flurry.
I blocked.
My sword cracked.
[HP: 9/20]
[Weapon Durability Critical]
I activated my second acid pouch, lobbed it straight at its chest.
Direct hit.
Hiss.
Steam.
Smoke.
I lunged through it, slammed my shoulder into its chest to unbalance it — then plunged my second dagger under its arm.
[Damage: 3]
[HP: 9/20]
It howled — the only sound it had made so far.
A horrible, scraping groan of metal on metal.
Then it punched me in the face.
[HP: 5/20]
I hit the ground. Hard.
Blood filled my mouth. My vision doubled.
It stood over me.
I rolled.
Grabbed a rock.
Threw it in its face.
Stupid. Pointless.
But it flinched.
I took that half-second to roll toward the final trap — the acid pit I'd dug with a cracked bone and lined with slime glands.
I baited it. Crawled inside.
It followed.
Stepped in.
I triggered the last charge.
CRACK!
Glass shattered.
Acid exploded underfoot.
The Guardian stumbled — actually stumbled.
I stood, trembling, and raised my broken sword high.
I screamed.
Brought it down.
[Weapon Broken – Improvised Hit Registered]
[Damage: 2]
[HP: 5/20]
The Guardian looked up.
And then it struck.
One clean sweep.
Blade through gut.
[HP: 3/20]
Then another vertical strike cutting through one of my arms
[HP: 2/20]
…
[HP: 1/20]
And with a final movement, he pierced my heart like a skewer. Looking as unbothered as I first saw him.
…
[HP: 0/20]
"Damn it…"
[You Have Died.]
[Respawn Time: 00:01:00]
[Logging Failure State…]
I died, with acid in my lungs, blood in my throat, and a broken sword in my hand.
I died reaching.
Still trying.