Chapter 11: The Intrepid Ruler’s Challenge Part 1 Chapter 10
As soon as I step out of the Gate of the Blind Ruler's Domain, I was swallowed again in a dark void.
"!?….Again?"
It had same sensation of floating in mid air and yet again, I couldn't see anything at all. The repeating sensation of the dark empty space would always make me shiver a bit as it would remind me of my first time at the gate. Empty and alone.
The dark was very brooding and the longer I waited, the more nervous I was at this situation. The thought of me thinking, What if I would wait here for hours again, what if I would never come out of this dark place….this thought occurs…and it would scare me. Fighting those warriors wasn't a big deal because I knew I could get out of there but here….its a mystery.
I couldn't see my hands but I know that they are there, my body is complete, but the sensation of not being certain that I was whole made me a bit cautious. So I put my placed my hand around myself and gave myself a hug. Telling myself that I could make it out of here. Ensuring that I can win this.
As I grabbed myself near my left shoulder, I felt a bit of numbing pain. I remembered that injury I had from that golden arrow, Its shining light was for a quick bit…saving. And I remembered it turned into a black circle of a tattoo. I didn't Know why it happened and I never once did thought of it until now.
I could tell that I was smiling back then the moment I saw that light. I wish I could make that kind of light again…
"How long will I stay here…a day?…two?…a week probably…"
As I felt my warm body around, the sensation of heat could be felt from my left shoulder, it was clearly more hotter than the other parts of my body. Despite it being pitch black I tried leaning over to take a peak, and to my surprise…something was happening to me…the tattoo was shining.
".…!?"
A circular light began to glow as I stared at the mark and with it comes this burning sensation. It was like being pressed with a hot iron press.
"..Aaaahhh!!"
I screamed.
Soon after the pain went away and I was left with this mark that glowed like a Christmas light. And with it, the tattoo was clearly different. It had a whole new look to it. (See in the Comments for the tattoo.)
Despite it being a foreign and bizarre thing to happen, I could feel that this mark was special. It had meaning to it, to why it appeared. And I could feel the sensation that woman gave to me whenever I would confront her. The Blind Ruler.
"Is this her way of saying that she acknowledges me?"
As I gaze at the mark, the light around this would flicker on and off, on and off like a light switch.
I stared at it intently, waiting for something to happen. Staring at it long enough that it took all of my attention away from the dark. It was very mesmerizing, almost like those swinging things I see that would always hang and look calming when I look at an old grandfather clock.
Not a quick second later, I found myself back at the place where the Statues stood. Laying near the Statue where the Blind Ruler was placed. Just under her feet.
"Eh?"
I tried to stand up but not a second later, pain came erupting into my body.
"!!"
I look to the parts where it hurts and to my surprise, my injuries were back.
"What!?"
Injuries from my right hand and stomach were still there.
I panicked as I didn't expect for this to happen. But if I just lay here like no one's business, I know I'll die. The only solution I could think of was go to the next challenge.
Immediately, I stood up and ran to the next statue over. My mind was at a panicked state, so I didn't have time to think of which statue mattered. I just ran straight to were the Blind Ruler was facing at. To my surprise I Immediately notice its main eye catching look. The Red cape over his shoulders and the Golden spear that shined like a shooting star. Looking back to my right arm, it was severely damage, thanks to this spear.
".…" still at a running pace, my mind began to blur as I could feel my blood decreasing as I took each step.
"I can't make it at this rate…Haaaa...Haaaa…"
I immediately focused myself and used my mana.
"Hnn!"
Focusing mana on my legs, I sped up my pace and charge straight into the statue.
'God it hurts!'
Five seconds later, I stood in front of the Statue and immediately placed my palm on it.
"ha!"
".…."
"What?"
Nothing was happening. I was still at the front of the statue, holding on to its metal boots.
I immediately called on to the system.
"...Character Profile."
[CHARACTER PROFILE]
:Stats:
Name: Hamil Crux
Occupation: Warrior in Training
Age:17
God's followed: The Rulers (1/4)
-Blind Ruler
Mana: 6.0
Strength: 9.5(+2.5)
Luck: 0.8
Agility: 9(+2)
Stamina: 8.5 (+3.5)
Intelligence: 9
+++++++++++++++
Bow Profenciency: 50%
+++++++++++++++
[The Challenge of the Rulers: Become worthy to be another Ruler (1/4)]
[Blind Ruler's Challenge - Acknowledge]
[Time Limit: 00000]
[Time Spent: 29:45:56:17]
The challenge wasn't processing.
"What! What does this mean!??"
Slowly, my vision was starting to blur.
"Haaaa….Haaa….I'll die at this rate."
"Fuck…!"
I started losing my balance and fell to the ground on my knees. Making it look like I was kneeling forth the statue.
[Challenge Processing…]
".….Why….now…" breathing like a dying dog. I waited for the system to accept the challenge. Each time my heart would beat, it would beat a little slower than before, and the cold I usually don't feel in this room was starting to get to me.
"hrrrrr~~ is it just…..me or is the light starting to….get….darke..r"
*Thump*
Here layed a boy who was at his end.
[The Intrepid Ruler has accepted your Audience.]
Everything went black after that.
***ARHTUR'S POV:
Arthur stood at the edge of a Cliff, and in front of him was an Ocean with a wave that could easily sunk a ship in half. Each wave would rise nearly as tall as the cliff he was standing on.
Breathing like a stagnant whale, his eyes were looking like it was losing its light.
"Are you ready to go again?" said Emur, as he looked upon the waves.
"Ok…lets do this." said Arthur as he jumped down from the cliff and into the Raging sea.
"this is already the 86th time his done this." said Emur to himself as he watched the boy fall like a flightless bird. 'I hope he'll come to learn it soon, his starting to lose it.'
Emurteus's challenge was simple, to have a calm heart. All the person has to do was gain inner peace from this Uncomfortable oceans. Once they've done that, they will easily attain the understanding of his Gift.
This was still the first Challenge out of 4 and they've already wasted a week of the same procedure.
Fall--->Ocean--->Panic--->Passing out--->Saving Arthur. And Repeat.
Emur knows that any person attempting this challenge will not die but Arthur didn't know that. Arthur was clueless of the fact that within the Hero's Gate, you will not die. Because if Emur tells him this, then he won't fully attain the knowledge of inner peace.
He watches over the Boy as Arthur struggles to face the Oceans.
"Haaa…its going to be a long time before he reaches it."
***HAMIL'S POV:
*GASP!!*
I awoke and found myself laying on the floor, my mind still groggy from whatever happened last time.
It was like I was having a hangover after being wasted in a Big party.
"Hnnn!" My mind was pulsing from the raging headache I was getting.
"...Where am I?"
I looked around and found only two things around me. One was a torch I could see, lit up about five meters away from me and next was the Brick walls and floor that I was sitting on.
I was under a man-made Cave, made of Gray bricks about the same material as the place those statues were.
"I guess I should grab that torch over there."
Walking to the torch, I began to think back to what happened last time.
Me bleeding out to death and the Statue not immediately accepting my challenge. it was a quite baffling to me. It was like the statue was waiting for me to pass out.
"Those jerks."
Not minding those moments, I went back to thinking what happened.
'Are there conditions for their challenges? If so, what was the condition needed for me entering their Domain? I don't even know why I entered both the Archer's domain and this domain In the first place? All I know was that I was walking to death's door by then.'
As I walked towards the Torch light. I brought out my Character profile, to see if anything changed.
[CHARACTER PROFILE]
:Stats:
Name: Hamil Crux
Occupation: Warrior in Training
Age:17
God's followed: The Rulers (1/4)
-Blind Ruler
Mana: 10
Strength: 9.5
Luck: 0.8
Agility: 9
Stamina: 8.5
Intelligence: 9
+++++++++++++++
Bow Profenciency: 50%
+++++++++++++++
[The Challenge of the Rulers: Become worthy to be another Ruler (1/4)]
[Blind Ruler's Challenge - Acknowledge]
[Intrepid Ruler's Challenge - Not Established]
[Time Limit: 00000]
[Time Spent: 40:07:01:34]
"...The Intrepid Ruler? Is that the Title of the Spear-man? And also…40 Days…I've slept for about 11 days here since the last time."
I lost too much time.
I immediately fastened my pace and and started running. But something wasn't right.
"Eh?"
I know I walked more than five meters already but for some reason the torch was still far away. I know I made progress, I can see the walls moving as I made my step but the Torch would never come close.
"okay…."
So I fastened my pace again and started running even faster.
*huff *huff
But still the torch was unreachable. I could clearly see signs of it moving, from how the flames would be dancing around as I fastened my pace and would stay still if I just stood in place.
"Okay, what if …." I had another method in mind.
I coated my legs in mana and placed my feet in a running position. I looked around for a bit and saw the cave was only 2 meters wide and 2 meters high.
"hnn!"
I leaped like a frog. But at a 25 degree angle.
Immediately, I saw the torch just about a meter away from me.
"Haa!"
I reached out my hand to grab it.
"Gotcha!"
But all of a sudden.
"!?"
The pressure suddenly became heavy and just as I was about to catch the torch, something came emerging out of thin air and grabs the torch.
"!?"
Stopping just about a meter away from it, I observed the form appearing right in front of the Torch.
At first, black bones started growing out of thin air and began holding the torch at it's handle and soon the human flesh started coiling around the bones along with its veins and lastly skin.
As it fully grabs the torch, it face finally shown itself under the light of the torch.
His skin was brownish and his hair was white almost like silver, reaching to his shoulders. His eyes shined in the dark like a predator with its emerald eyes. His muscular body was like a body carved out from the flesh of God itself, but his face was questionable. The part of his mouth rotted in decay, almost like a lich and light could be seen from the holes of his decaying mouth.
At first I felt fear emerging, telling myself to scream, but the man moves his hand to his mouth and gestured me to keep quiet.
".…"
He turned his back on me and started walking.
'Should I follow him?' I contemplated on what to do at the moment.
As he walked about five meters away from me he stops and turns around to face me.
He looks at me with Glaring eyes, like he was telling me to follow him.
"I guess I should."
So I decided to follow him.
The walking lasted for about an hour. At first I tried making conversation but he wouldn't reply so I just kept my mouth shut.
We walked for about a kilometer and half. At this distance I didn't notice anything change from the Caves, it was still Gray Bricks all over my surroundings.
But as we finished walking, we came to a stop at the end of the 2x2 cave. At the front of me was a wide flat area. Since my only source of light was the Torch, I couldn't see anything beyond that.
"What now?" I asked the man. But he still didn't answer. I tried walking pass him to see if anything changed. But as soon as I did, he reached out the torch to me, gesturing me to take it.
".…Ok." as I grabbed the torch, the man before me starts to crumble like dust and faded away. Leaving me with the torch.
".…" I didn't say anything and just turned back to the Flat area. I slowly walk to dark area and cautiously prepared myself for anything to happen.
'!!' I walk for about 20 steps and all of a sudden, I saw something falling from above.
A small Golden Ball of light.
It was the size of a Ping pong ball and it floated in midair, it stopped just about a meter away from the floor.
Suddenly another flash of light fell from the above. And an explosion happened.
"!?" I wasn't near the golden ball so I wasn't hurt.
*BOOM!!*
It suddenly exploded as lightning fell from the skill.
As the smoke decipates around the Golden ball, what appeared before it was a spear. It had a Black handle and a Metal tip stuck to the Ground. Despite its black handle, it glowed with a bright light surrounding it.
Curious to what It was and why it happened, I slowly made my way towards it.
But as I made my way towards it, I suddenly felt a figure was walking towards it also.
A man. A person who wore a full body Golden armor and a Cape that signified the Red Blood of his enemies. Its Armor shined at the Darkest part of the Room, making himself known and making himself feel like a King.
He walk straight up to the Spear and stood their. Waiting and starring into my direction with his arms folded.
It was clear that I was the person he was waiting for, since no one else was here. So I made my way to his direction.
As I walk to his direction, i could full see his whole body. His head covered by the Golden helmet, his Boots that shined like gold, and his armor that fluttered against the winds. His pressure alone tells me he was King.
In an immediate response towards his presence, I unconsciously kneeled right in front of him. Dropping the torch next to me.
".…" I waited for his response.
"You…" he talked
"You…are you worthy to test you fears and to Point to your weaknesses, up to a point where you will finally stand among us like kings?"
".….." I couldn't say anything.
'What does he mean by this?' I thought to myself.
".…If you feel worthy of facing my Challenge, know that you are Facing a Challenge worth of a Ruler."
"I…understand." I didn't.
".…I see, so grabbed this weapon and face your fears."
I slowly grabbed the spear and held it with my two arms. Pulling with all my might. I was able to pull it out. As I did, I could see Lightning emerging out of the ground.
"Now, Face your Fears."
As soon as he said that, everything went black.
~Swoosh~ *Baam!*
I was hit to my knee and I fell to the ground. Not knowing what hit me.
And a Screech was heard.
"SCRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!"
A monster's voice to be sure.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone