Chapter 7: Blind Ruler's Challenge part 1 Chapter 6
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Sorry, I wasn't able to update for a few days. got sidetracked by my project in school. it was also the Midterms exam....so yeah... pretty busy.
anyway, I can't promise a chapter a day release. so I hope you guys understand. but I'll try my best.
Also thanks for the positive comments. hope to make this a long term thing.
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"Ah shit.... now I remembered."
The sound of the system ringing in my ears reminded me of why I was here.
"...That's right...the Hero's Gate..."
I was surrounded by statues in all directions. Each one standing like a legend.
But no matter how i Look at it, they always reminded me of Spartans...from my old world of the Greek period. One person particular came to mind.
But thinking of that right now was pointless.
my body was leaking blood like a faucet turned halfway through and my mind was getting lighter and lighter as seconds pass by.
Looking at the Screen right in front of me, I could see the Objective of the Challenge.
[The Challenge of the Rulers: Become worthy to be another Ruler.]
"....Ruler?...What does it mean? what should I do?"
'There are Four statues...four directions...four walkways....four paths....four...four....."
looking at those statues, the only one different was the Bow and arrow one.
It was the Only statue with a different gender...and her clothing was quite easing on the eyes as well as her hair....Smooth and silky....she was like an angel.
My body decided to move to that direction. Each step I took would leave a trail of blood behind and at each step, my mind would shake, my vision would blur and my hearing would receive a high pitch tone.
"Haaa.....Haaa.....*cough*"
I covered my mouth with my left hand and could see the blood trickling down the gaps.
Gripping it slowly, I could feel my strength leaving my body just by a simple grip.
Slowly, I looked to the statue and saw it being so close, so I reached out my hand. Hoping this pain was going to pass, hoping that I would reach it and Hoping that I would live through this.
I collapse to the floor.
"Haaa.....haaa....I reached it."
Despite not touching the body of the statue, I could feel the folds of her smooth and silky dress. I touched it.
As soon as I did, the wound on my left shoulder began to Glow into a ray of sunlight.
"!?"
[The Blind Ruler has accepted your Audience.]
"What?"
As I notice the system popping right in front of me, my vision began to darken and as soon as it did. I was enveloped in darkness once again.
***ARTHUR'S POV:
"...help....."
"Arthur, what's wrong?" said Licia worryingly as she held a teddy bear between her arms.
"....did you hear that?"
"Hear what?" asked Licia
"...Umm...I guess it was nothing. We should Probably go home, its getting dark." said arthur as he stood in place with Licia by his side and Liam and Martha on by one of the food trucks buying a crepe.
"Yeah, I think we should. look its about to rain." said Licia.
Licia pointed to the sky. The clouds were as dark as night. It was a very depressing color, especially when looked at from a theme park. the Playtime was going to end.
"Liam! Martha! let's go. It's about to rain." said Arthur as he called out to them.
".....help..."
Arthur turned around as soon as he heard another voice. it was similar to the first one.
He walked towards where that voice came from but as soon as he took ten steps, his movement stopped.
"Huh?'
He noticed Licia holding on to his sleeve shirt.
"What's wrong Licia?"
"Where are you going?" asked Licia worryingly.
"...umm...nothing, nothing. I thought I heard someone calling for my name is all."
"...Ok."
Arthur looked at Licia, reassuring her that nothing was wrong. they stared at each other, not long enough that raindrops began falling from the sky.
"....!?...rain?"
"Let's go, I already called the Limo." said Martha as she held a crepe on her hands.
while liam on the other hand was slumping down because he didn't get his.
"Why...why won't they let me buy the entire food truck..." said Liam in a depressing tone.
The four of them walked at a fast pace as rain began to fall on harder and harder.
"Ah, there's the car!"
"Go go go!"
Not long after they got in. although a bit wet and damp, they were able to save themsleves from being fully wet.
~Swoosh~ ~Swoosh~ *Tick* *Tick* *Tick* *Tick* *Tick* *Tick* *Tick* *Tick* *Tick* *Tick* *Tick* *Tick* *Tick* *Tick* *Tick* *Tick* *Tick* *Tick* *Tick* *Tick*
The rain was getting heavier.
"Fuji-san, Let's go." said Martha to the Driver of the Limo.
"Where to miss?" asked the driver.
Martha looked to her friends and saw them quite damp.
"Let's go home."
"Ok miss."
Soon the driver drove to the Duke's manor at Moderate speed.
As they were leaving, Arthur looked back to the theme park and thought to himself.
'I have to go back there....I know I wasn't imagining it.'
He looked back to the group and saw Licia with her hair slightly wet from the rain.
"...."
He pulls out a handkerchief and begins to dry her hair up.
"!?"
Surprised by this action, Licia was showing a tinge of red on her cheeks.
'These guys.....'
Liam was looking at the Two.... clueless to the development....he stared....and stared....and stared.....finally he spoke...
"Oh...Licia, do you wanna go number 2?
"..."
"..."
"Why is this brother of mine such an Idiot." said Martha as she facepalms herself.
***HAMIL'S POV:
~Gasp!~
I woke up and found myself sitting in a crosslegged position.
And for some reason I was feeling better than before. The sword and Spear injury was gone but what remained was the Arrow injury. or what seemed like a tattoo of it. it formed a simple circle where the arrow got inserted. a simple circle as a tattoo.
"Where am I?" I questioned myself.
I found myself in a grassy plain and the wind blowing elegantly. it was soft and calming. I looked around and saw a tree. it was up hill, and under that tree was a woman.
"It's her..."
Immediately, I recognize her. she was that same lady from the statue.
despite her back facing me, I could tell it was her. her silky white dress, her blonde hair that resembling the Sun. everything was a spitting image. except for the fact that she wasn't wearing a helmet.
I was about 20 meters away from her and looking around me, I found nothing worth paying attention to, except her.
"So I guess this is the Challenge. Still...what should I do?"
Slowly I walked up to her, as I got closer I realized that the hill she was standing on was a Cliff end. She stood there as if she was watching over something.
after walking for a bit, I finally reached her. I was about two meters away from her. Waiting to see if she would face me.
Five minutes has passed.
She was still standing there.
I realize that for those five minutes, I was just only watching her. not calling out to her or even minding the other things in my surroundings. it was like she was enchanting me to only look at her.
"You have come."
"...Yes."
"....."
She turned around and faced me.
"Oh...I see..."
Her Iris eyes stared into me and made me feel a bit uncomfortable.
She began to walk and went pass me. She walk to the tree and touched it.
"It seems you're intentions are purely for strength...you are trying to save something..."
"....."
"Do you understand the purpose of this Challenge?"
"...no."
"It is to become a Ruler."
"A Ruler?"
"The Gate has brought you here because your ambition aligns with ours."
"I-Im not trying to be ruler."
"....."
"I'm only here because the Gate called to me. it recognizes my potential to save people. and my reason for coming here is to stop something terrible from happening."
"The Gate is never wrong." she spoke.
"It always lead people to the Path that they are most compatible with. And you have come here. I only see it that you want to be a Ruler."
"Then tell me, What it is a Ruler?"
"....That is something you have to figure by yourself."
She picks up a Bow hanging from a tree and pulls out a branch.
"Your Challenge begins now."
"What?"
She then walks to the edge of the cliff and stares down at the bottom.
I followed her and to my surprise. I saw a Mash of bodies lying on the Floor, Swords Clashing as People screamed, fighting for survival. It looked like two Factions were fighting from one another, I could tell because of their armor and uniform.
It was an all out war. almost ten thousand bodies were found down below.
"I-Its a War down there!"
"It is. Now...."
She handed me the Bow and branch. as she did, the Branch turned into a simple looking arrow.
"Shoot."
"What!?"
"Shoot."
"..."
"You wanted power, power capable of saving thousands. to do that, you have to shoot. You have to take a life."
"....ok but how do I know if I hit an enemy. I don't even know if which side I should shoot it at."
"Does it matter?"
"W-what?"
"As soon as you pull the string and lunch the arrow. you will kill a man and you will save the other."
"It doesn't matter which one you choose, War is a broken thing created by man. It should have never been made but those people in Power do so to prove a point. to protect or....to conquer."
"...."
I slowly pulled the string and began to stretch it. as the arrow was ready. I stared into the Distance.
Now I'm not gonna lie, pulling a Bow was harder than expected. especially when you have the body of a kid that could get exhausted from a light jog.
"...."
"...."
~swoosh~
"...."
I could see the arrow soaring down the cliff. not long after, I saw it hit a random man from the back.
"!?"
He fell down to his knees and as he was distracted by the shot. another man approach him and swung a sword to his neck. letting his head fly.
"A man must always be willing to take a life. In our paths to rule everything, we must shoot down everything that will act as a nuisance. You have achieved the first step of this Challenge. you have proven your resolve."
"Now, unto the Next Challenge."
She snaps her finger and immediately, right in front of her appeared a Quiver. it held around 25 arrows.
She snaps her finger again. this time right behind me, the field I stood at the beginning was starting to crumble. the leaves were drying out and bodies suddenly appeared one after the other. wearing full armor with a sword and shield on each hand and all other different weapons.
"What!?"
"...."
Around 20 of them appeared.
"Now, kill them."
"I-I gotta be honest with you, I'm not that adept at handling a bow. I only got that shot because they were all gathering like ants."
".....You'll learn as you go."
"Eh!?"
"Now, I won't come back until you've killed them all."
"Wait what?"
Her body glowed like a holy figure and disappeared from the area. I was left on my own,with bow on one hand and a Quiver bag on my back. I readied myself.
"Ok...let's do this."
As I went down hill, I noticed a red line on the Ground. it separated the Tree from the Field.
As I step through the line, It suddenly turned yellow and all the Warriors turned to me.
"There he is! The enemy of our Lord!"Shouted one of the warriors holding a Spear.
"!?"
"!?"
"!?"
Soon all warriors were looking at me.
"Ah shit."
I panicked and tried to pull out an arrow from the Bag but as soon as I did. A Spear was flying right towards me.
"!!"
dodging to the right, I avoided the spear. but a warrior with a sword in hand was already going straight at me.
"Haaaa!!"
"!!"
The sword went through me right into my heart. and I immediately blacked out.
****
~Gasp!~
I found myself under a tree. a bow was lying by my side along with the quiver.
"I died...but I came back..."
suddenly a thought came to me.
'The system is at work...I can't die. just like the novel said. A person won't die in a Hero's Gate as long as they stay determined.'
It was my first time experiencing death. it was quick but my body felt numb, especially in my left chest.
"A sword through the Heart....."
I remembered it as it went through my body....the Cold steel....the furious look of that warrior.... everything about it was scary.
"Ok...ok...let's do this again."
I made my resolve.
"As long as I don't quit, I'll win this."
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Simple_Thought
Simple_Thought Hmmm... peaches
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone