Wu Chen stood amidst the settling dust, his breath steadying as the last wisps of demonic energy curled around his fingertips. The battlefield lay silent now—a graveyard of broken creatures and splintered weapons.
The villagers emerged from the shadows of their defenses, their faces pale with exhaustion but alight with something fiercer than relief.
Reverence
Old Man Zhang shuffled forward, his gnarled hands trembling not from fear, but from the weight of words too vast for gratitude.
"You've done it again, Wu Chen," he rasped, bowing so low his forehead nearly brushed the bloodied earth. "These old bones shouldn't have lived to see another dawn. Yet here we stand—because of you."
Wu Chen inclined his head, the ghost of a smile touching his lips. "The battle is over."
Simple words. But as they rippled through the crowd, shoulders straightened. Children peeked out from behind their mothers' skirts. A woman clutched her husband's arm, her tears cutting tracks through the grime on her face.
The celebration began not with cheers, but with a collective exhale—a village remembering how to breathe.
Even before the final battle the Tension had weighed heavily on Their Mind especially when the boss Creature started with the Taunts.
But now all is Over.
Their life is theirs now.
Then came the laughter, the claps on backs, the murmured prayers to ancestors.
The villagers couldn't help but jubilate, their spirits lifted by Wu Chen's strength and skill.
They know with his assurance the battle is over and even if it's not, no matter what they faced, with him by their side, they felt assured and confident.
The firelight had dimmed to embers when Wu Chen finally stole a moment alone. The villagers' gratitude still hung in the air—woven into the extra blankets they'd piled on his pallet, the way the children had pressed candy and sweets into his hands before bed.
Their kindness was a balm.
The villagers had treated him with overwhelming kindness and gratitude, their hospitality a stark contrast to the brutality of the battle.
But now, alone in the quiet of the night, even though dawn will soon be approaching he remembered the notification he had ignored earlier.
So With a thought, he summoned it.
[ BOSS DEFEATED: TRIAL COMPLETED. ]
[ You have saved the village from certain annihilation, proving your bravery, intellect, and Resolve. ]
[ Rewards Earned: SPIRIT APPARITION ]
[ Rewards Granted: SAINT SHIFT ]
[ Exit: Trial may now be terminated at will. ]
Wu Chen went very still.
Wu Chen's eyes widened slightly. "The trial is over?
And I can leave…?"
The realization was both exhilarating and bittersweet.
He had grown attached to the villagers. Their resilience, their sincerity, their unshaken trust in him… The thought of abandoning them, even for a greater path, tugged at his conscience.
But then his gaze moved to the first reward.
Wu Chen's gaze lingered on the first reward, its golden script burning brighter, and then it enlarged showing the ability description.
[ One-Use Ability: Spirit Apparition ]
[ Description: Saving the villagers has earned you their deep admiration respect and yearning. As a result a fragment of your soul, forged from the villager's faith can remain behind as a Guardian. This apparition mirrors your current strength —and grows as you grow.]
A breath Wu Chen didn't realize he had been holding escaped him.
This changes everything.
The weight on his shoulders is gone.
Wu Chen's heart swelled with relief. 'In fact this is perfect,' he thought.
He could leave without guilt. Part of his soul would stay to protect the villagers—a guardian forged of their hope and his will. In case anything arises Even in his absence, they would be shielded.
His curiosity then turned to the second reward.
[ Ability: Saint Shift ]
[ Description: As a harbinger of balance, you are granted an ultimate form. Saint Shift transforms you into a being that is neither divine nor demonic, granting you immense power at the cost of the environment's spiritual energy.]
Wu Chen's mind raced as he processed the implications. "This is a game-changer," he realized.
An ace—one that could level the battlefield against enemies leagues above him. But its cost was steep. Draining the spiritual energy of the land could bring devastation if misused.
He nodded to himself. "A last resort, then. Only when I have no other choice."
With a deep breath, Wu Chen leaned back, his mind buzzing with possibilities
The trial had tested him in ways he hadn't expected, his body, mind, and spirit. It had forced him to grow, to fight, to lead.
He glanced out at the quiet village, the soft glow of lanterns flickering in the distance.
But it had also rewarded him handsomely.
And not only that but it had also given him something rare.
A purpose
That is not just about Survival.
"I'll stay for a while longer," he decided. "The villagers deserve that much. But when the time comes to leave, I'll do so with peace of mind, knowing they're in good hands
...my hands."
As Wu Chen closed his eyes, a deep calm settled over him. The road ahead was still uncertain, but for the first time in a long while, he felt ready—ready to face whatever challenges the world had in store.
That night, the darkness wrapped around the village like a blanket, and Wu Chen slept soundly, free of the tension that had gripped him for days. Until now, sleep had always come with the weight of uncertainty—the threat of a sudden ambush, the fear of the boss creature's overwhelming power, and the burden of what would happen if he failed.
But now, those fears are gone.
With the beast defeated and the trial complete, a profound sense of relief cradled his mind. For the first time in what felt like ages, his rest was unbroken, his dreams light and warm.
He dreamed of the village's future—thriving fields, smiling faces, and laughter echoing through sunlit streets. And standing tall at the heart of it all, the spirit apparition a silent sentinel in shadows bearing his presence, watching over them like a divine guardian.
The satisfaction of completing the trial and earning such profound rewards felt like the perfect cherry atop a hard-fought victory.