Chapter 33: Trapped in the Solitary Trial

Author’s Note:

Thanks for all the power stones and golden tickets today! To show my appreciation, here’s an extra Chapter for you all. Enjoy!

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Daemon’s breathing had become heavier.

The enormous Grave Knight stood before him, its ancient black armor covered in cracks and dried remnants of dark energy.

Two hollow red lights burned beneath its helmet.

In its hands rested a massive Deathblade, a weapon almost as tall as Daemon himself.

Daemon tightened his grip around the Void Reaper.

Inferno flames crawled along the black blade, wrapping around its edges like a living fire.

The Grave Knight suddenly moved.

BOOM!

Its foot slammed into the ground.

The next instant, the Deathblade came crashing toward Daemon.

Daemon raised Void Reaper.

CLANG!

The impact sent sparks and flames flying.

Daemon’s arms trembled.

This thing is strong.

He immediately activated Thunderstep.

His body vanished.

The Grave Knight’s sword struck empty air.

Daemon appeared behind it and swung Void Reaper horizontally.

SHING!

The inferno-coated blade struck the armor.

A deep crack appeared.

But the Grave Knight didn’t fall.

Instead, it turned its head unnaturally fast.

Its Deathblade swept backward.

Daemon ducked.

The dark blade passed barely an inch above his head.

Fast!

Daemon kicked against the ground and activated Stormstep, accelerating forward.

His sword became a streak of black and orange.

The Grave Knight responded with a powerful vertical slash.

Daemon twisted sideways.

The Deathblade smashed into the dungeon floor.

BOOOOM!

Stone exploded around them.

Daemon used the opening.

Inferno Blast!

A concentrated explosion of fire erupted from his palm.

The Grave Knight was thrown backward several meters.

Daemon didn’t waste the opportunity.

He rushed forward.

Thunderstep.

Void Reaper.

His movements became increasingly sharp as he chained his skills together.

One slash.

Two.

Three.

Four.

The Grave Knight blocked the first three.

The fourth sliced through a weakened section of its armor.

CRACK!

Black blood splattered across the floor.

For the first time, the Grave Knight staggered.

Daemon’s eyes sharpened.

"I’ve got you."

He raised Void Reaper for the finishing strike.

Then—

He froze.

A terrifying presence appeared behind him.

Daemon slowly turned his head.

Something was standing in the darkness.

A tall figure covered in dried blood.

Its skin was pale.

Its eyes glowed crimson.

Unlike the mindless undead he had encountered earlier, this creature stood perfectly upright.

It smiled.

A system window immediately appeared before Daemon’s eyes.

[Warning!]

[Elite Undead detected.]

[Blood Revenant]

Former identity: High-Level Hunter

Threat Level: Extreme

Special Trait: Retains human intelligence.

Daemon’s expression hardened.

"A former Hunter?"

The Blood Revenant chuckled.

"So you can still recognize fear."

Daemon’s grip tightened.

The Grave Knight slowly recovered behind him.

He was exhausted.

He had been clearing floors continuously without taking proper breaks.

And now he was facing two elite monsters simultaneously.

The Blood Revenant stretched one hand toward him.

"Your journey ends here."

Crimson energy erupted from its palm.

Crack!

A blood-red chain shot through the darkness.

Daemon tried to dodge.

Too late.

The chain wrapped around his arm.

Then another wrapped around his chest.

Another around his legs.

Within seconds, his entire body was restrained.

The crimson chains tightened.

SIZZLE!

Burning pain spread across his skin.

Daemon gritted his teeth.

The Blood Revenant laughed.

"Crimson Chain."

The Grave Knight approached.

Its Deathblade rose.

Daemon’s eyes widened.

Damn it.

He couldn’t move.

The Deathblade descended.

BOOOOM!

A translucent shield suddenly appeared around Daemon.

Bloodline Ward.

The Deathblade smashed against it.

The shield shook violently.

Cracks appeared across its surface.

Daemon stared.

It won’t hold for long.

The Blood Revenant smiled.

"Interesting."

The Grave Knight attacked again.

BOOM!

More cracks spread across the shield.

Daemon pushed against the crimson chains.

Nothing.

His sword was trapped against his body.

His energy was dropping rapidly.

I’m actually trapped.

The Grave Knight raised its Deathblade for another strike.

Then—

SHING!

A dagger flew through the darkness.

It struck the Grave Knight directly in the skull.

The massive undead knight froze.

A thin crack spread across its helmet.

Then its body collapsed.

BOOM!

Daemon stared in disbelief.

The dagger suddenly returned through the air.

A woman caught it effortlessly.

She stepped from the darkness with a confident smirk.

"Daemon."

Daemon’s eyes widened.

"Sana?"

Sana Whitlock twirled the dagger between her fingers.

"I’ve been waiting for this."

She glanced around the dungeon.

"You really know how to get yourself into trouble."

Then she smiled.

"But you surprised me."

Daemon couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

"How are you here?"

Sana pointed her dagger toward the Blood Revenant.

"We’ll talk about that later."

Before Daemon could respond—

"Daemon!"

Another familiar voice echoed through the dungeon.

Roxanna came running through the darkness.

She immediately saw the crimson chains wrapped around him.

Her expression changed.

"Daemon!"

Green light erupted around both her palms.

She rushed forward.

Purification Palm!

Her palm struck the crimson chain.

BOOM!

Green energy spread across the blood-red material.

The chain began to crack.

The Blood Revenant’s smile disappeared.

"What?"

Roxanna struck again.

CRACK!

The crimson chain shattered.

Daemon dropped to one knee.

Roxanna immediately grabbed his hand.

"Are you alright?"

Green restorative energy flowed through his body.

The burned skin began repairing itself.

Daemon looked at her.

"Roxanna... what are you doing here?"

She frowned.

"We should be asking you that!"

She continued healing him.

"Why did you come into a place like this alone? What if something happened to you?"

Daemon looked between the two women.

He had absolutely no idea how to explain this situation.

Sana suddenly attacked.

The Blood Revenant blocked her dagger with its forearm.

CLANG!

Sana’s eyes narrowed.

The creature grabbed her wrist.

Sana twisted her body and escaped.

The Blood Revenant smiled.

"You three are interesting."

It’s wounds began closing.

Daemon stared.

Regeneration.

The Blood Revenant suddenly disappeared.

Sana’s Hunter instincts reacted immediately.

She ducked.

A crimson claw passed over her head.

Roxanna released a short burst of green energy.

Purification Push!

BOOM!

The Blood Revenant was pushed backward.

Daemon immediately moved.

Thunderstep!

He appeared beside Sana.

Void Reaper ignited with Inferno flames.

He swung.

The Blood Revenant blocked the sword with its hardened arm.

CLANG!

Daemon’s eyes widened.

The creature grabbed Void Reaper.

"Too slow."

It kicked Daemon in the stomach.

BOOM!

Daemon flew backward.

Roxanna rushed toward him.

"Daemon!"

"I’m fine!"

The Blood Revenant charged Sana.

Sana threw both daggers.

SHING! SHING!

The first dagger pierced its shoulder.

The second struck its thigh.

But the wounds immediately began closing.

The Blood Revenant pulled the dagger from its shoulder.

"You cannot defeat me with ordinary wounds."

Sana smirked.

"I wasn’t trying to."

She snapped her fingers.

The first dagger suddenly changed direction.

SHING!

It struck the Blood Revenant from behind.

The creature staggered.

Daemon understood.

Hunter instinct and precise dagger control.

"Roxanna!"

She nodded.

Green energy gathered around both palms.

The Blood Revenant charged.

Roxanna waited.

At the last possible moment—

Purification Palm!

Her palm slammed directly into its chest.

BOOOOM!

The Blood Revenant screamed.

Unlike ordinary monsters, its regeneration suddenly slowed.

Corrupted undead energy was being burned away by Roxanna’s purification ability.

"ARGHH!"

Daemon immediately followed.

Thunderstep!

He appeared above it.

Void Reaper came down.

SLASH!

Inferno flames exploded across the Blood Revenant’s body.

But the monster refused to fall.

Its eyes became completely crimson.

"Hunter Instinct."

Its body moved before Daemon could react.

A crimson chain wrapped around his sword arm.

Another shot toward Roxanna.

Sana intercepted it.

Her dagger sliced through the chain.

"Not happening."

Daemon pulled free.

The three fought together now.

Sana attacked from unpredictable angles.

Roxanna controlled the battlefield with purification strikes and short-range energy bursts.

Daemon provided the overwhelming damage.

Finally, the Blood Revenant’s regeneration began slowing.

Daemon saw the opening.

"Sana!"

She understood immediately.

She threw both daggers.

One pierced the monster’s knee.

The other struck its shoulder.

The Blood Revenant fell onto one knee.

Roxanna rushed forward.

"Purification Palm!"

Her palm struck its chest.

Green light exploded through its body.

The monster screamed.

Daemon appeared directly in front of it.

Void Reaper burned brighter than ever.

"Inferno..."

He pulled the sword backward.

"...Blast!"

A massive wave of flame erupted from the blade.

BOOOOOOM!

The Blood Revenant was consumed by fire.

Its crimson energy shattered.

Its body collapsed into black ash.

Silence returned.

Daemon stood there breathing heavily.

A notification appeared.

[Elite Undead defeated.]

[Rewards available.]

Daemon barely noticed it.

He turned toward the two women.

"How long have you two been following me?"

Roxanna immediately looked at Sana.

Sana casually placed her dagger away.

"I placed a tracking device on you."

Daemon blinked.

"When?"

"When we shook hands at Victoria’s house."

"You did what?"

Sana shrugged.

"I sensed something unusual about your energy while we were riding home.

I became curious."

Daemon looked between the two women, still unable to believe what he was hearing.

"Wait a minute. How did you two even find me?"

Sana crossed her arms with a slightly guilty expression.

"It started when we were riding home in the cab."

"While we were on the way, my tracking device suddenly detected a completely different energy signature coming from you."

Daemon’s expression changed.

"Different energy?"

Sana nodded. "Yes. It wasn’t your normal awakened energy.

It was something strange—something I had never sensed from you before."

Roxanna leaned forward. "That’s when Sana became suspicious."

Sana gave her a sideways glance.

"I wanted to know what you were hiding, Daemon.

You’ve been acting strangely for a while, and after seeing that unusual energy, I couldn’t just ignore it."

Roxanna quickly raised both hands.

"And I was curious too!"

Daemon stared at her.

"You too?"

Roxanna smiled awkwardly. "Can you blame me?

You disappeared without telling anyone, entered some mysterious place by yourself, and clearly possess abilities that don’t match what you’ve told us."

Sana sighed.

"So we decided to follow you."

Daemon’s eyes widened.

"But how did you enter the Solitary Trial? I never gave either of you permission to come inside."

Sana’s smile became slightly mischievous.

"That’s where my Shadow Umbral came in."

Dark shadows gathered faintly around her feet.

"I used my Shadow Umbral ability to follow the energy trail left by your entrance.

Roxanna stayed with me, and we slipped through before the dimensional gate completely closed."

Roxanna nodded proudly.

"It wasn’t exactly easy."

Sana chuckled. "Definitely not. But we managed."

Daemon stared at them in disbelief.

"So you followed me all the way into the Solitary Trial... just because you wanted to know my secret?"

Sana and Roxanna exchanged a glance.

"Pretty much," Sana answered.

Daemon slowly covered his face with one hand.

"I can’t believe this..."

Daemon looked upward.

"System."

The system responded immediately.

[Companion Clause activated.]

Daemon’s face changed.

[The host possesses the skill Companion Clause.]

[One companion may enter the Solitary Trial alongside the host.]

Daemon swallowed.

"One companion..."

Another notification appeared.

[Current companions detected: 2]

Daemon’s face went blank.

[Violation detected.]

Roxanna slowly looked at him.

Daemon’s stomach dropped.

The system continued.

[Penalty activated.]

[Bloodline progression must reach 20% before the host can leave the Solitary Trial.]

Daemon stared at the message.

His current bloodline progression was only 11%.

"Wait..."

His voice became weak.

"You’re telling me..."

Roxanna stepped closer.

"Daemon?"

Daemon slowly turned toward them.

"We can’t leave."

Silence.

Sana blinked.

Roxanna blinked.

Then both women stared at him.

"What?"