Chapter 129: Ch:129 Rite of Survival

Daniel stepped into a dome-shaped room, the torches on the walls casting flickering shadows that danced across the floor.

Zero was right beside him.

Inside, roughly twenty figures waited. Each wore a black hooded robe, their faces hidden behind wooden masks streaked with brown and black. The masks gave them a silent, unreadable presence, and the quiet in the room pressed down like a weight.

At the left corner of the room stood a wooden pole shaped like a cross, bearing a statue of a man crowned with thorns. It’s eyes glowed softly, like molten crystal, casting a faint light over the smooth platform beneath him — a rectangular box that seemed almost too perfect, too deliberate to be ordinary.

“Status,” Daniel whispered, his eyes flicking toward the hooded figures.

Nothing appeared.

’It happened again, my ability didn’t work on them. Maybe… the ability itself need something to see,’ he thought, scanning the room carefully.

All the figures watched them in absolute silence, standing perfectly straight. At the far end, on a makeshift stage, sat a single figure on a throne, its presence commanding the room despite the stillness around it.

“Commander, I present Daniel,” Zero said with a small nod.

The commander calmly lifted his right hand. Zero took a step back, standing beside Daniel, yet his gaze remained fixed on the throne.

“Daniel, do you know why you’re here?” the man asked, his voice deep and steady.

“No,” Daniel replied,

For a couple of minutes, the commander recited the crimes they had committed, his voice carrying clearly so the hooded figures could hear every word.

…

“…and now, you have two choices. Either you survive the trial or be executed immediately. The choice is yours,” the commander said, his tone calm yet unyielding, leaving no room for argument.

The figures in the corners began mumbling among themselves, while others remained perfectly still, silently waiting for his answer.

“I choose the trial,” Daniel said, his tone firm.

For a moment, the room fell silent. The figures were surprised by his confidence, even though they had expected exactly what he would choose.

“Confidence… very well,” the commander said, rising to his feet.

“Let’s go,” Zero murmured, stepping forward toward the statue.

Daniel followed closely behind him, while the hooded figures moved forward slowly, forming a half-circle around the statue. Their presence was heavy and silent, pressing down on the room like a living shadow.

“Lay down on your back, Daniel.” the commander ordered.

Daniel obeyed without hesitation. The moment he lay down, the statue’s head tilted forward, casting a soft, white light that washed over his entire body.

At the same time, the commander handed Daniel an orb that looked like a transparent glass ball, then brought a flask to his own lips and poured its contents into Daniel’s mouth.

*Glug-Glug-Glug*

The commander began explaining the challenge Daniel was about to face — a challenge that could decide whether he lives or dies. Daniel listened carefully, though he already knew the details from Zero.

After the spell was cast, Daniel would fall unconscious and be thrown into a world where danger lurked around every corner.

His objective would be to defeat a powerful boss and retrieve an artifact, using the soul orb to aid him. Once he succeeded, an exit portal would appear, allowing him to leave the world.

Zero’s eyes were fixed on him as he stood beside the figures. He was confident that Daniel would return alive — after all, he was a shaman, capable of unleashing lightning from his palm.

“It’s time,” the commander declared, raising his hand.

The hooded figures lowered their heads and closed their eyes in unison.

“Ashami pakudo paham eigara.”

“Ashami pakudo paham eigara.”

The commander’s chant filled the room. The light above Daniel brightened, bathing him in an intense glow. His eyelids grew heavy, his body sagging as unconsciousness took hold.

But just before he plunged into darkness, the white light shifted, bleeding into a deep, ominous red.

…

Daniel woke beneath a tree, his back resting on the ground covered with dried yellow leaves. The tree above him was bare, its branches brittle and lifeless, not a single leaf clinging to them.

He stood up and scanned the area. In front of him stretched a dense, cloudy mist that swallowed the mountains, castles, and the land beyond, making it seem as if he stood above the clouds.

The air around him was cold, and the sky hung yellow, as if dust and pollution veiled the sun.

After moving a little forward, Daniel realized he was standing on a high cliff. Beside the tree stood a signboard covered in dried leaves, with something written on it. Next to it rested a wooden chest, tightly strapped with a metal band.

He approached and brushed the leaves away.

——————

( Signboard )

Objective: Kill a main boss to escape the hell.

——————

’Wow, this world literally feels like the fantasy game I used to play, back in my previous life. But first I have to find a merchant quick before dusk,’ he thought, recalling Zero’s words.

His clothes had changed. He now wore a simple brown long-sleeved tunic, beige trousers, and a leather belt tied in knots at the back.

Daniel opened the chest and found a rusty sword inside.

“Far,” he murmured, a hint of doubt in his voice.

——————

Name: Rusty sword

Weapon type: sword

Damage: 5

Effect: None

Durability: 40%

Description: A simple broadsword made of steel, now worn by time and neglect.

——————

Daniel checked his pocket for his Veil’s pouch, but his pocket was empty. With a sigh, he gripped the sword tightly in his hand and moved forward, heading down the dirt path.

He hadn’t even taken twenty steps when an animal emerged from the bushes. It looked like a boar, but with a single horn on its snout like a rhino.

“Shit, it looks tough,” he muttered under his breath.

“Status.”

——————

Name: Jaboaron

Hp: 1000/1000

Mana: 800/800

Status: Hostile

Description: A fierce wild beast known for its devastating charge. The longer it runs, the stronger the impact becomes, increasing its damage by 0.1% every second until it collides with its target.

——————

Daniel couldn’t even finish reading the description. The beast suddenly lowered its horn and charged straight at him.

“Snrrt!”

*Whoosh*

Daniel sidestepped easily, letting the creature rush past him. He turned to look at the Jaboaron as it skidded across the dirt.

The animal didn’t stop. It turned sharply and charged again.

Daniel dodged once more, but this time he noticed something — the speed of its charge was increasing rapidly.

“Snrrt!”

“Fuck, that almost got me,” he muttered after barely dodging its lunging attack.

Daniel’s eyes quickly scanned the area — yellow grasslands, scattered bushes, trees with yellow leaves, and piles of rocks.

An idea instantly formed in his mind.

He rushed toward the tree while keeping an eye on the animal. It turned and redirected its charge toward him, its eyes narrowing as it rushed forward at full speed.

Daniel used himself as bait, standing beside the tree to lure the beast. The Jaboaron charged and slammed straight into the trunk, breaking it apart with the force of its attack.

*BANG-CRACK-THUD*

Daniel dove sideways to the ground to evade, but he suffered a minor injury to his calf.

’Shit, what is that damage,’ he thought as he got to his feet.

Daniel glanced at the animal as it took a moment to recover from the impact. Using that brief chance, he began sprinting toward a pile of rocks standing a short distance away.

The Jaboaron charged at full speed, rapidly accelerating as it tried to catch Daniel before he reached the rocks.

The creature leapt forward, its horn aimed straight at Daniel’s back like a lance.

Suddenly, Daniel vanished from its sight and reappeared behind the animal.

*CRASH!*

The Jaboaron crashed into the rocks, shattering them with full force.

Before it could even come to its senses, Daniel drove his rusty sword into its neck.

*Stab!*

“SQUEEAL!”

The beast let out a sharp scream, its body twitching violently from the stab before it went limp and collapsed.

“Didn’t expect I’d have to use my combat ability for this. Guess I’ve got to stay very careful,” Daniel murmured, glancing around.

…

“The first thing you need to do, is to find a merchant, understood?” Zero said, his tone calm.

“Merchant?” said Daniel, his brow narrowed slightly.

“Yes, merchants. They can provide you with lots of items and insights about the world you’ll be thrown into,” Zero said.

“Seems like you’ve experienced it too.”

Zero smiled. “Long story short, I almost died fighting a half horse and half human that throws lightning arrows. In the end, I brought an artifact with me.”

“An artifact?”

“You’ll get one if you defeat a boss. Though you don’t literally bring it into reality, you bring a mirror version of it.”

“What are you talking about, Zero?” Daniel asked with a puzzled look.

“Don’t worry about it. You’ll know when the time comes. Come on, let’s move,” Zero said, turning toward the door.

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