Chapter 43: CH-43
The walls and floor started moving in all directions—like pieces of a giant Rubik’s Cube.
I didn’t dare move, afraid that if I did, I would be crushed flat. So, I did the only thing that made sense at the time: I shut my eyes tight and prepared for death.
No amount of environmental awareness could stop something like this — not even my newly acquired skill.
The rumbling grew louder and louder until it felt like the entire castle was collapsing around me. Grinding walls closed in, inches away now, and the image of being crushed into meat paste kept flashing in my mind.
Then out of nowhere...it stopped.
I opened my eyes, and a glowing window popped up.
[Congratulations! You passed the test of composure]
[By not moving an inch, you showed an indomitable will to stay calm despite overwhelming odds.]
[You have earned B Rank . Would you like to accept it, or go for A Rank?]
A bitter laugh slipped out of me. Who would’ve thought that doing nothing would actually help me for once?
However, I didn’t have time to celebrate, because a countdown had already started. I got to choose, settle for the B Rank or risk it all for a better ability.
I weighed the pros and cons, but the more I thought about it, the more it tempted me. In the end, greed won.
"Continue,"
Before I could even process my decision, the chamber transformed again.
A stone pillar rose from the center of the chamber, its surface smooth except for a panel with five carved symbols:
Roaring lion
Soaring eagle
Coiled serpent
Leaping hare
Curled-up turtle
A glowing message appeared above the pillar:
[Second Test: Follow your instinct.]
The pillar hummed, and a strange mixture of male and female voices—spoke from within it.
"I run without legs, I roar without a mouth, I hunt without eyes."
What kind of nonsense was this? It sounded like a riddle written by a drunk poet. And just to make things worse, a timer appeared: 10... 9...
I glanced at the five symbols.
What the hell was I supposed to pick? The turtle? The hare? Something that "runs without legs"? I didn’t even have time to think.
3... 2...1...
Maybe this test was just like the last one, and the real answer was to pick nothing. It sounded ridiculous and lazy, but with how crazy my system was, normal logic didn’t really apply anymore.
[TIMES UP]
[Congratulations for passing the Trial of Choice]
[Sometimes the correct answer doesn’t exist at all]
[You have earned A Rank. Would you like to accept it, or go for S Rank?]
First, I passed by not moving, now I passed by not answering?
Why did this feel exactly like that ninja exam in those anime—where the main character only passed because he was too dumb to answer and didn’t have the skill to cheat?
"Continue"
There was no need to hesitate. I was starting to get the feeling the system wanted me to pass, considering how easy the trials were.
But what greeted me next made me curse the system out loud.
I stood in the middle of a small space, and across from me was... me. Or rather, a gray and evil version of me.
Wait, that doesn’t sound right, because I’m not exactly a saint either. So, it was just more evil-looking.
[Third Test: Confrontation.]
Right away, I activated the Castle Card and channeled my Qi to boost my physique. The previous tests were beyond my control, but taking down this guy was actually possible.
That was until it copied my stance and released a dark aura. Its grin stretched from ear to ear, and for a split second, I genuinely thought I was staring at a maniac. The amount of killing intent it gave off was terrifying.
I controlled my breathing and kept a safe distance, moving closer inch by inch. With ’Castle’s’ close combat skills, I could easily handle twenty people at once, and with Qi, maybe even fifty.
My evil clone did the same, copying every move I made. When we were finally just a step apart, we both stopped.
Seconds went by, and neither of us moved.
I got tired of waiting first. I dashed in with a fast punch aimed at its face. But before my fist could land, my clone tilted its head to the side like it already knew what I was going to do. My hand sliced through the air and missed.
Then it kicked straight at my stomach. I quickly blocked with my arm, but the force still made me slide back a few steps. The hit stung like crazy.
"Fast..." I muttered, clenching my teeth.
It smiled arrogantly. Seeing it made me want to punch it even more.
But I wasn’t helpless either. My Acting Card made my senses better.
When it tried to fake left, I dodged right. When it swung low, I jumped back just in time. Every move it made, I matched it with my own.
Our fists met in the middle, and the impact sent a gust of wind through the room. The floor cracked a little where we stood. White light from our Qi sparked around our arms, fading quickly after each clash.
"You’re fucking annoying. You know that?"
It didn’t answer — it just smirked, the same way I would when I was showing off. Then it moved again, spinning low and trying to sweep my legs.
I jumped, but it caught my ankle and twisted. Pain shot through my leg, and I used my other foot to kick it away before landing hard on the floor.
Fighting myself like this was really starting to piss me off. But I couldn’t deny it was helping me too.
Each clash taught me something — where my guard was open, where my timing was off, where I hesitated too much.
The clone wasn’t just copying me anymore; it was challenging me. When I swung too wide, it punished me with a quick jab to the ribs.
When I rushed in too recklessly, it tripped me and almost landed a hit to my face. But every mistake burned itself into my mind, and I started fixing them one by one.
Soon, my movements became smoother. My strikes hit harder. My dodges got cleaner. The moment I adjusted, the clone adjusted too, refusing to be outdone.
This was when I realized what the trial really was. The system was teaching me.
Unlike those systems I used to read about in novels, the kind that gave their heroes instant power-ups like some magical drug, mine didn’t work that way. No easy wins. No sudden god-tier skills.
Instead, it was more like a strict, nagging teacher — the kind that yells at you for every mistake but secretly wants you to improve. Annoying, harsh, and impossible to please... yet every challenge it gave me had a purpose.
I wiped the sweat off my face and smirked.
"So that’s your plan, huh? No handouts."
[Negative]
"You don’t have to deny it, system. I know deep down you care about me. You’re just a tsundere, aren’t you?"
[Negative.]
[Emotional attachment detected: none.]
[Pure disgust detected: extremely high.]
SWOOSH!
The clone’s speed doubled, and before I could even blink, it started beating the absolute crap out of me.
"Hey, wait! I was kidding! It was just a joke, you tsundere piece of code!" I yelled, blocking one punch only to eat a kick right after.
The clone didn’t care. It just kept swinging like it had been waiting all day for this moment.