The pup grew in level and started to hunt more. Ares watched as the pup honed its skills, acquiring new abilities along the way. As they were hunting as usual, Ares suddenly stepped into a magic circle. It was a runic circle that rendered anyone who stepped into it motionless until they comprehended its magic formation. Ares, having no knowledge in this area, felt a bit helpless. But soon, he found solace in the pup's presence by his side. Monsters started to appear, and Ares was frozen, unable to fight. The pup valiantly protected Ares, defeating the bunch of monsters.
However, as one wave subsided, another followed, forcing the heavenly pup to struggle, biting and clawing until it emerged victorious over the incoming wild beasts. The pup was breathing raggedly, evoking a tinge of sadness in Ares' heart. He studied the formation in an attempt to break through, immobile but observant of the sealing formation within his inner sea.
Thankfully, no monsters arrived the following day, providing a temporary respite. But on the next day, more monsters appeared, and the heavenly pup fought fiercely to protect its master. After defeating wave after wave of monsters, the heavenly dog was injured and limped its way to Ares, and licked him n his face and laid down beside him and curled up near ares. Ares felt guilty and sad, fully aware of the sacrifices made on his behalf. The cycle repeated, with each passing day the dog faithfully protecting its master. They stood together, alone in the midst of chaos, as the dog poured its heart and soul into shielding Ares from harm.
On a fateful day, a giant python made its way towards them. The dog, despite having injured leg limped and charged at the python in a fierce struggle until the serpent was finally killed. Holding the python's lifeless body in its mouth, the dog discarded it, sustaining injuries to its forelimb in addition to its previously injured hind limbs. But even in pain, the dog returned to Ares, wagging its tail, licking his face, and curling up beside him. The next day brought forth a ferocious pack of five wolves, and despite its severe injuries, the dog growled and howled at the wolves, diving into the pack to fight against them. As the dog battled, one of the wolves tried to sneak past and attack defenseless Ares.
However, the heavenly hound unleashed a heavenly bark, instantly killing the wolf and courageously fighting the others. This time, the heavenly pup sustained even more severe injuries. Its deep wounds exposed bones, one ear torn in half, and blood flowing from its mouth. Nonetheless, the pup slowly made its way towards Ares, taking a full five minutes to reach his side. As usual, it attempted to lick him, but due to severe mouth injuries, it let out whimpering sounds, scrubbed its bloody back against Ares, and curled up beside him.
Another day passed, and the monsters returned once more. Ares shed tears, overwhelmed by the dog's unwavering fight while he remained helpless. As monsters approached again, Ares became anxious and cursed himself for his perceived uselessness. This marked the peak of his despair since he started playing the game. The heavenly dog looked at Ares, wagging its tail, and limped towards the monsters. With a heavenly howl, it killed half of the monsters and continued to fight the rest with relentless determination. The dog slammed its body, clawed at them, and bit them, emerging victorious.
Severely injured, it crawled back to Ares, unable to even wag its tail, and laid down next to him.
This time it took 30 minutes to make its way back to Ares as it had to crawl it way forward. Ares wept even more, begging the dog to leave him and go, as he would only die and revive, while the dog refused to abandon him. Ares made a solemn promise to himself that such a situation would never repeat, vowing to protect the heavenly dog and prevent any harm from befalling it again.
However, another nightmarish day arrived, and Ares still hadn't broken through the formation. Monsters soon emerged, and the dog, having partially healed, slowly made its way towards them. It looked at Ares, rubbed its back against him, and then headed to battle.
Ares shouted and cursed the dog, desperately hoping it would leave and spare itself from further harm. But the dog, with a lingering gaze at Ares, returned to the fight, battling tirelessly throughout the day. This time, its injuries were severe—broken legs, a horrendous wound exposing bones on its back, and a shattered jaw. It could no longer crawl back to Ares. Ares waited for the dog to return, but as night fell, it remained absent. Ares cried out loudly, tears flowing endlessly. He cursed the dog for its perceived foolishness, begging anyone who would listen to help it. He prayed and tried everything within his power, his tears showing no signs of ceasing.
Helplessness soon transformed into fury as anger consumed him. He directed his anger at the game, the monsters that injured the dog, and himself. In a state of frenzied rage, he cried out to the sky, and sword chi surged through him. A gigantic sheathed sword appeared, its presence so overwhelming that it seemed capable of collapsing the entire world. Under the suppressive effect of this sheathed sword, the magic circle within his inner sea shattered along with its physical form in the real world, granting Ares his freedom of movement. It was already daytime, and monsters began to appear. Ares ran towards the pup, releasing his martial soul, the azure dragon, and crimson flame phoenix. He swiftly eliminated all the monsters, his hands cradling the fragile and whimpering dog that was nearly dead. Utilizing all his points, he purchased a legendary-grade healing potion from his mythological shop and fed it to the dog. Its flesh and bones started to heal, and soon the dog fell asleep. Ares tenderly carried the dog in his arms, looking at it with immense love, vowing with his sword that he would never allow anything to harm it again.
Ares carried the pup and displayed a ruthless demeanor as he mercilessly slaughtered every monster in his path. His eyes were cold and deep like an abyss, brimming with unresolved fury that threatened to burst forth at any moment. Yet, whenever he glanced at the sleeping pup, a mixture of sadness and anger overwhelmed him. After seven days, the pup regained consciousness and barked at Ares, seeking his attention and urging him to pat it. Ares obliged, and the pup showered his face with affectionate licks, drenching him in saliva. For the first time in a week, Ares laughed. He played and frolicked with the heavenly pup, relishing in the moment. However, as he looked at the heavenly Hound, memories flooded his mind, causing him to cry once again. He embraced the furry pup, who responded with whimpering sounds and loving licks. Eventually, they settled down and resumed their journey.
Upon slaying a monster, a system notification chimed in:
Ding! [Congratulations on clearing the 2nd trial, "Trial of Trust and Conviction."]
They soon entered the area for the 3rd level trial, and the system notification sounded again:
Ding! [Trial 3: Trial of Harmonic Melodies now begins.]
Clear condition: Learn to use music as a weapon.
Ares surveyed his surroundings, finding nothing but musical instruments. Having never played music in his entire life, he found himself in a bind. He needed to master a musical instrument and wield it as a weapon. After searching for a while, he picked up an ancient-looking guqin. As soon as he touched it, he sensed a sharp killing intent that sent a chilling coldness down his spine. He quickly released it but felt compelled to learn how to play the instrument. So, he picked up a normal guqin and began to play. However, his performance was so horrendous that it startled the sleeping pup, causing it to awaken and assume a defensive stance. Witnessing this scene, a vein throbbed on Ares' forehead, and he let out a hollow laugh. The pup, feeling the chill down its spine, started licking Ares, offering its support. However, Ares continued to play, and the pup could no longer bear to listen. It barked at him and ran away, leaving Ares alone, unsure whether to laugh or cry.
He set the equipment aside and headed towards the library of music, adjacent to the instrument storehouse. He immersed himself in studying the intricacies of music, reading beginner's guides and delving into the nuances of different instruments. After a week of dedicated study, he returned to the instrument room. As he played the guqin, it no longer sounded horrendous but gradually improved to a normal level. Satisfied, he set the guqin down and picked up the guqin that emitted the killing intent. Holding it, he felt his vision darken, surrounded by a menacing darkness and an abyss filled with murderous thoughts and intent. However, he managed to suppress it with his sword heart and sword intent. With determination, he played the guqin, each stroke of the strings infused with a killing intent so potent that anyone who listened would fall into illusion and meet their demise. Ares contemplated for a moment and decided to integrate his sword intent into the instrument. The effect was tremendous; he was no longer affected by the haunting killing intent as he plucked the strings. With his second level of sword intent, the combined attack of the guqin and his mastery would cause massive damage. He felt as if he had learned something new, and the system notification resonated:
Ding! [Congratulations, you have gained basic mastery of the guqin.]
Putting down the guqin, Ares shifted his focus to the next instrument, the flute. He blew into it, hoping to produce a melodious sound, but only air escaped from the other side of the flute. He blew harder, but no matter what he did, he couldn't produce a sound. Determined, he returned to the library and delved into books on the flute. Armed with newfound knowledge, he emerged and blew into the flute, ensuring the correct angle and finger positions. Finally, a melodious sound emerged. Ares felt a surge of happiness, knowing that he could finally produce a sound. He began experimenting with different finger placements and angles, producing a range of different sounds. The familiar notification sounded once again:
Ding![ Congratulations, you have gained basic mastery of the flute.]
Ding![ Congratulations, you have Cleared the Trial of Harmonic Melodies ]
And soon he was teleported away for the next trial. System notification rank out once more:
Ding! [Trial 4: Trial of intents now begins.]
Clear condition: Learn 2 or more intent
As soon as he was teleported into the area, he could feel several types of intent in air itself. The whole trial space was developed such that it could allow people to comprehend different types of intent. He already had sword intent so one more and he would pass the test but he wanted to learn various intent as this type of opportunity would be hard to come by.
Ares walked around and found that the whole place was divided into number of places for different elements intent.
As Ares ventured into the zone filled with swirling clouds and bolts of lightning cascading from the sky, he sought to delve deeper into the realm of lightning intent. Finding a secluded spot, he assumed a meditative posture, preparing himself to embark on a profound journey of comprehension.