"Phase of the Advanced Training Mode now commencing," the system's voice echoed through the empty battlefield.
Ryo rubbed his ears, frowning at the announcement. "Advanced? Wasn't this already hard enough?"
The system continued, ignoring his complaints. "In this phase, fight and defeat 1000 undead."
Ryo blinked. "A thousand? Has the difficulty changed?"
"Starting Phase 8."
Without warning, a wave of undead creatures materialized before him. Zombies, skeletons, dulahans, and other nightmarish beings swarmed the battlefield, their hollow eyes glowing with eerie malice. Ryo instinctively prepared to use his abilities, but before he could act, the system made another announcement.
"All abilities except Holy/Divine Power are locked. This includes all regeneration abilities."
Ryo froze. "What?!" He had never used his divine or holy powers before. In fact, he wasn't even sure if he had them. But now, he had no choice. He had to learn—fast.
The undead charged.
Ryo swung his sword, but without his enhanced strength, he barely managed to hold them back. He gritted his teeth, trying to summon divine energy, but nothing happened. His movements slowed as exhaustion crept in. A dulahan's blade cleaved through his defenses, slicing into his side. Pain flared through his body before everything went black.
Death Count: 1
Ryo respawned at the start of Phase 8. "Damn it!" he cursed. The undead rushed him again. He tried focusing, praying, even shouting for divine power—but nothing. Seven minutes later, he died again.
Death Count: 2
This continued. Again and again. He tried everything—channeling his will, recalling every theory he knew about divine power—but the result was the same.
Death Count: 99
On his 99th try, something changed. As he desperately fought, he felt a spark deep within him. A warmth spread from his chest, and a golden light emerged, enveloping his body. For a brief moment, the undead hesitated. They stepped back, their aggression fading.
Then, as suddenly as it appeared, the light vanished.
Ryo barely had time to process what had happened before the undead resumed their attack. He was overwhelmed and slain yet again.
Death Count: 100
Panting, he respawned, determination burning in his eyes. He had felt it—his divine power. Now, he needed to control it.
Focusing on the sensation from before, he closed his eyes. He remembered the warmth, the light, the way the undead had reacted. Slowly, the golden glow reappeared, flickering around him like a fragile flame. This time, he tried to shape it. He willed it into a weapon, but it dissipated before taking form. The undead tore through him once more.
Death Count: 105
Ryo refused to give up. Each time he died, he refined his control. He experimented, adjusting his focus, learning to sustain the energy longer. By his 110th attempt, he succeeded.
The golden light solidified in his hands, forming the shape of a dagger.
A wave of relief washed over him, but he had no time to celebrate. The undead lunged, and he met them head-on, slashing with his newly formed divine weapon. The blade cut through them like they were mere shadows, disintegrating them into dust.
For the first time, he wasn't the prey.
The fight had truly begun.