Joon-ho stepped forward, gripping the Fortress Key tightly. The massive stone door leading deeper into the First Gate Fortress had opened, revealing an eerie glow from beyond. The Hollow Warden had been only the first trial, and he knew better than to let his guard down now.
Ha-ri adjusted her grip on her sword, her breath still uneven from the battle before. The other survivors—now numbering barely a dozen—stood in silence. Some clutched wounds, others looked shell-shocked, but none dared to turn back. The only way was forward.
As soon as Joon-ho crossed the threshold, a new system message appeared.
[Second Chamber Unlocked: The Hall of Judgment]
Objective: Survive the Judgment and Prove Your Worth.Time Limit: 2 Hours.Failure Condition: Death or Condemnation.
"Judgment?" Joon-ho narrowed his eyes. The description was vague, but if the first trial had been combat, this one would be something worse.
Before anyone could speak, the floor beneath them shuddered. A deep grinding noise echoed through the chamber as the walls shifted. An immense staircase descended into darkness, lined with flickering torches.
A cold wind drifted upward from below. It reeked of something foul—like rotting flesh and burnt incense.
Joon-ho descended first, every step deliberate. His boots met the stone with a dull thud, the sound swallowed by the vastness below.
When they reached the bottom, the sight before them was deeply unsettling.
The Hall of Judgment was vast, stretching out farther than the eye could see. Towering stone pillars stood like silent sentinels, their surfaces carved with grotesque reliefs of agonized figures, clawing at the heavens in despair. The floor was black marble, polished to the point of unnatural perfection. It reflected everything above like a mirror, making it feel as though they were standing on the edge of an abyss.
But the most disturbing sight lay at the far end of the hall.
A row of seven towering thrones, each occupied by a robed figure with golden masks concealing their faces. Their presence was suffocating—an overwhelming pressure of authority and judgment that seemed to crush the air from the room.
As soon as Joon-ho stepped forward, their voices rang out in unison.
"You who enter the Hall of Judgment…You who seek passage beyond this gate…Prove that you are worthy of ascending."
The floor beneath them split apart.
From the abyss, something rose.
A spectral figure, clad in rusted chains, its hollow eyes locked onto Joon-ho. Its aura was different from the Hollow Warden—this was not a mere enemy.
This was an executioner.
[Trial of the Condemned – Commencing]Your Sins Will Be Judged.Verdict: Death or Redemption.
A sudden pressure crushed down upon Joon-ho's body.
He gritted his teeth, resisting the weight. It wasn't just physical—it was something deeper, something that invaded his very soul.
A burning sensation spread across his skin.
Memories surged into his mind.
Blood-soaked battlefields. The dying screams of those he had slaughtered. The cold, unflinching look in his own eyes as he executed those who stood in his way.
The Tower was forcing him to relive his sins.
Joon-ho clenched his fists. If this was supposed to break him, they'd be disappointed.
The masked judges spoke again.
"Regressor. Murderer. Butcher of thousands. You stand accused of defying fate."
The words sent a ripple through the chamber. The survivors behind Joon-ho gasped.
"Regressor?" Ha-ri's voice was barely a whisper.
Joon-ho didn't flinch. "Is that my crime?" he said, his voice cold. "I've killed thousands, but only to survive."
The judges raised their hands.
The chains wrapped around the executioner's body rattled violently. Then, in a single motion, they shot toward Joon-ho.
He moved.
His feet blurred as he sidestepped the attack, barely dodging the first wave. The chains slammed into the marble floor, cracking it upon impact. A second wave followed immediately—dozens of rusted links twisting in the air like living serpents.
Joon-ho's knife flashed.
Clang!
His blade met the chains, but the force behind them was monstrous. The impact sent vibrations up his arm, nearly dislocating his wrist. He spun away, avoiding another attack, but the chains never stopped.
"Tch. This won't end unless I kill it."
The executioner moved forward, its hollow gaze unblinking. Its chains extended infinitely, weaving through the air like tendrils of fate itself.
Joon-ho's eyes sharpened. There's always a pattern.
He focused.
[Phantom Step – Advanced] activated.
For five seconds, his speed and agility increased by 40%.
He vanished.
The chains lashed out at his afterimage, striking empty air. Joon-ho reappeared directly in front of the executioner, his blade aiming for its exposed neck.
But the moment his knife made contact—
The executioner didn't move.
Instead, a force erupted from within it, an invisible shockwave that blasted Joon-ho backward. He skidded across the marble, his knife nearly slipping from his grasp.
The judges' voices echoed once more.
"Your fate cannot be severed so easily."
Joon-ho's grip tightened. His mind raced. This wasn't a normal enemy. It wasn't just attacking—it was testing him.
Testing if he would crumble.
A slow smirk formed on his lips.
"Then I'll just have to break fate itself."
With that, he charged again.