The second knight's headless body crumbled, dissolving into black mist. The remaining two warriors didn't react, their empty visors still locked onto Joon-ho.
They weren't mindless. They were testing him.
Joon-ho flicked his wrist, the Chain of the Forsaken tightening around his arm. The weight of it, the lingering judgment etched into its golden links—it felt heavier than before.
His eyes sharpened.
"They're adjusting."
The Forsaken Knights had fought countless warriors before him, challengers who had attempted to defy the Tower's will. Each battle had refined them, shaped them into executioners that could adapt to any opponent.
Joon-ho grinned.
"Then let's see if you can keep up."
The knights moved at once.
Their blades flashed forward, their speed nearly double what it had been moments ago. The first slashed horizontally while the second aimed for his chest.
Joon-ho's mind worked instantly.
[Phantom Step – Advanced] Activated.
He vanished.
The blades clashed against empty air.
And then—
He reappeared above them.
Snap!
The Chain of the Forsaken lashed downward, wrapping around the first knight's sword arm. Joon-ho pulled, jerking the warrior's body off balance.
The second knight reacted instantly, bringing its blade down toward Joon-ho's exposed back.
But he was already moving.
[Spectral Shift] Activated.
His form blurred, splitting into two. The knight's sword passed through one Joon-ho—an afterimage.
The real Joon-ho landed behind the first knight.
His dagger drove into the gap between its armor.
[Critical Hit!]
The knight staggered, black mist spilling from the wound.
Joon-ho didn't stop. He twisted the blade deeper—
Then yanked it out.
The knight's body collapsed, its form dissipating into the air.
[Second Forsaken Knight Defeated.]Judgment Power Absorbed.You have gained: "Forsaken Soul Fragment."
The final knight stood alone.
For a long moment, it simply stared at him.
Then—
It dropped its weapon.
Joon-ho tensed. What?
Before he could react, the knight knelt before him.
And a new system message appeared.
[The Last Forsaken Knight Acknowledges Your Strength.]You may execute it or accept its surrender.If accepted, it will become your shadow.
Joon-ho stilled.
The Tower never offered mercy.
This… was different.
The knight raised its visor slightly, revealing nothing but pure darkness beneath.
A voice echoed in his mind—not from the system, but from the knight itself.
"I was once the Tower's blade, its executioner. But you… you have cut deeper than even the gods."
The knight lowered its head further.
"I would rather follow you than fade."
Joon-ho stared down at it. The Chain of the Forsaken hummed around his arm, as if reacting to this moment.
A choice.
"Kill it, and I take its power. Spare it, and it joins me."
He exhaled.
And then—
Joon-ho extended his hand.
The knight vanished into shadow, sinking into his body like a whisper in the void.
[You Have Gained a Forsaken Shadow.]The Last Forsaken Knight has become your Specter.It will manifest as an unseen blade, striking from the darkness at your command.
Joon-ho flexed his fingers. He could feel it—a presence lurking within his shadow.
His first true companion in this cursed climb.
The great doors at the end of the corridor rumbled open.
And beyond them—
Something waited.
Joon-ho stepped forward.
The next trial had begun.
Beyond the Trial
Far beyond the battlefield, in the hidden sanctums of the Tower, the Seven Judges watched in silence.
One of them spoke.
"He is adapting too quickly."
Another responded.
"The Chain of the Forsaken resonates with him. It should not be possible."
A deeper voice rumbled through the chamber.
"This regressor… he is an anomaly."
The Judges fell silent.
And then, in the farthest seat of the chamber, an ancient figure—one whose presence had been absent for countless ages—opened his eyes.
And whispered a single word.
"Interesting."