Leo stepped into the shimmering blue portal, his mind a fortress. He was ready for the mind games, ready for the fear.
Instead of darkness, he was met with a path that dropped away beneath his feet, plunging him into utter blackness. He fell for what felt like forever, the air growing thick and heavy with a metallic, sickening stench.
SPLASH!
He landed in something warm, viscous, and overwhelming. He quickly realized he was standing waist-deep in a pool of blood thick, black, coagulated blood that filled a vast, echoing cavern. It was the collective residue of ten thousand fallen monsters, and it was alive.
The blood pool began to writhe. Twitching limbs, cracked skulls, and half-formed monstrosities rose from the depths. They were not real, but mental constructs designed to trigger revulsion and panic.
Leo did not panic. He grinned.
"A fight, then?" he muttered. After ten years of endless, grueling combat in the Forbidden Zone, this was familiar ground. He drew his ancient greatsword, even though it was only a reflection of his will here, and plunged it into the nearest creature.
The more he struck, the more monsters surged from the gore. They didn't just attack; the blood itself began to pull him down, sucking him into the despair of unending, futile struggle. The pressure was immense, trying to drown his courage in the endless tide of death.
When the monsters formed a suffocating wall around him, and his feet were slipping into the sticky depths, Leo closed his eyes. He didn't need the System to tell him what to do. His will, forged in ten years of war, was absolute.
He focused his entire being the warrior's soul, the engineer's logic, and the prince's desperate will to survive into a single, silent command.
Be broken.
A shockwave of pure mental force erupted from him. The blood pool instantly turned transparent, purifying into pristine, crystalline water. The grotesque monsters dissolved, and the entire cavern vanished in a flicker.
He was standing on solid ground, and a small, luminous exit portal shimmered directly ahead.
The Successor's Burden
Leo walked toward the light. A sudden, blinding flash forced him to shield his eyes, and when he lowered his arm, the cold stone of a massive, ancient structure greeted him. It was a holy palace, all gleaming white marble and towering pillars.
He began to ascend the wide, smooth steps. With every step, a crippling pressure descended upon him not physical, but spiritual, heavy with divine age and power. It was the weight of destiny.
Then, a voice, deep and resonant, echoed not in his ears but in his very bones. "So, you are the chosen successor of the Knight King. You have indeed proven your courage."
The pressure instantly lifted.
Leo continued his ascent until he reached a towering temple at the palace's peak. The same faint, guiding light he had seen at the entrance of the trial pulsed gently in the center of the temple floor.
"Do you know the path you have chosen?" the voice asked, laced with a melancholy wisdom. "It is not simple. To wield that legacy, you must endure far greater hardships than the King's trial."
Leo, ever the investigator, seized the chance. "Why did the Knight King fall? Who was powerful enough to take down a being like that, and how did they do it?"
"You are still too weak to know," the voice replied, the tone firm but not unkind. "You must fully inherit the Knight King's power and suppress its latent chaos within your own body. Only then will the answers be revealed."
The pulsing light in the temple began to intensify, filling the space with a warm, golden radiance. "Receive my blessing."
A beam of hope light shot out from the floor and entered Leo's chest. He felt a sudden, profound calm settle over his soul, and a new well of potential unlock deep within his being.
"Who are you?" Leo asked, taking a step forward.
Before the entity could answer, the temple and the holy palace dissolved. He was back in the main hall.
Leo stepped out of the exit portal, his breathing shallow but controlled. Too many questions, he thought. I have to get stronger and faster.
"Theron! You passed!" Lysander rushed forward, his face alight with joy, relieved that his friend had returned safely. "You looked worried sick! You owe me a treat tonight. We have to celebrate!"
Before Leo could agree, the Headmaster's powerful voice boomed across the hall once more.
"Congratulations to all who passed the Trial of the Mind! The Second Round is now concluded. All successful candidates are now official students of the Heavenly Knight Academy!"
A wave of tired, joyful cheers erupted from the thirty-five remaining students.
"The Third Round will commence tomorrow morning in this hall," the Headmaster announced. "If you wish to participate for the additional, high rewards, be here promptly."