A chilling stillness descended.
No one dared to speak lightly. Not even the tens of thousands of onlookers standing far away, including myself, could breathe easily due to the overwhelmingly powerful aura.
It was just a single strike.
The opponent didn’t even use their renowned martial arts techniques. They simply picked up a weapon lying around on the ground and swung it – yet the scattered soil and dust formed a massive cloud.
I had collapsed right in the center of the devastation the monster had created.
A crater that stretched for dozens of meters in radius.
The sunken ground gave a hint of the power behind it. The dust must have risen high into the sky upon impact.
My breathing grew even more labored. Unbidden emotions had already taken over my mind.
I was scared.
I wanted to run away, right then and there. The instincts ingrained in my genes were screaming at me.
Turn around and flee now.
It was a different league entirely. Even such a plain observation couldn’t fully describe the vast gap between me and my opponent.
So this is the power of one of the three Masters in the continent, the so-called ‘Saint’, is it?
At least I was fortunate in that I managed to snap out of the panic attack after a short while.
I had faced countless life-threatening situations before.
Though real death was a shock of a completely different level, I managed to hold onto my sanity somehow.
Still, my limbs continued to tremble uncontrollably.
Even as I fumbled around on the ground searching for my sword, the feeling in my hands had almost disappeared.
That was when it happened.
A sword dropped right in front of me.
An azure gaze looked down on me silently.
“Indeed, you have the skills worthy of being called the holy one of the Empire. To regain your composure this quickly…”
“Wha…how…”
Forcing my frozen tongue to loosen, I asked as I tried to maintain a fierce expression.
“How can you revive someone who’s dead?”
It was an impertinent question, one that might warrant a harsh reprimand for blasphemous behavior. But the Saint showed no signs of displeasure, merely continuing to explain dispassionately.
“All Masters delve deep into a single conundrum. It’s akin to your teacher’s focus on ‘Flow.’ Perhaps we could call it the intuition of the world…”
As the Saint took a step closer, my body instinctively tensed up.
I clenched my teeth, pounding my thighs several times to quell the uncontrollable trembling.
The fear of death was too intense.
It affected not only my physical body but also my instincts and subconscious, leaving deep scars in both.
So much so that it was burdensome to suppress with sheer willpower alone.
Regardless, the Saint continued with the low, steady explanation.
“My area of study was life and death. What is life? What is death? If our lives are bestowed by the Lord’s grace, then it is only right to seek understanding of these questions.”
Unconsciously, my gaze shifted toward the mace in the Saint’s hand.
Now that I thought about it, a question still lingered. How could they have unleashed such power without using any aura?
Surely there would be an answer in the Saint’s explanation.
“Do you know the process of the creation of all things? The body created by the Evil God Omelos was nothing more than an elaborate clay figure. It was only when the Lord breathed life into it that the pulse of life began to beat…”
The Saint stopped, maintaining a subtle distance between us.
Still, I couldn’t let my guard down. No matter how much space separated us, this person was capable of closing the gap in an instant.
Forcing my body, still caught in the mire of death, to rise, I clenched my teeth so hard that a deep groan escaped.
“What I wield is ‘that breath.’ Perhaps we could call it simply ‘breath.'”
With my sword in hand, I straightened my posture again.
I exhaled deeply, though my heart still pounded violently. The more it did, the more I resolved myself not to flee.
I wouldn’t run.
I wouldn’t be cowardly.
As I kept repeating that to myself, the black rod tucked in my bosom seemed to resonate with me in response.
“Not only life; all things breathe and share this ‘breath.’ It’s the source of life and the font of all vitality… The reason you were revived is related to this.”
“…Because you breathed life into me?”
The Saint smiled faintly, a truly benevolent smile befitting the title.
“Have you heard the story that the soul of the dead remains in the body for a while? If that’s the case, isn’t it possible to revert the life activity of the body?”
“If so, why don’t you use aura…”
“Because the pure body is stronger.”
I glanced over the Saint’s figure, my face pale.
They didn’t look frail like other priests or mages. However, their build was slender, and it was hard to believe that this person could possess such brutish strength.
It simply wouldn’t make sense.
This was someone who could cause such devastation with pure physical power alone.
There was no need for them to use aura. And as long as all things held this ‘breath,’ there would be no need to replenish it separately, either.
Neither aura nor mana could counter this. This was a monster that could reverse life and death and fight endlessly for days.
A shiver ran down my spine.
There’s no way to win.
“Many people train their bodies. But who among them regards their bodies as sacred as martial artists do?”
“But why do you use a weapon?”
“If I didn’t use a weapon, I’d have to put forth my full earnestness.”
With an amiable smile, the Saint slowly adjusted their stance.
“If I decimated a mountain every time I fought, wouldn’t that be a nuisance?”
It’s coming.
Realizing the Saint’s intent, I immediately focused all my energy on defense.
It won’t work with ‘Release’. Then it should be countered with ‘Seal’.
Seeing the silver aura coalesce firmly on the blade of my sword, the Saint nodded approvingly with a smile.
“The correct decision. There’s been improvement from the first time… however.”
And with a sound like a creak, space itself seemed to freeze.
It wasn’t even an instant.
It was as if different scenes had been spliced together. The Saint was already in front of me, the azure eyes flashing dangerously.
Even the once gentle smile was now twisted into something fierce.
Exactly when?
Before I could even finish pondering this,
“Not good enough!”
With a “Pak,” the sound of blood and water splashed as it splattered.
An explosion sent my body flying high into the sky. That was my last memory.
Darkness. I awoke again, panting heavily.
“What did you think of the second death?”
“How… how could you…”
My question was cut short.
With a “Pak,” the headless body staggered briefly before collapsing.
Darkness. And then everything started again from the beginning.
“If you want to give up, you can give up anytime.”
Don’t make me laugh. Clenching my teeth, I let out a scream.
The result was the same.
With a “Pak,” the sensation of the skull splitting open.
It was already the third time.
“You said you wouldn’t run, didn’t you?”
No matter how many times I charged forward, the result was the same.
Whether I went on the offensive or defensive, the outcome was always the same.
Death.
Darkness.
And resurrection.
“Do you understand how hard and painful this path is?”
I opened my eyes, taking another breath I had lost count of.
This was the first time.
Never had I faced such an insurmountable wall. Until now, even when I struggled, I could see a glimmer of hope.
But the trials facing me now were of a different dimension.
There’s no way out.
Factually speaking, I had already prepared for death. It was part of my strategy.
The Saint wouldn’t kill me. So I challenged them, hoping to awaken any thread of possibility that could lead to realization.
Is there any possibility of victory?
It was a fundamental question. Even if I managed to uncover the key to awakening here and now, it was unimaginable for me to ever claim victory over this monster.
The trial continued resolutely.
“Not running is good… but who among them ever wanted to run? Why did they have to flee?”
Tap, tap.
The mace striking the palm made no distinct shape, only appearing as a short iron rod.
But that was more than enough.
To sever my life and cause a thunderous explosion and earthquake.
My breaths became humid with sweat.
My body was begging.
Let it end already.
“…It’s just too painful.”
With every step the Saint took through the dust, I groaned as I struggled.
Get up, get up.
I couldn’t fall yet.
“This path will be soaked with blood and flesh.”
Step, step.
I could barely even kneel up.
Breathing heavily, I lifted my head. Sweat obscured my vision.
“In comparison, isn’t this consideration? A body that should have already died is still moving. Even after falling, you can challenge again and again… but would the real fight be like this?”
With overflowing compassion, the Saint declared.
“Impossible!”
The Saint’s remaining hand drew a cross over their chest. They extended what seemed to be a final offer.
“There is still a chance to turn back, Brother. Do you truly think your life belongs to you? Think of the countless lives on your shoulders.”
My hands trembled uncontrollably.
I had to respond.
