Rebirth of the Shadow Warrior

3 - Breaking Point

Just as Thaddeus took a step forward to greet it, a translucent panel of light suddenly appeared before him.

In that instant, time stood still.

Even the beast, with claws outstretched, remained suspended in the air.

Thaddeus’sl gaze narrowed as lines of words began to unfold across the panel, one after another.

[TRIAL INITIATED]

[OBJECTIVE: SURVIVE THE SOUL-DEVOURING BEAST]

[FAILURE CONDITION: DEATH OF HOST/COMPLETE SOUL ERASURE]

[OUTCOME IF SUCCESSFUL: REBIRTH COMPATIBILITY AND ACCESS TO SYSTEM]

Thaddeus’ hardened expression remained unchanged but a faint tension settled in his chest.

He stared as more words slowly appeared on the panel.

[RULES OF THE TRIAL]

[Each wound inflicted upon the host will strengthen the Beast’s hunger. The longer the fight continues, the more aggressive and adaptive the beast becomes.]

Even with time frozen around it, the creature managed to let out a quiet growl, as if agreeing to what was displayed.

The instructions continued.

[All abilities have been restored and host may draw upon any skill or power possessed in previous lives for the duration of the trial.]

Thaddeus glanced briefly towards the beast and smiled but his attention was cut short by the sudden beep of the panel as more texts displayed.

[TRIAL REWARD]

[If the Beast is slain, the host will be marked worthy and granted rebirth, along with access to SYSTEM features.]

[FAILURE CONDITION]

[Failure does not result in simple death. Failure results in soul torment in the beast's eternal feeding cycle which means the host will not die but remain conscious while their soul is fragmented and consumed endlessly within the Beast’s core.]

With that, the panel went off and time resumed.

The beast landed heavily on its feet and let out a low, rumbling roar in, as if it too had read the rules and understood the kind of fight this was.

Thaddeus swallowed nothing as he absorbed the information.

There was no second chance.

It was either he endured what was before him, or he ceased to exist in any meaningful sense.

For the first time since arriving in the abyss, he felt air rush into his lungs and slowly exhaled through his nose before lifting his gaze toward the beast.

" I don’t know what this place is or what you are…” he said with rage, “But I refuse to die here.”

Before he could finish speaking, the beast lunged forward.

The distance between them vanished as the beast descended upon him, projecting its claws downward with enough force to split stone, but Thaddeus shifted just enough to deflect the blow. Even so, one of the claws caught him across the side.

The beast landed heavily several meters away, before slowly lifting its head to study him, then it roared as if commending itself for the damage it had done.

" Ahhh.." Thaddeus straightened despite the ache that lingered beneath his ribs. The shadows around his hand burned heavily, as it responded to his pain.

The beast lunged again, faster this time with even greater force.

Thaddeus angrily charged towards it.

All he needed was just one deadly attack.

The instant they collided, the difference in their strength became undeniable as the beast slammed against the condensed shadow gathered around his arm, with a force that drove through his frame.

Despite the pressure, Thaddeus forced it backward.

Enraged, the creature pressed forward immediately, not allowing the slightest gap to form between them.

In the last seconds, Thaddeus slipped to the side, narrowly avoiding a follow-up strike that would have taken his head but to his surprise, the beast twisted unnaturally, using its tail to sweep across with brutal force.

Thaddeus blocked the attack but not cleanly as the impact hurled him backward across the abyss. His shadows dispersed for a brief instant before forming again around him as the pain nearly drove him insane.

The beast slowed, breathing heavily as it prepared to attack again.

Thaddeus remained still where he had been forced back, his chest rising and falling in a controlled rhythm despite the damage accumulating inside his body.

He began to realize that the longer he fought directly, the more the beast adapted and the more he would get wounded.

Slowly, he lifted his gaze to meet the creature's four burning eyes.

Fully enraged, the beast lunged again, faster than before, its claws fully out to destroy him.

This time, Thaddeus did not meet it head-on as he shifted just enough to let the attack pass without touching him.

The beast charged again but Thaddeus carefully evaded all the attacks.

His actions greatly infuriated the beast as its instincts reacted to the sudden lack of resistance. A low growl escaped its throat as it watched Thaddeus from a distance.

This time, instead of charging again, it suddenly stopped moving and two of its four eyes shifted slightly.

Thaddeus didn't understand what it was doing but he felt it. The moment he blinked his eyes, the darkness around him instantly vanished before transforming into a familiar hall drenched in blood.

Thaddeus froze in shock when he saw the familiar pillars.

He was no longer standing before the creature but instead he found himself standing in the midst of strange people.

Cold ran down his spine when he realized he was standing in the council chamber. It was exactly how he remembered it.

“No…” he muttered, unable to believe his eyes.

The elders all stood in silence around the chamber, staring at him with a grim expression.

None of them moved or said a word and standing behind him was Thorin holding a bloodied sword.

Before he could react, Thorin struck the same sword through his chest.

Thaddeus screamed in pain as his chest burned from the impact. It was exactly where the blade had pierced him before death.

“You were never worthy,” the illusion whispered.

" Noo... This can't be happening," Thaddeus staggered backward, pulling away from the sword, feeling overwhelmed.

“You were always meant to die like this,” Thorin said again.

Thaddeus looked around frantically, trying to figure out what was happening.

“No… I died… I died " he said as he moved back but Thorin only smiled.

The chamber grew darker and one by one, the elders began stepping closer.

Their faces twisted unnaturally and their eyes darkened as they spoke.

“You failed.”

“You lost.”

“You deserved death.”

Their voices echoed together until the entire chamber trembled with it.

Thaddeus stood still and clenched his fists tightly. He knew this wasn't real but it seemed so real and convincing but that changed when he saw his fiance Elizabeth, standing among the elders.

He paused for a moment.

Her eyes were hollow and disappointed as she stared at him saying nothing. Yet somehow that silence hurt more than Thorin’s blade.

Thaddeus breathed heavily as he took his palms to his face in pain.

She was his breaking point.

He almost believed it until Thorin’s face reappeared in his mind, bringing the memories of the betrayal along it.

He recalled the stabbing...

The humiliation of dying at the hands of those he trusted...

It was at that moment, Thaddeus realized the creature was manipulating reality.

He clenched his fists tightly and let out a loud cry.

His cry broke the illusion like broken glass. He watched as the council chamber collapsed around him and met himself in the abyss once more.

The creature stood before him exactly where it had been.

It remained motionless for several seconds and its four eyes narrowed slightly as though surprised he had escaped the illusion so quickly.

Seizing the opportunity, Thaddeus quickly pushed forward instantly, channeling every ounce of energy he had regained into a full assault.

He transformed the shadows into countless weapons as sharp as blades before sending them surging toward the soul devouring Beast at an unpredictable speed.

For a moment, he thought that was it until he watched as the attacks bounced off the beast’s form like straws brushing against wall.

Thaddeus’s eyes widened in disbelief to see his deadliest attack did nothing.

None of his opponents had ever survived that technique.