---

︾

Two months had passed since they had built the Tomb.

Only a few could enter the Tomb. As the entrance mainly was sealed.

Two men walked down the woods, conversing about the recent events.

“What happened here?”

Their pupils dilated. A bouquet dropped from the hand of one man. He had blue hair that reflected the sky with black eyes, and he wore spectacles.

Another one had black hair as deep as the night, with black eyes.

The previously vigorous woods had died down along the surface of the Tomb.

“Don’t rush,” The man with the blue hair exclaimed as he stopped his friend from rushing inside the Tomb.

He held his hand against the gate. The door felt delicate and on the verge of collapse.

“They made this from the finest of metals, and I engraved it with runes, yet it seems to have degraded.”

“What could have happened?”

“We will find out soon.”

The gate creaked as it opened. Both of them walked down the stairs,

The man with the black hair continually brushed his hands with the walls, “It seems to have turned old,”

“Yes, It’s like the place’s near the Tomb Suddenly aged by god knows how many years,”

They halted their steps after hearing a beating sound like a heartbeat. A thunderous heartbeat.

“Oh, Lord”, The man with the back hair exclaimed, as both of them saw the coffin opened up, and empty but above it drifted a red cocoon which continually beat.

From afar, the cocoon looked like; it was made from red tissues.

The cocoon had created multiple branches and attached itself to the Tomb.

︽

---

︾

A sense of warmth tingled Leon’s body. Glimmers of light entered his eyes, and he regained consciousness.

Birds squeaked as water breezed. Leon took in breaths of fresh air. Looking around, a river was flowing behind him. The air was foggy. The fruity smell of the breeze and flower spread throughout.

In the river, he spotted his reflection.

His body looked leaner, and the face looked younger. His hair was grey, eyes deep-black. His face had near-perfect symmetry and was a bit triangular.

‘Is this afterlife?’

Leaning down, he sipped some water from the river using his palms.

“So, Fresh!”

He rested along with the grasses and gazed at the sky.

“This is how an afterlife should be, a peaceful environment with no one else around,”

The ground felt soft. Leon just wanted to sleep over there.

《Choose Your Avatar’s Name》

A blue screen appeared in the sky.

“huh,” “I think I saw this somewhere before.”

He recalled back when something similar had asked, <Do You Have Regrets? >, His memory was hazy. He could not remember what he answered or what happened after that.

He yawned, “Well, My name is Leonard Uemis Eddoes.”

《Your Name Has Been Registered》

《Starting Record Trials》

“Starting what now?”

His surrounding faded into whiteness.

The temperature suddenly rose.

He stood in front of a dry grey mountain. Many more mountains stood behind it, all of them over 10,000. Meter high. The land he stood on felt dry.

“From the looks of it, this is not heaven……….”

《1st Trial: Record of Power》

『Showcase your strength by breaking these mountains』

The screen reappeared in front of his eyes, “Sigh, All I wanted was some sleep.”

He felt his body was not physical but similar to the remnants of his spirit. The remnants which embed some of his strength, yet even it was slowly fading away.

He walked closer to the mountains, “I don’t know where this place is or how I got myself involved in this.”

And kept walking, “But you know, when someone asks a martial artist like me to showcase power.”

He recalled back on his life, during the academy, during the war. Each time he had to prove himself.

A light smile brew on his face.

He halted, “I really don’t hold back” He clenched his fist, the wind started swirling, the pressure arose.

With a swift fist that no eye could follow, he punched the mountain.

For a moment, Leon heard no sound. He felt no moment.

Then, the sound barrier broke, a sonic boom echoed, clouds in the sky cleared,

In Middles of 100’s of mountains, the fist formed a colossal path.

Looking at his fist, he smiled, “That felt good.”

《1st Trial: Record of Power 〘Completed〙》

《Peak Power Level Noted》

His surrounding’s faded again. This time he stood on top of a small cliff. The temperature was frigid.

“Whoa, is this the top of the sky?”

Looking down, there were clouds, but no lands. He stood on top of a stone shift, with a radius of around 3 feet.

He gulped

There were similar cliffs around, each within a distance of 10 feet.

《2nd Trial: Record of Agility And Endurance》

Hearing the crumbling sound, he looked behind. The cliffs were all falling one by one.

“Oh, God”

He jumped across, one cliff to another,

The speed at which they were crumbling also increased.

Hopping over the cliffs and running ahead, he continually questioned himself, “Just how? Just how? How in the bloody hell did I get myself involved in a situation like this?”

He was about to jump. He felt his right leg being pulled back,

“Huh”

Looking down, he saw a skeleton hand gripping his leg.

“What in the Hell?”

Using his other legs, he stomped on the skeletal hand and freed himself and kept running.

Soon, skeletons emerged from within the cliff.

One side was the herd of skeletons. Another side was the crumbling of cliffs,

“Damn it.”

He charged in front. Clenching his fist as he broke their bones. The skeletons were stubborn. They also hopped across. In no way they were weak or slow. They jumped rapidly and punched or gripped Leon. He grabbed one and swung it. The spin broke the nearby skeletons.

“Move it, damn it move,” He said as he hopped from one cliff to another as fast as he could, but the rumbling was soon catching up to him.

Most of his body’s strength had dissipated, so getting rid of the skeletons was getting more troublesome.

Time passed; there seemed no limit to the number of cliffs. The light never dimmed down. Who knows how many days passed?

He heard his heartbeat, his blood pumped. His teeth clenched, a broad smile brew on his face.

“Ahh, this feeling,” His fists quivered.

Maybe it was because he already experienced death once, perhaps it was because he was born this way, but the more he fought, the more he felt cornered, the more his body quivered with excitement.

“What if the cliff has no end?” “What if the only way out is to fall,” “What if this, what if that?”

Such uncertainty never popped in his mind, as no motive guided him forward, except one that of simple thrill.

Finally, he saw the last cliff. The other peaks were dry and grey, but the last one was shining blue like a gem.

He landed there. About ten skeletons also jumped in front of him. He dealt with them one by one. Then fell on his knees and gasped for breath.

After a few breaths, he looked. The cliffs in front were all falling now; the rumbling left only about ten.

“Now, there is nowhere else to run to, so,” He let out a long breath, “So, be it, whatever happens, I accept it.”

The last cliff in front also fell.

He shook his legs and gulped.

After a while, the cliff he stood on did not fall.

Sigh,

《2nd Trial: Record of Agility And Endurance 〘Completed〙》

《Peak Agility and Endurance Level Noted》

《Congratulations! You Are The First To Complete This Trial.》

《Total Time Taken: 18 days 2 Hours 45 Minute And 34 Second》

《Would You Like To Register Your Name As The Record Holder?》

Leon scratched the back of his head as he looked at the screen.

“Sure, why not?”

《Your Name ‘Leonard Uemis Eddoes’ Has Been Marked》

《Analyzing the Number of Undead Vanquished》

《Additional Points Will be Granted At The End Of the Trials》

He looked at the clear sky above and asked, “Ah, How great would it be if someone explained, just what in the hell is happening?”

《As A Record Holder, You Are No Longer Required To Take Part In Any Further Trials》

《The Record Trials Have Now Ended》

Looking at the screen, a thought popped into his mind, “It said I broke the record for agility and endurance, but I had also taken the trial of power, so there’s someone stronger than me in terms of power.”

“Ha, no way” He shook his head, denying the possibility.

《7 Embers of Scarlet Have Formed》

《Starting Scarlet Evolution》

︽

---

︾

The Tomb shook rapidly.

“Hold your ground”, The guy with the blue hair shouted.

The cocoon trembled rapidly, the atmospheric pressure near intensified,

“Be Careful”, The Black-haired man cried as the Blue haired one tried to get close to the cocoon.

Suddenly the trembling stopped, the cocoon stopped beating.