CHAPTER 92: BREAKTHROUGH TRIAL (6/)

Death

It was the end of everything. Most theories even claimed it was the end of pain as well, but one thing they all missed was that death itself was painful.

Not just physically, but the trauma it carved into the soul was unforgettable and excruciating.

Marlon could relate to that now.

He felt every bit of that excruciating pain—

the burning heat tearing through his flesh,

the crushing pressure of the shockwave,

and the hollow, lingering trauma that clung to his soul even after his body was gone.

For a moment, he felt weightless, suspended between existence and nothingness.

And then—

Breath suddenly returned and his eyes snapped open.

He was lying on the bed, surprisingly in the same room where he’d stood and watched the world end.

But this time, the room was unscathed.

The familiar gentle fragrance filled the air.

The neat white ceiling and the beautiful chandelier came into view.

Marlon remained unmoving on the bed, his eyes fixed on the neat interior as he processed the entire situation in his head.

His face was eerily calm, a contrast to the turmoil in his mind.

The recap of everything from the meeting, to the meteor shower, to his own deat, replayed clearly.

Shivers ran down his spine, his hair stood on end as his body seemed to relive the gut-wrenching pain.

As he gradually analyzed his situation, the familiar notification popped up.

[ Your divine trial has begun ]

[ Title: Apocalypse Protector ]

[ Trials remaining: 9,999 ]

Details:

—The world will end very soon, and as the Apocalypse Protector, your divine task is to ensure the total death of its population does not exceed 50%.

—Once it exceeds 50%, you fail the trial.

—Your stats, talent and skills are locked for the first trial.

[ You can access important information from the apocalypse panel ]

He took in every single detail without moving his head.

It was exactly the same as he recalled, with only one minor change.

[ Trials remaining: 9,999 ]

He fixed his gaze on this particular information for a few seconds as the realization sank in, answering the doubt he held before.

’A loop.’

It was the only description for his situation.

’Until I succeed, I’ll have to relive every moment over and over again.’

He shivered.

’T-this...’

The trial went beyond breaking his ego.

Its aim was to traumatize him.

A sudden determination brimmed in his mind.

’I cannot allow it succeed.’

He stood up from the bed slowly.

He walked up to his wardrobe and grabbed a simple black overcoat.

There was a mirror embedded wonderfully into the state-of-the-art wardrobe. With it, he observed his appearance: French-cut jet-black hair, blue eyes, and a handsome youthful face.

In his first trial, he deemed it unimportant to check the appearance of the body he was inhabiting.

Even now it had no use, but he needed to see what he was working with.

"The last time I acted rash and unlike the original, and it made everyone think he had gone crazy. This time, I’ll tackle everything orderly without drawing suspicions," he muttered to himself.

That was it.

A change to everything.

He walked out of the room.

Standing outside were a group of military men with stern looks on their faces.

’Strange.’

Marlon thought to himself.

Were these people outside his room the last time? He wondered.

He observed their faces carefully, searching for Brandon, someone he was familiar with, but he was nowhere to be found.

Their stern gazes and the lack of a bow or greeting made him even more suspicious.

"Come with us."

One of them strode forward and said coldly.

Marlon was unfazed by the sudden movement. Even though he had no powers, getting scared by a mere human was beneath him.

He simply stood and observed with a gentle frown.

But the soldiers seemed to grow impatient. Before he could ask a question, another one stepped forward and demanded he come with them.

Unable to bear the sudden change, he demanded an explanation.

"What is happening?"

Before they could answer, Brandon staggered out of one of the rooms in the beautiful passageway.

His uniform was ruffled, and on the left side of his abdomen, red liquid spread quickly, staining his khaki uniform.

His face twisted in pain as he gritted his teeth, struggling to form a word.

"Young master! Run!"

Brandon barked, using all the strength he could muster. After his voice faded, he slumped to the ground, flinching for a few seconds before giving up the ghost. His hands fell limp, and his eyes shut never to open again.

Witnessing this, Marlon didn’t need a professional to tell him he was in trouble.

His heartbeat quickened as he wondered what happened to change the entire flow of things in his second trial.

He turned quickly to the men in front of him. They had already circled around him, blocking all his paths of escape.

At that moment, Marlon felt like he was trapped in a cage with predators ready to devour him.

This can’t be happening!

He thought.

He had the whole world to save the first time and failed. Now he had to struggle to save his own life before even thinking about saving others.

"What are you guys waiting for?"

From afar, a voice barked at the soldiers who were watching Marlon break down.

Marlon could easily tell that whoever owned the voice was the one in control.

And true to his suspicions, the soldiers didn’t bother speaking anymore. Two held him firmly while another quickly bound his hands and legs with rope, and one more placed a black cloth over his head.

Marlon protested and struggled, but all his efforts were fruitless. He was powerless, and the soldiers were trained men with years of service.

Marlon’s body was nothing more than an average nerdy eighteen-year-old who had never fought, so restraining him posed no challenge.

Before he knew it, he was lifted off the ground.

His mouth had been taped, and he couldn’t even scream.

Only his thoughts were active — overactive, to be precise.

Anger surged as he cursed the system.

Regret settled in as he wished he had listened to the warnings and chosen a simpler breakthrough trial.

Fear made him shiver as it dawned on him he would once again relive death and watch the entire world burn.

But amidst those emotions was another—hope.

He had more than nine thousand nine hundred times left to redo everything.

No matter what, somewhere within that massive number of trials, he would succeed.

He had to.

Those were his thoughts as he was taken away to an unknown place against his will.

===

He couldn’t tell how long had passed since he was dragged from the mansion, and even his current location was unknown.

The bag over his head was gone, and the tape covering his mouth had been removed.

Now he sat inside a poorly lit room, bound to a cold metallic chair with ropes that clung tightly to his body, restricting all movement.

Scanning the room, the only thing he could note was how spacious and empty it was.

With the dim light from the barely functional bulb above his head, he could see how untidy the place was.

Bugs crawled around.

Spiderwebs clung to the edges.

And most disturbing of all—

"Is that...?"

Random spots around the room held skeletal remains.

Judging by their size and structure, they were clearly human.

"Where the heck is this place?" he whispered.

He wondered why he was here.

But as though answering him, the metallic door creaked open with an annoying sound.

A middle-aged man in military uniform walked in, escorted by soldiers who waited outside.

As the man stepped closer, Marlon immediately recognized him from the memories in his head.

He was none other than the uncle of the body he was inhabiting.

Fuck.

He grasped everything quickly.

A political battle.

Why now of all times?

It was strange.

This man never appeared in his first trial, and there had been no conflict during that run.

According to his memories, this world was supposed to be peaceful, his extended family included.

But why was it changing now?

He knew the answer.

The system, or whoever controlled it.

They were behind all of this.

====

Arden

Crimson sat in her office with a troubled look, trying her best to push her worries aside. She focused on the paperwork in front of her, working quickly just to distract her mind.

A knock sounded at the door.

Her secretary entered, tablet in hand. But her expression carried more concern than usual.

She approached quietly and handed the device over.

A simple message lit up the screen.

Crimson read it, and her eyes widened immediately.

She looked up sharply at her secretary and snapped,

"Send all hunters on ground to the Hunter Academy immediately!"