The three robed figures stepped forward, their skeletal hands moving in unison. Dark light flared at the tips of their crystal staffs, and the arena quaked. Lines of crimson split the floor, weaving into a circle that glowed beneath Ren's feet.

Nyxa's voice brushed against him with sly amusement. "They like to trap their prey first. Careful, Ren. A cage is harder to escape once it closes."

Ren leapt back as the circle erupted in a column of flame. The air seared hot, burning the edge of his cloak. He countered instantly, summoning tendrils of shadow that whipped across the ground and lashed toward the sorcerers.

The first raised its staff, a shimmering barrier flaring to life. The tendrils struck and shattered, dispersing into smoke.

The second sorcerer thrust its staff downward. A spear of bone jutted from the floor beneath Ren, grazing his leg as he shifted aside. Blood welled, but he did not falter.

The third lifted both hands, and a storm of black fire rained from above.

Ren clenched his fist. Shadows surged upward, forming a dome around him. The fire hammered against it, sparks flying, heat clawing through the cracks. He pushed back, forcing the dome outward. The eruption flung the flames away, leaving the arena scarred and smoking.

Nyxa chuckled. "Better. Now stop defending and break their bones already."

Ren's eyes fixed on the second sorcerer, the one that had nearly skewered him. He lunged forward, shadows streaming at his heels. The skeletal figure raised its staff, but Ren moved too quickly this time. He slammed a spike of darkness straight through the staff and into its chest. The sorcerer's glow extinguished, its body collapsing into dust.

The other two shrieked in unison, their voices like grinding metal. They unleashed another barrage, lightning crackling from one staff while fire swirled from the other.

Ren split himself, shadows forming a double that darted one way as he moved the other. Lightning scorched the copy into smoke. Fire seared past Ren's real body, grazing his shoulder. He closed the gap and swung his arm upward. A blade of pure shadow cut the second sorcerer in half.

The third retaliated with a blast of force that hurled him across the arena. Ren slammed into the ground, pain spiking through his ribs. He rose slowly, blood dripping from his mouth.

Nyxa's voice came, softer but sharper. "You cannot give them time. End it fast."

Ren steadied himself. Shadows gathered around him, thick and heavy, wrapping his body like armor. He charged. The last sorcerer shrieked, unleashing a wave of power. The shockwave tore at the arena walls, sending fragments of rock crashing down.

Ren did not slow. He crashed through the wave, his armor cracking but holding. His hand struck the staff, snapping it in two. Then his fist, wreathed in darkness, smashed through the sorcerer's chest. The glow sputtered and died.

The silence that followed was absolute. The arena was littered with shattered stone, smoking scars, and the dust of fallen enemies. Ren stood in the center, shoulders heaving, blood slicking his side and leg.

Nyxa hummed in satisfaction. Not graceful, but effective. "You are learning to break faster. I like that."

Ren wiped the blood from his mouth. His voice was steady, though low. "If this is only the beginning, then I have far to climb."

The runes on the cliffs flared once more. This time the ground itself began to rise, forming new shape. The arena trembled, promising yet another test.

Nyxa's laugh rang inside his thoughts, dark and amused. "Yes, little shadow. Far to climb. And farther yet to fall."

Ren back to back defeated so many warriors. And at last...

The runes on the cliffs dimmed slowly, leaving the arena silent. The smoke and dust drifted upward, the broken stone glowing faintly under the crimson veins in the floor. Ren remained in the center, chest heaving, side bleeding, shadow armor still flickering around him. The skeletal figures were gone. The trial had ended.

A soft sound came from the far side of the arena. The attendant girl stepped forward, her robes slightly singed at the hem, face pale but eyes steady.

"You have passed," she said quietly. "Not because it was easy. Because you endured. That is all they required to know."

Ren nodded, wiping blood from his mouth. "So this is enough to enter the forbidden area?"

She glanced at him, expression faintly amused. "Enough for the trial. The land itself will test you further. If you falter there, no one can intervene. You must keep your wits and strength alike."

The arena doors opened slowly, revealing a narrow corridor carved into the cliff. Beyond, the night stretched endlessly. Faint mana winds whispered through the rocks, carrying distant sounds of strange creatures.

Ren followed, the attendant girl walking a few steps behind, her eyes constantly scanning the shadows. She did not speak much. She only guided, occasionally pointing out a treacherous patch of stone or a faint shimmer of mana that could signal danger.

The journey to the forbidden area was long. They crossed jagged cliffs and narrow bridges of black stone suspended over fog-choked valleys. Mana currents rose and fell unpredictably, forcing Ren to move carefully, testing both agility and perception. The attendant occasionally called out warnings. "Step there. That current twists if you linger."

Finally, after several hours, they reached the boundary. The air changed instantly. The light dimmed as though filtered through a veil of shadow. The rocks themselves seemed alive, humming with mana. Strange glyphs glowed faintly in patterns that shifted as they moved.

"This is it," the girl said softly. "The land itself does not welcome strangers. Only those deemed worthy may proceed. You already carry the proof of your trial. Now it will be the land's turn."

Ren paused at the threshold, feeling the weight of the mana pressing against him. Every instinct told him to measure each step, to control his breathing, and to let shadow flow beneath his skin.

He moved forward slowly. The attendant kept just behind, her presence a calm reminder that guidance existed even when no one could fight beside him. The wind howled against the cliffs, carrying scents he had never known. Strange plants curled from cracks, their leaves shimmering faintly like crystals.

Hours passed as they walked through the outer regions of the forbidden land. Every step required attention. Fallen stones, shifting paths, sudden eddies of mana. Each could be a trial in its own right.

At last, they reached a plateau overlooking the deeper heart of the land. The terrain below twisted in impossible patterns, cliffs folding into themselves, rivers of glowing liquid winding through jagged valleys. The air was heavy, dense with mana that bent light around it.

"This is where your real path begins," the attendant said. "Beyond here, the land will decide if you are fit to continue. The trials there are not just combat, but endurance, perception, and understanding of the mana itself."

Ren stood, staring at the forbidden expanse. His side still ached from the trial, shadow energy coiled and ready around his arms. He inhaled steadily.

Nyxa's voice whispered in his thoughts, teasing lightly. "Finally. No games, no illusions. Just teeth, stone, and blood. Watch your step, little shadow. There is more to climb than any of your past enemies could ever teach."

Ren stepped forward, the first into the forbidden land, the girl following close behind. Every pulse of mana around him was a reminder that this world was alive, and that survival required more than just strength. It required sharpness, patience, and the willingness to endure everything the land would throw at him.

The air thickened. The path twisted. The forbidden land awaited.

The plateau stretched wide, jagged cliffs curling into impossible angles. Strange rivers of glowing liquid traced their paths through the valleys below. The wind carried a sharp, metallic scent, tinged with faint sparks of raw mana.

Ren stepped forward carefully. Each footfall pressed against stone that seemed almost alive, pulsing faintly beneath his boots. The attendant girl followed, her gaze never leaving the edges of the cliffs. She did not speak unless a warning was necessary.

Nyxa's voice brushed against his mind, teasing. "Keep your eyes open, little shadow. The land does not forgive the careless. I am curious to see if you learned anything from that first trial."

Ren tightened his grip on the shadows coiling around his arms. "I will not underestimate it."

The ground trembled faintly. Cracks formed, radiating light. From them rose twisted figures, not human, not fully beast. Limbs elongated at impossible angles, eyes glowing with unnatural intelligence. They moved silently at first, then surged forward like liquid stone.

Ren stepped into motion immediately. Shadows wrapped around his hands, forming jagged spears that shot forward. One creature lunged, claws extended, and the spear pierced through its chest. It fell, but others were already closing in.

The attendant girl called out. "Left side! There is a gap!" Her voice was calm, precise. She did not move closer, only guided him, marking danger he might miss in the chaos.

Ren shifted, shadows twisting around his body as armor. Another creature leapt from above, jaws snapping. He rolled beneath it, spears erupting from the ground to strike its legs. The creature collapsed, but several more took its place, emerging from fissures and cracks.

Nyxa's tone held amusement. "You are fast, little shadow, but do not get comfortable. They come faster than you think. Watch the rhythm, find their weakness."

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