Chapter 6 : To Prove One's Faith
851 Words
The shrine was silent.
After surviving two impossible trials, the remaining hunters could barely stand.
Their bodies were exhausted.
Their weapons were damaged.
Their confidence had been completely shattered.
But they were alive.
For a moment, they believed they had finally reached the end.
Then the ancient king moved.
The giant figure sitting on the throne slowly lifted its head.
That terrifying grin appeared once again.
No words.
No explanation.
Only that cruel expression.
Then the entire shrine trembled.
A message appeared in the air.
[FINAL TRIAL]
[TRIAL OF FAITH]
The hunters stared at the words.
Faith?
What did that mean?
Before anyone could understand, the massive wall behind them began moving.
Stone shifted.
Ancient mechanisms awakened.
A passage appeared.
And beyond it...
Was light.
The outside world.
Freedom.
Everyone froze.
After everything they had endured, the exit was finally open.
"We can leave..."
Lena whispered.
Nobody replied.
They were too shocked.
They had already accepted that they might die here.
Victor looked toward the passage.
"Everyone move. Slowly."
The hunters immediately started walking.
No one wanted to waste this chance.
But the moment the first hunter stepped through...
The shrine shook.
The passage began closing.
Everyone stopped.
"What?"
The opening started shrinking.
Slowly.
The ancient stones moved together, sealing the only path out.
Panic spread instantly.
"We need to hurry!"
The hunters rushed forward.
But the passage was getting smaller.
Victor looked at the approaching knights behind them.
The ancient warriors had awakened again.
Their footsteps echoed through the shrine.
They were coming.
Everyone understood.
Someone had to stay behind.
Someone had to delay them.
But nobody moved.
Nobody wanted to make that choice.
Because everyone knew what it meant.
Staying behind meant not returning.
Ethan watched his teammates.
He saw the fear in their eyes.
He understood.
They weren't cowards.
They were survivors.
Everyone wanted to live.
And Ethan...
Ethan wanted them to live too.
He tightened his grip on his sword.
"I'll stay."
The entire team froze.
Lena immediately turned around.
"What did you say?"
Ethan looked at the closing passage.
"I'll stay."
"No."
Her answer came instantly.
"Ethan, no."
He looked at her.
"Lena."
"You can't do this."
Her voice shook.
"You always do this. You always put yourself in danger because you think your life matters less."
Ethan remained silent.
Because deep down...
Those words hurt because they were close to the truth.
For years, everyone had treated him like he was useless.
Like his existence didn't matter.
But he never wanted anyone else to feel that way.
Victor stared at Ethan.
He understood what Ethan was doing.
The strongest person in the group might have survived longer.
But Ethan was the only one willing to step forward without hesitation.
"Ethan..."
Victor looked away.
He hated this decision.
But there was no time.
The knights were getting closer.
The passage continued closing.
"Lena."
She looked at Victor.
"What?"
Before she could react, Victor quickly knocked her unconscious and caught her before she fell.
"Ethan!"
Her voice disappeared as she lost consciousness.
Victor carried her toward the exit.
Ethan watched silently.
He understood.
Victor wasn't abandoning him.
He was saving her.
Because if Lena remained awake...
She would never leave him behind.
The others looked back at Ethan.
Nobody knew what to say.
The hunter everyone called weak was the one standing behind.
Protecting them.
The passage became smaller.
Victor carried Lena through.
The remaining hunters followed.
And finally...
The entrance closed.
Leaving Ethan alone.
The shrine became silent.
No teammates.
No support.
No way out.
Only Ethan.
And the approaching army of ancient knights.
Their footsteps shook the ground.
BOOM.
BOOM.
BOOM.
Ethan stood alone in the center of the shrine.
His body was exhausted.
His sword was damaged.
His energy was almost completely gone.
But he still raised his weapon.
For years, people had told him he was weak.
They were right.
Compared to them, he was weak.
Compared to these knights, he was nothing.
But strength was not the only thing that decided a person's worth.
Sometimes...
The person who stood when everyone else ran was the strongest of all.
The knights charged.
Ethan activated his ability.
Energy Reinforcement.
His body strengthened.
He rushed forward.
The first clash shook the shrine.
But the difference was obvious.
The knight's attack sent him flying backward.
His weapon nearly slipped from his hand.
He forced himself back up.
Another knight attacked.
Then another.
Ethan fought.
He dodged.
He resisted.
He refused to fall.
But the ancient warriors were beyond his level.
Every attack pushed him closer to defeat.
Every second became harder.
Yet Ethan continued.
Because somewhere outside this shrine...
His friends were alive.
And that was enough.
The knights surrounded him.
Ethan looked at the throne.
The ancient king watched silently.
Still smiling.
Then...
The world around Ethan froze.
A strange voice echoed inside his mind.
[Extreme Sacrifice Detected.]
[Candidate Found.]
[Conditions Completed.]
[The Sacrifice System is awakening.]
Ethan's eyes widened.
The darkness surrounding him began to change.
For the first time...
The shrine was not judging him.
It was choosing him.
End of Chapter 6
- Writer
