The night air was heavy.
Even the wind outside had stopped whispering, as if the world itself was holding its breath.
I couldn't sleep. The meeting kept replaying in my mind—those words about the demon war, the ten families, the tension between the magicians and us.
And yet, that wasn't what truly bothered me.
It was the system.
That damned thing had appeared out of nowhere, showed me numbers that meant nothing, and vanished again like smoke.
> [SYSTEM NOTICE]
Status condition detected: Stagnant progression.
Initiating compatibility test…
"Huh?"
The blue panel flickered in front of my eyes again. I didn't touch anything, didn't even move.
The air twisted. My vision darkened.
Before I could react, the room melted away into a dull gray void.
No walls, no floor—just endless space and a faint echo of my own breathing.
> [Trial Initiated]
Objective: Survive.
Survive?
That's all it said.
Then I heard it—footsteps. Slow, dragging, uneven.
Out from the mist stepped a figure… wearing my face.
Same height. Same eyes. Same cursed mark running down the chest.
Except his expression—cold, dead, empty.
"…What the hell is this?"
My voice cracked slightly, echoing across the void.
The other me didn't speak. He tilted his head, and with a sharp crack, the ground beneath us split open. A dark mist burst out, surrounding him like a beast hungry for blood.
> [Warning: Emotional instability detected.]
Tch. I didn't need a system to tell me that.
The clone dashed forward, faster than I expected.
Clang!
I barely blocked his strike with a barrier of mana, but the impact pushed me back several steps. My arms trembled.
"Damn… this strength—it's mine?"
Every blow felt like hitting myself, every movement predicted mine.
He knew me better than anyone.
> [Hint: Overcome your reflection, or be consumed by it.]
Consumed? What kind of test was this?
The clone grabbed my throat, slammed me to the ground, and whispered in my ear—
"You don't deserve to be Selgor Nightreign."
My heart pounded violently. Rage flared.
I summoned all my mana, ignoring the pain spreading through my veins.
> [Mana Overload detected.]
Proceeding may cause irreversible damage.
"I don't care!"
I slammed my hand into the ground, releasing a wave of blue light that tore through the mist and split the void apart.
When the light faded…
I was kneeling, gasping for air, the clone gone—vanished like dust.
> [Trial Complete.]
Status Unlocked: Partial Synchronization Achieved.
The panel blinked once and disappeared.
Silence again. My body shook, half from exhaustion, half from confusion.
"What… was that?"
I looked down at my trembling hands.
There was something new—a faint silver line glowing across my wrist, pulsing like a heartbeat.
"…So this is what you want from me?"
No answer. Just the quiet hum of power lingering in my veins.