Sweat poured down Nn''s face as if he had just taken a shower, and his eyes were tinted red from the monumental pressure on him.


    His hands were currently ced on the ss door of the sixth area, yet he had almost no power to push it open at all.


    Merely cing his hands on the ss structure was enough to almost destroy himpletely from the pressure.


    "You can''t..."


    "Turn back..."


    "You might die..."


    "It''s not worth your death..."


    Various voices echoed in his mind, urging him to give up, to back down, to return.


    But then Nn remembered—this pressure had nothing to do with his body.


    It couldn''t tten him like a pancake because, essentially, it was only targeting his will.


    It was his own will telling him to give up, insisting that it wasn''t worth it.


    "Not worth it. If I don''tplete this second test, there''s almost no chance of me ever growing beyond what I am now.


    For countless more years, I''ll live my entire life under others'' conditions and dictations. Is that what would be worth my death!?" he responded, silencing the voices reverberating through his head.


    In the next instant, he had no idea how, but he felt his hands suddenly regain their strength.


    With a powerful roar, the sixth door began pressing backward as Nn took a single step forward, then another, pushing and pushing until he finally broke through, stepping into the sixth room.


    But immediately, his knees gave way, forcing him onto both knees, and then...


    BANG!


    Nn''s face smashed into the hard ss. His head pressed so tightly that he felt his body nailed to the ground, unable to move a single muscle.


    CREAK...


    CREAK...


    A sickeningly sharp crack, like the snap of dry branches underfoot, rang out as his body repeatedly creaked under the pressure.


    With shock, Nn noticed blood slowly oozing from a small crack that had formed on the front of his head.


    Soon, the blood began dripping from his nose and lips as well.


    Now he could feel the gaze harder on his body, and he could swear he felt a foot ced on his head, forcing him to remain in his position.


    "You will forever be unworthy of your bloodline. Give up already, go to sleep!" the voice said, as Nn''s gaze grew foggy, until eventually, it began losing its light.


    "Just give up..." was thest thing he heard before blood dripped from his lips and entered his eyes, forcing him to slowly shut them tight. But in thatst second...


    SHRING!


    A white light blossomed out of Nn''s palm as his rusty dagger appeared, and in the next instant, his hand reflexively moved, shing at the leg ced on his head.


    RIP!


    The sound of something being cut resounded as the pressure on him disappeared.


    That was Nn''s only chance as he rolled to the side, quickly getting up to his feet.


    Instantly, he advanced forward blindly, his dagger piercing outward with all his speed.


    PSSSST!


    The sound was that of flesh being cut open as Nn drove his dagger straight into the figure''s stomach, feeling the de tear through various organs ande out from the back.


    Then he roughly pulled out the dagger and backed off a couple of steps, crouching on his knees as he breathed in and out, staring at the figure who was now down on one knee.


    "You stabbed me!" the figure said in shock. The voice belonged to none other than the man from the statue, and Nn heaved loudly before rising to his feet and stretching his dagger toward the man.


    "Powerful or not, I will never be your ve..." he reaffirmed, more to himself than to the figure.


    "And you will kill to make sure of that?" the figure asked. Nn''s hand around the dagger clenched harder, unwavering as he pointed the de toward the man.


    It was sheer will that kept him on his feet right now and not copsing, yet he felt the need to make his stance clear.


    To show his will to the man—a will that would never bow to anyone, no matter what the situation might be.


    That was who he had chosen to be in this new life, and the will that would fuel his very essence throughout the journey ahead...


    No words were exchanged between them, yet their silence spoke louder than any words ever could.


    Soon, Nn watched as the man grinned at him, and in the next instant, his dagger began glowing with an incredibly bright white light.


    The rust on it faded away, revealing the sharp edge of a de.


    On its edges, it burned with crimson red mes, causing the air around it to quiver from its power. Nn''s eyes shed in shock.


    His rusty-looking dagger had finally cleared up as the man rose from his knee.


    Nn watched as the stab wound in the man''s stomach faded away like it was nothing, leaving not even the tiniest scar as proof of damage.


    "You''re worthy of my bloodline, young warrior!" Those were thest words Nn heard before he felt the ss beneath his feet, and in his hands, the dagger was still gently burning with crimson-colored mes.


    [Congrattions, Host has sessfully awakened his Pantheon Will!]


    [Host has obtained the Mark of Kratos on his forehead! A symbol of regality and recognition!]


    "The Mark of Kratos?" Nn wondered as he touched his forehead. Sure enough, he could feel something there—something like a tattoo.


    When he closed his eyes and focused on it, it appeared in front of his face, revealing the same exact tattoo as on his dagger.


    [Congrattions once more, Host, on sessfullypleting the quest.]


    [Rewards:


    1.) +2 Level-Up Cards


    2.) +200 EXP!]


    The system notification was the only thing that weed him as Nn''s body finally couldn''t hold up any longer. He copsed onto his knees, breathing heavily.


    "Finally..."