Kvran snapped and punched the ground.


    “FUCK!!!!”


    “Why can’t we even beat those


    bastards!!” he yelled. “And you—stop being a burden.”


    Stark frowned. “The


    hell do you mean burden? I was about to kill him, and it was your


    fault I couldn’t do it.”


    “Oh!! Really? If I didn’t save


    you, would that chance have come?” Kvran asked mockingly.


    Stark just sighed and turned his face


    away. He knew it was both of their fault. Their teamwork was lacking,


    and considering they were enemies, it made this even harder.


    <i>I


    don</i><i>’t


    want to die.</i> Stark


    grimaced. <i>I


    need to find a way to win.</i>


    “If we improve our coordination, we


    can win.”


    “This is bullshit,” Kvran spat and


    got up. “I don’t care about these things. We will try once again


    tomorrow.”


    “Wait.”


    Kvran just yanked the chain forward


    toward the supply room to rest. He followed, knowing that words


    wouldn’t reach the knight’s


    ears.


    The knight retired without a single


    word.


    <i>I


    need a plan to win</i><i>…


    </i>Stark thought.


    He sat down on the cold stone floor


    and closed his eyes to visualize the three fights he had against the


    twin guardians so far. They made up for each other’s


    flaws.


    This also meant he could learn Kvran’s


    flaws by observing the spear undead. He figured it would be useful


    for later.


    <i>In


    the end, they were undead made of rotting flesh and bones,</i>


    he thought. <i>Rotting


    flesh</i><i>…</i>


    As he visualized more of the fights,


    he realized there were many flaws in the undead. The main one was


    their limited use of muscles. Their muscles was too rotten and far


    less functional than that of a living human. It made sense that


    physically intensive movements, which put a lot of strain on the


    frame, would be difficult for them.


    <i>If


    I can push them into such a situation, we can probably win.</i>


    However, there were more variables at


    play. Kvran was not cooperating. He was a wild card—one that could


    cost him this trial. Stark needed a plan to deal with him.


    The boy spent his time replaying the


    fights in his mind and sharpening his senses. He lost track of time


    until Kvran’s crass voice


    broke through his focus.


    “Come, let’s do the trial.”


    Kvran stretched his arms. “Don’t mess it up this time.”


    Stark opened his eyes. He hadn’t


    rested, but he felt refreshed, his senses sharper than before.


    “….” Stark stayed silent,


    scowling at Kvran.


    They both took their stances, ready to


    fight the armored undead. With a screech, the spear-wielding undead


    charged straight at him, aiming to take him out first—it saw him as


    the weakest link.


    “This rotten bastard.” Kvran


    blocked the strike, stepping in between.


    Stark moved from behind, parrying the


    sword undead’s attack. Their


    blades clashed in a flurry of steel, sparks flying. He took a step


    forward, pivoted, and aimed a kick at its side. The undead promptly


    blocked it but was pushed back.


    It let out a screech as the spear


    undead also moved back to regroup.


    Stark was experiencing an immense toll


    on his mind. He was analyzing the movements of three people while


    fighting, actively predicting Kvran’s


    movements to position himself where they had the advantage.


    “Keep him occupied for a moment,”


    he requested. “I’ll take that undead out.”


    Kvran nodded briefly and accelerated


    toward the spear undead. A jab at its chest—the spear whistled


    past. The undead turned and planted a kick on his shoulder.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Pain exploded through Kvran’s


    shoulder.


    In the same instant, the undead


    brought its spear down. Kvran stopped the blow with the metal shaft


    of his own spear. His knees nearly buckled. Gritting his teeth, he


    twisted his weapon to break free and create distance.


    As the fight commenced, Stark moved


    swiftly toward the sword-wielding undead.


    They exchanged a flurry of strikes,


    sending sparks into the air.


    With a flick of his wrist, Stark shot


    a dagger at the undead, attempting to create an opening. It deflected


    the dagger, but in that instant, Stark closed in, bringing his sword


    down cleanly.


    The undead, clearly taken aback,


    stepped back. The blade grazed its chest piece, slightly cracking it.


    Stark kept up his momentum, charging at the undead relentlessly,


    pushing it back in an attempt to create an opening.


    His strikes inflicted damage, cracking


    the undead’s brittle bones


    under the relentless pressure.


    He was certain of victory in a head-on


    battle—until the undead proved to be more cunning than he had


    anticipated.


    It yanked its ally forward, throwing


    the spear undead into the fray. It quickly took cover behind its


    counterpart.


    Stark skidded to a halt as the spear


    undead slashed low at his side. He raised his guard, but it wasn’t


    enough. The impact sent him rolling several feet, yanking Kvran with


    him and breaking their momentum.


    “You little shit…” Kvran


    snapped. “Can’t you do one thing properly?”


    Stark ignored the pain, blood pooling


    at his mouth and Kvran’s


    yelling. He was too focused on the fight. T<i>hat


    sword undead</i><i>…</i>


    He got up, bracing for the next


    attack.


    A dagger shot toward Kvran,


    accelerating through the air. It pierced the gap in his shoulder


    armor.


    “ARGH!!” Kvran grunted, yanking


    the dagger out. His frustration boiled over. Blinded by rage, he


    threw the weapon aside and surged forward.


    Stark quickly followed, already


    predicting the next move.


    “You piss-faced fucks!” Kvran


    roared, swinging his spear in a brutal arc from low to high.


    <b>CLANG!</b>


    The spear undead was lifted off the


    ground by the sheer force of the strike. Kvran followed the spear


    wielder in a fit of rage.


    The sword undead moved instantly to


    cover its comrade, hurling another dagger at Kvran.


    <i>It</i><i>’s


    the sword one that’s finding the gaps. </i>Without


    pause his sword whipped back up, parrying yet another probing strike.


    And


    another from the sword undead.


    Stark


    took a half step back, the dirty point of the undead’s


    sword coming within a hair''s breadth worn-out leather armor. He


    twisted his hands. Borrowing the force of the undead parry twirl his


    sword overhead.


    He


    was too far back on his rear foot to cave in the undead''s brain, but…


    The


    point of his sword ripped through the undead''s rusty chest


    plate, completely shattering it. Cutting clean through its leading


    shoulder muscle. blood sprayed out from the wound, spilling free


    slowly. The creature was still primarily of flesh and bone. It needed


    muscles to move.


    Its


    arm fell weakly to its side, fully unusable.


    It didn’t


    stop the undead.


    Stark glanced at Kvran—he was


    forcing the spear undead back.


    Wasting no time, Stark turned his


    attention to the other undead and charged behind it.


    The shackle chain wrapped around the


    spear undead’s waist.


    “Kvran, switch—QUICK!” he


    shouted.


    Sensing the opportunity, Kvran


    switched sides with Stark. The chain tightened around the undead’s


    waist as they moved in opposite directions, crushing its bones.


    Then, the sword undead did the


    unexpected. It was unnaturally clever.


    It ripped off its own limp arm and


    jammed both its sword and severed limb between the chains before the


    spear undead could be fully crushed—allowing it to escape.


    “FUCK!!” Stark cursed, stepping to


    the side.


    Without hesitation, he ripped two


    daggers from his belt and hurled them at the spear undead’s


    legs.


    Both blades struck precisely, slicing


    through its hamstrings. Blood sprayed from the loose, rotten flesh.


    The undead buckled, stumbling


    backward.


    “DIE!!” Stark clenched his teeth


    and lunged, aiming for the spear undead’s.


    The sword undead stepped in between


    them, its blade still lodged in its own chest.


    <i>It


    used its own torso as a scabbard. WHAT THE HELL IS THAT UNDEAD?!</i>


    Without hesitation, it grabbed its


    last dagger and flung it at Stark.


    <b>STAB</b>


    Mid-charge, Stark twisted, but the


    dagger still found its mark—piercing deep into his obliques.


    Pain exploded. Flesh twisted. Blood


    dripped.


    Yet, he didn’t


    waver.


    He bit down hard and charged forward.


    The sword undead ripped its blade free


    from its chest, ready to defend its comrade.


    Stark’s


    sword lunged forward, its point aiming straight for the spear


    undead’s chest.


    The other undead swung to intercept


    him.


    Metal


    clashed. Sparks flew. Bones cracked.


    Anticipating the attack, Stark angled


    his strike to deflect the undead’s


    sword—redirecting it straight into its own comrade, alongside his


    own.


    Both blades pierced through the back


    of the spear undead.


    But he wasn’t


    done.


    With


    a cry of rage, he wrenched his sword upward, ripping straight through


    the spear undead’s


    skull.


    The


    undead’s


    body fell limp on the arena and the sword undead began to turn into


    ash in front of his eyes.


    Stark


    watched the rotten face of the creature shift into a grin as its body


    vanished.


    It


    moved its mouth uttering something inaudible to him.


    <i>Huh!!


    What!!</i>


    The


    undead’s


    bodies and the weapon vanished into nothingness.


    Stark’s


    injuries began to heal. The barrier was vanishing slowly. Kvran


    walked over as he witnessed something pretty crazy.


    The


    Room began to shift, unveiling a huge metal door with an raven emblem


    studded with red gems.


    Suddenly,


    Text began to materialize before them.


    [You


    have successfully defeated the Twin Guardians and completed the first


    trial.]


    [Rewards: Handy Backpack, Removal of


    cursed shackles]