Evan’s heart was broken by his own feelings.
That meant Evan’s mind had been trained so strongly that he could surpass himself.
‘…Hard to believe.’
So far, the results had been unexpected, and he himself had witnessed Evan’s skill firsthand.
Still, he thought this trial wouldn’t be easy.
Because the heart isn’t something you can train just by trying.
But today, Evan proved both.
“Is it done now? What’s the next trial?”
“…It will start after Delian is finished, so wait.”
There were many questions he wanted to ask.
But Delian was watching too.
Personal feelings must never interfere with the trial, so he was cautious.
Evan turned around and began waiting for Delian.
Delian looked at him with eyes that seemed to say, ‘Hurry up and try it.’
Watching that, Delian gritted his teeth and began forming his sword.
‘Did Father deliberately adjust the sword’s strength?’
Delian naturally thought that Clyd’s spirit would never break.
He assumed that the sword’s strength had been deliberately adjusted to set a passing standard.
Thinking that way, his resolve hardened.
He faced the trial with the determination to never lose.
Delian began forming his sword repeatedly.
He steadied his mind with the thought of beating Evan and slowly increased the sword’s completion.
“This should be enough.”
Clyd looked at Delian with a satisfied gaze.
Through several repeated challenges, Delian finally completed an unbreakable sword.
Though he couldn’t break Clyd’s sword like Evan had done, he decided to be content with passing.
Though a mental exhaustion surged through him, Delian savored his joy.
But that joy was short-lived.
“Now we move on to the next trial.”
Clyd slowly began concentrating, then continued his explanation.
“After the sword, what you must form is a wall.”
Suddenly, a blue aura began to swirl around Clyd’s body.
Then, right in front of him, a certain figure appeared.
‘What’s that?’
Before Clyd stood a man in a robe.
Delian was momentarily surprised, then shook his head and examined again.
It was a figure created by the mind, not real.
Clyd slowly opened his mouth.
“Think of the wall you each have in your heart…”
***
After saying that, Clyd sliced the robed man with his sword.
Swish!
In one stroke, the robed figure disappeared.
Clyd’s wall.
Whoever it was, it seemed to have been a significant presence for Clyd.
“Break that wall with your own sword. Without that, there is no growth.”
Evan understood the meaning and sighed in admiration.
‘Breaking the wall that blocks your path…’
For example, overcoming trauma or destroying the limits you impose on yourself.
Trials like these would be of great help in growth, no matter who.
Clyd asked Evan and Delian.
“Now, who will try first?”
Evan stood quietly, but Delian quickly stepped forward.
“I’ll go first!”
It seemed that Delian was bothered by being the last to pass the previous trial.
This time, he resolved to surpass Evan by passing the trial first.
“Focus. On the burden inside you. On the wall you feel is the biggest.”
At Clyd’s words, Delian began concentrating.
He started recalling something inside his heart.
Everything that had obstructed his growth.
It was difficult, but much simpler than forming a sword.
No, maybe it’s that the bad things are always the easiest.
Before his eyes appeared the things that blocked his path.
The Evens appeared.
Starting from the young Evan who had resented and cursed him, up to his recent self.
Five Evens appeared around him.
And the most impactful was the image of Evan when he defeated the False Goddess.
Unlike the real Evan, it was a strikingly muscular figure.
It was proof that he felt anxious in the presence of the strong warrior Evan had become.
He was conscious of Evan as his wall.
Delian’s pupils trembled like an earthquake as he hesitated looking at the Evens.
But Clyd mercilessly pressed on with the trial.
All the Evens held swords and charged at Delian.
Clyd shouted sternly.
“Are you still going to carry those burdens? Grab your sword and move quickly!”
But Delian struggled in confusion.
***
Delian endured the relentless barrage of attacks.
He blocked with his sword when the Evens attacked but couldn’t move beyond that.
He couldn’t attack.
The guilt tightening around him held his ankles captive.
Whenever he swung his sword at Evan, Evan’s voice echoed in his ears.
[How could you do that!]
[You laughed at me behind my back.]
[How does it feel to be the Heir?]
The hurtful words he had heard from Evan stabbed him like daggers in his chest.
“Frustrating guy.”
Evan frowned and shouted at Delian.
“What are you doing! Snap out of it!”
At that moment, Delian’s mind snapped awake.
He heard Evan’s real voice clearly.
“…Brother?”
Seeing Evan scold him like this made the painful feelings melt away.
This was a brother he had never seen before.
The fake figures he created in front of him now seemed pathetic.
From then on, Delian’s actions slowly began to change.
Delian shattered his wall.
Shing!
“Delian! You bastard, you…!”
With every one he defeated, the Evens cursed at him.
And always the words he hated most.
“You made me like this.”
“You stole everything from me! If only you weren’t here…”
The guilt kept pressing, but Delian gritted his teeth and struck down the Evens.
And the last figure left was Evan fighting the False Goddess.
Of course, that was also a wall his mind had created.
Seeing Evan’s growth, he felt like a towering mountain.
That had materialized.
Catching his breath, Delian charged at the last Evan.
Clang!
The swords clashed.
Crack.
The sword belonging to the wall shattered.
With that momentum, he aimed to cut Evan’s neck.
“Brother! Forgive me…”
Evan’s face changed to his own weeping face.
Startled, Delian hesitated briefly but then slashed his neck with the sword.
Shing!
When the last Evan disappeared, Delian’s sword became even sharper and sturdier.
Breaking the wall in his heart and removing the obstacles suppressing him.
Today would be the first step forward for Delian, a leap ahead.
Thud!
Delian collapsed onto the ground.
Mentally exhausted, he was drained.
Clyd quietly approached Delian and spoke.
“Well done.”
His brief words.
And the look of pride on Clyd’s face overwhelmed Delian with emotion.
He had never been acknowledged by Clyd in his life.
That short praise today was exceptionally meaningful.
Thus, Delian rested, and Evan’s turn came.
“Evan, are you ready?”
“But there is something I haven’t told you until now.”
Even Evan was unprepared for this trial.
His wall included memories from the previous world as well.
Of course, he had Evan’s memories in his mind.
But if he didn’t confront the situation or deliberately recall them, he barely knew.
After all, a rookie like that wouldn’t even feel like a wall.
Clyd asked.
“What is it?”
Thinking of an excuse, Evan slowly opened his mouth.
“Actually, what I’ve been tormented by for a long time was a certain nightmare.”
“Nightmare?”
“Yes. I don’t remember the details well. I always forget when I wake up. But it’s a vivid dream that has tormented me. I can’t sleep properly and have almost gone mad because of it.”
Clyd looked at Evan with a confused expression.
“You might say a nightmare isn’t a big deal, but you wouldn’t understand. If there’s any concern, stay far away with Delian.”
“Understood. You’re worrying needlessly.”
Clyd turned and withdrew to the outskirts with Delian.
‘A dream, huh.’
Clyd found it somewhat absurd.
He was sure Evan’s wall would be himself and Delian.
Yet he was babbling about a nightmare.
‘We’ll see once we watch closely.’
Evan closed his eyes.
His consciousness slowly dove inward.
Recalling memories, he concentrated on what was his wall.
Things that were his wall.
“Synchronization rate increasing.”
From Evan’s body came an unfamiliar yet at the same time familiar feeling.
Perhaps because of the space, painful memories appeared vividly and clearly.
“Save me!”
“Ihan, I’m sorry. I think this is where I end.”
“Ihan! We will hold them back…”
Screams echoed in his ears.
The nightmare he had felt in the living hell.
The nightmare of Ihan that no one knew began to vividly come alive.
Evan slowly opened his eyes.
What appeared before him was the countless people who had died.
They surrounded him densely, too many to count.
All were ragged and stared at him with eyes full of resentment.
“As expected…”
Evan smiled bitterly and tightly gripped his sword.
He couldn’t be unaware of his wall.
It was just as Evan expected.
They were the faces of all the people he had buried deep in his heart.
And among the crowd were faces he didn’t want to see.
Comrades who had shared life and death with him.
They tore at his heart. It was unpleasant.
But soon Evan felt that what he was seeing was nothing.
Because beyond them was a presence he never wanted to face.
A silhouette so familiar.
A figure with black hair and sharp eyes staring at him.
Ihan from the previous world stood there.
People often lightly say to surpass oneself.
But for Evan, it wasn’t something to say easily.
Others may not know, but for him, that was the most difficult opponent.
‘No matter how much they say to surpass me, this is beyond the limit.’
Evan frowned and glared at Ihan.
The absolute being from the previous world.
Ihan had already reached the pinnacle in the previous world.
If he met him as an enemy, the one he should avoid most was himself.
Maybe he couldn’t surpass him.
[Conqueror Ihan has been formed.]
[You have witnessed the great otherworldly warrior who conquered the world.]
[Synchronization rate increasing.]
This trial didn’t look easy even for Evan.