“Cynthia,” Marshal said, calling into what looked like some big predator’s den. Ryu snorted. If she had hid in this cave all this time, she was probably dead.

“Marshal?” a voice said. Cynthia’s blonde hair was dirty when she stepped out of the den. “Keira and Ryu, too? How are you all here?”

Ryu saw the way the healer looked at him. He sighed. She didn’t avoid his gaze like Marshal, nor did she narrow her eyes in hate like Keira. She looked at him with an honest kindness. That would change soon.

Keira gave Ryu a nasty look. “We… got out,” she said after a moment. He could tell she wanted to expose him then and there, but something stopped her. Maybe it was the memories of their conversations, or maybe it was out of necessity. Either way, he was thankful.

“We’re going to save Tam,” Marshal said, giving Keira a warm smile. He explained their plan.

Cynthia rubbed her forehead. “And we didn’t try this before because…”

“We weren’t strong enough. The Dryad would’ve killed him before we could make a move,” Keira said.

“But we are now?” Cynthia said.

"He is.” Marshal nodded towards Ryu.

“Fine,” Cynthia said. “I’m in. Not that I had any other choice.”

—-

Ryu released [Shadow of One’s Self] with a relaxed grunt. He knew why he needed it, but it felt tight. Like an ill-fitting shirt. No, that was a bad thought. It was the only thing that kept that feeling away. That frightening, murderous feeling. He felt whole without the Skill. It was a lie. A figment of his imagination. It was like patching a hole with thread of a different color. Sure, it filled the hole, but it wasn’t the same as before.

No half measures, he thought to himself. Right. He had committed to saving Tam yet again. There was no going back, not this time. He would use his full power, however dangerous that may be. Still, this plan was a gamble. It all depended on Willow wanting to talk to him instead of killing Tam outright. Honestly, Ryu wasn’t convinced, but he had to fake as if he was. The others couldn’t have doubt. They had to believe this was the only way left to save Tam. Willow’s quest to kill the Kong had to be abandoned.

The first step into the dryads’ territory brought back the total silence. He ignored it. The dryads’ creepiness had long lost its hold on him. The towering white trees seemed to lean over him like overbearing parents, and their leaves were a familiar blood red. He drew in a breath. Murder rampaged through his veins uncontested, his Skill no longer holding back. He was alone, but that was fine. Things would soon change.

Crack. One after another, cracks ripped through the air around him. His hand fell to the hilt of his sword. He surrendered to his Shard, and things became simpler. Monsters... They had to die. And he saw only monsters.

“Mother wants to know why you’ve returned,” a petite dryad said. A few other dryads stood behind her. They no longer faked a human appearance, instead showing gnarled wooden faces on a humanoid body. Or maybe this, too, was another illusion. Either way, he liked it. Be true to your nature and all that.

“Mother?” he asked with a laugh. He drew his sword. “That’s cute.”

—-

“He’s supposed to be stalling them,” Keira whispered. She was frustrated. They had to hide in the foliage, but that idiot was showboating. She had to admit he could fight though. Before, he relied on his natural talent and raw strength on the fly, but now his movements were calculated. When he moved, it was still in mad bursts of violence. There was a method to the madness, however.

I’m not surprised,” Marshal said. “Fine, we’ll move early.”

The three of them were huddled together at the edge of Kong territory, looking into the dryad’s section of the Trial. Keira watched Ryu fight with dark thoughts. If they messed up, Willow would kill Tam.

Marshal rose into a crouch. Keira held back a grumble. Of course. The traitor messes up the plan, and Marshal just wants to adjust. No anger. No impatience. Then again, Marshal wasn’t that type of man. She stood, ready to follow. She couldn’t stay mad at him. He tried his best. To her left, Cynthia stood as well. They moved.

They crossed into the dryads’ layer, turning their crouched shuffle into a run. Their sprint carried them straight to Ryu.

“Stop! Stop! We have nothing to do with this, please don’t kill our friend,” Cynthia cried. Keira had to admit the blonde woman was adept at acting. She figured it was from an ill-spent childhood.

One of the dryads paused in her attack, wheeling around to face them. Ryu’s sword took her in the back of the neck. The black-haired man winked at them before turning to nearly bisect another dryad.

Keira heard a crack behind her. “What did you say, human?” a dry voice asked. They turned. It was a dryad, her voice twisted and wrinkled in an inhuman way.

“That man has gone wrong. We pursued him from the Kong forest, and just… everything has gone wrong. Please don’t kill our friend. Please,” Cynthia said. Keira did her best to look weary, but it was hard. She wasn’t made for this acting stuff.

"Hmmm… You are responsible for this human, no?” the dryad said, gesturing lazily to the man cutting her sisters apart.

“Are you not responsible for them?” Cynthia said, gesturing to the same sisters.

“Hmm… I shall ask mother.” The dryad paused for a moment. Another of her sisters died. “You will follow me.”

“Where to?” Marshal said, putting his hand on the hilt of his sword.

The dryad turned her lifeless eyes on him. “To Willow,” she said, the words pouring out of her mouth like thick syrup. She turned back around in stiff movements.

Marshal gave her a worried look. She shrugged her shoulders. They followed. More cracks sounded, and dryads walked past them towards Ryu. Keira almost smiled. If only they could get rid of Ryu and get back Tam on the same day. Sadly, it was only an if. Something told her Ryu wasn’t the type to die easy.

---

Inhale.

Time seemed to slow, the inrush of oxygen easing the fluttering of his heart. Right. Four targets left. Three stood in front of him, and one was flanking from behind. He would have to change that. He sidestepped a growing arm and pirouetted, the attack from behind spearing inches past his face. Nasty things, these dryads. They didn’t seem to have recognizable Skills like the Kong, their limbs and bodies instead growing into various forms upon command. It was… bothersome. He felt the murderous anger bubble up in his gut, and he launched himself at the dryad behind him, a red haze threatening to overtake his vision.

Exhale.

The world snapped back into focus with crystal clarity, and he found himself standing over a fallen dryad. An urgent warning reminded him there were still three left. He wheeled around. Nothing. Well, nothing alive at any rate. He scanned the fallen dryads on the ground. There. Three forms, each disfigured so thoroughly they looked like little more than firewood. He didn’t remember those. Did he lose control? He shook his head. No. Now was not the time. He had to move.

It could barely be called day. The sky above was grey and lifeless, and the dryads’ layer was funeral quiet, giving the whole place a stale, dead air. Ryu liked it. The soft impact of his footsteps were his only companions. He marched through the forest, hoping. Hoping to hear a crack. His sword was still unsheathed, its tip dragging along behind him. A fight. That was what he wanted. His body craved a release for the violence it so worshipped.

He shook his head. No, no fighting. He needed to make it to Willow. He needed to save… His brain stalled for a moment. Tam. Yes, poor Tam. He clutched the hilt of his sword tighter. Something was wrong with him. First the blackout and now this… The sad part was he sort of liked it. He liked this need for violence. It filled him with purpose. Why shouldn’t everyday be like this? Just him on his own, searching for a fight. He quite liked that. Another head shake left him more muddled than before, as if he had emerged from water only to be dunked under once more. Something was definitely wrong with him. Maybe. He continued to walk aimlessly through the forest, the pale trees rising around him like the fingers of some giant corpse.

Wasn’t there something he was supposed to be doing? Right. He was looking for something to kill.

---

“You have separated from the swordsman, is it?”

“Yes. We had a bit of a-”

“Silence, girl. I will only hear from him,” Willow said.

Keira’s mouth snapped shut with an audible clack. The dryad queen was imposing as ever, her inhuman beauty oddly cruel in the soft, grey of the morning. They were here to beg for Tam’s life. For now.

Marshal stepped forward, wringing his hands. “Yes, Ryu- I mean, the swordsman- has gone… rogue. He split from us some time ago. We believe he means to try and kill you.”

“I see that,” Willow said dryly. “I have informed my daughters to spare him for now. I would like to hear his word first.”

“B-but we saw him kill them, you can’t possibly mean for him to come here after that,” Keira said.

“Silence,” the dryad commanded, her words hitting Keira like a physical force. She dropped to one knee.

“Willow, surely there’s no need for-”

“That is Queen to you, boy,” the dryad said, stopping Marshal in his tracks.

“Y-yes, milady,” he stuttered out. Cynthia pulled him back, away from Keira.

“I am fully aware of your companion’s actions,” the dryad said. “But any daughter of mine who has died to him was merely fodder to begin with. No, I will hear from him, and if his answer does not please me, he will find his end. Speaking of which, I believe he approaches.”

Keira heard muttering faintly behind her. She stood to her feet on shaky legs, sparing Willow a fearful look. Ryu had stumbled into the dryad queen’s web, it seemed. She turned, seeing the black-haired man walk into the clearing with confident strides. The tip of his sword drug behind him. And he muttered. It was under his breath, too quiet to make out any words, but she undeniably heard it. Then, he stopped.

“You,” he said, levelling his sword at Willow, “are a monster.” He said the last word with disgust, as if it pained him to even utter those syllables.

Keira let out a mental cheer. He was following the plan. This stupid farce would soon be over. She gripped her staff, casting a look at Marshal and Cynthia. They were ready, too.

Ryu crossed the clearing in quick, graceful steps. Keira stepped out of the way for him, but he didn’t even glance her way. He only had eyes for Willow.

The dryad laughed. “You’re going to kill me? And risk the life of your faithful companion?”

Ryu stumbled. “Who?” He shook his head. “Nevermind, it doesn’t matter,” he said after a moment.

“Interesting,” she said, lifting a finger. Roots burst from the ground and wrapped around Ryu’s legs like wooden snakes. “Fine. You have been judged. Marshal, kill your companion. Well, former companion.”

Marshal gripped his sword. “I’m afraid I’m going to have to see Tam first.”

“I said kill him. You will never see Tam if you do not.”

“I need to see Tam,” Marshal said slowly, forcing the words out through gritted teeth. Keira frowned. His eyes were watering.

Willow giggled for a long moment. “You figured it out didn’t you? Yes, your companion is dead. Let’s call it an accident. After hearing his pathetic pleas, I realized there would always be more adventurers to do my bidding, but there wouldn’t always be ones with such a delightful voice to scream with. Don’t beat yourself up though. He was always going to die,” she said. She raised another finger. Dozens of cracks echoed through the forest as her daughters emerged from their trees.

“You bitch!” Marshal cried, drawing his sword. He ran towards Willow, a cry issuing from his sto-

“No.”

Marshal stumbled. Blood leaked from a thin red smile along his throat. He fell over.

Ryu walked past the dying man, blood covering the tip of his sword. He headed towards Willow. Keira’s brain was no longer functioning. What had just happened? Why why why why why why why-

“Ryu!” a voice cried out. She barely recognized it as her own. White robes. Cynthia. The healer clutched at Marshal’s body, trying to heal him. It was too late.

The black-haired man paused. He glanced at Willow. The dryad queen smiled. He nodded, his eyes landing on Keira. His eyes were vacant. They didn’t recognize her.

---

Ryu turned, keeping his opponent in the corner of his eye. Never let an enemy out of sight. That was what Whisper had taught him. As for this woman who had called his name… Well, she could be his enemy, too, so he looked at her closely. Black robes, dark skin, and a gnarled black staff. The woman stood over the interruptor, that man who had tried to take his prey. He had handled that. He shook his head. The woman. Keira. She wasn’t important. He turned back to his prey.

“So they weren’t lying after all. You really did betray them. I’m impressed,” the dryad said, a cold smile on her lips.

“Betray? I am a Ronin,” he said. His sword flashed in the air between them, and when the dryad backed up to avoid his strike, he switched his sword to one hand. In the other, he drew a black dagger that curved like a hook.

“So you ran into Whisper then? Did he tell you of-”

Ryu’s sword spun through the air, end over end. For the brief seconds it flew through the air, a silent tension flooded the atmosphere. It was the silence before a storm. Before mayhem. He watched Willow’s eyes widen. Watched her tense to move. Watched her many dryad daughters and sisters start to move. In those moments, he was… He was god. He was fate. The sword twirled its last, and he moved. The moment of divinity was gone, the silent tension shattered. He was reminded of the true ruler here. It was not fate, nor was it the whims of a capricious god. It was mayhem.

The sword hit the dryad queen on its hilt, dropping to the ground. Willow backed up, unharmed. She looked at him with a smile, her eyes widening once more. He punched her in the face. It wasn’t a good, clean punch. That would’ve been hard. No, it was an ugly thing, swinging wide and landing on the dryad’s jaw with a hollow sounding thunk. It knocked her back a step, but he kept moving. He shoved the curved dagger into her stomach, tackling her to the ground. He stabbed her again. And again. On the fourth stab, her skin stiffened beneath him, becoming like thick wood. He growled. She tried to buck him off, so he reared his head back and whipped it forward. Her nose, partly wood and partly familiar cartilage, broke with a wet snap. She fell limp. Head pounding, Ryu pressed his weight onto the dagger. It punched through. He pulled it up her body, gutting the dryad queen like a slaughtered animal. And then something pierced his back. White hot pain blinded him. He rolled.

Cynthia. The white-robed woman stood over him, Marshal’s sword held limply in her hands. Keira kneeled behind her over the man’s body. Ryu snarled. On the ground, he swept the healer’s legs from under her. Sloppy. Her feet should’ve been wider apart. He crawled on top of her. A knife. Where was his knife? He always kept one on him… There. His hand pulled it out of his boot, and he slipped the knife between the healer’s ribs. His heart panged with sorrow. He panicked, twisting around. Had something stabbed him? No, there was nothing there. The dryads were standing over their queen, keening with grief. Good. He drew in a shaky breath. His prey was dead. He stood. One last end to tie up.

---

Keira was empty. She felt lightheaded. Time seemed to pass around her, diverting around her. Around him. His dark skin was lifeless. The hand she held so closely was limp. Tears ran down her face. Her best friend. She was faintly aware of Cynthia moving on the other side of his body. She saw how the white-robed woman grabbed his sword. She didn’t care. Killing that… monster wouldn’t bring Marshal back. She heard wailing and gritted her teeth. Why couldn’t they leave them alone? Why couldn’t she be with him? Why-

An impact rocked her head back, and she fell onto her side. A dark figure stood over her. Time slowed. Ryu. His dark hair painted a black halo around his cold, severe face, and his vacant grey eyes looked at her. Wetness touched her face. A tear? No. For the first time since they’d entered, it was raining in the Trial. Death was coming. She knew it. She accepted it. She would be with Marshal once more. Metal flashed above her. She closed her eyes. A bell seemed to toll above her. Then silence. Death did not come.

She opened her eyes. Ryu was on the ground across from her. A black figure crouched over him. Whisper. The Kong hit Ryu behind the ear, and the murderer crumpled. The wailing stopped.

“Years after we were put in this Trial, I was given… a gift. By the System, by the Trial, by whatever cruel god runs this place. It doesn’t matter, I guess. It was a black dagger, curved with like a cruel hook. And it was called Judgement. It’s purpose? To kill any immortal Trial entity. Permanently. It was the answer to my prayers, yet I was too much of a coward to use it on myself. And now it’s been used on another. The Judgement has been passed. I’ve been sentenced to immortality in this little Trial. Willow no doubt had something similar, some way of keeping my brothers dead until she could take our place. Then she died. Funny how fate works, eh girl?”

Keira blinked. The Kong was talking to her? She nodded dumbly.

Whisper stood with a sigh. “Well, I suppose it was too hopeful to expect good conversation under the circumstances. I guess I should send you back now. Just say you forfeit the Trial, and this nightmare will end, girl.”

She looked at her trembling hands dumbly. “I… I forfeit the Trial,” she whispered.

The air around her distorted, and then the dryad forest was replaced with the familiar stone walls of the guildhouse. Beside her, Cynthia laid on the ground, her robes stained red. Her chest rose and fell faintly. Keira looked around. Where was Marshal’s body? He was… gone. Tears fell down her cheek, and she cried quietly.

---

“You really made a mess of this one, huh?” a familiar voice said.

Ryu opened his eyes, exhaling sharply. His body hurt. “W-what?”

“Look around you,” Whisper said. The Kong stood above him, a frown on his face.

Ryu looked around. The dryad forest was no more. The creepy pale trees were gone. Instead, pine trees stood around the clearing. Willow’s giant tree was gone, and a cozy log cabin sat in its place. Dryads no longer haunted the clearing. In their place stood wooden statues, carved to look like suits of armor. Among all the changes, one thing stayed the same. Marshal’s body rested on the ground, just another body in the forest. No tears came to Ryu’s eyes. No sadness flowed into him. He ached with a cold hollowness. Giving in had been so easy.

“My Shard took over. I couldn’t stop-”

“Save your excuses for someone else, lad. You want to know what made you a murderer? Look into a bloody mirror. It was your own cowardice. You gave into that feeling. It didn’t control you,” Whisper said, his words stabbing at Ryu.

A flame heated the hollowness of Ryu’s gut. He stumbled to his feet. “Well you trained me,” he said, accusatory.

“And your daddy raised you. So what? You think it’s my fault you’re a weak little bastard? Go. Leave this place. Arun will fall onto his sword for you, and the Trial will be over, leaving you as the first solo finisher ever. Isn’t that what you came for?”

Ryu shot him a dark look. “I’ll be back.”

“I look forward to it,” Whisper said. His face and tone were weary.

Ryu turned, walking into the forest. He would finish the Trial. Win it. He had to. The hollowness returned. A tear crept down his face.

---

True to Whisper’s word, Arun, the last boss of Ryu’s Trial, fell onto his own sword. When the Kong boss died, a screen appeared in front of Ryu’s face.

Trial Completed

Congratulations!

For being the first to finish the Jungle Trial solo, a greater reward will be given.

Calculating rewards…

Success!

He felt a large amount of Qi flow into him, and he funneled it and all his reserves into his cultivation. A hole appeared in the air above him, and a bow popped out of it. He caught it. Strong pale wood. Good, hefty draw weight. And a name. He read the engraving along bow’s limb, and his blood ran cold. It read “Marshal’s Promise.”

Soul-Bound Item received!