Kingdom of Ordeals

Limitless Desire

"Finally, I've found it."

As he voyaged through the ruthless waves of the ocean floor, arriving in a large unpopulated island filled with various monsters ever known to man, James has finally found the place he seeks;

The Kingdom of ordeals.

He goes down the mountain and approaches through the kingdom littered with mysterious, impenetrable towers.

But as soon as he passes through the towers, walls bursts from the ground, connecting the towers and sealing everything within. James looked around as a response to the unforeseen phenomena around him.

"GROAAHHH!!!!"

James looks forward at the distorted personified monster's deep, intimidating growl. Dazed, but not frightened.

He puts out his knife, engaging through the battle.

James swiftly moves his body and gets close to the monster. He thrusts his knife and aims for his chest. But the monster sidesteps to his left, holds James' hand where he grips his knife and, with the same hand he used to grab James, elbowed him in his face.

With the momentum he has while elbowing him, he followed a right punch to damage him even more. James staggered from his attack. In this moment, he opens his hand and goes to James' neck.

However, James stabs his wrist, changing its trajectory.

"Kuh...!" 

The knife cuts through his wrist then slides to his elbow but fails to touch James' neck and even his head. James lets go of the knife and it wedged at his elbow, holding its wounded arm with both of his hand and kicks his stomach with his knee while pulling him.

James pulled the knife from his elbow and cuts his body. The cut was merely deep, but even with that wound can cause agony to a Dark-Class Monster due to the knife embedded with Light Magic. James did three consecutive slashes to his body, causing him even more pain.

The monster's hands lowered down, especially his left arm which is severely injured. His legs looked weak and his body is fidgeting.

James comes close to him to finally finish the fight. He stabs the monster in its core, turning him into dust as it perishes in agony.

"haa..." 

He respires out of exhaustion, seeing that this is the only time a monster forces him to tire out.

"To think that a mare human defeated a monster from another dimension...

Do you think that he will succeed?"

In a place out of James' field of vision, the two spirits are talking to each other.

"Don't think of it too lightly, for he only defeated the weakest entity in existence residing in that reality. This is merely but a test-and a warning."

James cleans his blood-stained knife and walks through the opened gate from the first tower.

"But what does he seek? What reason could it be in exchange of his own life?"

"I don't know for sure. But as the world recognizes how deadly this can be, his ambitions know no bounds...

...as he will experience much worse than death itself."