The fourth one who appeared was Aquilo. The ruler of the ocean, she emotionlessly created a coin-sized hole in the middle of Theodoreās face.Ā Who was the fifth person? It was Randolph Clovis. Theodore still remembered the two swords slicing his neck.Ā The sixth time he died was because of Prideās claws, and the seventh death was when he was torn apart by the arrow of Elvenheimās guardian, Edwin.
He didnāt continue counting after that.
āNow, how many timesā¦ have I been killedā¦?ā
10 times, 20 timesā¦ At the very least, it was more than his body could count. The face of the opponent changed every turn, but he always died a meaningless death.
The manner of killing Theodore was truly diverse. Some people were close to him, while there were others whom he had a hostile relationship with. They never spoke a word of greeting and attacked him with dull expressions.
Understandably, the result was 100 defeats.Ā Those who appeared in this space were some of the hardest people to fight, especially in a situation where his hands and feet were bound. Moreover, Theodore had faced them at least 100 times.
Theodore stared at the new enemy before him with dark eyes.
āRandolph.ā
The sword master was holding his double swords in a familiar stance.
This was the third time. With a weary look, Theodore updated the number of times Randolph had appeared in front of him. This space didnāt seem to only embody āenemiesā from Theodoreās memories, nor did it invite anyone stronger.
No, even if heād met them, this space seemed to exclude people whose abilities he didnāt understand. As evidence of that, the members of the empireās Seven Swords, Pan Helliones and Lloyd Pollan, didnāt appear.
āThe order of appearance is random or irregular, but the number of people is 11. They are all people who can beat me.ā
Despite experiencing death more than a hundred times, Theodore was still calmly thinking of answers. There was heavy fatigue in his eyes, but his spirit was too strong to stop him from thinking.
Shortly after that, Theodore thought of something and waved his right hand.Ā Simultaneously, Randolphās double swords headed toward him.
Chwaack!
This time, it was Theodoreās neck. Theodore glared as his head separated from his body. It was Randolphās super-fast Aura Ability which Theo couldnāt avoid, even if he used Umbra.Ā As Theo realized what had happened, he grumbled bitterly at the pain he wasnāt used to. āIf I move even a little bit, will it start?ā
At the next moment, Theodore stood in the white space again.
āā¦ā¦ā He barely suppressed a scream.
Theodore confirmed his next enemy with bloodshot eyes.Ā It was the beauty, Veronica. Theodore hadnāt moved yet, so she just watched him from afar.Ā Of course, his life would fly away once he moved even a finger. It was valuable time for Theodore to take a break from dying.
Theodore needed to think. He needed to think of a way to achieve victory.Ā However, Theodore trampled on that hope. āIt is impossible.ā
Regardless of whether he challenged it a hundred times or a thousand times, it was impossible. If he continued to challenge with the 0% chance of winning, he would lose everything.Ā Additionally, Gluttony and some of Theodoreās bigger abilities were sealed, leaving Theodore as a 6th Circle magician with excellent abilities. There was no chance for him to beat a master.
āI am still helpless against brute force.ā
Theodore thought he had become much stronger in the meantime, but he still couldnāt escape the days when he had been stuck in the academyās library.
This was his fate. These were the clutches of violence which he couldnāt escape with hard work and effort. He had died more than 100 times while searching for breakthroughs, but there was only one solution left in Theodoreās mind.
It was to declare that he gave up on the āHeaven Testā.Ā Even the great shaman, Seimei, wouldnāt be able to stop Gluttony.Ā Ā Theodoreās power had been sealed before the āsystemā accepted this test. However, if he gave up on this test, he would be able to escape from the cycle of death that Seimei created. Theodore could avoid pointless deaths.
Instead, he would fight in a situation where he could win.Ā He didnāt need to fight when he couldnāt win.
āWhat a poor way of living.ā
Theodore exhaled and said cheekily to Veronica in the distance, āLetās do it once more, Tower Master.ā
She might be a fake created from his memories, but the āstrengthā which Theodore perceived didnāt differ from reality.Ā Maybe it due to his taunt or the way the system was set up, butā¦
A red comet flashed, crossing the gap of several hundred meters in seconds!
āThe timing is the same.ā
It was a straight fist filled with confidence in her strength. In eastern magic, it was taught that softness suppressed strength. However, even softness would be torn away before such power.
If Theodore tried to avoid it, his posture would be ruined by the shock wave and his breathing cut off by the subsequent attack. Theodore had fought with Veronica three times and had been killed in such a way.
However, in this confrontation, he didnāt flee from her fist.
Kwaang!
The sound was extremely loud when their fists met. It resonated through Theodoreās fist, not Veronicaās.Ā It was the result of countering Veronicaās fist with no errors. Even if Theo didnāt have the help of his sensory perception, his learning ability and experience meant he would succeed.
However, what was the meaning of this counter?Ā This was Veronicaās body, which was at the level of steel without any strengthening magic. Once 8th Circle magic was added to the human body, he would be smashed into dust.
Indeed, the left arm which Theodore had used to counter the attack had already turned into bloody dust up to the elbow.
āChe, only one attacā¦ā Theodore said as his head was smashed again. Puhak!
It might simply be his imagination, but he seemed to see a slight smile on Veronicaās red lips before he died.
* Ā Ā Ā Ā * Ā Ā Ā Ā *
He didnāt think anymore.Ā He didnāt worry anymore.Ā He would no longer back down.
After Theodore formed such a resolution, his deaths occurred a few times faster than before. He didnāt last long, but he struggled to win anyway.
Peeok! In the end, he managed a punch to Randolphās hateful face.
Chwaaaak! A thin slice was cut off from Aquiloās tail.
Hwaruruk! He burned a few strands of Blundellās beard and smudged the White Tower Masterās robe with dirt.
Theodore quit running away from the power he couldnāt match and repeatedly fought back. Even if he couldnāt win and died, he didnāt stop.Ā He didnāt fight to win. He just fought.Ā Theodore wished he could win, but it didnāt matter if he couldnāt. Life was always filled with unreasonable force and trials. He wouldnāt be able to escape them if he didnāt fight.
āOne more time.ā
It might be a meaningless struggle, but Theodore fought on.
āOnce again.ā
He wouldāve quit the academy a long time ago if he were the type to give into despair. Unfair talent, unfair fateā¦ Humanās lives werenāt fair, and a person should realize this.Ā Theodoreās steps would only slow down if he despaired. The heavens ignored any complaints, and talking to someoneā¦ even that effort might be meaningless.
āNotā¦ yet!ā
He still had to try. Those who didnāt stop moving their feet until the end of their lives were entitled to say āfuck youā to the heavens.Ā Adapting to fatalism was the role of a priest, while it was the fate of a magician to explore the world and deny a certain life. The ones who resisted until the end was examples of magicians.
However, Theodore was soon forced to stop.Ā It was due to the āmonsterā who appeared when his number of deaths surpassed 200.
āIsnāt this a little too much?ā Theodore didnāt want to sound weak, but anyone watching this situation wouldnāt be able to blame him.
With white scales which glowed with a bright light, it was the apostle of destructionā¦
Fafnir.
The being who had erased the 5th stage Pride in a single blow appeared before Theo. Since this was a spiritual world, there was nothing to be burned by its heat. However, it was obvious that Fafnir would use the ālaser.ā
Meltorās magiciansāno, all the magicians in the world wouldnāt be able to defend against it even if they concentrated their defense magic together. This was a death which couldnāt be resisted.
āWell, I will try it once.ā
Theodore would die anyway. When else would he get a chance to attack an ancient classed dragon?Ā Theodore rotated the six circles to the maximum that his heart could endure. The difference in strengthā¦ he knew it better than anyone else.
Even so, he prepared to fight.
āāāāāāāāāāāā!
As the light of destruction was about to strike its targetā¦
ćIt is up to here.ć
The world stopped.
Jjak jjak jjak!
Theodore heard the sound of applause ring out from somewhere. He released the almost completed defense spell and looked in that direction.Ā There was only one person who could intervene in this situation. It was Abe no Seimei, the one who had created this space which had killed him endlessly.
That damn person was clapping. āBrilliant.ā
āā¦Do you not want to see my unsightly corpse anymore?ā Theodore asked coldly.
Unlike Theodoreās cold tone, Seimei said with a genuinely admiring expression, āIt isnāt unsightly.ā Then he continued, āThe Heaven Test is a trial that reveals how a person copes with a fate that canāt be fought. ā¦To succumb, compromise, give upā¦ or decide not to stop resisting until the end.ā
Thatās right. As Abe no Seimei said, the Heaven Test presented opponents and situations where Theodore couldnāt win. Heād competed with monsters with his bare body, and heād constantly experienced the trauma of death, wearing down his spirit.
The essence of a person would be revealed in circumstances where they were pushed to the edge of a cliff. When faced with true despair, it turned out that he had the proper qualifications to be a hero.
In that sense, Theodore was graded with 1,000 points out of 100.
āYou pass, Theodore Miller. I will give you some gifts, as well as the knowledge you want.ā
āWhatā¦?ā
The system messages popped up before Theodore could get a reply.
[You have passed the āHeaven, Earth, and Human: Heaven chapter.ā]
[You have completed all stages perfectly.]
[The proficiency of the skill, āArt of OnmyÅdÅ,ā has been adjusted to the highest level. In order to avoid conflicts with your existing circles, I recommend a gradual absorption.]
[āRing of Muspelheimā and āAquiloās Blood Markā have been integrated. āArtificial Yin and Yangā has been formed. The power of the two imprints are stronger than before, and they will respond more obediently to the userās will.]
[The userās capacity has expanded through an unknown intervention. Confirming mental powerā¦ Confirming amount of magic powerā¦ The conditions for āTranscendenceā has been met, it will be fulfilled.]
[After 20 seconds, you will sleep for 168 hours.]
āWhat does this mean?ā Theodore was perplexed by the bewildering message windows.
Seimei waved his fan and replied happily, āWell, I just helped balance it. You showed me something nice after a long time, so I should do something good.ā
āPlease explain properly!ā
āCan I explain it all in 20 seconds? Just think about it while sleeping.ā Seimeiās words werenāt wrong.
There was a limited number of words which could be spoken in 20 seconds, and Seimeiās knowledge would be more metaphorical descriptions.Ā Additionally, Theodoreās mind was exhausted from dying hundreds of times. His hand stretched out to try and grab Seimei, but his knees collapsed.
āD-Dammitā¦ā
As Theodoreās consciousness faded, Seimeiās voice sounded like a mountain echo, āI hope someday you will be able to grant my request. But maybe youāll need 10 more years, huhahaha!ā
āā¦ā¦ā
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āI will give you one more piece of advice.ā Seimeiās playful tone was gone, and the last advice he gave engraved deeply into Theodoreās mind. āIf you go to the eastern continent, never approach the capital in the center. If you have to go, only try it after you have reached full transcendence.ā
Before Theodore could respond to the advice, the heartless voice of the system broke the communication between Seimei and Theodore.
[From this point onward, you will sleep for 168 hours.]
Current schedule:Ā 6 chapters a week to match the authorās release rate.
I have also updated myĀ Ā to reflect my new novels. Every tier has early access to a certain number of unedited chapters and the chapters will be updated after I finish releasing the chapters for the day