Mike wiped the blood from his lips, breathing hard. The health potion eased the pain a little, but the pressure coming from the Death Knight Lord still felt like a mountain crushing down on him.
The Death Knight spoke again, voice echoing through the armory.
"You have taken many things that do not belong to you."
Mike froze. He didn't even try to deny it.
"Y-Yes… I did," he admitted slowly. "But I swear, I didn't know anyone was still guarding this place. I thought it was abandoned."
The Death Knight's blue flames flickered for a moment, as if studying him more closely.
"Humans always think ruins are empty simply because no one answers their footsteps."
Mike gulped.
That… actually made sense.
The Death Knight stepped closer. Every step made the marble floor crack under his weight. Mike instinctively backed away until his back hit a weapon rack.
"I will ask once," the Death Knight said. "Why are you here?"
Mike forced himself to stay calm.
"I'm an awakener. I entered this place to look for items that could help me survive. I don't have any evil intentions. I'm not here to destroy anything."
Silence.
Only the faint sound of the cold mist sliding across the Death Knight's armor.
Finally, the towering figure spoke, tone unchanged.
"You are weak. Too weak. A child walking inside an emperor's tomb."
Mike didn't argue. He couldn't.
He knew he wasn't supposed to be anywhere near something over level 400.
The Death Knight lifted a hand slightly—not to attack, but as if testing the air around Mike. A strange energy brushed past him.
"You possess no corruption. No greed in your soul."
He paused.
"But you do have curiosity. And foolishness."
Mike swallowed again.
"Can… I leave?" he asked carefully.
The Death Knight's head turned, the blue flames narrowing.
"I will give you a test," he said coldly. "If you pass it, you will not only live… but also gain the throne of this Empire."
Mike blinked.
"I don't think there's even an Empire left," he replied. "If you step outside this castle, you'll see your whole capital—or whatever this place once was—in ruins, buried under the Black Sand Desert."
"I know," the Death Knight said quietly. "And this place was my home. I was once a Duke of this Empire."
He paused before continuing.
"Just think about it. If this ruined place holds so much wealth just as decoration… then what do you think you will find at the capital?"
Mike looked at him, prompting him to continue.
The Death Knight continued, his voice calm and cold.
"Not to mention there were six such Dukedoms. And four Arch Dukedoms."
Mike eyes widened as he continued to look at the death knight.
"All of them had someone of my level," the Death Knight said. "And the Arch Dukedoms… had beings even stronger. All of them once served the Throne of the Mirage Empire. We swore our souls—so even after death, we continue to serve."
Mike had to admit… he was tempted now. Extremely tempted.
"But… as you said, I'm weak," Mike began, unsure. "How can someone like me—?"
The Death Knight cut him off.
"Your soul is pure. No greed, no corruption. You are carrying the will of your family."
Mike fell silent.
He couldn't deny that. That was the reason he wanted all these treasures—to give his family a comfortable life.
From the memories of his ancestors, he had seen what they had gone through. He wanted to give his family a better future.
The Death Knight nodded slowly.
"And this test does not require strength," he said. "Only talent, potential… and the will to rise."
The Death Knight's blue flames dimmed for a moment, as if he were remembering something far away.
"There are three trials," he finally said. "Three trials created to choose the next ruler of the Mirage Empire."
Mike straightened a little, listening carefully.
"The Dukedoms hold the first trial," the Death Knight explained. "The Trial of Talent. It tests your potential, your instincts, your ability to learn and adapt. It is the easiest, but also the most important. Without passing it, you cannot move forward."
Mike nodded slowly.
That made sense. Start with what the candidate could become, not what he already was.
"The Arch Dukedoms hold the second trial," the Death Knight continued. "The Trial of Will. It tests your resolve. Your endurance. Your ability to keep moving forward when everything tries to break you."
He looked down at Mike.
"This trial destroys most challengers."
Mike shivered.
He didn't even want to imagine what something above a level 400 'test' looked like.
"And the final trial?" Mike asked quietly.
The Death Knight fell silent for a long moment.
When he finally spoke, his voice was lower.
"The final trial is in the capital… but even I do not know what it is."
Mike blinked.
"You don't know?"
"No one knows," the Death Knight said. "Only the Emperor of the Mirage Empire knew the final trial. It activates only when someone reaches the capital after passing all others."
That… made things even scarier.
A trial that no one knew.
A test created by a ruler strong enough to command beings like this Duke—who later became a Death Knight.
"I have a question," Mike said cautiously. "Were you stronger before… or weaker?"
The Death Knight turned his head slightly.
"I remained the same," he replied. "Before, I had the weakness of life… yet I was stronger than my current self. And now, I no longer have the weakness of flesh… yet I am weaker than I once was."
He paused before finishing,
"So, statistically speaking… I have neither grown stronger nor grown weaker."
"That's… some answer," Mike muttered as he slowly sat down to the side. "So, go on—what is my trial here?"
He paused, thinking, then asked,
"Or rather… does each Dukedom have its own type of trial? Do I have to pass six different talent tests from six different Dukedoms?"
"No," the Death Knight replied. "Each Dukedom holds one level of the Empire's Grand Art."
Mike blinked.
"Wait—Grand Art? Like those incredibly powerful arts that grow stronger with their user?"
Grand Arts were extremely rare.
From everything Mike had studied, only three of the strongest organizations in the world-his world not this place, were known to possess even one Grand Art.