The moment Adrian stepped out of the testing chamber—
The world felt… different.
Heavier.
Sharper.
Like something unseen had started watching him.
[Trial of Dominion Available]
The system notification lingered in his vision.
Unmoving.
Waiting.
Adrian walked past the crowded halls of the Association.
Hunters whispered.
Some stared in awe.
Others in disbelief.
A few—
In hostility.
"…He jumped ranks."
"…That's not normal."
"…Something's off about him."
Adrian ignored them all.
Because deep inside—
He felt it.
A pull.
Not from the real world.
But from somewhere else.
"…So this is the trial."
He stopped in an empty hallway.
Closed his eyes.
"…Activate."
Silence.
Then—
Darkness swallowed everything.
??? – Unknown Domain
Adrian opened his eyes.
He wasn't in the Association anymore.
A vast, empty wasteland stretched before him.
Black ground.
Cracked.
Endless.
The sky above—
Burning red.
Like dying embers.
"…This isn't a dungeon."
[Welcome to the Trial of Dominion]
The voice wasn't mechanical.
It was alive.
Ancient.
[Objective: Prove your worth to rule]
Adrian's eyes sharpened.
"…Rule what?"
No answer.
Instead—
The ground trembled.
Something was coming.
From every direction.
Figures began to rise from the cracked earth.
Humanoid.
But wrong.
Their bodies were burned.
Charred.
Eyes glowing faintly like dying coals.
[Ashborn Soldiers]
Level: 5
Dozens.
Then hundreds.
Adrian exhaled slowly.
"…So it's that kind of trial."
No hesitation.
He drew the Bloodfang Dagger.
"…Come."
They rushed him.
A wave of death.
Adrian moved.
Faster than before.
Sharper.
Deadlier.
His dagger danced through the air—
Slash. Step. Turn. Kill.
One fell.
Then another.
Then ten.
But they didn't stop.
More rose from the ground.
Endless.
"…Tch."
Adrian clicked his tongue.
"This isn't about killing them all…"
He dodged an incoming strike—
Countered instantly—
"…It's a test."
A soldier lunged—
He parried—
And drove the dagger through its chest.
But something caught his attention.
The body—
Didn't fall normally.
It dissolved.
Into ash.
And that ash—
Moved.
Flowing toward him.
"…What?"
The ash seeped into his body.
A pulse.
Power.
His eyes widened slightly.
"…I absorbed it?"
[Condition Discovered]
Defeated enemies grant temporary dominion energy
Adrian's lips curled.
"…Now that's interesting."
The next wave came.
This time—
He didn't just fight.
He hunted.
Faster.
More aggressive.
More precise.
Each kill—
More ash.
More power.
The battlefield shifted.
Adrian wasn't being overwhelmed anymore.
He was dominating.
Minutes passed.
Or hours.
Time didn't matter here.
The number of enemies began to thin.
Until finally—
Silence returned.
Adrian stood alone.
Breathing steady.
Eyes glowing faintly.
"…That's it?"
The ground trembled again.
Stronger this time.
A crack split open before him.
From it—
Something emerged.
Larger.
Heavier.
More powerful.
A knight.
Fully armored.
Blackened steel fused to its body.
A massive sword dragging behind it.
Its eyes—
Burning like a dying star.
[Ash Knight – Guardian of Dominion]
Level: 10
Adrian stared at it.
Then smiled.
"…Finally."
The knight raised its sword.
And pointed it at him.
A challenge.
Adrian stepped forward.
"…Let's see who rules."
The knight moved.
Fast.
Far too fast for its size.
The sword came down—
BOOM.
The ground shattered.
Adrian barely dodged—
Rolling to the side—
"…This is different."
This enemy—
Had intelligence.
Skill.
It turned instantly—
No wasted motion—
And attacked again.
Adrian blocked—
CLANG.
The impact shook his entire body.
"…Strong…!"
He slid back—
Feet carving into the ground—
The knight didn't give him space.
Relentless.
Strike after strike.
Adrian was pushed back.
"…Not enough…"
Even with everything—
He was losing.
Then—
He remembered.
The ash.
Adrian's eyes sharpened.
"…Then I'll take more."
He rushed forward—
Not to defend—
But to kill.
The knight swung—
Adrian stepped inside the attack—
The blade grazed his side—
Blood spilled—
But he didn't stop.
"…Got you."
He drove the dagger into the knight's chest.
Nothing.
"…What?"
No damage.
The knight grabbed him.
Lifted him—
And slammed him into the ground.
BOOM.
Adrian coughed blood.
[HP Critical]
The knight raised its sword.
For the final strike.
Adrian stared up at it.
Breathing heavy.
Body broken.
"…Not yet."
His hand tightened around the dagger.
"…I'm not done."
The ash around the battlefield—
Moved.
Slowly.
Then faster.
Rushing toward him.
"…Come on…"
The ash surged into his body.
A violent reaction.
Pain.
Power.
Fire.
[Dominion Energy Overload]
Adrian screamed.
His body trembled—
Then—
Stilled.
His eyes opened.
Different.
Cold.
Commanding.
The knight swung—
Adrian moved.
Effortless.
He caught the blade.
Barehanded.
The ground cracked beneath his feet.
"…My turn."
In one motion—
He shattered the sword.
Grabbed the knight's head—
And slammed it down.
CRASH.
The armor cracked.
Again.
And again.
Until—
It stopped moving.
Silence.
Adrian stood over it.
Breathing slow.
Controlled.
Then—
[Trial Complete]
The world froze.
Then shattered.
Light consumed everything.
[Class Unlocked]
Adrian's heartbeat echoed.
[Class: Sovereign of Ashes]
A dark aura erupted from his body.
Heavy.
Dominant.
Absolute.
A final message appeared.
[You have obtained Authority: Partial Dominion]
Adrian smiled.
"…Now this…"
His eyes burned with quiet power.
"…this is real strength."