The collapsing domain trembled violently.
Fragments of shattered reality floated in chaos—cracked space, distorted energy, and unstable fragments of existence flickering in and out of being.
Godwin stood at the center.
His breathing was steady.
But his eyes…
Were no longer just those of a fighter.
They carried something deeper.
Understanding.
The Observer hovered before him, its immense form pulsing with overwhelming power.
But now—
There was a change.
A subtle shift.
The Observer was no longer simply observing.
It was engaging.
"…You said 'Origin'."
Godwin's voice echoed calmly through the broken space.
"…Explain."
The Observer remained silent for a moment.
Then—
"…The Origin is not a place."
Its voice resonated across the domain.
"…It is the source from which all systems are born."
A pause.
"…And to touch it…"
"…is to touch the foundation of reality itself."
Godwin narrowed his eyes.
"…And I'm at its edge?"
"…Correct."
The Observer's presence intensified.
"…Very few ever reach this point."
"…And none return unchanged."
Godwin smirked faintly.
"…Good."
He tightened his grip on his sword.
"…Because I don't plan to return the same."
Suddenly—
The space around them distorted again.
But this time—
It wasn't an attack.
It was something deeper.
The domain itself began to shift into something new.
The floating fragments merged together.
Lines of existence aligned.
And then—
A single pathway formed.
A glowing path.
Stretching endlessly into the unknown.
Godwin looked at it.
"…So that's it."
The Observer spoke:
"…The Threshold."
Godwin didn't hesitate.
He stepped forward.
The moment his foot touched the path—
His body trembled.
Not from pain.
But from pressure.
From weight.
From something far greater than anything he had ever felt.
"…Tch…"
His aura flickered.
For the first time—
He felt resistance.
Not from an enemy.
But from reality itself.
The Observer watched closely.
"…This is where most fail."
Godwin took another step.
Then another.
Each step—
Heavier than the last.
But he didn't stop.
"…Good."
"…Then I won't fail."
The path reacted.
As if sensing him.
As if testing him.
Suddenly—
The environment changed again.
The sky vanished.
The ground disappeared.
And Godwin found himself standing in complete emptiness.
A void.
But not an empty one.
It was filled with something.
Pressure.
Infinite pressure.
Godwin's body trembled.
His knees almost buckled.
"…What is this…?"
The Observer's voice echoed:
"…The Origin's rejection."
Godwin gritted his teeth.
"…Rejection?"
"…Yes."
"…The Origin does not accept anything unworthy."
The pressure intensified.
Godwin's body strained.
But his eyes—
Burned with determination.
"…Then…"
He raised his head.
"…I'll prove my worth."
Dark energy erupted from his body.
But this time—
It wasn't wild.
It wasn't explosive.
It was focused.
Controlled.
Refined.
All elements began to merge again.
Fire.
Water.
Earth.
Light.
Dark.
But something new formed at the center.
A singular point.
A compressed force.
Pure.
Dense.
"…Origin Energy…"
The Observer whispered.
"…You are beginning to manifest it."
Godwin's eyes sharpened.
"…Origin Energy…"
"…So this is what I need."
He took a deep breath.
Then—
He pushed forward.
The pressure increased exponentially.
It felt like the entire universe was pressing down on him.
His bones strained.
His muscles trembled.
But he kept walking.
Step by step.
Forward.
"…I won't stop…"
"…Not here."
His aura flared.
His presence expanded.
And with every step—
The Origin's pressure began to react.
The void started to ripple.
As if…
Something was acknowledging him.
The Observer's eyes narrowed.
"…Impossible…"
"…You're resisting the Origin."
Godwin didn't respond.
He just kept moving forward.
Suddenly—
A voice echoed.
Not the Observer.
Not the system.
Something else.
Deeper.
Older.
"…Why do you persist?"
Godwin stopped.
His eyes widened slightly.
"…Who…?"
The voice echoed again.
"…You seek power…"
"…But what is your purpose?"
Godwin stared into the void.
For a moment—
He was silent.
Then—
"…Purpose?"
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"…I don't need a grand purpose."
"…I just want to become stronger."
The voice responded:
"…Strength alone cannot withstand the Origin."
Godwin raised his sword.
"…Then I'll prove that wrong."
A pause.
Then—
The voice spoke one final time:
"…Very well."
"…Then show me."
The pressure exploded.
The Origin itself reacted.
The void collapsed inward.
Reality began to form around him again.
But this time—
It wasn't just a test.
It was a judgment.
A test of existence itself.
Godwin stood at the center.
Facing the impossible.
Facing the Origin.
And for the first time—
He smiled.
"…Now we're talking."
The battle—
No.
The trial—
Had truly begun.
To be continued…