Jade stood silently in the living room, his mind wandering through everything his father had said about the system trial. The idea of entering a world where creatures and humans fought for survival was both thrilling and terrifying.
If he was honest with himself, he was nervous.
He tried not to show it, but deep inside, the thought of dying in the trial weighed heavily on his mind.
While Jade was lost in those thoughts, Rylan suddenly waved his hand in front of his face.
"Jade."
Jade blinked and returned to reality.
"Huh?"
Rylan leaned back against the couch and looked at his son with a knowing smile.
"Do you know that in a real sense," he said slowly, "my first trial was actually very difficult?"
Jade looked surprised.
"But I thought you said it was simple."
Rylan chuckled softly.
"Yes, I did say that."
He paused, remembering something far away in the past.
"But if not for those three things I just told you—awareness, creativity, and survival instincts—I would have died."
Jade's expression became serious.
Those words carried weight.
For someone as strong as his father to say he almost died meant the trial was far more dangerous than Jade imagined.
Rylan continued speaking quietly.
"And even with those three things… it still wasn't enough."
Jade frowned.
"What do you mean?"
Rylan looked directly into his son's eyes.
"You also need to be cunning."
He began walking slowly across the room.
"In the trial, you will meet many other infected like you. People who want power. People who want to survive."
He stopped and folded his arms.
"But some of them will betray you without hesitation."
Jade swallowed slightly.
"You mean… they will try to kill me?"
Rylan nodded calmly.
"Yes."
The word echoed in the room.
"So sometimes," Rylan continued, "the smartest thing you can do is pretend."
"Pretend?"
"Pretend to be weak. Pretend to be harmless. Lie if you must."
Jade blinked.
"Lying helps you survive?"
Rylan smiled faintly.
"In the trial, survival is more important than pride."
He sighed softly.
"I learned that the hard way."
Jade leaned forward slightly.
"What happened?"
Rylan's expression softened, as if remembering something precious.
"In my first trial," he said slowly, "I trusted the wrong people."
Jade felt his curiosity growing.
"They attacked me when my guard was down."
Rylan looked toward the window, remembering the moment clearly.
"I was already injured. I had fought creatures for hours."
His voice became quiet.
"I thought they were allies."
Jade felt tension in his chest.
"But they weren't."
Rylan nodded.
"They surrounded me."
He lifted his hand and mimicked a blade cutting through the air.
"One of them raised his sword to finish me."
Jade imagined the scene.
His father lying on the ground.
Surrounded.
About to die.
"But then," Rylan said softly, his eyes warming.
"She appeared."
Jade already knew who he meant.
"Mom?"
Rylan smiled.
"Yes."
For a moment his voice became almost gentle.
"Your mother moved faster than lightning."
He closed his eyes briefly as if replaying the memory.
"Before the man could strike me, she stabbed him through the back with her sword."
Jade imagined Seraphine standing there like a warrior.
Blood on the battlefield.
Wind blowing through her hair.
Rylan chuckled softly.
"And then she looked at me."
His voice grew warmer.
"I was lying on the ground… completely exhausted."
He smiled at the memory.
"But even then, I thought she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen."
Jade raised an eyebrow.
"Seriously?"
Rylan nodded.
"Even covered in blood and dust."
He laughed quietly.
"She helped me up."
He paused.
"And we stood there together, surrounded by defeated enemies."
Jade listened carefully.
Then Rylan said something that made Jade blink.
"And that… was when we shared our first kiss."
Before Jade could respond—
A loud voice interrupted them.
"YOU SHARED YOUR FIRST KISS?!"
Both of them turned.
Nora stood in the doorway, staring at them in shock.
"Ew!"
She covered her ears dramatically.
"Why would you tell that story like that?!"
Rylan blinked in surprise.
"Oh. Nora, you're back."
Nora crossed her arms and glared at him.
"What exactly are you teaching brother?"
She pointed at Jade.
"You want him to enter a trial immediately and kiss a girl too?"
Jade groaned.
"That's not what Dad meant!"
Rylan laughed.
Nora rolled her eyes.
"Anyway, I don't care."
She shrugged casually.
"But if a creature shapeshifts into a girl and you kiss her… just blame Dad."
Rylan burst out laughing loudly.
But when he noticed Nora's completely serious face, he slowly stopped.
Jade looked thoughtful.
"Dad…"
Rylan turned to him.
"Yes?"
Jade asked cautiously.
"Is that actually possible?"
"What?"
"Creatures shapeshifting."
Rylan nodded.
"Of course."
He shrugged.
"Anything is possible inside the trial."
Jade suddenly imagined something horrifying.
He pictured his father kissing his mother—
Only for her to suddenly turn into a monster.
He shuddered.
"That's disturbing."
Nora smirked.
"Exactly."
Rylan clapped his hands once.
"Alright. Enough romance talk."
Both siblings looked at him.
"Let's train."
Nora's eyes immediately lit up.
"The holographic simulator?"
Rylan nodded.
"Exactly."
A few minutes later, they entered the underground dojo.
The massive holographic combat machine stood in the center of the room.
Blue light filled the chamber as the system activated.
Jade stepped into the platform.
A scanning beam passed over him.
The machine spoke.
"User recognized."
"Welcome… Master Devil."
Rylan stepped forward next.
"Welcome… Master Titan."
Finally, Nora entered.
The system paused.
"New user detected."
"Please select a name."
Nora smiled slightly.
"Demon."
The system processed the request.
"Welcome… Demon."
The dojo suddenly vanished.
A massive battlefield appeared around them.
Wind blew across rocky terrain.
Rylan stretched his arms calmly.
"Alright," he said.
He looked at both of them.
"Let's see how strong you've become."
Jade clenched his fists.
Nora smiled confidently.
The sparring match was about to begin.