Chapter 7: "Trial of Thorns"

The wind crashed against my face with ferocity, reminding me the taste of death.

If I die, will I be reincarnated again? And if I always reincarnate when I pass away, what is the value of life?

Fortunately, I landed on top of a tree that jutted out from the cliff. During the fall, the branches I hit tore at my skin.

Once on the ground, I ran to Zera, climbing rocks, roots, and earthen walls without paying attention to my pain.

Why am I doing this? It would be more convenient to abandon her and get a sword somewhere else.

I slowed my pace.

Would she do the same for me? Would she risk her life to save me?

After thinking that, I stopped and looked at the mountain’s base. The idea of turning back seemed attractive to me.

If I don’t go, she’ll perish because of me. The same happened with Lodric: I didn’t kill him directly, but the remorse for his death continues to haunt me. I’m such an idiot.

I heard an explosion from the top of the mountain. Zera was still fighting for her life. The dilemma was gnawing at me. Help her. Let her die.

Killing the Knight is not something that is up for discussion: I hate their Order for what they have done to me since I came into this world. For now, rescuing Zera will be a collateral damage.

I climbed the mountain as fast as my legs could carry me. The two figures were fighting in the distance. She, wounded, resisted the lunges with her fists. The Knight moved frantically, without any hesitation.

I must take advantage of the fact that neither of them knows I’m back.

Without being detected, I stabbed him in the back with the dagger. The pain created a gap in his defense. Zera saw his blind spot and struck him, knocking him to the ground.

She has the strength of a sumo wrestler. How scary.

“Darek! You’re alive. Thank heavens.”

“Let’s get out of here! Let’s go to the top for the sword before he reaches us,” I said, concerned.

As we entered the contaminated zone of the Plague, some black threads were trying to infect us.

“This type of magic has a will of its own. As soon as it detects something living, it reacts to kill it,” I said as we ran.

The Knight hasn’t risen yet, it’s now or never.

The path led us back to the mountainside. In the blink of an eye, we found ourselves enveloped in a white shroud. The temperature dropped abruptly.

When did this appear? Is it a cloud? I can’t see a thing!

There, some granite ruins rested quietly. We were stunned by the drastic change in the landscape.

The view from the top is so different from the ascent that I feel as if we are crossing into another continent. Why hasn’t this beauty revealed itself before?

From the ground, curved and jagged peaks rose, so immense they brushed the skies. Scattered across the horizon, small crystalline lagoons reflected shades of purple and blue, intertwining on their surfaces.

“That must be the Garden of Thorns. How exciting! Hurry, find the sword you wanted!”

As we climbed the stairs, we could see it in all its splendor. It was a sanctuary, corroded by the passage of time and the fierce snow that ravaged the landscape.

Around each building, thorns climb the walls as if embracing them. It is strange to see them this way: faded, tinged with pale gray, lifeless.

Only the entrance was invaded by the Plague; the rest of the place looked unscathed, even that huge stone statue.

Why did the Plague stop here? Why had the sanctuary been spared? Isn’t that Knight the guardian of this garden?

We watched the place in amazement: it was unbelievable that something like this could exist on the top of a mountain.

In the center of the ruins, inside the fountain, it was embedded… a snake?

“That is the sword?” I said, confused.

“Yes, look closely. Don’t you see the edge? Besides being ignorant, you’re blind.”

Zera is right. The entire sword is the snake’s corpse. At the tip of the handle lies its head, the only part that still retained its scales.

“That sword is unusable; the snake’s fangs protrude from its jaw, pointing at whoever wields it. Also, it only has one edge.”

The exposed ribs of the creature supported the blade like thousands of sharp, curved spines. A bit of flesh and blood still clung to them.

“But… how do you even hold it? How is it supposed to be used?”

I’d always have to attack with one side of the sword, since the vertebrae are on the other. It make no sense.

After taking a few steps, the Plague in the sanctuary materialized as the Knight, lunging at Zera from behind.

We had been so absorbed in examining the sword that we forgot about the Knight!

It was so fast we didn’t have time to react. I closed my eyes; only a fool wouldn’t know what was about to happen.

A screech filled the air.

That didn’t sound like Zera. It wasn’t a scream of pain…

I opened my eyes. The statue had moved! It had lost its right arm while protecting Zera.

“You… shall not pass…” it said in a solemn, slow voice.

It isn’t just any statue—it is the true Guardian of the Garden of Thorns, a golem.

“Go get the sword, we’ll stall him,” Zera said, her voice warm and confident, certain that with it we could defeat the Knight.

The sword was guarded by withered brambles that had a life of their own. The closer I got, the more chaotic they became.

This won’t stop me.

I reached an area where the entire ground was covered in thorns. They rose a few meters and began to coil and sway around me.

Are they examining me? Are they deciding whether I deserve the sword? Would they hold a Congress of Thorns to debate this matter? Are they harmless?

Finally, they wrapped themselves brutally around my feet.

They’re not harmless! They’re not harmless!

I struggled to free myself, but it was in vain. Then I realized their true intentions—they were trying to take my shoes off.

What the hell! Zera is risking her life for me. I should hurry, not get distracted by some plants!

I thrashed , furious. That’s when I saw a path of thorns in front of me. What was their idea? Did they want me to walk barefoot over them? Was this a test? And the alternative?

I could resist and fight them. No—that would take too long. The most practical solution is to endure a little. But why are they doing this? Are they the guardians of the sword?

The sounds of the fight at the entrance intensified their anger. Zera and the golem were no match for the Knight. They needed me—there was no doubt about that.

I accepted what the vines suggested and stepped forward. The stabbing pain increased with every step, a sharp fire running through my legs, and my breathing became ragged.

I’ll star intently at the sword. This suffering is temporary; the reward will be eternal.

I remembered why I hated the Knights, remembered what they had done to me. My mission was to seek revenge on the goddess. How could I do it if I couldn’t even endure the thorns on my feet?

I took the final step. Relief was immediate. I finally grasped the hilt, and as I lifted the sword, the thorns withered away.

The black eyes of the snake still moved, despite its rot. Its fangs unsettled me, but this was no time to dwell on trifles!

I leapt into the battle, firm and resolute. Zera and the golem held the Knight in place, leaving his chest exposed. In the instant before I could strike him down like a slab of meat, the remnants of flesh along the sword began to writhe erratically and shook with violence.

What’s happening? It’s bleeding everywhere!

I focused all my strength on the tip of the sword. A thirst for blood began to take hold of me. Despite being human, I was now ready to kill: all my doubts had vanished.

I’m going to crush him with a single strike, just as Zera suggested.

Then, unexpectedly, the head of the sword twisted around my wrist, and the moment I struck, its fangs sank into my skin. The pain was inconceivable, as if my chest had been torn apart.

After shattering his chestplate, the Plague erupted in great waves. A black aura mingled with the snow in the air, making him impossible to see. It forced us to retreat several meters.

After a few minutes, the Plague vanished with the wind. The Knight lay defeated on the ground.

“No... he’s... alive...” Said the golem.

I saw his exposed flesh. It was black. The Plague had consumed him and now controlled his body.

He still needs the finishing blow.