Chapter 21:
Chapter 21 — The Third Veil: Trial of the Body
The Human Who Challenged the Heavens
Darkness swallowed Ivan the moment the Second Veil shattered.
His chest heaved.
His legs shook.
But he didn’t fall.
Not yet.
A grinding sound echoed from the abyss below — like mountains shifting, stone scraping, the earth itself groaning.
Then the voice returned.
Deep.
Ancient.
Merciless.
“THE THIRD VEIL…THE TRIAL OF THE BODY.THE HELL OF PAIN.”
Ivan stepped forward, and the world changed instantly.
---
THE WORLD OF PAIN
He blinked—
—and found himself standing on a massive circular arena suspended above an endless chasm.
The sky was blood-red.
Ash fell like snow.
Chains dangled from the heavens like dead vines.
The ground beneath him was cracked stone glowing with molten light.
Every breath burned.
Every heartbeat hurt.
Ivan muttered, “This place… it feels alive.”
The voice answered:
“IT IS. AND IT HATES YOU.”
The ground rumbled.
Then exploded.
---
THE FIRST TORTURE — THE FLESH
Pain slammed into his nerves like lightning.
Needles of pure energy pierced his skin.
He screamed—
—but refused to fall.
Dozens, hundreds, thousands of invisible blades carved into his muscles, slicing tendons, tearing skin.
His knees buckled.
His vision blurred.
His arms trembled violently.
“Guh—!! AAAAAH—!!”
The air itself whispered:
“YOUR BODY IS WEAK.UNFIT.BREAKABLE.”
Ivan forced himself to stand straighter.
“Break me…I’m not stopping.”
The blades intensified.
His blood hit the burning floor and instantly evaporated into steam.
---
THE SECOND TORTURE — THE WEIGHT
A crushing force slammed onto his shoulders.
Like a mountain.
Like ten mountains.
His spine screamed.
His ribs cracked.
He coughed blood, choking as he collapsed to one knee—
But his hand slammed the floor.
“No…NO…”
He pushed.
The weight doubled.
Tripled.
His bones groaned like cracking ice.
His vision blackened.
His heart stuttered.
And yet—
He stood.
Slowly.
Shaking violently.
Blood pouring down his chin.
But alive.
Standing.
The voice murmured, almost impressed:
“…Why rise?”
Ivan spat blood.
“For her.”
---
THE THIRD TORTURE — THE GAUNTLET OF ENDURANCE
The ground split open.
A corridor appeared… stretching endlessly into darkness.
Flames roared from the walls.
Storms crackled overhead.
Each step Ivan took—
turned his flesh into fire.Shredded his muscles.Drove spikes into his bones.
He collapsed—
three times—
five times—
ten times—
He dragged himself with his elbows when his legs stopped obeying.
He crawled when his arms gave out.
He clawed forward when his fingers broke.
He whispered her name every time he fell.
“Elen…”
He saw her smile.
Her tears.
Her reaching hand the moment the gate closed.
His heart burned hotter than the flames around him.
He forced his broken body upward.
And kept walking.
---
THE FOURTH TORTURE — THE MIRROR OF LIMITS
A barrier appeared at the end of the hallway.
Simple.
Thin.
Glass-like.
Ivan touched it—
And agony exploded through him.
His body collapsed instantly.
The barrier whispered:
“YOU ARE NOT STRONG ENOUGH.”
Ivan screamed as his muscles tore again.
The barrier pulsed:
“TURN BACK.”
He pushed harder.
Ligaments snapped.
Blood poured down from his arms and chest.
“GIVE UP.”
He roared in agony.
“NEVER!!”
He strained with everything he had left—
And the barrier cracked.
Pain surged like a tidal wave.
His heart nearly stopped.
His lungs burned.
His bones fractured.
But he pushed.
And pushed.
And pushed—
—until the barrier shattered into dust.
Light swallowed him.
---
THE FINAL TORTURE — THE EXECUTIONER
The world reformed.
He stood in a vast arena of bone and fire.
Something massive moved in the distance.
Huge.
Armored.
A giant made of stone and molten metal.
Two blazing eyes pierced the darkness.
A flaming axe the size of a house rested in its hand.
It stepped forward and the world shook.
Ivan’s breath hitched.
“A… guardian…?”
The voice spoke:
“THE THIRD VEIL’S EXECUTIONER.SURVIVE THREE BLOWS.”
Ivan tensed.
Survive… THREE?
One would kill a normal man.
The Executioner raised its axe.
Ivan raised his sword—
---
FIRST BLOW
BOOOOOOM!!!
Ivan blocked—
and was launched through three stone pillars.
Blood sprayed in an arc.
His arms broke instantly.
His spine cracked.
He gasped and collapsed.
“Gah—!!”
He couldn’t move.
The voice whispered:
“RISE.”
Ivan trembled.
He remembered Elen’s hand in his.
He forced himself up.
Barely.
---
SECOND BLOW
The axe fell.
Ivan dodged—
barely.
But the shockwave alone blew him off his feet.
His ribs shattered.
His vision blurred.
Blood filled his mouth.
His body lay limp.
He couldn’t breathe.
He couldn’t see.
He couldn’t feel anything except agony.
The voice growled:
“GET UP.”
Ivan whispered through blood:
“I… can’t…”
A memory flickered.
Elen crying as she held his dying body.
Her whisper:
“Ivan… please live…”
His heart jolted like lightning.
“I HAVE TO—!!!”
He forced himself to his feet—
—bones grinding.
—muscles tearing.
—but alive.
Standing.
---
THIRD BLOW
The Executioner raised its weapon high.
A killing blow.
The ground burned under its weight.
Ivan steadied his stance.
This time—
he didn’t dodge.
He didn’t block with his sword.
He planted his feet.
And raised BOTH ARMS.
“To reach her…I will NEVER fall again!”
The axe fell—
CRASH!!!
The world exploded.
Fire and molten stone erupted outward.
Everything went white.
---
Silence.
Ash fell softly.
Ivan knelt on one knee—
arms twisted, bones shattered, body shaking violently—
but alive.
Alive.
The voice boomed:
“…Unbelievable.”
The Executioner froze.
Then…
bowed.
And dissolved into glowing dust.
A warm light wrapped around Ivan, knitting bone, healing muscle, restoring breath.
“IVAN…THE THIRD VEIL IS CONQUERED.”
The world broke apart—
And he fell upward, weightless.
Toward the Fourth Veil.
Toward the trial that would challenge not his body…
…but his soul.
His chest heaved.
His legs shook.
But he didn’t fall.
Not yet.
A grinding sound echoed from the abyss below — like mountains shifting, stone scraping, the earth itself groaning.
Then the voice returned.
Deep.
Ancient.
Merciless.
“THE THIRD VEIL…THE TRIAL OF THE BODY.THE HELL OF PAIN.”
Ivan stepped forward, and the world changed instantly.
---
THE WORLD OF PAIN
He blinked—
—and found himself standing on a massive circular arena suspended above an endless chasm.
The sky was blood-red.
Ash fell like snow.
Chains dangled from the heavens like dead vines.
The ground beneath him was cracked stone glowing with molten light.
Every breath burned.
Every heartbeat hurt.
Ivan muttered, “This place… it feels alive.”
The voice answered:
“IT IS. AND IT HATES YOU.”
The ground rumbled.
Then exploded.
---
THE FIRST TORTURE — THE FLESH
Pain slammed into his nerves like lightning.
Needles of pure energy pierced his skin.
He screamed—
—but refused to fall.
Dozens, hundreds, thousands of invisible blades carved into his muscles, slicing tendons, tearing skin.
His knees buckled.
His vision blurred.
His arms trembled violently.
“Guh—!! AAAAAH—!!”
The air itself whispered:
“YOUR BODY IS WEAK.UNFIT.BREAKABLE.”
Ivan forced himself to stand straighter.
“Break me…I’m not stopping.”
The blades intensified.
His blood hit the burning floor and instantly evaporated into steam.
---
THE SECOND TORTURE — THE WEIGHT
A crushing force slammed onto his shoulders.
Like a mountain.
Like ten mountains.
His spine screamed.
His ribs cracked.
He coughed blood, choking as he collapsed to one knee—
But his hand slammed the floor.
“No…NO…”
He pushed.
The weight doubled.
Tripled.
His bones groaned like cracking ice.
His vision blackened.
His heart stuttered.
And yet—
He stood.
Slowly.
Shaking violently.
Blood pouring down his chin.
But alive.
Standing.
The voice murmured, almost impressed:
“…Why rise?”
Ivan spat blood.
“For her.”
---
THE THIRD TORTURE — THE GAUNTLET OF ENDURANCE
The ground split open.
A corridor appeared… stretching endlessly into darkness.
Flames roared from the walls.
Storms crackled overhead.
Each step Ivan took—
turned his flesh into fire.Shredded his muscles.Drove spikes into his bones.
He collapsed—
three times—
five times—
ten times—
He dragged himself with his elbows when his legs stopped obeying.
He crawled when his arms gave out.
He clawed forward when his fingers broke.
He whispered her name every time he fell.
“Elen…”
He saw her smile.
Her tears.
Her reaching hand the moment the gate closed.
His heart burned hotter than the flames around him.
He forced his broken body upward.
And kept walking.
---
THE FOURTH TORTURE — THE MIRROR OF LIMITS
A barrier appeared at the end of the hallway.
Simple.
Thin.
Glass-like.
Ivan touched it—
And agony exploded through him.
His body collapsed instantly.
The barrier whispered:
“YOU ARE NOT STRONG ENOUGH.”
Ivan screamed as his muscles tore again.
The barrier pulsed:
“TURN BACK.”
He pushed harder.
Ligaments snapped.
Blood poured down from his arms and chest.
“GIVE UP.”
He roared in agony.
“NEVER!!”
He strained with everything he had left—
And the barrier cracked.
Pain surged like a tidal wave.
His heart nearly stopped.
His lungs burned.
His bones fractured.
But he pushed.
And pushed.
And pushed—
—until the barrier shattered into dust.
Light swallowed him.
---
THE FINAL TORTURE — THE EXECUTIONER
The world reformed.
He stood in a vast arena of bone and fire.
Something massive moved in the distance.
Huge.
Armored.
A giant made of stone and molten metal.
Two blazing eyes pierced the darkness.
A flaming axe the size of a house rested in its hand.
It stepped forward and the world shook.
Ivan’s breath hitched.
“A… guardian…?”
The voice spoke:
“THE THIRD VEIL’S EXECUTIONER.SURVIVE THREE BLOWS.”
Ivan tensed.
Survive… THREE?
One would kill a normal man.
The Executioner raised its axe.
Ivan raised his sword—
---
FIRST BLOW
BOOOOOOM!!!
Ivan blocked—
and was launched through three stone pillars.
Blood sprayed in an arc.
His arms broke instantly.
His spine cracked.
He gasped and collapsed.
“Gah—!!”
He couldn’t move.
The voice whispered:
“RISE.”
Ivan trembled.
He remembered Elen’s hand in his.
He forced himself up.
Barely.
---
SECOND BLOW
The axe fell.
Ivan dodged—
barely.
But the shockwave alone blew him off his feet.
His ribs shattered.
His vision blurred.
Blood filled his mouth.
His body lay limp.
He couldn’t breathe.
He couldn’t see.
He couldn’t feel anything except agony.
The voice growled:
“GET UP.”
Ivan whispered through blood:
“I… can’t…”
A memory flickered.
Elen crying as she held his dying body.
Her whisper:
“Ivan… please live…”
His heart jolted like lightning.
“I HAVE TO—!!!”
He forced himself to his feet—
—bones grinding.
—muscles tearing.
—but alive.
Standing.
---
THIRD BLOW
The Executioner raised its weapon high.
A killing blow.
The ground burned under its weight.
Ivan steadied his stance.
This time—
he didn’t dodge.
He didn’t block with his sword.
He planted his feet.
And raised BOTH ARMS.
“To reach her…I will NEVER fall again!”
The axe fell—
CRASH!!!
The world exploded.
Fire and molten stone erupted outward.
Everything went white.
---
Silence.
Ash fell softly.
Ivan knelt on one knee—
arms twisted, bones shattered, body shaking violently—
but alive.
Alive.
The voice boomed:
“…Unbelievable.”
The Executioner froze.
Then…
bowed.
And dissolved into glowing dust.
A warm light wrapped around Ivan, knitting bone, healing muscle, restoring breath.
“IVAN…THE THIRD VEIL IS CONQUERED.”
The world broke apart—
And he fell upward, weightless.
Toward the Fourth Veil.
Toward the trial that would challenge not his body…
…but his soul.
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