Arjun sat cross-legged under the boughs of an ancient banyan tree, the stars glimmering above him like distant watchers. The cool night wind whispered through the branches, carrying the scent of damp earth and wildflowers.

  His heart was still pounding from his encounter with Lord Vaikuntha. Though the Shattered Sovereign had withdrawn for now, Arjun knew it was only a temporary reprieve.

  The system’s message still glowed in his mind:

  > "New Quest Unlocked: Defy the Shattered Sovereign"

  He studied the objectives carefully.

  Strengthen the Karmic Throne (0/3 Seals Unbroken)

  Forge alliances with the Nine Pillars of Fate (0/9 Bound)

  Confront Lord Vaikuntha in the Hall of Echoes

  His hands tightened into fists.

  Strength... he needed strength far beyond what he currently possessed.

  The kind that could stand firm even against a Sovereign born from the heart of a shattered world.

  > "System Notification: Location detected — Dormant Pillar of Valor located nearby. Initiate Trial?"

  Arjun rose to his feet, determination burning in his chest.

  "Show me the path," he whispered.

  At his command, a trail of golden light appeared before him, winding through the trees like a living thread. Without hesitation, he followed it into the darkness.

  The path led him deeper into the forest than he had ever dared venture before.

  The trees grew older and thicker here, their roots twisting like serpents across the ground. Strange sounds echoed from the shadows — murmurs of things unseen.

  Finally, he reached a clearing where the earth had cracked open into a deep ravine.

  At the center of the chasm stood a massive stone gate, half-buried in vines and moss. Upon its surface were carvings of warriors — men and women from every age, bearing arms and armor of forgotten kingdoms.

  Above the gate, inscribed in ancient script, were the words:

  "Only those who forge Valor in the crucible of Despair may awaken the Seal."

  Arjun’s breath caught.

  This was it — the first Seal needed to empower his Karmic Throne.

  He stepped forward, and the ground trembled. The air grew dense, pressing against him like an invisible tide.

  > "System Notification: Trial of Valor Initiated. Objective: Endure the Echoes of Despair and emerge unbroken. Warning: Death within the Trial is permanent."

  Permanent?

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  Arjun hesitated for only a heartbeat before stepping through the gate.

  The world blurred.

  He found himself standing on a vast battlefield, under a black sky swirling with storm clouds.

  The stench of blood and smoke choked the air.

  All around him were the fallen — hundreds, perhaps thousands of warriors, their bodies twisted in final agony.

  In the distance, a figure in ragged black armor strode toward him, dragging a sword longer than Arjun was tall. His face was hidden behind a shattered helmet.

  But it wasn’t the warrior’s form that struck terror into Arjun’s heart — it was the aura he carried.

  Crushing. Suffocating.

  The aura of absolute despair.

  The warrior raised his blade in silent challenge.

  And the battle began.

  Arjun dodged to the side as the massive sword crashed into the ground where he had stood, sending up a spray of dirt and shattered bone. He rolled to his feet, heart racing, and slashed at the figure’s flank.

  His blade connected — and bounced off harmlessly, as though striking iron.

  The warrior retaliated with terrifying speed, forcing Arjun onto the defensive.

  Every strike, every blow, carried the weight of a world that had already given up hope.

  Arjun gritted his teeth, deflecting blow after blow, his arms screaming with effort.

  I can't win like this, he realized. Not by strength alone.

  The Trial wasn’t merely about fighting. It was about enduring.

  Surviving when every instinct screamed at him to surrender.

  He needed to endure.

  The battle stretched on for what felt like hours.

  Arjun’s vision blurred. His limbs grew heavy. Blood trickled from a dozen shallow cuts.

  The warrior showed no signs of slowing, no signs of weakness. He was the embodiment of despair — tireless, relentless, inevitable.

  Finally, the black-clad figure struck Arjun squarely in the chest, sending him flying across the battlefield.

  He hit the ground hard, his blade skittering out of reach.

  Pain exploded through him. He coughed, tasting blood.

  The warrior advanced, each step thundering like a drumbeat of doom.

  Arjun tried to stand, but his body betrayed him. He collapsed to his knees.

  His mind cried out — Give up. It's hopeless. There's no shame in surrendering. No one would blame you.

  Memories surged — memories of failure, loss, loneliness.

  He saw his younger self, standing alone in the rain after being cast out of his village.

  He saw the faces of those who had mocked him, belittled him, turned their backs on him.

  Despair clawed at his heart, cold and suffocating.

  But then —

  Another memory rose.

  Meera's smiling face.

  Kiran’s loyal voice.

  The villagers who had stood by him, who had believed in him when no one else would.

  And above all — the voice of the system whispering, not as a command, but as a reminder:

  > "You are not alone."

  Arjun’s hand clenched into a fist.

  He forced himself to his feet, swaying but unbroken.

  "No," he rasped. "I refuse."

  The warrior paused, as if startled.

  Arjun took a shaky step forward.

  "You are despair," he said, his voice gaining strength. "But I am hope. I am the will to rise again. I will not fall to you!"

  A brilliant light erupted from within him — the power of the Karmic Throne responding to his defiance.

  The blackened battlefield trembled.

  The shadows recoiled.

  And the warrior — the embodiment of despair — faltered.

  Arjun seized the moment.

  He sprinted forward, retrieving his blade, and with a cry that tore from the depths of his soul, he drove it into the warrior’s heart.

  There was a moment of silence.

  Then the figure crumbled into dust, swept away by an unseen wind.

  The black clouds above parted, revealing a single shaft of golden light.

  > "Trial Complete."

  "Seal of Valor Awakened. Karmic Throne Empowered."

  Arjun collapsed to his knees, tears streaming down his face.

  He had endured.

  He had won.

  The battlefield dissolved around him, and he found himself back in the clearing before the stone gate.

  The carvings on the gate shimmered and shifted — the warriors raising their weapons in silent salute.

  In the center of the gate, a sigil flared to life: a sword wrapped in flame.

  > "System Update: Karmic Throne Level Increased. New Abilities Unlocked."

  Valor’s Mantle: Temporarily nullify despair and fear effects.

  Courageous Strike: Empower attacks when facing overwhelming odds.

  Arjun rose unsteadily, feeling the new strength humming through his veins.

  But he knew this was only the first step.

  Ahead lay eight more Pillars to awaken, and countless trials that would test every fiber of his being.

  And beyond them all...

  Lord Vaikuntha awaited.

  A Sovereign of despair — but Arjun was no longer the scared boy he once was.

  He would forge himself into a blade sharp enough to sever even the oldest chains of fate.

  With renewed determination, Arjun turned his gaze to the horizon.

  The journey to the Karmic Throne had truly begun.