As the group advahrough the tunnel, a chilling silence repced the distant roars and echoes they had grown aced to. The atmosphere became heavier with each step, and a notification fshed before their eyes:

  [Wele to the Hidden Dungeon: Trial of the Virtuous]The message hung ominously in the air. They tinued walking, following the faint glow along the walls, having lost sight of the baby titanic bear. After what felt like ay, the tunnel opened up into a vast clearing. The space was unlike anything they'd seen before—expansive and strangely serene. But it was what floated above that stopped them iracks.

  Suspended high in the sky was a glowing object—a legendary item. It shimmered with an blinding light, castile, pulsing waves of energy through the room. The item itself appeared as a delicate, ornate scepter, with symbols carved into what looked like pure gold. At the top of the scepter was a gem, shining like a captured star.

  Kara's eyes widened in awe. She instinctively took a step forward, her hand slightly outstretched in curiosity, but as soon as she did, a deep, anding voice echoed through the clearing.

  "Do not touch what you have not earned."

  The group froze, the voice reverberating through the space like thunder. Sora's gaze sharpened as he quickly activated his [Mana Eyes], sing the area for the source of the voice. But there was no physical presenly an overwhelming pressure filling the room. His inquisitive stare deepened, but the voice chuckled.

  "Boy, are you looking for me?" the voice asked, sounding almost amused. "Those eyes... are incredible. You're… not bad. But don't tire yourself. You will not find me here. I am not in this pne."

  The words cut through the tension like a bde. Whoever or whatever eaking wasn't even physically present. The voice was distant, yet it seemed to carry power..

  "I left that item as a test—a gift for my heir. But first, they must prove themselves worthy, even for this lousy on."

  The group blinked, stunned by the statement. 'A lousy on? This legendary Scepter that radiates immense power?' The disbelief on their faces was evident.

  Kara's expression ged subtly. She seemed to grasp something the others didn't. Her eyes flickered with realization, eg dots in her mind. Her master had spoken of this opportunity, but she hadn't fully uood it until now.

  The voice tinued, "I am seeking a disciple. But I am not so desperate as to accept anyone who stumbles upon this pce. The hidden path to this chamber was desigo test not strength, but heart. Someone who would try to heal an i being, someoh empathy and passion. That is the bare minimum. The Path of Life demands more than power—it demands kindness, selflessness, and sacrifice."

  The voice seemed to focus on Kara.

  "You... You healed the baby bear. You meet the basic requirements: a healer's heart and the capacity for mercy. But do you have talent? Do you have potential?"

  Before they could process the weight of the voice's words, a loud rumbling shook the clearing. The grouh them quaked violently, and all around, the shadows began to stir. Kara's eyes widened as the space around them transformed.

  From the dark ers of the clearing, thousands of beasts materialized, their glowing red eyes and snarling mouths a terrifying sight.

  Every beast was above level 60.

  The group instinctively took defeaheir faces pale with shock. Kara's eyes sed the hordes of monsters. She knew immediately—they didn't stand a ce against this onsught. There was no way they could kill all these creatures. If this was the trial, they would be overwhelmed in seds.

  A notification appeared before all of them:

  [Quest Notification: Css ge Quest – Trial of the Virtuous]Kara's hands shook as she opehe notification. The details were brief, but they sent a chill through her.

  [Css ge Quest: Trial of the Virtuous: Protect your friends from the assault of 10,000 beasts. Every 5 minutes, a wave of monsters will arrive, each stroha. If your friends die, the trial will end, and you will fail. For the mercy you have shown to the offspring of your enemy, you will be allowed to leave the dungeon unharmed should you fail.]Sora received a simir notification:

  [Quest: Assist Kara irial. Your tribution will be rewarded based on your performance. Rewards include gold, experience, and items.]The team turo Kara, fusion and fear written all over their faces. Thierry's voice cracked as he spoke, "Did… did you know this was going to happen?"

  Amélie's eyes were wide, her bow slightly trembling in her hands. "Kara… what is this?"

  Kara raised her hands defensively, her voice filled with panic. "I swear, I didn't know! My master told me there was a great opportunity here, a tough fight ahead, but I never imagihis!"

  e, always the calmest of the group, frowned, "How are we supposed to survive this? Even with Ralph's buffs, we barely made it through Gergo... 10,000 beasts?!"

  Sora, standing quietly beside them, analyzed the situation. He could see the doubt in Kara's eyes. This was meant to test her. 'Why are there so many enemies? What kind of test is this?'

  Kara's heart sank. She hadn't expected this. She'd brought her friends into a trial that could very well kill them. They had trusted her, followed her here without question. And now, they were all staring down a trial she couldn't possibly expect them to win.

  "How much mana Ralph have?" Kara whispered to herself, her voice barely audible. The victory ergo had only happened because Sora had buffed them for a short period. But this? This would be aended fight, and the trial was desigo push them all beyond their limits.

  Kara's face paled as she realized the grim truth. Even with Sora's help, they were probably all going to die.

  And she couldn't accept that.

  Kara stood there, hands trembling slightly as the reality of the trial sank in. Her eyes flickered between the loomis and her friends. Panic tightened her chest, and before she could stop herself, she called out to the voice.

  "Why?" she asked, her voice crag slightly. "Why is this trial so difficult? My friends didn't do anything wrong! Why are they beied too? If you preach kindness ahy, why isn't this trial fair? Shouldn't I be the only oed? They don't deserve this."

  The room went silent for a moment. The beasts, though present, seemed to stand still, their glowing red eyes fixed on the group. The air thied once more, the oppressive weight of the voice returning, but now there was a ess to it.

  "Fair?" the voice asked, the tone dark and almost mog. "Do you think life, real life, is fair?"

  Kara flinched, but before she could respond, the voice tinued, its iy rising.

  "I don't need a useless disciple," the voice said bluntly. "A good healer—no, a great one—must do more than just heal. They must choose their allies well. Never before have I seen such a weak team beating Gergo. Building a group with reliable, gifted teammates is part of a healer's skill. If you ot even assemble a worthy team, what use are you?"

  Kara's heart dropped. She turo look at her team, her friends. Their expressions had shifted from fear to something more somber. e lowered her head slightly, her hands gripping the edges of her shield tighter. Thierry and Amélie exged quices before looking down at the ground.

  The voice's presence seemed to deepen, almost suffog. "I see it clearly," the voice tinued. "They probably treated getting power like a game—something fun to show off with, where they could outshihose weaker than themselves. But life is not so easy. If you think the path to power is a pyground, then you're even more unfit than I imagined."

  The words hit the group hard. Thierry ched his fists, his knuckles turning white. Amélie bit her lip, her eyes darting to Kara, seeking some kind of reassurance.

  The voice wasn't done. "If my disciple doesn't know how cruel the real world is, how difficult life be, then they are unworthy. Only through hardship oruly grow. The stro aren't the ones who pin about their path being too difficult. The stro are the ones who choose to make their path harder, who create their own obstacles and overe them to grow to realms higher than their peers."

  Kara stood frozen, her mind rag. She had brought her friends into this, and now they were being judged alongside her. But the voice was right. 'Have I been too le? Was my master right?' The weight of the realization pressed on her shoulders as her mind was full of doubt.

  The voice softened slightly, but the authority remained. "You o uand that this world isn't fair, and the path of life will always be filled with trials. If you ot withstand hardship, how you protect others? If you ot assemble a team that grows with you, you will always fail. I preach about kindness indeed, but only the strong afford to be kind. Show me how strong you are today"

  The silehat followed was unbearable. Kara's thoughts spun wildly, guilt g at her as her friends stood behind her, bearing the same crushing pressure.

  Thierry spoke first, his voice low but resolute. "He's right. We've treated this like a game for too long."

  Amélie nodded, her voice quieter. "We've leveled fast… but we've always leaned on each other. I hought we'd have to faething like this."

  e remained silent, her brow furrowed ihought. She didn't o say anything—the heaviness in her expression was enough.

  Sora watched quietly, his arms crossed as he observed the shift in their attitudes. He didn't say anything, but he agreed with the voice. This trial wasn't just testing her, but her whole party..

  The ground trembled again, the beasts stirring in the distance, ready to charge.

  Kara swallowed hard, her heart still rag, but now there was a crity in her eyes. She had no choice. If they were going to survive this, they had to fight—together.

  "Everyone," she said, her voice steady now, "get ready. We fight."