Isshin returns to his body. At that moment, sheer horror spreads across his face—he had the look of one who had seen death itself. He collapses, screaming. His screaming is so deafening and discordant that even the Skeleton King flinches.
"What in the world is happening in there?!" the King mutters to himself.
Raijin appears beside Isshin, obviously upset.
"Push through! Come on, I know you can handle it." Raijin pushes him, his voice cracking.
And the pain begins.
Isshin's bones snap one at a time. His body is boiling, organs torn asunder from the inside out. His nerves burn like they're being torn and rewritten second by second. He twists about wildly, struggling through the pain.
What did I do?! Mom… Dad… I don't wanna do this… I'm sorry… Stop! I'm sorry for existing!" he weeps.
Raijin remains by his side, his own heart weighed down. He had not been able to stop him—not without bringing about more destruction.
"You were selected, Isshin… You must understand. You have a strong soul. One day, you will use the power to warp reality, to bring even the Sage to his knees. But this—this pain—is the path. You must endure.".
Isshin screams nonstop for five consecutive days. His eyes bleed. His lungs burst. Raijin, having become accustomed to loving Isshin as a son, couldn't contain himself anymore. He jumps in and uses his divine power to begin mending Isshin's body—his heart first and foremost, with deep-anchoring power.
On the seventh day, Isshin awakens and opens his eyes.
Raijin, in relief, kneels next to him and places a hand on his shoulder—not dramatically, but with quiet strength.
"You did it. Today is the day. You've already gotten through the worst. I believe in you."
Isshin, wordlessly, simply nods. He is hollow-faced—hollowed out by what he just went through.
A skeleton soldier creaks open the door to his cell. "Come. It's time."
Isshin follows. They make their way through the tunnels until he is surrounded by light. A colossal chamber—700 feet tall—lies out before him, lined with skeletons and spirits. A city of the dead, alive and in color in a manner he could have never imagined.
The Skeleton King stands over the arena and extends his hand. "Silence!"
The crowd becomes quiet.
"I don't know what you endured in your cell, human. but this is your trial. My warrior will kill you."
At the far end of the arena, a figure comes out in antique armor, sword raised.
"THE ROOKIE SLAYER, ZOLFYQ, ENTERS THE TRENCH!" screams a bony announcer.
Isshin and Raijin exchange a look—flummoxed by the melodrama. But Isshin doesn't flinch. Unfazed. Steel.
[Level 140 – Golden Core Realm, 9th Stage – Zolfyq]
Isshin draws his sword. Zolfyq rushes in, quick.
Steel rings. Isshin stands firm.
Zolfyq charges qi into his sword. "You know why you need to die?" he growls.
"Why?" Isshin responds coldly.
"Because you're alive. And I'm not. You have a body. I do not. I'm envious of you. and for that, you die."
Zolfyq slashes hard, pushing Isshin away.
Isshin's pupils narrow. "The dead giving advice to the living is akin to a fish fighting a fisherman. You've been prey. I'm the hunter. And I will show you fear of death—again."
He drops his eyes. Qi pours into his sword. He lowers one leg, aligns.
"One Strike of Flash."
In an instant, lightning courses through his body—he vanishes and returns in mid-swing. His sword plunges into Zolfyq's head, crashing to the ground with him, shattering stone.
Silence.
Then—
"THE WINNER IS CLEAR! THE HUMAN BEAT THE ODDS!" the announcer roars.
The crowd erupts. The Skeleton King looks stunned.
"A fourth-stage Golden Core practitioner defeated one of my ninth-stage soldiers. amusing," he says. He waves a hand, dragging Zolfyq's broken body across the air.
"This is the fun I wanted."
He tosses Isshin a pocket dimension bag. Inside: good pills and new techniques.
"You're now allowed in the city. Don't be an idiot."
Isshin's eyes widen. City?
Escorted out of the ring, he enters a huge underground city draped in skeletons and ghostly people. Not hostile—curious. Friendly.
"Is that the human?!"
Humans surge forward, picking up Isshin, and cheering. He panics first—reaching for his blade—but they are congratulating him.
"It's been ages we've seen a human!"
"Kanpa! He's kinda cute!"
"How'd he defeat Zolfyq?"
Confused but accepting it, Isshin is taken to a tavern where everyone is freely receiving food and liquor. Everyone's celebrating him.
A tall female with long dark hair approaches. "Nice meeting you. I'm Syr—commander of a unit."
Isshin blinks, surprised. "N-Nice to meet you."
"I see. You're confused. Most humans think we're monsters. But we don't hurt anyone. Being trapped here. it changes you. Our hostility wore off a long time ago."
"But the Skeleton King—doesn't he want my body?"
"He needs a human body to return to the surface. But. he's not evil. People support him because they want to leave too. I'm sorry, but you can't blame them."
She smiles gently. "You won't be in that cage anymore. I'll bring you to your new room."
The house contained everything—clothes, bed, even hot water.
"How do you even have resources down here?" Isshin questions.
"All of this is from the Skeleton King's wealth. Enough for 100,000 years. He gives us free will, although he can control us."
Isshin falls into silence. Once again, he questions the King's true intentions.
Syr turns to leave. "I wish you good luck on your next fight."
Isshin exhales and lies back on the bed. He closes his eyes—and is back in his internal world.
Raijin appears in a flash, surprised. "You're already here? Don't tell me…"
"I'm here to train," Isshin says.
"Your body can't handle any more of that pain. We'll find another—"
No," Isshin interrupts. "I'll regret it during pain, I know that. But as long as you can cure me afterwards. I'll be okay."
Raijin is taken aback, but he nods eventually, softly pleased with himself.
"Very well. Let's get started.