Trials of Destiny: Way of The Sword

After another relentless week on the road, the aches and bruises from the battle with Brom had finally faded from Jin's body. His muscles no longer protested with every jolt of the caravan, and he found himself sharper, more focused. The lingering weight of that fight had settled into a memory—a reminder of the strength they would need for what lay ahead.

Brom, perched at the front of the caravan with his usual stoic expression, took a drag from his cigarette, the ember glowing faintly in the dusk. "We're almost there," he said, exhaling smoke that spiraled into the cool evening air. "Another three hours past nightfall, and we'll reach the ruins of the old clan."

The casual announcement caught Jin off guard. He leaned forward, glancing at Brom with a skeptical look. "Didn't you say it would take us longer than this?"

Brom shrugged, flicking ash from his cigarette. "Looks like I miscalculated," he replied with a hint of a smirk. "Or maybe the horses just like running faster when there's something dangerous ahead." His tone was too calm, almost as if he was amused by the tension brewing in the air.

Jin just silently sighed and sat back against the caravan.From his left, Luna's voice broke the silence, low and tense. "Do you feel it too?" she asked, her gaze fixed on the road ahead, her usual brash confidence tempered by a rare quiet.

Jin opened his eyes, meeting her gaze, and nodded. He could sense it—a strange, almost electric anticipation in the air. Every instinct warned him that their journey was nearing a tipping point, the kind that changed people irreversibly.

Kael, seated across from him, shifted uncomfortably. "Why do I feel like Brom left out some details?"

Riven gave a dark chuckle. "You're just realizing that now?"

The group fell silent again, each of them lost in their thoughts, fingers itching closer to their weapons. The gentle sway of the caravan became an almost hypnotic rhythm, a drumbeat leading them toward something that Jin could only describe as destiny.

As the first stars began to glimmer in the sky, Brom spoke again, his voice a low murmur that just reached the back of the caravan. "If you thought that last fight was tough, prepare yourselves," he said, his tone absent of any humor now. "What we're walking into… the real test is just beginning."

Jin's heart thudded heavily, and he let out a slow breath, clenching his fists. He'd sensed it all along, but hearing it from Brom only made it real. Their next challenge lay somewhere in the darkness ahead, and he could feel it—a presence waiting, watching, calling them forward.

He met Luna's gaze one last time, her eyes flickering with that familiar, reckless fire. They were ready, or as ready as they'd ever be.

After an hour had passed they all decided to meditate for the rest of the time on their journey.

Jin had activated Inner Conviction and met belford again.

"About damn time." Belford's voice rang out, sharp and taunting. He looked down at Jin from a high tree branch, his expression a mixture of amusement and impatience. With a fluid motion, he leapt down, landing softly and silently, like a predator.

Jin straightened up, his face hardening. But before he could speak, Belford held up a hand, cutting him off. "I've been watching, Jin," he sneered, eyes gleaming with a dangerous edge. "Watching you struggle against weaklings, wasting your time on that soft training. That Brom guy? Pathetic. And here you are, floundering like a rookie." He shook his head in mock disappointment. "What was all that for? Hours of pointless effort."

Jin clenched his fists, feeling the sting of Belford's words. Despite his irritation, he knew there was a harsh truth in them. Brom had been a tough opponent, but he was hardly the strongest threat Jin would face.

"Fine," Jin said, meeting Belford's gaze. "If you've got a better way, let's see it."

Belford grinned, a spark of approval in his eyes. "That's more like it. But this isn't going to be anything like what you've done before. I'm going to break you down to the core and build you back up until there's nothing weak left in you. For the next… oh, let's say five years in your subconscious time, you're mine."

Jin blinked. "Five years... that's an insane amount of time nonetheless." Time here passed differently, but the idea of training for so long, only to emerge with just a few hours gone by in the real world, was both exhilarating and terrifying.

Belford's smile grew darker. "You'll endure a regimen designed to tear you apart—mentally, physically, and spiritually. Every single aspect of your power will be tested. If you survive it, you'll emerge stronger than you've ever dreamed. If you don't… well, I hope you've made peace with yourself."

He took a step back, his gaze intense as he outlined the plan. "First, we start with endurance. I'm going to seal your ki output down to almost nothing, forcing you to rely on raw physical strength. No ki enhancement, no shortcuts. We'll see how long you can survive without it, and how much pain you can handle. You'll run sprints, climb mountains, and fight against currents that would crush an average fighter. And every time you collapse, we'll reset and start again."

Jin's breath caught at the idea. Training with barely any ki felt like trying to fight blindfolded and shackled. But before he could react, Belford continued.

"Next, strength and combat conditioning. You'll face ki beasts stronger than anything you've seen, each attack heavier than the last. And you'll fight them without rest. When you drop, I'll send another one. You'll go until your fists and legs are shattered, until there's nothing left in your body but pure instinct and rage."

Belford paced in front of him, his voice relentless. "After that, we'll move to ki precision. I'll throw you into a ki-dampening zone after I create one. Where only the barest thread of energy will respond to you. You'll have to channel every ounce of ki perfectly, no wastage, or it'll slip away. I'll force you to split your ki into finer and finer threads, until you can feel every drop, every spark. Mess up, and the backlash will shatter your veins ending up killing you."

Jin felt a shiver run through him at the mere thought of such delicate control. Belford wasn't finished.

"Finally," Belford continued, "you'll enter the Crucible of Shadows. It's a place deep within everyone where I'll unleash your darkest memories and fears, over and over, stripping away everything you rely on. You'll battle your own mind and the most twisted shadows of yourself until you either break, or find the strength to stand up on your own. No allies, no distractions—just you, facing every piece of yourself you've tried to bury."

Belford stopped and gave Jin a long, penetrating look. "Do you understand, Jin? This is not a path to a quick breakthrough. You won't emerge with some flashy new power or an easy victory. This is the forge, where you will burn, over and over, until only your strongest self remains."

Jin met Belford's gaze, the fire of determination burning in his own eyes. He understood exactly what was at stake, and he accepted it.

"Good," Belford said, his voice softer but no less intense. "Because the second you falter, I'll make you start from the beginning. Now… let's get to work."

And with that, the nightmare training began.

Every waking moment in Jin's subconscious became a cycle of relentless agony and growth. Days passed in brutal sprints, scaling jagged mountains with weights strapped to his limbs, fighting beasts that shattered bone with a single blow. Nights were spent in the cold depths of his own mind, facing his deepest fears and darkest memories. His ki, became more refined and precise, flowing as smoothly as his own heartbeat, yet fierce as a storm.

As the years dragged on within the confines of his mind, Jin felt himself evolving, both in spirit and in skill. His body became an unbreakable weapon, forged through the fires of endurance and pain. His mind, once haunted by his past, from his master's life being sacrificed to save him. His mind grew sharp and unyielding.

When five grueling years had finally passed, Jin stood before Belford, his gaze calm, his body battered but bruised. He was no closer to a breakthrough in terms of realms, and stages, but he was stronger, and fiercer than he had ever been before.

Belford crossed his arms, watching Jin with an appraising look. "Good, Jin. You've come a long way. Now it's time to move on to the next stage."

Jin's eyes flickered with surprise, but he merely nodded, anticipation threading through his voice. "What's the next stage?"

Belford's gaze turned intense. "It's a technique from the Forbidden Azure: Abyssal Chains."

Jin's brow furrowed in concentration, absorbing every word as Belford continued.

"This technique calls forth chains from your flame. But these chains aren't limited to your own body; they can form anywhere within your line of sight where there's fire. That makes it adaptable—whether close-range, long-range, or to control the very landscape. The best way to use this? Simple. Set the entire area ablaze with your ki."

Belford's mouth curved into a dark smile as his gaze swept the land. He raised a hand, and his voice took on an edge of command. "Forbidden Azure: Inferno Abyss."

Instantly, a wave of blue and black flame roared outward, igniting everything in sight. The trees, the ground, even the very air seemed to crackle and smolder under the oppressive heat. Flames clung to every surface, spreading in a scorching inferno that transformed the landscape into a blazing wasteland. The black flames sapped the oxygen, leaving a heavy, suffocating thickness in the air. Jin took a step back as he felt the searing heat and a strange tug on his ki.

The inferno wasn't just fire—it was a living force, consuming not only the land but reaching for the ki within him, disrupting it like static tearing through his control. He could feel his ki flicker and weaken as though the flames themselves sought to strip him of his power.

Belford's voice rang out through the haze of heat and smoke. "These two techniques are what I'll teach you today. Abyssal Chains to bind your enemies—and Inferno Abyss to claim everything within your sight. And you have one hour."

Jin's mind raced, the weight of the challenge sinking in. Mastering both techniques within an hour felt nearly impossible, but he clenched his fists, eyes blazing for the first time with excitement and a hint of joy since last year. If this was what it took to wield the Forbidden Azure's true power, he would do anything that it takes to master it.