They had barely caught their breath from the wreckage of the Reclaimer when the world shifted again.
The survivors they rescued were resting in the shelter of a ruined bus frame, wrapped in what little cloth or metal the group could salvage. But the road—always stretching, always hungry—didn't wait.
The sky above fractured into streaks of gold and obsidian.
Lian felt a familiar shiver crawl down his spine.
> "We're being pulled again…" Melia whispered, her eyes locked on the road ahead.
The air turned static. Then a shimmering gate tore itself open in the road, like a wound.
From the void stepped three beings. Each clad in white robes adorned with fractured halos and crowns of bone. They looked like gods—but their eyes were empty, lifeless. Like masks worn by puppets.
A system prompt appeared in blood-red text:
---
[You Have Entered a Godless Domain: Trial of the Hollow Pantheon]
Face your sins. Defy your regrets. Prove your soul is still your own.
*Warning: Emotional Reality Warping Active. If your will breaks, you die.
---
The beings spoke in unison, voices overlapping and piercing.
> "You bear guilt, mortals. You saved lives—but have let others die. Come. Face judgment. Prove your choices had worth."
The world crumbled. Reality cracked like a mirror.
When it reformed—
They were alone.
---
Lian's Trial: The Road Not Taken
He stood in his childhood bedroom. The air smelled of worn paper, sweat, and hope.
But something was off.
Sitting at his desk... was another Lian. Older. Stronger. Surrounded by glowing gold. His bike had become a platinum cruiser, his coin count in the millions. Survivors worshipped him.
> "You could have been me," the other Lian said coldly. "If you had stopped wasting time. If you had let them die and focused."
Behind him, holograms appeared: his family—gone. Friends—gone. Sacrifices. The other Lian turned to him.
> "You traded greatness for sentiment. Weakness. If you keep going like this... you'll die. Alone. Forgotten."
A choice appeared.
---
[Absorb this version of yourself: Gain +10,000 Coins, Unique Vehicle Upgrade, but erase the names of 30 survivors from memory forever.]
[Reject him: Continue on your path. Face the Hollow God in full power.]
---
Lian's hands trembled.
But then he remembered the survivors' eyes. The way they clung to hope. Not coin.
> "I'd rather be forgotten... than be you."
He struck the reflection down.
The world shattered again.
---
Jayce's Trial: The Joke that Killed
Jayce awoke in a hospital.
On the bed: his sister. Pale. Her breathing ragged. Monitors beeping.
A doctor turned to him. "We couldn't afford the treatment. But you spent the money… on your stupid gag show, remember?"
Jayce stared, horrified.
It wasn't real. He knew it wasn't real.
But the guilt clawed anyway.
Then she opened her eyes.
> "Was it funny, Jayce?" she whispered. "Did they laugh?"
He dropped to his knees.
Another prompt:
---
[Rewind: Trade your luck stat for her life in this illusion. Make peace with your sin.]
[Leave: Let the illusion fade. Keep your powers. Fight stronger.]
---
He hesitated. Tears burning.
> "You were never a burden," he whispered, kissing her forehead. "But I have people now who need me too."
He let her go.
And the world bled away.
---
Boom's Trial: The Coward's Path
Boom stood before a battlefield. Flames. Blood.
His old unit—every one of them—dead. Except for one.
His brother. Reaching for help.
Boom, trembling, stepped back. Just like he had then.
And now he was reliving it. Again.
> "You ran," said the ghost. "And now you pretend you're strong?"
Boom screamed.
Punched the ground until his knuckles shattered.
Then punched it again.
> "I was a coward. But not anymore."
A gauntlet formed in his hand—glowing red.
He turned and walked into the fire.
---
The Pantheon Falls
The team reappeared—burned, crying, gasping for air.
But alive.
The false gods looked shaken. Cracked.
Lian stepped forward.
> "You tested our sins. But we carry them so no one else has to."
He activated Resilient Hope—the aura surged—and the false gods screamed.
Their illusions backfired. Their bodies cracked.
And with one final roar from Boom, they were obliterated.
---
Trial Cleared: The Hollow Pantheon Falls
> Coin Gain: +7,200 (Talent Multiplied: 14,400)
Soul Fragment (x3): Can be used to awaken a survivor's latent power
Emotion-Immunity (Passive): Immune to illusion-based mind control under Tier 3
Memory Core: Use to relive a survivor's past. Unlocked character bond quests
---
As they stood beneath a reformed sky, Melia looked at them, voice soft.
> "That… wasn't a battle of strength."
> "No," Lian said. "It was worse."
They had won.
But their scars… would never fully heal.
---
End of Chapter 58