Chapter 41: Reliving the Past

Chris quickly turned around, just in time to see a sharp claw slashing toward his chest.

He sidestepped, narrowly avoiding a fatal hit, but the claw still caught his shoulder.

*RIPP!*

His armor tore open around his shoulder, and fresh blood began to flow from the wound.

Chris ignored the pain and looked at the beast.

[Lightning Wolf - A-Rank - Level 55]

*ROAR!*

The wolf roared and lunged at him again. Chris ducked and slid forward, narrowly avoiding the attack as the wolf leaped over him. While sliding along the ground, he raised his hand and conjured a fireball, shooting it straight into the wolf’s stomach.

*BOOM!*

The wolf roared in pain as flames spread across its body. Chris pulled out his sword and attacked while the beast was distracted by the fire.

*CRACKLE!*

Purple lightning gathered around the wolf’s body, and it easily dodged Chris’s sword.

’?!’

Chris was startled by the wolf’s speed. It was far too fast.

He conjured several more fireballs and shot them toward the wolf from different directions, trying to distract it while swinging his sword at the beast once more.

*AWOO!* *CRACKLE!*

The wolf howled and avoided all the attacks with its lightning-fast movements before charging straight at Chris.

*RIIIPP!*

Its claws ripped through Chris’s leather armor and dug into his thigh.

"AGH!"

Chris gritted his teeth and rolled away from the wolf. He began to doubt whether he even stood a chance against such speed.

The wolf attacked again and again, leaving Chris with no choice but to dodge. However, with every evasive movement, another piece of his armor was torn away, and another bloody wound appeared on his body.

The wolf suddenly lunged at Chris again, this time opening its mouth wide and biting toward his neck.

’Got you!’

Chris waited for the exact moment when the wolf committed to its attack.

He raised his arm to shield his neck, allowing the wolf to bite down on it. At the same time the wolf bit on his forearm, he twisted it slightly and grabbed the fur on the wolf’s neck.

The wolf’s fangs sank deep into his flesh. Chris gritted his teeth against the pain, raised his sword, and struck at the beast.

The wolf tried to release his arm and jump backward, but Chris’s grip was too strong. He drove his sword directly into the beast’s head, killing it on the spot.

Chris tried to pull his arm free, but the wolf’s jaws were still clamped tightly around it. He was just about to use his sword to pry them apart when he heard a series of howls in the distance.

*AWOOOO!*

’Fuck my luck...’

With no time to carefully separate the wolf’s jaws from his arm, Chris pulled backward with all his strength. His arm finally came free, but a large chunk of flesh remained trapped between the wolf’s teeth.

"AAAGH!"

Chris endured the pain and quickly turned around, running straight toward the ruins he needed to enter.

He could clearly hear claws striking the ground and branches snapping behind him. He knew the entire pack was after him.

Luckily, the tomb wasn’t too far away. He managed to leap inside just before the wolves reached him. They all came to a sudden stop, blocked by an invisible barrier at the entrance to the ruins.

Chris sighed in relief and looked around, intending to examine his surroundings, but what he saw startled him.

Numerous corpses lay scattered across the ground. They were unnaturally thin, their bodies completely dried up. In the center of the room, a ball of light hovered in the air.

Chris approached it and took a closer look. Inside, he could see a beautiful platinum-haired woman floating in a fetal position.

However, before he could examine her more closely or tend to his wounds, his vision began to darken and blur.

In the next moment, he collapsed onto the ground, completely unconscious.

As soon as he hit the floor, his blood spilled across the stone tiles, causing a strange symbol engraved in the floor to begin glowing.

A moment later, a spirit appeared beside Chris. Its features were completely unrecognizable, and its body looked like nothing more than a vague human silhouette.

The spirit looked down at Chris’s motionless body and sighed.

"It’s been so many years. Finally, you have come."

With those words, the spirit transformed into a streak of light and entered Chris’s body.

In the next instant, all the wounds on Chris’s body began healing at an alarming rate until they had completely closed. At the same time, a strange symbol resembling the sun appeared on his forehead.

Chris knew nothing about any of this, as he was already in a deep sleep.

...

Inside the dream, Chris remained motionless.

Everything was blurry at first, and his consciousness was foggy. He couldn’t form any thoughts or remember what had happened until a small streak of light appeared out of nowhere and entered his forehead.

In an instant, his thoughts returned, and everything became clear.

He opened his eyes and looked around, but what he saw surprised him. He was standing in the middle of a hallway, facing a closed door. The sight was strangely familiar.

Looking down, he saw that he was wearing a suit and holding a stack of documents.

He immediately remembered. This was a scene from his own memories.

Somehow, he had returned to the time shortly after he first awakened his class, when he had been promised great rewards and opportunities by everyone around him, just before they shunned and disdained him shortly afterward.

Chris smiled as he understood what was happening. He remembered the Sage’s words. The challenge would test his resolve and determination.

’So, this is it? You’re going to put me through my ups and downs again? How silly.’

Chris chuckled. This challenge didn’t seem all that difficult to him.

Before, he might have cared about what others thought of him. He had been extremely hurt when people began looking at him with disdain.

But now? He didn’t care at all. He had suffered so much that he had almost become numb to it.

’Bring it on, then...’

Chris stepped forward and opened the door, entering an office where a man in a business suit was waiting.

As soon as the man saw Chris, a big smile spread across his face, and he stood up.

"Come in! Come in! There’s the genius of our school!"

The man approached Chris with a flattering smile and gestured toward the sofa.

"Please, sit down. Make yourself comfortable. Would you like something to drink? I’ll have someone bring it right away!"

The man continued flattering Chris, and Chris simply smiled at the sight.

He remembered how great it had felt when others treated him with such politeness. Back then, he had felt special.

But later, he had finally understood what it all meant.

It was nothing more than an act. People had seen his talent and recognized an opportunity to profit from him, so they had flattered him, treated him politely, and promised him all kinds of wonderful things.

But once they realized there would be no profit and their flattery wouldn’t pay off, they changed their attitudes faster than he could blink.

Chris remembered the man standing in front of him all too well.

Ricky Sternold, his former principal.

He had been the first person to flatter Chris after his class rank was revealed, and he had also been among the first to turn his back on him.

He had also been among the first to demand repayment of their investments, going so far as to use force to take everything Chris possessed. They had even hired thugs to beat him up and rob him of everything he owned.

In the end, Chris had been left with nothing, forced to live on the streets.

Chris looked at the man in front of him with a smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to break both of the man’s arms and legs. However, he knew this was nothing more than a dream. If this was what the challenge required, he would play along.

Chris shook his head.

"It’s okay, Principal. There’s no need for that. Please tell me why you called me here."

With that, he took a seat on the sofa.

Principal Ricky sat down in a chair beside him and continued smiling flatteringly.

"Hehe, there’s no need for formalities! You can just call me Ricky! You’re now the most famous genius of your generation in the entire country."

Chris only smiled without saying anything.

The man then asked, "Did you sign the documents?"

Chris looked at the stack of papers in his hands and nodded before handing them to Principal Ricky.

"Yes, I did."

"Excellent! The higher-ups will be very proud of your decision! Tomorrow, a representative will come to interview you before sending you for further examinations of your class. You’ll be provided with the best resources imaginable!"

Chris smiled at that.

He remembered signing those very same documents, which had promised him endless possibilities. At the time, they had seemed like the best offer anyone could receive.

However, once they discovered that he couldn’t tame any beasts and declared him defective, they all came knocking on his door, making his life a living hell because of the very documents he had signed.

Although he felt many emotions stirring inside him, he felt neither rage nor sadness. Instead, he was mostly amused by the situation, knowing he was only dreaming.

He wondered whether the challenge was really as difficult as the old Sage had described.

He could guess that the dream would force someone to confront the worst moments of their life and that they would need to overcome them to complete the challenge. However, it didn’t seem all that difficult to him.

’Maybe I’m just too broken by everything that happened to care anymore?’

Regaining his composure, he looked at Principal Ricky.

"Thank you for your kind words, Principal. If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave. I need to rest."

"Hahahaha! No problem, no problem. Make sure you get a good night’s rest so you’ll be ready for tomorrow’s interview."

Chris nodded and stood up, leaving the room.

However, as soon as he stepped out of the office and closed the door behind him, everything changed.

He was no longer wearing a suit. Instead, he was dressed in his school uniform and standing in a different hallway.

’Is this a different event?’

He recognized the hallway, but he couldn’t remember why the dream had brought him there.

Shrugging, he started walking toward the end of the hallway. However, just as he reached the corner, someone bumped into him, and a warm liquid splashed all over his clothes.

’Yeah, now I remember...’

"Aaaah! Sorry, sorry, I’m so sorry! I wasn’t looking where I was going. Are you okay? You’re not hurt, are you?"

Chris looked down at the pretty brown-haired girl who had bumped into him and spilled her drink all over his clothes.

’Becca...’

He almost lost control of his emotions as sudden rage surged through his chest. The only thing that managed to calm him down and keep him in check was the knowledge that this was just a dream.

Standing in front of him was none other than his ex-girlfriend.

"No, I’m fine. You don’t need to worry." Chris replied, shaking his head.

"How can that be? I ruined your clothes! Come with me. I’ll get you some clean, dry clothes!"

She grabbed his arm and began pulling him toward the exit of the hallway.

Chris followed along, acting as if nothing unusual had happened.

He remembered this scene all too well.

This was the first time he had started interacting with Becca, who would later become his girlfriend. She would appear out of nowhere and bump into him wherever he went, always claiming it was a coincidence.

He had been stupid enough to believe everything she said, only realizing much later that it had all been part of her plan.