Chapter 27: The Trial of the Lost

The world around Ethan blurred again, colors bleeding into nothingness.

When his vision cleared, he found himself standing in the middle of a forest. The trees were tall, their thick branches intertwining overhead, casting dappled shadows on the ground. A faint mist curled around his feet, cool against his skin.

Silence.

Then, a familiar voice echoed in his mind.

{You are in the rest zone between trials. Time here does not matter.}

{You may stay as long as you wish. If you are ready to continue, simply will it.}

Ethan exhaled slowly, his shoulders relaxing.

A rest zone.

He glanced around. Nothing but trees and mist. No threats. No people. Just solitude.

He was alone with his thoughts.

And he needed that.

The first trial had been ... harsh. It was simple on the surface, yet brutal on its lesson.

It wasn’t about strength. It wasn’t about combat. It was a lesson. A brutal, unavoidable lesson.

To give without wisdom is the height of foolishness.

Some people don’t deserve kindness.

Some refuse it.

Some need it—but on their own terms.

Blind generosity wasn’t noble. It was dangerous.

Ethan’s fingers curled into a fist.

He had chosen this path. The moment he received his system, he had decided— even if it was a joke — He would be a Saint.

A Saint to the people.

To aid them.

To support them.

To protect them.

To elevate them.

He was the Kingmaker. He is the One Who uplift people.