The Trial Temple—the sacred ground where players faced the Tier Advancement Trial at level 10. Aiden strode in with the ease of someone who'd been there before, stopping before a guard clad in silver armor. "Honored Guardian," he said calmly, "I'd like to begin my ascension trial." "Oh?" The guard raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised. "Adventurer, you've already reached level 10? Where are your teammates?" "I don't have any," Aiden replied. "I'll be taking the trial alone." "Alone?" The guard frowned. "Young man, I must warn you—even the easiest advancement trial is far more dangerous than you can imagine. "You've proven your skill by reaching level 10 this quickly, but you'd better make sure you're completely prepared before entering."Don't throw your life away needlessly." Aiden smiled faintly, his tone steady and sure. "You can rest easy, sir. I know exactly what I'm doing." Seeing his firm resolve, the guard didn't argue further—anyone who could hit level 10 that fast clearly wasn't a fool. Attempting the trial solo was reckless, yes—but not impossible. After all, every legendary player who'd made history had once braved the trials alone. The guard, however, didn't believe for a second that Aiden could pull it off. Still, it wasn't his problem. Let the kid learn through pain—he'd figure out soon enough how foolish this choice is. "Very well, adventurer," the guard said flatly. "Choose your trial difficulty." A translucent panel materialized before Aiden. 'Normal, Hard, Nightmare, Inferno, Abyss' Without hesitation, Aiden's finger tapped the last one—Abyss.A low hum filled the air as a teleportation circle lit up beneath his feet. "The Tier Advancement Trial has begun. Selected difficulty: Abyss." "Adventurer, may fortune be—" The guard froze mid-sentence, eyes widening in disbelief. Wait. Abyss? This calm, harmless-looking young man had just chosen the Abyss difficulty?! You must be kidding me! The guard stared at Aiden in horror, wanting to stop him, but before he could speak, a flash of white light swallowed Aiden whole. "Soloing an advancement trial is bad enough… but Abyss?" He sighed helplessly. "Ignorance really is bliss." Shaking his head, the guard muttered, "Ah, these young people…" At least now he was certain. This kid isn't some confident prodigy—he is a full-blown idiot courting death. Over the millennia, countless ambitious players had tried to clear the Tier Advancement Trial on Abyss difficulty. Not a single one had returned alive. Even elite teams made up of the most gifted players were wiped out completely. But one person, alone? The guard couldn't think of a reason other than sheer suicidal stupidity. "Well, saves me the paperwork," he said lazily, yawning as he pulled up the trial roster. He drew a line straight through the newly added name—Nighthale. No need for rescue operations. This one was already dead meat. … A gentle breeze rustled through the leaves, the soft whisper of nature an eerie contrast to the trial's silence. Aiden stood before a dense forest, his expression calm and unreadable. He knew exactly what he was walking into. Even on Normal difficulty, the trial was equivalent to taking down a level 10 world boss—demanding top-tier equipment, polished skills, perfect class synergy, and seamless teamwork. Miss even one of those, and you were guaranteed a full wipe. Any team that managed to clear the Normal trial in one go was nothing short of elite—well-balanced and flawless. The higher difficulties? Pure madness. One slip, and you were gone. There were no second chances. In his previous life, back during the private beta, Aiden had spent a fortune—over a hundred thousand marks—to reach level 10. He'd been decked out in full bronze equipment, even carrying a couple of silver-grade items. That setup alone put him ahead of ninety-nine percent of players. Add to that his sharp instincts and years of gaming experience, and he was a powerhouse.He'd even recruited a few equally skilled players to form a solid team for the trial. But because he'd brought along Piper, the deadweight of the century, the whole squad got wiped in the Hard trial—an absolute disaster. They had to rebuild their equipment from scratch before finally scraping through Normal difficulty. That experience had taught him just how brutal advancement trials could be. And this was only the level 10 trial. The ones that followed grew exponentially harder. Back then, most players hadn't yet realized how important artifacts were. By sheer luck, Aiden had managed to snag one and spent nearly everything he had to buy it for Piper. That single artifact was the only reason she managed to pass her later trials.