Aah!!!
A roar filled with defiance, grief, and fury suddenly rang out within the War Chess Demiplane.
Haruk abruptly sprang to his feet, swinging his hands as though he were holding a weapon, before looking around in bewilderment. His mind was still caught in the moment he had died in the trial. The trial had been so realistic that even a high-level professional like him needed quite a while to recover. And that was with the formidable mental fortitude he possessed as a warrior. An ordinary person might have entered a deathlike coma in reality after dying inside, or even died for real.
"I'm not dead?"
Haruk gazed around blankly, then clarity gradually returned to his eyes. His memories fell into place, and he recalled that the death he had just experienced had only happened in an illusory trial.
It was so real.
Haruk could not help marveling inwardly, but then he sank into thought, a trace of frustration appearing on his face.
I actually died just like that!
Haruk was certain that his performance had been far from satisfactory. He had only just encountered the enemy, yet his entire force had already been wiped out. After a bout of frustration, the first thing he did was reflect on himself. The insight gained at the brink of life and death was not something he could ordinarily experience, and the sheer realism of his death made his reflection all the more profound. Many things occurred to him. First, he realized that he had been far too reckless. Then there was how badly he had underestimated spellcasters. If his army had not been wiped out by Cloudkill, he would never have suffered such an ignominious death, surrounded and beaten down by a pack of low-level demons.
What a humiliating way to die!