Guardian's Test

Pria clapped his hands, and behind him, a shimmering portal flickered into existence. Its swirling energy pulsed with raw power, casting a faint glow across the chamber.

"To continue," Pria said, his deep voice resonating through the space, "you must first get past me."

Lilith smirked, her crimson eyes gleaming with anticipation. "Do I need to do anything other than get past you?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.

Pria studied her for a moment before nodding. "No. All you need to do is reach the portal. If you succeed, you may proceed." He then gestured to Lix with mild disinterest. "As for her, she can go wherever she wants within the dungeon. However, she cannot bring others to different dungeons without permission from the Guardian of the Core—which, in this case, is me."

Lilith raised an eyebrow. "And all dungeon cores are connected, I assume?"

Pria nodded. "Yes. All cores are linked through leylines. If you follow them, they will lead you to other dungeons. And in the end… you will find yourself standing before the World Tree's Core."

Lilith glanced at Lix, whose wings fluttered erratically. "I take it you didn't explain any of this?"

Lix crossed her arms and looked away. "Details, details," she muttered.

Pria sighed and shook his head. "Typical. You're a lazy bug."

Lix gasped, sparks of light flickering around her. "I AM NOT A BUG! I am a pixie!"

Pria barely glanced at her. "Yes, yes. A pixie bug." He smirked as Lix fumed. "Your other sisters at least do their jobs. Seeing you here just confirms my suspicions—you dumped your duties on them again, didn't you?"

Lix sputtered, wings twitching. "That is completely—okay, partially—beside the point!"

Lilith watched the two bicker for a moment before clearing her throat loudly. "Ahem."

Pria turned back to her.

"Shall we begin?" Lilith asked, cracking her knuckles.

The corner of Pria's mouth curled into a small, knowing smile. "Yes… Let's begin."

Pria stood firm, his golden eyes locked onto Lilith, ready to react at a moment's notice. He was already preparing his magic, subtle yet precise.

"This visitor from another world is not ready," he thought, forming a thin, nearly invisible barrier around the portal. It was delicate yet reinforced with layered spells, designed to block any direct approach. A small smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

Lilith, however, merely observed. Her crimson eyes flickered as she studied both Pria and the portal, sensing the faint magical essence surrounding it. Ah, I see… she mused internally. So, he thinks this will stop me?

Pria raised a brow, crossing his arms. "Are you coming or not?"

Lilith nodded. Then, in the blink of an eye—

She was gone.

A sharp crack echoed through the air as she blinked next to the portal, shattering the barrier effortlessly. The remnants of Pria's spell dissipated like glass dust in the wind.

Lilith turned to face him, smirking. "All done."

Pria stood frozen, utterly speechless. His mind scrambled to process what had just happened. She didn't just bypass the barrier… she broke it.

After a moment, he collected himself and let out a deep chuckle. He clapped his hands together, shaking his head. "Well done, Lilith," he admitted, both impressed and wary. "You may proceed." He gestured toward the portal. "This will take you to the next core. There, you will meet the second guardian."

Lilith grinned, stepping forward. "I look forward to it."

With that, she vanished into the portal.

Pria scowled, his gaze shifting to Lix. "Lazy pixie bug, what did you bring here?"

Lix, still staring at the shattered remnants of Pria's once-impenetrable barrier, slowly turned to Pria, then to the portal Lilith had just stepped through. A grin spread across her face, and then—she burst into laughter.

"Oh my, oh my! By the World Tree!" she cackled, clutching her sides as she rolled through the air. "She broke your famous barrier with just a touch of her finger!" Lix wiped an imaginary tear from her glowing form. "The all-mighty Pria, defeated in an instant!"

Pria's expression darkened, but he said nothing.

Still giggling, Lix finally caught her breath. "I just found her," she said, stretching lazily in midair. "In the dungeon merchant camp, no less. Who knew she'd be this interesting?" With that, she waved her tiny hands and disappeared into a portal, following after Lilith.

As Lilith stepped through the portal, she found herself standing before a massive, spiraling tower that stretched toward the sky. At its peak, a large, glowing sphere pulsed with raw energy.

"That must be the core of this dungeon," Lilith thought. "But where is the guardian?"

Before she could take another step, a shadow moved in the distance. Then—

SNAP.

Dark shackles erupted from the ground, lashing out in an attempt to bind her arms and legs.

Lilith reacted instantly. A flicker of magic pulsed around her as she raised a protective barrier. The shackles shattered the moment they touched it, dissolving into thin air.

A small, shadowy figure emerged from the darkness, its voice sharp and wary. "Who are you?"

Before Lilith could respond, a tiny portal burst open beside her.

"LIX!" the shadowy figure hissed.

Lix flew out and gasped at the sight of the broken shackles. "Zix!" she yelled, her tiny wings fluttering furiously. "Stop! She's a guest!"

"Sister," Lix began, her voice softer than usual. "It's been a while..."

Zix narrowed her glowing eyes as she studied Lix. "Why are you here? And who is this?" Her gaze shifted toward Lilith, filled with suspicion.

Lix, unfazed, spun playfully in the air before pointing at Lilith. "Oh, this one?" she said with a grin. "She's the daughter of another World Tree—her name is Lilith, and she's also a Demon Lord."

Zix's expression remained unreadable as she closed her eyes for a moment, her presence radiating a quiet intensity. Then, after a brief silence, she opened them again.

"I see," she said at last. Her tone was calm but held an unmistakable weight of authority. She stepped forward, wings barely making a sound as she hovered in the air. "Greetings, young one from another world. I am Zix, Guardian of this dungeon's core and one of the eldest sisters among the pixies."

Zix narrowed her eyes as she observed Lilith. "From what I can sense, you came from Pria's core and are on your way to the World Tree Core to meet our mother. And judging by that smug grin on Lix's face… I assume you passed Pria's test with flying colors."

She floated in a slow circle around Lilith, assessing her. "Which means you're strong enough to bypass barriers. And with that impressive barrier magic you demonstrated earlier, I doubt my spells would affect you either. So, my test should be something different…"

Zix tapped her chin thoughtfully, then snapped her fingers. "You don't have wings, so flying wouldn't be fair—too boring. But how about… a race?" Her eyes gleamed with mischief. "Yes! A race to the top, where the core is. That should be fun!"

Lilith glanced up at the towering spire and the glowing core at its peak. "Let me get this straight," she said, smirking. "If I reach the core before you, I win?"

"Exactly," Zix confirmed, brimming with confidence. She was one of the fastest pixies in Xandoria—no one could outrun her in the air.

"Alright then," Lilith said, stretching her arms. She then glanced at Lix. "You'll start us off?"

Lix grinned. "Sure thing!" She raised her tiny hands dramatically. "Ready… Set… GOOOOOO!!!"

Zix shot into the air like a streak of light, soaring at full speed toward the core. The wind rushed past her, and a victorious smile spread across her face—until she suddenly spotted Lilith.

Waving at her.

Already at the core.

Zix's eyes widened in shock. "How—? When—? But… HOW!?" she blurted out.

Lilith smirked. "Oh, I just blinked over. You never gave any ground rules. And since flying was allowed, I figured teleportation was fair game too."

Zix crossed her arms, exhaling in frustration. "Hmph… I was so eager to race, I forgot to account for teleportation magic." Then, after a moment, she sighed and chuckled. "Oh well. You won, Lilith."

Lix slowly flew up to them, her hands covering her mouth as she struggled to contain her laughter.

Zix noticed and sighed, though a small grin tugged at her lips. "Yes, yes, laugh it up, Lix. Even your older sister can make mistakes. But remember—what matters is that you learn from them."

Then, her expression softened. "Do me a favor. Greet Danser for me… and Mother, too. It's been a while since I've spoken to either of them."

With that, Zix raised her hand and summoned a portal. Lilith and Lix stepped into it, disappearing into the swirling light.

In the next dungeon core room, a massive feline-like creature lay curled up beside the glowing core, snoring softly. Though his eyes remained closed, the moment he sensed the portal forming, his ears twitched.

Hmph… he mused. Lix again. And… someone unfamiliar?

As Lix and Lilith emerged from the portal, they immediately spotted the giant creature resting lazily on the stone floor.

"DANSER! DANSER!" Lix shouted, flitting excitedly toward him. "I'm here with a friend!"

A calm, deep voice resonated through the chamber, seeming to come from everywhere at once.

"Why are you so noisy, little one?" Danser's voice was smooth and unbothered. "I could sense you the moment you arrived. You're standing right next to me—there's no need to yell."

Lix sheepishly cleared her throat. "Oh… uh, right." She quickly recovered, beaming as she explained, "We're here because Lilith is making her way to meet Mother. And oh! Zix says hello, or something like that."

Danser gave a slow, lazy yawn. "I see… so you're doing the guardian tests to use the dungeon cores' teleportation?" He stretched out his large paws. "Hmm… Well, I should give you a test as well, but honestly… I'm too tired for that."

Lilith arched a brow. "So… does that mean you'll just let me pass?"

Danser cracked one eye open, his golden gaze gleaming with amusement. "Oh no, little demon lord. There will still be a test." He rolled onto his side, revealing his massive, plush belly. "You must give me… a very, very good scratch."

Lilith blinked. "Wait… Excuse me? My test is… petting you?"

Danser nodded sagely. "Yes. But be warned—if it's not good enough, you fail."

Lilith stood there, momentarily stunned. "You've got to be kidding me."

Lix, meanwhile, had fallen to the ground, clutching her stomach as she burst into uncontrollable laughter.