Unknown Thing

The world around Jiho and Kalyira blurred as they stepped into the radiant white light. A brief moment of weightlessness overcame them before their feet touched solid ground once more. The air, dry and heavy, pressed against their skin as the brilliance faded, revealing an awe-inspiring sight.

They were inside a immerse pyramid.

Towering stone walls stretched high above them, their surfaces adorned with cryptic symbols that pulsed faintly, as if whispering forgotten secrets. The flickering glow of fire torches lined the passage, their golden flames casting a warm, wavering light upon the polished walls. Unlike the ruins and crude structures they had seen in this world, the pyramid's grandeur felt almost surreal—its interior untouched by time.

Jiho's gaze roamed over the intricate carvings, tracing their delicate patterns. The walls were golden, gleaming under the torchlight, each slab fitted so perfectly that not even a grain of sand could slip through. A thought struck him as he scanned the surrounding architecture.

"Is this… Earth?"

He exhaled sharply, his breath barely disturbing the still air.

Pyramids... These things did not exist in this world. And yet, here one stood—an impossible monument, a relic that shouldn't be. Was it truly real? Or just another illusion woven by the hidden trial?

The dry wind whistled through the corridor, lifting specks of sand from the stone floor. The torches flickered, their flames dancing as if responding to unseen whispers. Jiho turned toward Kalyira.

"Let's move," he said and then led the way.

Kalyira followed, her steps light but steady. "Strange place for a trial," she mused, running her fingers along the golden walls. The carved figures seemed to shift in the flickering light, their hollow eyes watching, their hands stretching toward something unseen. She pulled her hand back, uneasy.

The deeper they ventured, the more the air thickened, pressing in with an unspoken weight. Their shadows stretched long against the walls, twisting unnaturally as the flames wavered. The passage twisted and turned, an endless maze of opulence and mystery. Yet, Jiho pressed forward, drawn by something unseen.

Then—

His footsteps halted. His breath caught in his throat.

At the heart of the pyramid, bathed in the glow of flickering torches, stood a lone mirror.

It was unlike anything he had ever seen. The frame, made of obsidian-black stone, was carved with incomprehensible symbols, pulsing faintly as if alive. The surface of the mirror did not reflect them properly—instead, it shimmered with an unnatural darkness, like the still waters of a hidden abyss.

Kalyira arrived beside him, her eyes narrowing as she took in the sight before them. The two of them stood, watching in silence, as though waiting for the mirror to act first.

"What's that?" Kalyira broke the silence, though the uncertainty in her tone made it clear she wasn't convinced.

Jiho's fingers curled slightly. Something about this place unsettled him. "Maybe every hidden trial is meant to be too complicated."

Kalyira hummed in response, her gaze fixed on the mirror.

A quiet understanding passed between them. There was no way forward except through this mirror.

Jiho met Kalyira's gaze, and without a word, they both reached out.

The moment their fingertips touched the glass—

[Warning...]

[Warning...]

[Error detected in system...]

A sudden cascade of black system messages filled Jiho's vision, flashing red against the overwhelming darkness.

[System repairing...]

[System error repair complete...]

[Hidden Trial Total Challengers: 1...]

Then, before he could react—

Darkness swallowed them whole.

…

After regaining consciousness, Kalyira steadied herself and surveyed her surroundings. The last thing she remembered before blacking out was a massive shadow emerging from the mirror, engulfing both her and Jiho.

However, when she woke up, Jiho was nowhere to be found.

The place she was in now was nothing like the earlier dark cavern with torch-lit stone walls. Instead, she stood inside a grand hall gleaming with pure gold, where treasures were neatly arranged behind glass displays.

"Where... is this place? Is this the hidden trial area?" Kalyira muttered, staring at the strange scene before her. Just then, a blue screen suddenly appeared in front of her.

Hidden Trial

Trial Name: Recognition of the Sphinx

Clear Condition: Prove your authenticity and integrity by enduring the emotional and moral challenges posed by the Sphinx.

Time Limit: 1 hour (At the end of the time limit, the Sphinx will determine whether you are recognized or not.)

Failure Penalty: Mental Weakness for 12 hours. During this time, dizziness and difficulty concentrating will impair mental faculties, making it hard to think clearly or make swift decisions.

"Recognition of the Sphinx?…"

Kalyira murmured the text in front of her. How was she supposed to gain recognition here? The system didn't provide any clear instructions... so she decided to explore the entire room first.

The grand hall was filled with treasures neatly arranged. Each treasure seemed incredibly valuable, gleaming brightly and captivating the eye.

Kalyira was tempted to inspect the treasures up close. However, knowing that trials were never simple, she suppressed her desire.

In the end, she decided to do what Jiho would typically do — observe the situation first. As a starting point, she planned to check for any changes in her Character Profile and examine the item she had chosen as the 3rd Trial reward.

[Character Profile…]

Name: Kalyira

Title: Trial Survivor (common)

Blessing: None

Stats:

Strength: 37 (Restricted: Cannot exceed 100 until the 10th Trial.) Agility: 42 (Restricted: Cannot exceed 100 until the 10th Trial.) Stamina: 47 (Restricted: Cannot exceed 100 until the 10th Trial.) Willpower: 55 (Restricted: Cannot exceed 100 until the 10th Trial.) Mana: 33 (Restricted: Cannot exceed 100 until the 10th Trial.)

Abilities: [Expert Care] (Lv.8), [Healer's Intuition] (Lv.5), [Sharp Memory] (Lv.3), [Mana Body] (Lv.1), [Combat Mastery] (Lv.2), [Weapon Mastery] (Lv.2)

Skills: [Vital Vein Lv.2]

Items: [Healer's Oath]

Compared to when the system first appeared, Kalyira's stats had improved significantly.

[Mana Body]… Was it because of that ability? Her Mana stats had initially been just 12, but now they had exceeded 30. With the increase in her Mana stats, using skills became easier, and she no longer felt exhausted after using them as she once did. However, it still felt as if there was some kind of invisible restriction.

For example—something similar to a cooldown. Although the system stated that she needed five hours to fully recover her skill usage, in reality, resting for just around four hours was enough for her. Still, she had to wait a specific period before being able to reuse a skill, without exception.

After checking the changes in her Character Profile, Kalyira reached into the storage pouch hanging at her waist and pulled out a necklace.

The storage pouch... It was one of the items sold in the system shop. Initially, Kalyira hadn't paid much attention to it. She had only purchased it when the fourth trial began. Storage pouches came in different tiers, and the one Kalyira had bought was the lowest grade. It could hold a maximum of only ten items.

Healer's Oath

Effect: Gradually heals moderate wounds over 5 seconds.

Cooldown: Can be used once every 6 hours.

That item suits her well… Since it can be used together with [Vital Vine], there's no need to worry about injuries anymore. The only things left to do are finding a way to get it officially recognized and waiting for the trial to end.

…

Jiho felt himself falling. Not in body, but in existence itself. The world shattered into pieces, scattering like fragments of broken glass. A surge of icy air rushed past his skin, sending a chill down his spine.

When he opened his eyes—

He was alone.

The pyramid around him remained, yet something was fundamentally wrong. The air was thick with the stench of decay, pressing down on him like an unseen force. The torches had been snuffed out, replaced by an eerie, suffocating mist that coiled through the corridors like living shadows.

The golden walls that once gleamed with grandeur were now a deep, abyssal black, their surfaces slick as if drenched in ink. The obsidian-black stone mirror from earlier had also disappeared.

His instincts warned him—this wasn't the same place. This was the other side of the world, twisted and defiled. Like the soul realm he had once stepped into, but far worse. Here, something had been slaughtered.

He spun around, expecting to see Kalyira, but—

Nothing.

She was gone.

His pulse quickened. "Kalyira?" he called out, his voice swallowed by the thick black mist. No response. No sound but his own breath.

He was trapped.

The mirror had split them apart.

"First, I need to find a way out of here..." Jiho muttered. Simply worrying wouldn't change anything, so he focused on his surroundings instead.

As always, dark energy swirled through the air in this place. While he wasn't entirely sure how it affected others, to him, it felt like his entire being was being revitalized, as if it were feeding his soul itself.

With that in mind, he continued walking through the misty, dimly lit pyramid, searching for any clues that could lead him back to the outside world. Yet, something felt off. The entire structure was eerily silent, and along the golden walls, deep claw marks and dried bloodstains came into view.

The blood still felt as if it had only recently been spilled. The claw marks, however, were even more unsettling—so deep that they had carved straight into the stone, as though some massive beast had violently raked its talons across the walls.

Back in the living world, he hadn't seen such things. What had happened here...?

Jiho's gaze lingered on the unsettling scene, a growing sense of curiosity creeping into his thoughts. His footsteps quickened, and his unease turned into urgency as he moved deeper into the pyramid.

Jiho's steps slowed as the sudden scent of blood filled the air. His senses sharpened instinctively, and any thought of moving forward vanished. Instead, he quickly took cover in a hidden spot.

Time passed in silence. Only after making sure nothing unusual had happened did he cautiously step forward again. Ahead of him was a corner, from which an unsteady light flickered faintly.

Pressing himself against the wall, Jiho carefully peeked around the corner. The sight before him rendered him speechless. A chilling sensation crept through his chest, and his entire body stiffened, refusing to move.

Right before his eyes…

A massive creature, one with four legs and wings—the kind often depicted in front of pyramids—lay collapsed in a pool of blood. However, its body was now being devoured by a large, unknown black mass, swallowing it whole with a sickening motion.

Just looking at that writhing black mass made Jiho's head spin. He quickly averted his gaze as an urgent warning echoed in his mind—he had to leave this place immediately.

Forcing himself to stay calm, he carefully retraced his steps. But before he could move any further, a system message suddenly appeared before his eyes.

Personal Trial: Devour ???

Reward: ???

Failure Penalty: ???

End - 24