Chapter17: The Maze's Grasp(3)

The group pressed forward, the dim glow of the labyrinth's runes casting flickering shadows on the walls. The oppressive silence was broken only by the faint sound of their footsteps, each step echoing back as if the maze were mocking their progress.

Orin kept his katana in hand, his eyes darting between the narrow path ahead and the faint pulse of light from the runes. His senses were on edge, his body tense. Every corner they turned felt like it could lead to another deadly ambush.

Behind him, Finn walked with a dagger already drawn, his usual humor replaced by a wary focus. Kael limped slightly, his mana drained from the earlier fight, while Mira stayed close to his side, her hand never leaving the hilt of her short sword.

Cassandra brought up the rear, her sharp green eyes scanning their surroundings. "It's too quiet," she muttered. "The labyrinth isn't done with us yet."

"It never is," Orin replied, his voice low.

---

The corridor split suddenly into two paths, each marked with faint symbols carved into the stone. One path bore a carving of a serpent coiled around a blade, while the other showed an eye surrounded by jagged lines.

"What do you think?" Finn asked, glancing at the carvings. "Traps or monsters?"

"Could be both," Cassandra said, studying the symbols. "The serpent usually symbolizes poison or ambush predators. The eye… could mean something magical or illusion-based."

Kael stepped closer, his face pale but curious. "The labyrinth's designs are meant to test us. Neither path will be easy, but the one with the serpent might play to our physical strengths."

"Or get us killed in close combat," Finn muttered.

Orin frowned, weighing their options. The artifact in his chest pulsed faintly, the warmth leaning him subtly toward the path of the serpent. It wasn't a conscious decision—more of a pull, like a compass pointing north.

"We take the serpent's path," Orin said.

Cassandra raised an eyebrow. "Confident, are we?"

"Not confident. Just sure," Orin replied.

---

The Serpent's Path

The air grew colder as they descended into the serpent's path, the glow of the runes dimming slightly. The corridor widened into a larger chamber, its walls lined with intricate carvings of snakes coiled around swords. The faint hiss of something unseen echoed through the room.

"Stay close," Orin said, stepping forward.

A sudden movement caught his eye. The floor ahead shimmered faintly, and Orin realized too late—it wasn't solid.

"Stop!" Orin shouted, but the warning came a second too late.

Finn's foot grazed the edge of the shimmering floor, and the trap triggered. The ground beneath them shifted, and from the walls burst a swarm of venomous shadow vipers—small, quick creatures with black scales and glowing red eyes.

"Here we go again!" Finn yelled, leaping back as one of the snakes lunged at him.

The vipers moved unnaturally fast, their bodies blending with the shadows as they darted toward the group. Orin slashed downward with his katana, severing one snake in half, but two more lunged at him from the side.

Cassandra moved like a shadow herself, her daggers flashing as she intercepted the snakes mid-strike. "Aim for their heads!" she shouted. "It's their weak point!"

Kael raised his staff, summoning a small burst of energy that struck a cluster of vipers. The spell slowed them down but didn't destroy them completely. "I can't keep this up for long!" he called out.

"Mira, watch his back!" Orin commanded, parrying another snake's strike.

Mira nodded, stepping in front of Kael as she blocked a snake with her sword. Her movements were clumsy but effective, the blade slicing through the creature's body.

The vipers kept coming, their numbers seemingly endless. Orin's breathing grew ragged as he dodged and struck, the artifact in his chest pulsing faster with each movement. Its warmth spread through his limbs, sharpening his reflexes and lending him strength he didn't know he had.

But the heat was starting to burn. Every time he activated Spirit Step to reposition, it felt like a fire was spreading through his veins.

"Orin!" Cassandra shouted, her voice cutting through the chaos.

He turned just in time to see a massive shadow viper emerging from the wall, its body far larger than the others. Its red eyes glowed with a malevolent intelligence, and its fangs dripped with a viscous black liquid.

"Mid D-Rank," Orin thought grimly.

The snake lunged at him with terrifying speed, its jaws snapping open. Orin activated Spirit Step, his body blurring as he dodged to the side. He reappeared behind the creature and slashed downward with his katana. The blade struck its scales, but the attack barely left a scratch.

"This one's tougher!" Orin shouted. "Kael, hit it with magic!"

"I'll try!" Kael replied, raising his staff. A bolt of lightning shot toward the viper, striking it square in the head. The creature hissed in pain, its body thrashing wildly as sparks danced across its scales.

"Go for the head while it's stunned!" Cassandra shouted, darting forward. Her daggers flashed as she struck at the viper's glowing eyes, forcing it to recoil.

Orin charged in, the artifact's energy surging through him. He activated Aether Slash, the glowing energy of his blade slicing into the creature's neck. The attack left a deep gash, black ichor spilling onto the floor.

The viper hissed one final time before collapsing, its massive body dissolving into shadow.

The remaining smaller vipers scattered, retreating into the shadows as the group stood victorious.

Finn slumped against the wall, his chest heaving. "Okay, remind me to never follow you into a snake-infested corridor again."

"Noted," Orin said, though his focus was on the artifact in his chest. Its energy was steady now, but the heat of its earlier surge lingered, a constant reminder of the power—and danger—it carried.

Cassandra cleaned her daggers, a faint smirk on her lips. "You're getting better at this, Lumis. Almost starting to look like you know what you're doing."

Orin sheathed his katana, his expression unreadable. "Let's keep moving. We're not done yet."

As the group stood catching their breath, the room grew eerily silent. The faint hiss of vipers had faded, leaving only the sound of their ragged breathing.

The artifact in Orin's chest pulsed faintly, but instead of subsiding as it usually did after a battle, the warmth began to grow stronger.

"Orin?" Cassandra asked, noticing his expression shift. "What's wrong?"

"I…" Orin placed a hand over his chest, wincing slightly as the artifact's heat spread. It wasn't painful, but it was insistent, as if urging him to move.

The glow of the runes on the walls began to intensify, illuminating the room with a soft blue light. At the far end of the chamber, a section of the wall shifted, revealing a small alcove. Inside, a pedestal rose from the ground, and atop it rested a faintly glowing crystal.

"What is that?" Finn asked, his voice breaking the silence.

"The labyrinth must've unlocked it as a reward," Kael said, his curiosity momentarily overriding his exhaustion.

Orin didn't wait for further discussion. Drawn by the artifact's pulsing warmth, he stepped forward.

---

As Orin approached the pedestal, the crystal's glow intensified. The artifact in his chest reacted, its pulsing now perfectly synchronized with the light.

"Be careful," Mira said nervously, but Orin barely heard her.

He reached out, his hand hovering above the crystal. The moment his fingers brushed its surface, a surge of energy shot through his body. The artifact flared with light, and a glowing panel appeared in front of him.

---

Artifact Skill Unlocked

Name: Aetherbound Pulse

Type: Area Skill

Description: Releases a shockwave of pure aether energy, damaging enemies in a small radius and disrupting their movements. Effectiveness increases with agility and mana.

---

Orin staggered back as the information flooded his mind. The warmth of the artifact settled into a steady hum, as if satisfied.

"What just happened?" Cassandra asked, stepping closer.

"I… unlocked something," Orin said slowly, his voice filled with wonder. "A new skill. The artifact—it's evolving."

"Aetherbound Pulse, huh?" Finn said, peering over Orin's shoulder at the glowing panel. "Sounds fancy. What does it do?"

"It's… a shockwave," Orin replied, still piecing together the knowledge the artifact had given him. "It can hit everything in close range. I think it's meant for crowd control."

Kael's eyes lit up. "That could be a game-changer. You'll be able to handle groups of enemies a lot more efficiently."

"Let's hope it works as advertised," Cassandra said, smirking. "The labyrinth isn't going to let us off easy just because you got an upgrade."

---

As the pedestal sank back into the ground, the glow of the room began to fade, returning to the dim light of the runes.

Orin turned back to the group, his resolve hardened. The artifact had given him another tool—another chance to keep them alive.

"Let's keep moving," he said, his voice steady. "We're not done yet."

The team nodded, their steps a little lighter now as they pressed deeper into the labyrinth.