Maze of the Trial

The dungeon was quiet again. Too quiet.

Wiping sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand, Eris was still almost breathless from the fight. The Shadow Beast had been much stronger than she'd thought, but with Leon's help and her newly unleashed Shadow Magic, she had managed to make it through by the skin of her teeth.

"Well, that was rough," she muttered, rotating her sore shoulder. The Razor Shard was enough to drain away the sting from the poisoned wound, at least for now; she'd take a Healing Potion later, but for now her energy was running low.

System Alert:

Status Update: Stamina 28%

Mana: 35%

"Not great," she thought. "If another one of them things comes up, I could be in big trouble."

She looked at her body, looked around, looked at the walls of the dungeon. The way forward remained cloaked in darkness, but now that she'd improved her Shadow Vision she could see the faint markings plastered across the rock. The maze wasn't only a connector—it was movable.

"Great. Moving walls," she sighed. "That's just what we needed. As if things weren't bad enough already."

"Stay focused," Leon advised. "If this is a test, there's got to be a way through it."

Eris took a step forward, and as her foot struck the floor her foot was met by a soft blue glow pulsing so far beneath it. Right away, the System chimed in.

System Alert:

You have opened a Trial Gate.

Invoking Labyrinth Challenge:

The walls trembled. The way behind her slammed shut, stone grinding together in a low rumble. Before her, the air glowed, forming the two runes that crystallized into what appeared to be two choices.

— Left Path: Trial of Speed

— Right Path: Trial of Wits

Eris groaned. "I feel like neither of these are good options. Why is that?"

"Because they're likely not," Leon said dryly. "But we have to choose."

Eris brushed her hair out of her face, exasperated. "Okay, think, Eris. I'm not the quickest by any means, but a puzzle can be like a nightmare as well." She watched both exits, attempting to choose before the System made the choice for her.

She stepped toward the right path, after a minute pause. "Let's go with Wits. "It would be nice not to run for my life again."

When she made her choice, the glowing runes disappeared, and the stone walls ahead moved, creating a new passageway. The air was different — heavy with magic.

"Hope for the best but prepare for the worst," Leon said.

Eris took a step near, and suddenly, her vision became a haze. The air shimmered, and then she—

She was somewhere else.

(originally the Halls of Illusion [dungeon province: Dungeon Trial, event: 3-Dimple (Конкурс)]

Eris blinked her eyes rapidly, seeking orientation. The stone corridor she had been walking through was no more. Instead, she stood in what appeared to be a grand hall, framed by tall, gilt-framed mirrors. Each one presented a different manifestation of herself — some younger, some older, some in battle-tattered armor and others in opulent attire.

She stepped back instinctively, clutching Leon tighter. "What is this?"

System Alert:

Trial of Wits Activated.

Goal: Find the True Path before its too late.

Time Remaining: 10:00

A countdown flashed across the top of her vision, dropping her stomach. Ten minutes?!

"Okay, okay, don't freak out," Leon's voice came over. "This is a logic puzzle. Think it through."

Eris exhaled, glancing at the mirrors. There were ten all told, each a different version of her. Some of them looked… off. Too perfect. Too strange.

Then she noticed something.

"Wait — my reflection's not holding a sword," she muttered, squinting at the nearest mirror. She held Leon tightly in her own hands, but the hands of the reflection were full of air.

"That's a fake," Leon said.

Eris nodded and touched the mirror—

BZZZT!

A shockwave knocked her backward, and she tumbled across the floor.

System Alert:

Incorrect choice! Time reduced by 1 minute.

Time Remaining: 9:00

"Ow, ow, ow—what the hell?! "" she groaned, massaging her achy back.

"It seems touching is not the way to go," Leon said. "We need some other way to resolve this."

Eris stood up, brushing herself clean. She examined the mirrors more closely. "There has to be a pattern. If this is a test of an illusion, then …

She squinted her eyes in on the little details.

Then she saw it.

The sixth mirror from the left — unlike the others, it had no reflection at all.

"That must be it," Leon said.

"Only one way to find out."

Eris inhaled deeply and walked toward the empty mirror. Instead of contacting it she raised Leon and lightly tapped the glass with the point of her blade.

SHATTER!

But the mirror shattered, and the illusion fell apart. In an instant, the great hall had vanished and found herself at the threshold of a new hall.

System Alert:

Trial of Wits Complete.

Rewards: +1 INT, +500 EXP

Eris breathed a sigh of relief, raising her arms. "That was weird. But hey, free EXP."

"Nice work," Leon praised. "You're improving in this thing."

Eris grinned. "Of course. I'm basically a genius now."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Leon joked.

She shook her head, moving closer. The new passage was dark and eerily quiet. The glow of the dungeon walls throbbed dimly, as if the structure itself was cognizant of her advance.

"Something's coming," Leon said suddenly. "Stay sharp."

Greenela took a step backward, her voice world-class they thought she was ruined all day the shadow got bigger, it was taller than her also, it stood their with dastardly very deadly eyes that were red! But it was not just a beast this time.

It was a warrior wearing tattered, corroded armor, its sword sparking with dark energy.

Eris had barely had time to even understand what she was seeing before the System flared back to life.

System Alert:

New Enemy Encounter: Fallen Guardian

Level: 10

Threat Level: Moderate-High

Its hollow voice reverberated throughout the chamber as the Fallen Guardian stepped forward.

"Mortal… thou hast disturbed the slumber of the ancients… Thou shalt not leave untested.

Eris inhaled deep, repositioning herself. "Oh, wonderful. Another dead guy who wants to take me out."

Leon's voice was sharp. "This one's different. Be careful."

The Fallen Guardian lifted its sword, dark energy collecting along the edge of the blade. Power infused the air around Eris.

This wasn't going to be an easy fight.