Zane opened his eyes when he heard a small beep in his ears. Typically, if one had disabled the direct messages and had preferred them as 'text,' sometimes the System would automatically send them a short sound as a warning.
[Time remaining for stigma usage: 3.3 minutes]
[Someone has breached the 'status' of the trial]
[Certain hurdles are set to adequate function]
[You have meditated for 2 hours, 48 minutes]
[
Zane wondered how her life was. She had probably transcended his macrocosm and was sitting in the bureaucracy. Must be enervating.
[Your mana core can now be opened up to 8%]
'Eight percent?' Zane blinked in disbelief. That had to be a scam; even if the mana core was fused with his body, it would take at least a couple of months for it to get acclimated. He was sure there was a catch, either in the form of a time limit or in the form of using his spiritual energy as well.
As if his movements were made known, the bunny on his lap stirred.
[Zane has wasted twelve minutes]
"There was a warning from the System," Zane replied.
[Shen knows. The trial has been breached. Now Zane must find a sword]
The trial being breached meant that the difficulty of the trial would go up, so would the repercussions. Meaning, time outside was traveling faster than the time here. It also meant that the Phoenix would be stronger now.
"How must one gain a sword?" Zane asked. He knew that one could enter the 'dungeon' or, technically, a
[Shen knows that Zane thinks he cannot do another veiled trial. However, this is an ongoing auxiliary trial; thus, Zane can participate in the 'dungeon']
The other reason Zane wasn't too keen was also because the 'lord' in the dungeon was like a Watcher that had stepped onto this trial. They weren't allowed to interfere; the bureaucracy wouldn't allow that, but they were external beings that could sense anomalies and guided the player through the trial.
Zane wouldn't call himself an anomaly, but neither would he call himself or his condition normal. It seemed he didn't have a choice now, did he?
[Shen shall lead the way]
Zane nodded and let the bunny hop out of his arms and onto the land in front of him. He stood up and grabbed Dao, suddenly feeling as though the sword was lighter in his hands.
Shen hopped ahead, and Zane followed; a part of him knew well that he shouldn't easily trust this creature, but it was a coincidence that it was gaining something for helping him. Shen began hopping faster, and Zane was forced to run behind it.
[Time remaining for stigma usage: 1.1 minutes]
[Shen shall—]
A water ghoul appeared in front of the bunny, and Zane immediately drew Dao out. And without much command, his mana shone on top of the blade. He struck the water ghoul. However, it didn't die straight away like last time. He had to strike it two more times for it to fall into a splash on the ground.
"Let's get going," Zane said, and suddenly he noted the external presence. Even if there were just thirty seconds left on the timer, he had to use them. These external creatures couldn't harm him as long as the stigma was present.
Zane picked Shen up and broke out in a sprint. "Shen, talk to me, where?"
[Right!]
Zane took a narrow right and suddenly noticed that the ground was a little more parted, which was surprising in a dense forest. He ducked under a branch and jumped over a fallen log. This had to be the path, since the footpath was almost carved.
[Left]
Zane's eyes narrowed, but he complied, throwing himself into the thicket of the woods. Just as he did, he noticed a countdown screen had formed over his own head.
[Eleven]
'Shit,' he pushed himself ahead faster, uncaring of what branch was digging gashes into his arms. "Now where?" he asked.
[Until Zane reaches the clearing. Cliff]
"Shen, are you sure?" Zane asked as he ducked down and stumbled on a rock, managing to catch himself as he forced his body ahead. He was sweating profusely in the cold evening.
[Three]
[Two]
'Shit.' He moved his legs faster, sure the training he was putting himself through was helping. But was it helping him get out of this situation? The robes he wore also restricted some of his movements.
[One]
He could see a clearing, and he threw himself forward, clutching Shen close to his chest as he rolled out of the forest.
[Stigma's effect has been concluded]
The forest behind him closed off and glowed with an ominous aura. If he had been even a few seconds late, he would have missed this opportunity. Even a millisecond late would have meant the roots of the trees would have pulled him back.
Zane sat up and noted that he was just a few feet away from the 'cliff.' It overlooked a bay, and Zane wondered how lucky he was to not have fallen a few feet ahead. "Now where?" Zane asked.
[The… the crevice… it's in between the cliff edge and the jutting boulder]
Zane nodded; he held Dao defensively and took a glance around him. The forest seemed to have closed off whatever spirits that were behind him, for just the time being. "Okay," Zane said, carefully standing up and moving in the direction Shen had directed. He pressed Dao to test the space.
When it went through, he narrowly pushed his body through, barely managing to prevent himself from falling off the cliff.
[You've entered the temple's dungeon!]
[The Temple Lord,
Zane's eyes narrowed. He was one of the
[What may this player want?] Ma Chao asked, raising his eyebrow. He was unfairly attractive, with eyes a shade of crystal jade and hair tied in a braid that rested on his shoulder and fell into his lap. His face was hardened, but it wasn't aged.
"I've come here to acquire a sword—"
[Which sword?]
'Which sword did I want?' He didn't know. About any sword would do in the middle ranking. Zane snuck a look around the temple. The center, where he stood, seemed like an 'arena' where the 'trial' would take place. Ma Chao himself sat on a throne that was considerably away from the arena, with walls of the dungeon covered in moss and ivy and a few mana crystals providing illumination.
Zane pursed his lips.
[Have you come here out of desperation, player?]
Zane clutched Shen closer to his robes, careful not to crush it. He took a deep breath and dared to look at the Watcher. The only reason he could even look up at this guy was because he was using a body other than his own, and the repercussions here didn't let the dominating status of the Watcher be sensed. It must be his 'original' body, the one he had when he was a player.
[Oh, you don't know, do you?]
Zane frowned. He didn't know. Shen was being awfully quiet, moreover, which was considerably alarming. "I desire a middle-grade sword."
[Huh, is that so? Very well, let's see what you end up facing.]
Four cards appeared in front of Zane, each of them turned the other way. They had a celestial compass on them that resembled the artifact that had been rotating in the Celestium, and Zane knew very well they were tarot cards. [Cursed Tarots], to be specific, were invented by a cult that was widespread in all nations. They were propagated by the Nerathi Isles.
It didn't matter what he chose; he'd not have any luck.
Zane swallowed as his hand hovered in the air.
〈"The dungeon is where you'll be tricked in either way. Choose and face the repercussions that shall follow you through the entirety, or don't choose and face the battle."〉
He withdrew his hand. "I'm afraid this is too risky," he said.
[Is that so?] Ma Chao asked, crossing one leg over the other. He stared at Zane for a few minutes, and Zane was almost tempted to pick a card.
"It is so," Zane dared.
[Then very well,] Ma Chao said, resting his face on the cup of his palm. The cards swept back to him and disappeared when Ma Chao snapped his fingers. [Let us hope you have some luck, dear player.]
Zane felt the presence of something behind him before it actually made itself known. [I see your spiritual energy is considerably high.]
Zane clashed swords with an invisible being. He held Shen close to his chest with one hand and triggered Wisteria. The whip uncoiled from the hand that protected Shen and latched itself to his other hand, creating a sort of barrier for the creature in his arms.
[1st attribute of Wisteria, Defender lvl 2 is in use!]
[You've unlocked 0.9% of your mana!]
[Your mana is fusing with Wisteria!]
[2nd attribute of Wisteria, Electric Flame lvl 1 is in use!]
The flame—golden and purple—spread to the invisible figure, highlighting its body. It looked almost humanoid, but not quite. Zane gritted his teeth as he was pushed back by the sword of the invisible person.
'It isn't enough,' he thought.
[You've invested 1000 species in the 2nd attribute of Wisteria!]
[Electric Flame lvl 1 > Electric Flame lvl 3]
The flames spread from the hand that Wisteria had latched on to the Dao and then to the invisible person, who staggered back. Zane took it as his moment to take on an offensive side. He used some mana concentration on his palm that held the sword. All of them combined managed to pinpoint one part of the latter's body. They fell to the ground.
[You've killed a Lurker!]
[You've earned 1000 species]
'Of which I only get eight hundred,' Zane thought bitterly as he stood straight. "Shen?" he checked.
[T-there] The bunny had rested itself in the space between his inner and outer robes. Zane glanced at Ma Chao in expectation.
[Don't look at me, player; I'm only here to make sure the rules of the dungeon are followed]
That's when Zane sensed two other presences. He gritted his teeth and took a sharp inhale. He had to do this.
[Veiled Trial: Temple Lord's Dungeon
Grade: C-
Conditions: defeat the challenge given by the Temple Lord
Time Limit: ??
Failure: ??
Reward: the amount of time you've survived in the dungeon will be added as a percent to the amount of coins you earn]
—
[Personal Skill, 'Hymn of the Cursed Apostle,' and your mana core transfusion are responding to Executioner!]
Rhian locked eyes with the wolf, staring into the blue-green ones of the monster. It was almost like staring at a clear lake that possessed an abyss at the pits of it. He drew his sword back and took a stance.
The wolf, almost two times his height, copied the motion, its own weapon in its hand, an ax a little smaller than Rhian's height. Rhian knew that fighting this monster wouldn't be as transparent as fighting other creatures. Not only was it because the repercussions were increased, but it was also because of this creature…
The moment Lycaon took a step forward, Rhian drew a step back, taking an offensive stance. The wolf made a short sound before it attacked Rhian.
[
As much as that man had explained to him, the beasts that had the word 'cursed' before their names weren't as dangerous, as they were derivatives of the [genesis] creatures. Neither should this beast be. Rhian used his mana to deflect the breath and held the hilt of Executioner tightly.
He needed to strike at a vital point, or else he wouldn't be able to kill this beast. Lycaon roared before it was charging towards Rhian in sudden speed that he couldn't manage to even move his body other than duck his head, only to be punched in the abdomen and sent hurtling into a tree.
'It's too fast.' Rhian could feel wet patches on his back, which were most definitely wounds that would be a pain in the ass later. He pushed himself to stand up, only to see Lycaon running towards him with its axe raised.
Rhian pushed himself to fall on the other side just in time. When he looked up, he saw the wolf pulling the ax out of the tree trunk. [Hm. This is futile. Stay in one place so you can be killed, the wolf said.
Rhisn picked up Executioner and shook his head in faux thought. "Too bad," he said, and he was colliding his sword against the incoming ax.
That's when he remembered his skills. He had seen them when he'd signed the contract with that man. There was one skill… As if his thoughts were projected, a panel popped right in front of him.
[Ex. Information:
Skill: Hurtle Chase
Lvl: 1
Uses: increases speed and agility temporarily (+3 lvl)
Time limit: NULL (dependent on mode of exchange) ]
'This is the only thing.' He pressed his sword against the ax, causing Executioner to cry out. He could already sense the off feeling against his palms; this sword was hungry.
Furthermore, he needed to activate the skill somehow. 'Shit, I can't lose my stance…'
'Wait.'
[You've invested 500 species in the activation of a skill!]
[Earned skill, Hurtle Chase lvl 1 has been activated!]
[Skill time: 7 minutes]
Rhian's eye twitched. Once again, he was reminded how crazy that bastard was. Who the hell cut themselves up to use skills? When they could use their species or external things such as hair, which wouldn't hurt to be removed.
Just then, his eyes saw the sudden drag of the wolf's foot.
[
Rhian's breath was knocked out of him as the foot collided with the side of his abdomen, sending him tumbling a few feet away. He cursed under his breath and looked up to see an ax falling down on him.
'Shit.'