The stairs inside the clock tower seemed endless. Each step creaked under Aelric's boots as if warning him to turn back. Elara followed close behind, her hand gripping his coat tightly, afraid that if she let go, the tower itself would swallow her.
Neither of them spoke at first. Only the echo of their footsteps, and the faint hum of gears above, filled the silence.
Aelric's eyes, however, were sharp.
Every wall, every shadow, every sound — he studied it. The Trial of the Clockmaker had ended, but that didn't mean the danger was gone. The System never gave rest for free.
---
Elara finally broke the silence.
"Aelric… what just happened down there? That man… that thing in the mask. The way you fought him—"
Her voice trembled, not with fear alone, but confusion. "You didn't fight like a normal person. You knew where to step, what to do. Like you'd already seen it all before."
Aelric slowed his pace. For a moment, he didn't answer.
Then, quietly, he said:
"Because every puzzle has a pattern. And once you find the pattern… the outcome is already decided."
Elara bit her lip. "But… normal people don't see those patterns. They just… react."
She looked at him with wide eyes. "You're not normal anymore, are you?"
Aelric gave her a faint smile, though his chest tightened.
Normal.
That word no longer belonged to him.
---
The staircase finally ended, leading them into a vast chamber hidden at the heart of the tower. Massive gears turned in the walls, grinding with metallic echoes. In the center of the room floated a crystalline core, pulsing with faint blue light.
And beneath it… chains. Thick, black, living chains that writhed like serpents. They wrapped around the crystal, choking its glow.
The System's voice rang in his head:
> [Main Quest Update: Break the Chains of Death – Stage 2]
Objective: Free the Crystal of Time.
Warning: The Guardian has awakened.
Elara gasped as the chains began to rattle violently.
From the shadows, a monster emerged — larger than any Aelric had yet faced. Its body was a mass of black steel and bone, shaped vaguely like a knight but with no face, only a clock embedded in its chest. Its hands ticked loudly with every step.
Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.
Elara stepped back, fear in her eyes. "A-Aelric, we can't fight that…"
Aelric didn't answer. His gaze was locked on the creature.
It wasn't just strong — it was structured. Every move tied to the ticking in its chest.
A rhythm.
A pattern.
---
The Guardian roared, swinging a blade as large as a carriage. The strike split the floor, sending shards flying. Elara screamed, shielding her face.
But Aelric? He was calm.
"One… two… three—dodge."
He pulled Elara back just as the blade slammed where they had stood. Dust exploded, but neither was touched.
Elara's eyes widened. "You… counted it?"
Aelric smirked faintly. "It's bound to its clock. Every three ticks, it swings. That means I already know its rhythm."
But knowing wasn't enough. The Guardian's strikes shattered stone, each one powerful enough to kill him instantly. Intelligence alone couldn't block a blade that large.
Which meant… he needed more.
---
The System's voice whispered again:
> [Skill "Predator's Insight" activated.]
Weak points revealed.
Suddenly, his vision sharpened. Glowing red marks appeared across the Guardian's body — small cracks between the steel plates, unstable gears in its arms, the fragile core hidden beneath the chest-clock.
Aelric tightened his grip on the rusted pipe he still carried.
A worthless weapon. But with precision, even rust could kill steel.
"Elara," he whispered, "when I say run, you run. Don't look back."
She shook her head violently. "No! I'm not leaving you—"
"Not forever," he cut in sharply. "Just trust me."
Her lips trembled, but she nodded.
---
The Guardian lunged again.
Aelric's heart thundered, but his mind was cold.
Three ticks before a strike. Two to recover. Four between transitions.
Patterns. Always patterns.
He dashed forward, rolling beneath the massive blade as it came down. His pipe struck one of the glowing cracks in the Guardian's leg. Sparks flew, and the beast staggered slightly.
Not enough. But it confirmed his theory.
He could kill it.
If he didn't die first.
---
The fight became a deadly rhythm.
Tick. Dodge. Strike. Retreat.
Tick. Dodge. Strike. Retreat.
Elara watched with wide eyes as Aelric danced between death and steel, every move precise, almost inhuman. But she could also see the toll it took. His body trembled. Sweat dripped from his chin. Every time he slowed time, his veins burned like fire.
And yet, he didn't stop.
Because on her wrist, her timer continued to fall.
[29 Days : 7 Hours : 33 Minutes]
Every second of fear drained her life.
And every second, Aelric's rage burned hotter.
---
At last, the Guardian staggered to one knee. Its chest-clock cracked, gears spilling out like blood.
Aelric saw his chance. He sprinted up the beast's arm, pipe raised to strike the core.
But then—
The clock on its chest spun violently.
Time itself fractured.
Suddenly, the Guardian wasn't one—but three. Three versions of it attacked from different timelines. One swung left, one right, one forward. All real. All deadly.
Aelric froze. No calculation could predict three futures at once.
Elara screamed. "AELRIC!"
The pipe shook in his hand. His mind raced.
Three futures. Three outcomes. I can't calculate them all…
But then—he looked at his own wrist.
The infinity mark glowed.
Broken. Unbound. Free from rules.
His lips curved into a sharp smile.
"Then I'll choose my own future."
---
> [Skill: Chrono Reversal – Overclock]
Warning: Severe backlash imminent.
The world shattered.
The three Guardians blurred together, their attacks overlapping, collapsing into chaos. Time reversed, skipped, stuttered.
Aelric forced his body through the storm, ignoring the pain that tore at his flesh. His pipe struck forward—
and pierced the Guardian's core.
A roar of shattering glass filled the chamber. The Guardian convulsed, then dissolved into ash and gears. The chains binding the crystal cracked, one by one, until they shattered completely.
The Crystal of Time flared with light, washing the room in silver glow.
---
Elara rushed forward, catching Aelric as he collapsed to his knees. His pipe clattered to the floor, bent and broken.
"Aelric! You're bleeding!" She pressed against his arm where black veins burned beneath his skin. "What did you do? You're tearing yourself apart—"
He coughed, forcing a strained smile. "If it keeps you alive… then it's worth it."
Her eyes filled with tears. She wanted to scold him, scream at him, beg him to stop destroying himself. But when she saw his wrist—the infinity symbol still glowing—she froze.
Because beneath it, new words appeared.
> [Stage 2 Complete.]
Reward: Authority Fragment – "Time's Chainbreaker" obtained.
New Quest: Defy the God of Clocks.
Aelric stared at the text, his eyes narrowing.
The God of Clocks.
So that's the true master of this Trial. Not monsters. Not guardians.
A god.
And if gods ruled death—
then he would have to kill a god to save Elara.
---
The Crystal's light faded, and the chamber doors groaned open. Beyond them stretched a staircase spiraling into the heavens.
Elara helped him to his feet. "You're insane," she whispered. "But… you're also the only reason I'm still alive."
Aelric smirked faintly, wiping blood from his lips. "Then stay close. Because this story's only getting harder."
Above them, the ticking of the clock grew louder.
A reminder that time itself was their enemy.
And Aelric?
He was the only one willing to break it.