Ares knew from the moment they first stepped into this passageway that something wrong awaited them. The pain from the previous battle still lingered in his body, but that wasn't what was bothering him. There was another pressure—more subtle, like an invisible gaze.
Lyra walked close behind him, her face pale. "I... hear something," she whispered softly.
"Whispers?" Orion immediately turned, his bow at the ready.
Ryn just chuckled. "You guys are too tense. That's just your own voice."
But soon, heavy footsteps echoed from the front of the passageway. Slowly, a black-robed figure appeared. An iron mask covered his face, engraved with an inverted crescent moon.
Ares immediately straightened his sword. "Who are you?"
The figure didn't answer. He simply raised his hand, revealing a gleaming red crystal shard. An aura of both heat and cold spread instantly.
"Fragment…" Orion muttered, his eyes narrowing.
Just then, the shadow on the wall began to move. From the darkness, dozens of red-eyed humanoid creatures burst out, charging without warning.
"Formation!" Ares shouted.
His sword flashed as it struck the first approaching shadow. The black body exploded into a dark mist, but a chill prickled his hand.
Ryn spun swiftly, her dagger piercing the neck of another shadow. "They're fragile, but fast. Don't let them surround us!"
Orion drew his bow, and three arrows of light shot out simultaneously, piercing the enemy's chest, shattering it. "Normal attacks have little effect—use light!"
Lyra nodded quickly, raising her staff. "Blessed Light!"
A white aura coated their weapons. Ares's sword, Ryn's dagger, and Orion's arrow now glowed softly.
Ares slashed again, this time with the light of his sword. The shadow screamed before being completely destroyed. "That's right! Light is their weakness!"
Dozens of other shadows roared, leaping at them from all sides.
A new battle had begun.
The shadows came like an endless wave. The narrow hallway echoed with the roars and clashing of weapons, as if even the walls were trembling with the intensity of the battle.
Ares slashed straight, his sword glowing white, slicing through three shadows at once. The pain in his arm was no longer a concern; his body moved purely on instinct honed from thousands of hours of past virtual battles. Every breath he took was heavy, but his eyes remained sharp.
"Behind you!" Orion shouted.
Instantly, an arrow of light pierced the shadow that nearly leaped onto Ares's back. Black dust flew, leaving the hallway even more pitch-black. Orion stood with his bow drawn, his face cool even as his temples were drenched in sweat.
"Don't think too much," he said simply. "They're just a distraction. Focus on destroying them."
Lyra raised her staff high. Golden light flowed from the tip, forming a thin barrier that protected them. The first shadow that struck it melted like wax. But Lyra's face was pale, cold sweat dripping nonstop. "I can't hold on much longer—this barrier is draining my mana too fast!"
Ryn glided through the narrow gap, her dagger glinting. She danced between enemies, each movement swift and deadly. The shadows that tried to catch her ended up as nothing but black mist. "Then let's kill them faster!" she shouted with a short laugh, though her breath was clearly becoming labored.
But as more fell, more emerged. The walls of the passageway seemed to become a dark womb, giving birth to new creatures. For every five shadows destroyed, ten more emerged.
Ares felt his chest tighten. It never ends… at this rate, we'll run out of energy first.
Another shadow slammed into Lyra's barrier. A crack of light appeared, a crackling sound like glass about to shatter. Lyra winced, her knees trembling. "I… can't—"
"Hold on a little longer!" Ares ran toward her, slashing at the approaching shadow. The attack split, but the tip of his sword trembled, indicating his energy was nearly drained.
Then, suddenly—
"Enough."
A deep voice echoed through the passageway, deep and resonant as if coming from the depths of the earth.
All the shadows stopped. They froze in place, then their bodies melted into mist, vanishing into thin air. Within seconds, the hallway was silent again, leaving only the sound of the four players' labored breathing.
The black-robed figure still stood at the end of the hallway, as if watching. He raised the red crystal shard higher, its light dancing on the walls.
"You've proven yourselves," he said flatly. "But this is only the beginning."
Ares took a step forward, his sword still raised. His eyes sharpened, trying to read every tiny movement of his opponent. "What are you talking about? Did you create all this?"
The man didn't answer immediately. He lowered his head slightly, as if considering, then spoke again. "The Key of Return cannot be simply obtained. It is scattered, guarded by trials not everyone can pass. The weak will be destroyed. The doubters will perish. Only those who can endure the pain and darkness can collect the fragments."
Lyra bit her lip. Her eyes stared at the crystal with trepidation. "Then… how can we trust you truly possess the clue?"
The robed man held up the crystal shard, its red light filling the hallway. "This fragment is the proof."
The crystal's light seemed to engulf the surrounding darkness, creating the illusion of flickering shadows in the air. In the light, a glimpse of an otherworldly landscape was visible: a giant tower soaring through the clouds, a giant doorway with an eye symbol, and a sea of fire engulfing the land. The image vanished as quickly as it appeared.
Ryn snickered softly. "So it's true, the fragment is some kind of key to the map."
Orion lowered his bow slightly, but his eyes remained narrowed. "The question is… why are you showing it to us? What's in it for you?"
For the first time, the robed man moved closer, his steps slow but heavy. The aura surrounding him pressed a chill down upon them.
"I am a guardian. My duty is not to confer, but to test. You have a choice—continue the test and obtain the fragment, or leave this place and be forever trapped without direction."
Ares stared straight ahead, his chest heaving. "What if we lose?"
The red eyes behind the mask gleamed faintly. "Then you will be gone. Not just here… but your entire existence in this world will be erased."
Silence fell over the hallway.
Lyra covered her mouth with her hand, her face pale. Ryn grinned lopsidedly. "Sounds fun."
Ares raised his sword higher, his eyes unwavering. "We will take the test."
The robed man bowed his head, as if respecting their decision. "Then, prepare. What you will face is not just an enemy… but your deepest shadows."
The moment those words were spoken, the ground beneath their feet shook. The dark passageway shattered, its walls cracking and collapsing, until all four of them fell into a chasm of red light.
Ares could hear Lyra scream, Ryn shout, and Orion let out a short hiss. Their bodies were sucked down, losing their footing, until all that could be seen was a blinding red light.
And then, silence.
Only the sound of Ares's heart pounding in his ears.