The Guardian roared, its giant arm slamming into the ground. The vibrations traveled up to Ares and the others' feet, sending dust flying like a mini-storm.
[120 seconds remaining.]
Lyra immediately raised her staff, creating a blue wall of magic that bounced off the Guardian's next blow. Cracks immediately spread across the shield. "I can't hold much longer!" she shouted.
"Long enough for us to hold on," Ares replied quickly, rising to his feet. He swung his black sword at the crack in the Guardian's knee, sending shards of stone flying. The giant staggered, but didn't fall.
Orion jumped onto the Guardian's shoulder, plunging his sword into the crack in his back. The stone cracked, but the Guardian grabbed it and threw it to the ground. Orion rolled away, standing back up with a cold expression. "The defense is fragile at the joints. Aim for those spots."
Ryn laughed loudly as she ran to the other side. "Hey, old rock! Try to catch me if you can!" The Guardian turned, and a giant swing nearly pinned him. Ryn rolled again, narrowly missing the target. "OW! That was too close!"
[90 seconds remaining.]
The Guardian was getting angrier. The stones on his body began to glow red, signaling he was entering his next phase. A blast of energy erupted from his body, knocking them back. Lyra fell, her staff nearly falling off.
Ares jumped, pulling Lyra back before the boulder hit. "Are you okay?"
Lyra nodded quickly, her face pale. "I can still… but my magic is running out."
Ares looked at the remaining time. "We only have a minute and a half left. Focus on defending!"
Orion attacked from the side, blocking the Guardian's blows with his sword. Meanwhile, Ryn continued to draw attention with a ridiculous shout: "If I fall into a pancake, please remember me as a legendary comedian!"
The Guardian tried to stomp on him again, but lost his balance momentarily. The gap was enough for Ares. He jumped, plunging his sword into the Guardian's knee. The crack widened, and the giant fell to his knees, shattering a section of the ground.
[60 seconds remaining.]
The Guardian's scream echoed. From his body, fragments of stone flew, shooting in all directions like bullets. Orion parried, Lyra raised her final shield, Ryn crouched down, covering her head.
One of the fragments nearly hit Lyra, but Ares parried it with his sword. Blood poured from his arm.
"Ares!" Lyra shouted.
"I'm fine!" Ares held back the pain, looking up. "We're almost there. Hold on!"
The Guardian got back to his feet, though his knees were badly fractured. His eyes glowed a brighter red, and he raised both hands for a final blow.
[30 seconds left.]
"If it comes down, we're all even," Orion said quickly.
Ares raised his sword, ready. But the whispers came again. You're not enough. Let me. I'll crush it easily.
Ares gritted his teeth. "Shut up." He turned to the others. "We'll hold it together!"
They all moved in unison. Orion planted his sword in the ground, strengthening his position. Lyra channeled her remaining magic to thicken the shield in front of her. Ryn stood beside Ares, her face tense but with a lopsided smile. "If we die, at least we die in style."
Ares raised his black sword, a faint red glow enveloping it. The Guardian brought down a giant blow. The impact was deafening. The ground cracked.
[0 seconds remaining.]
The system's voice echoed just as they were about to collapse.
[Collective Test Successful.]
[Guardian Gate opens.]
The Guardian's body cracked completely, then shattered into thousands of shards of light that flew into the air. There was silence.
Ares fell to his knees, gasping for breath. Orion stood, holding his sword for support. Lyra sat exhausted, nearly fainting, while Ryn lay on her back, laughing loudly.
"FIVE minutes," she said, raising her arms weakly. "I will never forget those hellish seconds."
Before them, the ancient gate slowly opened, emitting a golden light. The next test awaited.
The golden gates closed behind them, leaving a thick silence. Only the four of them could be heard breathing, mixed with the pounding of their hearts, still erratic from the encounter with the Guardian.
Ares leaned on his sword, blood dripping from his arm. Orion stood upright, but his movements were stiff—his shoulder clearly still sore. Lyra sat on the stone floor, her face pale, her eyes half-closed. Ryn, as usual, tried to laugh, though her voice was hoarse. "If there was a specific level for fatigue, I would have reached S-rank by now."
No one answered. Even Ryn gave in to the silence, slumping onto her back with a long sigh.
They needed time.
—
The room they were in was unlike anything they had seen before. The smooth black stone walls reflected a faint glow from the glowing pathways in the floor, as if ancient energy flowed beneath the surface. There were no windows, no doors other than the recently closed gate. But in the distance, a long, three-way corridor awaited, each filled with a different light: red, blue, and gold.
Lyra stared at the branches, her eyes still weak. "This… isn't just a path. It feels… like a test of choosing our fate."
Orion nodded. "Each path leads us to a different test. They want to measure more than just strength."
Ares fell silent. He stared at the golden path, feeling a faint urge within him. The black sword in his hand trembled slightly, as if recognizing something.
"Don't look at me like that," he finally said, noticing Lyra's gaze. "I don't know why this sword is reacting. But… the golden path feels important."
"Yes, obviously. The golden path is always the main quest choice," Ryn interrupted, raising her hand weakly. "If we choose red or blue, we might end up straying into a side quest for EXP farming."
Lyra rolled her eyes. "You can't equate everything with an old game."
"Gosh, this is clearly a game! We're trapped on a giant server, using avatars, there are quests, and there are bosses. If this isn't a game, what is it? A bloody motivational seminar?"
Even Ares, despite his fatigue, almost smiled at that. Ryn certainly had a way of defusing tension—sometimes even with a bad joke.
—
They finally took a short break in the room. Orion sat cross-legged, his eyes closed, as if catching his breath. Lyra channeled a bit of healing magic into Ares's hand, though she herself needed a break. Ares let her, only saying softly, "Thank you."
"If you fall, we all fall. Don't be stubborn," Lyra replied, her voice weak but firm.
Meanwhile, Ryn stared at the black wall. "Doesn't it seem strange to you? Why, after Guardian, are we given a break? Usually, this system never gives us a break."
Ares turned around. "Perhaps it's part of the test. Not just physical, but also choice-based. They want to see which path we take."
Orion opened his eyes, staring at the blue light. "I agree. And I think whatever we choose, the consequences are irreversible."
The system's voice suddenly echoed, as if confirming Orion's words.
[Three paths are open.]
[Only one leads you closer to the truth.]
[Choose wisely.]
The light on the floor trembled for a moment, then stabilized.
Ryn swallowed. "Okay, that just gave me goosebumps. So if we choose wrong, what? Death? Back to the beginning? Or… are we truly trapped forever?"
No one answered.
—
Ares stood, staring at the three paths again. Red gleamed like embers, blue pulsed like waves, and gold glinted calmly but piercingly.
His black sword vibrated again, this time with more force.
He gripped it tightly. "We have no other choice. The golden path awaits us."
Lyra looked at Orion and Ryn, seeking their agreement. Orion nodded curtly. Ryn shrugged. "Okay, I'll go. If we die, at least I can say I died on the golden path, not lost on a trivial side quest."
Ares stepped forward, followed by the others. The golden light enveloped them slowly, leading them in an unknown direction.