Time in the abyss passed like a faint thread that couldn't be grasped; no sun rose, and no moon set. Only a bleak purple glow outlined the features of death around me. My body, which not long ago trembled at the mere act of standing, began to harden. It wasn't just the dual power keeping me alive; it was the mercenary's instinct that refused to settle in a world never built for my kind.
These ruins were vaster than I had imagined—towering halls stretching for miles underground, with walls covered in inscriptions telling the story of ancient kings who wielded both "Mana" and "Aura." This wasn't just a prison; it was a sanctuary designed to test and refine dual power through puzzles that challenged the mind before the body.
"If this place seeks my destiny through death, I shall use its secrets to forge my rebirth," I whispered as I bypassed a pool of acid, sensing the air currents I had begun to tames.
In the heart of the labyrinth, I faced massive stone gates that didn't open with brute force but by decoding energy frequencies. I had to pump Mana and Aura simultaneously into delicate grooves on either side of the portal. It wasn't about the colors, but the frequency and density. My Mana, which began to take on the characteristics of Wind, flowed with a sharpness like invisible blades, while the Aura acted as a stabilizer for this wild flow. Any flaw in this delicate balance triggered lethal traps, but with every attempt, I learned how to make the two energies dance without destroying one another.
When I finally succeeded, the doors groaned open to reveal meditation chambers containing inscriptions explaining the technique of [Pathway Overlap]. I learned how to merge the wind-speed of my Mana with the stability of my Aura, allowing me to move like a shadow dancing amidst a storm.
Three years passed as I decoded the secrets of these giant corridors. I faced monsters that were half-organic and half-mechanical—creatures that fed on the ruin's energy. I no longer fought recklessly; instead, I used the environment to my advantage. I directed the nerve gases escaping from the wall cracks with my Wind Mana toward the larger beasts, turning the deadly environment into a lethal weapon in my hands.
"Three years..." I looked at my reflection in a stagnant pool of water. My body had grown, and my eyes were no longer those of a child; they had become sharp blades forged in the deepest pits of the earth.
I stood now before the Great Gate leading to the heart of the ruins. Fear no longer found a path to my heart. I had unraveled the riddles of this maze, and only one final obstacle remained before I emerged to face the world that thought I was finished.