The group proceded through the catacombs. It seemed to be a burial site of some unknown race as there were gaps in the wall with tombs in them. The tombs were different sizes varying from the size of a finger to the that if an elephant.
They continued walking for half a kilometer without any interruptions aside from Kei occasionally stopping and getting entranced by how the blue color looks nice. As they were walking Jimmy started a conversation :"Is there a particular reason you aren't telling us why the human race will get extinct? Is it something like a secret that we can't know cause if we know we will die or something?"
"well... You get the general idea. I can't tell you. If I do you will get convinced, but it will lose all meaning. I can't say any more than that." - Kei
The group came across a branching path. It had 4 branches. "We aren't in a hurry, so we can explore one by one" - Andy
"Actually I'm in a hurry. Sorry, but I'll have to ask each of you to go on a separate path.I'll teach you now that method that can help your power to grow by leaps and bounds. Though it has a huge risk, so use it only if your life is in danger. " - Kei
***********************
The four had picked their path, and were marching through it. It turned out that only one person can pass at a time. If they all tried going through the same road they will have to wait till the first person passes or dies. So going this way was the fastest way. These paths were a trial. Only those who pass it were qualified to go into the temple.
Yato was making his way through the green glowing path. The air was growing thin despite him not moving upwards. It kept getting thinner to the point where he was wheezing. At the same time the surroundings got so hot that he was starting to have dehydration problems.
Even the air started to become acidic causing him extreme pain with every breath. He wanted to rest so much but he persevered. Kei had told him that he managed to gleam some info from the walls. According to it he absolutely can't stop to take a break. If he does he will never get out.
Eventually when the pain of his burning lungs was starting to become unbearable, he passed the green lit section and entered the orange lit section. The moment he entered he felt like gravity had suddenly increased and was increasing with every step. The pressure kept in increasing step after step.
He kept solely focusing on marching and putting one foot in front of the other.'not yet' he kept telling himself. 'Can't let Kei reach the end first'. His agony reached a level where his mind entered a state that made him lose sense of time. It felt like only a few seconds when he had been walking for hours. Finally his surroundings changed color to red.
The already thin air became thinner. He was gasping just to stand still. The air was so acidic that he was starting to bleed from his lungs. The heat and gravity were also pushed to the point where his whole skeleton started creaking and making popping sounds. His clothes started melting and the weaker, more flammable parts caught on fire which burned him and reduced the oxygen even more.
When the situation became so dire that he was thinking he's going to die for sure. Hundreds of black colored humanoid monsters appeared. His perception level wasn't high, but it was enough to tell that any one of those Blackies could could kill him by alone even if he had been at full strength.
'No way. That's just absurd. Even without the monsters I wouldn't have been able to to walk to the end. What's that trial? Isn't it just a death trap?' - yato
The monsters started to get closer. Their miasma was making his soul feel faint. 'shit I have to use that method. I have no other choice, I can't even scratch those things since I'm so lacking when it comes to damage dealing.'
'But... Would that even work. This method is practically suicide in a fancy way. Even Kei can't guarantee that it's an actual me this and not just a prank left by someone'.
The monsters were almost upon him. 'Shit I guess I have no choice'. He directed his flame energy to his life ring. The black flame was darker than anytime before. Following that he circulated the rest of his energy in the specific way Kei had taught him, and plunged the ring into his chest. He burned a hole straight to his heart where he lit it on fire.
The moment he did that his body glowed with a blinding light, and it vanished from its original spot. When yato opened his eyes he was in a dark space that had a huge black turtle standing in front of him. The turtle had a snake for a tail. The tortoise was so steady that a person loses their footing and falls when in from of it. This happens due to subconsciously comparing yourself with the tortoise.
As a result the person who looks at the tortoise would find that he isn't steady at all and that in fact he is so imbalanced that he falls in the next moment. This effect is enhanced by illusion power coming off from the tortoise's shell.
When yato appeared there he also lost his footing and fell to the ground. The tortoise opened its eyes and gazed at him. "Wow, a human. It's been a really long time since anyone of your kind has managed to see me"