First Trial! - 4
After a brief respite, the group, now solely led by Jon due to Nortis' weakened condition, resumed their quest. They cautiously navigated through the dungeon's darkness, their torches illuminating only a fraction of their surroundings.
Eventually, they reached a vast chamber, so expansive that their torches barely lit its distant walls. The floor was adorned with a complex mosaic of arcane symbols that glowed with an eerie light, as if powered by some magical energy source. Blue fire torches were spaced around the room, casting dancing shadows that seemed almost alive.
The ceiling was a void of darkness, but what truly captivated them were the statues. Grotesque, deformed figures resembling petrified zombies were positioned in alcoves around the room, as if they were silent sentinels of a forgotten realm.
Jon felt a chill run down his spine. 'The boss room,' he thought, glancing at the young adventurers beside him who looked equally awestruck but didn't fully grasp the room's significance.
As they stepped into the chamber, the stone doors closed behind them. The air grew heavier, and a shadow began to form at the room's center. Within seconds, the shadow morphed into a humanoid figure with a skull for a face and a staff in hand.
"What is that?" Elija asked, his voice tinged with surprise and a hint of fear.
"It's a Lich," Jon replied, eyes locked on the figure. "And he's the reason we're here."
Nortis adjusted his stance, despite his injured shoulder, and Gwen began to mutter something, likely preparing a spell. Elara and Elija had their arrows nocked, aiming at the Lich. Azul, the elf, gripped her bow tightly, her blue eyes shining with a mix of curiosity and caution.
"Get ready," Jon said, "this won't be easy."
The Lich raised its bone staff, and the chamber's floor trembled as if the very earth was in agony. Suddenly, dozens of zombies emerged, as if the ground were a womb birthing abominations.
"Archers, keep firing! Nortis, front and center!" Jon yelled, his voice echoing through the chamber like thunder.
Arrows flew in a perfect arc, slicing through the air and striking advancing zombies. Elija, Elara, and Azul shot with deadly accuracy, but even their arrows couldn't stem the tide of the undead.
Nortis, despite his injured shoulder, swung his sword with desperate fury. Each strike was a Herculean effort, and he could feel the weight of his own mortality with every move.
Jon, on the other hand, was a tempest of steel. His sword danced in a lethal ballet, slicing and dismembering zombies with terrifying efficiency. He moved with the grace of a dancer and the ferocity of a predator.
"He's stopped summoning. There must be a cooldown. Advance!" Jon observed, keeping his eyes fixed on the Lich.
The group surged forward, slashing and shooting their way through the remaining zombies. But then, the Lich vanished in a cloud of shadows and reappeared behind Elija. The Lich's staff pierced the young archer's chest, and he fell, his eyes still wide open in shock and confusion.
"ELIJA!" Elara screamed, her face pale and her eyes filled with unshed tears, forgetting that this was a simulated test.
The Lich laughed, a sound that made the air quiver and the group's bones chill. "Did you think you could defeat me so easily?"
Gwen, who had remained silent since they entered the hall, finally acted. Her eyes glowed with an inner light, and her hands rose, enveloped in flames. "Ignis Radix!" she exclaimed.
Suddenly, roots made entirely of fire burst from the ground, coiling around the Lich like burning serpents. The monster roared, its voice a grotesque blend of anger and pain.
"Strike together!" Jon shouted, breaking the stupor that had fallen over Azul and Nortis after Elija's shocking death.
But it was too late. From the look of exhaustion on Gwen's face, Jon realized her spell wouldn't hold the Lich for much longer.
Jon, sword in hand, leapt toward the Lich, who was momentarily held in place by flaming roots. With a battle cry, he swung his blade in a deadly arc, aiming for the monster's heart.
The Lich snarled, struggling to break free from the burning roots, but to no avail. Gwen's spell had him securely bound, and he couldn't dodge the incoming strike.
Jon's sword found its mark, and the Lich let out a piercing scream that echoed throughout the hall. For a moment, everything seemed to freeze, as if time itself had stopped to mark the end.
The Lich's shrill cry reverberated through the hall, signaling the end of a monstrous era. Azul and Nortis seemed to snap out of a trance, their eyes meeting in a moment of relief and triumph. The Lich disintegrated into a cloud of dark smoke, as if evaporating into thin air.
After a brief pause, Azul, who had remained silent throughout the ordeal, spoke for the first time. His voice was timid, almost a whisper. "Why hasn't the test ended yet?"
A chill ran down Jon's spine. Something was off. He turned to ask Gwen what she thought, but what he saw froze him in his tracks. The Lich had reappeared, his staff impaling Gwen and suspending her a meter off the ground.
At that moment, Jon completely forgot this was a test. He stood there, paralyzed, staring at Gwen's lifeless body. Tears began to stream down his face, each drop a testament to his helplessness and despair.
Seeing Jon's state, who was supposed to be the leader, Nortis, Azul and Elara didn't hesitate. With cries of fury and resolve, they charged at the Lich. "Jon, snap out of it! We have to fight!"
But their words fell on deaf ears. Before they could reach the monster, they were hit by a wave of dark energy emanating from the Lich's staff. Their bodies hit the floor, life extinguished in an instant.
The Lich let out a sinister laugh, his voice sounding like nails scraping across a chalkboard. "You lose!"
But Jon wasn't listening. In the blink of an eye, he materialized in front of the Lich and kicked him so hard that the monster was hurled against the cave wall.
Jon turned his gaze to Gwen's lifeless body, and a heavy sigh escaped his lips. The emotional toll of seeing her die before his eyes was overwhelming. 'Damn this test,' he thought, his mind a whirlwind of emotions. He had always been the epitome of calm, but this moment had caught him completely off guard.
He had no intention of revealing his full power here; his sword, an artifact of absurd strength, practically doubled his attributes, making him equivalent to a Level 32 warrior. But now, staring at the Lich who had taken Gwen's life, even if it was just a simulation, something inside him snapped.
Jon lunged at the Lich with incomprehensible speed. The monster, still recovering from the impact against the wall, barely had time to register what was happening. He had underestimated Jon, considering him a mere ant to be crushed last, a failed leader he wanted to see suffer. However, in a blink, the Lich found himself hurled against the wall, and when he looked up, he realized that the "ant" now exuded an aura so dominant that he felt like cornered prey.
The Lich was a Level 30 entity, designed to be an easy challenge for a group of 60 students. The academy always counted on students' collaboration, but the reality was that most failed due to petty squabbles and teenage pride. A single student defeating the Lich had only occurred ten times since the academy's founding.
Jon advanced, his sword an extension of his will, each strike a symphony of steel and intent. The Lich, still dazed and trying to comprehend the force that had thrown him against the wall, barely had time to raise his defenses. Jon unleashed a flurry of attacks, each connecting to the next in a relentless sequence.
The Lich tried to dodge, but Jon's speed and precision were unmatched. 'No room for mistakes,' Jon thought, his focus as sharp as the blade he wielded.
With one final strike, Jon's sword found its mark, slicing through what remained of the Lich's corporeal form. The monster crumbled into a pile of bones, collapsing onto the floor...