Tanvir gradually opened his eyes with struggle as the blinding light pierced through. The forest that had surrounded him was no more; instead, towering statues stood before him, each gripping a massive sword and pointing it directly at him. Their cold, stone eyes locked onto him.
He blinked repeatedly, attempting to make sense of his bizarre surroundings. To his side, another statue raised its sword, intensifying his confusion. The more he observed, the more bewildered he became, as four identical statues formed a makeshift arena, enclosing him within high walls and stone seating.
"An arena?" Tanvir muttered, his voice filled with uncertainty.
The statues, all donned in imposing armor, remained motionless. He attempted to move, but it seemed as if an invisible force held him in place. Suddenly, an odd sensation coursed through him, and he instinctively activated his battle mode. Colors vanished, leaving only two glowing red eyes within each statue, the same eyes now fixated on him.
Tension thickened the atmosphere, and Tanvir braced himself for impending danger. Just as he suspected, the ground trembled, and the statues came to life with a thunderous bang. They descended from their platforms, their massive swords poised to turn him into a mere smudge.
Startled out of his shock, Tanvir activated his shadow steps and swiftly retreated. The colossal stone swords struck the ground in unison, creating a cloud of dust and debris. The statues prepared for another attack.
Though the statues moved ponderously, their sheer size overwhelmed Tanvir's senses. Despite his four years of kendo experience, he struggled to maintain composure in the face of this nightmarish scenario – a lone human pitted against four massive, animated stone pillars.
Tanvir retreated further, aware that another stone statue lay behind him. He needed to corral them, granting himself breathing room in this perilous contest. Another crushing blow hit the spot where he had stood moments ago, sending shockwaves through the ground and causing the arena to tremble.
"Freaking hell, these attacks are even stronger," Tanvir thought, realizing that a direct hit would turn him into a meat paste. However, a disturbing truth dawned on him: the statues targeted only him, disregarding the collateral damage, evident in their shattered stone swords.
With no time to waste, Tanvir vaulted onto one of the colossal legs, ready to use shadow steps to evade any imminent threat. The statues paid no heed to their companions as they readied their swords. Tanvir watched the descending blade with trepidation, chills running down his spine.
Shadow steps – a rapid succession of them – allowed him to evade the crushing blows, but the shockwaves reached him despite his quick reflexes. He cast another shadow step in desperation, fearful of debris catching up to him.
As his last two shadow steps propelled him away from the chaos, Tanvir noted a gate that had remained unnoticed before. He needed to reach it. However, a massive stone statue hit his back, causing intense pain and near loss of balance.
[Log: -6 HP]
Desperately relying on his remaining shadow steps, Tanvir dashed toward the gate that had suddenly appeared. As he reached the metal door, the shockwaves finally caught up with him, forcing him inside.
Within the metal door, he realized there was another door ahead, but it remained closed. Panicking, he glanced back to see a stone hurtling towards him.
"Crap," he muttered, closing his eyes as the projectile struck the closed door. When he opened his eyes, he was relieved to find an invisible barrier protecting him from the debris.
With heavy breathing, Tanvir sat down, shaken by the intensity of the recent events. The encounter had challenged his confidence like never before. Then, a voice resounded in his head.
"YOU HAVE PASSED THE TRIAL, WEAKNESS."
"PLEASE PROCEED TO THE TREASURE ROOM FOR YOUR REWARDS."
Tanvir emerged from his daze. "A trial? That ordeal was a trial?" he muttered. The door behind him opened, revealing a spacious room with a simple wooden box at its center, positioned atop a large, white magical circle.
Cautiously, he entered the room, but as he approached the box, the door abruptly closed behind him. He continued, opened the box, and discovered a small pendant inside. It appeared rather unimpressive compared to the box itself – a simple piece of black-purple rock suspended from a black string. Tanvir pocketed it, noting his current lack of wealth and shabby attire.
The magical circle beneath him began to glow. He remained composed, understanding that it was likely meant to teleport him back to safety.
[To be continued...]