Columns of magical flames, erupted unpredictably from the tiles in the floor, creating a deadly dance of flames. The intense heat was making breathing a lot more difficult, the steam from his sweat was evaporating as soon as it came in contact with the heat. He had to complete the trial and he had to do it as fast as possible.
There seemed to be a pattern to the ways the flames erupted from the floor, in fact, there were about 3 different patterns to the trial.
He spent looked at it and tried memorizing the patterns. He grabbed a health potion in his hand and got into a sprinting stance.
He burst into the first few tiles, dodging the flame as they came up, some areas of his cloth were not as fortunate as he was though. It was easy at first and he managed to get to the second area of the flames.
There were little gaps in between some areas of the flames. 'Where the challenger can rest and catch his breath while he gets his skin grilled and his blood turns into soup.', Lucian thought, extremely annoyed.
He tried to just wing it, he still had a lot of health potions, maybe he just could survive through those.
The floor shimmers, heat radiating from its surface. Suddenly, a tile erupts in flames, spitting molten rock. Lucian leaps back, dodging the inferno. He clenches his jaw, frustration and fear warring within him.
"How long must this madness last? This isn't a trial, it's a fiery roulette!" He roared in anger.
His gaze darts around the chamber, searching for another pattern, a clue. His eyes land on a faded mural on the wall depicting a phoenix rising from flames. An idea sparks, simmering like the floor beneath him.
The heat intensifies. Another tile ignites, showering the room in orange light. Lucian grits his teeth and sprints. He leaps over the flames, his boots singeing but he hardened his resolve, he had to do something.
He lands near the mural, its colors glowing under the heat. Tracing the phoenix's form, his fingers touch a hidden indentation. He pushes, a click echoes, and the mural swings open, revealing a narrow passage.
Immediately the passage opened, the familiar monotone voice of the system echoed in his ears.
>>Fire Resistance +20%<<
The pressure he felt from the flames lessened a little, allowing him to take more air into his lungs without feeling like they were submerged in the sands of a desert. If not that he had some mastery over fire, this might've been harder than it was now.
He looked around the room, there were no other room apart from the one he came in from.
"Is this an escape... or another trap?"
He did not ponder for long though. With a deep breath, he dives into the darkness. The tunnel was hot, oppressive, and the air, thick with smoke. Panic clawed at his throat as he ran through the tunnel, but he pushes on, driven by the faint light ahead.
Suddenly, the tunnel collapsed behind him. Dust clouds choke the air. He scrambles forward, heart pounding in his chest. The passage narrows, forcing him to crawl. Claustrophobia threatened to consume him, but the image of the fiery bird and the buff spurs him on. There had to be a way to pass the trial, if not, it wouldn't be a trial in the first place.
He emerges into a cavernous chamber. The far end is bathed in the fiery glow of a molten lava pit. Above it, dangerously suspended on chains, hangs a single bridge – made of fire.
Sweat slicks his palms. This might be it, the final test. He takes a tentative step, the bridge groans under his weight. Flames lick at his ankles, searing pain ripping through his entire body. He grits his teeth, pushing forward, one agonizing step at a time.
Halfway across, the chains groan louder, then one snaps!