The bridge dips precariously, throwing Lucian off balance. He hangs over the inferno, the heat scorching his face. With a desperate cry, he throws his arm across the remaining chain, fingers digging into the molten metal.
Pain explodes in his hand, but he holds on. With a surge of adrenaline, he pulls himself up, dragging his charred body onto the other side. He collapses on the cool stone floor, gasping for breath, his body a map of singed flesh and raw courage.
He opens his eyes and sees it – the exit, a simple archway glowing with a soft, inviting light. With a shaky laugh, he stumbles towards it, his spirit as hot as the trial he has suffered.
Walking through the arch, he stepped into a hall filled with lights, the scent of smoke still clinging to his clothes, some parts of it turn away, revealing the chiseled body below.
Before him, a breathtaking hall shimmered with iridescent light, its walls were lined with towering crystals that refracted the sunlight into a dazzling kaleidoscope.
The beauty of the hall, though, was a stark contrast to the danger it housed.
A guttural growl echoed through the chamber, sending cold shivers down his spine.
"I just got out of one. F*cking give me some time to catch my breath!"
He rested his back against the wall, trying to restore as much stamina as he could before the next trial begun.
From the kaleidoscope of the roof of the wall, a creature growled as it descended. It had the head of a lion and the wings of an eagle. Its feathers sparkled with emerald fire, its eyes burning like molten gold.
The air crackles with magic, announcing its arrival.
>>Labyrinthine Griffin<<
>>HP: 100,000<<
"Okay then. I'mma have to take this anger out of you then!!"
The Griffin's wing flapped violently, the cavern echoed with thunderous claps. It swooped down with blinding speed, it's razor-sharp talons flashing a cold light.
Lucian parried with his sword, sparks erupting as his blade collided with its talons.
They exchange deadly attacks, aiming for weak points in each others defense. The Griffin's connection to the environment and it's air superiority gave it a huge edge in combat, helping it make dangerous maneuvers, forcing Lucian to continually be on the defensive.
With a screech, the Griffin dives low, skimming the crystal floor. The crystals pulse with emerald light, bathing it in a protective aura.
Lucian's blows glance harmlessly off its shimmering scales.
Frustrated mounts in him as he looked up, anger swelling in him. "How can I break it's defense?! It seems to keep drawing energy from the crystals, but this entire place is made of crystals."
His eyes dart around the hall, landing on a cluster of oddly shaped crystals pulsating with energy—amethyst, not emerald. Thinking of the last trial, an idea sparks in him.
He feigns a retreat and started desperately throwing fireballs, which the Griffin countered with it's own energy balls as it chased after him.
He leads the Griffin through the crystal rooms. As they near the amethyst cluster, he leaps, using the momentum from the wind generated but the Griffin's wing to propel himself forward. With a forceful swing, be brought his sword down on the amethyst, shattering it into pieces.
The effect was faster than he had anticipated, the Griffin roared in anger and what sounded like pain. The emerald aura around the Guardian flickers and fades. The cave is plunged into darkness for a moment, then bathed in the amethyst's cool lavender glow. The Griffin falters for a moment, disoriented.
Obviously weakened, the Griffin tried to retreat to collect itself.
Overjoyed by the aftereffects of his plan, Lucian leapt, and grabbed it's feet, using it to propel himelf towards it's wings. He stabbed through it's wings and it pierced the crystals. His face lit up with excitement.
He sheathed his sword and stabilized himself and jumped towards the head of the griffin, firing a fireball from both hands towards the wound he left on the wing.
As he descended, he drew his sword and stabbed it into the Griffin's head.
It roared with pain and started shaking it's body violently, trying to throw the intruder off.
Lucian gripped onto the sword with one hand, holding it in place. Every movement the Griffin made worsened the wound, widening it repeatedly, until it could no longer thrash around.
It fell down loudly, groaning in pain.
Putting his hand into the wound on its head, Lucian gathered a lot of magic in his hand, and released a fireball into its head, ending its pain instantly.
>>You have leveled up<<
>>You have leveled up<<
>>You have leveled up<<
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