Ena and Haruo dashed through the hallways, hitting dead ends as they navigated the unfamiliar layout. Though getting out was urgent, their goal was to find the room with the artifact. Undeterred, they pressed on, determined to reach it.
"Oscar, set a timer for five minutes!" Haruo shouted urgently, aware that time was slipping away.
"Certainly, sire!" Oscar replied, his robotic voice echoing as he set the timer.
[5:00]
After issuing his command, a horde of golems and monsters burst forth from the walls, filling the corridors. Among them loomed a giant stone dragon, its tiny arms and legs flailing as it flew without wings. Ena swiftly equipped her emperor blades, while Haruo aimed the Monarch-13, poised and ready to fire.
All of the golems charged at them, moving with speeds that matched Ena and Haruo's. In the back of the horde, the dragon prepared an attack, its blue glowing eyes gradually shifting to orange as it opened its mouth wide.
"I remember that! It's that damn fire!" Ena exclaimed, battling the golems and aiming for their chests. Haruo prepared for an attack of his own, his breath suddenly visible as snowflakes danced around him.
A massive gust of ice swept through the corridor, chilling everything in its path, while the dragon unleashed its fiery breath, melting the golem closest to it.
Haruo quickly aimed the Monarch-13 at the dragon's Mouth with great precision, carefully coating the gun in ice as he tightened his grip for maximum power.
Haruo then pulled the trigger, and the shot tore through the corridor, obliterating all of the golems without even touching them. Not long after, the dragon unleashed its fiery attack, but it was immediately extinguished, dissipating into the air before vanishing inside the dragon itself.
The stone dragon then charged another attack, but before it could even register what was happening, it evaporated into dust, leaving no trace of its existence behind.
"HEY, YOU ALMOST HIT ME AS WELL!!" Ena shouted angrily at Haruo, wiping off the dust that had settled on her.
"Friendly fire" Haruo replied, glancing at her with an expressionless face.
Despite having eliminated many of the golems, more continued to emerge relentlessly from the walls. Haruo then redirected their focus, locking his determined gaze on the new threats ahead, and Ena quickly followed suit, preparing for another fight.
[4:24]
"We need to do this fast." Haruo said, preparing to sprint toward the golems and monsters ahead.
"Let's just go!" Ena replied, sprinting toward the golems and monsters as Haruo followed closely behind her.
Ena unleashed an air slash, cutting through a swath of golems and monsters in one swift motion. Meanwhile, Haruo fired precise mid-range shots before smoothly switching to close combat, ready to take on the remaining enemies.
Ena then launched multiple needle-shaped blood projectiles at the monsters, each one laced with poison. Upon impact, the creatures exploded, unable to withstand the deadly attack.
"I'm able to create poison now, after healing Haru." Ena muttered with a grin, taking down monsters one by one as her poisoned attacks tore through them.
The golems and monsters grew progressively tougher as the runes tracked Ena and Haruo's physical prowess, adapting their strength and speed to become faster and more powerful with each encounter.
A monster knocked Ena's blades away, but she quickly improvised with three sharp jabs and a hook. The moment she grabbed the damaged dagger hidden in her clothes, she sliced its head off in one swift motion, ending the threat instantly.
She then threw the damaged dagger, and as it sailed through the air, her emperor blades flew back into her hands. The dagger landed on a golem, and Haruo quickly followed up, grabbing it and slashing through the surrounding monsters before tossing it back to Ena.
[2:32]
Haruo sliced through the heads of the monsters one by one, his movements precise and relentless. He kicked another monster to the ground, slamming his blade through its chest with force. As a golem leaped toward him, Haruo swiftly delivered a roundhouse kick, sending it crashing away.
Haruo then grabbed a monster's face and froze its entire body, watching as it became encased in ice. With a swift motion, he made a fist, causing the frozen monster to shatter into pieces. He then used that same fist to punch another monster squarely in the face before picking up his blade once again.
Ena sprinted past him, accelerating through the halls and making sharp turns as she eliminated monster after monster. Haruo quickly followed suit, matching her speed as they pressed on, determined to clear their path.
Arrows, spikes, fire, and an array of traps suddenly emerged alongside the relentless waves of monsters and golems. The creatures blitzed through the halls, matching Ena and Haruo's speed as they closed in, intensifying the danger.
Ena swiftly grabbed one of the creatures, stabbing it in the head as they moved. Without removing the body from her blade, she used it as a makeshift shield against the arrows and traps, expertly maneuvering through the chaos. She then slammed the lifeless body onto one of the golems, using it to disrupt its advance.
Meanwhile, Haruo grabbed one of the arrows and hurled it like a spear at the creatures, eliminating several of them in one swift motion. After the throw, he unleashed a barrage of mana bullets, striking down any remaining monsters in his line of sight.
[0:44]
"There's too many of them; they have almost the same speed and power as us!" Ena shouted, but her voice didn't reach Haruo as they broke the sound barrier, their movements a blur in the chaos.
She sighed and quickly fashioned an earbud from her blood, placing it in Haruo's ear. After securing one for herself, she pressed it into place and continued pressing on, determined to keep fighting.
"There's too much bullshit going on!" Ena shouted, pressing on her earbud to ensure Haruo could hear her clearly amid the chaos.
"Wait!" Haruo called out, placing his hand on the wall as he moved. He then closed his eyes, channeling his power, and froze everything in an instant, encasing the surrounding chaos in a thick layer of ice.
"Just run through the frozen enemies, the traps are frozen as well! Just don't slip!" Haruo shouted, pressing the earbud as they moved forward, navigating through the icy remnants of their foes.
With no more enemies or traps in their way, they began searching through the corridor, determined to find the room. Each step brought them closer to their goal as they scanned their surroundings for any sign of the artifact's location.
As they finally made their last turn, they were met with a dead end, no exit, no room, nothing but a solid wall in front of them. Frustration washed over them as they realized their search had led to this unyielding barrier.
Ena clenched her fist in frustration and angrily kicked one of the frozen monsters before leaning against the wall that marked the dead end. She slid down into a seated position, resting her palm against her face, overwhelmed by the situation.
A long pause of silence filled the chilly air around them. Ena took another deep breath, gathering her thoughts, before finally speaking.
"After all that and no room, NOT even an exit. I guess it was all pointless-"
[0:00]
Suddenly, the ground beneath them gave way without warning, cutting Ena off mid-sentence as they plummeted into darkness. The chilling air rushed past them, and the sensation of falling took over, leaving them momentarily disoriented as they disappeared into the abyss below.
"Maybe not entirely pointless." Haruo shrugged as he said that, his tone reflecting a genuine realization amid the unexpected turn of events.
Ena quickly sprang to her feet, looking like someone about to dive into a pool, and shouted, "CANON BALL!" in a playful, exaggerated tone like you'd see in those cheesy movies.
They landed on the ground, finding themselves in a room identical to the main room upstairs, complete with statues but smaller in size. The only statue present was a twirling dragon, just like the one they had encountered earlier, gracefully hovering above the artifact at the center.
The artifact floated in the center of the room, suspended without a pedestal. It emitted a soft glow, illuminated by the twirling dragon above, casting reflections across the walls.
The artifact resembled a tiny vase with a hole at the top and handles on the sides. Its texture was a blend of marble and metal, and the design featured a serpent wrapping around the vase, its head biting its own tail, something you'd find in China.
"Oscar, scan the artifact." Haruo commanded, his eyes fixed on the glowing object.
A blue ray enveloped the artifact as scanning began, casting a soft glow that highlighted its design. The beam pulsed rhythmically, revealing hidden details while the serpent shimmered under the light, hinting at its true nature.
[Analyzation Complete]
Name: ᚠᛟᚱᛏᚢᚾᛖ ᚹᛖᚨᛚ (Fortune Wheel) ...
Description: A wheel that can bring fortune to anyone who holds it, may Ouroboros bless you with divine gifts as you spin it. Let his eyes shine brightly, guiding your quest, bringing treasures and luck that will put you to the test.
To activate the wheel, drop in a gold or currency piece through the hole at the top, and watch it spin. As it rotates, the eyes will shift through various colors: Crimson, Gold, Emerald Green, Sapphire Blue, Amethyst Purple, Silver, Bronze, and Gray. Crimson represents the highest rank, while Gray signifies the lowest. However, there's a 35% chance you may receive nothing in return after making your deposit.
Created: C - 777
Rank: Z / Ultimate
Haruo and Ena screamed in shock as they gazed at the rank, realizing that only 100 Ultimate rank artifacts had ever been officially registered in the world. The weight of the moment hit them, amplifying the significance of what lay before them.
"Wait there's three dots in the in the name tab" Haruo muttered, before clicking it
Suddenly, the screen expanded, revealing a list of 3,476 names, each shimmering with an ethereal glow that hinted at the legendary artifacts linked to them. Haruo and Ena felt a rush of excitement mixed with trepidation, realizing the immense significance of the Ultimate rank artifacts displayed before them.
"Three Mythicals, fifty total Legendaries, two hundred fifty-four Epics, four hundred Rares, so on so on—we're stacked. But why are the names so extra? Like 'Flaming Dragon Fist of the Eternal'." Haruo said calmly, his excitement fading away.
"Who fucking cares its a fucking ultimate rank!" Ena said hurriedly getting the artifact.
After she took it, the eyes of the dragon above them began to glow a vibrant purple, distinct from the one they had fought. Ena then calmly handed the artifact to Haruo, who stored it in his mana storage, as they both gazed up at the stone dragon.
They hurriedly ran through the room, searching for an escape, but found none. Suddenly, a hole appeared beneath the spot where they had taken the artifact.
Haruo sighed deeply, having fallen into four holes that day. Without hesitation, they both jumped in, plummeting into the deep unknown, with the stone dragon following closely behind.
They kept descending deeper and deeper, yet there seemed to be no bottom in sight. Ena's face grew increasingly anxious, while Haruo's expression reflected a sense of underwhelm.
"How can you be so calm right now!?" Ena shouted, her voice rising as they plummeted faster and faster, the beast drawing nearer with each passing moment.
"After everything we've been through, this feels the least underwhelming. We had to solve puzzles, get through hordes of creatures and traps, and the excitement I had for the artifact has drained me. I'm practically out of energy now, and there's still the test." Haruo said, letting out another deep sigh, feeling utterly spent.
"WERE STILL FALLING, AND THAT BEAST IS GETTING CLOSER! EVERYTHING WILL DISAPPEAR IF WE DO NOTHING!!!" Ena shouted, tugging at his collar and making his head bob.
Haruo then pulled out the Ultimate artifact from his mana storage, slowly stretching as he did so, feeling the weight of the moment settle on his shoulders. He focused on the artifact's shimmering surface, readying himself for whatever challenges lay ahead in the abyss below.
"Do you have any money or anything valuable on you?" Haruo asked, holding his palm out to Ena as they continued to fall, his expression remaining calm yet focused on planning their next move.
"SERIOUSLY?! GAMBLING AT A TIME LIKE THIS?!" Ena exclaimed, incredulous at Haruo's suggestion as they plummeted deeper into the unknown.
"Do you have a better idea, then?" Haruo replied, maintaining his calm demeanor despite the chaos surrounding them
[2 hours till the verification test...]