Chapter 211: Karma!
The weeping willow tree's tendrils swayed menacingly, but its expression shifted—if such a thing were possible—as it hesitated, caught off guard by Tessa's cryptic words. The vibrant energy radiating from its vines dimmed slightly, a kaleidoscope of emotions flickering across its gnarled visage.
Before the willow could fully grasp her meaning, it felt a sudden tug on one of its thick, twisting vines.
Tessa, with mud streaked across her determined face, had latched onto the vine with a grip born of desperation and resolve. The vine trembled under her weight as she skillfully pulled herself up, using the tree itself as a stepping stone to escape the sinking mud.
Her heart leaped with triumph as her feet finally found solid ground. She stood there, catching her breath, her chest rising and falling as relief washed over her. "Thank you darling.." she said to the weeping willow tree as if it had intentionally helped her.
From the swampy pit below, Liam and Zuri watched her ascent with disbelief etched across their faces. Their curses filled the air like a chorus of bitterness and frustration.
"This... This is all your fault!" Liam sputtered, glaring at Zuri with a mix of anger and panic. His usual smug demeanor had crumbled into stammering fury. "You... You came up with this stupid idea, and now look at us! We're going to fail this evaluation!"
Zuri shot him a venomous glare, his own frustration bubbling over. "Me? You didn't have to go along with it, genius! Maybe if you'd thrown the stick properly, we wouldn't be sinking right now!"
Their bickering echoed through the clearing, but no amount of finger-pointing could change their predicament. The mud itself seemed to mock them, pulling them down inch by inch despite their frantic struggles.
Tessa glanced back, her lips curling into a faint smirk as she watched the spectacle. "Poetic justice," she muttered to herself, brushing a streak of mud off her cheek.
The mud pit showed no mercy. No matter how much Liam and Zuri flailed, twisted, or clawed, they couldn't stop their descent. The realization dawned on them too late—this was not just an ordinary trap but a judgment enforced by the realm itself.
Their frantic movements slowed as the mud reached their shoulders, then their necks. A faint shimmer of light enveloped their forms, signaling the conclusion of their trial.
When they finally reappeared outside the realm of power, their faces were pale, their bodies trembling from the experience. The penalty for their failure hung heavy in the air: they had been awarded the restrictive limit of a forbidden god.
It was both a curse and a punishment—a fixed ceiling to their potential, one they could never surpass no matter how hard they trained, no matter what resources they acquired.
Liam clenched his fists, his jaw tightening as the weight of the restriction settled over him. Zuri sank to his knees, his earlier bravado replaced with a hollow stare.
Their failure had marked them in ways they hadn't anticipated.
Meanwhile, Tessa stood tall, her gaze fixed on the horizon. She had no time to revel in their misfortune; the weeping willow's vines began to stir again, its anger renewed.
"Round two, darling?" she whispered, her voice laced with playful defiance. Her smirk returned, sharper than ever.
Karma, it seemed, had a peculiar way of balancing the scales. But in this realm, justice was swift, and consequences were inescapable.
Gastro was happy with Tessa being back. He had already seen her as his ticket to the higher realm; He felt within his heart that as long as he followed Tessa, his future was bound to be without limits.
Just as he was smiling to himself and musing, Tessa called to him. "Get ready, we are going through the underground door..."
Gastro couldn't contain his joy as he watched Tessa return to his side. To him, she was a beacon of hope, his golden ticket to the higher realm. Deep within, he believed that aligning himself with her would ensure his path to limitless potential.
A wide grin spread across his face as he mulled over his thoughts, but his musings were interrupted when Tessa's voice rang out.
"Get ready. We're going through the underground door," she declared, her tone steady and commanding.
Gastro's ears perked up instantly, like a dog catching the faintest sound of a treat bag being opened. This was the moment he had been waiting for. He hurried to her side, his towering figure standing beside her as he studied her disheveled state.
Tessa was covered head to toe in mud, her hair matted with streaks of brown and her clothes clinging uncomfortably to her skin. To Gastro, she looked like someone who had just emerged from a mud wrestling match. He bit his lip, trying his best to suppress the laughter bubbling inside him.
She caught his struggle almost immediately. "Go ahead, laugh," she said dryly, her eyes narrowing slightly.
That was all the permission he needed. Gastro burst into laughter, his booming voice echoing through the clearing as he let loose every suppressed chuckle and hilarious thought. He only stopped when he noticed her expression shift.
"Are you done now?" she asked, her voice laced with mock impatience.
"Yes, I'm done," Gastro replied meekly, his laughter dying as quickly as it had started.
"Good." Tessa crossed her arms and took a deep breath. "Here's the plan. I'll create a distraction and keep that willow occupied. Once the path is clear, you're going to charge through the door. Don't look back. I'll handle myself and join you later."
Gastro nodded without hesitation. He had no illusions about his role; he wasn't the brains or the strategist. Tessa's confidence was enough for him to follow her lead.
Without another word, Tessa surged forward, her movements as swift and fluid as a breeze rippling across a stormy sea. Her sudden charge caught the weeping willow tree off guard, and its vines reacted instinctively, snapping toward her like coiled snakes.
The tendrils lashed out from all directions, determined to trap her. Tessa, however, met the assault with a smirk, her eyes gleaming with anticipation.
"Now!" she shouted, her voice cutting through the chaos.
Gastro didn't need to be told twice. With a roar that shook the ground beneath him, he lowered his head and charged. As a proud member of the bull race, this was his domain. His feet—like hooves, thundered against the earth, his massive frame barreling toward the unguarded door.
The willow tree, realizing the diversion, whipped around in a frenzy, its vines flailing as it tried to block Gastro's path. But it was too late. Gastro smashed through the door with unstoppable force, the wooden frame splintering around him as he disappeared into the next stage of the trial.
Tessa seized the moment. Before the willow could fully redirect its attention, she darted past its writhing vines with a burst of speed that left her looking like a blur against the muddy backdrop.
She slipped through the open door just as the willow snapped its tendrils in frustration, missing her by mere inches.
Behind her, the weeping willow trembled violently, its branches drooping in defeat. Its expression was one of pure exasperation, as though it had just suffered the kind of setback that could drive even the most patient being to madness.
Tessa leaned against the wall on the other side, taking a moment to catch her breath. "Thanks for the help, darling," she muttered with a wry grin, throwing a glance back at the defeated tree before turning her focus to what lay ahead.
The path to the higher realm was one step closer, and with Gastro by her side, she felt ready to take on whatever challenge awaited next.