[ Simulation Countdown: 30 seconds remaining]
Elias glanced up at the holographic countdown floating above him. The red digits flickered, changing with each passing second, creating a rhythmic sound that bounced off the cold, metallic walls of the simulation room.
Ren shot him a worried look and asked, "We're in the final trials, right?" He let out a nervous laugh, glancing at Lily with the same anxious expression.
"Come on, don't stress! It's just a trial! Remember, we fought solo in the earlier rounds, right?" Lily said, trying to mask the slight shaking of her voice.
Elias could feel his chest tighten, and with each utterance from his nervous teammates, it seemed to grow a little tighter. Just as he was about to tell them to shut the fuck up, the system's voice burst through the air in the simulation room.
[10 seconds left, hang in there…!]
Lily turned her face toward Elias, her eyes shining with excitement and nervousness. "You ready?
"Yeah, you?" he returned.
"Me? Oh, I've never been more ready!" she shouted, doing a little kick with her leg, martial artist style.
Obviously, she was trying to remain cool-act like all the pressure wasn't bothering her at all.
Elias nodded, deadpan, and turned to Ren. "Come on, step it up. Even she's got you beat."
Both Ren and Lily were shocked. The guy who barely spoke had just dropped a bomb! But before they could even say anything, the system spoke again.
"Remaining time… 3… 2… 1…
Starting the simulation…
Good luck with your final trials, heroes. Hope you crush it like you did last time!"
As the voice of the system faded, the air in the simulation room started to shimmer wildly, distorting the view of the dark steel walls. The temperature dropped with each passing second; the room grew darker, more foreboding. Then, it appeared before them.
They stood at the edge of an ancient, thick forest shrouded in darkness. The gateway was flanked by two gnarled trees, their limbs twisted together in a vault above their heads. The trees surrounding them emitted a faint light, casting a soft illumination that lit just enough of the path ahead.
Above, the moon cast a dimly lit glow, adding to the eerie atmosphere. Carved on the two towering trees above were three words in golden letters.
"Maze of illusions"
"A maze?" Ren asked, suddenly facing around apprehensively.
"Yeah, looks like it!" Lily said in a low tone.
"Navigate through the maze to locate the guardian beast!" chimed the same melodious female voice from the system.
"Hint: Follow the 'sound' to discover the right path!
The last test now begins!"
With that, an extreme quiet reigned around them, plunging that grimly dreary atmosphere further.
[Beep…
Quest: Complete the final test of Beast taming recruitment trials.
Reward: 1000 CP + ability to begin to enter the next level Starlight Convergence + the title: Rising Star]
As the blue notification screen flashed into his face, Elias observed them carefully.
"Oh, those rewards are pretty great!" he thought.
But he quickly reminded himself that better rewards usually meant tougher challenges. His focus sharpened, and a spark of determination began to gleam in his eyes.
[Beep…
Looks like the quest is tougher than expected, and now there's a chance to snag a hint from the system.
Just a heads up, this feature is only available until you encounter the Guardian Beast.
Available chances: 1/1]
This was a shocking message for him. The difficulty higher than what he thought? A hint? And what is this unusual tone from the system? His mind began to drag questions from his brain, creating a whirlpool of thoughts in his head.
"Take it easy, Elias, take it easy." He remembered every time Celestia had fought with him. At the end, she always said, "Your biggest mistake is refusing to back down.".
Now, with the notification about the challenge, the thought that he might have to give up sent his mind racing again.
But those words kept ringing in his ears, and he started to calm down.
"Okay, time to think!" he told himself.
He focused on every word in the notification. That line about the function being available only until he faced the Guardian Beast stood out in his mind.
After a moment of reflection, it dawned on him what needed to be done.
"System, now I would like to use it."
[Done.
Hint: Please pluck 10 Moonshadow Herb.
These will come in handy when warding off the fog in the maze.]
Elias breathed a sigh of relief as the system delivered the hint. "Moonshadow Herb, huh? Looks like we're picking weeds before the fun starts," he muttered, with a faint smirk tugging on his mouth corner.
"Huh? What did you say?" Ren asked, devoid of emotion.
"If you want to make it through the maze, grab a few of those," Elias said nonchalantly, "and don't bother asking how I know."
Ren squinted at the faintly glowing plants near the entrance of the maze. "These? They don't look like much."
"Well, if you think so, you are free to do whatever you want." Elias muttered as his voice stayed firm but calm. He knelt down to peer at one of the herbs, as its faint glow shone in the moonlight.
Lily hunched beside him, as her fingers were reaching to grasp the nearest plant. "We need a few of those, right? That is going to be easy enough."
Ren groaned, brushing back his hair. "We're picking plants while the clock's ticking. Great start to the final trial." Despite his complaints, he joined in, carefully uprooting the herbs one by one.
As they finished gathering the last of the Moonshadow Herbs, silence fell again. Elias straightened up, glancing at the towering trees marking the entrance to the maze. "Now, about this 'sound' thing…any ideas?"
Lily turned her head, listened hard. "Nothing. Just… silence."
Ren scowled. "Wait a minute. Maybe I can do something." He moved forward, his shoulders rolling as a faint golden glow rippled over him. His eyes, normally brown, gleamed with a sharper, almost predatory focus. "Let's see if my little trick helps."
Elias raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "So, you can tap into animal traits, huh?"
"Yeah, it's sort of a family thing," Ren said with a relaxed smile.
Elias remembered stories told about some famous families possessing special powers involving beasts. Among such powers was the ability to transform into animals. He had heard fables about beast tamers who could borrow several animal traits into service. And voil̀a, there he was, one of them right in front of him.
Ren's ears twitched slightly, his head bent forward in concentration. A moment later, a meaningful look illuminated his face. "Got it. There's a sound, low and even-like a distant roar. That's our guide."
"Good job," Elias said. "Lead on."
Ren nodded, stepping into the maze with Elias and Lily close behind. The inside air was cool and damp, the faint glow from the trees casting shifting shadows onto the dirt path.
The group proceeded cautiously, following the faint roar Ren described. According to him, the sound wasn't constant; it would grow louder, then fade, forcing them to stop and reorient.
"Hold on a second," Lily said quietly, clutching one of the herbs as she came to a stop. "Ren, are you sure this is the right path?"
"I think so. Why? Is something wrong?
She glanced at the wall of bushes ahead before answering, "Mmm, not really."
"Keep your head in the game," Elias reminded her, his tone calm. "If the sound is guiding us, we follow it."
Lily nodded, her gaze still fixed on the dense foliage. "I really hope it's nothing," she whispered to herself.
They walked for what felt like hours, the maze twisting and turning with no clear sense of direction. At one point, the path narrowed so much they had to squeeze through, only for it to open into a wide clearing moments later.
Finally, they spotted an exit ahead. Ren grinned. "We're making progress!"
But as they stepped through, their triumph was short-lived. Elias froze, staring at the all-too-familiar sight in front of them. The entrance. The same gnarled trees. The glowing letters reading Maze of Illusions.
"Wait… what?" Lily spun around. "No way. We just came from—how?"
Ren kicked at the ground in frustration. "We walked in a circle? After all that?"
Elias's fists were clenched, and his eyes scanned around them. "It is not a circle. It's the maze messing with us."
He walked back and forth a few times before finally stopping, his face showing clear signs of frustration.
"This isn't working," Ren muttered, kicking at a rock. "We followed the sound, gathered these herbs, and still ended up back here. It's a damn joke."
"Calm down," Elias said, his tone sharp. "Losing your cool isn't going to help."
"Oh, I'm losing my cool?" Ren snapped. "What's your big plan then, fearless leader?"
"Enough!" Lily's voice cut through the argument. She came in between them and turned to face them, her eyes gleaming with a strange light. "I think… I can see it."
Elias and Ren exchanged confused glances. "See what?" Elias asked.
"The trap," Lily said, stepping closer. "I thought I was imagining it earlier, but now it's clear. The maze—it's full of illusions."
Ren raised an eyebrow. "Illusions? Like what? Fake walls? Invisible paths?"
Lily shook her head. "It's subtle. Twisted angles, repeating paths… stuff that messes with your sense of direction. My ability lets me see through things like that. I've always been able to spot hidden traps, but this place… it's on another level."
Elias narrowed his eyes. "You're just now bringing this up?"
"I wasn't sure!" Lily shot back, defensive. "It's not like I've dealt with something this powerful before. But now I can see it clear as day: the maze is just walking us in circles."
Ren crossed his arms. "Alright, assuming you're right, how does that help us? Can you, I don't know, lead us to that goddamn beast?"
Lily smirked. "That's the plan."
"Then let's move. If this is an illusion, we don't have time to waste."
Lily took point, her eyes glowing faintly as she focused on the path ahead. "Follow me. And don't veer off, no matter what you see."
Once more, the oppressive atmosphere closed in around the group as they stepped into the maze. This time, Lily moved with confidence, placing her steps deliberately. "There," she said, pointing at what looked like the solid wall of vines. "That's fake. Trust me."
Elias didn't hesitate. He put his hand forward, and it went through vines like they weren't there. "Not bad," he muttered.
Told you," Lily said, her tone light but focused. She gestured for them to follow.
As they moved deeper into the maze, more illusions became apparent. Paths that had seemed blocked now opened up. Turns that should have looped back led to new areas.
"How do you even see this stuff?" Ren asked, looking around. "It all looks the same to me."
"It's hard to explain," Lily said. "It's like… the fake parts shimmer a little, like they don't belong. You just have to know what to look for."
"Well, I'm glad one of us has magic eyes," Ren muttered. "Because I'd have gone insane by now."
"Alright, Ren. Point out the direction of the sound.
Ren's ears perked up again, and after a moment of silence, he replied, "It's coming from that direction."
"Lily?" Elias turned his head towards Lily.
Lily paused, squinting ahead. "That way," she said, pointing to an overgrown path that twisted unnaturally. "It's another illusion, but it's the right direction."
"You sure?" Ren asked, his voice laced with doubt.
"Pretty much" Lily said firmly. "Trust me."
Elias nodded. "Then let's keep moving."