The system chimed loud and clear, and they all stood at alert while Dan sprang to his feet before they even heard what the system had to say.
Ding!
[Attention users]
[Quest updated!]
[Quest unlock: Survive the next wave of onslaught and make it to the finish line]
[Kill or be killed]
[No reward given]
Everybody looked at each other's faces with one or two things in their minds.
No reward?! Nothing with a death sentence looming over their heads!
"This is just cruelty…" Dan was the first person to speak up. "It isn't fair."
"Well, nothing is fair in the world we find ourselves," Lyra countered, tightening her hands on the daggers and resuming a battle stance.
The ground rumbled again as more figures began to materialize from the mist.
At first, they were just silhouettes... human-like shapes with glowing eyes, armored bodies, and weapons that looked far sharper than any they had faced before.
"That weapon in their hand looks like something that can bring down our heads in one swipe. I won't want to be on the receiving end."
"Your sense of humor is alarming, Dan."
"Thanks. Who has a health potion before we move to the next killing phase?"
"But I thought you had a healing balm, or am I wrong? Works faster than the health potion."
"Oh, that's true," he said, bringing it out and taking a swipe. He then passed it around to the others.
Lyra, as always, wanted to reject it and put on the strong woman front, but a quick look from the others was enough to get her to take it.
"What are we waiting for? Let's go," Dan said as he advanced forward with a menacing look in his eyes.
Serena narrowed her eyes, her aura-sensing ability kicking in. The figures weren't alive... at least, not in the normal sense.
Their auras were hollow, like puppets controlled by something far stronger. "They're not real people… more like constructs."
"Constructs?" Dan scoffed, looking behind him. "I don't care what they're made of.
They look like they can cut us to ribbons, and I'll suggest you get moving now before your head's on the block."
Before anyone could answer, the first wave attacked.
The Onslaught Begins
The figures moved with unnatural precision, their movements fluid yet robotic. One leapt at Elias, a massive sword cleaving through the air.
He barely dodged in time, twisting to counter with his own blade.
Sparks flew as the swords clashed, the ringing sound splitting the air.
"Focus on breaking them apart!" Lyra shouted. "They're tough, but they can't be invincible!"
Lyra summoned her staff, replacing the dagger.
She called forth a burst of light, the energy slamming into two of the figures and sending them staggering back. "Serena, can you sense any weaknesses?"
Serena's aura flared as she concentrated. The figures' auras flickered in brief pulses, like flames caught in the wind.
"The light disrupts them. Hit them hard enough, and they'll break!"
Dan grinned. "Now you're speaking my language."
With a burst of speed, Dan darted between two of the figures, slicing at their joints.
His movements were fast and deliberate, and as Serena had predicted, the constructs faltered when hit in quick succession.
One fell to its knees, cracks spreading across its surface before it crumbled into dust.
"See that?" Dan called over his shoulder. "They break easy once you hit the right spots!"
Elias, hearing this, adjusted his attacks. He focused on precise strikes, aiming for the joints and weaker points in the figures' armor.
One after another, they fell, each defeat followed by a faint, ghostly wail that sent chills down their spines.
But for every one that fell, more appeared. From the mist, dozens of new figures emerged, their glowing eyes fixed on the group.
"They just keep coming!" Lyra shouted, her voice strained as she launched another burst of light.
Elias gritted his teeth. "Then we'll have to find the source. Keep pushing forward"!
...
As the group fought through the seemingly endless constructs, Serena noticed something strange.
In the distance, beyond the figures, faint beams of light were shining... thin, steady lines that seemed to cut through the mist.
"Look!" she shouted, pointing toward the lights. "There's something over there. I think it's part of the trial!"
Elias followed her gaze, slicing through another construct. "Then let's move. Everyone, stay close!"
They pushed forward, fighting their way toward the light.
The figures seemed to grow more frantic, their attacks wild and desperate, as if trying to stop them from reaching the source.
Finally, the group broke free of the constructs' ranks and stumbled into a clearing. Before them was a massive stone gate, its surface carved with ancient symbols.
The beams of light Serena had noticed earlier were originating from three pillars, each one casting a faint glow.
"What now?" Dan panted, wiping sweat from his brow.
Serena stepped forward, her aura-sensing ability flaring again. The pillars hummed with energy, each one connected to the symbols on the gate.
"It's a puzzle," she said. "The pillars are channels for the light. We need to align them to unlock the gate."
Lyra frowned, examining the symbols. "How do we do that? The light is already coming from the pillars."
Serena pointed to the base of each pillar, where circular plates were embedded in the ground.
"These plates must adjust the angle of the light. We need to align the beams so they hit the symbols on the gate."
Elias nodded, his mind racing. "Alright, let's split up. Lyra, you take the left pillar. Dan, the right. Serena and I will handle the center."
Lyra and Dan rushed to their positions, while Serena and Elias examined the center pillar.
The plate at its base was etched with a series of grooves and markings, suggesting it could rotate.
"Careful," Serena said, crouching beside the plate. "The beams are fragile. If we mess up the angle, it could shatter."
Elias grunted in acknowledgment and began rotating the plate slowly.
The beam of light shifted, inching toward the symbols carved into the gate.
On the left side, Lyra struggled to move her plate, the stone grinding loudly as she forced it into position. "It's stuck!" she called out.
Dan, on the right, was having better luck. He twisted his plate smoothly, the beam aligning with the second set of symbols.
"Done! Come on, Lyra, you've got this!"
Lyra growled in frustration, her staff glowing with energy. With a burst of light magic, she blasted the dirt and grime that had jammed the plate.
It groaned but finally began to move.
"There!"
Serena watched as all three beams of light aligned with the gate's symbols. The carvings began to glow, spreading outward like veins of fire.
The ground rumbled, and with a loud thud, the gate creaked open, revealing a path beyond.
Elias exhaled in relief. "We did it."
But Serena's expression remained tense. "It's not over yet. The energy from the gate… it's pulling us forward."
As if on cue, the ground beneath them shifted again, tilting slightly toward the open path.
The constructs that had been chasing them disintegrated into dust.
Dan sheathed his daggers and whistled low. "I don't like where this is going."
Lyra stepped beside him, her face pale. "Neither do I."
Elias looked at the path ahead, his own face tight.
"We can't stay here, that's for certain. Let's go."
With that, they stepped through the gate.