'If I recall correctly, this trial is known as The Road of Limerence.'
'Limerence usually refers to obsessive love and delusional infatuation. So, this road likely leads us into that mental state.'
'In a different context, this trial could be about overcoming those obsessions and delusions—or perhaps embracing them.'
'Hm. I'm sure this trial tests the mind, but it must be more intricate.'
Caine finished analyzing the fundamental runes etched into the formation beneath him. The rules and conditions of the trial now neatly arranged in his mind, he nodded in understanding.
It was just as he had predicted.
"This trial delves into the mind's complexities. Once I inject qi into the formation, we'll be pulled into a mental-scape, where each of us will face our deepest obsessions individually."
"But this trial is a double-edged sword. Remember, our obsessions and mental resilience are what allowed us to survive the Reapers' cleansing in the first place. If you release too much of that, you might die, even if you pass the trial itself."
"However, if you let go of too little, you'll be trapped in this mental nightmare forever—failing the trial as well."
They all frowned.
"What do you mean by 'letting go'?"
Caine stood up, turning to face his team.
"I mean exactly that—letting go of part, or perhaps all, of your obsession. Alternatively, you could take it to an even greater extreme, but that comes with its own dangers."
"As spiritual beings without physical bodies, our minds shape our forms. Push your obsession too far, and it could consume you, turning you into an abomination."
"In short, there's no easy escape. But I trust all of you will make it out—alive and sane."
Without waiting for their response, he crouched down again, injecting a surge of qi into the formation. It activated instantly.
As they all collapsed, their minds pulled into the mental-scape where their trials awaited, Caine smiled. His crown flickered atop his head, and with a low shout, he cast a spell that rewrote the formation's structure.
BOOOOM!
A wave of silver energy engulfed the endless expanse, distorting and rippling the fabric of space like a disturbed lake.
Of course, Caine knew he couldn't take this trial. If he did, he'd either be trapped forever or turn into an abomination. Despite what his teammates thought, he was keenly aware of his flaws. His obsessions ran deep, and for this trial, they would be his undoing.
Though he didn't view his obsessions as weaknesses, they were his Achilles' heel in this context.
So, just as the trial began, Caine cast a spell that concealed his presence from the formation's receptors while simultaneously disrupting its mechanism, converting it from a single-path system to a parallel one.
In other words, he forced the trial to split.
While his teammates endured the second trial, he would confront the third. By the time they woke, they would already be miles ahead of any other group.
It was cheating, but Caine knew the Reapers wouldn't care. They likely expected such tactics from irregulars.
'Let's see...'
The silver fog dissipated, revealing a grand, empty hall illuminated by a small, floating white star.
Behind him, his teammates lay unconscious, while ahead, a figure began to form.
WHOOSH!
The figure solidified.
A tall, skeletal being, its body composed entirely of bones, stood before him. A black skull adorned with golden runes, it was unmistakably a Reaper.
Emerald flames flickered in its hollow eye sockets as a scythe of purple fire manifested in its right hand, and an hourglass appeared in its left.
Draped in a pitch-black robe, the Reaper exuded both eerie and majestic power as it locked eyes with Caine, who had already conjured a spear of white mist.
"An Irregular. I see." The Reaper's voice was a cacophony of a thousand screams, fused into one demonic echo.
"The third trial, the Trial of Reflection, is me. A Reaper. To pass, you must kill me. But since you've broken the rules…"
A golden crown of fire suddenly ignited atop the Reaper's skull.
"…I've been granted more power."
The hourglass in its left hand shattered into a swarm of runes that quickly merged with its bones, amplifying its strength until its mere presence made the air tremble.
Caine imperceptibly nodded, his expression turning cold. He slowly removed his upper tunic, revealing a tight, black shirt that hugged his toned, muscular physique.
He tossed his tunic into the air. The Reaper's gaze followed it, only to widen as—
BOOM!
The tunic exploded into a swarm of runes, mirroring the ones from the hourglass. The runes interlocked, forming dozens of colorful spell circles that instantly vanished.
The Reaper roared and took a step forward, but as it did, a spell circle appeared above its head, freezing it in place.
[Freeze.]
The Reaper's shock was palpable as Caine appeared before it, his spear viciously cutting down toward its chest, leaving a trail of starry silver energy in its wake.
In the last ten years, beyond searching for clues, Caine had devoted himself to rigorous training. One area he had focused on intensely was mastering qi, the energy cultivators used to ascend and evolve.
At the start of the first trial, he had barely been a novice in qi manipulation. But now...