"Hold on, Arvian," Jaxyn shouted, pulling him up with all his strength until Arvian collapsed on the solid ground.
Huff! Huff! Huff!
Arvian took a moment to catch his breath and stood still. He turned at last to look at the section ahead, and his keen eyes picked up on something strange. Certain stones on the ground were appearing for a moment and then disappearing again. These stones appeared to create a temporary walkway, but they vanished too soon for a safe crossing.
'This section isn't about speed; it's testing intellect. There's got to be a pattern or a trick to it...' Arvian thought, his mind racing.
"How do we get across, Arvian?" Jaxyn asked, his voice laced with concern.
Arvian didn't reply immediately. Instead, his gaze drifted to the surrounding walls. There, near the top, crystals embedded in the concrete appeared to rise and fall in sync with the stones on the ground.
'Five stones, five crystals... They're connected. That's it!'
Without a second thought, Arvian pulled the Celestial Chain from his system inventory.
Jaxyn's eyes widened in shock. "How did—"
"No time for questions now," Arvian interrupted his voice firm.
Arvian focused hard, following the crystals as they rose. As one crystal rose higher, he vanished the chain and made it reappear, wrapping tightly around the crystal's base.
"Jaxyn, as soon as I shout 'go,' use the stones to cross!"
Jaxyn hesitated for a moment, confused but trusting. "Got it."
The crystal Arvian targeted began to sink back into the wall. Arvian gritted his teeth and gripped the chain tightly, pulling as hard as he could to keep it in place.
"Go!" he yelled, veins bulging in his arms as he fought against the crystal's movement.
Jaxyn didn't waste a second. His movements were precisely timed to the passing appearances of the stones, and he rushed onto them with lightning-fast reflexes.
As though attempting to escape, the crystal started to vibrate violently in defiance of Arvian's pull. Arvian's hands burned from the strain of holding the chain, and sweat trickled down his face.
"Come on... just a little longer!" Arvian growled, his muscles trembling as he maintained his grip.
Just as the stones started to disappear, Jaxyn crossed, his feet firmly landing on the other side. Arvian watched him with relief, but now a new problem rose: Arvian still had to cross, and there was no one left to hold the chain.
'Dang....How am I going to cross it....think....think!'
'Wait, I can make this work... there has to be a way.' Arvian's thoughts raced as he searched for a solution.
An idea suddenly clicked in his mind.
Without wasting any time, Arvian tightened his grip on the chain. He concentrated, pulling the length of it into his system and causing it to disappear for a moment. It reappeared right in front of Jaxyn, hovering in the air just within his reach.
"Jaxyn! Grab the chain!" Arvian shouted, his voice urgent.
Jaxyn quickly grabbed it, and with the chain securely in his hands, Arvian was able to cross to the other side by stepping carefully on the stones.
Likewise, they passed through the easier sections—some elemental challenges, some puzzles—and easily crossed them. But as they reached the final section, they saw a professor waiting for them.
In front of them, a series of swirling rectangular energy fields stretched out, each one spaced apart from the others.
The professor spoke, breaking the silence.
"Congratulations on crossing the paths. Without wasting any more time, let me explain the last part of the stage. For this final part, you will have to fight monsters alone. If you defeat them, you will pass the first stage. These monsters are illusions, though. If you get injured or 'die' in the fight, you won't actually die, but you may feel pain."
"Both of you, come forward, choose the weapons and stand in these rectangular energy fields," the professor instructed.
Arvian noticed the weapons around—chains, swords, axes, hammers—and wondered if he could use the system during the fight. I shouldn't take the risk, he thought.
He chose a long chain and a sharp axe, while Jaxyn picked just a sword.
Then both of them looked at each other and yelled at the same time.
"Good luck Shitty Arvian!.."
"Good luck Muffin Kingg!.."
Then, they stepped into the rectangular energy fields.
Everything turned black as soon as they were inside the energy , and Arvian felt his consciousness ebbing away.
When he regained his senses, the blackness faded, revealing a dangerous, smoky landscape.
The ground was scorched, trees twisted and burned, and it felt like he was high up on a mountain under the night sky.
The first thing he tried was to check the system, but no screen appeared.
'So I can't use the system…'
Obviously, how could he use the system in an illusion? It felt just like a dream—how could he expect it to work here?
Arvian looked ahead; there was a half-burned tree, and it seemed like the ground dropped off into nothingness.
He cautiously stepped toward the edge.
When he reached it and looked down, all he could see was deep darkness. It was as though he was standing on top of a mountain in the sky, with an endless abyss below.
The air was suddenly filled with a thunderous roar that made Arvian's spine tingle. When he turned, a tremendous energy started to rise and swirl from the ground where he had just been, and his eyes widened in shock.
Something grotesque started to form out of the whirling energy.
Arvian became aware of what was happening, and his heart began to race. "This... this must be the monster," he muttered under his breath.
The energy intensified, and with a burst, a shadowy figure emerged from the core of the swirling power. With its enormous, muscular body standing tall and powerful, the creature towered over him, its head strangely small and twisted. It had strong legs and well-built arms, but its head and neck appeared almost out of proportion to the rest of its body.
It held a gigantic sword in one hand, shining with evil energy, poised to attack. The creature's eyes, which glowed with a menacing, soul-piercing rage, fixed themselves on Arvian.
Arvian's throat tightened with breath. It felt oppressive to be around the monster, as if it were directly endangering his soul.