Returning to Base
After their battle with the azure dragon, Malik, Walid, and Kenta made their way to the exit of the hall, carrying the blue bracelet they had obtained. They sat for a moment beside a stone statue at the end of the chamber.
"If this was just the first-floor test, what's waiting for us on the higher floors?" Walid asked, wiping sweat from his brow.
"Things are bound to get more complicated… but don't worry, we'll get through it," Kenta replied with a confident smile.
Malik, examining the bracelet, said calmly,
"This bracelet holds a strange energy. I feel it's more than just an ornament."
As they exited the chamber, they found the mysterious master sitting by the first-floor gate, as if waiting for them.
"You're late. Was the battle tough?" the master asked in a calm voice.
"Tough?! We almost died!" Walid exclaimed loudly.
"But we succeeded, and that's what matters," Kenta replied with a grin as he glanced at the master.
The master gestured toward the bracelet and said,
"This bracelet will grant you access to the second floor. But be cautious—the challenges ahead are not just battles."
In front of them stood a massive gate covered in strange engravings. It appeared to be made of an unknown material, glowing with a deep blue hue.
"Are we ready?" Malik asked, looking at the gate.
"Always ready!" Walid said with a forced grin, while Kenta replied seriously,
"Let's proceed, but carefully."
When Malik placed the bracelet on the engravings, the gate began to tremble and slowly opened, revealing a long, dark corridor.
As they walked through the corridor, strange sounds echoed around them. Kenta said in a playful tone,
"Is this part of the welcome? Because it feels like we're in a horror movie."
"If there are ghosts, I hope they go after Kenta first," Walid quipped with a sly grin.
"Oh, great, I can't believe I'm stuck with you two," Malik said in a tired tone.
At the end of the corridor, they found themselves in a large hall filled with statues. Suddenly, the statues began to move, transforming into stone warriors with glowing eyes.
"This isn't good…" Walid muttered as he readied his arrows.
Kenta raised his sword and said confidently,
"Alright, time to move! Malik, try to find their weakness."
The battle began, with the slow movements of the statues masking the strength of their strikes. It took the trio a long time to destroy the first statue, making them realize that this fight would be longer than expected.
Amid the fight, Walid tried to draw the statues' attention away from Malik and Kenta. He fired his lightning-infused arrows, which partially destroyed some of the statues.
"Don't overdo it, Walid!" Malik shouted.
"Don't worry, I'm fine!" Walid replied with a smile.
Kenta, fighting beside him, said,
"If you get hurt, you'll be the one carrying me later."
A Temporary Victory
After a long and grueling fight, the trio managed to destroy the statues. They sat on the ground, catching their breath.
"If this is just the beginning, I don't want to imagine what the third floor will be like," Walid said, looking up at the ceiling.
"But we survived, and that's what matters," Malik replied with a small smile.
Kenta added,
"Definitely, but I need a break before we move on."
…