After their battle with the stone warriors, Malik, Walid, and Kenta proceeded through a narrow corridor leading to a spacious room illuminated by an unusual light. In the center of the room stood a man clad in a black robe adorned with golden engravings. His appearance exuded power and mystery.
"Welcome to the second floor. I am the guide for this floor, and my name is Armag," he said in a calm yet firm voice.
"A guide? What's your role?" Walid asked skeptically.
"My role is simple: to set the rules. Every floor has its own conditions, and those who fail to follow them are eliminated."
Kenta, with a sarcastic smile, said,
"And, of course, you're not going to tell us those rules easily, are you?"
"On the contrary, the rules are simple: ahead of you are three gates. Only one leads to the exit, while the other two are filled with traps. You can cooperate or face your fate alone. Also, two other teams are searching for the exit. The decision is yours."
After Armag left the room, the trio sat to discuss their plan.
"We have two choices: either confront the other teams or find the exit before they do," Malik said, eyeing the gates.
"I vote for combat. We might weaken the competitors before facing the traps," Walid said, inspecting his lightning arrows.
"But what if the gates aren't as they seem? Armag seemed extremely cryptic," Kenta added.
Malik firmly replied,
"We'll split the task. Walid, scout for traces of the other teams. Kenta and I will investigate the gates."
As Walid examined the surrounding paths, he heard footsteps approaching. A team of four emerged from the shadows.
"Looks like we've got competition," Walid said with a sly grin.
"Step aside, or you'll regret it," one of them said sharply.
"I'm not stepping aside, but I'll give you a chance to back off before things get messy," Walid replied, readying his arrows.
The battle began between Walid and the rival team while Malik and Kenta tried to figure out which gate was the correct one.
Scene Four: Kenta and Malik
Kenta stood in front of the first gate and said,
"This one looks promising. But I don't trust it."
Malik responded, placing his hand on the handle,
"We won't know until we try."
When Malik opened the door, a gust of cold air filled with tiny blades surged out, but Kenta was quick enough to close it.
"That's not the exit. Let's try the next one."
Walid fired his lightning arrows rapidly and accurately, throwing the rival team off balance. However, they didn't give up easily. One of them, a hulking man wielding a massive hammer, charged at Walid with incredible speed.
"You're quick, but can you handle this?" the man shouted as he attacked.
Walid skillfully dodged the strike and shot an arrow at the man's feet, causing him to lose his balance.
"I prefer fighting from a distance. Apologies," Walid said with a confident smile.
Kenta and Malik reached the third gate and were about to open it when Armag suddenly appeared.
"It seems you've found the exit, but can you open it?" Armag said with a cryptic smile.
"What do you mean?" Malik asked.
"Each gate requires a key, and the key is with one of the teams," Armag replied before vanishing.
Malik and Kenta joined Walid in the fight, realizing they needed to obtain the key.
Kenta, waving his sword, said,
"Why are things always so complicated?"
"I think that's part of the fun!" Walid responded, firing his arrows.
Malik, fighting alongside them, said firmly,
"Let's finish this quickly. The key is our priority."
After a long and grueling battle, they managed to defeat the rival team and obtain the key.
"That was exhausting," Kenta said, catching his breath.
"But we did it. Let's open the gate now," Malik said.
Using the key on the third gate, they opened it slowly, revealing a long staircase leading upward.
"Ready?" Malik asked.
"Always ready," Walid said with a grin, while Kenta added,
"Let's see what the next floor has in store for us."
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