The stone sentinels lay in crumbled heaps, their glowing runes flickering before fading into darkness. The air in the chamber grew still, yet there was no sense of relief. Instead, something far more unsettling settled in—the feeling of being watched.
Luther stretched, rolling his shoulders with a smirk. "Well, that was a nice warm-up. What's next?"
Reynard didn't answer. His eyes were locked on the latest Legacy System alert hovering in his vision.
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LEGACY SYSTEM ALERT
New Variable Identified.
Name: Orin Lumis
Threat Level: Unknown
Observation Recommended.
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His fingers twitched against the hilt of his sword. Orin Lumis? The weakest student in Class A. The one barely worth remembering.
Why would my system suddenly mark Orin as a variable?
The Legacy System had always been a guide, analyzing threats and opportunities to maximize his survival and growth. But this was the first time it had drawn his attention to someone so insignificant.
"You're distracted," Selene's voice pulled him from his thoughts.
He turned to her, masking his unease. "I'm fine."
Selene's silver eyes lingered on him for a second too long. She didn't believe him, but she let it drop.
"Then let's keep moving," Darius said, adjusting his grip on his claymore. "The labyrinth isn't done with us yet."
---
The walls trembled faintly, as if the labyrinth itself was shifting. A low hum filled the air, and the runes that lined the chamber's entrance flickered ominously.
"This place never lets us rest, does it?" Amara muttered, flipping her spear in her hands.
Darius exhaled, muscles still tense from the last fight. "We should move. If the labyrinth is shifting, it means it's guiding us somewhere."
"Guiding, huh?" Luther's grin widened. "That's one way to put it. I'd say it's setting up another death trap."
Reynard didn't respond immediately. Instead, he focused on the entrance ahead. The hallway beyond was darker than the others they had passed through, the glow of the runes dimming the further the corridor stretched.
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LEGACY SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
Upcoming Danger: High Probability.
Environmental Shift Detected.
Core Difficulty Increasing.
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The system had given plenty of warnings before, but this one felt… different.
"Stay sharp," Reynard said. "Something is waiting for us."
No one questioned him. They followed, stepping cautiously into the corridor.
---
The deeper they ventured, the thicker the air became. It wasn't the suffocating humidity of a normal enclosed space. It was something unnatural, as if the very space they occupied was being warped.
Selene whispered a soft chant under her breath, fingers glowing with a faint blue hue.
"This silence isn't normal," she muttered. "Even the labyrinth's magic feels… off."
Darius narrowed his eyes. "It's too quiet."
Luther slowed his pace, his usual playful expression hardening. "You feel that?"
Reynard did.
A creeping sensation—like an invisible force watching them. Measuring them.
His Legacy System flared with another notification.
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LEGACY SYSTEM ALERT
New Variable Detected.
Identifying…
Threat Level: Undetermined.
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Reynard's grip tightened on his sword. First Orin, and now this?
Before he could react, the darkness shifted.
A flickering light ignited ahead, illuminating a massive chamber unlike any they had encountered before.
Towering spires of stone loomed over them, and at the far end of the room stood a colossal archway, its frame pulsing with energy.
But what drew their attention wasn't the archway.
It was the figure standing before it.
---
The figure was clad in deep violet robes, their hood obscuring their face. Though they made no sound, an overwhelming pressure radiated from them—an aura of something beyond comprehension.
The moment Reynard laid eyes on them, his Legacy System reacted violently.
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LEGACY SYSTEM
Unknown Entity Detected.
Threat Level: EXTREMELY HIGH.
Immediate Retreat Recommended.
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Reynard froze.
His system had never issued an immediate retreat warning before.
The stranger finally moved.
A slow, deliberate tilt of the head—as if studying him.
Then, they spoke.
"You are not the one."
Their voice was wrong—layered, as if thousands of voices spoke at once.
Reynard's instincts screamed at him. He activated Ignition Slash, flames roaring along his blade.
"Who are you?"
The figure didn't answer. Instead, they vanished.
No movement. No sound. Just—gone.
Reynard's instincts flared—too late.
A burst of pure force struck him square in the chest.
The impact wasn't physical.
It wasn't magic.
It was something deeper.
Reynard's entire body was thrown backward, crashing into the ground.
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LEGACY SYSTEM
Critical Damage Sustained.
Entity Analysis Failed.
Unknown Force Detected.
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He gasped, pain flaring through his ribs. His teammates reacted instantly.
Darius charged. His claymore glowed, ready to strike.
The figure didn't move.
Darius's blade passed through them.
"What?!" Darius stumbled forward, thrown off balance.
Amara lunged, her spear igniting with flame. She aimed for the figure's core—
And missed.
The stranger wasn't there.
Selene threw up a barrier, eyes widening. "They aren't fighting normally."
Luther's daggers sliced through the air. They hit nothing.
The stranger slowly raised their hand.
Reynard saw black tendrils stretch outward—toward them all.
---
"Move!" Reynard shouted, forcing himself to his feet. His body protested, but he ignored the pain.
The moment the stranger's hand fully lowered, the entire chamber trembled.
The ground shattered beneath them.
A deafening roar filled the air as the very fabric of the labyrinth twisted.
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LEGACY SYSTEM
Labyrinth Structure Unstable.
Dimensional Shift in Progress.
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The stone beneath them vanished.
Gravity failed.
They fell.
---
Wind howled past Reynard's ears as he plummeted through a swirling void of shifting colors. His teammates' voices were lost in the chaos.
The world around them bent and twisted, as if they had been thrown beyond reality itself.
His Legacy System struggled to function, flashing distorted text.
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LEGACY SYSTEM ERROR
Location: UNKNOWN.
Time Distortion Detected.
Entity Remains Unanalyzed.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
This is impossible.
Reynard never lost control.
Yet, as he fell through the abyss, one truth settled deep in his bones.
This was far beyond him.
And for the first time in his life, his Legacy System didn't have an answer.