Alden descended the dark passage with measured steps, feeling the cold, damp air grow heavier around him. His pulse thudded in his ears, and each footstep against the stone sounded unnervingly loud. The corridor led him deeper, and every so often a faint pulse of bluish light shimmered along the walls, revealing half-formed runes and crude carvings. He reminded himself that this was likely the final stage of Ymir's labyrinth, a place few had ever reached. The presence of battered relics and abandoned satchels had proven that not all who came this far had managed to leave. Yet he pressed on, carrying the new artifact, Remnant of the Forgotten, that the robed spirit had granted him.
He recalled the last words that specter had spoken: The labyrinth would either grant or take. It was a stark reminder that a final challenge awaited. Though he had chosen the Path of Aegis, he had no illusions about its power guaranteeing success. Adaptive Will still burned inside his chest, and Arc Surge was ready to rouse at his command, but he had felt how draining it could be if pushed too far. The battered scars on his shoulder and ribs were evidence that raw determination had its limits. Even so, a spark of confidence glimmered in him, fueled by everything he had overcome since stepping into the hidden gateway outside Sunder's Crossing.
He came upon a small alcove branching from the main corridor, no more than a crumbling archway. Flickers of pale light shone on the edges of broken shards scattered across the floor. He paused to examine them, crouching low, mindful of any trap. One shard depicted a fragment of a carving: a robed figure facing a monstrous beast that towered above it. The figure's arms were raised, arcs of energy swirling from its palms. Alden inhaled sharply. Was this yet another record of someone confronting the labyrinth in the past? His mind returned to the mosaic in the hall above, where the figure had channeled lightning from a fractured sky. Perhaps these images all told parts of one long tale, a story that preceded his arrival by centuries or even longer.
He moved on, for there was no point lingering with so many unknowns still ahead. The corridor widened, the floor sloping downward until it finally opened into a massive chamber. A gentle radiance emanated from runic crystals embedded in the ceiling. Long shadows stretched across the ground, intersecting in odd patterns that made the space feel twisted. He could not see the far end of the room, which dissolved into dimness. Stone pillars lined each side, their surfaces carved with intricate spirals. Some of those spirals glowed with a soft bluish gleam, while others were dark, as if unfinished.
He took careful steps inside. As soon as he moved past the threshold, a ripple of pressure moved through the chamber, causing the crystals overhead to brighten. A low hum, deeper and more resonant than any he had heard before, settled into his bones. The runes on the pillars shimmered, each sequence lighting up in a different pattern. He recognized none of the scripts. Their complexity far exceeded the basic glyphs he had seen throughout the labyrinth.
Adaptive Will stirred in his chest, sharpening his focus. Alden kept his sword in a loose grip, ready to channel Arc Surge at the slightest threat. He advanced toward the center of the chamber, scanning every pillar, every arch of stone overhead, alert to illusions. The robed specter had mentioned illusions feeding on regrets and guilt, and he felt certain that had only been the beginning. Now, the labyrinth would unleash its greatest challenge.
A faint motion at the far edge of his vision drew his gaze. Something dark and shapeless glided between two pillars, too quick to see clearly. He froze, heart pounding. The swirl of energy in his arms flared, sending tiny sparks around his fingertips. Another shape darted across a gap in the pillars to his right, vanishing the moment he tried to fix his sight on it. His breaths came faster. Were these illusions or living entities formed from the labyrinth's power?
He attempted a calm approach, moving toward the center where a platform of gleaming basalt rose from the floor. Its surface had the reflective sheen of polished obsidian, except for a faint symbol carved into its center, a symbol that glowed with a silvery hue. He recognized the serpent and tower crest from before, but now it was more elaborately rendered, as if each scale of the serpent was detailed and each stone of the tower had a distinct pattern.
He set his foot on the edge of the platform. A wave of force rolled outward, causing the pillars to flash in sequence. In the flickering brilliance, he saw them now: dark shapes skittering around the chamber's perimeter, some crawling on the walls, others balancing on the sides of pillars. They had no definitive form, only shifting outlines that resembled predatory beasts. Alden swallowed hard and braced himself as these shapes began to converge.
Arc Surge sparked at his command, gold tinted energy dancing along his arms and coiling around his sword. He conjured a faint shield of swirling power in front of him, a trait of Aegis that he had just begun to explore. Yet he was not sure if this protective field could hold against a horde of unknown creations. Then the shapes moved into the light, revealing elongated limbs, jointed in ways that defied normal anatomy. Their heads, or what passed for heads, twisted with random angles. Through the swirl of darkness, he glimpsed glowing red orbs that might have been eyes, yet they looked more like holes in the shifting mass.
One of them lunged forward, clearing half the chamber in a single bound. Alden reacted on instinct, thrusting his arms out, letting Arc Surge intensify around the shield. The creature slammed against it with a wet crunching sound, rearing back with a hiss that echoed through the space. Alden felt the blow vibrate through his wrists, but the shield held.
Another shape darted in from the side, and he spun to meet it. He slashed his sword, arcs of energy sparking off the blade. The tip connected with the writhing mass, but it was like cutting into thick mud. Still, a shriek tore through the air, and the shape recoiled. Several more advanced, undeterred by the failure of the first two. They swirled around him in a chaotic dance, probing for weak spots, sometimes vanishing behind pillars only to reappear from unexpected angles.
He realized then that these creatures did not behave like ordinary beasts. They moved with unsettling coordination, each adjusting to his attacks and defenses in real time. Whenever one took damage from his sword or shield, the others adapted, flanking him more efficiently. He had the uneasy feeling that the labyrinth itself was directing them, testing not just his martial skill but also his capacity to endure under relentless assault.
He invoked Adaptive Will to calm his nerves, letting its effect sharpen his senses and bolster his courage. Then he focused on merging that clarity with Arc Surge, searching for a way to strike at the creatures more decisively. His first slash had felt like cutting into half solid darkness, which suggested they might not be illusions but rather constructs of the labyrinth's energy. Perhaps if he poured more energy from Aegis into his sword, he could destabilize them.
He gathered a surge of gold tinted lightning, channeling it through his arms until the blade in his hand glowed with a fierce aura. Two of the shapes pounced on him simultaneously from different directions, black limbs twisting to swipe at his legs and torso. At the last instant he whirled, slamming his blade into the first creature and swinging a crackling shield arm into the second. The combined arcs of energy erupted on contact, bright enough to force him to squint. He heard a strangled scream, felt a rush of searing heat, and smelled something like scorched rock. When the light subsided, the two creatures were writhing on the ground, their forms breaking apart into clumps of black matter that dissolved into smoky wisps.
The other shapes paused, as if measuring his newfound tactic. Then five of them came at once, bounding and twisting around one another in a dizzying formation. Alden cursed under his breath, barely managing to interpose his shield in time to block a blow aimed at his left flank. Another shape clawed at his back, ripping through fabric and scoring a shallow slash across his skin. Pain jolted him, and he nearly stumbled, but he poured more energy into his next strike, trying to keep them at bay. His sword lanced out, guided by a combination of survival instinct and practiced skill. One creature howled, staggered, and burst apart, but the others closed in from multiple sides, forcing him to retreat to the center of the platform.
His arms trembled from exertion. He was used to short bursts of Arc Surge, not sustaining it for so long, and the labyrinth's malevolent presence only heightened his fatigue. Gritting his teeth, he reminded himself that he had the Rune of Clarity and the Remnant of the Forgotten to offset illusions and cunning traps. Though these constructs seemed physically real, it was possible their essence relied on draining a victim's will or exploiting fear. The note he had found suggested that illusions could be devastating here, and indeed, the labyrinth might combine illusions with these monstrosities at any moment.
He paused, scanning the chamber for any sign of that mental assault. The shapes prowled in the darkness beyond the glow of the crystals, occasionally flashing their red orbs in the gloom. For the moment, they seemed to be regrouping. Alden realized this was his chance to catch his breath and consider a strategy. If these creatures were truly connected to the labyrinth's will, perhaps a decisive attack on the center of the chamber, where the serpent and tower crest was carved, could disrupt them all.
The platform under his feet pulsed with a faint silvery glow, an answer to his unspoken thought. He looked down and saw the crest shining. A ring of runic letters circled the crest, and though he could not read them, he felt a pull at the edge of his mind, urging him to channel his power into that spot. Even so, he hesitated. The labyrinth had proven it was never straightforward. This could be a trap as easily as a salvation.
Before he could make a decision, two more shapes burst from the shadows, forcing him into combat again. He parried a series of vicious swipes, feeling the sting of another shallow cut on his forearm. The creatures were relentless, their claws and limbs lashing at him with terrifying speed. He blasted one with a full charge of Arc Surge, blasting it apart, but that surge left him winded. The next creature capitalized on his moment of weakness, swinging a misshapen limb that knocked him to one knee. He only survived because the swirl of Aegis he managed to conjure deflected enough of the force to save his ribs from shattering.
Pain danced across his body, but he forced himself to stand. Gasping for air, he eyed the platform's crest with growing desperation. If he stayed in this fight, battered as he was, the labyrinth's guardians would wear him down. Better to risk a final gambit. He feigned a defensive stance, luring two of the creatures closer, then dodged aside and dashed for the center of the crest. They howled, bounding after him, but he dropped to one knee and slammed both palms against the glowing symbol, willing all the power in his veins to flow through him.
Lightning coursed along his arms, golden arcs weaving with a sudden bright glow that rose from the runes on the platform. The crest flashed, intensifying until it felt like holding a sun in his hands. He screamed, equal parts determination and agony, as the power flooded his body. The swirling guardians lunged, trying to tear him away, but were blown back by a wave of light that expanded outward. The entire chamber trembled. Pillars shook, sending dust and debris raining down.
For an instant, Alden thought the pillars or ceiling would collapse on him. Yet instead of stones falling, arcs of luminous energy crackled from each pillar, converging on the platform. He felt a colossal presence bearing down on his thoughts, testing the purity of his resolve. Memories threatened to surge forward: his inability to save someone he loved, his shame at being too weak in his youth, the illusions that haunted him in the labyrinth. Yet the Rune of Clarity and the Remnant of the Forgotten shielded him from the worst of it, and he forced Adaptive Will to brace his mind against any wave of despair.
He held on, channeling everything he had into the crest, letting the labyrinth see the vow that had brought him this far. The swirling guardians shrieked, dissolving into thick clouds that spiraled above the platform, thrashing as though in the throes of pain. The roiling darkness condensed into one massive form, a final monstrous shape that towered over him, contorting with multiple heads and limbs in constant flux. Crimson lights glowed in several spots across its twisted body. Alden's arms shook under the strain, arcs of golden electricity lashing out in erratic bursts, colliding with that newly formed abomination.
It roared, unleashing a shockwave of dark energy that nearly knocked him flat. He staggered to keep his hands pressed to the crest. With no other choice, he poured every drop of Arc Surge he could muster into a single all-consuming wave. Aegis flared around him, forming a protective field that extended outward like a sphere. The monstrous shape lunged, its outstretched limbs colliding with the shining barrier. Furious lights sparked along the boundary, pulsing with energy that threatened to break his concentration. Gritting his teeth, Alden willed his barrier to hold, to push back the abomination that was fueled by the labyrinth's final fury.
His vision blurred with tears of strain. His muscles burned as though he had sprinted for days without stopping. The monstrous figure pressed closer, crack after crack forming in the swirling gold and violet shield. Each fissure in the barrier sent a spike of pain through him, a feedback surge that scorched his nerves. He roared, refusing to let go. This was the labyrinth's last stand, the final measure of whether he deserved to walk away with what he had learned, or whether he would be reduced to another set of footprints leading nowhere.
Then, in a last burst of clarity, he remembered the Remnant of the Forgotten. He reached inward, tapping that quiet point of warmth in his chest. It responded, blending with the Rune of Clarity and his own unwavering desire to protect. A surge of calm conviction enveloped him, an absolute certainty that his regrets would not determine his future. The abomination howled in rage as new cracks of light formed in its massive body, as if the synergy of his artifacts and personal power had begun to tear it apart from within.
He threw his head back, letting out one final shout, and unleashed all that energy in a single pulse. A thunderous blast rocked the chamber, forcing him to close his eyes against the blinding flare. He could feel the swirling darkness around him fracture and spin off in all directions, shrieking into oblivion. The weight on his body lifted, the pillars stopped shaking, and a hush descended over the space.
When he opened his eyes, the monstrous shape was gone. The runes on the platform dimmed, leaving only faint glimmers of light overhead. Alden collapsed to his hands and knees, sweat pouring off him in streams. His chest felt hollowed out from the strain of holding that shield and channeling so much raw energy. Every breath rattled in his lungs, and he tasted blood on his lip from where he had bitten down to keep from screaming.
Yet he was alive, still breathing, and the labyrinth around him had fallen silent. The platform's crest gave off a gentle glow as though in acknowledgment. Slowly, gingerly, he pushed himself upright, trembling from head to toe. The labyrinth's final manifestation had tested every ounce of his resolve, but it had not broken him. He wiped at the blood on his lip and scanned the chamber for any sign of renewed attacks.
Nothing moved among the pillars. Dust hung in the air, glinting in the softened glow of the crystals. A path revealed itself at the far end of the chamber, a wide arch that had been hidden behind the darkness. Light, bright enough to be genuine sunlight, spilled through the arch. The sight sent a thrill through him. Sunlight had never been seen in any corner of this labyrinth, so the possibility of a true exit felt surreal.
He took an unsteady step toward the arch. A flicker of movement in the corner of his eye made him pause, but it was only a swirl of leftover energy dissolving into the air. With a final sigh, he steeled himself and limped across the chamber. His wounds stung, and exhaustion threatened to drag him down with each step, but the promise of escape gave him the strength to keep moving.
As he neared the arch, he heard a soft chiming in his mind. DING. A final prompt glowed in his vision, the System acknowledging his victory.
Trial Stage Completed
Remaining Authority Granted
+1 Level
A wave of faint warmth passed through him, knitting some of his minor cuts and easing the throbbing in his ribs, though not enough to erase the deeper bruises. He let out a tired laugh, shaky and strained, but a laugh nonetheless. This labyrinth, which had challenged him to the brink, had recognized his perseverance at last.
He passed through the arch, and the crisp radiance nearly blinded him. There was no telling what lay beyond. Perhaps a new domain or a transitional gateway, or some antechamber that would lead him to the rumored Tower. Regardless, this step marked the end of his harrowing ordeal within Ymir's labyrinth, a place once deemed impossible. The knowledge that so many before him had perished or vanished weighed heavily on his heart, but he also felt a sense of pride. He had not merely survived; he had grown.
With each step into that bright corridor, the old gloom of the labyrinth fell away. He clutched his sword, arcs of dormant electricity still clinging to the metal. Adaptive Will hummed in his chest, and he wondered just how far he could push himself when faced with future trials. He carried the Rune of Clarity, Remnant of the Forgotten, and the quiet, steady current of Aegis. His vow to protect others, to never again stand powerless while those he cared about suffered, was stronger than ever.
At the end of the illuminated passage, he saw a swirling haze that reminded him of the gates connecting each stage of the Trial. This one shimmered like water in sunlight. Alden took a final moment to catch his breath, letting the adrenaline subside enough for him to think. He recalled glimpses of the illusions that tried to break him, the monstrous Guardian at the labyrinth's beginning, the insects that nearly took his life, and the battered relics left behind by unknown challengers. Each memory proved he was not the same person who had started this journey.
He held on to that thought as he stepped forward. Whatever lay in store—whether it was a place of respite, a new tower, or a deeper labyrinth—he was ready to face it, not alone, but supported by the lessons and growth he had earned. His next challenge would undoubtedly dwarf what he had just endured. Yet he had confidence that no matter how daunting the Trials became, he would fight on with unwavering resolve.
He walked into the shimmering gateway, heart pounding one last time for the labyrinth that had tested him so brutally. The brilliance enveloped him, and in that instant he felt a profound shift, as though the labyrinth were releasing its grip on his spirit. Then, in a surge of weightless motion, he vanished from the silent chamber, leaving behind only footprints in the dust and the lingering promise that, at least for this Trial, he had proven himself worthy of moving forward.