Chapter 6: The Path of No Return
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Jihwan pressed forward, his fingers still gripping the dying torch. The flames flickered weakly, casting uncertain shadows against the narrow stone walls. The battle with the shadow creature had drained him, but he knew better than to stop now.
The arena wasn't just a test—it was a living entity, shifting and twisting with each completed challenge. There was no going back.
[System Notification: "Next trial initiated. Path of No Return activated."]
Jihwan frowned. The system's notifications were usually neutral, but something about the wording unsettled him. Path of No Return? That didn't sound like a regular challenge.
As he stepped forward, the stone beneath him trembled, and a heavy clang echoed through the passageway. Behind him, the entrance collapsed, leaving him no way back.
[System Notification: "Warning: You cannot turn back. Moving forward is the only option."]
His breath came slow and measured. No point panicking. He had expected something like this.
Still, a cold weight settled in his chest.
The corridor ahead stretched into darkness, lined with ancient carvings—symbols that pulsed faintly with blue light. Jihwan traced his fingers over one of them, feeling the strange energy radiating from within.
A puzzle? Or a trap?
Then, a whisper slithered through the silence.
At first, it was barely a sound—just the soft rustling of air. Then it grew, shifting into something unmistakable: words.
"Turn back."
"You should not be here."
"Your story ends now."
Jihwan's pulse quickened, but he didn't stop walking. The voices were an illusion, a trick designed to break his resolve.
"Nice try," he muttered under his breath.
But the whispers didn't fade. Instead, they changed.
"You are not the first."
"You will not be the last."
"All who walk this path disappear."
Jihwan's footsteps slowed. His mind, always calculating, latched onto those words.
Disappear?
[System Notification: "Unravel the truth of the Path of No Return. Time limit: 10 minutes."]
His breath hitched. A time limit? That was new.
The corridor stretched endlessly ahead, but the carvings on the walls—those glowing symbols—felt significant. He had ten minutes to figure out their meaning.
He placed a hand against one of the symbols. It pulsed brighter, as if responding to his touch. Then—
CRACK.
A section of the floor collapsed just ahead of him, revealing a bottomless void.
Jihwan jerked back just in time. One step further and he would have fallen.
So that's how people disappear.
This wasn't just a test of endurance. It was a trap designed to erase challengers.
His mind raced. The puzzle had to be linked to the symbols. But how?
Glancing at the walls, he noticed that some symbols were brighter than others. A pattern? He took another step, pressing his hand against the next glowing one.
Another crack sounded, but this time from behind him. The floor he had just been standing on vanished.
Jihwan's eyes narrowed. The only way forward is to follow the right sequence. One wrong step, and he'd fall into the abyss.
The whispers continued, but he ignored them. Step by step, he analyzed the pattern of glowing symbols, choosing only the ones that pulsed in a specific rhythm.
Five minutes left.
The corridor narrowed. The symbols grew fainter, harder to read.
Jihwan's breathing remained steady. He was almost there.
Three minutes left.
A final stretch. One last sequence.
The last set of symbols were different—no longer pulsing, but flickering chaotically. A deliberate deception. Jihwan hesitated, scanning the walls. There—on the ceiling—one last glowing mark.
Two minutes left.
With a sharp inhale, he reached up, pressing his palm against the ceiling's mark.
[System Notification: "Trial cleared. Path stabilized."]
The abyss sealed shut. The whispers faded. The corridor ahead solidified—no more illusions, no more traps.
Jihwan let out a slow breath.
Another challenge complete. But he knew better than to relax. This was only the beginning.
And the real trials had yet to start.
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End of Chapter 6