Chapter 2 – The Second Floor
As Kairo stepped through the glowing gateway, a strange sensation washed over him. It was like being pulled through a tunnel of light—weightless, yet aware of every inch of movement. His body tingled as if he were passing through a veil between worlds.
Then, everything snapped back into focus.
He was standing in a vast chamber, much larger than the first floor's circular arena. Towering stone pillars stretched toward an unseen ceiling, their surfaces carved with glowing symbols that pulsed faintly. The air was heavy, filled with an eerie silence, and unlike the previous floor, there was no immediate enemy in sight.
A new message appeared before him.
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[Second Floor: The Path of Knowledge]
[Objective: Solve the Trial's Riddle to Proceed]
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Kairo exhaled slowly, his heart still pounding from the fight with the Ravager Hound.
"A riddle?" he muttered, his voice echoing softly in the vast chamber. "I was expecting another fight…"
Before he could dwell on it, a second status screen materialized in front of him, showing his updated stats.
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[Name: Kairo]
[Level: 1]
[Strength: 5]
[Agility: 6]
[Endurance: 4]
[Skills: None]
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Still no skills. That was worrying. If this was a trial where he had to get stronger, he needed more than just brute force.
For now, he focused on his surroundings.
The chamber had three paths leading forward, each framed by massive stone doorways. Above each doorway, strange symbols glowed faintly, shifting and rearranging as if alive. In the center of the chamber, floating in midair, was a stone tablet inscribed with ancient-looking text.
Kairo approached cautiously. As soon as he got close, the tablet flared with light, and words formed in the air before him.
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"Three paths stand before you. One leads to wisdom, one to peril, and one to death. Choose wisely."
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Kairo frowned. "That's it? No hints?"
His eyes flicked back to the three doors. The symbols above them continued to shift, forming strange patterns. Something about them seemed off, but he couldn't tell what.
This was different from the first floor. There was no enemy to fight, no clear objective beyond the riddle itself.
It was a test of observation and logic, not brute strength.
Taking a deep breath, he examined the symbols carefully. At first, they appeared random, but as he stared longer, he noticed something.
One of the doors had symbols that matched those on the stone pillars around the room. The other two had completely different patterns.
"Could that be the answer?" he wondered aloud.
He took a step closer to the matching doorway. The moment he did, the symbols glowed brighter, as if acknowledging his choice.
He hesitated. If he was wrong, he could walk straight into a trap or worse—death.
Kairo glanced at the other two doors. No indication, no warnings.
He clenched his fists.
"Only one way to find out."
With a deep breath, he stepped through the doorway.
The moment his foot crossed the threshold, the symbols flared with golden light, and a new message appeared.
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[Correct Choice. Proceed to the Next Floor.]
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Kairo barely had time to react before the world shifted again.
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The Truth Behind the Trial
When he opened his eyes, he wasn't on the third floor yet.
Instead, he stood in a massive void, surrounded by swirling blue energy. It felt like he was standing within the fabric of space itself.
A new message appeared, but this time, it was different. Instead of floating in the air, the words formed directly in his mind.
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[You have made the correct choice, proving your ability to think beyond instinct.]
[The Infinite Trial is not merely a test of strength but of knowledge, wisdom, and willpower.]
[Those who rely on brute force alone will not reach the final floor.]
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Kairo's breath hitched. This was more than just some random challenge.
The Trial was testing every part of him—not just his ability to fight but his intelligence, adaptability, and survival instincts.
He clenched his fists.
"If I want to make it to the top… I need to be more than just strong. I need to be smart, too."
The energy around him shifted, and before he could react, he was pulled forward once more, heading straight toward the third floor.
And this time, he knew—the real challenges were only beginning.
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End of Chapter 2
To be continued-