The deeper they ventured, the colder it became.
Cael's breath steamed in the air as he pressed his hand against the rough, rune-marked wall. The tunnel narrowed, swallowing them into a silence that even footsteps dared not disturb. The Trial of Dominion was no simple test—it was a descent into the very marrow of ancient war.
Behind him, Mira clicked her tongue. "You sure this is the path? The air's thick. Like... old death."
"It's meant to suffocate us," Cael replied. "The pressure's part of the trial."
"Cute."
Another archway yawned open ahead, revealing a chamber lit by blue flame sconces. Unlike the arena from Phase One, this room bore no platforms or elevation. It was a level floor of old stone and bone-dust. Carvings lined the walls—scenes of war, of kings being torn from thrones and stabbed by their own men.
And in the center stood a single sarcophagus.
Crimson symbols pulsed on its surface. Before Cael could take a step—
[==== SYSTEM NOTICE: BEGIN ====]
Phase Two Initiated: Blades of the Dead
Objective: Defeat the Blade-Saints of Zar'Kel
Enemies Deployed: 3 Elite Echoes
Hazards: Illusory Clones, Displacement Glyphs
Unlock Condition: Seal Two of Six
Reward: Skill Shard – "Feintbreaker" (Tier I)
[==== SYSTEM NOTICE: END ====]
Three echoes shimmered into view, forming from spectral flame.
They weren't like the Forsworn. These weren't failed warriors. These were champions. Each wore ceremonial armor etched with divine etchings. Their eyes glowed with malice, but it was their blades—serrated, humming with an unnatural frequency—that made Cael's breath catch.
"They're echoes of generals," he muttered.
"You think we can kill a memory?"
"Only if we move like it's real."
The figures stepped forward in perfect unison. The moment Cael read their movement pattern, the floor lit beneath his feet—glyphs activating. The echoes blurred.
[==== SYSTEM NOTICE: BEGIN ====]
Combat Enhancement Triggered: Displacement Glyphs
Effect: Position of enemy units randomly shifts every 12 seconds
Counter Strategy: Anchor-point combat or force-trigger displacement
[==== SYSTEM NOTICE: END ====]
Mira lunged at the first echo. It shimmered—disappeared—and reappeared behind her.
"Left—your flank!" Cael shouted, dashing in.
He tackled the echo, locking its blade mid-swing, barely keeping his footing as the glyphs surged again. Another warrior blurred beside him—thrusting low. Cael pivoted, using the weight of the echo to roll across the chamber floor, slashing upward as he went.
One down. Maybe.
The echo dissipated into smoke—only to reform two paces behind.
"They regenerate," Mira growled. "Or at least reset."
"No," Cael said, watching the flicker in its form. "They copy—then shatter."
"Which means?"
"We break the original."
His gaze snapped to the sarcophagus.
The real body. The anchor.
---
The battle shifted.
Mira distracted the echoes, weaving between glyphs and slashing at illusions. Cael sprinted toward the central sarcophagus. Glyphs burned beneath his feet, warping the space around him—but his newly awakened Battle Instincts flared.
The path to the heart revealed itself—half-seconds of opportunity threading between enemy moves. He slammed his blade into the sarcophagus seal.
The runes cracked. The echoes screeched.
[==== SYSTEM NOTICE: BEGIN ====]
Combat Anchor Disrupted
Enemy Clones Destabilizing
Warning: Final Echo entering Phase II
[==== SYSTEM NOTICE: END ====]
The last echo—twice as large as the others—descended from the shadows.
Its body wore a cracked helm. Its blade was not a memory—it was real, humming with power. Cael's system whispered its name into his mind.
General Kar The Betrayer.
The echo charged.
Cael didn't block. He ducked under the swing, rolled, then caught the blade with his own—sliding along its edge and jamming the pommel into the echo's exposed throat.
It shimmered—but did not fall.
Instead, it laughed.
The glyph beneath it changed color.
"Cael!" Mira shouted. "It's going to—"
BOOM.
The echo detonated in a controlled explosion, sending Cael flying back into the wall. Dust fell from the ceiling. The runes flared—
And then fell still.
[==== SYSTEM NOTICE: BEGIN ====]
Phase Two: Complete
Skill Shard Acquired: "Feintbreaker" (Tier I)
Effect: Nullifies deceptive movements or illusory attacks within 2 seconds of trigger
Seal Two of Six – Lifted
[==== SYSTEM NOTICE: END ====]
Cael groaned, pushing himself upright. "I'm really starting to hate these trials."
Mira limped over, a fresh cut on her leg. "You and me both."
"But..." he paused, his hand clenched around the shard that pulsed in his palm, "we're getting stronger."
"Yeah. That's what worries me."
They stood in silence as the chamber's flame slowly dimmed. One more step closer to whatever throne sat at the end of this crypt. One more trial survived. But even as Cael smiled faintly, he felt the presence of something deeper watching them.
Something that didn't test.
Something that judged.