Chapter 15: Terror of the Maze Mirror
Lucian thought the maze would be the same has they continued to enter, he wanted to test his resolve when he entered this time.
The maze changed when they entered, the trio found themselves in a small weed filled garden. They looked at themselves with puzzlement, “is this what it means for an artifact to possess living characteristics? Reina asked in wonder.
Adam became abnormally quiet, Lucian immediately became on guard when he saw that something was not right. He silently condensed his energy in his legs ready to jump if needed.
Fighting a star and moon path warrior without preparation could be dangerous but he had an advantage due to his unique ability.
“Something is not right, the sun path as a characteristic of being able to resist illusions and mind abilities. This mirror can actually suppress this ability?”
He knew he was in an illusion straight away when he heard Reina’s question, when in an unfamiliar place, Reina always ensured the team maintained silence until she was sure they were not in danger.
He did not even think twice, his eyes became pure golden, reflecting a rising golden sun. He wanted to force himself out of the illusion.
Reina condensed ice around herself and part of the arena, her hands and face formed a mask with different symbols and patterns on it.
Lucian immediately became heavy, he wanted to sleep badly… “that is impossible, how can I have this feeling when we are both in the same rank.
Adam did not move but Lucian could feel an invisible pressure from his opponent, he could not move now, Reina suppressed him but it did not prevent him from trying to divide his spirit.
Starlit cloak formed around Adam’s body, he became very indistinct as if he was in a far away space.
Lucian could already tell he was in an illusion, he immediately divided his consciousness, he felt himself rise briefly just above an invisible crack in the air, before he could make sense of what was going on, he plummeted back downward.
His consciousness returned to him but he was no longer himself, his shadow tightened around his consciousness. The connection to his body was blocked.
At first he found it strange, he leapt to the side in order to avoid an ice spear that Reina threw to him.
He immediately knew why he found things strange when he looked at the side, another him was standing not far away from where he was.
At first, the body seemed to be weaved with shadows before the face and shape finally took form. This new Lucian that was made from his consciousness split turned an smiled at him, patterns of rising suns, burning void, flares, and a burning door with leading to unknown destinations appeared on his face.
Lucian did not wait to see what was going to happen next, he turned and ran… he knew that should this metamorphosis be complete, he would end up in big trouble.
“High level awakened become terrifying but at what level exactly, dell plane really has a lot of history, how can this level of artifacts be here yet the highest level we can attain is rank 5.
I hope they don’t catch up… I only need to survive long enough so I don’t end up experiencing a nightmare.”
Ahead of him, he could see the silhouette of two running figures, he raised his guards up but he knew it was Reina and Adam because they were the only ones who needed to run in this maze.
Reina nearly cursed when she saw Lucian, “dumb… you should have started running the moment you discovered something was amiss, don’t tell me you tried fighting?
Lucian could only smile helplessly, he couldn’t have guessed the maze bringing up this thrilling experience.
“I am in even more trouble, my consciousness has been split by this maze, I just hope it will return back to me.”
Adam merely glanced at him before he said, “we should avoid using our abilities while running… turning to Lucian, you are really reckless, your instincts seems to push you towards fighting, I think you should try using your splitting ability again, you should understand yourself better.”
Lucian was grateful for this reminder, the urge to escape made him temporarily forget that he needed to check his consciousness. He was born with this ability and he knew his limitations after repeated tests, he could only divide his attention into two.
He sank his mind into his spirit body while connecting to the outside world at the same time, he could immediately see everything that was going on around him, it was like his ability were never stripped away.
They reached a tunnel divided into three paths with permission for only one person.
They immediately stopped to assess their options… Reina tried to turn back to see what would happen, she only saw the shadow of a moon hanging in the sky while feeling paths of her thoughts being frozen.
“We can’t the turn back, we need to chose a path.”
Lucian did not wait for them, he leaped into a tunnel. He couldn’t help it, the call he was receiving from this tunnel was the intense.
Reina frowned at Lucian’s act, just as she wanted to jumped forward to stop him, she turned towards the tunnel in front of her with a pained expression. She felt like her other self was just at the end of the tunnel, she wanted to unite with this separated self.
Adam felt the same way, he did not bother resisting. He walked into the tunnel, his steps seems to show his expectancy of finally meeting a long term friend.
….
Lucian tried his best to block part of the influence of this force so he could think but he found it very difficult.
“My ability seems to have gotten weaker since I joined this team and seeing so many high level figures. I really need to advance to higher levels so I won’t be suppressed every time.
The tunnel was not difficult to walk in, he felt like was taking a stroll if it was not for the intense force that propelled him forward.
At the end of the tunnel, a cloak that had all the patterns in his other self was floating in the air, burning suns, meteors, pure white flares, a blazing door with black tunnels leading to unknown destinations and lightning. The floating cloak seemed to be waiting for him.
Lucian could not resist has he and the cloak merged, behind the cloak, he saw a floating mirror. He knew it was the door to his next destination.
After walking through the mirror, the suction force that accompanied him throughout the journey finally dissipated. He let out a sigh of relief he did not know he had been holding.
Reina draped in a layered dress that seemed to contain a world of horror within quietly motioned to him to be quiet while pointing at Adam.
Adam was also cloaked in a robe with different cosmic symbols, stars, supernovas, horoscopes and other obscure symbols.
…
Behind them, the unknown chaotic lights finally calmed down revealing shadow like creatures with partial humanoid faces, simply by standing there, they gave a feeling of death.
As if planned, they started running forward without even knowing what was behind them. From their experiences, the only way to escape anything in this maze was to run forward.
Aaron sitting in the training hall watched everything going on within the mirror, the fact the mirror could continue this tests regularly meant that multiple paths warrior fell to form the artifact.
Secret appendage in the words of the scribe: the maze winding paths are actually real world pockets cut out from the void.
This has been confirmed multiple times by star path and planet path warriors with skills related to void and worlds.
This artifact also seals abyssal creatures.
The artifact upon deepening its living characteristics used the soul force of those that died within as a conduit on not only reducing the abyssal force but also reinforcing the seal.
The tests can also help the awakened determine their mutated skills ahead of time.
Provided the energy is sufficient, this test can be repeated multiple times. Unlike the maze providing the soul energy for at least three awakened at once, a repeat can only accommodate one awakened at a time.
The tyrant team made sure to include this in their quest for new members when they watched the district competition.
The team needed elites and not numbers.
….
After running for a while, they discovered that an intense corruption was taking place in the surroundings.
“We need a plan, those things behind us might be abyssal creatures. I heard this creatures can corrupt anything.” Reina turned to the back while speaking.
Her body enlarged into a vortex, a silvery black moon taking shape in the centre of the vortex. Ice, wind and other symbols that targeted intelligence were around the moon.
Adam’s cloak became more deeper, his body hidden in an unknown place, everything around him seemed to point that getting near him would lead to a different world.
Lucian did not even hide his inclination to violence, flares and bright lights, blazing fireballs interwined within the void turning into a spear that hurtled towards the abyssal creatures.
This attacks were mostly on the subconscious level, the trio did not have the necessary requirements to use powers at this level even if it was placed in front of them as this will only corruption.
The abyssal creatures that were usually fearless cowered at the time when they were attacked leading to their successful sealing.
The plan was to ensure this creatures were reminded of their nightmare a to prevent them from breaking free.
The trio tried to experience the fleeting feeling of transcending the ranks before a sun suddenly appeared in the sky, under their shocked gazes, they found their bodies melting.
Aaron grimaced when he saw this. The feeling of being melted by fire was an unwelcomed experience but he became surprised when he saw what happened next.
Lucian who did not take any other action after suppressing the abyssal creatures suddenly pressed his hands and swiped at the duo who were in pain, the cloak detached from his body forming a door that led outside.
The trio were dragged into this door, escaping from the torture.
