ã€ŠDoorBoundã€‹


 Nine Hours to Eternity

    On a mild Wednesday around noon, a tall, slender man walked into a small bakery. Atlas felt a deep sadness as he stepped inside, knowing this was the day he would die. That very morning, he had learned of the grim fate that awaited him: facing a "Door."

    He ordered a small lemon pie and sat down, contemplating how he might survive the terrifying trial ahead. A "Door" wasn''t a door in the conventional sense; it was a deadly challenge. Those chosen were compelled to conquer the Door, and if successful, they could claim the powers it guarded. But Atlas knew little more than that. Coming from a modest background¡ªnot destitute, but not affluent either¡ªhe had managed to do some research, yet the information he found was of little help.

    He savored the last bite of his pie, uncertain when he might enjoy another, then rose and began to walk. To a passerby, he might have looked like a madman, muttering to himself. "Some people, when chosen, threw parties to celebrate their impending death. Some committed suicide to end it on their own terms. Others even livestreamed their final hours. But I am determined to conquer this ''Door'' quietly, without any grand display. Not that I have any family to celebrate with, anyway."

    Being chosen was never a pleasant experience. It could happen to anyone, without warning, and no one knew what triggered it. All that appeared was a simple timer in your vision, counting down the days¡ªtypically between three and ten¡ªbefore you were transported to your trial. But for Atlas, something was different. His timer gave him only nine hours. When he awoke that morning, he knew by nightfall, his fate would be sealed.

    Atlas walked until he was no longer surrounded by the buildings of the inner city but by a dense forest. Keeping an eye on his timer, he watched as it slowly ticked down to the last 60 seconds. He knew it was coming and felt no excitement, only dread. He quickly reviewed all the information he had managed to scour:

    The trial can last years or mere seconds; each person''s experience is different.

    The difficulty is based on how much time you had on your timer.

    You can become anyone and anything.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    You will not be able to escape until you defeat the main objective.

    Before you leave, you can choose one to three abilities that are similar to the Door''s own powers.

    The second point was the most horrifying to Atlas because a mere nine hours on a timer was unheard of. The fastest one previously recorded was three days, and even that person did not survive.

    The timer ticked down: click¡­ click¡­ click¡­

    Without making a sound, a Door appeared in front of Atlas while the rest of his surroundings faded into a stark, featureless white. The Door was surprisingly beautiful, adorned with stars sparkling across its surface. Being a curious yet cautious person, Atlas tried walking to the side of the Door to inspect it fully. But it was as if he was moving in place¡ªthe Door never came any closer, like a mirage. However, when he reached out to touch the handle, it was within reach.

    Before he turned the handle, he speculated about what powers this Door might hold if he could overcome it. The cosmic appearance left him both confused and a little excited. What if the space represented actual space, granting abilities like teleportation or free travel through the cosmos? Although, most people had to conquer many much harder Doors to achieve something that extraordinary.

    He fiddled around in this space, testing the limits of the new realm he was in. He could walk away from the Door, but only for about 100 meters before the same phenomenon occurred: the Door seemed to remain in place, no matter how far he walked. Atlas pondered the nature of this realm. Could he stay here indefinitely? Did he need to sleep or eat? Did time flow here? Would he receive a special reward for not opening the Door for a week?

    He decided to stay in this room for several hours to explore its true limits. After what felt like six hours, he began to feel a pang of hunger, indicating that time did indeed pass and he couldn''t stay here forever. Taking this rare opportunity, he tested the Door further. He removed his collared shirt and threw it at the Door to see if he could affect it without direct contact. The shirt stopped in midair, mere centimeters from touching the Door. He tried his dress shoes, belt, and even spit, but all attempts yielded the same result.

    Preparing for his final test, Atlas decided to partially open the Door and peer inside. He gripped the handle, which felt like pure ice but he endured and turned it slowly. He felt a small pull, almost like a worsened black hole, starting to suck him into the trial. Peering through the crack, he saw nothing but the vast expanse of the cosmos, as if a whole galaxy awaited him. But before he could think further, the pull grew exponentially stronger and yanked him inside.

    The Door closed behind him, and the white room with the cosmic Door stood empty.

 Trapped in the Maze

    Atlas jolted awake, his body hitting the ground with a soft thud. Disoriented and dizzy from the sudden weightlessness, he took a moment to gather himself. When he finally opened his eyes, he found himself lying on a vast expanse of sand.

    He quickly assessed his body¡ªtwo arms, two legs, two eyes¡ªand found everything to be normal. But the surroundings were far from ordinary. He was enclosed in a massive sand-filled arena, surrounded by towering walls that confined the sandy expanse. Above him, nine moons and six planets hung in the sky, casting an eerie, otherworldly light.

    Atlas took another look at the walls and realized he was in a box-like structure with three large hallways leading outwards. From his vantage point, it resembled the entrance to a grand and intricate maze.

    Before he made an attempt to explore his surroundings, he remembered that this was a trial, and danger could lurk around any corner. If he died here, there would be no coming back. Death was death.

    He also realized that there was no immediate danger, so he first thought of longevity. The sand around him made it clear there would be no water, and from the looks of it, there was nothing but a barren desert-like environment in this square, leaving him no food sources either. This also left him no places to hide from potential predators.

    Atlas felt a little lighter, as if the gravity of this strange trial was off. He tried jumping and went way higher than he would have back home, leaping well over two meters into the air. He tried it a couple more times and tried to adapt himself to running as well, in case he had to make a quick exit.

    After about thirty minutes, he decided to enter one of the three hallways. It was a decision made without any particular reason. He chose the one to the left and walked into the large hallway that was ten meters wide. He stuck his hand out to the left wall, remembering what he had learned about solving mazes when he was younger. If he just kept his hand on the left wall and traced it, he would eventually find a way out. This only worked if there were no floating pieces of the maze, but without any other strategy in mind, he went with the most rudimentary one.

    Atlas made a mark on the wall using his belt to remember where he started. He turned the first left and kept walking, no longer able to see the sandy square.

    The moons overhead cast enough light for Atlas to see, but some corners were still covered in immense darkness, leaving him a little scared of what might be lurking. He knew that a weak human without any Skills from a door would not be able to compete with any monster these trails faced. His best bet was to run away.

    As he walked, he eventually came to a dead end with a weird symbol of an eye staring at him. He took a mental note of the symbol and walked away.

    He made it back to the corner before he turned into the sandy square, but the hallway that was connected to the mark he made was no longer there. Instead, it was the same wall going down.

    Filled with dread but also a strange calmness, Atlas had to quickly settle his mental state. He knew this was not going to be a simple maze, and something like the walls changing couldn''t be out of the picture. But something happening so soon threw him off and without any warning. He did the only logical thing he could: keep walking, but every two hundred or so meters, he would make a mark on the wall again to see if the rest would change.

    He kept running into more and more dead ends, each with an eye symbol above them. Eventually, though, Atlas made it to a gateway that was open on one side. He got close and inspected it thoroughly, before yet again making a mark and peering through the crack. What he saw was surprising to say the least.

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    On the other side was a strawman, like the ones you see in cornfields, except he was standing normally. The walls in this hallway were also different, with the width only being five meters and the ground turned from sand to slab.

    Atlas knew that entering this without any weapons or a plan was suicide, because this strawman could be powerful beyond belief despite his looks. He turned yet again to go and explore the other pathways, only to be met with a wall. Without a sound, the maze had changed again, and he was now met with a dead end.

    Atlas looked around in disappointment, knowing now he was truly stuck with this doorway or nothing. He wondered how the maze functioned. Was there a being controlling the maze to mess with him? This wall suddenly being here was too perfect of a coincidence to not force him to challenge this strawman. Could he wait it out and the maze change again? Or could the floor he was standing on also be moved out from beneath him? Too many things to think about, and too many problems could occur from waiting. What if while he was waiting, a more powerful-looking creature showed up?

    Atlas wanted to exhaust every possible resource available to escape this situation alive. He even thought about scaling the wall before him, but it was no use. Even with the gravity being affected, the walls were simply too tall, reaching hundreds of meters into the sky.

    He then came to the conclusion to just try and challenge the strawman. I mean what if he was friendly anyway?

    Atlas collected his thoughts and entered the doorway, trying to hide in the shadows as much as possible. The strawman was facing away from him, looking down at the other door that was also slightly cracked open.

    Slowly walking until he got to just before the peripheral vision of the strawman, he thought about two options: trying to sneak behind him and kill him through strangulation, or simply trying to walk or run past him, ignoring him altogether.

    He decided to not make an enemy of this strawman, because he wasn''t moving and could potentially just be an inanimate object. With a hurried pace, he walked into the field of view and headed straight for the door. Right before he was able to slip through the cracks, the door slammed shut.

    A voice rang into his ears, coming from what seemed like all directions. "Where do you think you''re are going?"

    Atlas was hit with a wave of shock and despair. He should have just struck preemptively. But also, he was left with some questions. Did that strawman just talk? And how the hell did the door close perfectly? Does he have a way to move a door with his mind, or does he¡ªBefore he could ponder any more, a piece of straw slammed into the wall next to his head. It cracked the stone wall as if a piece of a metal pipe was shot out of a gun.

    Another wave of shock was sent into Atlas''s heart. His natural instinct to evade kicked in before another piece of straw landed right where his head would have been if he was a split second too late.

    Atlas kept moving while watching this strawman raise his hand, a piece of straw shooting out at a high speed as if he was shooting from a gun. He knew that if he kept just dodging along the walls, he was a dead man, because the strawman could either close the distance until his aim couldn''t miss, or he could keep shooting these straws at him until he got lucky and one hit.

    Armed with this information, he came to the conclusion that he had to gamble on closing the distance and try to actually fight. Right now, he was a rat trapped in a cage with a cat who could shoot out its claws.

    Atlas got ready to rush and kicked off the wall, gaining as much speed as possible. The strawman was still immobile in the center of the room, so he could only keep shooting straw at a slow pace. For some reason, he wasn''t backing up, but Atlas didn''t think about it and instead focused on trying to dodge these high-speed projectiles. He closed the distance one step after another until he was just three meters away. At this distance, the odds of the strawman missing were slim.

    But who said he had to miss? All he had to do was not hit a vital organ of his, and he could reach him. Prepared to sacrifice a part to save the whole, he turned his side, intending to make the strawman hit his arm. But the strawman did something unthinkable. He dashed backward. Atlas was surprised. Not only had this strawman not moved the whole time, but he suddenly dashed backward at the moment Atlas was close. He was a lot stronger than he thought.

 Strawmans Gambit

    The Strawman gained five meters of distance in what seemed like an instant. Atlas struggled to keep his composure as the possibility of victory slipped further out of reach. Determined, he dashed forward again, angling his body to protect his vital organs, only to watch the Strawman retreat once more.

    Atlas knew the hallway wasn''t infinite. The doors he''d entered were now sealed shut, leaving him confined. His only real chance of winning was to force the Strawman into a corner and hope that his inaccuracy would persist.

    With a plan forming, Atlas felt a surge of frustration. Despite having nine hours to prepare, he had been allowed to bring nothing into the trial except the clothes on his back. Desperately, he wished for a gun or some kind of tool to make this fight easier.

    Dash, dodge, retreat. Dash, dodge, retreat. This pattern continued for what felt like an eternity. Each time the Strawman was close to being cornered, he dashed away in the opposite direction, moving with an eerie intelligence, as if he were a sentient creature. The shots became harder to dodge, each one coming closer to hitting Atlas than the last, as if the Strawman was learning and adapting to his abilities.

    Atlas was stuck in a stalemate, He muttered to himself, "To hell with this Strawman." Filled with grit and determination, he dashed toward the Strawman once more, his legs pumping with adrenaline, making this dash stronger than ever before.

    He threw a punch, grazing the Strawman''s face, then another, yet again only grazing him. A flurry of punches and kicks followed, thrown with the force of a grown man but the wild desperation of a novice. The Strawman seemed to struggle, unable to find a way to dash out of the onslaught. Atlas threw a feint, hoping to outsmart what he suspected was a sentient opponent¡ªand it worked. The Strawman moved left, just as Atlas had anticipated, and he grabbed hold of him.

    His hand touched the Strawman, grasping at him as if trying to reel him in like a fish. But just as the sensation of victory began to take hold, a sudden thought flashed through his mind: "How did the Strawman let me get this close? He isn''t even in a corner." The fleeting sense of triumph quickly evaporated, replaced by the gut-wrenching realization that he might be walking into a trap. A thousand thoughts flooded his mind, and only one solution came to him.

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    Rather than retreating into a potential attack, he spun to the side, but not before a sharp pain shot through his torso. He knew he had been hit, but there was no time to tend to the wound. Gritting his teeth, he dashed at the Strawman again.

    "You managed to actually not die," the Strawman''s voice echoed, but it didn''t seem to come from him directly. The surprise in the voice was apparent. Sensing that the Strawman was caught off guard, Atlas seized the opportunity, fully grasping the prickly figure. He knew he finally had him.

    In that moment, an unimaginable force threw him backward. It felt like the world itself had thrown Atlas. His breath was knocked out of him, and he slammed into the stone wall with alarming speed.

    As he opened his eyes, dazed, he could see the Strawman raising his leg high into the air, like a man with no regard for tearing his muscles.

    "He kicked me," Atlas thought. He tried to get up and move, but he simply could not.Atlas willed every fiber of his being to move his legs, but they were unresponsive, as if his spinal cord had been severed. The figure of the Strawman moved towards him, walking slowly. He stood right above Atlas, raising his arm to shoot. The Strawman looked cocky, and as the end neared, the last thing Atlas could think of was how satisfying it would be to strip that arrogance away.

    Atlas closed his eyes and waited for death. Joining his family in the afterlife couldn''t be that bad, right? After all, what were the odds that he would run into a monster with intelligence, speed, and deadly projectiles? He was destined to die here, and fate couldn''t be changed.

    At least, that''s what anyone else would have thought¡ªbut not him. Atlas knew he wasn''t predetermined to die. He knew that, no matter what, he had to do something. With nothing but his arms working, he had one last desperate idea: grab the Strawman''s legs.

    That cocky attitude of the Strawman left him with a false sense of security.

    He gathered all the strength and mentally prepared himself for what''s to come.

    Atlas shoved himself forward with all his might, aiming only to bring the Strawman down.

    But this wasn''t a fairy tale where a beaten man could suddenly take down the great villain with sheer willpower and determination. This was reality. And reality was cruel.

    The Strawman simply dashed back, dodging all of Atlas''s attempts to reach him. That arrogant and cocky look still plastered on his face and even a sense of pity.

    With no hesitation or even sound. He raised his hand again, and a piece of straw shot out, aimed directly at Atlas''s heart.

 Warped Fate

    Atlas felt time slow to a standstill as he raised his hands in a desperate attempt to block the attack. The piece of straw pierced through both palms, narrowly saving his heart from a fatal blow. Waves of searing pain rippled through his body, and the hope of survival faded into oblivion. Even if the Strawman left him now, how could he possibly recover and fight another day?

    He stared at his now-useless hands, struggling to keep his emotions in check. With his legs immobilized, his hands destroyed, and his torso partially torn from the previous attack, Atlas felt panic setting in, threatening to overwhelm him. He was on the brink of shutting down entirely.

    But deep down, Atlas refused to accept death. No matter how hard his life had been before entering the trial, survival was paramount.

    The Strawman, silently and methodically, prepared another shot, this time aiming directly at Atlas''s head. Just as the deadly straw shot forward, the environment around them shifted. Suddenly, a wall emerged between Atlas and the Strawman, blocking the lethal attack.

    Ching! The straw pierced the wall, leaving the Strawman alone in a slightly smaller room, separated from his prey. He slowly made his way to the center of the room and stood still, as if nothing had ever happened.

    Hours later, Atlas awoke. Pain surged through his body, though it was less intense than before. Memories of the Strawman standing over him, his pitiful attempt to swipe away its legs, and the final, fateful moment when the arm was raised to kill him flooded back. Somehow, he had survived¡ªwhether by fate or sheer luck, it didn''t matter. He was alive.

    "Fate has more in store for me," he mumbled.

    His legs were still useless, and his hands remained skewered. The torso injury, though initially agonizing, had turned out to be just a graze.

    Looking around, he found himself in another hallway, but instead of the usual sand or stone slabs, the floor was covered in a layer of running water.

    "The maze must have changed multiple times since I was last awake," he thought.

    The idea of permanently losing his ability to walk gnawed at his mind. How could he fight in this condition? From the stories he''d heard, those who conquered a door often gained mystical abilities and a general reset of their bodies. Hair, muscles, eyes, teeth, even skin would be refined, making them more than just human. But this information was heavily censored, either by the government or by those who sought to keep such knowledge behind a paywall.

    Atlas knew that staying put meant giving up, so he had to move. In his pitiful state, he gambled that the water was drinkable, hoping it would stave off dehydration long enough for him to survive.

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    As he drank the water greedily, thoughts of giving up and accepting death crept into his mind. But he gathered himself, determined to keep going. Using only his arms¡ªunable even to place his hands on the ground¡ªhe crawled forward. The pain was almost unbearable, but he persisted. One painstaking pull after another, he moved.

    He turned his first corner, only to be met with a dead end marked by an eye symbol. Undeterred, he turned another, and another, moving for hours on end. Occasionally, he paused to drink more of the water that kept him alive.

    Finally, Atlas encountered a change of scenery. He turned a corner and saw a white rabbit standing in the middle of a snowfield¡ªsomehow, the environment had shifted from water to snow and ice. The rabbit sniffed around in the center of a frozen lake, where a single flower sprouted.

    The thought of food flashed in Atlas''s mind. How good it would be to kill that rabbit and roast it over a fire. But how could he catch it? The past hours had been more grueling than anything he''d ever experienced, and the pain was still overwhelming. Thoughts flooded his mind on how to catch the rabbit. "What if I just hide in this snowfield? Or collect a snowball, throw it in one direction, then hope it will run toward me? Maybe I could try and make a trap¡­ but I have nothing to work with." Each idea seemed less viable than the last.

    Finally, he decided on the most basic approach: crawl slowly toward his target. But who''s to say this rabbit was even something he could take down? Even in Atlas''s peak condition, it might be more fearsome than the Strawman. Yet none of that mattered to Atlas. He had to eat, and he had to try and tackle some challenge to progress. If he didn''t, he would die as a pitiful man too afraid to fight a rabbit.

    Slowly, he inched forward, trying to be as quiet as possible. The rabbit wasn''t standing still; it was messing with the flower in the middle of the lake. Each time it turned in Atlas''s direction, he froze, as if a T-Rex were eyeing him, any movement meant his doom. While frozen, Atlas managed to get a good look at the rabbit and noticed scars and marks all over its body.

    The rabbit finally worked up the courage to take a small nibble of the flower. As soon as one of the leaves was bitten off, it changed from its snowy white color to a deep red. The rabbit stood still, as if paralyzed, then suddenly collapsed.

    It didn''t matter what had just happened to the rabbit; this was Atlas''s chance. Even if a monster lurked beneath the flower, he wouldn''t get an opportunity like this again. He went from being frozen to throwing his arms out one after another as fast as possible. He closed the distance and grabbed the rabbit with his mouth, his hands almost completely useless.

    He could still feel the rabbit''s heartbeat, which scared him. Instead of hesitating, he did the first thing that came to mind¡ªhe bit down on the rabbit''s neck, trying to kill it before it woke up. At that moment, the rabbit moved, but barely, as if it could only muster 10% of its true strength. Atlas bit harder and harder, breaking the skin, tasting blood.

    He tore at the muscles, ripped through tendons, until finally, the rabbit went still, blood seeping out of its body.

    If an outsider had seen this scene, it would have looked like something out of a horror movie¡ªa paraplegic man using only his teeth and the remnants of his arms to decimate a rabbit.

    Right after the rabbit was clearly dead, a feminine voice rang out.

    "You have killed a Warp Rabbit, Rank: Sentinel."

    "Technique obtained: Warp."

    What? Atlas thought.

 Revolving Force

    Atlas''s next thought was disoriented, "Where the hell did that voice come from?" It felt as though the sound had reverberated directly into his brain.

    Before he could process anything further, a blinding pain struck him once again. This time, however, there were no new attackers¡ªrather, the pain originated from within his own body. Something inside him was heating up and growing, as if his insides were spinning and rotating at impossible speeds.

    The agony was unbearable. Atlas wondered if whatever had poisoned the rabbit had been transferred to him through the bloodstream. His anxiety deepened as he could barely move; a strange sensation started to take place, and he could feel a constantly spinning sphere forming within him. Each passing second felt like an eternity as the sphere grew and spun faster and faster, expanding until it seemed ready to explode out of his body.

    Then, suddenly, it stopped growing and shrank down to the size of a fist.

    The aftershock of such intense pain left Atlas feeling numb. Summoning what little willpower he had left, he began to investigate what had just happened. His first priority was to ensure he wasn''t about to be attacked again. He took the rabbit in his mouth and, using his hands, pulled the flower out of the center of the ice lake. He crawled toward the edge of the ice lak-"Wait a second," Atlas said aloud, "my hands are¡­ they''re normal!"

    His hands, no longer a pierced mess with a piece of straw through the middle, were now strong and veiny. Ecstatic, he looked at his torso that had healed perfectly midway through inspecting it he realized that sensation had returned to his legs as well.

    He had somehow healed back to his previous state¡ªand it was even better than before. Atlas stood up, savoring the sensation of having fully functional legs. He stretched each of his toes and started jumping, feeling stronger. With each jump, he soared higher, reaching nearly five meters¡ªtwice the normal height, even with the gravity altered.

    Recalling the "Warp technique," the mysterious voice, and the spinning sphere, now feeling like a weightless ball in his chest, Atlas began to explore this new development.

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    He realized there was a mental connection with the sphere, as if he could communicate with it. He attempted to physically touch his chest on the opposite side of his heart but found only a normal, soft surface. Undeterred, he tried imagining touching the sphere with an invisible hand. When that didn''t work, he focused his mind on the sphere itself. As he concentrated, he felt the spinning increase in speed, and then he sent a mental command to release whatever was trapped inside.

    A small burst of energy shot out from his right index finger, creating an indentation in the snow below. "YES!" Atlas screamed, exhilarated. He had found a way to access the power of the sphere. He was so thrilled that he almost forgot about his situation.

    Atlas threw himself into testing this newfound power. He continued trying to establish a deeper mental connection with the sphere. Walking to the center of the lake, he found the spin again and commanded it to release through his index finger once more. Pointing his finger like a gun, he shot downward. The ground cracked slightly, as if someone had taken a pickaxe to the surface. This time, he was able to see the aquamarine aura emanating from his finger.

    He repeated this three more times, feeling as though he could continue dozens of times, though he did start to feel a little tired. Next, he decided to investigate what this "Warp" technique was all about. What was it, and how did he access it? Could he communicate with the voice?

    Atlas tried the simplest commands.

    "Technique warp"

    ¡­Nothing happened.

    "Warp activate"

    ¡­Still nothing.

    "Lady who gave me this skill, how do I access it, and can you help me?"

    ¡­

    Met with deafening silence, he tried to delve deeper into the sphere, hoping to find answers. Instead of trying to extract energy, he focused on exploring the sphere mentally.

    He dove into yet another maze this time one inside him that was spinning at insane speeds.

    Navigating through a spinning ball mentally was challenging. The deeper he went, the harder it became to progress.

    This sphere was not as ordinary as he had thought; it had layers. The outermost layer spun slowly compared to the core. As he progressed past the first, second, and third layers, he reached a fourth layer spinning so fast that he couldn''t break through.

    Suddenly, a tunnel formed from where he was in the sphere to the outer layer, as if all the spinning had stopped and he could easily access this point again in the future.

    At the same time, a space within the sphere opened up, resembling a circular room.

    He mentally felt a click and had a weird sensation wash over him as if his body had split into two versions: one tiny and inside the mental connection within the sphere, and the other his normal physical body.

    Atlas was surprised when the room kept transforming and at the feeling of having a tiny body in his sphere. Eventually the room stopped expanding being about 4x4 meters if it was scaled to normal sized. Somehow things got even crazier when text appeared in the same format as the timer he had first seen:

    {Warp}

    Rank - Sentinel

    Level - 0/6

    "Holy crap," Atlas said aloud, astonished.

    He had actually uncovered a secret about the spinning sphere.

 Fatal Encounter

    Atlas reeled himself out of the sphere and back into his normal body. The revelation that he could access his abilities by diving into his sphere changed everything. Now he could test out what this {Warp} technique was.

    He didn''t know how to level it up, but it was still something he could connect to mentally.

    Atlas wanted to test out the abilities right away, but he still had one more mystery to uncover, and that was the feminine voice that rang out after he killed that rabbit.

    Atlas could only assume it was like a gamemaster of this maze who gave him abilities, but that didn''t seem quite right. It felt as if it came from inside of him. Of course, his next thought was that the sphere itself had talked to him, announcing his kill as some type of system to help him recognize what had just happened.

    But he didn''t have any points collected from the kill, nor did he have any system to call upon to see his stat line. Instead, it was just him and a spinning sphere standing next to a dead bunny and a flower in the middle of a snowfield that was in the middle of a maze.

    Atlas needed to unravel that mystery, but the world didn''t suddenly turn into a game he could quickly beat, So for now, he could turn his attention to testing {Warp}.

    He made the mental connection with his sphere again and brought out the spinning energy in it. He made it flow through his right shoulder and down into his arm, but instead of trying to shoot out the energy, he made it flow across his whole body.

    The process was slow at first but quickly he picked up the pace. He could feel his whole body covered in this energy, and his mental state stabilized. A calmness from this energy let him connect to the sphere more as if it were a new extension of his body.

    Finally, once he felt his whole body was covered, he activated {Warp} by sending a mental command.

    Atlas never knew a feeling like this existed. The second he activated his ability, he flew forward¡ªor rather, he flew up, and space itself folded. He went from being in the middle of the lake to suddenly appearing 2 meters in front of where he just was.

    Instantly, Atlas recognized what had just happened.

    He teleported!

    Once again, a billion thoughts ran through his mind, thinking of the possibilities. "Can I teleport through walls? How many times can I teleport in a row without stopping, or is this infinite? What if, when I''m in a fight, I can teleport and appear with my hand through their heart?"

    He calmed down his emotions once again and tested out each theory. Walking to the walls, he tried to teleport through them, but he couldn''t phase through the walls of the maze. However, he did try building a snow wall and was able to {Warp} successfully, so maybe the maze walls made it impossible for him.

    For the endurance test, he realized that teleporting 2 meters at a time zapped his energy from the sphere fast. But if he just did it a foot at a time, he was able to keep it up for over 40 warps.

    After he finished, it was hours later, and he decided to set out in the maze once again. He planned on cooking the rabbit, but he didn''t have anything to light a fire with or materials other than his clothes to burn.

    The left-hand strategy didn''t work out since this maze was ever-changing, so he instead walked aimlessly, hoping to find something that could either help him escape or become his tool.

    Of course, he was met with dozens of dead ends, each one still having that prominent eye symbol.

    As it started to get dark, he finally heard a noise coming from around the corner. It sounded muffled, but it was undeniable. It was the sound of humans talking!

    Atlas was surprised that humans could be here in the Door Trial with him. He still didn''t know if others could participate in a trial or what could cause it. He had to prepare in case they were foes or even monsters in disguise.

    He got to the corner and peeked around it quickly.

    Atlas was surprised to see something he never thought he would see: two females were sitting beside a¡­ portable stove?

    * * *

    Mia was starved. After hunting down a snake, she took out her portable stove and started to set it up.

    "Hey, Nira, can you start preparing the food?" she called out.

    Nira shouted back from around the corner, "Yes, your majesty! This lowly servant shall obey your every command."

    Mia shook her head, knowing that not only was she not of noble descent, but Nira was also older than her.

    Minutes later, they were cooking fresh snake.

    "Nira, how much longer do you think we can survive at this rate?"

    Nira was silent for a moment before smiling widely and saying, "Your humble servant thinks we can keep this up for another week. After that, it''s probably safe to say we are dead."

    Mia was about to respond, but she got a chill that ran up her whole spine. She felt like something was watching her¡ªa predator that had been watching them for a while and had a huge killing intent. She turned and stared at the corner she felt it from. Expecting to fully see a large monster, instead, she was met with two glistening green eyes shining from the darkness.

    She took out a sword that was clearly damaged and held it straight, looking like a proper warrior. "Who are you¡­? Come out now and state your business here."

    Nira got up, grabbed a bow, cocked an arrow, and pointed it right at the eyes peering around the corner shrouded in darkness.

    A man slowly walked out of the darkness. With a tall, slender build, he had to be well over six feet tall. With his Brown hair slicked back as if he were a 1990s movie star. His face looked gentle but masculine, and his skin was perfect as if nothing had ever touched it before. He was wearing a collared white shirt, black dress pants with a belt, and¡­ dress shoes.

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    "Stop there," Mia commanded.

    The young man stopped in his tracks. Finally able to see him in the light surrounding their makeshift camp, she saw that he had a dead bunny in his hands.

    Nira also noticed this and shared a glance with Mia, knowing it would be much more filling to eat another meal, considering how rare they were.

    "Who are you? Say it now, or I will shoot," Nira said.

    The man was now about 2 meters away and still had not said a word. Twenty seconds of silence passed before Nira finally had enough.

    "Last chance," she said.

    Finally, she let go of the arrow, letting it fly toward the mysterious man. A perfect shot aimed toward his shoulder holding the rabbit.

    She already knew the outcome of this battle. She had won with only one shot. The man would be too injured to fight back, and they could take the rabbit, loot him, and either kill him or, in the worst situation, eat him.

    Nira saw the arrow release and fly, but instead of hitting the intended target, it flew past him. Well, it would have flown past him, but there was no longer a "him" standing in the same spot. Instead, it was just a normal hallway as if the man never existed in the first place.

    She felt something grab her neck and pull her into the sky with strength that felt inhuman.

    "How¡­?" she spat out.

    * * *

    Mia saw Nira knock the arrow and warn the man. The second she let go, relief came over her whole body because she trusted in Nira''s aim. But instead of the man being hit, he disappeared from view, and the arrow slammed into the slab wall behind him.

    The next thing she knew, she saw this man towering over Nira, holding her up by the neck.

    Mia was completely shocked, but her instinct was to use her Adept sword skills she picked up after over a year of training. She swung her sword toward the man''s back while he was holding Nira in front of him. Right as the sword was going to completely cut through his back, he simply stopped existing¡ªor at least, from Mia''s perspective, that''s what happened.

    The power behind her swing was strong, intending to kill the man in one fell swoop. Unfortunately, that meant her momentum was large. The sword kept going and sunk into the fleshy stomach of Nira.

    "No!" Mia screamed out, but her words barely came out before she felt a cold grip wrap around her own neck.

    Dropping her sword, she was instantly raised into the air, making eye contact with the man who had just turned this friendly meal into a battlefield. She felt compelled to look away, for what she saw weren''t normal eyes looking back at her, but instead the eyes of someone who didn''t care about what they were doing. The eyes of a psychopath!

    She saw the man use his legs to kick the sword off the ground, grab it, and raise it towards her body. Terrified, Mia felt like she was going to pass out. She had just killed her own friend accidentally, and now she was going to die.

    The man said without blinking, "You''re going to answer some questions. I''ll take your supplies, and you can live, got it? Nod if you understand."

    Mia quickly nodded.

    * * *

    Atlas saw the two girls and decided to watch them for a bit before he was noticed. He didn''t know if the two were friendly or if they were foes, so instead, he wanted to test the waters. Once one of them commanded him to come out of the shadows, he complied.

    But he quickly saw their attraction towards the rabbit he had and noticed them share a glance. He knew from that moment it was kill or be killed.

    The lady shot an arrow at him, and he warped past it, closing the distance in an instant. With the gravity being at least half of what it was back home, once he grabbed the neck of the female, he could lift her as if he were a superhuman. The other female had a sword he had to be wary of, but how could they compete with someone like him?

    The sword was swung at his back, and instead of trying to dodge normally, he simply warped behind the person swinging the sword. At the same time, he unintentionally made her slice open her own friend. He grabbed her by the neck and picked her up again.

    Looking at her face. The lady could have been "attractive" by conventional means, but under the eyes of Atlas in this state, he only saw weak prey.

    After asking his question and seeing Mia nod, he took the sword and fully stabbed the other lady through the heart to make sure she was really dead.

    The voice rang through his head from earlier:

    "You have slain Veiled Nira."

    No technique was obtained, but instead, he felt as if the sphere in his body was filled with the spent energy he had used earlier and even grew faster in its spin.

    She really wasn''t dead, Atlas thought. A tricky girl¡ªafter being hit, she decided to overreact her injury. Nira was hurt badly but not dead, probably waiting for her opportunity to strike at me when I wasn''t looking. Good thing I took the extra precaution to finish her off.

    The girl he picked up was now choking and crying, either from the lack of oxygen due to his grip or from seeing her friend die. Atlas let her drop to the ground after giving her a pat-down for any more weapons. Mia caught her breath, wiped away the tears that filled her eyes, and started to mentally prepare for what this psychotic man had in store for her.

 The Carrot

    Mia was struggling to wrap her head around what had just happened. This man was able to disappear at will. Something like this could only happen if you obtained a "technique"; the requirement for that was steep: you had to kill something of the second rank, a Sentinel Monster.

    These were known to be ruthless creatures, smarter than the normal creatures of the first rank, Veiled.

    The hardest part was that even if you killed one, the odds of it giving you a technique were very low¡ªroughly one in ten thousand. Of course, you could also kill someone else with a technique and hope to obtain one from them, but that came with its own problems, and the odds then were one in one hundred.

    So, either this man was a mass murderer, slaying everyone he saw, or he was a demon who could take down Sentinel Monsters with ease.

    Mia did not like either answer.

    ***

    Atlas looked down at the girl, considering which questions to ask her. Other people being in the trail was a surprise, and he wanted to know more.

    "How did you end up here in this maze?" he asked coldly.

    Mia was taken aback by the man asking such a simple question.

    "We confronted a Door Trial," she replied, terrified to speak under the man''s still, ever-lasting piercing gaze.

    Still maintaining his demeanor, Atlas uttered softly, "How many of you are there, and how did you confront a Door Trial?"

    Mia thought about how the question was worded. "How many of you are there?" That was a simple question: you had to have at least two people to confront a Door Trial, but it was normal to have well over ten. This man was in the trial himself, so he had to have come with a group.

    He should have quickly realized that the maze hated having any more than six people gathered in one area¡ªunless he came with a smaller group, which meant he was part of an elite batch of people who had never had to deal with the sudden separation from the maze.

    The latter half of his question implied that this man didn''t know how to confront a Door Trial, which was odd considering he had to have at least unlocked his Aether Core to use his technique. This meant he had already beaten a Door Trial once or killed a Sentinel creature, which, of course, was impossible for a mundane human.

    After a brief period, Mia said, "There were twelve of us in the original group, but the maze split us into two groups of six. After we were separated, our group was attacked by another group that challenged this maze. Nira and I were the only survivors after the dust settled. As for how to confront a Door Trial, it''s simple: you put in a request with the government, they find a DoorNode, and you challenge it normally. Or you can find a DoorNode in nature, but every time you do, it''s guarded by some type of creature."

    Atlas was surprised to hear her answer. This meant that other people were in this maze with him, which was both a blessing and a curse. He now had people he could form a group with, but at the same time, it meant he had to be wary of being in said group.

    Unfortunately, since he didn''t know anyone, joining one would be virtually impossible unless he found a solo traveler, which brought its own set of problems.

    Turning his attention to the rest of what she said, the mention of the DoorNode changed his perspective on how the world worked. He knew that you could challenge multiple doors, but he didn''t know how to get to them.

    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement."So, the government can help you, or you can find one on your own," he thought.

    He got a satisfactory answer from her, but he wanted to know something crucial.

    "Do you have a spinning sphere on the spot opposite to where your heart should be?"

    Mia was confused. This question was ridiculous. Of course she had one¡ªeveryone here in the maze had to have one, especially if they were to survive even an encounter with a monster of the first rank.

    "Yes, I do."

    Atlas thought about her answer. So she also could experience what it''s like to have that energy come out of the spinning sphere. He felt like he could take advantage of this opportunity to learn more about the sphere.

    "Tell me more about how your sphere works," Atlas said. This time, he got closer to her, leaning in as if he didn''t want to mishear a single word she was saying.

    Mia was startled by the man''s sudden action but tried to keep up a normal act on the outside.

    "You may call it a sphere, but I know it as an Aether Core. This is the main element in being able to unlock techniques as well as use the aether that comes out of it."

    Atlas felt a wealth of knowledge flood his brain.

    "So this power is called Aether, and this sphere is actually an Aether Core," he thought internally.

    He wanted to ask more questions, but at that moment, more voices rang out from around the opposite corner he had come from.

    "Everyone, this way, we have to find the rest of our group!"

    The sounds of multiple footsteps echoed, ringing in Atlas''s ears. He could tell this group was much larger¡ªat least four people. He had to act quickly. He could blink away, but who knew if these people could somehow catch up? The maze from where he came had already changed, so he could run into a creature he wasn''t expecting. Of course, staying here wasn''t an option either.

    He peered around the corner from where he had come and was met with utter disappointment. The maze had not only changed, but it had changed to a dead end. The only way out was the direction from where the people were coming.

    Atlas had 10 seconds to make a move before he was seen.

    ***

    Mia, after answering the questions the man had asked, heard the footsteps approaching. "Yes!" she thought.

    "Once these people get here, they can fight this man and hopefully save me. I''ll tell them about how he attacked us without warning."

    After she saw the man peer around the corner and not leave, she knew he saw a dead end. She wanted to scream out, but the people were still far enough away that, even if they heard the sound, the man could kill her before they got there.

    She assumed she had 10 seconds left before they were seen. She started to mentally prepare herself to sprint towards the group. She placed her hands on the ground and started to move her legs ever so slightly.

    Mia got this weird feeling all of a sudden. The next moment, she felt as if she were seeing the world from such a low angle. Her eyes, instead of being raised in the air, were touching the ground. She wanted to grab at her face, but she could not feel the connection to her hands. Horrified, she realized this man had just cut her head off without any warning.

    Without being able to think another thought, she died.

    ***

    "You have slain Veiled Mia."

 Identity Theft

    Atlas, after assessing the situation, knew that keeping Mia alive would only be a liability. It didn¡¯t matter whether these people were going to attack on the spot or be friendly¡ªher life wasn¡¯t worth the risk of her revealing the truth about the situation. With Mia out of the picture, he could manipulate the narrative to his liking.

    A couple of seconds later, the group rounded the corner at a slight jog. Instantly, five people stopped and gazed down the hallway. Three of them withdrew swords, one held a heavy shield, and furthest back, a small woman stood weaponless.

    The sight that met them was horrific. One woman was decapitated on the ground; another appeared dead as well, with a large slice through her stomach and a hole where the heart was supposed to be. Finally, they saw a man sitting next to both of them, except he wasn¡¯t dead. Unfortunately, a sword was piercing his left shoulder.

    They all approached the man slowly before a broad-shouldered man with a masculine face stepped forward.

    ¡°Hey, you! What happened here?¡±

    Atlas looked up in fear as if a monster were standing in front of him.

    ¡°Get away!¡± he screamed, kicking his feet on the ground and scrambling away.

    The group all looked at each other, realizing that this man was in such a pitiful state.

    ¡°You¡¯re just like him, aren¡¯t you? A murderer!¡± Atlas yelled.

    The broad man took a step forward again, this time inspecting the wounds on each person, and concluded that a fight had just happened here, and this group was attacked.

    ¡°Where is your attacker, and how did this happen?¡± he asked.

    Atlas looked at him again with fear in his eyes and said, ¡°He-e-e was a short man with black hair and pale skin. He came from the shadows and attacked us over the food we had. My two companions gave their lives to protect me because of who my family is.¡±

    He took a shaky breath between sentences.

    ¡°I was able to hold him off a little before he stabbed me, and hearing the sounds of you guys coming, he turned that corner.¡±

    The broad man was instantly wary of an attacker capable of taking down these three people by himself. Even if this guy on the ground was in a pitiful state, it was clear they had survived many days in this maze, which was an accomplishment.

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    The group sent two men to inspect around the corner and saw a dead end.

    ¡°The maze has changed, boss,¡± they reported back.

    The leader decided that this young man in front of him was probably okay. Based on his story, there was no way he could have taken down these two women. Instead, it looked as if he was from some kind of rich family who had sent a group to protect their son.

    He knew that a large reward would be given to him if he adopted this man into his group. Seeing that there were five of them, they still had one open space.

    Atlas smiled internally, thinking about what was running through each of their minds.

    His pitiful display was, of course, an act meant to fool this group into not seeing him as a cold-blooded murderer. He knew it worked when the broad man summoned the woman from the back to come and heal his wounds.

    She bent down, her blonde hair laying beautifully to her side, and without warning, pulled the sword from his shoulder. No matter how good Atlas was at acting, he wasn¡¯t some type of demon who could ignore pain, and his reaction of cursing was real.

    The woman then put her hand on the hurt shoulder and sent waves of Aether into it.

    Atlas could feel the sensation of his muscles growing back, then the skin, and finally, it closed as if there had never been a wound at all. He was genuinely surprised at such an outcome. Who knew that Aether could be used in such a way? He wondered if this woman was able to do that through skill or some type of technique she had picked up.

    The group talked to him more about his situation, and naturally, he kept lying to them. He said he was from an affluent family who paid these people to challenge a DoorNode with government approval, and they all went in. The group was quickly separated and attacked, leaving only him alive at the end of it. Of course, he recounted the story of what happened here again, and every time he talked about the death of his comrades, he paused and took a moment, as if the pain of remembering hurt him.

    Atlas then asked the most testing question of all to the group.

    Putting on a worried face said, ¡°Will you allow me into your group? Of course, I can pay you what my family was going to give to my previous group, and even more once I live through this Trial!¡±

    That was the question the broad man wanted to hear. He felt like he could use this opportunity to not only be paid but to have a member of high rank in society indebted to him.

    This man in front of him looked like nothing more than his ticket to a golden life. How could he refuse?

    The strength of this man wasn¡¯t enough to take down the group, and he could easily be a background character in fights. Of course, it would add another mouth to feed, but with each of the party members being at the Veiled Rank, they weren¡¯t worried about not having enough food.

    There were plenty of Veiled-ranked creatures that couldn¡¯t compare to the might of this group.

    Atlas was given a hand to pull him up, and the broad man patted him on the back.

    ¡°My name is Sebastian. What¡¯s yours?¡±

    Atlas shakily replied, ¡°My name is Edmund Worthington.¡±

    He thought about everything happening and decided to change his name. The main reason was that if this group needed to be killed in the future, and for some reason, one of them managed to escape, they wouldn¡¯t be able to throw around Atlas¡¯s real name.

    Each group member introduced themselves one by one, but the only two names he remembered were the tall man, Sebastian, and the woman who healed him¡ªher name was Iris.

    After introductions, some members of the group took the arrows from the dead woman and found a rabbit that was partially bitten into. They didn¡¯t ask him any more questions; instead, they started to set off into the maze.

 Silent Observers

    Atlas kept silent at the back of the group next to Iris. The group was methodically moving through the maze. Each time they encountered a creature, it was taken down. For any creature of the Sentinel rank, the group avoided it.

    He didn''t want to speak because these people were not fools; they were veterans who had previously conquered a Door. He may have gotten lucky and was able to act as **Edmund** for now, but one slip-up could mean exposing himself as someone else.

    Atlas also felt that he could use this **Edmund identity** to try and learn more information¡ªnot only about the maze, but also about each of the powers the group possessed. He didn''t know the extent of their strength, but since they were avoiding the Sentinel-ranked creatures, he assumed they couldn''t take down a single one without suffering heavy losses or complete defeat.

    The group had just finished fighting a creature that looked like a small goblin who was surprisingly good with a bow, making things a little harder than usual. Right after the fight, a change occurred in the maze. This time it wasn''t just a shift in some of the walls, but the ground they were standing on shifted into the air.

    Atlas was caught off guard, not only by the surprise but by the speed at which they were lifted into the sky. They ascended all the way to the top of the maze, almost going over the tops of the walls.

    Unfortunately, they stopped twenty feet short of seeing the maze from a bird''s-eye view. If they had been just a little higher, it would have made their lives much easier, being on top of the maze.

    Atlas had an idea.

    Could his warp ability raise him to the top of the walls?

    He could blink at most two meters, and he felt that he could handle the Aether spent from his core if he used it three times. But this came with a cost. First, what if it was like the Door, and the top of the maze didn''t really exist? Or what if there was some type of invisible ceiling? Even if he did make it through, where would he go? The objective he needed to fulfill was still a mystery to him. On top of all that, his cover would be blown.

    These people didn''t know that he had a technique, but he also didn''t know if it was normal to have one. With the stone slab they were standing on still in the air, though temporarily stagnant, he wanted to find out more about techniques.

    Atlas needed more information about everything.

    The group looked around, waiting for the slab to move when something law-defying happened. Instead of the slab going up or down, it went straight through the maze. Each wall opened as if split by the hand of a giant and closed immediately after the slab crossed through. One after another, they flew through the maze at high speed.

    Atlas peered over the edge and saw different environments pass by: icy walls, sand-covered areas, pure stone landscapes, green forests with trees that had eyes, and even areas that were pure white, reminding him of the room before he entered the Door.

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    At some point, the slab passed its final wall. After crossing it, the wall slammed shut, and the group hovered above a large area. Unfortunately, this large area was full of water. Atlas watched in horror as the slab kept moving downwards, closer and closer to the water''s surface. After what seemed like forever, they finally landed softly, hovering just above the water.

    The whole group looked around at their new surroundings. The area was only water, with no visible walls, as if they had never existed in the first place.

    Sebastian was the first to break the silence.

    "Something tells me we''re not moving from this spot anytime soon. Let''s get camp set up, but stay alert." he said nonchalantly, taking out the pack from around his back.

    He began pulling out items to cook some food. Everyone in the group, except for Atlas, had a pack with tools useful for survival. Atlas didn''t know how they had managed to bring these items from the normal world. When he went through his own Door, everything except his clothes had been taken from him¡ªthis was common knowledge. He decided not to ask for now.

    He watched each member bring out supplies of food, with something that looked like a full deer leg coming out of a pouch that was only the size of a common backpack. The man who pulled it out looked like a magician pulling a woman from a small space that she clearly could not have fit in.

    While pondering how this was possible, something else caught his attention.

    In the distance, another floating slab was coming down. Atlas watched as it fell, predicting it would land within 100 meters of where they were. The dark blue ocean it hovered over reminded him of the potential dangers within it.

    "There seems to be another platform coming this way," he announced to the group. Everyone turned their attention toward it. Six pairs of eyes studied the descending slab, each one trying its best to pierce through it and see what was on top.

    Suddenly, another pair of eyes looked back at them.

    Everyone was more than surprised to see another human on the slab, and their surprise deepened when five more pairs of eyes peeked over the edge, studying them in return. Atlas could feel the killing intent from at least half of them, as if they wanted to eat him alive. The group began muttering amongst themselves.

    "Can you believe another group is here, and so close?"

    "Sebastian, should we get ready to fight or continue making camp?"

    "I''m a little nervous about this¡­"

    The group grew more worried about the sudden arrival, but Sebastian took control of the situation.

    "We can''t assume they''re going to attack us, and since it''s getting late, we should sleep in shifts," he said loudly. Pausing briefly, he turned to Atlas. "Edmund and Iris will take the first shift. The rest of us will prepare food and sleep."

    Atlas had been voluntold to take the first watch, earning his keep by staying up. It didn''t make much sense to Atlas, considering they were putting a lot of trust in someone they had just met. Still, it was an opportunity if he needed to get rid of at least some of them. Although, killing them now didn''t seem wise, and he probably wouldn''t survive the onslaught of five people.

    This also gave Atlas a chance to think about the new group now sitting a hundred meters away. Were they stronger than his current companions? He doubted he''d been lucky enough to stumble upon the most powerful group in the maze. If an opportunity arose, he would take it¡ªswitching sides to whichever group gave him the highest chance of survival."

    After everyone settled down to sleep, Atlas sat against a pack, staring in the direction of the other slab. It was dark out, and the only thing illuminating the blue water was the reflection of the moons. Iris sat opposite him, ensuring they had 360-degree vision coverage.

    The night was boring for the first hour or two. Atlas''s eyes began to droop when another member of the group came to relieve him. Finally, Atlas was able to rest comfortably for the first time in a long while¡ªor at least as comfortably as one can rest in a Door trial, surrounded by people they don''t know, in the middle of an ocean, stuck in a maze full of creatures that could easily kill them.

    Atlas finally fell asleep.

 Tidal Horror

    Atlas awoke in the dead of night to the unsettling sound of splashing water. His heart pounded as he leaped from his resting place, his senses sharpened and his body tensed, ready to blink away if danger approached. His eyes cut through the darkness, seeking the source of the disturbance. Scanning, he found it: the slab that had recently landed close to their position.

    His entire group had already risen, weapons drawn and faces etched with grim determination. But what lay before them was far more nightmarish than any foe they had anticipated.

    The slab, now shattered, floated amidst a pool of blood, the metallic scent of death heavy in the air. But the true horror was the creature surging beneath the water''s surface. A grotesque, giant, squid-like monstrosity appeared, its tentacles breaking through the water, dripped with blood. Unlike any natural squid, this abomination possessed dozens of thrashing tentacles, each powerful enough to send disturbing ripples across the water.

    Atlas felt a chill run down his spine as the beast effortlessly smashed through the remnants of the slab. Occasionally, a tentacle would rise, revealing torn body parts¡ªmangled remains of the group they had seen the day before.

    As the creature''s rampage continued, the group''s fear grew palpable. Atlas pondered their grim reality. Here, on the open water, escape was impossible. Even if he exhausted his Aether core in a desperate bid to warp away, the creature would catch him easily. It was a brutal reality: if the squid decided to attack them, their fate was sealed.

    After watching this rampage for minutes, a new terror began to unfold. A yellow mist, darkened with unsettling streaks of black, began to seep in around the broken slab. It crept across the water like a living, malevolent entity, its tendrils of shadow coiling and twisting as it obscured the scene before them.

    The mist swallowed the broken slab and muffled the horrifying sounds of the creature. A cacophony of eerie, otherworldly shrieks and frenzied thrashing filled the air, creating a dissonant symphony of dread.

    Atlas glanced at Iris, her face a mask of cold resolve. It was clear she, too, understood the grim reality: this was a force they could not confront, a predator so formidable that fighting back was a hopeless endeavor.

    As the mist gradually began to lift, the scene that emerged was both horrifying and awe-inspiring. The monstrous squid, which had previously terrorized the waters, was now torn in half. One portion remained, but the other was missing, as if erased by an unseen force. Its insides were hollowed out, a grotesque testament to the might of whatever had caused its demise.

    Atlas shuddered. He did not know what had transpired beneath that mist, but one thing was certain: if a force capable of destroying such a creature with ease existed, it was beyond anything he could hope to face.

    Nothing happened after that, and the darkness slowly faded to light, leaving the small group on Atlas''s slab trapped in a silence filled with horror.

    ***

    When the first daylight arrived, it revealed more secrets of the night. There were many more slabs, just like theirs, scattered around them. Each one was separated by over one hundred meters in every direction. The most surprising discovery was that people stood on top of them!

    Each slab supported somewhere between two and six people. Atlas could see clearly how many individuals were in the maze with him. When he first landed in that sand pit, he had thought he was in this alone. Now, with so many people present, he could imagine that a large portion of them might be able to fulfill the objective of this trial.

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    This revelation shook the group and altered the situation once more. Previously, if their slab had never moved again, they would have been stuck in the middle of the sea, destined to die. Eventually, they would run out of food and either have to catch fish or face the grim option of turning on one another.

    Atlas had no doubt that he would have been the first to be chosen for sacrifice due to being an outsider taken in out of greed. Now, this influx of people meant new supplies¡ªif they could somehow reach a new group without being consumed by the sea''s horrors.

    The group started talking amongst themselves again, leaving Iris and Atlas alone.

    Atlas took this opportunity to ask the quiet healer some questions, hoping to learn more about the maze. Acting eager, he asked,

    "Do you know what the actual objective of this trial is? My group never told me anything about it. Of course, if you don''t know either, it might be a silly question."

    Atlas sat back and waited for her response. She paused for a moment before saying,

    "Yes and no. Our team has been here for two weeks and has figured out that to beat this place, it involves something with three keys."

    She took a breath, started to put her hair in a high ponytail, and continued,

    "We encountered a library in the maze, and there plastered on the wall was a riddle giving us information on how to beat it. It said:

    Three keys unlock the path unknown, One reveals what''s hidden, one guides, One shows the truth alone."

    Atlas tried to dissect the riddle. Being a naturally curious person, he considered the many implications. Was someone leaving hints about the objective¡ªperhaps the figure who owned the maze or someone else who discovered the secret and left clues for others?

    The riddle itself was straightforward: collect three keys, each leading to a different treasure. Atlas wasn''t sure if all three were needed to leave the maze or if they were simply required to obtain a treasure and escape using only one of them.

    After deducing these implications, he asked Iris another question, "When you beat your first door, what type of powers did you get?" Atlas was eager to learn more about potential powers.

    Iris did not act as if the question was taboo. Instead, she took a deep breath and prepared to explain her powers. Before she could begin, she paused and looked down at the water.

    "Are you stupid?" she said simply.

    Atlas was caught off guard by the response. She then turned to him and pointed at his shoulder, referring to the spot where he had deliberately stabbed himself to create a false story.

    He knew about the healing but realized he hadn''t communicated his message clearly. To preserve his Edmund persona, he said,

    "Oh, right, I totally forgot about that. But like¡­ what other things happened, and how did you get your Aether Core?"

    She was about to explain more but was suddenly distracted by an incredible sight. Atlas looked in the same direction she did and saw a slab moving at high speeds. Ripples burst from the back as if a large motor was attached to it. And this slab wasn''t just moving aimlessly¡ªit was heading straight towards their location!

    Atlas sprang up and grabbed his weapon. Iris alerted the group to the situation, and everyone prepared for battle.

    Five people on the moving slab drew closer, each armed with a weapon. They appeared starved and had no food with them, which explained their frantic approach. If they didn''t attack another group, they would face starvation. Since Sebastian''s group was well-fed, these attackers had to take their chances.

    The moving slab came within ten meters but showed no signs of slowing. It was clear they planned to ram them. Atlas was shocked by their reckless disregard for safety. A collision would mean certain death for everyone.

    The attackers'' slab closed to within four meters and suddenly veered to the side, using all its momentum. This action sent a massive wave of water crashing over Atlas and his group, soaking them from head to toe. The wall of water temporarily blinded them, obscuring the attackers'' movements. Atlas kept his eyes open despite the water, sensing that this was part of a larger strategy.

    His instincts proved correct when the wall of water was breached by the bodies of the attackers. Atlas was the first to see them land on the slab and was also the first to take action.

    Unsure of the attackers'' strength and techniques, he opted for the action of inaction. He stepped back behind his group, creating a makeshift shield of five people. No matter what, he was determined not to die here and if he had to let everyone take the hits it did not bother him one bit.

 Lethal Momentum

    Atlas saw Sebastian be the first in the group to swing his weapon at the attackers. His longsword moved with such speed that it seemed like an afterimage formed. He thought it would not only kill the people who jumped at them but also cut apart the slab they were standing on. If that were possible, it would have made things much easier, allowing Sebastian to cut through the maze itself.

    Although this swing was mighty, something incredible happened. A small, tan man from the attacking group met Sebastian''s blade at the hilt, sending a large shockwave that almost pushed Atlas into the water. The sheer force coming from both fighters made Atlas wary, wondering how they could generate such power from their bodies.

    Atlas watched as the opposing group each took on a different person, leading to a five-on-five clash.

    Iris was in a heated battle with another female who looked almost like a giantess. Their fight was fast but didn''t produce the shockwaves like the clash between the small man and Sebastian. The other three each held their ground, seemingly in a stalemate.

    Atlas felt lucky that his group wasn''t weak enough to be easily overtaken by this hungry cohort. But even so, what if the enemies had full bellies and plenty of sleep? The odds were certainly in the oppositions favor when at full strength.

    To Atlas, this thought didn''t even matter. The only thing that mattered was the present, and he had to take advantage of every opportunity, including the fact that he was the sixth man with no direct opponent.

    The sword he was using was a short sword¡ªthe same one that Mia had used to kill her own friend.

    Readying himself he decided that winning this fight was paramount, even if it meant blowing his Edmund cover. Though using his Warp ability was something he would only do as a last resort. This Edmund persona may have been that of an affluent rich kid, but that didn''t mean the rich kid couldn''t contribute to the fight.

    Atlas decided to intervene in the battle between Iris and the giantess. The woman was using a large spear and was somehow keeping up in close quarters combat with Iris, despite Iris being nimbler and using a sword.

    He moved from his position at the back of the team to the right, positioning himself to the left of Iris. He was patient, acting as if he was too scared to join the fight. This aura of weakness was picked up immediately, not only by the giant woman but also by his own group. Even though he had survived past battles, Atlas''s true combat prowess had never been discussed.

    Iris and the giantess exchanged blow after blow, each one moving in perfect sync. When Iris attacked, the giantess dodged. When the giantess swung, Iris parried. The duel lasted only a dozen seconds, but to Atlas, it felt like an eternity.

    Then, Iris angled the fight, pivoting ninety degrees, leaving the giantess within reach of Atlas.

    This was his chance!

    With his sword in hand, he jumped in directly at the tall woman, swinging down. The woman, who had been locked in an intense battle with Iris for over thirty seconds, didn''t think he would be a threat with such a basic attack.

    That would be the case, of course, if she didn''t have to fight two people at once. In battle, a single mistake or disadvantage can mean the difference between life and death.

    Atlas''s attack was easily blocked by the shaft of the spear, but this break in the flow of combat gave Iris the opportunity to lunge forward. The tall woman slammed the spear''s shaft down, trying to hit Iris''s back before her sword could plunge into her abdomen. Fortunately for her, the giantess did manage to hit Iris in the back, as the momentum made it impossible not to.

    Unfortunately for her, it was only after Iris had left a gaping hole exactly where her heart should have been.

    The woman''s eyes went blank before she dropped her spear and fell backward into the water. Atlas was surprised at how quickly she died. Iris had truly shown remarkable battle prowess for someone who was supposed to be just a healer in the group. This one opportunity she was given was taken advantage of perfectly.

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    After his attack was blocked, Atlas quickly retreated from the fight, his whole body turned away from the ongoing clashes. He needed a second to analyze the situation. If everyone else was still in a stalemate, victory was almost guaranteed.

    But when Atlas looked around, he saw the harsh reality of the situation.

    Blood was everywhere.

    The battle between each person was far from a simple exchange of parries and blocks. It wasn''t like a normal fight scene where the main character was never hit until they landed the final blow. This scene looked like something out of a horror movie. Every combatant was covered head to toe in someone else''s blood, or even their own.

    He saw that Sebastian''s opponent had lost the fingers on his left hand, leaving nothing but a stump, yet he was still fighting toe-to-toe with Sebastian, seemingly growing stronger with each passing second. Sebastian himself was covered in cuts, with a major wound in his leg.

    Atlas saw that one person from the opposing group had lost their right arm, while another had their nose partially hanging off their face. This was a sight Atlas had never experienced before. Although he was willing to kill, even gruesomely, his mind had always rationalized it as a matter of survival¡ªkill or be killed.

    Before entering this insane trial, Atlas had been a humble librarian. The closest thing he had experienced to a fight was fending off an angry customer who had groped a female coworker. Even then, the man had been old and out of shape, barely scratching Atlas.

    Now, he was in a fight against people who could slice a tree in half with a single swing.

    Finally seeing the full picture, Atlas looked at Iris and pointed toward Sebastian. She instantly understood¡ªthey would go help defeat the small man and turn the tide of the battle.

    Atlas rushed forward, past the other fights that seemed locked in stalemate, toward Sebastian, who was inching closer to defeat. He readied his sword and positioned himself on the left side of the fight, waiting for an opportunity to strike.

    The small man was incredibly fast¡ªit felt as if he knew what Sebastian was going to do before he did it. Despite his injury, he was working Sebastian into a losing position.

    The man''s weapon of choice was two black daggers, each emitting a dark glow that could easily keep up and outpace Sebastian''s sword.

    Atlas feared that instead of distracting the man to help Sebastian win, his interference might lead to a counterattack, resulting in a heavy loss or even death. Just because you have four palms doesn''t mean you automatically beat two fists.

    But what about six palms?

    Iris was there, and if they could both strike simultaneously, at least one of their attacks would land. Atlas looked at Iris, hoping to communicate a plan through a glance. Their eyes met, and instinctively they knew¡ªthey would strike together, leaving the man with no way out.

    Atlas stood on the man''s left, Sebastian in front, and Iris to his right. As soon as Sebastian swung overhead with all his strength, forcing the man to dodge, Atlas knew this was their chance. Now was the moment¡­

    He forced out as much strength as his body could muster, feeling more refreshed than ever since unlocking his Aether Core. His goal wasn''t only to strike the man down but at least to cut off any escape route on the left. Iris mirrored his actions, making it impossible for the man to move to his right.

    It seemed the man was destined to lose. He had to either block or dodge, but he couldn''t block all three attacks.

    Time slowed for Atlas as he watched the man raise his daggers in an X position to block Sebastian''s strike. This left him defenseless against the strikes from Atlas and Iris. Just as Atlas''s blade was about to land, something unbelievable happened.

    The man didn''t vanish from view. Instead, Atlas saw a flow of Aether surge through the man''s body. His defensive posture shifted from tension to relaxation¡ªhis arms dropped to his sides, and his legs tensed. In an instant a dark glow of Aether ran down his body. The man used the force in his legs to kick backward, dodging all three strikes at once.

    Atlas, Iris, and Sebastian were shocked. The man had moved fast enough to dodge all of them at once, and he did it effortlessly.

    Atlas couldn''t figure out how the man had done it. His first thought was that the man had used some type of technique to burst backward, but that didn''t match what he had seen. Aether seemed to have flown into his legs and remain there, as if it had supercharged his muscles, allowing him to move at such a blinding speed.

    Atlas''s mind wanted to analyze how to use this power in the future, but something even more insane grabbed his attention. The man had jumped back so far that he should have fallen into the water¡ªthe slab they fought on was relatively small. But instead, Atlas saw the man spin in mid-air, extend his legs outward, and press against an invisible wall. It looked as if he had pushed off the very air itself. Once again, the man channeled Aether into his legs.

    He shot forward at incredible speed, raising both daggers simultaneously. His movements were hard to follow, even for someone with years of battle experience.

    Whatever the target of the man''s attack was, it would be destroyed¡ªthat much was clear.

    Unfortunately for Atlas, that target was him!

 Fallen Warrior

    Atlas was caught off guard by this man. Instead of attacking Sebastian or Iris, he went straight for him. He barely had time to think due to the sheer speed of the tiny man. He knew that raising his sword meant death.

    Atlas was ready to warp away, saving himself, when Sebastian stepped in front. He geared up, ready to parry the oncoming attack or at least block in some way. The man didn''t slow down as he got closer and closer to meeting Sebastian. The moment the blades clashed, another powerful shockwave flew across the slab.

    Atlas was sent flying into the air. He landed on the edge with a soft thump and tried to regain his balance.

    "These two were anomalies," Atlas thought.

    Instead of having a clash that was on the level of normal humans, these two were a different level of fighters, in a class of their own. This made him wonder about how truly strong Aether could make someone.

    Atlas knew he had to get up and help Sebastian once again, but this one attack reminded him of the overwhelming difference between himself and someone who actually had training and could clearly use Aether to a high degree.

    His previous kills on the two girls were by catching them by surprise and also using his warp technique. If he fought them in a fair fight with swords, he would surely lose.

    Still, he grabbed his sword and raised it once again.

    Sebastian used his sword to swing strongly from left to right. The man ducked underneath and once again used Aether, seeping it into his legs and pushing off the ground. This time, Atlas could see something new¡ªSebastian himself was using Aether, and it had the same color as the man, a dark black, except his was only faintly visible.

    Sebastian poured it into his arms, and they moved at incredible speed, blocking the lunge.

    The man then jumped backward into the air and landed on the edge of the platform. He swapped the way he handled the daggers, from holding them both up to holding one up and the other down. He then moved at incredible speeds, this time going for a jump attack at Sebastian. He flew through the air and slashed with both at the same time. Sebastian hit the man with an attack at the same time. Another large shockwave from the clash was produced, but this time a clear winner was shown.

    Sebastian stood tall with a look of surprise on his face. The man''s dagger broke from Atlas''s attack into pieces, leaving it with no friction for the swing to hit and slow down. This meant Sebastian''s attack, instead of stopping mid-air, hit nothing. As for where the man was, he somehow sidestepped on air to the right.

    He was using the same daggers that had just broken into pieces. Most people would assume they were now useless, but no matter what, it was still a sharp object. He then stepped on the air again and was sent flying, stabbing into Sebastian''s head straight through his right ear.

    Sebastian''s whole body stood as if nothing had happened. The only reason he fell to the ground was due to the man landing on his shoulders and pushing him down.

    Sebastian''s body flopped on the ground with the clear victor atop, holding a broken dagger in one hand with the other being a stump.

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    This left Atlas surprised because the man won in such a manner, bouncing off the air, and also due to the fact that during the fight, he held onto the dagger using no fingers, as if he was clenching with just his palm, yet still ultimately won the fight.

    The small man looked at Atlas and smiled, readying himself to pounce yet again.

    ***

    Near was finally able to finish off the broad man, even if it meant losing his left fingers. He was still the victor.

    Sucking up the pain, he let Aether flow through his body again, rejuvenating it, and readied himself to push off the ground towards the tall man.

    He paused for merely a second to catch his breath. Using his technique that much in a short period was hard. Being able to turn the air within a meter of his body into a solid surface was something that took a long time to master.

    Every time he wanted to use it, the Aether from his body was drained. Most of the time, he would do what just happened in the fight and make a surface to push himself towards enemies. In some niche scenarios, he was even able to block an attack with it, but only against weak opponents.

    Looking down to inspect his body, he saw something a little out of place. Where his stomach was, he saw a pointy metal object sticking out. He touched it, trying to see what exactly it was.

    A sudden realization entered his mind.

    The girl!

    He swiveled and tried to kick, pouring Aether into his attack, meeting nothing but air.

    The pain washed over him from what had just happened.

    ***

    Atlas saw Iris behind the man as he smiled and, clearly showing his intent to attack, Atlas readied himself to warp.

    Thankfully, Iris made it in time and sneakily sunk her blade through his abdomen.

    The man kicked with full force at high speeds, but Iris was one step ahead and ducked under it. He then fell to the ground, holding the place he was bleeding from.

    "YES!" Atlas screamed internally.

    Iris was able to once again take advantage of the enemy''s weak state to finish them off. Atlas wasted no time and ran over towards the man, raising his sword and swinging at his neck, trying to decapitate him.

    As the sword went towards his neck, it was stopped by an invisible wall. This confused Atlas, who once again swung at him. Again, it was met with a wall. He tried once more, this time pouring Aether into his muscle groups, and as he swung, he felt the energy from his muscles increase by more than double.

    It definitely did not match the speed of the man or the now-dead Sebastian, but it was faster than Atlas thought was possible.

    The invisible wall shattered, and the sword sunk into the neck¡ªnot fully decapitating him but cutting deep enough to leave a fatal wound.

    The man on the ground, with a sword still stuck in his stomach and a neck bleeding out, looked up at Atlas and pointed towards the sky. Atlas wasn''t stupid enough to turn and be distracted. No matter how hurt someone was, they were still dangerous.

    A wild animal with no way out will fight until death with as much strength as possible.

    He studied the man''s actions, and once the feminine voice rang out, declaring the death, he relaxed.

    "You have slain Veiled Near."

    "Your core has grown stronger."

    Atlas was surprised by the second line. Instead of being met with just the announcement of the kill, this time, he was told that his core had grown stronger. He didn''t know what met the criteria for gaining this message, but it was something to study in the future.

    He tested his core, flowing Aether throughout his body. This time, the Aether seemed more like a liquid, but only slightly. It felt like an icy flow of energy coursing throughout his body.

    Keeping that thought in the back of his head, Atlas turned around and faced the other fights.

    This time, instead of a stalemate, there was a clear winner on each side. Atlas''s group had survived, but only barely, each person filled with cuts and wounds from head to toe.

    One other member of Atlas''s group also died, the man who had rounded the corner previously to check for Atlas''s presumed attacker.

    The total outcome left only four people from his group alive, with the other group being fully dead.

    Atlas fell to the ground when something unfathomable occurred.

    From about fifty meters out, a tentacle pierced through the water, sending waves towards their location.

 Tides of Desperation

    "Are you kidding me?" Atlas said out loud while staring at the tentacle.

    One insane situation after another, and he didn''t even have time to think about what to do next. If this creature attacked everyone now, it would make all of their efforts to survive in vain.

    Atlas couldn''t stand how frustrating this trial was. No matter what he faced, it had to be the most ridiculous thing possible. The tentacle belonged to yet another squid, this time larger than the one before.

    It moved through the water at an incredible pace, gliding toward the slab. Iris saw the same thing, and looked at Atlas, but instead of sharing a glance and coming up with a plan, Atlas saw fear in her eyes.

    The squid was only seconds away, and Atlas knew his luck had run out. Any hope for a last-minute save was gone¡ªno mist was going to show up, no distractions, no slab suddenly moving. It was up to him and the three people on the slab to either take down the monster or scare it off.

    They each readied themselves to fight off the tentacles, knowing it would probably be a fruitless endeavor.

    Atlas knew once again that his life was on the line.

    The squid hurtled toward them, raising a large tentacle and slapping it down on the slab, right in the center. Atlas was surprised by the squid''s strength. The slab was split in half¡ªnot like a blunt object striking it, but as if a hot knife was slicing through bread.

    The impact sent both halves of the slab flying into the air, including Atlas.

    He grabbed his damaged sword mid-air and tried to regain balance. Somehow, he still had a slight grip on the fractured slab with the soles of his dress shoes, which he had been wearing all this time.

    He looked at the squid''s eyes and got an idea. If he could get to its eye and shove his sword into it, surely the squid would retreat.

    His plan was set, and he knew that now, of all moments, was the time to make a move. Just before he pushed off, he looked for Iris.

    He found her doing something similar on the opposite platform, about 10 meters into the air. She was also preparing to attack the eye.

    They hadn''t had a chance to come up with a plan, but through sheer luck, they reached the same conclusion. Aether flowed into Atlas''s legs, filling them with energy, mimicking what he had seen between Sebastian and Near.

    He then pushed off with all his might, heading directly toward the squid, while on the opposite side, Iris was doing the same, both with swords in hand.

    One strike through all the tentacles should be enough. At this speed, and with both of them attacking, at least one of the strikes was destined to land.

    Sadly his hopes of fending off the monster quickly ended.

    Instead of reaching the heroic moment where he slid through the tentacles and won, reality hit him.

    He was still weak. Weak and pathetic, a prey who could be killed with a simple flick.

    The squid raised a tentacle, grabbing both him and Iris out of the air at the same time. It then lifted them high, one on the left and one on the right, holding them there for a second.

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    Atlas was trapped and tried to warp away, but the squid''s grip was simply to strong. His ability wasn''t working.

    It felt like the grip wasn''t just squeezing him but also squeezing the ability out of him, making him powerless.

    Atlas felt fear grip his heart. All the moments leading up to this seemed pointless.

    He wanted to live. He wanted to go back to his house in the real world and enjoy his life as a librarian.

    He wanted to show off his powers to his coworkers and maybe even become an official Challenger of the Door trials.

    The grip tightened so much that Atlas''s ribs felt like they were about to explode, and a lack of oxygen became more apparent. Just before he was squeezed to death, the squid loosened its grip enough for Atlas to feel his technique return.

    Atlas instantly warped out, landing on the outside of the tentacle rather than inside.

    This made Atlas elated to be alive, but his thoughts quickly shifted to Iris, who was still trapped by the same type of tentacle. In his mind, he had two choices: leave and try to save himself, or attempt a desperate rescue.

    His weapon was already gone from his hands, and he knew using his fists would be futile. Instead, Atlas relied on instinct.

    He rushed every fiber of Aether into his legs and pushed off the tentacle he was standing on.

    The direction he chose wasn''t towards Iris, but towards the platforms on the ground. He landed with a thud and rolled toward the edge. Sliding, Atlas finally saw what he was looking for in the water. Sticking close to the slab was the arm of one of the attackers from earlier.

    He grabbed it, not worrying about the reality of holding a dead man''s hand, and reached for his pocket.

    Atlas was glad to have kept one thing with him just in case this scenario arose.

    What he pulled out was beautiful, a stark contrast to the chaos around him.

    It was the Flower!

    The same one the rabbit ate before it collapsed, giving Atlas a chance to kill it.

    He stuffed the whole flower into the arm and started his plan. Once again, he channeled as much Aether as he could into his leg muscles and pushed back towards the squid. The waves caused by the creature''s actions made it even trickier than before. He had to close the gap to the squid while dodging waves and tentacles.

    Atlas knew he didn''t have much time if he wanted to save Iris, but Iris came second to his own survival. In fact, she came third¡ªhe even placed keeping his limbs intact before her.

    To him, Iris may have saved him, but he didn''t feel an ounce of wanting to give reciprocation. He was only doing this because now was the best opportunity.

    The squid''s tentacles were still flailing in the waves, shoving the remains of fallen people into its mouth, one after another. Pieces of the cracked slab also entered the creature''s mouth.

    Atlas had nothing left to do but hope and pray.

    Mid-air, still closing the distance, a tentacle swung at him. Finally, he was forced to use his warping ability and blinked to the side of the large tentacle. He had to blink a full two meters away due to the tentacle''s width.

    He was then met with a wave about to crash into him, slowing his momentum. This time, he couldn''t blink through it¡ªthe wave was too thick. Instead, he tried something different. He blinked upward.

    Sensing the Aether in the air, he made a connection with his core and tried to place himself a meter above his current height. Suddenly, he felt it.

    The Aether in his body reacted, and he was folded into the space above him. The sensation drained his Core significantly, using four times the amount it took to blink two meters forward.

    Atlas was worried about what would happen next, and the fatigue was already building up.

    He was now almost at the squid''s body, still flying. The momentum he used to push off remained through his blinks, rapidly closing the distance.

    But Atlas didn''t need to land on the squid for his plan to work. He just needed to get close enough.

    Atlas used almost every last drop of Aether in his core, channeling it into his arms. Reeling back, he threw the arm he was holding directly at the squid''s mouth.

    The squid didn''t seem to care and swallowed it easily.

    Atlas, still in mid-air, was forced to land. He hit the squid''s squishy body and bounced off.

    As he started sliding off the edge, he channeled the last droplet of Aether into his fingers and tried to dig in. But it was no use. A monster like this was simply too tough. Even if he had sword no even if he had ten thousand swords, nothing could pierce it.

    With nothing left to stop his descent, Atlas slid off the side of the squid, directly into the mass of swirling tentacles.

 A paragon has fallen.

    He felt time slow down as he watched the tentacles below him thrash wildly. Making his feet as straight as possible, he pierced through the surface of the water. He felt the cold chill wash over him and was instantly met with internal waves from the water.

    The tentacles were so strong that the forces being let off made Atlas look like a ragdoll. Atlas was sent flying in one direction, only to be thrown in another by the sheer force the tentacles gave off. Somehow, he wasn''t hit directly by a tentacle yet.

    One after another, a tentacle swished right by him. Atlas was running out of breath, so he started to push with all his might towards the surface of the water.

    He broke through to the top and gulped in as much air as he possibly could. Looking around, he realized that the tentacles were getting a little more sluggish as time went on. Things were looking up.

    That was until Atlas saw what was coming from above.

    One of the tentacles finally aligned with where Atlas was. He saw it coming down at incredible speed. Atlas didn''t have to think; instead, he dove under the water again, hoping that the surface tension would stop the attack, even if only a little.

    He struggled to swim down and down, not bothering to look back. Of course, he was going to try and swim diagonally to dodge, but he knew it was moot. This tentacle was large, and since he didn''t have the warp ability, it was a fact he was going to be hit.

    Atlas was still clawing his way down when the tentacle struck his back with immense force.

    Hurts!

    It was so intense that his mind simply went blank. Nothing could represent the pain he felt. The very molecules that made up his body felt out of place, but somehow he retained consciousness.

    Not only was he in pain, but the force of the attack sent him flying into the depths of the ocean at a staggering speed. He tried to move his body, but it was for nothing; he was too tired.

    Vibrations washed over his body making him feel utterly useless. Each second that went by increased the stinging sensation across his back and body.

    This was how Atlas died.

    Slowly, under the water, swatted away like a bug.

    This didn''t sit right with Atlas.

    He crawled his way through the maze with a broken spine and was able to recover from that. Why couldn''t he push himself more? Why did he have to be such a weakling who couldn''t live through such a simple hit?

    If the squid hit him while being able to see him, it was a different story¡ªhe would have died on impact. But he didn''t the squid was wildly thrashing not putting his full force into each tentacle strike. This meant there was a chance for him to live.

    Atlas didn''t care about his lungs that burned or his whole body that was aching from not only being hit but also from the depletion of his Aether core. He only cared about one goal: surviving. He struggled, pushing himself beyond what he thought was possible.

    He tugged at the water, fighting tooth and nail for every stroke. He rose higher and higher at a pace that should not have been possible. Breath after breath, he rose, not caring about decompression sickness. If he drowned here, that wouldn''t matter anyway.

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    He was closing the distance, begging to be able to breathe.

    Six meters.

    Five meters.

    Four meters.

    At three meters, he felt his lungs give out.

    At two, he saw spots in his vision.

    At one, he could no longer see and felt water enter his lungs.

    Finally, Atlas broke free from the shackles of the water and sucked in as much air as possible while coughing up the water. His head was spinning in what felt like a million directions at once.

    As he slowly regained sight, he remembered that the squid was still out there.

    He turned and faced the squid and saw something incredible.

    Instead of the thrashing monster, he was met with the squid laying on its side, not moving, as if paralyzed.

    Atlas''s plan worked out perfectly!

    Using the flower the rabbit ate, he was able to stop the squid. He didn''t know if it was only momentarily or if the squid would die from this, but he didn''t want to find out either.

    The only bad part about this whole situation was that he had no energy, barely able to tread water. His back still in intense pain.

    That''s when he felt movement in the water behind him and turned to see Iris wading his way.

    One of her hands wrapped around his waist, and the other turned to cut through the water. The hands felt like heaven due to her filling them with her healing Aether.

    At peace, Atlas finally was able to let go and stop struggling against the waves and the pain. Iris dragged them through the water towards a half of the fractured slab and threw him on top. Afterward, she lay down next to him, both absolutely at their limit.

    Atlas turned his head and looked back at the squid''s body and saw something interesting. The squid''s color was turning from orange to a green, puke-ish color.

    He wanted to fall asleep on the slab, but he was still shaken up mentally from the fight. That was the closest he had ever come to dying in his life. Even the strawman could not compare to the power the squid produced.

    Out of nowhere, a feminine voice rang out, echoing through his whole body:

    "You have killed a MultiSquid, Rank: Paragon."

    "Congratulations, your Feat has been marked in the history books."

    "Your core has grown exponentially stronger."

    Atlas paused, overtaken by a feeling of pure bliss.

    YES!

    His plan not only worked in stopping the squid but also ended up killing it.

    This made some sense because he gave the entire flower to it instead of just a single leaf like the rabbit ate.

    But wait¡­

    A rank of a Paragon¡­ and my feat has been marked in the history books?

    Both of these things didn''t make sense to Atlas. The one thing he did feel almost instantly was his core growing stronger. A dizzy feeling came over him once again, and pain struck him.

    His depleted core was instantly filled with Aether coming from seemingly nowhere. On top of that, the Aether he was using turned into an even more water-like substance.

    After what seemed like forever, the pain subsided, and Atlas rose from his position on the ground, sitting up.

    His curiosity took control, and he instantly dove into his Aether Core, back to the room where he found the technique information.

    He read the walls and saw:

    {Warp}

    Rank - Sentinel

    Level - 0/6

    Looking a little lower, he saw new information that was not there before:

    Core - 1/6

    Surprised, he used his hands and touched the words, feeling even more curious than before.

    This didn''t make sense; there were simply too many mysteries to unravel.

    He did not know how to increase his core every time he killed something. On top of that, he didn''t know how to increase his warping ability.

    To add even more mysteries, the fact he took down a creature of a Paragon rank and was awarded so much proved it was a strong creature, but he didn''t know where that sat in the hierarchy of power.

    He could only conclude that it was at least a rank above Sentinel, which would mean it was of the third rank at the very least. But it wouldn''t surprise him if it was even higher than that, considering it broke the slab that made up the maze.

    If a creature like that was a land animal, just how much destruction could it cause if it was in the heart of the maze?

    The most confusing enigma was the statement about his feat being marked in the history books.

    He didn''t know what that could mean, but it was clear that what he took down was something no human should have stood a chance against. The only reason he was able to kill it was due to the flower.

    And even then, how did this voice credit him with the kill? Why did it not credit the maker of the flower or even the flower itself? Did the voice only account for things that were human, or was it only things that had an Aether core?

    While questions buzzed through his mind, he turned back around and saw the healer who had saved him giving him a curious and yet piercing look.

    He realized that Iris probably saw the whole situation go down, and that included his warping.

    Atlas knew that he had a hard conversation ahead of him.

 Bounder

    He sat quietly for a second before breaking the silence.

    "I''ll be honest with you, Iris," he said, taking a deep breath as he laid it all out. "I obtained a technique in the maze after killing a rabbit. The group I was with told me to keep it a secret because if I told someone, they would try to kill me."

    Iris looked at him but said nothing.

    The silence returned, this time deafening.

    After a minute or two, Iris finally spoke.

    "I don''t care that you may have lied to us. The only thing that matters is surviving."

    This left Atlas appalled. He never would have thought the healer of the group could arrive at such a logical conclusion.

    The real truth was that this moment was commonly referred to as "Game Theory."

    Each party may have its own interests and will to play the game, but it''s still in one''s best interest to cooperate rather than defect.

    Had he known he wouldn''t need to rely on Iris''s healing factor, he might have simply tried to kill her while she was tired or asleep. That was the logical conclusion¡ªeliminate anyone who knew his technique while he was still so weak.

    But instead, it was better to keep her around for the time being, either to rely on or use as a pawn.

    The surprising part was, she thought the very same thing.

    Iris turned to the side and fell asleep.

    So much for a hard conversation¡­ This lady has much more to her than meets the eye.

    Atlas intended to talk to her more, but after the day he''d just had, he too fell asleep.

    When he woke, Iris was standing above him with a sword drawn.

    "I lied to you. Tell me everything about who you are and how you got here, or I will kill you."

    Atlas didn''t make a fuss and instead sat up straight, acting as if nothing was happening.

    He half-expected something like this would happen because if she really did utilize game theory in her thinking, a core element is the act of "Redemption," or as most would refer to it, "an eye for an eye."

    Upon waking, his core was not only full, but his fatigue was gone. If she swung the sword, he could simply blink away and fight her.

    He replied cautiously, "My real name is Edmund, but it''s not Worthington¡ªthat''s a false name. It''s really Edmund Black."

    Continuing, he said, "I was chosen for this Door trial and was scared, so I hired a group. Although I''m not the richest, I took out a loan and was able to meet the previous team you saw. My whole group got separated and was eventually attacked by that man."

    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    He conveniently left out the two females he killed.

    He didn''t want to give away his real identity, even now. Faced with a sword, it was still better to lie and act as if it were the truth.

    Iris slowly lowered her sword and took a step back.

    "You''re lying. I saw you push off with Aether, imbuing your legs. Something like that must be taught and takes months, if not years, of practice."

    Atlas was genuinely caught off guard by that statement.

    "I promise you, I am who I say I am. When Sebastian and Near were fighting, I mimicked what they were doing."

    Iris''s facial expression didn''t change.

    "Let''s say I believe you, even though you''ve already been proven a liar. That still doesn''t explain two things. One, how you were able to take down the rabbit that gave you that technique, and two, how you were able to actually use it."

    Iris stepped closer and pushed the sword inches away from Atlas''s face.

    "The rabbit you supposedly killed had to be at least of Sentinel rank since it granted you that technique, but it''s impossible for a mundane human to kill one. On top of that, being able to use it as efficiently as you did doesn''t make sense in this timeline. It would have taken months, not to mention getting into your Aether core''s room. Speaking of which, traversing the maze in your core should have taken weeks."

    "Do you really expect me to believe you were able to do all of this in a little over a week, rather than months or years?"

    Atlas''s eyes widened yet again.

    Weeks to traverse the maze in his core? It had only taken him minutes, not even a full hour. He didn''t find it very hard after he got used to the mental connection.

    "Yes, I do because it''s the truth," he said.

    Iris didn''t say anything else, instead moving the sword as close as possible to his neck.

    "What did you do to the squid to kill it? I saw you put something in the arm. What was it?"

    Atlas didn''t want to lie here because there was no use.

    "The thing I put into the arm was a flower, and that same flower had a single leaf torn off of it by the rabbit I eventually killed. After eating it, the rabbit fell over paralyzed and was left in a weakened state. So, with no other ideas coming to mind, I fed it to the squid."

    Iris kept making eye contact throughout the entire exchange, never blinking once.

    "My final question to you is: how much do you know about the ranks and the Bounder?"

    "¡­The what and the ranks?" he replied.

    "Don''t play dumb. The ranks of people and monsters, as well as the voice you hear once you kill something."

    Atlas once again decided it was best to tell the truth.

    "I only know that when I killed Near, it told me he was of the Veiled rank. When I killed the rabbit, it was Sentinel. Just a second ago, when I killed the squid, which was actually named Multisquid, it told me it was of the Paragon rank."

    Iris maintained a straight face until the end, when her mouth opened, and she looked completely shocked.

    "A Paragon rank¡­ You actually killed one? Even if it was just dumb luck and you used the flower, it''s still insane¡­ Edmund, you may not know this, but that squid was something no one should be able to kill."

    She backed the sword away and sat down.

    "The ranks of humans and beasts are as follows:

    Veiled,

    Sentinel,

    Warlord,

    Paragon,

    Exalted,

    Ascendant,

    Apex,

    Eternals,

    Celestials.

    Each one of these ranks has a vast power difference between them.

    I''m surprised you were actually unaware of this, although it makes sense because, according to you, you''ve never conquered a Door before. At the end of your first Door trial, you''re given a wealth of information by the Bounder, which in your case, you don''t know about. The Bounder is the voice you hear in your ear."

    It was now Atlas''s turn to be shocked, considering all the new information he was just met with. Some unknown entity, almost godlike, known as the Bounder, existed.

    And it was the same voice he heard every time he killed something. On top of that, it was the same thing that marked his feat in the history books.

    Atlas was now left with many more questions than answers.

 Calm

    Before Atlas did anything else, he thought about what rank he was right now.

    I have an Aether Core, which means I''m at least Veiled rank, and I know for sure that I''d be significantly stronger if I were a Sentinel. So that means I''m for sure Veiled. Now the real question is, how much does my strength differ from someone at the same rank as me?

    After watching Sebastian and Near fight, I can see the real difference between those at the same tier is Aether control. This probably has something to do with how much you''ve explored into your Aether Core, as well as your room.

    As he was thinking, one thing stuck out above all: he was somehow able to progress much more quickly than anyone else¡ªat least according to Iris. This didn''t make any sense. He was never naturally talented at anything; in fact, it was the opposite for almost everything, except for reading. He loved it, indulged in it, and even ended becoming a librarian.

    Logically speaking, there had to be a reason for this. But what was it? Could it have something to do with taking down the Warp Rabbit or even the Strawman?

    In fact, now that he thought back, how convenient it was that the maze shifted at the last second during the Straw-man fight.

    When he was younger, he fell in love with a book where the main character was controlled by an outside force until he eventually died because of that person.

    Could this be something similar? I mean, there are some things that support this theory, like the eye and the maze shifting at times that would help me. But at the same time, they were inconvenient. Everything''s getting too confusing to keep track of.

    He pulled himself out of his racing thoughts.

    Atlas took a deep breath.

    "Iris, do you trust me enough to lower the sword? I promise you, I will not harm you, and from now on, I will tell you the full truth about anything."

    Iris finally sheathed her sword and sat down.

    "I don''t trust you enough for anything other than not killing you, and you not killing me. But the fact is, I need to use your technique in the future."

    Atlas didn''t comment and instead chose to remain silent. Nothing positive would come from speaking after that.

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    He watched as Iris opened a pack he remembered from earlier¡ªthe very same one she used with the group that had more space than it should hold. Atlas half-expected her to pull out a full dinner for the two of them, but instead, she turned the whole thing upside down, indicating that there was nothing left.

    "Listen closely, Edmund, we need supplies, so I need you to go and cut that squid with your sword."

    Atlas didn''t have to say anything. Instead, he grabbed his sword and located the squid''s body. After all these hours, it still remained close by. Although dead, there was no stench, as if it hadn''t decayed at all.

    He was going to swim to it but came up with a better idea.

    He rushed Aether into his legs and backed as far away from the edge of the slab as possible.

    This time, the Aether felt amazing, way more fulfilling than before, and made him feel powerful.

    So this is what happens when your Aether Core advances.

    Without another word, he ran, one foot in front of the other. Once he reached the edge, he jumped with as much strength as possible.

    His aquamarine Aether left behind traces as he soared through the air toward the squid''s body, closing over ten meters in a single jump.

    Unfortunately, it wasn''t enough.

    But that didn''t matter to Atlas because he had his technique.

    Warp!

    He used it three times, each at two meters, and finally landed on top of the squid. His core wasn''t completely drained; it was less than halfway, indicating a significant increase in how much Aether he could use at once.

    After landing, he took out his sword and wasted no time attempting to stab into the skin.

    CLING!

    The sword bounced off as if it hit diamond.

    Right, how could I forget? When I was falling, I tried to claw on, but my Aether-filled hands couldn''t even leave a scratch.

    He tried again and again, looking like a madman, stabbing at the dead squid.

    Finally, he had an idea. If the outside epidermis was impossible to get through, he had to try the eye.

    He walked over to the large eye, halfway submerged in the water, and touched the edges. He backed out of the eye and stabbed into it. This time, the eye wasn''t as hard, but it still didn''t let the sword break it. He tried again and again, leaving scratches, but he couldn''t cut through.

    Atlas needed a way to get this, or they would starve.

    If this bastard of a squid hadn''t eaten the rest of our supplies¡ªand even the bodies of the others¡ªwe would have food.

    He didn''t give up, repeatedly striking one spot. Each time, he pushed Aether into his body. Finally, after over an hour of digging, he stopped.

    All that effort and Aether only left a couple of marks.

    A Paragon''s strength is truly insane. Even a squishy eye couldn''t be cut by me.

    It was crazy to Atlas. He was so weak compared to this squid, yet he was the victor and stood atop its body.

    This left him feeling proud, but that feeling was quickly taken away. Even if he won, he would starve without supplies.

    He had no other choice.

    After regaining some Aether, he copied the same movement as before and made his way back to the slab.

    "It''s impossible to get food from the squid. It''s too strong. I tried many times with no success."

    Iris didn''t seem surprised. She stood up, looking into the distance at the other slabs.

    "We have no other choice. We must attack."

 Iso

    Atlas mentally prepared himself to fight other groups. Although there were only two of them, it didn''t mean they were weak. With his technique, he was worth at least two people or more, as long as they weren''t the best at controlling Aether. He felt like Iris wasn''t bad at all, being even more capable than himself, at least when it came to a straight-up fight.

    There was one problem with the plan they had to conquer: how to actually close the distance to the other groups. Atlas didn''t even entertain the idea of just swimming¡ªthat was courting death. Instead, he needed a way to move the slab.

    Thinking back, how did the other group move their own slab through the water? Theirs was also a full slab, instead of a fractured one like the one they were currently sitting on.

    "It could have been some type of technique to push or move water¡­ or maybe even Near himself somehow using his technique in some unique way."

    Atlas couldn''t be sure, but he wanted to copy it.

    He thought about all the books he had read previously, but it didn''t leave him with any new ideas. An oar would be helpful, but that still couldn''t compare to the other group''s speed. The only logical conclusion was that if they didn''t use any tool, it had something to do with Aether.

    Atlas had to test. He called Iris over, explained his idea, then stuck his hand in the water. Iris did the same but to the left of him.

    Atlas let the Aether from his core build in his palm. Feeling it spin, he made it go faster and faster before finally readying himself. When it was about to almost burst from the energy, he let the Aether release all at once.

    The water around them was forced backward, and the slab shot forward at a mediocre speed.

    "It worked!" Atlas thought.

    They moved a little over ten meters from just that test attempt. He had actually figured out a way to move. Looking at Iris, she was already testing it herself.

    This time Atlas could fully see her Aether as it gathered in the palm of her hand. It was a yellow color that looked beautiful, in a way reminding him of a butterfly from back home. While watching her, Atlas''s curious mind couldn''t help but wonder if the color of someone''s Aether had to do with their power, or if it was just random. He had only seen black, yellow, and of course, his own aquamarine.

    The Aether in her palm was spinning faster and faster, even more than Atlas''s had. He watched it go so fast that the air around it looked like it was ready to sprint away from the power about to be released.

    Finally, she let the Aether explode out into the water.

    Once again, the slab shot forward, except this time it was at an incredible speed. Cutting through the water, they went well over fifty meters.

    This put them closer to a group than normal, and this group had five people, so it wasn''t something they wanted to fight. The stares from them made Atlas realize that other groups probably didn''t know this was something that could be used. They were inadvertently teaching everyone else how to attack.

    With the way it was going, the Aether expended wouldn''t be too much to close the distance of one-hundred meters to another group.

    Atlas quickly put his hand back in the water and pushed away from the closest group of five. Instead, they shot in the other direction towards a group of three.

    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    They chose this group because it was clear they had supplies on their slab as well as the numbers being more even.

    He got up and let Iris be the manual motor to the slab, turning it into a speedboat. As they closed the distance at high speed, they didn''t even think about stopping. Instead, when Iris pushed out the last of her energy, sending them on course toward the other group, they simply let it ram them. The two slabs hit, causing a loud crack to ring out across the water.

    Atlas saw all three of the people on the slab dive into the water, dodging being hit by his personal slab bullet. The slab they were riding on went under the water, while the new group''s slab stayed above but was sent backward.

    Atlas instantly warped to the top of it, leaving him the only one on the platform. Iris jumped off the speeding slab at the last second and landed next to the new slab in the water.

    He pulled her up and looked for the three opponents.

    Each one was already close to getting up, so he had to take advantage of the situation. This was sudden, but it had to be. If they didn''t attack by surprise, it would have given their opponent time to prepare.

    Atlas grabbed a man who was almost all the way onto the slab by the back of his head and slammed it onto the ground. The sound of teeth breaking rang out, and he didn''t stop there.

    Atlas raised his leg high in the air, pouring an insane amount of Aether into it¡ªway more than necessary. He didn''t know if the man had some way to protect himself, so it was better to be safe than sorry. His leg came down and didn''t just break the man''s face, but instead crushed his entire skull due to the force.

    "You have slain Veiled Winston."

    "Your core has grown stronger."

    Without even paying attention to the voice, he moved to the next two opponents.

    They were already on the platform with weapons drawn. Both were tall and muscular. Atlas still towered over them, but his skinny frame left him in the shadow of these guys.

    This didn''t matter. For him, the fight was already decided.

    Iris engaged with one of them, and Atlas took on the other.

    The man''s sword was long, curved at the edge, and had a blackish glow coming off it. He swung at Atlas with arms full of Aether, ripping through the air.

    The blade was inches away from Atlas''s face, ready to instantly kill him. Instead, it met air. Atlas didn''t even raise a weapon, using only his fists. He went from standing tall to crouching without actually doing the movement. He pushed Aether into his legs, arms, and shoulders, then hit the man with a powerful uppercut.

    The man didn''t even realize what happened before his head was sent flying back, almost instantly making him unconscious.

    Atlas kept up the assault, blinking behind him, and once again rushing Aether into his arms. He hit him with the back of his fists, right next to his ear.

    This time, the man reacted and pushed Aether into his legs, jumping into the air.

    His plan was to try and see his opponent and get away from the relentless pursuit. Atlas knew this and could see it clearly. When the man jumped, so did Atlas, but only a half second later. They both flew into the air, and Atlas didn''t waste time.

    From the man''s perspective, Atlas was like a ghost, appearing in one place and then instantly somewhere else. Atlas warped above him and grabbed him by the neck. He rushed Aether into his fingers and fingernails, turning them into claws. Sinking them deep into the man''s neck, he felt blood spurt out. Atlas didn''t want him to have a chance to fight back, so he also used his legs, wrapping them around the man''s arms.

    In midair, the two looked like a bird caught by a snake coiling around its body and sinking its fangs into its neck. Atlas ripped and tore at the man''s flesh as they fell to the ground.

    Before they actually landed, the voice rang out again.

    "You have slain Veiled Arthur."

    "Your core has grown stronger."

    Arthur''s body landed with a splat, but Atlas didn''t even bother touching the ground. Instead, he decided to help Iris in her fight.

    He did not respect the one-on-one, and why should he? If Iris was killed, it would only spell negative things in the future, so he had to intervene. He warped above the man, and this time, he didn''t use any Aether. He simply landed on top of him, throwing him to the ground.

    The man didn''t expect this sudden turn of events. He was so surprised, in fact, that he dropped his weapon. Iris didn''t hesitate and sank a blade into the man''s chest.

    Atlas rolled off and dusted himself off. Behind him, Iris was stabbing the man repeatedly. The cries of the man rang out from the pain. Humans didn''t die in silence¡ªmost of the time, they would scream about the pain because it was the only thing they could do.

    Finally, the cries stopped. Iris raised her sword and flicked it, tossing the blood to the side. Atlas didn''t have to say anything more, knowing it was now time to reap the fruit of their labors.

 Impossible Choice

    Atlas looked through each bag and took out the items. In total, they had about a week''s worth of food and a surprising amount of water, along with supplies meant for cooking and even a small set of knives.

    After taking inventory of everything, Atlas finally had a real breather to look around more. Iris was sitting on the edge of the slab, sharpening her sword against some type of stone.

    In the distance, chaos was breaking out. Groups were attacking other groups, each one having a bloody battle. Most of them ended in a total loss for both sides, with some rarely coming out with a winner.

    This was all due to Atlas and Iris showing everyone the technique in such an open way. Well, if you really think about it, it was more due to Near, but they added more fuel to the fire.

    The surprising part about all of this was the fact that they themselves weren''t targeted yet. Instead, it was as if their action of taking the first move scared away potential threats. But Atlas knew that this would not last for long.

    If this situation didn''t change, then eventually people would start to starve, and each group would be fighting tooth and nail for a simple amount of food and even water. Eventually, the strongest would end up on top, and Atlas knew that their group of two was not the strongest.

    Atlas kept thinking about ways to survive longer, but each one left him with a bad taste in his mouth. While thinking, he gave Iris another long look.

    Her blonde hair flowed to her side, giving off a look of natural beauty. She had hazel eyes and soft-looking lips. In the outside world, she would have definitely been called attractive. To Atlas, this was only a distraction.

    Right now, he had to focus on the situation at hand and use this woman to her utmost potential. She was smart and tactical, so he decided to bounce ideas off her in hopes of coming up with a plan. Atlas loved the saying "Two heads are better than one".

    Before he went into the Trial and even before he became a librarian he would often be alone without someone to talk to. He knew that if he found someone who matched his thought process his own potential would greatly increase.

    Getting up, he went and stood behind her.

    "You know this peace we have is only going to last a brief moment."

    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Iris closed her eyes and tilted her head back, as if waiting for rain to fall from the sky.

    "Yes, I agree. It looks like we might die at this rate." She opened her eyes, looking right into Atlas''s. "Do you have any ideas, Mr. Edmund?"

    Atlas finally looked out into the distance and said what was on his mind.

    "After thinking about it, there''s only one real option here: try and push ourselves to the wall and find a way out."

    Iris''s ears pricked up at that statement.

    "Interesting¡­ to the walls¡­ I kept thinking about how we were going to have to learn to dive into the ocean. That idea of yours has some merit, but it also runs us into more problems."

    She leaned forward and let her head fall into her hands, each one covering her eyes with her palms.

    "Firstly, let''s say we have enough supplies and Aether to get there and dodge each group. How would we scale the wall or break through it? On top of that, what are the odds we don''t get killed by a creature of the sea?"

    Atlas had considered each of these points, but it at least gave them a chance to survive instead of slowly dying at the hands of the other groups.

    "For me, I think it''s worth the risk. At the very least, it beats dying here. Besides, what''s the other real option?"

    Iris didn''t speak. Instead, she let her hands talk for her by pointing at the water, reminding him of her statement about diving. Atlas followed her finger and looked over the edge.

    The water below them was churning with the waves. Its deep blue color made it feel like a regular ocean, but the horrors below were hidden just out of sight.

    "You really expect us to dive into the ocean¡­ to find what exactly, some lost city?" Atlas scoffed.

    "No, Mr. Edmund. In fact, I expect to find exactly what we are looking for: a key."

    Atlas paused, thinking about her statement.

    "Go on."

    Iris finally stood up and walked next to Atlas.

    "If we think about it like a real trial, the most impossible task shall lead us to the reward. And what''s more impossible than surviving the sea? I was thinking about this more and more¡­ I believe that this whole thing has a figure overseeing it."

    Atlas almost couldn''t believe that she came to the same conclusion as him. This was a real possibility.

    "Let''s say you''re right. How can we even dive into the depths? It''s not like we''re professional divers."

    Iris had a look of contemplation on her face before moving her hand in front of her.

    "We can use this." Iris let her Aether flow freely, turning it into a swirl of yellow energy.

    Atlas got the idea immediately.

    "You want to substitute our lack of knowledge with Aether?"

    Iris smiled slightly.

    "Correct."

    Atlas liked the idea of testing more ways to use Aether.

    "What were you before coming here into the trial, exactly?" he asked.

    Iris didn''t answer immediately, instead pausing.

    "I''ll tell you before we leave this trial."

    Atlas didn''t pester, instead reevaluating Iris as a whole. She was someone who was tactical and logical. It was frustrating just how high her emotional intelligence was. It felt like he was talking to someone who could make the hard decisions quickly.

    Finally, he placed his hands on the ground and then plopped down, sitting criss-cross applesauce. He motioned for her to sit beside him. Finally, he spoke again.

    "Let''s get to work."

 Into the Unknown.

    Atlas decided that to really test the limits of Aether, it was better to apply the scientific method and start by just testing things.

    Even if there was a right or wrong way to use Aether, neither Iris nor he knew it. So, it was better to use their method.

    He stuck out his hand and started speaking.

    "The real question that we need to answer is, can we use Aether to stop us from running out of breath and from being crushed by the pressure?"

    Atlas paused and pondered a little longer.

    "The first thing I can think of is just pumping Aether into our lungs and seeing if it actually increases the amount of air we can hold."

    Iris also began thinking about how the test would actually work.

    "We need to get a baseline test¡­ We can count how long we each hold our breath and then compare it to when we use Aether."

    They both nodded in agreement, then took a deep breath in.

    Internally, Atlas started to count in his head.

    "One Mississippi¡­ Two Mississippi¡­ Three Mississippi¡­"

    He kept going and going, his lungs slowly feeling hotter.

    At over sixty seconds, it started to feel uncomfortable. When he internally counted to a minute and a half, Iris finally quit and started gulping in air. He reached two full minutes before his body finally gave out.

    Now it was his turn to suck in air and enjoy the luxury of having oxygen in his body.

    Each one now had a baseline to compare to when they imbued their body with Aether.

    Atlas now had to learn where to imbue it and what it felt like.

    "When we do this, I think we should try imbuing the lungs as well as the windpipe, mouth, and nostrils."

    Iris once again nodded in agreement before her yellow Aether spread from her core into the needed parts.

    Atlas mimicked her actions and controlled his Aether. When it first went into his lungs, it felt like the organ itself was working harder than physically possible. It then went into the windpipe, where it felt like he could just intake more oxygen. Finally, he controlled the Aether to spread into his mouth and nostrils, giving them an almost numb feeling.

    Then, at the same time as Iris, he inhaled as much oxygen as possible.

    This time, he could feel the extra power when inhaling. He could feel more oxygen being drawn into his lungs. It was as if the very oxygen itself was compressed. His lungs didn''t get any physically bigger than before, but the Aether somehow made them hold more. It didn''t follow modern science, but that was the most interesting part of this experiment. If it didn''t follow anything they knew of previously, then it was uncharted waters for someone like him to explore.

    After gulping in the air, he again started counting, just like before.

    "One Mississippi¡­ Two Mississippi¡­ Three Mississippi¡­"

    After a minute, he felt fine. Surprisingly so. He looked at Iris and made a thumbs-up or thumbs-down gesture. Iris gave a thumbs-up and kept going, just like him.

    Another minute ticked by, making Iris surpass her record, and Atlas matched his. Then again, another minute passed. Iris didn''t seem bothered at all, and neither did he. It was clear there was a huge increase in the time they could hold their breath.

    As the minutes kept passing, Atlas couldn''t help but stare off into the distance. The groups were still actively fighting one another, slaughtering and battling over minimal resources, each hoping to gain just enough to survive another day in this terrible place.

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    Curiously, he noticed a small number of people weren''t fighting but were instead teaming up to form a group of six. This was either for the weaker groups or those who truly felt it was better to trust strangers than wait for death from a larger group.

    The maze, for some reason, didn''t allow groups to exceed six members, so it mostly consisted of teams of three joining with another team of three, as well as teams of four taking in teams of two, leaving the larger group holding power over the newcomers.

    Finally, Atlas''s internal count reached an insane time of twenty minutes.

    Reality hit him: Aether was an insane boost to the overall functions of a human. This power was something that people had all over the world, although there were few of them due to the almost impossible challenges they had to face to gain it.

    Atlas almost let out his breath thinking about the idea of returning to the real world with this power, along with anything else he might pick up in this challenge¡ªif he returned.

    His lungs finally started burning at the twenty-three minute mark,Iris gave him a thumbs-down.

    She, too, was feeling the burn. Once it reached twnety-four minutes, Iris finally let out her breath, and Atlas was pushing himself to his limits.

    He finally exhaled at twenty-five minutes and felt relieved to breathe again.

    Internally, he felt happy with the outcome and needed to discuss it with Iris.

    "That was a ridiculous boost. I mean, well over ten times what we could normally do. This implies that the amplification of Aether, even at our level, is ridiculous¡ªwell, at least for holding breath. I''m almost certain the amplification effect isn''t as severe when it comes to moving body parts."

    Atlas was deep in thought about how this could be used in the future.

    Iris with a bit of an excited face but also flush with curiosity started speaking, "With this information, we can assume we can use Aether on every part of the body and become even more effective in things like intel gathering and other physical challenges."

    Right after she said this, she tested something again.

    Her yellow Aether rushed from her core into her eyes, and they glazed over with a yellow film before reverting back to normal.

    Atlas saw this and was intrigued. He, too, thought about putting Aether into his eyes or even ears after this test.

    It was foolish to assume Aether could only work on muscles, and even if it did, there were plenty of muscles people constantly overlooked that he could take advantage of.

    Mimicking Iris, he too placed Aether over his eyes and instantly saw the change.

    The groups fighting in the distance suddenly became significantly clearer and appeared closer.

    Then, pain hit his eyes, and he shut them tightly. Instantly, he put his hands over them, feeling like they were being stabbed.

    He also heard Iris give a small yelp and stagger backward.

    He rubbed his eyes and removed the Aether from them.

    With his eyes still closed, he asked Iris, "I''m assuming you also felt pain after that?"

    Iris responded in a curious tone, "Yes, I did, but before that, I was able to see the other groups very clearly and even see details I couldn''t normally see. On top of that, the world seemed brighter."

    Atlas was glad to have someone as clear-headed as Iris, who, instead of being distracted by the pain, accurately described what happened when she boosted her eyes, giving him valuable information without wasting words.

    He shared the same info back before coming to the definite conclusion that you could boost your eyes, but it came with a cost of pain, and you definitely couldn''t do it for long.

    Atlas even wondered what would happen if you held it for ten seconds. It had to leave some sort of damage. Maybe the Aether itself was too harsh. If he had more control, he might be able to prevent it from hurting him.

    He didn''t know if he could prevent harm in the future, but he was curious.

    Aether was a great mystery.

    Finally, after the pain subsided, he used Aether on his ears, and his ears pricked up.

    Sounds of clanging and moving water hit him like a tidal wave. He was overstimulated with a wealth of sounds. He felt like he could hear his own blood moving through his body, but only momentarily. Once again, pain and a ringing noise drowned out everything else.

    He stumbled, placing his hands over his ears. He could still hear some, so he shared more information with Iris before focusing on recovering.

    Atlas finally stood back up and realized how powerful information was. If he knew more about Aether, he could probably figure out how it allowed him to transport through space. How could every single atom move to where he wanted? How could he move things he was holding? Could he teleport someone with him? So many questions were itching to be tested.

    He and Iris sat around, experimenting with Aether for hours, learning at a basic level how it functioned, what it could improve, and what wasn''t worth reinforcing or wasting Aether on.

    As darkness approached, so did something else. A group of six began getting closer to them.

    Atlas didn''t get cocky, remembering that these people could have been a group of six who were always together rather than a ragtag team. They might be the greatest warriors, and it was probably still better to run away but they also had to take risks for rewards.

    Only those who play, win.

    Iris stared at the group before grabbing her sword and looking at Atlas.

    "We might have to fight this one."

    Atlas reached into the water, wet his hand, and slicked back his hair.

    "I know."

 Deceit and Depths

    He lowered his hand and let it fall to his side.

    Atlas was tired of this. Constant fighting¡ªit felt like the same thing over and over again. Maybe it''s better to just dive into the water now. Skip the fights, the running away, and go straight for the gamble. At this rate, they would end up dead soon, and it''s best to enter the water when they''re at full strength, which is what they are at now.

    But this wouldn''t work out¡ªnot here and not now. The team close to them would be waiting if they found nothing, so he couldn''t just go under and have nothing to return to. Atlas now knew it was time to exert himself more than ever before.

    The group of six was closing in on them, but at a slow pace. He was finally able to see every detail of the group clearly.

    It was all women.

    Atlas didn''t bother looking at them to see if they were attractive or not because they did something unthinkable.

    They stopped moving in the water and raised their hands.

    A taller woman from the group stepped forward.

    "Hey! I know this is going to sound soooo crazzzy and all, but we really don''t want to fight... Okayyyyy?!"

    Atlas was hit with a mental flashbang. For some reason, this girl was talking like she was a preppy teenager.

    This was even scarier than if she had been threatening their lives.

    The girl didn''t stop talking and started rambling.

    "So you''re probably wondering why we don''t want to fight, rightttt? Wellll, the reason is that we really want to make a lot of alliances and groups because we reallllyyy want to go to the edge of the walls and try to escape, mmmkay! Also, you''re like totally hot, what''s your name by the way? And ohhh my gosh, who''s that girl next to you? Wait a second, are you two like tottalllyyy dating? OMG, that would be so cute. I totally didn''t mean to hit on your man! I''m sorry, girl, he is just a handsome guy, mmmkay? So don''t take it too seriously, mmmkay?"

    Iris slowly turned her head and looked at Atlas. They made eye contact, then turned back.

    Except by the time they turned their heads, the group wasn''t just standing still. All six of their bodies had Aether imbuing them, and they jumped towards them.

    A surprise attack!

    Atlas was so caught up in her voice that he subconsciously lowered his guard, making the attack feel like yet another mental flashbang.

    swords were falling from every direction at once. Three were on him, and three were on Iris.

    This was a moment of pure death¡ªat least for anyone who wasn''t him.

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    The real thought that flashed into his head was: "Can I save Iris?" He knew that warping could save him, but Iris was dead meat. He didn''t have time to react, so he simply went off instinct. He grabbed Iris and used warp at the same time.

    Instantly, he appeared in the water, this time choosing to teleport off the slab.

    His core felt like it drained to almost nothing from the single warp.

    Next to him was Iris.

    "It worked!" Atlas internally felt delighted now, knowing that he could actually warp other people with him! The cost of doing so was insane, leaving him with almost no Aether to use afterward. Now, he could warp at most once more and barely have Aether to cover his body for the ensuing fight.

    Reality once again reminded him of how cruel it was. He was now stuck in a two-versus-six situation with almost no Aether.

    The tall girl looked around in confusion, her blonde hair swinging in the air.

    Finally, she saw Atlas and dropped to her knees.

    "WHAT! Are you kidding me? How did you do that?! That is like sooo unfair! I really thought we had you! Also, really, how did you do that? I want to know like sooo bad!"

    She kept going on, but Atlas tuned her out. Now was the moment to conserve his strength and think of a plan.

    He had to either try to fight his way back or go under.

    "Yo, teleporty guy, are you even listening? I saiddd I would give you a chance to come back on if you explain yourself!"

    Atlas started to get irritated at the sound of her voice.

    After thinking about his options, he had no choice. He whispered something into Iris''s ear, and then with the last of his Aether surrounding him, he dove into the water.

    Darkness almost instantly surrounded him. For some reason, the water made it seem as if light couldn''t penetrate it at all, but only when you were in the water. Above the water, you could still see somewhat into it. It felt like an optical illusion.

    Atlas cut through the water while staying next to Iris. She was mimicking his movements, and although they couldn''t see, they could still feel each other''s bodies. So, they knew where one another was.

    They went deeper and deeper still. Atlas''s Aether was already so low that he knew he couldn''t hold on long enough for a deep dive. The plan now was to swim away underwater, leaving the six girls lost to where they went. If they swam above water, they would be caught easily.

    He once again felt lucky that Iris came to the same conclusion as him.

    He kept going through the water again and again, his body straining to keep up.

    His breath was running out quickly, and so was his Aether. After over five minutes in the water, he had to resurface.

    Tapping on Iris''s shoulder, he started to ascend with her. He was so far down that he was worried about ascending too fast and dealing with decompression sickness. But that was a risk he had to take and hope that Aether countered it within his body.

    Both Atlas and Iris broke through the surface into the darkness and tried looking around. It seemed as if they ended up over five hundred meters away.

    Atlas''s body was so tired, and his Aether was completely gone now. It felt like his body would collapse any second. He was trying to see where the closest slab was and felt even more desperate when he realized it was over forty meters away¡ªand this one was occupied by two people.

    He started to swim again, knowing that if he stopped to rest, he probably wouldn''t move again. It was better to go now than later.

    That''s when he felt something touch his leg.

    He looked down and didn''t see anything but still thrashed his leg to get whatever touched him away.

    Suddenly, it felt like a hand grabbed him.

    Atlas tried to warp, but he had no Aether left. In fact, just making the mental connection to warp and trying to use it with no Aether made him even more tired.

    It was hopeless. He tried to grab onto Iris for help, but she didn''t even notice what had happened. His last move was to scream, but even that was too late. The hand that grabbed him yanked him under the water, and instead of being able to take a breath, his mouth filled with cold water.

    The last thought before he was fully submerged was the same thing he felt when he found he had to face a Door Trial:

    "I am dead."

 The Fool

    Atlas struggled, clawing at the hand that held him, pouring all his strength into breaking free. But it was like trying to move the very earth itself¡ªunyielding, unbreakable. The thought of escape slipped away, crushed by the force pulling him downward.

    In an instant, he was dragged into the depths.

    This time, he didn¡¯t stay conscious.

    ***

    A blonde girl gripped the edge of a stone slab, her fingers raw, pruned, and scratched. Bracing herself, she used her arm to pull her limp body over the edge.

    A warm, yellow glow radiated from her core.

    Gradually, her fingers smoothed out, the cuts healed, and the exhaustion faded, replaced by glistening skin. She looked back toward the ocean, her gaze thoughtful, as if searching for something.

    ***

    Hundreds of meters away, another girl stomped her feet in frustration, angry at losing her two targets.

    All around her, people fought desperately for survival, scrabbling over the smallest chance to see another day.

    ***

    Deep beneath the ocean, past unspeakable horrors and beyond the very ocean floor, lay a strange, dense jungle. In the middle of it, a tall, slender man lay still.

    His clothes were soaked, clinging to him as if he¡¯d been dragged through water. His brown hair lay wet and flat across his face.

    The jungle was silent. No birds, no animals, just a thick, suffocating quiet.

    The silence broke as he coughed, raggedly, hacking until he could finally breathe again. The first thing he did was slick his hair back from his face.

    ***

    Atlas¡¯s green eyes scanned his surroundings, alert and wary. He wasn¡¯t dead; instead, he was in the heart of a dense, overgrown jungle.

    Towering trees stretched upward, vanishing into a sky that¡­ shouldn¡¯t have been there.

    Above him was water, a shifting, murky ocean hovering overhead. He couldn¡¯t see anything moving in it, but a cold feeling warned him not to look too long, as if something might look back.

    Pulling his gaze away, he took in the jungle floor around him, thick with plants, leaves, and twisted branches, turning everything into a maze of obstacles.

    The flood of green and brown felt overwhelming, like he¡¯d been thrown into another world. Again.

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    Then, something unusual caught his eye, a shape breaking through the jungle¡¯s wall of green. Nestled between two towering trees stood a stone structure, ancient and silent.

    The structure looked as if the jungle had devoured it, with vines and roots snaking through every crack.

    Atlas paused, trying to make sense of his situation. Some hand had dragged him down, his lungs had filled with water, and now he was here, alone, away from Iris and the chaos above.

    His Aether reserves were still low, but they were recovering, meaning he¡¯d been out for hours.

    The sheer luck or unluck of it all was hard to grasp. He should have died when that hand grabbed him, yet somehow, he¡¯d survived.

    His thoughts wandered to recent events. The Sentinel-ranked rabbit trapped by a flower, his survival against the Strawman, the walls shifting at just the right moment. Surviving the Multisquid and getting dragged here were only more pieces of a pattern that was becoming too obvious to ignore.

    A creeping suspicion grew, was there something controlling him? Though he couldn¡¯t prove it, there were too many ¡°coincidences¡± stacking up.

    He felt like an audience member watching a magician pull off a trick oblivious to the reality of the situation. The curtain of truth he wanted to cast aside was pulled to tight.

    He forced the thought aside, mentally noting it for the future.

    Atlas¡¯s mind still spun from the insanity of it all, but he turned his mixed emotions into resolve.

    Exploring the area was his best choice.

    The stone structure was alluring him with its simple wooden door at its front, looking as if it was carved from one of the nearby trees, on it was something he recognized.

    The symbol of the eye from the maze.

    The sight didn¡¯t surprise him. He doubted it meant much, likely just a mark someone else had made to show they, too, had seen the symbol in the maze.

    As if sensing Atlas''s thoughts about itself, the ancient-looking door swung open.

    Atlas¡¯s first instinct was to ready himself, preparing to tactically retreat if anything dangerous emerged. But curiosity outweighed caution.

    He waited to see what would come out.

    Instead of a monster or mythic creature, the first thing to appear was a wooden cane, its surface rough and natural, looking as if it had been cut straight from the jungle.

    A cough followed, then a leg. Finally, a man fully stepped out.

    Atlas blinked. The man looked oddly¡­ normal.

    Dressed like a mix of a scientist and a formal official, he had dark eye bags, stood about average height, and carried a skinny frame not unlike Atlas¡¯s own. His curly brown hair was parted down the middle, and a leg brace clung to one leg, supporting the cane he leaned on.

    Seeing another human filled Atlas with a mix of caution and curiosity. If someone was controlling him, wouldn¡¯t they want him to meet this person?

    Leaving now would be safer, but this stranger¡¯s presence could mean food or shelter that Atlas could forcefully take, things Atlas desperately needed. The jungle meanwhile, held unknown dangers, and shelter in some hollowed-out tree wouldn¡¯t be much protection.

    The man noticed Atlas, his eyes widening slightly before he tilted his head back and grinned, showing a set of white teeth.

    ¡°For the gods have blessed me with talent and youthfulness, and I have shown them feats beyond comprehension!¡±

    he declared, shouting toward the watery sky, then looking back at Atlas with a laugh.

    ¡°You have the misfortune of this trial,¡± he said, ¡°But through hardship, you might come out as one who stands above all else.¡±

    Atlas squinted, sizing him up. This man seemed¡­ unhinged. If things came to it, he was ready to fight.

    Just as Atlas prepared himself for the worst, the man doubled over, coughing, blood spotting his hand as he covered his mouth. He straightened, waved to Atlas, and beckoned him forward.

    ¡°Come, come, we have much to discuss,¡± he said, retreating into the dark doorway.

    Atlas, still wary, knew that curiosity had already won. The man was simply too much of an unknown entity for his mind to resist. Curiosity was out to get him and now he was the cat.

    This whole event might be preplanned, but it was also his best option. Checking himself over one last time, he stepped forward and followed the man into the unknown.

 Great returner

    Atlas stepped into the room, feeling a jolt of surprise. Rather than the crumbling lab or eerie ruin he''d braced himself for, the space was¡­ a cozy cottage. The walls weren''t rough stone, as he''d expected; instead, they were warm, sturdy wood, bringing a rustic charm to the place. It looked as though it had been designed for comfort rather than survival.

    To his left, a wide fireplace crackled with life, its flames casting flickering shadows across a couch and a low table. Plates of food sat invitingly on the table, almost as if someone had just prepared them.

    The scent of spiced meat and fresh bread drifted through the air, and Atlas felt his stomach rumble in response. No matter how odd this situation was, he knew one thing he was going to make sure he got a taste of that food.

    His thoughts, however, were interrupted as the strange man, still hobbling and leaning heavily on his cane, gestured for Atlas to follow. He led him to a long counter on the right side of the room. The surface was scattered with countless sheets of paper, their surfaces filled with strange, twisting symbols that Atlas couldn''t recognize, interspersed with markings in English.

    From the looks of it, this was some kind of research area, though what the man was studying remained a mystery.

    The man sank onto a wooden stool by the counter and motioned for Atlas to come closer., with his guard still high he moved closer. He couldn''t shake the feeling that he was in the presence of someone whose motives lay deep beneath the surface, like the roots of a tree hidden in the earth.

    Finally, the man spoke.

    "I don''t need to know your name,"

    he said, leaning back slightly.

    "But you will know mine. For I have seen to it that our fates are connecting. You, my dear escape vessel, will be my salvation, and in exchange, I will bestow upon you knowledge that would make even the most seasoned of scholars weep with envy. You may call me Ivan a fitting name for a man of my stature, don''t you think?"

    Atlas stifled a smirk. He''d encountered more than his share of strange individuals in this trial, but Ivan''s strange blend of self-importance and theatricality was almost amusing. And yet, there was something in the man''s words that caught Atlas''s interest, something in the offer he was presenting.

    "What exactly does being your ''escape vessel'' entail?" Atlas asked, eyes narrowing with a mix of suspicion and intrigue.

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    Ivan''s face broke into a wide, almost childlike grin, his dark eyes gleaming with excitement.

    "What a question! The gods themselves must have prompted you to ask. You will carry me to the Door, returning me to the world of the living and the free."

    Atlas''s mind raced, parsing Ivan''s words carefully. The offer seemed straightforward enough: guide Ivan through the trial''s end in exchange for knowledge. It was tempting. And if things went south, he could always leave him behind.

    But then, Ivan''s phrasing struck him, "the world of the living and free." The unsettling words seemed to imply that where they were now wasn''t the living world. Just the ramblings of a madman, surely¡­ but he couldn''t shake the cold chill it sent down his spine.

    "Show me that your knowledge is worth having," Atlas replied, his skepticism simmering just below the surface.

    Ivan''s grin vanished, and he moved deliberately, shuffling through the mess of papers until he pulled out a small scrap, its surface marked with a symbol that immediately drew Atlas''s attention, an eye. Without a single word, the room shifted. Atlas felt a pulse, like a heartbeat, and then the air around them thickened with an overwhelming surge of Aether.

    This wasn''t like the Aether he''d experienced before. This was raw, unfiltered, wild power, flooding the room with a palpable energy that made the hairs on his neck stand on end. Even the Aether used by the strongest he''d met couldn''t compare to this.

    He watched in silent admiration as Ivan controlled it with almost delicate precision, the dense energy condensing and swirling until it formed a spinning mass of purple, dark and rich, coiling tightly around the symbol on the paper like a serpent preparing to strike.

    Atlas stared, mesmerized. This was Aether controlled to a degree he hadn''t even considered possible. Even if he''d trained endlessly and stretched his mind to its limits, he would never have imagined such mastery. Watching Ivan manipulate it was like witnessing the impossible brought to life.

    As the purple energy spun faster, Ivan''s gaze remained steady, his face shifting only slightly with the occasional twitch of concentration. Finally, he closed his eyes, letting the Aether sink back into the symbol, which returned to its ordinary, ink-stained form. He took a shuddering breath, and Atlas saw beads of sweat dotting his forehead. Clearly, this display had cost him a great deal of energy.

    Ivan spoke again, his voice hoarse yet steady. "Now you see, the gods demand sacrifice for the gifts they bestow. Power without consequence is an illusion." He tapped the brace on his leg without looking at it. "You must give something of yourself to gain what you seek."

    He held the paper toward Atlas, the eye symbol now eerily silent.

    "Place this over your eye, and allow the Aether within to flow into you. See the world as I see it, through the truth the gods have shared."

    With that, he hobbled away to a small kitchen area, leaving Atlas alone with the symbol in his hand. Atlas examined it cautiously, his mind contemplating. The man was strange, no doubt, but he exuded a knowledge that was too real, too tantalizing to ignore.

    Atlas steeled himself, his instincts torn between distrust and a curiosity that gnawed at him like hunger. He pressed the symbol over his eye, focusing on the thick layer of Aether embedded in it. He willed it to flow into him, and his vision went dark.

    Then, in an instant, it shifted. Instead of the symbol, he saw a sprawling city. Buildings stretched high into the air, their familiar shapes cast in shadow.

    It was his home.

 Fleeting Visions

    Atlas felt as if he had just woken up from a bad nightmare.

    He was back in his room in the real world. His books were still scattered, just as they had been before he was chosen for the trial.

    The gun he had taken out of its resting place lay on the ground, the trigger never once pulled.

    The thought might have crossed his mind for a split second, but Atlas could never go through with it. His life has too much to live for, too many good books to read and memories to create.

    The sun blurred him for split second, and his whole vision shifted. Now he was in the library, his workplace. Coworkers were talking and moving around, and then he saw himself, standing across the room, as if he were an observer looking into his own life.

    Atlas remembered this day; it was the day before he was chosen.

    He recalled a girl coming in, and as if on cue, she opened the door.

    She had red hair, green eyes, and an unforgettable taste in fashion. Their conversation was about the ending of a book they had both read.

    Atlas only participated to be polite, but he was actually listening to an audiobook at the same time.

    He watched as the events played out exactly as he remembered them, except this time he noticed something unusual. Around his own body, there was the faintest hint of aquamarine, a color he had become familiar with.

    The color began to appear right after the woman left the bookstore. This made Atlas sense that there was something more to her, but it didn''t add up.

    There was no color emanating from her that he could see, and he knew she was a regular at the store. Unless this had been planned for months, she should have been a mundane human.

    Lights flashed.

    The scene shifted again, and now he was watching himself preparing for bed, just hours before he saw the timer appear.

    The visions started to hurt his heart and core.

    He saw himself brush his teeth over and over, then used mouthwash before stepping into the shower. As he did this, the aquamarine color around him grew stronger, and he began to notice something new.

    This aquamarine glow wasn''t just surrounding him¡ªit was stretching outward into the world like a line.

    After a moment, he realized it wasn''t just a line. It was showing him something: the future, or at least a tiny glimpse of it.

    His past self was following the line, he exited the shower, dried off with a towel, and turned his fan to the coldest setting. This time, he chose to sleep in only his shorts. He pulled the blankets over his head, cocooning himself in warmth while surrounded by the chill of the room.

    He flicked the last light off next to his bed.

    The vision shifted again, taking him to the moment he was chosen.

    After waking up, he dressed in his usual pants and shirt. Then, he saw the timer appear in his vision.

    Atlas still remembered the feeling of his heart sinking deep into his stomach as dread took over. Soon after, he was overcome with a strange, peaceful calm, only to return to the terrifying realization that he might die. The thought that truly shook him was having only nine hours to prepare.

    He watched himself desperately flicking on the tablet at his desk.

    From this perspective, he saw a man frantically searching for answers. Atlas tore through each website, finding mostly basic information or being asked for thousands of dollars just to get a hint of what was to come.

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    Atlas wasn''t wealthy, so the second option was out of the question.

    The present-day Atlas observed as the aquamarine color shifted from a line into the shape of himself. It was as if there were three versions of him in the room: the one desperately searching for answers, one just slightly in the future made of Aether and faintly glowing, and finally, himself watching all this unfold from afar.

    This vision persisted, but now the scene sped up.

    He was fast-forwarded to the point where he had only an hour and thirty minutes left on his timer.

    Atlas rose from his seat, exhausted from encountering the same information repeatedly, only reworded. He regretted the days he hadn''t spent building a life for himself, the dreams he hadn''t pursued. He even regretted not being born rich, thinking that, if he had been, he could have bought more information.

    Leaving his home without even bothering to lock the door, Atlas, now observing, watched curiously as his Aether form mimicked his actions.

    It truly was like seeing into the future. Even if it was only a second or two ahead, it was enough to excite him.

    He saw himself take a seat and enjoy a slice of his favorite snack, lemons pie.

    After eating, he left without leaving a tip.

    The city passed by as he walked, lost in thoughts about his impending death. Finally, he saw himself standing in the middle of a dense forest, with no one around.

    A door quietly appeared in front of him, and he noticed that the Aether form reacted strangely.

    As soon as the door appeared, the Aether form vanished into it, as if the future could no longer be foreseen.

    Atlas couldn''t see more, as the space his past self was in became a blank white room.

    Cutting off the rest of the world.

    Lighting struck moments later flashing the sky.

    The scene changed again, time and space blurring past.

    It finally stopped, and Atlas found himself in an alleyway he didn''t recognize, one that looked as if it were in a bustling city.

    At the end of the alley was a door, a door that looked slightly blurry, as though it resisted being seen or remembered.

    Atlas''s Aether form tried to put its focus toward it, but no matter how hard he focused, he couldn''t make out any details.

    He willed himself to see even one clue.

    It was useless.

    A force of Aether blew across the sky and another powerful shockwave followed.

    That''s when Atlas saw it: a great hand descending from the top of the alleyway. It was made of pure black, as if shadows themselves had manifested to claim his life.

    The hand was larger than the sky itself and as it descended the hand split into multiple versions of itself.

    Suddenly a booming voice rang out, deep and hollow:

    "You have seen enough."

    Atlas couldn''t react. The hand squashed his body in a instant.

    He woke up again, this time back in the cabin, his senses on high alert as he scanned his surroundings for danger.

    He turned his gaze toward his target, Ivan.

    How was this part of the truths Ivan spoke of? And was this how gods, or perhaps even Ivan himself, saw the world? Could Atlas learn to replicate the vision of an Aether future version of himself, or even of others?

    And what''s the truth behind that girl.

 The Ninth Vessel

    Ivan was sitting on one of the stools, looking even paler than usual after using his Aether earlier. Atlas wanted to question him right away, but he paused, noticing Ivan slowly rise.

    ¡°So, you¡¯ve seen it then, the truth of how you arrived, though you¡¯re still too weak to see the full picture.¡±

    Ivan smiled softly and began hobbling toward Atlas, closing the distance until they stood face to face. In a hushed whisper, he continued.

    ¡°I¡¯ve had many like you torn from the horrors of the maze by my design. Many have tried to take me to the end, but the gods deemed each one unworthy. You are the ninth... but you will also be the last.¡±

    Ivan raised his free hand, channeling Aether from his core into his fingers and palm.

    ¡°My powers are gifts from the deities. They allow one to see the unfathomable, or as I call it, the truth.¡±

    Without warning, his hands moved, one touching Atlas¡¯s shoulder, the other hovering over his left eye. Aether surged through Atlas¡¯s body, making him as stiff as a board.

    ¡°Not good,¡±  Atlas thought.

    No matter how much he trusted this man, being completely immobilized wasn¡¯t a position he wanted to be in.

    He forced his core into overdrive, trying to resist the purple Aether, but it was useless.

    Ivan¡¯s Aether seemed in a league of its own.

    This proved to Atlas that no matter how strong he got he was still only of the Veiled rank. This man was at least a Sentinel, but something told Atlas that he was much stronger than even that.

    Then, Ivan¡¯s hand touched Atlas¡¯s eye directly.

    Atlas gasped.

    His left eye¡¯s vision changed drastically, seeing the world through an aquamarine tint. His head was spinning and he felt like he was going to throw up. Pain hit his eye like a hot knife but went away only a moment later.

    Atlas then felt a change within him, like writing had appeared deep deep down somewhere inside him.

    Splitting his consciousness between his Aether Core and the real world, he entered the Aether room that he hadn¡¯t explored in a while.

    On the wall, new text was etched, yet he heard no acknowledgment from the Woman¡¯s voice. It felt as though it had been forcibly placed there.

    ----

    {Warp}

    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.Rank: Sentinel

    Level: 0/6

    {??? Eye}

    Rank: ???

    Level: ???

    Core: 1/6

    ---

    The "Eye" line was scrawled in, as if carved by a knife. There were no numbers for leveling up, and the ability¡¯s name remained partially hidden. This was an odd situation with no precedent before, clearly this was something unordinary.

    Returning to the real world, Atlas saw the aquamarine tint fade. He wanted it to return, but he sensed this ability could only be activated briefly.

    Driven by curiosity, he searched for a connection to the new power within his core, he grasped and poked trying to find that same type of mental connection like he did when he used his "Warp" ability. Finally he found it and latched onto it.

    Pulling the connection it felt a little unnatural almost as if the power was not his, it was akin to using someone else''s limbs to move, his vision was once again cloaked in aquamarine.

    This time, he focused.

    As Ivan returned to his seat, Atlas saw a brief vision, the future.

    Ivan¡¯s Aether body moved slightly ahead, predicting his path. It was only a split-second glimpse, probably a total of only half a second, but enough to see his next move.

    This was like a lesser ability from the vision he just had when he put the symbol over his eye.

    The ability lasted only around five seconds before Atlas¡¯s eyes forcibly closed.

    Another two seconds passed before he could open them, no matter how hard he tried.

    He was now in utter shock. To really see the future even if it wont help much now due to its limits, it will be a huge asset if he is somehow able to increase its level.

    His powers were really turning into something from a fantasy novel.

    Now, it was Atlas¡¯s turn to speak.

    ¡°So, you want me as your escape vessel. But why give me this power? What exactly did I have to sacrifice to gain it? And just how strong are you?¡±

    Ivan¡¯s classic smile and laughter returned, this time with the tone of a parent speaking to a child.

    ¡°You¡¯re so weak that it¡¯s not hard to be stronger than you. Though I am curious how you got that Warp ability. Maybe the gods blessed you. As for sacrifices? There was none, At least not for you personally, I took care of that myself.¡±

    He paused, coughing before regaining himself.

    ¡°Now for giving you this power, that¡¯s simple. I need to make you stronger to reach the end of this Trial. The gods sent the eight before you to teach me with each mistake.¡±

    Atlas processed this information. It surprised him that Ivan knew about his Warp ability. He¡¯d never shown it to him, though if Ivan could pull him here, maybe he¡¯d been watching.

    Another possibility was that Ivan had access to his AetherCore Room.

    Ivan could imprint the ¡°??? Eye¡± ability, but that didn¡¯t necessarily mean he could enter and read it. Yet he mentioned Warp where most people would use the word teleport...

    So many questions ran through Atlas¡¯s mind. He felt vulnerable, as if his life rested in Ivan¡¯s hands. If Ivan wanted to, he could kill him easily, and Atlas despised feeling so exposed, like an open book laid before a scholar.

    He needed to regain control, to stop letting curiosity cloud his judgment. Recently, he¡¯d been far too trusting, it didn¡¯t feel like him at all. Was this some unseen force pulling strings behind a potentially nonexistent curtain, or was it his carefully cultivated logic cracking under the pressure of a real challenge?

    Atlas had only been human before this, a normal person with mostly normal problems. Now, he was in a jungle beneath an ocean, in a maze filled with mythical creatures and became a man who could glimpse the future, if only for a moment.

    He needed to recalibrate and return to his calculating nature.

    Blocking out unnecessary thoughts, he asked the next pressing question.

    ¡°What do we do next?¡±

    This time, Ivan didn¡¯t smile. Instead, he walked toward a wall, pulling on the head of a creature resembling a deer but with a third eye in its forehead. The head lowered like a lever, and a hidden entrance opened on the far side of the room.

    Ivan answered simply.

    ¡°We train.¡±

 Impress the Heavens

    Atlas followed Ivan through the doorway.

    What met him there was a little unexpected. Instead of seeing a training room or a narrow hallway to go down, the door led to a wide and open area with a huge change of scenery.

    The room itself was in a dome shape, which made it look as if it was specifically designed to be a training area. The ground switched from wood to dirt and grass. This place didn''t make any sense.

    If one looked at the outside of the building, it appeared to be only medium-sized and definitely would not have this dome-shaped room. This felt like some type of Aether trickery was being used to distort reality, but Atlas couldn''t comprehend a way to use Aether to this degree.

    Looking at Ivan¡¯s back, he started thinking about the strength of this man.

    Once they reached the center of the room, Ivan spoke.

    ¡°Young man, the heavens have given us a chance to be blessed with our limbs so that we may fight; you will show me what the gods have given you. and do so without any Aether or abilities.¡±

    He then raised his hands into the air once again.

    ¡°LETS GIVE THE GODS A SHOW."

    After doing so, Ivan motioned for Atlas to strike at him.

    This was definitely not something Atlas expected. This delusional older man wanted to get straight into a fight with him.

    This was clearly a test to see just how well Atlas could fight without using abilities.

    Raising his fits, Atlas was genuinely ready to give it his all; no matter if he was able to beat the man or not, this was a time to learn and set his ego aside.

    The man who never learns stays a fool forever.

    But Atlas still was confident that without Aether or abilities he would win against the man due to his body being healthier.

    Due to him following behind Ivan, they were about seven feet apart, so the distance was close.

    Atlas didn''t waste anytime; if he waited, it would give his opponent time to really prepare for the situation. Atlas¡¯s leg bent and he pushed himself off the ground, closing the distance between himself and Ivan.

    While doing so, he cautioned himself against any attacks from the man.

    He moved his fist just like he knew how to, trying to keep his movements to a minimum as to not waste time. The strike was aimed at the left side of Ivan''s face and was closing in every second.

    Ivan didn''t move at first. In fact, he didn''t move at all as Atlas¡¯s punch flew through the air. It was only as his opponent''s fist was mere inches away from his face. Ivan moved his neck. It was only a small amount, just barely an inch. But this was enough.

    Atlas¡¯s strike soared past its targeted location.

    In a moment, Ivan''s left hand then directly went into the stomach of Atlas¡¯s body.

    This ¡°fight,¡± if you could even call it that, was almost over in an instant.

    Atlas was hit so hard that he could feel his stomach acid come out of his mouth, causing him to puke. His body folded like an omelet and he reeled in pain.

    ¡°How the hell did he hit that hard?¡± was the only thing Atlas could think before another strike landed on top of him. This time it was a kick. This one sent his already hurt body skidding across the ground.

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    Without even thinking about it, Atlas reinforced his body with Aether before hitting a rock in the arena. If he didn''t do so, he knew that he would have been knocked out cold.

    He looked up to see where Ivan was and was met with a dust cloud.

    Ivan was gone.

    Or rather, Ivan was gone from his perspective. In an instant, another kick hit him from his left.

    Ivan had somehow closed the distance between them and was able to actually remove himself from the full one hundred and eighty-degree perspective that Atlas had.

    And was Atlas really supposed to believe that this was without Aether? Ivan had to be lying.

    None of that helped him now as he was sent flying again, but this time not as far. The Aether he subconsciously used cushioned the blow.

    He still didn''t land on his feet; the pain from earlier didn''t magically go away, and his mind was spinning.

    Atlas grabbed the ground and pushed himself to stand upright to get a handle on the situation.

    looking around,

    Ivan was slowly walking towards him, his face full of disappointment.

    ¡°You have let down the gods, not shown off for the hands that have given you all that you are. Its pathetic weaklings like you that make me know why the heavens do not stop the fury of the world.¡± Ivan was still walking with his cane all this time and with a hobble.

    Was he faking it? There is no way he moved that fast with a hurt leg like that.

    He continued

    ¡°But don''t worry, heavens have not given up on you yet; you rely on your Aether too much and do not focus on the natural growth that we are blessed with.¡±

    Atlas knew that his abilities were the only reason he won some of the fights, but still, to learn them, and so quickly had to mean something.

    ¡°You will now fight me with all the resources you have to offer; this time do not let the ones watching down."

    Ivan said nothing more, and this time Atlas was able to see the speed at which he moved.

    There was no Aether coming from Ivan¡¯s body, so it was clear he wasn''t moving faster due to that, but this didn''t make sense. His legs were scrawny, and no matter what, without Aether, there was no way to produce that much force. It was scientifically impossible.

    Still, Atlas barely had time to react.

    Ivan closed the distance of over five meters in an instant kicking with his good leg at his chest.

    Atlas used Warp and moved to the right.

    Before he could counterattack, another strike was already upon him.

    This was clearly showing off the adaptability of the old man.

    Atlas warped again to the side, dodging what seemed to be a fist, but it moved so fast it was hard to distinguish what was what.

    Again, as soon as he warped, a strike was already heading his way. He warped again.

    And again.

    And again.

    His Aether reserves weren''t affected too heavily, but if this kept up, there was no way to counterattack.

    After warping again, he activated his "eye¡± ability.

    His vision was flooded with an Aquamarine tint briefly before he started to see the split second future of Ivan''s attacks.

    Seeing that Ivan was going with an overhead kick at him now was the best time to blink away and set himself up for a counterattack.

    He moved as far away as he could with warping, feeling his Aether Reverse''s lessen by a good margin.

    There he got a brief break.

    Ivan then paused, acting as if he noticed something.

    Atlas didn''t know why he stopped attacking.

    Ivan laughed again at the air manically.

    ¡°By the gods, you are a fool.¡±

    ¡°To think you actually ended up doing that, Atlas didn''t know what he was talking about.

    ¡°The heavens should have blessed you with a mirror, because you clearly don''t know that your eye turns to the color of your Aether."

    He realized now what he meant: he could see Atlas activate the ability to see in the future.

    So what? That didn''t matter if Ivan could see him having an advantage.

    Ivan stood still after saying that.

    And if Ivan wasn''t going to come to him, then he would go to Ivan.

    He warped back this time behind Ivan; he could see clearly as soon as he excited the warp what Ivan was going to do. He was going to move his arm back, striking at him.

    Just this split second of knowing what''s going to happen gives him time to prepare. With this, he started to duck.

    The arm flew over him and Atlas kicked at his back.

    Internally, Atlas was celebrating; the vision he saw was that of him kicking Ivan.

    Suddenly that vision was filled with something else.

    It was Ivan''s hand grabbing at his neck. He had a mental thought of warping, but that vision was still filled with that of his neck being restrained.

    His mind thought of every possible way to escape each one coming to the same future.

    There was no escape.

    Ivan grabbed him and held him high in the air.

    His laughing demeanor was gone.

    ¡°Your ego infects your style.

    Pride has made you weak.

    Even with all the truths I have shown you, you are still blind.¡±

    Atlas''s vision was now filled with a different image, an image that he still, no matter what, couldn''t escape.

    It was Ivan''s hand chopping at his neck, knocking him out cold.

    His eyes also ran out of time and he was forced to close them.

    Atlas''s body then went limp.

 Teacher and student

    He woke up still in the arena, but now lying on the ground.

    Atlas could tell he''d had no chance in that fight from the beginning. Even with his warping ability, which almost made him feel invincible, and his limited foresight, which gave him a slight edge in reaction time, there were still beings out there capable of killing him.

    He shuddered at the thought of facing a Paragon again and felt lucky to have survived.

    That entire situation had been pure luck, with a simple flower capable of taking down something as powerful as that.

    It hadn''t seemed fair to fight an opponent of that rank to begin with, and he wondered if fate had some balancing mechanism.

    No. Atlas knew fate offered no such fairness.

    Rising again, he dusted himself off and found Ivan.

    This time, Ivan sat on a rock, hands clasped in a prayer-like gesture, mumbling something about blessings and gods. Beside him were bowls of food, looking delicious.

    Atlas''s mouth started to water at the sight of meat, mashed potatoes, and some vegetables.

    He approached and reached for a bowl clearly set out for him. But as he did, Ivan grabbed his wrist.

    "You''re ungrateful to the gods; it''s a pity."

    Atlas paused, looking up at the sky, willing to play along. Raising his hands, he announced toward the heavens,

    "Blessed am I to eat this food from the gods."

    He glanced at Ivan, who released his wrist approvingly. With no further restraint, Atlas dug into his food.

    ***

    On the second day of training, Atlas sparred with Ivan again, focusing on the basics of combat techniques. He was instructed to use Aether, but only to reinforce his body, not for warping or foresight. Atlas took it seriously, determined to master the art of fighting.

    If there was ever a time to learn, it was now, being taught by someone experienced and willing.

    They started sparring again soon after.

    Mid way through a fight Atlas thought about what he should to improve himself. He was just smacked in the stomach again almost making him cough up blood. He really did not want to puke and be out for the count again.

    Ivan attacked him once again.

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    This time, the strike landed on Atlas''s shoulder, but he concentrated a large amount of Aether at the impact point, reducing the force that put onto him. Instead of being thrown back, he was only slightly pushed.

    Internally, Atlas celebrated, but the moment was short-lived; another strike came from Ivan''s good leg, landing on his ribs. Having focused Aether on his shoulder, he was sent flying.

    Picking himself up, pain coursing through his body, he thought about his strategy.

    Ivan was overwhelming¡ªfast, strong, and smart.

    The only option was to gamble, directing his Aether to specific points to absorb each blow''s full impact. Rather than creating a thin shell that offered minor protection all over, he concentrated his Aether in targeted areas to maximize defense where it mattered.

    It was an all-or-nothing strategy, but without it, Ivan''s strikes would be too much for his body.

    It amazed Atlas that even without using Aether, Ivan''s base strength was this formidable, as if he wasn''t even human but a monstrous being wearing human skin.

    He knew that completing a Door trial could change one''s body, but to this extent seemed impossible.

    After taking more strikes, their sparring session paused for a break. Atlas seized the chance to ask questions of the man who had somehow survived in a jungle beneath the sea for who knows how long.

    After blessing the gods for his water, of course.

    Ivan didn''t drink but instead observed Atlas, who decided to initiate the conversation, not one to waste time.

    "How long have you been down here in these jungle depths?"

    Ivan didn''t seem to mind the question, but his answer was strange.

    "I''ve been here since the beginning. Not banished, but chosen by the Wisest of the gods. My book of life should have ended long ago, but it has been rewritten by their will."

    Atlas got almost no real information, and it sounded more like the rambling of a madman.

    "The gods have chosen you to be here, and you still want to leave? How do you plan to escape from our situation?"

    Atlas had to ask, given that it seemed neither he nor Ivan had made any progress toward that goal.

    Ivan gave that familiar smile that made him look like a lunatic.

    "Well, it''s simple. There are three keys, and I''ve been blessed with the knowledge of where they are."

    Atlas was stunned to hear that Ivan might actually know how to leave. Excitement spread across his face at the prospect of returning home. Eagerly, he asked,

    "Where are they, then?"

    Still smiling, Ivan replied, "One is here with us, in the temple of a god lost to history; another will come to us after a great loss; and the last awaits us, to rise above it all and enter heaven."

    Atlas''s excitement dwindled, but maybe Ivan was actually telling the truth. Why should he doubt him? Ivan had given him an ability to peer into the future, so the man''s words might hold some truth.

    Yet, if he trusted Ivan too much, would he lose his mind and become another god-worshiping lunatic? Or would he begin to see the real truth?

    Or maybe he was already unraveling, bit by bit, without realizing it.

    After pondering this, he threw himself back into sparring.

    A week passed in a blur of sleeping, eating, and fighting. It was a cycle.

    Each day, Atlas learned in leaps and bounds, honing his abilities, and at the end of each day, Ivan pushed him to his limits allowing him to use every ability at his disposal, testing how long he could last.

    One day, he managed to hold out for a full minute without being hit¡ªuntil he exhausted his Aether by warping over ten times in quick succession, draining his reserves.

    Unable to warp, he was finally struck.

    Today, his goal was to last even longer.

    Just as he was preparing for another round, Ivan stopped him.

    He put his hands together as if he was a priest talking to some lost soul.

    "I think it''s time you learn what I must teach before we set off on our journey. We have only one week left of training¡ªany longer, and the gods will intervene, denying fate its course."

    Ivan grew serious.

    "This is crucial and should be your main focus. In the realm of the living, this knowledge is guarded. Only the privileged learn it."

    Looking at Atlas, he smiled again.

    "I shall be the gods'' proxy in teaching you¡­

    how to permanently enhance your sight and hearing with Aether."

 Storm

    Atlas struggled to accept what Ivan claimed was possible. He had tried using Aether to enhance his senses before and was punished with intense pain. Yet if there was a way to permanently boost his senses, this would be a game-changing advancement. In that brief moment before his ears were overwhelmed with pain, he had heard an overwhelming flood of information, as if he¡¯d gained a sixth sense.

    He could perceive his surroundings in a way he never had before. He needed this knowledge desperately. Ivan continued, ¡°You¡¯ll first need to understand the true potential of Aether. The gods who granted it to us embedded it with limitless possibilities. The things you can do are vast, too vast to describe¡ªyou¡¯ll have to see for yourself.¡± Ivan paused, releasing his Aether into the air again. This time, it was finely controlled, like a monster tamed by its master. Even though it was just Aether, Atlas knew how powerful that purple glow could be and did not wish to feel its effects again. ¡°You must first fuse Aether within yourself,¡±

    Ivan explained. ¡°The eyes and ears are the most sensitive and have the highest fusion potential in your body.¡± ¡°If you know anatomy, then you know the ears contain a vital sensory structure called the cochlea.¡± Atlas recalled books he¡¯d read and remembered the cochlea as a spiral-shaped structure. ¡°You can use your Aether to fuse with this structure, creating a delicate balance between Aether and nature. This is all by the gods¡¯ design.¡± Ivan molded his Aether into a spiral shape, mimicking what it would do inside the ear. ¡°Think of it as a perpetual spin. Just like your Aether core now spins without constant thought, your ears can do the same on a smaller scale.¡±

    Atlas¡¯s eyes widened. Instead of merely using Aether as a layer over his skin or a quick boost within his muscles, he could harness it as a constant generator to enhance his hearing or vision. This concept was so foreign and incredible that he wondered how anyone had ever discovered it. This made him start to think about the world''s history. How long had these Doors even existed? Before his entry into this trial, it had only been about eighty years since the first Trials erupted across the world. A mere blip in human history, yet the technological leaps since Aether¡¯s arrival had been monumental. He thought of his grandparents, who¡¯d lived through those early trials, although they were already in their twenties by then. His grandparents on his mother¡¯s side had survived the first Door trial, and that was the only family history he could uncover.

    As for his father¡¯s side, he knew little, but he believed his dad had never been chosen. As he tried to focus back on Ivan¡¯s teachings, his mind returned to his own Aether Core and the current barrier he faced in its development. He had reached the Aether Core¡¯s ¡°room,¡± but the next breakthrough seemed impossible to achieve, as the spinning within it was too rapid for him to control. Ivan continued, ¡°This perpetual spin I mentioned can only be applied to your eyes and ears due to Aether¡¯s nature. Attempts on other parts, like the nose, have failed. This is all according to the gods¡¯ design.¡± He pointed at Atlas. ¡°Now, you must try it. Create the spin within your ear¡ªstart weak, and gradually increase the speed.¡± Atlas nodded, attempting to replicate what he¡¯d seen. He moved his Aether from his core, through his body, and into his ear. Once there, he delicately maneuvered the Aether until it reached the cochlea. It was strange, controlling Aether with such precision, but as it settled, his hearing sharpened, like a switch had flipped. He could suddenly hear his heartbeat, every subtle movement Ivan made, and even the air as Ivan inhaled. It was overwhelming¡ªlike nothing he¡¯d ever experienced.

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    But the rush was too much; he lost control over the delicate Aether, and pain exploded in his ear, sharp and searing, like a hot iron knife. He fell to his knees, clutching his head in agony. In his dazed state, he could barely make out Ivan¡¯s voice through the pain, mumbling something about gods and pity. Though he understood only fragments, he knew the madman wasn¡¯t helping him. After he recovered, he tried again. Ivan hadn¡¯t yet taught him how to apply this technique to his vision, as it required mastering his hearing first. Failure with the eyes too many times could permanently damage one¡¯s sight, even causing blindness. Atlas continued trying, failing repeatedly throughout the day. At last, evening fell, marking the beginning of his second week of training. Six days remained for him to learn the basics before their journey to the temple, where one of the keys supposedly awaited them. He was eager to see what a temple dedicated to a god lost to history would look like. The next morning, Ivan moved Atlas from the training room back outside. Once there, Atlas took in the sight of the jungle¡ªsilent and motionless as before, though he sensed this stillness was only an illusion. Ivan led him through a circle of towering trees until they reached a translucent barrier with a faint purple tint. With a snap of his fingers, Ivan created an opening in the barrier, allowing them to step into the outside world. Suddenly, the jungle came alive with the sounds and cries of unseen creatures, far more frantic and overwhelming than Atlas had imagined. The serene, almost dreamlike setting transformed into a harsh, unrelenting wilderness.

    Ivan guided him deeper into the jungle until they arrived at the edge of a towering cliff. Here, Atlas could finally see the vast scope of the land around him. The view was both breathtaking and terrifying. Stretching below was a jungle with trees impossibly tall, yet they were still far beneath his current height. The cliff loomed high, casting an intimidating sense of scale over everything. In the distance, a massive, spiraling vortex of water seemed to pierce the sky itself, as if the ocean was pouring into this world from above. Even from this distance, it was enormous, filling Atlas with a deep sense of megalophobia¡ªif it appeared this vast from so far away, seeing it up close would be unimaginable. The treetops covered most of the ground below, yet the sky was far from empty. Atlas spotted a large winged creature gliding through the air.

    As it drew closer, he noticed it had four wings instead of two, a beak reminiscent of a dinosaur''s head, and talons that resembled blades rather than claws. This creature¡¯s size was staggering, prompting Atlas to wonder just how powerful it must be. Ivan finally spoke on the reason that they moved out here ¡° This land is something we must conquer, for the deities have given us a chance to do so. Soak it all in my vessel and in due time we shall set off.¡± Atlas watched as the creature flew in the direction of what looked like a temple. It sat in a chasm off to the left with white stone being used as the material, it rose so high it eclipsed even the tallest trees. It gleamed a pure white, stark against the Jungle landscape. As Atlas stared at the distant temple, a sense of foreboding settled over him. The journey ahead would be anything but easy; the past week of relative peace had almost made him forget how unforgiving this world truly was.

    Looking further into the horizon, he noticed dark clouds gathering near the waterfall, sparking with flashes of lightning, and the restless rustling of leaves nearby hinted at hidden dangers even in the branches above. After taking in the overwhelming scene, Atlas turned to follow Ivan back to the training area, mentally preparing himself for the journey to come.

 Trail by fire

    Two more days passed in the blink of an eye, and finally, Atlas felt like he had made a breakthrough in permanently increasing his hearing.

    Each time he failed, he adjusted his Aether manipulation slightly¡ªpain and suffering being his best teachers. The real connection happened when he directed the Aether into his cochlea, letting it ride along the inner walls, almost mimicking its shape. This allowed his body to naturally sense the Aether, tricking it into becoming a part of himself.

    The moment the Aether settled and flowed without his input, he knew he had succeeded. Everything felt intense. Each step he took was like a shockwave, while loud noises, though dampened, were still audible¡ªsimilar to wearing protective ear pieces that the military used.

    This setup would prevent someone from disarming him simply by shouting. Atlas allowed himself a brief moment to relax and savor his progress.

    Unfortunately, Ivan cut the moment short.

    He stomped over to Atlas angrily. "You¡¯ve wasted too much of our time. By the gods!"

    It was clear he was upset with how long Atlas had taken.

    "You¡¯ll have no time to enhance your vision; in fact, we barely have any time left at all."

    Atlas could understand Ivan¡¯s frustration. They only had four days before they had to depart, at the latest. Ivan seemed to be thinking the same thing.

    After pacing back and forth, Ivan suddenly clicked his tongue. "The gods have just told me that we must leave. Now."

    He hurried off into his kitchen.

    Atlas was surprised but still readied himself to set off.

    When he joined Ivan, there was a simple map laid out on the table. It was clearly of the jungle. On the left was the white temple, along with the waterfall he could clearly see. Farther behind the temple, a cave was marked in a gray area. To the right, a place was marked red with a question mark. Other simple features were on the map, like a river that Atlas had only seen at the base of the waterfall, but it apparently spread out like a vine.

    This was the first map of a trial he¡¯d seen, and it was obvious Ivan had made it himself. The implications that the map gave was insane: a map like this must have taken a long time¡ªlikely months, if not years.

    This raised many questions for Atlas about how a Door Trial worked. Was there some form of time manipulation involved? He definitely hadn¡¯t arrived at the same time as Ivan, suggesting this was an ongoing event. If that was the case, didn¡¯t the people who arrived first have a massive advantage?

    In fact, were these people even real in the ¡°land of the living,¡± or were they conjured up specifically for the trial?

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    Atlas had a lot more to think about.

    Studying the map further, he picked it up and stuffed it into a bag Ivan had prepared.

    Both mentally and physically prepared, they left the stone structure. They once again took the path to the Aether barrier, which Ivan touched, allowing them an exit. Atlas followed Ivan, who led him along a different path. Being on a cliff face, they had to descend it luckly not by climbing down but rather walking down the mountain, which felt almost impossible due to the sheer height. It was far larger than anything Atlas had seen before.

    Ivan, however, strolled through the jungle without a care in the world.

    "Blessed is the day by the gods! We¡¯ve pleased them by setting off now. If you didn¡¯t know, my vessel, the gods are very impatient and displeased when made to wait."

    Atlas took a mental note of this.

    "But don¡¯t get too comfortable; the heavens have revealed that our path to salvation lies with you. In fact, it lies in you getting stronger. From here on out, every enemy we encounter will be yours to fight¡ªyours alone."

    Atlas suddenly paused.

    . What was Ivan thinking? Just because the heavens had told him something didn¡¯t mean he could leave Atlas out to dry.

    What if he died? It wasn¡¯t like Ivan had another vessel ready to replace him.

    Still, since he knew he could never convince the madman to defy the will of his supposed gods, he decided it was best to keep his mouth shut and deal with the situation.

    The jungle grew louder the deeper they went. Shadows moved at the edges of his vision, and he occasionally noticed scratches or blood on the ground. After about an hour without encountering anything, their luck finally ran out.

    Around thirty meters ahead was a large creature. It stood over three meters tall, slender, with a black, slimy body. It was immediately clear this was not a natural creature.

    Its body had no fur; instead, it appeared slick and slimy. The most interesting part was that it was bipedal, almost human-like. However, where a head should be, there was only a leech-like structure. It had two arms, each ending in large, clawed fingers.

    It looked like a grotesque fusion of human, leech, and salamander.

    It didn¡¯t immediately notice them, so they both took cover.

    Atlas held his breath, remaining silent. The creature wandered aimlessly, though unfortunately in their direction. It must have weighed hundreds of pounds; its steps shook the ground. It kept coming closer to the tree Ivan and Atlas were behind. Atlas could hear every breath it took. It was strange that he hadn¡¯t noticed the creature earlier, despite his enhanced hearing. Perhaps the creature or its surroundings were throwing off his senses.

    The creature paused just before they were within its line of sight. It extended a long tongue from the top of its head, flicking it around before slowly moving away.

    Atlas exhaled in relief, thankful he wouldn¡¯t have to fight it now.

    Suddenly

    As the creature was about twenty meters away, Ivan stepped out into the open, staring directly at it.

    He started to yell, ¡°YOU FOUL CREATURE! THE GODS HAVE GIVEN ME A NEW TASK, AND THAT IS TO KILL YOU!¡±

    His hands were once again raised to the sky.

    Then, he turned to Atlas and smiled. ¡°Oh, and by ¡®me,¡¯ the gods actually meant you.¡±

    With that, Ivan vanished from view, dust swirling around where he¡¯d stood, indicating he¡¯d imbued himself with Aether and dashed away.

    Atlas could only stare in shock at the turn of events.

    Immediately afterward, the creature turned, dropping from an upright stance to all fours.

    It looked built for speed, its powerful legs propelling it straight toward Atlas¡¯s position.

 The Fire

    Atlas didn¡¯t have much time to think. The creature¡¯s weighty, bone-cracking steps pounded toward him, each impact shaking the earth. It crossed half the distance in a matter of seconds, and Atlas could see now just how horrifying it was up close. A slimy, jet-black body glistened as it moved with an unnatural fluidity, and its elongated limbs flexed and coiled like a grotesque insect. The featureless head resembled a leech, but its jaw was open, revealing rows of jagged, needle-like teeth and a serpentine tongue flicking out as though tasting the air for him.

    Atlas instinctively drew on his Aether manipulation, letting it flood through his veins. He heightened his focus, and let the Aether spin across his body. Every sound, intensified in his perception. The pounding of the creature¡¯s footfalls, the eerie slithering of its tongue, even the faint sound of Ivan¡¯s laughter in the distance¡ªall flooded his mind in sharp, almost unbearable clarity.

    He needed to move, and he needed to do it fast.

    As the creature lunged, Atlas warped sideways, narrowly avoiding the snapping maw that slammed into the earth, leaving gouges in the dirt where his head had been moments before. He stumbled to his feet, drawing a deep breath to calm himself, eyes narrowing as he studied his opponent.

    The creature hissed, a wet, guttural sound that sent a chill down Atlas¡¯s spine. Its eyes seemed to fixate on him, then something shifted in its stance. Atlas¡¯s enhanced hearing caught a strange, crackling sound, and his gaze shot to the creature¡¯s limbs. The monster¡¯s arms and legs were elongating, stretching impossibly long like coils of dark, slimy tendrils, each sinewy limb pulling taut and then snapping back in an elastic recoil.

    Without warning, one of the extended limbs shot forward, snapping at Atlas with the speed of a whip. He barely dodged, feeling a rush of air as the limb slashed past him and embedded itself into the ground, shattering the earth beneath it. Another limb whipped out, forcing Atlas to roll aside. He could feel the sheer force radiating from each strike, enough to shatter bones or split stone if it connected.

    The creature snarled and retracted its limbs with a sickening, rubbery sound, then lashed out again. This time, both arms stretched forward, flanking him on either side. Atlas had no room to evade; He made the mental connection to warp and disappeared just as the elongated limbs slammed together beneath him.

    He came out a meter behind where he just was, adrenaline pulsing through him. The creature¡¯s limbs twisted, retracting only to extend again, faster and with even greater reach. Each attack seemed to anticipate his movements, forcing him on the defensive as he tried to find an opening.

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    Its limbs weren''t just long; they were nearly impossible to predict, writhing and lashing in erratic patterns that kept him off balance.

    Atlas could feel his muscles straining, his energy draining with each dodge. One mistake, one slow move, and those limbs would snap him in two.

    One strike was so close to his head that he could feel the wind as it rushed past him.

    This situation left Atlas with very few choices. He couldn¡¯t close the distance on the creature, and even if he did, Ivan hadn¡¯t supplied him with a sword or any weapon. This thing wasn¡¯t something he could take down with his fists. The next option was to run away, but this creature was clearly fast enough to catch up with him¡ªnot to mention that Ivan would probably force him to fight it anyway.

    The last option was the simplest, but one Atlas wouldn¡¯t choose: to give up and die.

    Running out of ideas, he needed a way to actually hurt the creature instead of just playing defense.

    As another whip-like shot came at his torso, he decided to do something rash, a gamble at best.

    He warped into the air mere inches above where the strike was supposed to land. As he did so, he focused all of the Aether he had into his palms.

    Finally, as the strike was beneath him, he unleashed all the Aether he could muster into one direct shot.

    The creature¡¯s path of attack intersected with the Aether Atlas released, and they clashed. A split second later, the creature reeled in pain, and Atlas landed on the ground with a loud thump.

    The creature coiled all its limbs and pushed backward, attaching itself to a nearby tree with its legs.

    It was clear it was inspecting its arm after Atlas¡¯s attack.

    Atlas was curious too and decided to try to peek at it.

    The creature¡¯s arm was actually hurt. Some type of black ichor dripped from its wound, and it was clear the creature didn¡¯t enjoy the pain.

    But Atlas¡¯s attack still hadn¡¯t hurt it enough to kill it or even get close. This was the equivalent of a mundane human getting cut on the hand with a knife. It hurt but wasn¡¯t enough to be life-threatening.

    After a few seconds of the creature tending to its wound, it screeched again, ready to initiate another attack.

    Atlas readied himself once more, this time deciding that this battle of endurance had to end here.

    The creature coiled its legs again, charging up as if it were about to spring at Atlas faster than he could react.

    At the same time, Atlas activated his ¡°??? Eye¡± ability.

    The two were ready to set it all on the line.

 Slippery Dance

    Atlas felt the world narrow down to a pinpoint as he activated his "??? Eye" ability. A wave of aquamarine light washed over him, tinting the world and illuminating the Aether around the creature like a halo. For five precious seconds, he could see beyond the creature''s immediate movements, catching glimpses of its Aether Body¡ªthe unseen force that guided its actions, coiling and uncoiling like a serpent preparing to strike.

    In those fleeting moments, he watched the creature''s limbs retract, preparing for another onslaught. Its jaw opened, and he could see the pulsing energy surging within, anticipating the attack. Each movement was a prelude, a dance he could now predict.

    As the creature launched itself toward him with a speed that sent a thrill of fear racing through his veins, Atlas calculated the trajectory of its limbs, their speed, their angles. He didn¡¯t hesitate. Just as the creature''s maw snapped closed, missing him by a hair, he warped sideways, the displacement like a breath of fresh air against his skin. The world blurred around him, and he landed just beyond the reach of its deadly teeth.

    Atlas took a deep breath, feeling the Aether swirl within him, preparing for a counterattack. He could already sense the creature¡¯s next move; it was winding up for a more forceful strike, limbs coiling tightly before releasing with an elastic force.

    Without making a noise he unleashed a focused blast of Aether from his palm. The energy shot forward, a shimmering beam of aquamarine light that connected with the creature mid-lunge. The impact sent shockwaves through the air, and the creature reeled back, screeching in pain. For a brief moment, it staggered, its limbs flailing in an erratic dance as it struggled to maintain its balance.

    But Atlas knew he couldn¡¯t afford to celebrate. The creature was formidable, and its pain only seemed to stoke its rage. The ichor oozing from its wounds glistened like black oil, pooling beneath it as it twisted to face him once more, fury radiating from its every sinewy limb.

    His heart raced as he prepared for its inevitable retaliation. He could feel the Aether coiling within him, but the drawback of his ability loomed over him like a shadow.

    The creature coiled its limbs again, muscles taut, and Atlas steeled himself, knowing the danger that lay ahead.

    He only had around three seconds left, during those three he saw the creature¡¯s intention clearly: a sudden lunge, followed by an immediate retraction of its limbs, then another attack aimed directly at his throat. He calculated his next move, but as the seconds slipped away, he knew he had to make it count.

    Just as the tint faded, and darkness closed in around him for those critical two seconds, he braced himself for the onslaught. The creature lunged, its elongated limbs snapping toward him with horrifying speed.

    In that moment of blindness, Atlas felt the air shift, a chilling whisper of movement so close he could almost feel the creature''s breath against his skin. He took a gamble, twisting away as he heard the rush of air, the limb slashing past him like a scythe.

    The instant he regained his sight, he turned to face the creature again. There was no time to waste; he had to act before it could recover. Atlas channeled the remaining Aether in his core, focusing it into a single strike aimed at the creature''s exposed flank, hoping to exploit the brief window of opportunity he had earned through instinct and sheer will.

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    As he thrust his palm forward, the air crackled with energy, and the beam of aquamarine Aether shot forth, colliding with the creature''s side with a resonating explosion. The impact sent the creature reeling, its limbs flailing helplessly as it struggled to regain control.

    Atlas didn¡¯t waste any time as he seized this opportunity to try and finish off the creature. He warped to the creature¡¯s head, using his maximum range of two meters, and once again filled his palm with Aether. While the creature couldn¡¯t see him, he placed his hand right next to the leech-like head and poured all his effort into a single strike.

    Time seemed to freeze as Atlas witnessed the outcome.

    The creature''s head was left with a deep scratch. That was all.

    It was still alive after all that effort.

    During his brief examination, the creature swiftly moved its appendages and struck at Atlas.

    He was Forced to react

    Warping to the opposite side of its head while still in the air, he unleashed another strike. Again, it only resulted in a deep scratch. As a fast attack came his way, he warped again to the other side and released more Aether.

    He continued this game of cat and mouse, striking from the air without falling, teleporting around his opponent. If the creature guessed his location correctly, even once, he would be struck and likely killed. Still, he had to try and finish it off here.

    One after another, he cut deeper and deeper, transforming his opponent into a mass of wounds, slowly sapping its stamina. But Atlas felt his own energy waning as well. All of this warping and using Aether to strike was a test of pure endurance, and that was not something he wanted.

    He yearned for this fight to end quickly, but not everything goes according to plan.

    Atlas warped to the top of its head and shot down. This time, he activated his

    ¡°??? Eye¡± ability again.

    His Aether reserves were dangerously low, and he realized that using the ¡°??? Eye¡± ability consumed more than thirty percent of his total Aether.

    He saw the world through an aquamarine tint. This time, what he saw wasn¡¯t him being attacked but rather a scene of defense.

    The creature was going to block his next warp if he moved to the left, and if he moved to the right, it would slice him in two.

    It was clear the creature was starting to predict his movements with alarming accuracy.

    Using this knowledge, Atlas decided that if he couldn¡¯t go left or right, it was best to go straight ahead.

    He warped, and in an instant, his fingers were extending toward the beast''s front throat.

    Without thinking about it, as if it were second nature, Atlas infused Aether into his fingertips, creating a claw-like ability. His primal instinct to rip at the throat of his opponent manifested through his Aether, forming this technique.

    He laid waste as his claws barely pierced through the already made wounds. Shredding and tearing, the slimy layer was forcibly ripped apart as Atlas pumped his muscles with the very last of his Aether. He kept going, and with each strike, he could feel the creature squirming, desperately trying to throw him off.

    At some point, he felt the creature¡¯s claws dig into his right side, but it wasn¡¯t enough to kill him. The creature was too fatigued and hurt to exert all its power; otherwise, Atlas would have been dead.

    He kept digging deeper, even as the black ichor splattered across his body, and the tendons of the creature fell from his hands. He was determined not to stop until either the creature was dead or he was.

    This all happened in the air, with Atlas latching onto the creature¡¯s body with his claws. Finally, the creature crashed down to the ground, and Atlas went down with it.

    He rolled onto the ground next to the monster, struggling to get up. His muscles failed him, overwhelmed by fatigue. He had exerted himself too much. He wanted to keep going, no matter what; he needed to kill this monster. This was more than a trial set by Ivan or the Door itself. This was a personal vendetta to win, set by something previously unknown inside Atlas..

    He tried again, only to fail. Burning with fury to rise and attack again, he felt too weak to move.

    In his passion, he almost thought he was hallucinating when he heard it.

    The feminine voice of the Bounder rang out like a sweet melody in his ear.

    "You have killed an UmbraCoil, Rank: Sentinel¡±

    "Your core has grown stronger."

 Existence

    Atlas felt relief wash over him as the fight ended. Somehow, he had managed to defeat a Sentinel-ranked monster, a feat he¡¯d barely dreamed of accomplishing. True, he¡¯d fought against powerful foes before, but this was a rank above his own.

    He marveled at the victory. Fighting a creature with such strength, one-on-one, seemed impossible¡ªyet he¡¯d survived. However, the aftereffects of the battle were catching up to him. Glancing down, he saw claw marks slashed across his torso, with blood slowly seeping through. Adrenaline had numbed the pain, but now it pulsed fiercely.

    Gritting his teeth, he pressed a hand to his wounds, trying to stem the bleeding.

    As he did so, a figure appeared from above. Ivan dropped silently from a tree branch, landing without a sound. He had been watching the whole time.

    ¡°Good job, my dear vessel. The gods are pleased with you¡ªimpressed, even,¡± Ivan intoned, his voice carrying a hint of reverence. He raised his hands as if in prayer. ¡°In fact, they have decreed that you receive a gift for your performance.¡±

    He moved his hands forward, and a soft shimmer appeared in the air between them. To Atlas¡¯s amazement, his wounds began to reverse, the torn skin mending itself swiftly. The healing was faster than anything Iris had ever managed.

    Atlas was astonished. Could Ivan really be this powerful? Or perhaps¡­ was this the work of the gods Ivan claimed to serve?

    Ivan¡¯s chanting ceased, and with a final gesture, he produced something from thin air¡ªa cloak, as dark as night, with gleaming runic symbols embroidered down the sides in gold. Ivan held it out reverently.

    ¡°This, my dear vessel, is the Gods¡¯ Will,¡± he said. ¡°A Veiled-ranked item, blessed by the divine. Wear it well.¡±

    Atlas was surprised by this magic trick of making it appear from thin air, he took the cloak, feeling its weight and power. As he slipped it on, he noticed the intricate runes and a subtle shimmer to the fabric. He drew the hood over his head experimentally, and Ivan grinned.

    ¡°Unseen,¡± Ivan murmured. ¡°With the hood raised, your face is hidden from the sight of others. This is the will of the gods¡ªto let you walk unknown.¡±

    Atlas nodded, thankful as the cloak sat on him a connection was made in his Aether room,

    Diving down he saw a new set of lines this one not on the same wall as the others but this time on the wall to his left.

    It read.

    {Gods will}

    Rank - Veiled

    Level - 0/4

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    ¡° The gods have blessed those who have deserved it with their power, a certain god took interest in a small insignificant creature who impressed him, doing so he gave the power of confidentiality.¡±

    ¡­

    Meanwhile, in the ocean above, a broken slab drifted. Cracks spider-webbed across its surface, and dried blood marked its jagged edges. A woman with blond hair sat atop it, biding her time. When the slab finally touched a nearby wall with a dull thud, she rose, her hand drifting to the hilt of a sword at her side.

    She withdrew a small, glistening object, as if forged from water itself, and checked her surroundings carefully before stowing it back in her pack. Then, with measured movements, she tapped her fingers against the wall, her knuckles rapping in a precise rhythm. After hours of persistence, a soft click sounded, and a narrow staircase appeared in the wall, leading away.

    The woman allowed herself a small smile as she disappeared into the passage.

    ¡­

    Atlas sat beside a campfire, watching as the flames flickered and cast shadows across Ivan¡¯s face. The two roasted chunks of the monster¡¯s flesh, the air filled with a rich, smoky scent. Ivan was teaching him how to separate edible meat from the bones, guiding him through the basics. Yet every time Atlas asked a question about the trial or the gods, Ivan¡¯s responses were frustratingly cryptic.

    ¡°In due time, the gods will show you the way,¡± Ivan said with an infuriating smile.

    Finally, unable to hold back his curiosity any longer, Atlas asked, ¡°Ivan, what rank are you?¡±

    Ivan¡¯s hand stilled, and he turned to look at Atlas, his eyes gleaming. He shifted closer, lifting a single finger to the sky, the firelight illuminating his face in an eerie glow.

    ¡°My dear vessel, questions are the true beauty of this world. Without them, there would be no answers to seek.¡± He smirked. ¡°Did you know that in this world, there are those who elevate their power to unprecedented heights? The gods know this well¡ªthey bless the strong-willed and, at times, even the fortunate.¡±

    Atlas tried to make sense of the response, but Ivan wasn¡¯t finished.

    ¡°You might wonder why I¡¯m confined here, bound to this trial,¡± he continued. ¡°But the gods have their reasons. Their will is eternal, unchanging. If I told you everything now, the pieces would fall out of place.¡±

    Atlas was used to such cryptic replies by now. If the gods truly had plans for him, they would be revealed in time. He resolved to push the questions from his mind as they finished their meal.

    After a moment¡¯s silence, he asked, ¡°I¡¯m already a Veiled, even though this is my first trial. If I complete it, what rank will I be?¡±

    Ivan didn¡¯t look up but replied promptly, ¡°Upon completing this trial, you will become a Sentinel. But you will not be an average Sentinel. This trial is¡­ different, more dangerous, with far too many participants. The rewards for surviving will be substantial. In fact, they might rival those of the first Door trial.¡±

    This revelation intrigued Atlas. He hadn¡¯t fully grasped the scale of this trial or the ranking system yet. If people of Ivan¡¯s strength were here, there had to be a reason¡ªsomething unique about this particular Door.

    Lost in thought, he lay back against a sleeping bag Ivan had set out for him. Before he knew it, his exhaustion took over, and he drifted into a fitful sleep, the dark cloak wrapped around him, and the golden runes glinting faintly in the firelight.

    In his dreams, Atlas pondered what all this meant, realizing something he had overlooked. Somehow, he had received an item with a rank and a description that hinted at a god¡¯s power. Could gods truly exist? Had Ivan been less of a madman and more of a genuine worshipper?

    The item was ranked Veiled. Did this mean that items, too, could reach ranks as high as Paragon or even Celestial?

    Gods... might exist.

 Two of them

    Atlas jolted awake as Ivan shook him gently, pressing a finger to his lips in a silencing gesture. Instantly, Atlas understood and quickly scanned their surroundings.

    The campfire from the previous night was extinguished, and the jungle around them was pitch-black, with shadows thickening under the canopy. The faint rustle of leaves swayed in a light breeze, but visibility was nearly zero. Atlas squinted, trying to adjust to the darkness.

    Then he spotted something, barely visible against the night sky¡ªa massive creature with four wings, gliding silently above the treetops. It was the same creature they had seen before, the one whose wings seemed to shake the trees as it moved.

    Atlas looked back at Ivan, who began speaking in a low, urgent whisper. ¡°That is not something you¡¯re meant to face,¡± he said. ¡°Stay still. Do not make a sound. That creature is called a Nightspire. It can see through the night and is of the Paragon rank.¡±

    The weight of Ivan¡¯s words sank in. A Paragon-ranked creature¡ªanother being as powerful as the Multisquad they¡¯d encountered before. And this one could fly, an advantage that made it even more terrifying.

    Atlas''s heart pounded as he stayed silent, waiting for Ivan¡¯s signal. The Nightspire hovered above them, scanning the jungle floor as if searching for something¡ªor someone. After a long, tense silence, Ivan gave a subtle nod, indicating they could move. They had to be fast; the Nightspire was clearly on the hunt.

    Using Aether to enhance their speed, they leapt, climbed, and slipped through the undergrowth, putting as much distance as they could between themselves and the ominous creature above. For hours, they moved in near silence, hiding when necessary, until finally, the first light of dawn broke through the trees. With it, the Nightspire receded, vanishing into the shadows.

    Relieved, Atlas glanced toward the horizon and spotted the faint, shining tips of the White Temple rising above the jungle. They were close. The journey was still far from over, but he estimated it would take no more than a week to reach their destination.

    As they walked, Atlas¡¯s thoughts drifted to his combat style and weapon. Currently, he wielded a makeshift projectile weapon crafted from Aether, and his main attack was a set of clawed fingers that he hadn¡¯t even meant to summon. Reflecting on this, he realized that a long sword wouldn¡¯t suit him. He needed something compact and maneuverable, perhaps daggers or another light weapon he could use with speed and precision, especially during his Aether-enhanced movements and warping.

    Lost in thought, Atlas almost didn¡¯t notice when they reached the edge of a broad, rushing river. It was at least two hundred meters wide, with a current that looked fierce. The water was a dark brown color obscuring what was hidden beneath. They approached the bank cautiously, but Ivan suddenly pulled him back with a firm grip and jumped high into the air.

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    A split second later, a massive set of jaws erupted from the water, snapping at the spot they¡¯d just vacated. The beast¡¯s speed was astounding; even with his warping ability, Atlas doubted he could have dodged it alone. Ivan¡¯s quick reaction saved him.

    They landed on a high tree branch, ten meters up, where they could see the creature clearly. It was enormous, resembling a crocodile from the living world but scaled up to monstrous proportions. Its teeth were long and yellow, its eyes a piercing red, and its scales a murky brown that blended with the water, giving it perfect camouflage.

    Atlas caught his breath, stunned by how quickly danger had struck. Ivan, however, merely looked down at the beast and chuckled.

    ¡°By the gods, our misfortune must be a test. That, too, is a Paragon-ranked creature,¡± he said, ¡°but I do not know its name.¡±

    The revelation hit Atlas hard. Another Paragon-ranked monster. This confirmed his suspicions about Ivan¡¯s power level. He had reacted instantly and pulled them both to safety, a feat that suggested he was close to Paragon himself¡ªor maybe just under, a Warlord rank. But Atlas still wondered if he was overestimating him.

    Below, the crocodile-like beast stared up at them, clearly frustrated. Its body was at least ten meters long and as thick as the trees around it, almost blending in with its surroundings. It loitered near the riverbank, blocking their crossing.

    Ivan smirked and spat down at the creature. ¡°The gods have granted you strength, beast, but no intelligence. Strong, yes¡ªbut far from cunning.¡±

    Atlas glanced across the river, spotting the White Temple in the distance. Crossing seemed straightforward if they could get past the creature, but he knew better than to assume anything in this realm.

    They moved from branch to branch, leaping with Aether-fueled agility as the creature followed them from below, ready to strike if they got too close. Finally, after about ten trees, Ivan stopped and turned to Atlas with an expectant look.

    ¡°The gods have blessed you, Atlas. Find a way to me; I¡¯ll be waiting on the other side.¡±

    With that, Ivan bent his knees, filled his legs with Aether, and leapt across the entire width of the river, landing gracefully on a tree on the opposite bank.

    Atlas gaped at the display. ¡°Wasn¡¯t this guy supposed to have an injured leg?¡± he muttered, feeling another layer of mystery shroud his strange companion.

    He was left with a new challenge, but at least this one felt more achievable¡ªhopefully.

    Atlas studied the river, frustration welling up as he considered his options. The jump was impossible to clear in one go; even if he maxed out his Aether and warped multiple times mid-air, the two hundred meters was simply too far. Worse still, the river stretched endlessly in both directions, showing no signs of narrowing or offering a safer crossing.

    And then there was the beast¡ªa Paragon-ranked monster prowling below, waiting to strike the moment he got close to the water¡¯s edge or tried anything that might leave him vulnerable.

    He exhaled slowly, glancing around. The situation felt like an unsolvable riddle. But giving up wasn¡¯t an option, and he knew he had to approach it as he would a puzzle, breaking down each part to find a way through.

    ¡°What are you going to do, Atlas?¡± he murmured to himself, letting the possibilities sink in.

    Something deep inside him started to subtly crack.

 Fang yu-One

    Atlas gazed across the river, frustration knotting in his chest as the dark waters churned relentlessly. Every strategy he''d concocted had ended in failure. Whether he tried to estimate a jumping distance with his Aether-enhanced abilities or looked for a safer path along the banks, the answer remained the same: the river stretched on, seemingly endless in both directions. And, lurking beneath him, was the ever-present threat of the massive, Paragon-ranked crocodile, its red eyes barely visible in the fading daylight, waiting this time it moved into the water.

    As night fell, the sounds of the jungle around him shifted, growing quieter as nocturnal creatures replaced those of the day. He paced at the branche''s edge, ideas racing through his mind as he tried to concoct yet another plan. He couldn''t risk crossing it, not with the beast patrolling below. He was considering retreating and coming another time when a strange chill swept over him.

    His eyes shot up to the darkened sky, and there it was¡ªa shadow gliding through the night with the quiet grace of a predator. The Nightspire. Its four powerful wings sliced through the air, causing the treetops to sway as it descended lower. It was the same Paragon-ranked creature he and Ivan had barely escaped the night before. Now, it was here, its gleaming eyes catching the moonlight, fixed on the area where Atlas stood.

    Atlas froze, a bead of sweat tracing his temple. If the Nightspire had returned, it could only mean one thing: it was searching for prey. He held his breath, hoping it would pass him by. But just as it descended further, circling the river, another massive shadow surged up from beneath the water. The crocodile had sensed an intruder in its domain and had risen to challenge it.

    For a heartbeat, the two beasts stared each other down, one in the sky and one at the water''s edge, before they collided in an explosion of movement and fury. The Nightspire''s talons gleamed like knives as they slashed through the air, striking the crocodile''s snout. The crocodile retaliated, swinging its tail and snapping its massive jaws, shaking the earth with its roars. Trees splintered under the force of their blows, and the river churned wildly from the crocodile''s thrashing tail.

    Seeing his chance, Atlas took a deep breath, slipped down the tree and the bank, easing himself into the icy water. He moved slowly, hoping the splashing of the fighting creatures would mask his presence. His body tensed as the cold seeped into his bones, but he pushed forward, inch by inch, feeling the current tug at him roughly his Aether filled body struggling. He glanced back, catching sight of the beasts locked in their deadly struggle. The crocodile whipped its head, just barely avoiding the Nightspire''s talons as they sliced through the air.

    He was halfway across when the crocodile, sensing movement below, wrenched itself free from the Nightspire''s grasp and turned its burning red eyes straight toward him. Atlas''s heart leapt to his throat. In one swift motion, the crocodile lunged forward, abandoning its fight with the Nightspire as it surged through the water, jaws open wide and ready to strike.

    And then, as if understanding that Atlas was trying to flee, the Nightspire joined in, wings beating as it dived low to pursue him. The sudden reality of two Paragon-ranked creatures chasing him set his body into a frenzy of motion. Gritting his teeth, he called on every bit of Aether he could muster, warping just as the crocodile''s jaws snapped shut in the spot where he''d been. He reappeared two meters away, breathless and struggling to stay above the water.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    Without hesitation, he warped again and again, each teleportation taking him another meter closer to the far bank. But with each jump, he could feel his energy waning; the warps drained him of his remaining Aether reserves, and he could barely keep up with the creatures who pursued him. The Nightspire let out a shrill, ear-piercing screech, its talons raking the water''s surface as it reached for him, while the crocodile''s tail created waves that threatened to pull him under with every stroke.

    Exhausted but determined, he continued to warp, barely avoiding the crushing weight of the crocodile''s jaws and the deadly talons of the Nightspire. Just as he neared the opposite shore, his warps slowed, and his Aether reserves ran dangerously low. In a final, desperate burst, he warped one last time, collapsing onto the muddy ground on the other side, panting and gasping for air.

    Turning around, he watched as the two creatures clashed once more in a frenzy of fury and power, seemingly forgetting him as their instincts drove them to battle each other instead. With a heavy thud, the crocodile''s massive tail slammed into the Nightspire, striking it hard across the jaw. A loud crack echoed through the jungle as one of the Nightspire''s fangs was dislodged, spiraling through the air and landing just a few feet from where Atlas lay. The fang was small and, sharp as a blade, and pulsing with a faint, otherworldly glow.

    Atlas sat up with the last of his energy, drawn to the tooth embedded in a nearby tree. He reached out, his fingers brushing against it, feeling a powerful energy coursing through it¡ªa remnant of the Nightspire''s terrifying strength. With a firm grip, he pulled the fang free, marveling at its size and weight. It was sharp, wickedly pointed, and perfectly sized to serve as a dagger. He could feel its potential as a weapon humming beneath his fingertips.

    Just then, a familiar voice spoke from the shadows. "The gods have blessed us with a weapon." Ivan''s voice was laced with satisfaction, his gaze fixated on the dagger in Atlas''s hand.

    Atlas turned, catching sight of his mentor stepping out from behind a tree, that ever-present grin stretched across his face. "The gods truly work in mysterious ways, don''t they?" Ivan continued, his voice a mix of reverence and amusement. "To survive a river guarded by a Paragon beast and to claim such a weapon¡­ it seems they''ve chosen you for something grander, my dear vessel."

    Atlas couldn''t help but stare at the dagger in his hand, realizing how close he''d come to death¡ªand yet, he had emerged not only alive but armed with a weapon. He looked back at Ivan, wondering at the strange providence that seemed to surround this journey.

    "It''s¡­ it''s almost like they wanted this to happen," he murmured, more to himself than to Ivan.

    Ivan laughed softly, his voice carrying a hint of awe. "Perhaps they did. The gods are known to test the worthy, to break them down and build them back stronger." He reached out, examining the blade with admiration. "A Paragon-ranked weapon, forged in battle and gifted to you through trial. The Night Spire''s fang¡­ only the blessed could receive such a thing."

    Atlas ran his fingers along the edge of the tooth-turned-dagger, feeling its sharpness, its lethal promise. He glanced back across the river where the two creatures still clashed, tearing at each other in a brutal display of power and rage.

    Ivan took a step back, nodding approvingly. "Come, we must move before they realize you''ve crossed. The temple is close now, and you''ll need that blade soon enough. This place is not done testing you yet."

    Another crack formed deep inside Atlas somewhere, as he felt the walls inside his AetherRoom start to form a new set of lines.

    {Night Spires''s Fang}

    Rank - Paragon

    Level - 1/2

    "Deep within the jungle, two titanic beasts clashed in a battle of primal fury, each blow reverberating through the trees. Amid this violent storm, a lone, insignificant figure dared to intervene, drawing the creatures'' attention just long enough to disrupt the mythic flyer. In its momentary distraction, the airborne beast let out a screech, its mighty fang dislodged and lost to the forest below."

 A days work

    Atlas felt the weight of the Night Spire''s fang settle against his hip, fashioned now as a sharp dagger bound in a makeshift grip. He admired the dagger touching along the edge, catching the sunlight that filtered down from the dense canopy above. This weapon¡ªborn from the very fang of a paragon-ranked beast¡ªseemed almost too powerful to hold, as if imbued with an ancient energy waiting to be unleashed. Alongside it, he now had God''s Will, the cloak with a veil of darkness that fell over him, its golden runes softly glowing with a promise of concealment.

    Ivan watched him prepare, a grin of approval stretching across his face. "The gods have blessed you with power," he intoned. "And the jungle will test it."

    Atlas nodded, feeling the weight of both the responsibility and the opportunity. Summoning these items into his hands was like breathing; his connection to his Aether room made it feel natural, as if these weapons were extensions of himself. He tightened the hood over his head, and his face vanished, hidden by the power of God''s Will.

    They ventured deeper into the jungle, the air thick and humid, filled with the heavy scent of damp earth and leaves. The sound of distant creatures occasionally pierced the silence, but Atlas kept his focus on the path, attuned to every movement.

    It wasn''t long before another predator found them.

    An UmbraCoil slid silently into view, its long, dark-scaled body weaving between the trees, eyes gleaming with predatory intent. The creature coiled and prepared to strike, and Atlas felt his heartbeat quicken. Unlike the last encounter, he was ready, his grip tightening around the Night Spire dagger.

    With his hood pulled low, he engaged his Aether, summoning his Warp ability to blink forward, vanishing just as the UmbraCoil lunged. He reappeared behind its massive head, where its thick, scaled neck stretched out. Channeling all his momentum, he slashed downward in a single, decisive strike. The dagger, sharper than anything he''d wielded before, cut through the tough hide with ease. The UmbraCoil let out a strangled hiss, collapsing in a heap before it could retaliate.

    The Bounders voice whispered in his ear announcing his kill.

    He took a breath, feeling the surge of accomplishment tempered with caution.

    Just as he turned to check on Ivan, he felt the presence of more. Three UmbraCoils slithered out from the underbrush, surrounding him. Their scales shimmered in dark hues, and their eyes fixated on him, narrowed and calculating.

    Atlas steeled himself, realizing this was no easy fight. He couldn''t just rely on a single strike to take them all down¡ªhe''d need strategy and endurance.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    One of the UmbraCoils struck, lunging at him with its fanged maw wide open. Atlas warped out of its path, appearing to its right and slashing at its body. The dagger cut deep but didn''t finish the creature, which reared back with a hiss, blood oozing from its scales.

    Another attacked from his left, catching him off guard. He twisted out of the way, but the creature''s tail lashed out, striking him across the shoulder and sending him stumbling. He could feel the sharp ache from the blow, and his grip on the dagger tightened. The third UmbraCoil struck at his legs, forcing him to leap back. As he landed he decided now was the time to act. He warped to the side, positioning himself away from their strikes.

    With each movement, he felt the drain on his Aether reserves; Warping this much really took a toll on him especially after not getting enough rest between his previous paragon encounters.

    His total Aether was sitting at around five percent which if he used now it would surely leave him to dry in case of another emergency.

    He shifted his approach, warping directly behind one of the injured UmbraCoils and plunging the dagger down into its back. The beast writhed in pain but couldn''t retaliate in time, as Atlas twisted the blade deeper. With a final shudder, it collapsed, lifeless.

    "You have killed an UmbraCoil, Rank: Sentinel"

    "Your core has grown stronger."

    He turned to face the remaining two, sweat beginning to drip down his face. The last two were visibly angrier now, their scales raised as they flanked him on either side. They lunged together, forcing Atlas to warp out of their reach, barely dodging their simultaneous strikes.

    Running low on Aether, he couldn''t keep up the rapid warping. Instead, he relied on pure reflex, ducking under the first creature''s swipe and slashing upward with the dagger, catching it under its jaw. The second attacked immediately, but he used the blade to deflect its fangs, narrowly avoiding another strike. In a quick movement, he twisted to drive the dagger through its exposed neck, finally bringing it down with a heaving breath.

    "You have killed an UmbraCoil, Rank: Sentinel"

    "Your core has grown stronger."

    "You have killed an UmbraCoil, Rank: Sentinel"

    "Your core has grown stronger."

    Atlas staggered back, feeling the burn in his muscles. The three UmbraCoils lay motionless at his feet. Ivan stepped forward, nodding with satisfaction.

    "Well done," he murmured, his expression unreadable. "The gods will it, and you endure."

    ***

    The next couple of days passed in similar tension, each night growing darker, the threat of danger more pervasive. Every time they rested, the memory of the Night Spire looming in the sky reminded them that they weren''t safe, even for a moment. Twice during their journey, they had to hide under thick foliage as it swept overhead, its shadow casting a chill that seemed to pierce even the heat of the jungle.

    They kept a strict silence, moving carefully until the beast passed. Atlas was haunted by the thought of its keen sight,, he felt the familiar sting of fatigue settling in¡ªconstant vigilance was draining.

    Finally, after what felt like a relentless trek through the oppressive jungle, Ivan stopped, pointing ahead. "There," he said, his voice a low murmur. "We''re almost there."

    Atlas followed his gaze. In the distance, the White Temple loomed, a stark contrast against the vibrant green of the jungle. Its walls were tall and ancient, gleaming under the dappled sunlight that broke through the canopy. Despite the danger that surely awaited them, Atlas felt a surge of determination.

    A single day''s journey was all that remained before they reached their first destination.

 Lost from Shadows

    Atlas kept walking, his steps light and steady as if he''d only just started. Normally, after so many hours of traversing rough terrain, his feet would ache, his legs would feel like lead, and his breath would grow ragged. But with Aether coursing through him, he felt no fatigue, only strength¡ªan enhancement beyond what he''d ever imagined. Perhaps it was even something more than enhancement, an evolution meant for humanity. He couldn''t help but wonder: what if everyone had this ability, not just a chosen few?

    Were the gods planning for such a future, or were they content to let this power remain out of reach for most?

    The white temple loomed ahead, so close that the brilliance of its structure almost hurt to look at. Sunlight, even in the dimming glow of dusk, bounced off the temple walls, making it appear almost alive¡ªa blinding beacon amidst the dark embrace of the jungle. By night, it seemed like a spotlight cast down from some heavenly realm, beckoning him forward, yet warning him of what lay within.

    Atlas glanced back at Ivan, who trailed a few steps behind, his expression unreadable but his gaze fixed on the temple. Ivan''s face, normally calm and composed, had a slight tension to it, a quiet intensity that Atlas hadn''t seen before.

    Atlas gave a faint nod, though his own unease mirrored Ivan''s. He turned his gaze back to the temple and stepped forward, crossing the boundary of its ancient entrance. The air inside was still, unnaturally so, as if they''d stepped into a place cut off from time itself. Atlas felt the hairs on his arms stand up. It was more than just silence; it was a deep, impenetrable void, charged with energy and watchfulness.

    The interior was vast and labyrinthine, with pale stone walls etched with unreadable symbols that seemed to ripple in the dim light. Statues lined the walls¡ªfigures twisted in pain, some reaching out as if pleading for release. Atlas had seen many strange things since he''d first encountered Aether, but the atmosphere here felt different, almost sentient, as if the temple itself was a living, breathing entity judging their every move.

    They took a few cautious steps, their footfalls muffled on the cool stone. The shadows seemed to pulse and move with each step they took, playing tricks on his vision. Then, suddenly, his senses flared, and he froze.

    "Wait," he whispered, holding up a hand. "There''s something¡­ just ahead."

    In the dim light, he saw the faint outline of a narrow line stretching across their path, barely visible. Squinting, he noticed the line connected to a series of tiny, nearly invisible carvings along the walls.

    He took a careful step back, studying the mechanisms. The trap seemed woven into the architecture itself, part of the very stone that held the temple together. Ivan knelt down beside him, tracing the line of the trap with his eyes.

    Atlas lifted his foot with care, stepping over the tripwire. Ivan followed, matching his caution, and they passed without incident. But as they moved deeper, Atlas felt an uncomfortable tingling at the base of his spine¡ªan instinctual warning. This place was more than just a temple; it was a gauntlet.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    Not a few steps further, he felt another hum in the air, this one even fainter. Peering into the surrounding gloom. There, concealed in the stone above, was a series of small, circular holes. He stopped short, scanning the ground and realizing that there was a hidden pressure plate nestled into the floor just ahead of them.

    They sidestepped the plate with equal care, but just as they cleared it, a faint click echoed in the corridor. Both of them froze. In an instant, the walls came to life, panels sliding open to reveal rows of razor-sharp darts primed to launch. Atlas acted on instinct, grabbing Ivan warping two meters backwards as the darts whizzed past, embedding into the opposite wall with lethal precision.

    Atlas''s pulse was pounding. But still they pressed on, making their way through the temple''s maze of deadly defenses, each trap more cunning and concealed than the last. Aether-pulsing runes on the floor, illusionary walls that hid spikes, and even sections of the ceiling that shifted, ready to crush any who dared tread too close.

    After what felt like hours, they finally reached a wide staircase spiraling upward, leading into the murky shadows above. Atlas felt a chill as he looked up, the sense of watchfulness more intense here than anywhere else in the temple. It was as if the air itself was thick with malice, a concentrated presence waiting just beyond sight.

    They began the climb, their footsteps echoing up the spiraling steps. As they ascended, Atlas noticed faint traces of Black Aether swirling above, almost like a mist that lingered near the top. The further they climbed, the stronger the oppressive feeling became, pressing down on his chest, filling his lungs with a sense of dread.

    At last, they reached the top, and there it was¡ªa creature waiting for them in the vast hall above, hidden in shadow but unmistakable in form. It was as if darkness itself had taken shape, a towering figure forged from pure shadow. Its legs were bent and jackal-like, powerful and sinewy, while curved horns jutted from its head, casting long, twisted shadows across the stone. The creature''s eyes, white and unblinking, shone with an ancient and malevolent intelligence, fixed directly on Atlas.

    Black Aether poured from its body in heavy waves, filling the room with a tangible, choking fear that settled deep in Atlas''s bones. He could barely breathe, his instincts screaming at him to flee, to put as much distance as possible between himself and the creature before him. But behind the creature, he saw it¡ªa small, vine-wrapped key resting on a throne of roots and stone. The key seemed impossibly out of place, a fragile thing amid the nightmarish scene.

    Then, without warning, the creature''s head snapped toward him with blinding speed. In an instant, it lunged forward, crossing the distance in a heartbeat. Atlas barely had time to react, his body moving purely on reflex,trying to warp to the side as the creature''s claws slashed through the space he had just occupied.

    But he was too slow.

    The claws raked across him, tearing through flesh and bone like they were nothing. Pain exploded in his chest as he staggered back, blood spilling onto the cold stone floor. His vision blurred, the world tilting as the creature loomed over him, ready to strike again.

    Then, the scene dissolved.

    Atlas blinked, his heart still pounding, but he was no longer wounded. He was back at the foot of the staircase, unharmed. Ivan was beside him, his hand still resting on Atlas''s shoulder, his expression grim.

    "That¡­ that was a vision?" Atlas stammered, the memory of the pain still fresh in his mind.

    Ivan nodded. "A glimpse of what will happen if we continue unprepared. That creature¡­ it''s Exalted."

    The word hung in the air, heavy with meaning. Exalted¡ªa rank of power beyond what Atlas had ever faced. It was higher than a paragon and something that no human should have to go against. This was a Demi-god.

 The beginning of the end

    The thought struck Atlas like a hammer to the chest, refusing to leave. The creature wasn''t merely a shadowy aberration or some monstrous anomaly. No, it was far more. It was a being that had brushed against divinity, a creature whose power bordered on the unfathomable.

    Atlas gritted his teeth as he stared at the staircase, the weight of what awaited them above crushing his resolve. How could something like that exist? And why were they forced to face it.

    His body still tingled from the vision Ivan had shared with him, his own death replaying in excruciating clarity. The memory of claws tearing through him, the suffocating darkness of its presence, and the blinding terror that gripped his heart all felt too real. If that wasn''t just a vision, if it truly was a glimpse of his fate, then Atlas knew with certainty that this creature wasn''t something they were meant to defeat. It was an entity to flee from, to avoid at all costs.

    But the gods had other plans.

    Atlas glanced at Ivan, who stood a few paces away, staring up at the temple''s peak with an expression caught between determination and resignation. Ivan''s shoulders were tense, his jaw set, but his eyes¡ªthe faint purple glow of his Aether still shimmering within¡ªseemed distant, as if he was peering into a reality beyond Atlas''s comprehension.

    "Ivan," Atlas called, his voice low but urgent.

    Ivan didn''t respond immediately. Instead, his head tilted slightly, and the glow in his eyes intensified, purple light flooding his irises and illuminating the veins around them. His Aether surged, spilling into the air like a tangible force, pressing against Atlas with a weight that made his knees feel weak.

    When Ivan finally spoke, his voice was soft but resonant, laced with an almost otherworldly clarity. "The outcome is blurry. The gods¡­ they aren''t just testing you, My vessel. They''re testing me too." He turned to face Atlas fully, his glowing eyes locking onto him. "This isn''t just your trial."

    Before Atlas could respond, Ivan began climbing the stairs, each step deliberate and steady.

    As Ivan reached the top, the room above came into view, the towering shadow creature still waiting near the throne. Its form writhed and shifted like living smoke, its jackal-like hind legs rooted to the stone floor while its horns scraped against the high ceiling. The eyes, those pure, glowing white eyes, fixed on Ivan the moment he entered.

    Without hesitation, the creature raised an elongated, claw-like arm and plunged it into the ground. Black Aether erupted from its claws, spreading like spilled ink and forming a swirling sphere of darkness that covered the portion of the room pulling Ivan into it. It pulsated ominously, radiating malice so intense that Atlas felt it even from the base of the stairs.

    Ivan, before the Sphere hit him, surrounded himself in Aether as if creating a sphere of his own made from a darker purple color than normal. The two clashed for a brief moment before Ivan was swallowed.

    Atlas hesitated. The key was still visible, resting on the throne outside the creature''s sphere of influence, but every instinct screamed at him to retreat. The temple felt alive now, groaning and trembling as if reacting to the sheer force of the clash between Ivan and the creature.

    Inside the sphere, the darkness churned and writhed, swallowing the faint light of Ivan''s Aether as he stepped inside. Atlas could hear the sounds of their battle¡ªexplosions of energy, guttural growls, and the clash of forces so vast they seemed to warp the air around them. The floor beneath him cracked and splintered, chunks of stone falling away as the temple began to shake violently.

    For a brief moment Atlas saw the sphere of darkness break and he witnessed something he never should have seen. Ivan was battling the shadow creature¡ªnot with weapons or tools, but with his bare hands. To Atlas''s disbelief, Ivan wasn''t just holding his ground; he was keeping up, matching the creature''s inhuman speed and ferocity. Each strike of Ivan''s fists reverberated with Aether, flashes of purple light illuminating the room in bursts that made the shadows seem alive.

    But it wasn''t Ivan''s strength or skill that unsettled Atlas. It was something far more horrifying.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    On the sides of Ivan''s face, just above his cheekbones and down his temples, dozens of grotesque, bulbous growths pulsed and shimmered. At first, Atlas thought they were injuries from the battle, but then they opened.

    Eyes.

    Hundreds of glistening purple eyes, each one swirling with the same Aetheric energy that coursed through Ivan. They moved independently, darting in every direction as if scanning for threats from all angles. The sight was both mesmerizing and revolting, their slick, wet surfaces reflecting the chaotic light of the battle. They blinked sporadically, focusing and unfocusing with eerie precision.

    Atlas''s stomach churned. It was as if Ivan''s very being had been warped by the intensity of the fight, his body straining to keep pace with the creature by becoming something unnatural.

    The eyes weren''t just watching¡ªthey were alive, alert, and filled with a terrifying intelligence. They seemed to see everything, predicting the creature''s every move, allowing Ivan to evade its attacks with impossible precision. Yet the sight of them, grotesque and otherworldly, was enough to make Atlas wish he hadn''t looked.

    He tore his gaze away, bile rising in his throat. It was uncanny.

    This stunned Atlas for a moment before he regained himself and focused on the task at hand.

    Atlas darted forward, weaving through falling debris as he made for the throne. The closer he got, the heavier the air felt, as though the temple itself was trying to crush him under its weight. He reached the base of the throne and grabbed the key, the vines curling away at his touch. The moment the key was in his hands, the creature let out a piercing screech, its voice resonating like a thousand screams layered atop one another.

    Atlas turned and bolted down the staircase, his heart pounding as the temple shook with greater intensity. The sounds of the battle above grew more chaotic, more destructive. He didn''t look back; he couldn''t. He focused solely on escaping as the walls cracked and the ceiling began to cave in.

    The roar of the collapsing temple followed him into the jungle, the ground beneath him trembling with each step. He didn''t stop running until he was deep within the cover of the trees, the temple''s destruction now a distant rumble. Only then did he pause, collapsing against a tree to catch his breath.

    The silence that followed was deafening, broken only by the distant calls of jungle creatures and the faint sound of falling rubble. Atlas looked down at the key in his hand, its surface smooth and cool despite the chaos surrounding it.

    A loud crunch came from the jungle indicating that something was coming

    Ivan staggered out from the shadows of the jungle, his figure bloodied and battered. His shirt was torn, revealing gashes across his arms and chest, while a thin trickle of blood ran down the side of his face. He looked like he''d been through hell, but his eyes, still faintly glowing with Aether, were sharp and focused.

    "You lived," Atlas said, relief flooding his voice.

    Ivan gave a small nod, leaning against a tree for support. "Barely."

    "What happened back there? That thing was a to strong for us it-"

    "It''s not dead," Ivan interrupted, his tone grim. "But it''s¡­ wounded the gods have blessed me with that much.."

    Atlas frowned, his mind racing to comprehend what Ivan must have endured.

    Before Atlas could reply, a faint screech echoed through the jungle, distant but unmistakable. The creature was still alive, and it was searching for them.

    Ivan straightened, his expression hardening. Without waiting for a response, he grabbed Atlas by the arm, and in the next instant, they were moving. The world around them blurred into a chaotic swirl of greens and blacks, the jungle rushing past at impossible speeds. Atlas''s stomach lurched, the sheer velocity leaving him disoriented, but Ivan''s grip was unyielding.

    The screeches of the creature followed them, growing louder with each passing moment. It was relentless, its fury palpable even from a distance.

    Finally, they reached a cave hidden behind a thick curtain of vines. Ivan pushed Atlas inside, his breathing ragged as he collapsed against the wall.

    Inside, the air was cool and damp, the sound of their breathing echoing faintly in the enclosed space. Ivan lit a small fire, the flickering flames casting long shadows across the stone walls.

    Atlas sat in silence, his mind racing with everything that had happened. He glanced at Ivan, who was staring into the fire, his face pale and drawn.

    It wasn''t until Ivan shifted slightly that Atlas noticed the dark stain spreading across his side.

    "You''re hurt," Atlas said,

    Ivan looked down, his expression unreadable. Slowly, he pulled his shirt aside, revealing a deep gash across his abdomen. The edges of the wound were blackened, pulsing faintly with traces of the creature''s Aether.

    "It''s nothing," Ivan muttered, though his voice lacked conviction.

    "Nothing?" Atlas snapped. "That looks like¡ª"

    "It''s nothing," Ivan repeated, his tone firm. He leaned back against the wall, closing his eyes briefly before speaking again. "The gods¡­ they don''t just test strength. They test resolve, sacrifice." He trailed off, his gaze fixed on the flames.

    Noting Ivan''s words he leaned back, holding up the key that they were looking for this whole time. They had managed to grab it. Now the journey was at least thirty percent done. He was excited to have finally made some type of progress.

    If someone was watching from a bird''s eye view they would see that just outside the cave no less than a hundred meters away a dark shadow was moving, searching, at supersonic speeds.

    The monster was silently ripping apart any creature it ran into.

    A demon was set free from its cage.

 Hairline Fracture

    Atlas shivered through the dark night, every muscle tense, his senses stretched thin. Deep down, he knew struggling against that creature was futile¡ªit was Ivan who had saved him. Only Ivan could.

    As dawn broke, they left the cave. The first thing Atlas noticed was the silence. Absolute and suffocating, as if the world itself was holding its breath. The second thing he noticed was the blood¡ªthick, smeared across the ground, painting a grotesque mural to some forgotten god.

    Flesh, monstrous and unrecognizable, was strewn across their path in ragged chunks.

    Atlas shuddered, a cold knot forming in his chest. It could have been them.

    The silence was broken by a wet, guttural sound. Ivan was coughing up blood, his steps growing more sluggish as they walked. Aether flickered around his wound, its vibrant purple battling tendrils of sinister black. The two colors clashed and coiled like serpents, neither willing to relent.

    It was clear¡ªthe injury wasn¡¯t going to heal easily.

    Atlas felt a strange mixture of gratitude and unease. Ivan had thrown himself between Atlas and that creature, allowing him to seize the key. But even now, some instinct warned him not to fully trust the man. There was something Ivan wasn¡¯t saying¡ªsomething lurking behind those tired eyes.

    Their destination wasn¡¯t far now: a massive waterfall that thundered like an endless drumbeat. It cascaded into what looked like a sea of clouds below. Lightning crackled above, threading through the heavy storm clouds that refused to leave the sky.

    Ivan kept quiet for most of the journey. His silence was a heavy shroud draped over them both until nightfall arrived once again.

    Before the sun fully disappeared and the creatures of the dark began to stir, Ivan acted. Muttering about fate and gods, he knelt and began scratching intricate symbols into the dirt. The markings glowed faintly with Aether, their meaning lost on Atlas.

    Ivan gestured for him to step into the center of the circle. As Atlas obeyed, Ivan raised his uninjured hand, and a dome of shimmering Aether enveloped them. The world outside turned gray and distant, and the air grew thick, almost syrupy, with power.

    Ivan exhaled sharply, his face drawn with exhaustion.

    ¡°This, my dear vessel, is where we shall sleep tonight. After that¡­ thing¡­ We were blessed to survive. Hiding in caves won¡¯t work again, not against something like that.¡±

    He sat down heavily, his breath uneven.

    Stolen novel; please report.¡°I¡¯ve carved out a crude pocket of safety here. If anything touches this barrier, it¡¯ll shatter instantly, and we¡¯ll be exposed. But let¡¯s hope fate is kind tonight.¡±

    With that, Ivan lay on his side, eyes slipping shut almost immediately.

    Atlas sat down as well, staring into the gray void beyond their fragile sanctuary. Thoughts came unbidden, flowing like poison into his mind.

    It was too much.

    When he first entered the trial, he had tried to simplify things: survive, kill, move forward. His actions had been cold, calculated¡ªhe¡¯d murdered without hesitation, manipulated without remorse. But with every passing day, that persona was cracking. He felt it in every shaky breath, in every moment his hands trembled without reason.

    The trial was eating him alive.

    He had become something unrecognizable, paranoid, ruthless, hollow. Was this who he truly was? Or was it just a frightened child¡¯s coping mechanism in a world where weakness meant death?

    Somewhere in the fog of his thoughts, he noticed movement.

    A small creature scuttled along a branch above. A squirrel, or something like one. Its fur was obsidian black, its eyes glowing crimson. Tiny fangs protruded from its mouth, gleaming wetly in the dim light.

    Before Atlas could react, the air shattered with sound, a sharp crack, followed by a ringing hum.

    The squirrel was gone. A smear of blood remained where it had been moments ago.

    Atlas froze.

    A few meters away, hunched over the remains of its prey, stood it. The same creature from the temple. Its long, jackal-like legs flexed with unnatural power, its skeletal frame wrapped in flowing shadows. Its horns twisted skyward, and its pure white eyes scanned the surroundings with a predator''s precision.

    Atlas didn¡¯t dare breathe.

    The creature turned, its hollow gaze locking onto him.

    Atlas¡¯ heart stopped.

    It took one step forward. Then another. Its long, clawed hand dragged lazily along the ground, leaving deep gouges in the dirt.

    Atlas squeezed his eyes shut, his breath caught in his throat.

    For a brief, eternal moment, there was only silence.

    Then¡ªCRACK.

    The air split again as the creature vanished, leaping into the night with impossible speed.

    Atlas gasped, lungs desperate for air.

    His body trembled as he lay down, forcing his eyes closed. That thing wasn¡¯t just a monster¡ªit was an apex predator. Its speed, its awareness, its hunger¡­ it was something he couldn¡¯t fathom.

    And Ivan¡­ Ivan had stood in its way.

    Atlas felt something break deep within him¡ªa hairline fracture along the brittle surface of his sanity.

    This trial wasn¡¯t just about survival. It was about endurance. And he wasn¡¯t sure how much more he had left to give.

    Come morning he wanted to escape this hell with Ivan back into the ocean, but who knows what horrors lay there they could merely be escaping into something more horrifying.

 Up is Out

    The sun rose, and with it, a sense of safety washed over Atlas.

    This was the day, the day they traversed to the bottom of the waterfall, the day they finally left this godforsaken place. His time here was something that changed him forever, although it was relatively short.

    He learned new ways to use Aether. He learned more about his powers, how the world works, and even gained a new sense of self.

    Ivan now looked in better shape than before, his wounds still in a clash, but his Aether was slowly taking over. The parts that had healed did not heal cleanly, leaving him with a nasty scar on his abdomen.

    The two walked through the jungle that was now completely dead, this time not in silence.

    Atlas shared stories of his time from home, electing to actually converse in a pleasant way instead of putting a large wall between himself and Ivan.

    At one point, he was about to talk about his name, but Ivan refused again. In all this time, no matter how much bonding they had through the trauma and pain, Ivan still could not tell Atlas his name.

    Ivan wouldn¡¯t just stay quiet this time. Instead, he spoke more on the gods and what blessings they have, how once they leave this place, he wanted to start a commune of worshippers and bring light into the mortal world.

    Again, Atlas felt weird about the whole mortal world part but overall paid it no mind.

    Finally, after hours of this, they both got quiet as the sound of crashing water became louder.

    They reached it.

    This waterfall was not something that could be replicated in the real world. This thing was absolutely massive.

    The height was taller than the tallest mountains in the world, ascending all the way to the top of the sky and into the deep ocean above. It wasn¡¯t just a straight fall either; it was twisting and turning in some parts as if a vortex was in it.

    Atlas got to see it closer now. Far above his head, near the top, clouds ringing with lightning shook the world above.

    It gave him a sense of awe knowing that something like this could exist here in a Door trial.

    Ivan paused briefly with him before whimsically skipping closer to the bottom.

    "Wasn¡¯t this guy supposed to have a hurt leg?"

    Atlas couldn¡¯t help but think about the times Ivan would walk around as if it was a debilitating injury but the next moment soar through the air at speeds faster than sound.

    Following slightly behind, he felt in a better mood and walked towards the bottom as well.

    During this time, he could not help but take account of what he gained, again this time in the form of power.

    Atlas dove into his AetherCore once again, directly into his room while walking, a skill that seemed easy enough but actually required great concentration.

    The walls were written to show off Atlas¡¯s gains.

    <hr>

    {AetherCore}

    Level: 1/6

    {Warp} Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    Rank: Sentinel

    Level: 0/6

    {??? Eye}

    Rank: ???

    Level: ???

    {Night Spires''s Fang}

    Rank: Paragon

    Level: 1/2

    {Gods Will}

    Rank: Veiled

    Level: 0/4

    <hr>

    Each one of these items he read off was full of potential, and that¡¯s how he should view himself, not as a stronger being but as someone who has potential.

    Although a little pride, not ego but pride, swelled inside him. He did feel more accomplished now than before.

    He warped a couple of times, catching up to Ivan, and reached the very bottom of the waterfall.

    A deafening roar was coming over them from the water, but Atlas started to tune it out. He knew that Ivan had a plan for them to traverse this waterfall; otherwise, why would they come to the bottom without a way to go up?

    Looking at Ivan, he asked the question:

    ¡°How do we traverse to the top?¡±

    Ivan turned and smiled that damn smile of a madman and laughed again.

    ¡°Like we always do, my dear vessel. We pray to the ones who have given us life and strength¡ªthe almighty and the all-knowing.¡±

    With that, he sat down and started to pray.

    More hours passed with Ivan still praying. This quickly bored Atlas, so he walked a bit further off. The sun was still high in the sky, giving him plenty of time for safety.

    The jungle around them was actually stunning without the sight of the creatures that once roamed here before that damn shadow got released.

    He was able to stop and smell the air, although still pungent with blood, here it wasn¡¯t so bad.

    Walking more, he saw a large ravine in the ground with darkness enveloping it. The trees overhead cleared out, and the sun was beaming into it ever so slightly.

    Curiously, Atlas peeked his head over it.

    This time, there wasn¡¯t a monster, only darkness due to how far it went down.

    Thinking back to the shadow again, he pulled his vision away and turned around, walking back to Ivan.

    After a few steps, a sound came from behind him in the ravine.

    The echoes of a monster fighting something else.

    Suddenly, the earth shook but only for a brief moment, making Atlas fall.

    Before his head hit the ground, he warped his body upwards to avoid injury.

    The screams from the ravine died down, but it left Atlas with a sense of dread.

    Something was down there. It could be the shadow, or it could be something else entirely, but no matter what, he did not want to stay here and find out.

    He made his way back to Ivan¡¯s praying location, this time summoning ¡°Gods Will¡± to give himself confidentiality and some type of stealth just in case.

    Atlas ran through the forest at his top speed, occasionally having to warp either through or around a tree just to practice this skill more.

    After ten minutes, he found Ivan, but this time not praying.

    Watching from afar, Atlas saw him using a large blade that looked like a machete made of pure gold on a tree.

    He was cutting something from it, and quickly as well, as if in a hurry.

    With a few cuts using this machete, the tree fell apart like it was butter, and he started crafting a log into a makeshift canoe.

    The next second, it was hollowed out more, and the next, it was being finished.

    Ivan did this all so fast it was inhuman, but of course, Atlas was used to seeing things like this¡ªor at least more used to it.

    The odd thing was what Ivan did next, which was use his Aether and suddenly make the tree disappear into flames, erasing the evidence.

    The next second, he was gone and back into his praying location.

    Atlas really did think that this was weird but released ¡°Gods Will¡± and went back to Ivan.

    Approaching, Atlas walked slowly and asked,

    ¡°Did the gods give you an answer?¡±

    Ivan broke his prayer and stood tall.

    ¡°They did, in fact, my dear vessel. They said that my strength is amendable, and they will bring us something come the end of the day, and that we shall traverse the waterfall at night when luck is with us.¡±

    Atlas stared with a blank expression.

    Was this guy trying to convince me that the gods are going to bring us a canoe when I just saw him make one?

    Atlas started again to question the reality of these gods, now with more proof Ivan was just crazy.