Trial of Strength
Ebner naturally noticed the card that had appeared beside The Fool, but the mental exhaustion from enduring the Trial of Will left him uninterested in feigning surprise over something he already knew the answer to. He chose to pretend he hadn't seen it.
As the crimson glow faded from his vision, the boundary gauge in the room registered exactly at the 12-mark. The elves and their "delicacies and wine" vanished, and a pair of double doors appeared on the opposite wall.
Unwilling to linger in this place where he had nearly "lost his composure," Ebner quickly crossed the blackened doorway and entered another mural-filled corridor.
The murals continued the story from before. The God of Luck and the Queen of Calamity, after paying a steep price, narrowly escaped their pursuers and managed to hide. However, the item entrusted to the queen by the Elf King began leaking an aura due to the failing seal, which instinctively attracted the God of Luck. Acting on an uncontrollable impulse, the deity secretly unsealed the item behind the queen's back.
When the queen discovered the betrayal, she severed ties with the God of Luck and departed with the item, leaving the deity behind. The God of Luck did not intervene.
Later, the God of Luck realized the item had polluted them in some way. After numerous failed attempts to purge the contamination, they resorted to separating their highest-ranked characteristic, Prophet, and merging it with their ever-present Trial Temple.
The murals ended there. Whether the God of Luck succumbed to the corruption or overcame it, the deity apparently never returned to the temple.
---
Pollution? Was my earlier speculation correct? Could this involve some form of "source essence" that secretly influenced the Elf King during the late Second Epoch? Or perhaps the Elf King themselves was an incarnation of such essence, sent from the Western Continent?
What could it be? Could it truly be the City of Calamity?
Lacking additional clues, Ebner abandoned his musings and pushed open the door at the end of the corridor.
---
He found himself in a rugged mountain forest. Before he could fully take in the surroundings, a lightning-wreathed arrow shot toward him with a sharp crack of thunder.
The projectile was blindingly fast. Had Ebner not been on high alert, he wouldn't have reacted in time.
Crash!
The arrow struck, shattering not Ebner but a decoy, as a mirror splintered into shards upon impact. It was the Mirror Substitute technique from the Witch pathway, a powerful "lifesaver" when used with preparation.
Ebner reappeared at a different location, immediately activating both psychological and physical stealth.
The elven assailant, however, had no intention of retreating after their first strike missed. Their long, flowing hair began to crackle with electricity, rising dramatically. Lightning flashed across the strands, connecting with a thundercloud that appeared above them, clearly preparing for a large-scale storm.
Ebner wasn't about to let them succeed. His blue eyes lit up with twin bolts of lightning that shot out like bullets.
The Interrogator's Mental Piercing ability struck its mark.
"Ah!"
The elf cried out in pain, clutching their head and halting their storm-summoning.
Taking advantage of the elf's vulnerability, Ebner conjured red and black flames, launching them like projectiles toward his foe.
The elf, however, had anticipated the attack. Their earlier cries of pain had been feigned to lure Ebner into revealing his position. As the flames streaked through the air, dozens of wind-forged chains erupted from all directions, aiming to ensnare him.
Binding of the Wind!
Ebner acted swiftly, activating the Flame Leap ability. He teleported onto one of his fiery projectiles, narrowly evading the chains.
The elf's expression turned gleeful, sensing an opportunity. They opened their mouth, preparing to sing.
Knowing the diverse abilities of an Ocean Songster, Ebner wasn't willing to gamble on which type of song they were preparing. Before the elf could utter a note, he preemptively unleashed a foul, corrupting voice:
"Slow!"
The Demon's Foul Speech ability momentarily paralyzed all within its range, including the elf. Though its effects would last less than two seconds, it provided just enough time for Ebner to act.
Ebner, with the speed of a Zombie, closed the gap and plunged an icy spear into the elf's heart.
"I look forward to fighting you in reality... My name is Siatas, a successful trial-taker…" the elf whispered before their figure dissolved like foam on the wind.
---
Ebner took a moment to process what had just happened. "So, the Trial of Strength requires fighting phantoms of past trial-takers? That's absurdly difficult. Even with the Sequence 7 limitations of this trial, most challengers wouldn't stand a chance against an Elf Songster without cheats like mine."
"Unless… the trial is designed to encourage the use of Beyonder items. But the rules prohibit bringing in items above Sequence 7…"
"Wait—what if items found within the trial are exempt from that restriction? This preparation phase might've been meant for gathering such tools. It's like an RPG quest designed to make you 'pay-to-win.'"
His thoughts wandered briefly to the name "Siatas." It rang a bell. After some reflection, he recalled why.
Siatas was a character in Groselle's Travels, a hot-tempered Elf Songster and attendant to the Queen of Calamity.
So it was her. She passed the trial and became the final boss here. How ironic.
Heh, that book is currently with Edwina. Perhaps I'll encounter her again someday.
Letting his thoughts drift momentarily, Ebner ascended above the forest and stepped into a glowing portal at the dome's apex.
---
Elsewhere, in a sandstorm-ravaged wasteland, a male elf hovered in mid-air, directing sharp wind blades at Leticia, forcing her to continuously rip open scrolls for defense.
"Elves are formidable... A mere Wind Blessed has me on the ropes. Even a Sequence 7 Briber in their element wouldn't pressure me this much."
"Looks like I'll have to use the Ninth Law…"
With a resigned sigh, she raised her right hand, gripping the dark golden talisman tightly. In a low voice, she uttered an ancient Hermes word:
"Law!"
As the activating incantation echoed, the talisman turned icy cold, exuding a chilling, emotionless aura.
Leticia followed her prearranged plan and declared resolutely:
"No wind shall blow in this place!"
The Wind Blessed relied heavily on wind and water. In this arid wasteland, there was no water. With the wind now forbidden, their abilities were essentially nullified.
The ancient Hermes incantation reverberated, and the dark golden light wove into symbols and glyphs that integrated into the void.
Buzz!
The sandstorm halted abruptly, as if someone had hit a pause button. Grains of sand fell from the sky like rain.
The Wind Blessed also plummeted to the ground, though their agility saved them from injury.
Leticia, however, gave no opportunity for recovery. She tore open another scroll, summoning a vortex at the elf's feet, which swallowed them whole. Unable to summon wind, the elf was helpless. Soon, streams of red blood seeped from the vortex.
Looking up at the glowing portal on the dome above, Leticia sighed in frustration.
"The Prohibition will take time to fade. Without wind, I can't reach the portal…"
End of Chapter.