The monster’s massive body began to dissolve before my eyes, breaking apart into a storm of glowing Essence particles that rushed toward me.
It was the same feeling as when I absorbed Essence after a kill during leveling but this time, I didn’t level up. Still, I could feel the surge, the subtle pressure building just below the threshold. I was close.
I turned my head and saw similar lights flowing into the others. Their faces mirrored my surprise. My gaze met Steve’s, and he gave a small nod before muttering, "I leveled up."
I froze for a second, my eyes widening. That shouldn’t have been possible. Steve had already hit the limit for the Master rank, and this was the first time I’d ever seen someone grow stronger without a proper advancement.
Even North, standing further down her path, confirmed in disbelief that she’d leveled up too. Whatever this trial was, it was breaking the System laid down rules now.
I shook my head, forcing myself to focus. "Let’s not delay," I said firmly, turning away. There wasn’t time to dwell on the mystery.
I pushed forward again.
Ahead, Vaelix’s path came into view. He was no longer fighting one beast but two. Both were enormous serpent-like monsters wrapped in black chains, their scaled bodies writhing and slamming into the barriers as they tried to break free.
His claws gleamed crimson as he tore through them with terrifying ease. I could already tell what was coming next.
A sharp crack echoed in front of me. My shield barrier splintered again, and two serpentine beasts crawled onto the path before me, their red eyes burning with hate. Their scales were deep crimson, each horn dripping with faint black liquid that hissed when it hit the ground. They hissed and lunged, twisting their massive bodies to block my way forward.
I gritted my teeth and turned both palms toward them, closing my eyes for an instant. My Psynapse pulsed, and my perception reached into their bodies. I could sense the dense Essence flowing through their cores. I pulled.
The serpents screamed in unison, their bodies convulsing as the Essence inside them rebelled.
The pressure built fast, too fast for them to resist. A moment later, their forms burst apart, exploding into a rain of flesh and scales before dissolving completely. Streams of Essence poured into me again, glowing violet before fading into my skin. Still, no level up.
I didn’t stop running.
I channeled Essence through my legs and felt it ignite, propelling me forward with explosive force. My vision blurred with speed. When I looked at Vaelix again, he was already facing three new monsters, hulking, rock-covered beings that swung their massive arms like hammers.
I summoned my staff into my hand as the same kind of monsters materialized on my path. Cracks spread under my feet as their weight hit the ground. I tightened my grip, bent my knees slightly, and flashed forward.
I appeared above the middle one. My staff glowed faintly violet as I swung it down with all my strength.
BOOM.
The creature’s body shattered instantly, fragments of stone scattering like glass.
Before the others could react, I twisted my body midair and swung the staff horizontally. The strike cleaved the one on my right clean in half. Using the momentum, I pivoted, driving the staff straight through the head of the last one. Its skull exploded into dust under the impact.
Their bodies crumbled and dissolved, leaving nothing but faint motes of Essence. I spun my staff once, letting it rest against my shoulder, and broke into a sprint again. The air around me buzzed with raw energy as I pushed faster.
Up ahead, Vaelix glanced my way. For a moment, our eyes met, no words exchanged, just understanding. We both increased our pace.
The paths ahead were converging, and we could both see the same thing: three gates glowing in the distance.
Three doors.
That meant only three could leave this place alive. And Vaelix knew me well enough to guess what I would do, bring my people through together, no matter what.
That was why he was rushing ahead, why his every move screamed desperation. He wanted to reach the junction first... to avoid facing me when the paths finally met and split again into three.
Because he knew if it came down to it, I wouldn’t hesitate.
Just then, I heard a soft chime echo in my mind.
[Level Up!]
[Level 300 → Level 301]
The notification flashed before fading. I exhaled slowly as the change spread through my body. My muscles tightened, my senses sharpened, and I could feel the surge of Essence stabilizing in my core.
But even with the new strength filling me, something still felt incomplete, like the growth was partial, waiting for something more to come.
I turned my head briefly. Behind me, Steve, North, and Primus had already finished off their serpent monsters.
I could see the bursts of light from their kills fading as they rushed forward toward the next wave.
I focused ahead again, waiting for the next challenge. Vaelix was still far ahead, his path glowing brighter than before. And then it came, four demonlike beings wreathed in roaring red fire leapt onto his path, their silhouettes twisting in the flames. I could feel the temperature spike even from where I stood.
As expected, a second later, the barrier around my path cracked and four similar demons dropped before me. I didn’t even wait for them to stabilize. My staff appeared in my hands, and I shot forward with a burst of violet Essence.
"Froststorm."
The staff struck the ground between them. Frost burst outward like a tidal wave, swallowing the entire group before they could react.
Ice climbed up their bodies in seconds, freezing their flames solid. I spun, sweeping my staff in a clean arc and shattering all four into shards that scattered and dissolved into Essence mist.
I didn’t stop to admire the result. I turned and rushed forward again, faster this time. The energy in my veins pulsed violently, responding to the rising tempo of the trial. I looked toward Vaelix, he was still mid-fight with his own demons, fire and lightning flashing across his path. I clenched my jaw and pushed harder, Essence bursting from my feet as I moved.
The junction wasn’t far now. Just one more wave before we reached the merging point.
The others were doing well too. The monsters seemed to adjust their strength based on us. Not weaker, not stronger, just balanced perfectly for whoever faced them. That was the true challenge, power and endurance.
The shield surrounding my path began to tremble again.