Aslam marched with heavy steps toward the darkness of the techno-magic tunnel. Marcus adjusted his weapon belt, gave his sister a tactical glance, and the two followed. The heavy iron doors slammed shut with a deafening boom. A wave of light scanned the trio from head to toe. Neural connection sensors latched onto their auras.
The arena's scent of ash faded before a warm breeze perfumed with wild pollen, transporting the group to the edge of a dizzying cliff. A vision of overwhelming magnitude opened before them; the rift tore through the continent in a colossal line, forming an infinite abyssal corridor. Titanic walls of verdant rock stretched toward the world's core, housing exotic ecosystems and majestic ruins clinging to the void.
A mana sun bathed crystal waterfalls cascading down slopes adorned with ivory-white castles, creating a breathtaking landscape. Far below the starting ledge, at the absolute floor of the miles-deep rift, a thick mist guarded a smooth and perfectly mirrored sea. Kaelus stopped at the rock's edge and felt the breeze touch his face beneath his hood, letting his perception of the Third Ring flow freely.
The Sorcerer captured the overwhelming complexity of that epic creation. A rare, awestruck smile curved his lips as he beheld such a wonder, even while the mechanics of its existence remained a mystery. Suddenly, the blue sky glowed intensely, projecting the tournament's holographic scoreboard through floating golden runes.
The system's voice echoed across the green canyon, carrying an artificially cheerful and overly theatrical tone. — Welcome to the splendid and deadly paradise of the Illusory Rift, dear and juicy competitors! — boomed the holographic announcer. — Survive the wild beasts, gather a thousand precious hunting points, or reach the waters of the Mirror Sea to advance to the next stratum!
— Take this fantastic chance to explore every detail of this lethal ecosystem with your own eyes! — the metallic voice continued, laughing robotically. A colossal golden timer appeared below the scoreboard, marking seventy-two virtual hours for the survival trial. The Guild designed this generous window to allow full immersion, extending the mind's temporal experience relative to the physical surface world.
Cordelia flashed a sharp, predatory grin at the announcer's encouragement, stretching her shoulders with evident martial eagerness and contagious vigor. The weapon mage overflowed with absolute confidence, taking the lead with heavy, dominant steps down the steep slope. She deeply craved the looming hunt, trusting her superior skills to slice through any obstacle in that rocky, lethal labyrinth.
Marcus assessed the giant clock in the sky, mentally setting a steady tactical pace for the team's methodical descent. He crouched near a white rock, digging his nails into the illusory surface to test its magical density. He rubbed the glowing moss between his fingers, confirming the poisonous accuracy of the simulated toxin with a clinical and purely calculative gaze.
— This serrated edge possesses the exact sharpness of a dagger forged by the smiths of Calonia — the warrior remarked, spinning a piece of metallic foliage. The First Sorcerer followed the movement through his arcane perception, frowning under the heavy shadow of his dark hood.
— If this is a simulation of light and mana — he asked, his voice filled with cold curiosity —, how can you physically touch the leaves, rocks, and other elements to feel their texture?
Marcus let out a nasal chuckle, proud of the technological and magical power the Guild showcased in the tournament arenas.
— This is a solid matrix, little brother. The system condenses elemental particles from the atmosphere itself, solidifying mana into temporary matter. It remains as tangible and lethal as your sword's steel as long as the system core has energy to sustain the illusion.
Aslam processed the information in silence, focusing his sharp perception on the pulsing veins of the green branch in his sister's hands. His ancient mind crossed visual data with old memories, identifying the core structure of a common fern from the Earth's surface. The environment functioned as a brutal evolutionary furnace, forcing botanical species to harden their fibers under the crushing pressure.
The constant clarity of the artificial sun required the flora to expand colossally to maximize the photosynthesis of pure arcane energy. Directly above them, birds with four wings crossed the false sky in search of moist wind currents near the crystal waterfalls. Even while blind, he intimately recognized the basic skeletal traits of simple rural sparrows, trivial creatures of the umbra.
Each stratum created its own rule of biological adaptation, shaping everyday life according to the cruel demands of that level. Suddenly, a small beetle with a mirrored shell landed near Cordelia's leather boot, fragmenting the sunlight. The sudden, blinding flash from the insect reflected off the damp walls of the monumental canyon, creating beams of pure visual disorientation.
— Stealthy predators use the natural reflection of these exotic beetles to blind unsuspecting prey on the open trails — Commander Marcus warned.
— If these crawling beasts are among the monsters of this stratum, hunting them is a grotesque waste of our mana — Cordelia grumbled, spinning her dagger impatiently. — A thousand points requires slaughtering hundreds upon hundreds of these bugs, as their individual reward must be mediocre.
— I agree, we came here for more than surface games — Marcus replied, pointing his sword toward the dizzying abyss. — We shall ignore the hunt and focus on descending to the Mirror Sea, saving our magical resources for the Second Stratum. The team resumed their march immediately, adopting a focused rhythm.
As they descended, the vegetation changed drastically, revealing bushes laden with translucent fruits of a bluish, bioluminescent hue. Cordelia lowered herself gracefully and crushed one of the berries between her leather-gloved fingers, letting a viscous, steaming liquid run down the stone.
— Watch your step, for this nectar is highly lethal to humans, boiling the blood of any who dare touch it without protection — she explained. Kaelus observed the thin smoke through his arcane perception, noting how the simulated toxin corroded the rock with frightening and perfect chemical precision.
Cordelia used the tip of her dagger to push aside the twisted branches of the bush, revealing thick roots that pulsed like veins full of pure bluish poison. — The way the matrix recreates even the putrid smell of acid sap evaporating in the dense air is impressive — Marcus commented, pulling his collar up to shield his face.
The group left the lethal vegetation behind, plunging into a steep and winding descent that consumed the following virtual hours in total peace. The air temperature dropped gradually as they moved away from the direct light of the artificial sun, replaced by a cold mist from the valley's colossal waterfalls.
Marcus led the march with heavy steps over the exposed roots of ancient trees, which formed natural and irregular steps on the dizzying slope. The bioluminescent flora slowly gave way to thick layers of dark, damp moss, requiring extra balance with every jump over the slippery cracks.
The constant sound of water plunging into the abyss echoed off the canyon walls, creating a low hum that muffled the steps of the advancing explorers. The silhouette of a colossal structure gained overwhelming proportions with every mile traveled, revealing the transition between ecosystem and architecture. Just ahead, the trail wound through the foundations of a white castle, hanging precariously on the craggy slope.
Marcus placed his palm against an engraved ivory pillar, feeling the cold, ancient texture of the structure carved into living stone with undeniable fascination. — They say ancient architects built these palaces long before the continent's collapse, seeking to observe nature in total peace — the warrior remarked.
Cordelia scraped her nail against the white wall, marveled by the natural wear of time and winds in the grooves. However, the veterans' attention shifted from the majestic scenery as they noticed the absurd ease with which the youngest brother dodged the debris along the stone path. The sorcerer walked in the rear with an upright posture and absolutely silent steps, exuding an atypical coldness.
— He is so different... the boy who was energetic, trembling, and fearful has simply vanished — Cordelia whispered, genuinely intrigued by the change. Marcus looked over his shoulder, observing the expressionless face under the dark hood before responding in a veiled tone filled with brotherly pity. — The time he spent missing… wherever he went, the things he saw traumatized him deeply — the commander deduced.
Cordelia sighed heavily, shearing her dagger into its scabbard with a metallic click that betrayed her evident frustration at her brother's state. Then he nodded slowly, keeping his eyes fixed on the winding trail ahead to hide his own discomfort at the youngest's distancing.
— Our priority was to take him back to the estate safely, sparing him from this public exposure that is this tournament. He promised he would tell us everything he suffered as soon as we crossed the gates of home — Marcus reminded in a cautious murmur.
They firmly believed that Kaelus's silence was a fragile defense mechanism to hold together the pieces of a soul shattered by horrors. The pair feared pressing him during the tournament and causing an irreversible mental collapse, treating him with excessive overprotection. The First Sorcerer caught every inflection of pity in those muffled whispers, yet he kept every muscle of his face still beneath the shadows.
To avoid the tense atmosphere that had settled, Marcus quickened his pace as they rounded the main wall, reaching a collapsed and narrow section where the tactical formation had to spread out significantly for safety. This forced the commander to jump ahead to test the unstable rubble. Cordelia took the right flank on a cracked parapet to watch the surrounding foliage.
Kaelus continued walking isolated at the rear of the group, when a sudden and unnatural flash appeared atop an ivory tower miles away, reflecting the artificial sunlight for a fraction of a second before the air was violently torn. Marcus and Cordelia were already established warriors in the Expansion Ring; their sharpened senses caught the aggressive fluctuation of that condensed mana almost instantly.
They realized with extreme frustration that the threat was already milliseconds from piercing their brother's neck. The spacing required by the unstable terrain made it physically impossible to conjure a barrier in time to prevent his elimination. Cordelia opened her mouth to scream an instinctive warning, feeling helplessness lock her voice. However, his perception had already tracked the murderous intent.
He allowed the spiral of condensed wind to bridge the absurd distance in absolute silence, studying the lethality of that modern engineering until the exact moment the cold metal kissed the surface of his neck. In the same millisecond... no, in a microsecond, or perhaps in a temporal fraction so tiny that human clocks themselves would be unable to register, Aslam moved.
He twisted his torso and tilted his neck with frightening fluidity. Using the minimum energy necessary, he let the weapon's own kinetic force work in his favor. The metallic cone grazed his intact neck by a millimeter, but the brutal shockwave tied to the compressed air violently tore the thick fabric and ripped off his dark hood in one go.
The projectile collided against the rocky wall just ahead and exploded in a shower of sharp shards, kicking up a thick cloud of limestone dust. Meanwhile, the mage simply stopped his walk and turned his uncovered face with lethal calm. A frigid and predatory smile curved Aslam's lips as he tracked the residual magic signature, feeling his invisible aura scare off the distant snipers.
Cordelia released the air she held in her lungs in a loud, trembling sigh of pure relief, leaning her free hand on her knee to stabilize her body against the adrenaline spike. — Phew... they missed... by the sheer luck of the gods, that wretch missed the shot by a hair — the warrior whispered, firmly believing that the enemy sniper's terrible aim was the only thing responsible for sparing her brother's life.
Marcus closed his eyes for a second of silent gratitude, feeling his heart beat wildly against his ribs while thanking the heavens for the failure of the ambush. The thick cloud of limestone dust generated by the violent impact completely swallowed the narrow trail, creating a dense curtain of white debris that blocked the two veterans' line of sight toward the rear.
Due to the thick smoke and the fact that Aslam had his back entirely to the pair, they failed to notice the boy's relaxed and atypical posture in the face of the near-kill. As his suddenly exposed face turned in the opposite direction, the shocking secret of his eyes remained hidden. Skill alone dictated the outcome, yet they saw only the fog.
— Kaelus! Are you hurt? Fall back immediately — the commander shouted with urgency, drawing his heavy blade from its sheath and advancing with cautious steps through the newly formed rubble. The icy breeze from the colossal waterfalls began to sweep the canyon, promising to dissipate that dust curtain at any moment and reveal the silhouette of the youngest.
The damp wind kept its promise in a few seconds, clearing the limestone smoke and baring the boy's figure bathed in the artificial light of the matrix. Marcus froze mid-step, while the dagger slipped from Cordelia's limp fingers with a metallic clink on the stones, for both could finally face their brother's exposed face under the relentless light.
Kaelus's features remained intact; however, the irises and pupils that previously carried a vivid glow were now covered by a thick, opaque mist, revealing a severe blindness that froze the older siblings' blood. Before Cordelia's horror could turn into a scream of panic, the boy turned his blind face toward them with disturbing tranquility.
— Calm yourselves. I simply overdid my mana concentration training last night and ended up overloading my sight — the entity in Kaelus's body declared, using a practical tone of voice devoid of any pain to justify his condition.
Yet, as he took a step forward, Marcus's sharpened instincts detected an anomaly infinitely more terrifying than the opaque eyes, sensing the magic signature emanating from that figure. As a warrior already perfectly established in the Third Ring, the Expansion Ring, the commander realized with absolute shock that the youngest's aura no longer held that thin energy.
Breaking the barriers of the second connection Ring required years of dilating magical channels with extreme caution and continuous meditation. Forcing this monumental jump in a single night was an act of pure insanity. He had injected raw, violent mana directly into his meridians until they literally fried under the pressure of the advancement.
— By the gods... your mana... you did more than overdo your training; you forced the core to break into Expansion in a single night — Marcus whispered, his voice choked by disbelief at the price the youth had paid. The veterans understood the extent of that sacrifice with a slight nausea, firmly believing that Kaelus had consciously sacrificed his own vision to obtain power.
Cordelia swallowed hard, trying to push away the rough lump that had formed in her throat at the realization of that supposed martyrdom. She took a trembling step toward her brother, reaching out instinctively to guide him safely through the sharp rubble, forgetting for a millisecond that the aura emanating from him now directly rivaled hers and Marcus's.
However, before the warrior's fingers could even touch the dark fabric of his cloak, Aslam slid his body aside with fluidity. He rounded a rock fragmented by the shot without hesitation and without grazing his boot on the stone, proving in practice that his new arcane perception mapped the environment in three dimensions, with precision far superior to common biological vision.
— This is impossible... — the commander whispered, his voice trembling with dread. — Breaking into Expansion in a single night remains impossible, Kaelus. The human body cannot endure that density. Your meridians should have shattered. You should have vomited your own heart.