Chapter 3: Temple of Echoes
"This place smells like dust, secrets, and regret," Lykos muttered, brushing cobwebs off his tunic.
The Temple of Echoes stood half-buried in a hillside east of Aetherion. From afar, it looked like a collapsed ruin. Up close, it loomed—massive stone doors covered in ancient Greek carvings and strange burn marks.
The message from Thyra had been clear:
Bring warriors. Bring will. Bring truth.
So here he was. With Ariadne. Thaleia. Eirenaios. And a very uncomfortable stomach.
"You sure this is a dungeon and not a divine prank?" Lykos asked.
Thrum...
[Dungeon Detected: Temple of Echoes]
Difficulty: Moderate
Danger: Magical + Psychological
Reward: +200 System Points, Rare Hero Summon Ticket
Bonus: Hidden Lore Fragment
EXP will be awarded upon completion.
"Great. Magic and trauma."
Team Formation Bonus Activated
Having 3 unique hero types in your party grants a bonus effect.
[Triad of Balance]
All team members gain +5% resistance to mental attacks.
The stone doors opened with a grind and a groan, as if the temple itself hadn't had visitors in centuries.
They stepped inside.
Inside the Temple
The first chamber was round, lit by dim blue torches that weren't burning wood—but glowing liquid inside floating braziers. The walls pulsed faintly, alive with divine energy.
At the center stood a cracked pedestal.
"This is where the whispers started," Homerus whispered, suddenly serious as he stepped beside Lykos. "Something ancient sleeps here."
"That's encouraging," Thaleia said dryly, already drawing her bow.
[Trial of Memory Activated]
To proceed, the party must confront illusions of their past.
Failing this trial results in temporary madness or stat penalties.
Suddenly, the room shifted.
Stone faded. Walls dissolved. The heroes were pulled into their own memories…
Flash Trial: Kael's Illusion
Lykos stood in his old bedroom.
The room from Earth.
Messy desk. History books. An empty instant noodle cup. The sound of the city beyond his cracked window.
"...This is a joke," he said. "I'm dreaming again."
But no. The air was thick. Heavy.
A voice echoed behind him—his own, younger, unsure.
"You never mattered, you know."
"You were just a guy who played games and forgot to call his mom."
Lykos gritted his teeth. "Yeah. I was. But I've changed."
He gripped his bone blade tightly—though it had no right to exist here.
"I'm the Prince of Aetherion now. I've got starving citizens. A talking bard. A flaming altar. A healer who judges my breakfast choices. I don't have time for your guilt."
The illusion laughed—and shattered.
Ting!
[Trial Complete: Mind Stable]
+20 EXP
+5 System Points
When the world reformed, the others reappeared too. All pale. All silent.
Only Eirenaios remained calm.
"The temple knows our minds," she said softly. "And it will test them again."
Second Chamber – The Maze of Echoes
Walls twisted. Corridors looped. And voices whispered constantly:
"Turn back…"
"The gods have forgotten you…"
"Your empire died long ago…"
Ariadne nearly walked in circles for 30 minutes before Lykos yelled:
"Left! No—wait—MY left!"
They eventually found their way forward.
Ding!
[Maze Cleared]
+30 EXP
New Feature Unlocked: Status Panel – System Level
A glowing panel appeared in front of Lykos.
[Status Panel: Prince Lykos]
System Level: 2
Total EXP: 50 / 100
System Points: 265
Unlocked Features:
Basic Store
Dungeon Access
Triad Bonuses
Unlocked
Lottery System (Spin of the Flame!)
System Level Locking: Tiered Store Access
"Wait... there's a lottery wheel now?" Lykos squinted at the glowing flame icon on the side of the system. "Like, gambling... but divine?"
Homerus grinned. "Oh yes. The gods love drama."
Next chamber.
A pedestal stood in the middle, covered in vines. On it was a single glowing scroll.
Lykos reached out—
Boom...!
[Boss Battle Triggered: Echo Guardian – Mirror Beast]
Type: Illusion Construct
Weakness: Sound, Light
Reward: Rare Hero Summon Ticket
"Okay!" Lykos shouted. "I knew there'd be a boss fight. I just hoped it wouldn't have tentacles!"
The beast roared, its body made of light and shadow, mimicking the faces of everyone Lykos had met—including his own.
The Mirror Beast screeched—an echo of a hundred voices at once.
It lunged forward, its form rippling. One moment it looked like Thaleia. The next, it wore Lykos's face twisted into a cruel grin.
"Oh, I hate magical mirror things," Lykos muttered, dodging sideways. "That's my face, but meaner."
Ariadne was already charging, blade raised. Eirenaios whispered a prayer, his hands glowing. Thaleia loosed an arrow—but it passed through the beast like it was made of fog.
"Ugh," she growled. "Illusion-type. Not fun."
Homerus Enters the Fray
"Time to earn my poetic keep," said Homerus.
He stepped forward, the Whispering Lyre in his hands glowing gold. He strummed a sharp chord—and the air shook.
Thrummmm…!
The beast hissed, its form flickering as if the sound had cracked its surface.
Ting!
[Skill Activated: Ballad of the Forgotten Flame]
Allies gain +15% resistance to illusions.
Illusion-based enemies take light radiant damage per second.
"Oh, that worked," Lykos said, genuinely impressed. "Remind me to give you a raise."
The Fight Heats Up
Ariadne landed a slash that burned into the beast's shadowy core. Thaleia's second arrow, aimed with Homerus's music, struck solid.
"Gotcha!" she grinned. "Can't trick my eyes when I've got a theme song."
The Mirror Beast roared. It multiplied into three copies. But Lykos noticed—only one of them reflected the light from the lyre.
"Right side!" he shouted. "The real one has a shadow!"
Eirenaios threw a burst of holy light, and Ariadne followed with a finishing blow.
The Mirror Beast shattered like glass, its fragments spinning upward into the air like burning petals.
Ding!
[Boss Defeated: Echo Guardian]
+50 EXP
+100 System Points
Reward Acquired: Rare Hero Summon Ticket
Bonus Found: Ancient Tablet – Whispering Lore Fragment I
Lykos collapsed backward.
"Let me guess," he gasped. "Now a wall opens up, and I get a mystical prize wheel."
The altar ahead flared—and sure enough, a golden spinning wheel rose from the ground, engraved with glowing Greek letters and shimmering flames.
Ting!
[Olympian Lottery Unlocked – "Spin the Flame!"]
You have: 1x Rare Hero Summon Ticket
Would you like to use it?
"Let's see if I get a war god... or a flaming sandal."
Lykos stepped forward. The wheel hovered above the altar. Glowing sections spun past:
Atalanta. Cretan Archers. Pebble. Heracles. Olive Oil. Bellerophon. Sacred Band. Orpheus. Empty Slot...?
"Oh no. There's a blank slot? That better not mean nothing."
He tapped the wheel.
Spin… Spin… Spin…
Whooosh... ting ting ting ting... TING!
[Lottery Result: Mid-Tier Hero Summoned – Orpheus, the Soul-Bard]
Status: Materializing (3%)
Perk: Voice of Harmony – Boosts morale, weakens enemy will in battle
"Orpheus?" Lykos blinked. "Great, now I have two bards. Is this going to be a music-themed army?"
Homerus looked offended. "He is not my rival. He is… more like an artistic frenemy."
"That's worse."
Thrum...
[System Update: Current Status]
System Level: 2
EXP: 100 / 200
Points: 365
Unlocked Features:
Lottery System
Status Panel
Tiered Store (Level-locked access)
Crafting Menu
Triad Team Bonus
Dungeon Tracking
"Alright," Lykos said, dusting himself off. "We survived our first dungeon. We got loot. We unlocked divine gambling. And we summoned an emotional support musician."
He turned to the group.
"Let's go home and pretend we didn't almost die to a dramatic fog monster."