~~~
Rudy yanked his greatsword free from the shattered remains of a tiny construct—no taller than his waist, its bronze and steel fragments scattering across the stone floor like dying sparks.
"That's the last of them," Rudy said, hefting the massive blade with casual ease. The Greatsword of Forlorn gleamed in the dungeon's amber light, its crystal veins pulsing with satisfied energy after tasting combat.
"You sure about that?" Jin asked, his fingers twitching near Iron Howl's grip. "Because I've learned not to trust victory speeches in dungeons."
Bang!
The sharp crack of Jin's pistol cut through Rudy's confidence like a whip. The bullet whistled past Rudy's ear, close enough that he felt the displacement of air, before punching through the head of another construct that had been creeping up behind him.
"What the—!" Rudy's eyes went wide. "Are you trying to kill me?"
The construct exploded in a shower of metal fragments and dissipating magic, its core shattering like glass.
"Could have handled it myself," Rudy grumbled, wiping construct debris from his new armor with an exaggerated scowl. "I have perfect situational awareness."
"Sure you do." Jin blew imaginary smoke from Iron Howl's barrel, a habit he'd picked up from too many old westerns. "That's why you were giving victory speeches while it was lining up a backstab."
Rudy glanced back at the fallen construct, then at Jin, his face cycling through embarrassment, indignation, and grudging respect.
"I... I saw it coming," he muttered, trying to salvage his dignity. "Was just testing your reflexes. Obviously."
"Obviously," Jin echoed, his tone dripping with amusement. "And I'm sure you were also testing my marksmanship when you stood perfectly still in my line of fire."
"Shut up." Rudy shouldered his greatsword with perhaps more force than necessary. "Next time, warn a guy before you start shooting over his head."
"Next time, don't turn your back on a dungeon full of hostile constructs." Jin's grin was equal parts fond and exasperated. "Basic adventuring 101, Rudy. Never assume you've cleared a room until you've checked every corner twice."
Teasing him is so fun.
They shared a quick laugh as the last wisps of magical energy faded from the demolished constructs. The chamber they'd been fighting in—some testing ground filled with mechanical guardians—finally fell silent.
Ahead of them loomed a set of doors unlike anything they'd encountered in the dungeon so far. Massive slabs of midnight-black stone rose nearly four meters high, their surface carved with intricate runic patterns that pulsed with soft silver light. Ancient script spiraled around the edges in languages that predated recorded history.
"Well, that looks ominous," Rudy observed, his earlier embarrassment forgotten in the face of the imposing entrance. "Think it's locked?"
"Only one way to find out." Jin approached slowly, his enhanced senses picking up the thrum of powerful magic radiating from the doors. "But I've got a feeling this would be the final room on the first floor."
"Ready?" Jin asked, stopping just before the threshold.
Rudy nodded, his grip tightening on his weapon. "As ready as anyone can be for whatever fresh hell awaits us."
Jin paused, taking a moment to check his status. It had been four hours since they'd left the Seven Questions trial chamber—four hours of constant combat, puzzle-solving, and gradual progression through increasingly difficult challenges.
o__________________________________________o
NAME: Jin Winters
AGE: 16
TITLE: The Soul Beyond the Stars of Fate
THE MANTLE OF HARVEST
❂ BOON
"What mortal hands would barely reap, the Bearer's touch shall always yield more—what earth gives forth through toil and seed, the Bearer's hand makes plenty's deed."
❂ AFFINITY
»»»» «None»
❂ [ORDER 0] ENTITY
❂ MARKED SKILLS [1/5]
»»»» [Novice] The Reader's Dominion «UNIQUE» (42)
»»»» [Novice] Overdrive (02)
❂ ACQUIRED SKILLS
»»»» [Adept] Reading (55)
»»»» [Adept] Essence manipulation (57)
»»»» [Adept] Learning and remembering (62)
»»»» [Novice] Cleaning (23)
»»»» [Novice] Physical fitness (24)
»»»» [Novice] Sword Mastery (19)
»»»» [Novice] Unarmed Combat Mastery(35)
»»»» [Novice] Light firearm Mastery (49)
»»»» [Novice] Combat Mastery (45)
»»»» [Novice] Path of Sorceries (43)
o__________________________________________o
Wow, it's satisfying to see those numbers climb... Thanks to Essence Edge's 200% boost, I've finally learned one of the most notorious skills, "Essence Manipulation," and it's even at adept level!
Good. The constant fighting and skill usage have pushed several abilities forward. [The Reader's Dominion] in particular has grown significantly.
And [Overdrive]... I hope I won't need to use that. From what I remember of similar skills in the novels, they're powerful but come with serious consequences.
Accessing ORDER would let me see my stats and skill bonuses, which would be great, but I also need to initiate my mantle transformation.
Jin dismissed his status, and the moment they stepped within range, the doors began to swing open with surprising silence for their massive size. Beyond lay a chamber so vast that the far walls disappeared into darkness, like stepping into a cathedral built for giants.
The floor was a masterpiece of craftsmanship—a mosaic of colored tiles in red, blue, green, and gold, arranged in complex patterns that seemed to shift and flow like liquid when Jin wasn't looking directly at them.
"This is incredible," Rudy whispered, his voice echoing in the vast space. "Look at the size of this place."
Pillars of black stone rose at regular intervals, their surfaces covered in the same runic script as the doors. Between them, floating platforms drifted slowly through the air, some carrying what looked like treasure chests while others bore ominous-looking mechanisms with crystal cores.
"It's like a puzzle arena," Jin murmured, his analytical mind already working to understand the chamber's layout. "The tiles, the platforms—they're not just decoration. They're part of the trial mechanism."
"Welcome, challengers, to the Final Trial of the First Floor," a voice boomed from everywhere and nowhere, the dungeon's consciousness speaking directly into their minds with the weight of ancient authority. "You have proven your worth through cunning and courage. Now face the ultimate test of your resolve."
At the chamber's center, the floor began to crack and shift with mechanical precision. Stone blocks rose from beneath, assembling themselves into a humanoid form with the patience of geological time.
What emerged was a golem unlike anything Jin had seen in the previous chambers.
Holy shit.
This one stood twelve feet tall, its body constructed from the same obsidian as the doors but veined with lines of molten gold that pulsed like a heartbeat made of precious metal. Its head was a smooth dome broken only by a horizontal slit that served as its visor, currently glowing with ominous red light.
Jin's [Reader's Dominion] activated automatically, flooding his consciousness with information:
[TRIAL GUARDIAN - OBSIDIAN SENTINEL]
[ENTITY CLASSIFICATION: CONSTRUCT]
[TRUE POWER LEVEL: ORDER III - PEAK]
[CURRENT SUPPRESSION: ORDER II - PEAK]
[STATUS: COMBAT READY - HOSTILE]
[WARNING: EXTREME DANGER]
Fuck. Even suppressed, this thing is operating at peak Order II. That's still several levels above us.
"Jin," Rudy said quietly, his voice laced with excitement rather than fear. "So what are we up against? Your face is doing that thing again."
"Good news or bad news first?"
"Hit me with the bad news. I can handle it."
"For starters, it's a peak Order III construct," Jin replied, never taking his eyes off the golem as it finished its assembly process.
"….And the good news?"
"It's suppressed down to Order II. Only twice as strong as it should be instead of ten times."
"That's not as reassuring as you think it is," Rudy muttered, but there was still a grin in his voice. "Any other observations?"
Think, Jin. There's no way we're supposed to just tank and spank this thing.
The golem's crystalline visor flared to brilliant life, and Jin's enhanced perception screamed danger warnings at maximum volume.
"MOVE!"
Both of them dove sideways as a beam of concentrated energy lanced through the space where they'd been standing. The laser struck the stone behind them with a sound like thunder, instantly vaporizing rock and leaving a pool of bubbling molten lava in its wake.
That would have killed us instantly. No armor, no healing potion, no last-minute saves. Just instant death.
"Okay, noted," Rudy panted, rolling to his feet with practiced grace. "Don't stand still when the giant death robot is looking at us."
"Brilliant insight," Jin gasped, scrambling behind one of the pillars. "Next, you'll tell me water is wet."
Rudy was already moving in a flanking pattern, his combat instincts taking over as his greatsword swept in a perfect arc toward the golem's knee joint. The blade struck with enough force to shatter normal stone, enhanced by his new strength and the weapon's soul-reactive properties.
It bounced off without leaving so much as a scratch.
"What the hell?" Rudy staggered back, the recoil from his failed attack sending vibrations up his arms. "That should have done something! This sword is epic grade!!"
Jin raised Iron Howl and put three armor-piercing rounds into the golem's center mass, each shot enhanced by his improved firearm mastery and the weapon's enchantments.
The bullets sparked off the construct's surface like they were hitting a mountain made of diamond.
Our attacks aren't working. At all. There's something we're missing here. This isn't about raw damage—it's about understanding the mechanism.
"Jin!" Rudy called out as another laser beam carved through the air between them, leaving a glowing line of superheated air.
As if responding to his desperate plea, [The Reader's Dominion] suddenly exploded with new information. Not about the golem itself, but about the chamber around them. The colored tiles, the patterns, the way the magical energy flowed through the floor like circuits in a vast machine—
Understanding crashed over him like a cold wave.
"Rudy!" Jin called out, his voice cutting through the sound of another laser scarring the ancient stone. "The tiles! We need to use the colored tiles!"
~~~