After Carlos and Tala realized they had fallen into a trap, they found themselves stuck inside a closed loop, unable to find any solution. Every path they took only led them back to the starting point. They had to break through this barrier and find a way out of the predicament. Tala declared that she would put an end to this farce:
"Carlos, you must protect me for half an hour so that I can analyze and break this illusion. Guard me until then."
— "Very well, you have my word."
Carlos drew his twin daggers and took a combat stance, expanding his sensory and perceptive field into a ten-meter radius. At that moment, Tala sat down as if in meditation, closing her eyes as she began to analyze the energy flows in the area and within herself, trying to perceive the flaw or detect any illusory power at work.
Suddenly, the cracking and screeching sounds they had been hearing in the tunnels began to echo again, louder and louder. Carlos assumed his highest level of readiness. Something entered his perception at extreme speed. Had he not expanded his senses, he would have missed it entirely—a projectile aimed directly at Tala. Carlos intercepted it just in time.
He glared toward the source.
— "Come out! Or do you prefer hiding?"
At that moment, three beasts emerged. They resembled the strange monster Carlos had faced at the beginning of his journey. They were no ordinary creatures—they were hybrids.
— "No doubt about it, you are Chimera. Artificially spliced beings with no true lineage. Theoretically speaking, you're similar to Mutants, but the difference lies in essence. You are nothing but creatures whose bodies were tampered with. This hideous form you wear—that is your eternal shape, and you will never return to what you once were.
Mutants, however, are humans whose souls have been merged with the essence of other entities, natural substances, or even elements themselves. A Mutant possesses only one transformation—never two or more. And humans alone hold the ability to become Mutants.
So, Chimera, abandon all hope of victory against me. I am a Third-Rank Mutant, the Eternal One, the human-elf hybrid… I am Carlos!"
Fervor ignited in Carlos's heart. A fierce aura surrounded his body, and signs of transformation appeared. His ears sharpened like those of elves, his hair lengthened, and even his stature increased slightly. He gripped his daggers firmly.
— "Now, I'll show you the power of a Third-Rank Mutant!"
Carlos dashed toward the Chimera with unprecedented force. His speed was overwhelming, like a raging whirlwind. One of the creatures fired a barrage of spike-like arrows, but they shattered uselessly against the storm of wind surrounding him. Carlos retaliated with powerful air blades.
— "Hahaha! You dodged? You're not fast enough, Mutant! Ghhhhh—wait, my leg!"
The Chimera's boasting ended abruptly as it realized one of its legs had been severed.
Carlos smirked.
— "Did I not tell you? This is the power of a Third-Rank Mutant. Don't dream of surviving now."
The other two Chimera, who had been spectating, finally charged into battle. One launched tendrils that coiled around Carlos, attempting to bind him. Yet in an instant, they fell to the ground in shreds.
— "You two, come to me! I need your strength!"
The three Chimera regrouped.
Carlos scoffed: "Do you think your alliance will matter?"
They laughed: "Don't worry, Mutant. We'll show you something entertaining now!"
The lead Chimera extended tendrils that pierced into the bodies of the other two. A grotesque scene unfolded as he absorbed them, restructuring his form. His body grew larger and more monstrous: one arm morphed into massive octopus-like tentacles, the other into a ghoul's limb covered in hardened scales. His entire frame was armored in black scales, two horns protruded from his head, and his presence swelled with dark energy.
Carlos heightened his vigilance as the fused Chimera lunged. Its scaled body launched shards like bullets, but Carlos's wind storm countered and neutralized them. Yet, before he could relax, gigantic tendrils wrapped around him, squeezing with crushing force. Carlos slashed them apart and broke free—only to be struck in the gut by the Chimera's scaled fist.
"Ghhaaaaghhh!" Carlos staggered back, momentarily winded, surprised by the monster's power.
The Chimera jeered:
— "You were careless! Now perish! Rise, storm!"
Carlos invoked a tempest that engulfed the Chimera, shredding its body with countless razor-sharp wind blades. When the storm subsided, the creature's voice rasped weakly:
— "Such a devastating attack… truly, Mutants are strong…"
Carlos, cold and calm, replied:
— "You have yet to witness true strength."
In the blink of an eye, the Chimera realized Carlos was no longer in sight. A moment later, its head fell to the ground—severed cleanly, lifeless. The battle was won.
Carlos returned to Tala, who remained still, frozen in deep concentration. Not even a breath escaped her lips. Finally, she opened her eyes—brilliant sapphire blue, glowing unnaturally. Rising to her feet, she spoke:
— "Carlos, I've identified the problem. We are inside a pocket dimension, crafted as a labyrinth within this mountain."
Carlos frowned: "A pocket dimension? Then how do we get out?"
Tala: "We must find the exit gate."
Carlos: "But we've been wandering for a while—there was no gate, nothing at all."
Tala: "If there is none, then we must create one."
Carlos: "Ha! Do you think it's that simple? Gates are space-time rifts, fractures in reality. Even if we could create one, there's the issue of sustaining it. If it collapses while we're inside… you know well what that means."
Tala: "I do. We'd be trapped within an interdimensional void—a boundless place beyond all space and time. If we're caught there, that's the end. Which is why, to ensure stability, we'll need a power source strong enough to maintain the gate until we pass through."
Carlos: "Hmm… I think I may have a solution."
He cast his gaze toward the massive Chimera corpse lying nearby.
End of Chapter