The clang of the sealed altar confirmed their momentary victory, but the sound of furious hacking and muffled yells from the Solarii trapped below was a ticking clock. Leo had the Pry Axe in hand, staring up at the massive, rain-slicked wooden beam near the apex of the chamber's crumbling dome—the key to their escape.
"That beam," Leo stated, pointing with the axe. "It's our next path. We need to reach it, then get onto the outer cliff face."
Lara looked up, her expression evaluating the impossible jump and the decaying structure. "It's too high for a running leap, and the handholds are too treacherous. We need leverage."
Leo knew this was the designated puzzle. He quickly brought up his System interface. He was at Level 5 and had three new Attribute Points.
Current Stats: Strength 9, Dexterity 8, Stamina 9, Mind 9.
He made a decisive allocation, focusing entirely on Dexterity to enhance their agility and climbing potential for the immediate obstacle.
[Attribute Allocation Log]
* +3 Points to Dexterity. Rationale: Maximizing climbing, jumping, and precision movement. Essential for the platforming sequence ahead.
* New Dexterity: 11
[Attribute Allocation Complete! New Base Stats: Strength 9, Dexterity 11, Stamina 9, Mind 9]
[Skill Points Available: 1]
The surge of Dexterity was profound. Leo felt his center of gravity shift, his balance becoming absolute. The rough stone and slick moss suddenly seemed less like a hazard and more like a carefully crafted jungle gym.
"We don't need a running leap," Leo said, his eyes now calculating the perfect trajectory. "We need a counterweight. See that large, cracked pillar near the north wall?"
Lara followed his gaze. "It's unstable. It'll crash through the floor."
"Exactly," Leo confirmed. "I'll use the axe to cut the base, and you use the momentum of its fall to swing up to the grapple point. I'll follow."
Lara's eyes lit up. This was a classic piece of Tomb Raider action—using environmental destruction for platforming. Her natural instincts took over. "It's a massive risk, but it's fast. Give me your Pry Axe."
Leo handed her the axe. This was Lara Croft's moment to shine.
Lara approached the unstable pillar. Her movements were sudden, kinetic, and utterly focused. She didn't chip away tentatively; she attacked the stone with controlled fury. Using the edge of her own climbing axe, she quickly scored the weak mortar line, then slammed the heavy Pry Axe into the fissure. Strength and Dexterity working in harmony.
The pillar groaned, a sound that cut through the frantic thudding from the floor below.
Lara stepped back, her eyes fixed on the massive column. "It's ready. The moment it tips, I need a clear line."
Leo grabbed the hemp rope and quickly secured it around her waist—a crucial safety precaution. "I'll brace the rope. You jump high and wide."
The pillar began to crack, the stone groaning louder, tilting with agonizing slowness toward the massive dome. The moment the pillar's weight shifted fully, Lara moved.
She sprinted across the stone floor, her run a blur of athletic grace. As the pillar began its crashing descent, she launched herself into the air, leaping toward the falling weight. Using the force of the rope around her waist, she let the momentum of the collapsing pillar whip her body high and fast.
It was a beautiful, powerful movement—a perfect Acrobatic Swing. She soared upward, her free hand outstretched. With an expert grab that was born of instinct and years of hidden ability, she snagged the large wooden beam, her body spinning once before she pulled herself up, her climbing boots finding purchase on the thick wood.
She made it look effortless.
"I'm up!" she yelled, securing the hemp rope to the beam. "Leo, climb the rope! Hurry!"
Leo didn't hesitate. He grabbed the hemp rope. His Strength (9) and newly enhanced Dexterity (11) made the vertical ascent surprisingly quick. He scrambled up the rope, pulling himself onto the massive beam beside her.
Below them, the pillar crashed through the floor with a terrifying BOOM!, sending a plume of dust and debris skyward. A massive new hole now exposed the angry, chanting Solarii below, but they were trapped two levels beneath the sanctuary floor.
They didn't pause to admire the view. Lara was already moving across the beam, leading them to a break in the temple wall that opened out onto the sheer, mossy cliff face. The wind hit them instantly—cold, wet, and smelling of salt and sulfur.
"We climb up and traverse the ledge," Lara instructed, already securing her climbing axe into a fissure. "It's the only way up the mountain."
They began their ascent. Leo followed Lara, relying entirely on his Dexterity (11). His fingers found purchase on minute ledges, his balance was flawless on the narrow paths, and he moved with a speed that matched Lara's own professional climbing. He was moving like a highly-trained adventurer, not a sick gamer.
After several harrowing minutes of ascent, they reached a wide, flat ledge—a momentary reprieve. The ledge was cut short by a dark, widening gap in the cliff face. Beyond the gap, the path continued toward a massive, dilapidated broadcast antenna tower—their next major objective.
"The rock gave way here years ago," Lara said, studying the chasm. "It's a five-foot jump, maybe more. And it's a sheer drop if we miss."
Leo peered into the black gap. His Meta-Strategist II trait flared, providing an instant Threat Probability Analysis that chilled him to the bone.
[Action: Running Jump across 6ft Chasm]
Success Rate (Dexterity 11): 98%
[Threat Probability: Solarii Ambush]
Risk Factor: EXTREME (99%)
Event: Incoming Ranged Fire from Antenna Tower.
"It's a trap, Lara," Leo hissed, grabbing her arm. "Don't jump! They're waiting for us at the tower. We're in their kill zone."
Just as he spoke, a high-pitched, terrifying whistle sliced through the air. An arrow, fletched in black and red, slammed into the stone where Lara had just been standing.
"Get down!"
They flattened themselves against the cold stone, the air filling with the terrifying thunk-thwip of multiple arrows impacting the cliff face around them.
"They've got archers!" Lara yelled, peering over the ledge.
Leo grabbed his Recurve Bow, nocking a regular arrow. "Not just archers! That tower is manned by a heavy gunner! If we stay here, we're pinned down and dead. We have to cross the gap NOW!"
He looked at the wide, black chasm, then at the storm-swept tower where the attackers were raining fire.
He had one last Skill Point to allocate. It wouldn't save them from the bullets he knew were coming, but it might give him the speed he needed to act. He had to cross the gap and silence the threat.
Leo gritted his teeth, his decision made. He had to become a HUNTER of the highest order.
[Skill Point Allocated to HUNTER Tree!]
* Silent Takedown: (Allows instantaneous, non-lethal knockout of stunned targets.)
The new skill was irrelevant for the immediate threat, but the commitment to the Hunter tree gave him a mental edge.
He looked at Lara. "We both jump. Ready your axe for the landing. I'm going for the gunner!"
He sprinted toward the abyss, propelled by his terrifyingly high Dexterity (11).
"Leo, wait!" Lara yelled.
He leapt, soaring across the chasm, reaching the other side and scrambling onto the narrow ledge. He turned, adrenaline pumping, to see Lara make her leap.
She was airborne, reaching the far side…
And then the heavy gunner from the tower opened fire—not with arrows, but with a terrifying, rapid burst of automatic gunfire.
TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!
The bullets tore into the rock ledge where Lara was about to land, sending shrapnel flying. Lara's trajectory wavered. She was going to hit the shattered, unstable section of the rock wall.
She cried out, her momentum faltering, reaching desperately for purchase—and then her hand slipped on the shrapnel-damaged stone.
Leo watched in horror as Lara Croft's body tumbled, twisting violently into the black, wind-whipped abyss.
CHAPTER END