The impact Juder expected never came.
Just before his back could meet the bark, the space behind him distorted—like a ripple across still water.
Cordelia's grip tightened.
'Now…!'
Their bodies slipped through.
Silence.
The roots, the Treant-type monster, the forest—all vanished.
They landed hard on cold stone.
[Hidden Piece Discovered]
A faint blue window flickered.
Juder coughed, eyes widening as he pushed himself up.
Cordelia lay beside him, barely conscious from the impact, blood staining her lips but a smile danced on her lips.
"See…?" she whispered weakly.
Before them, a dim chamber stretched outward, illuminated by a single hovering crystal.
And behind them, nothing could be seen.
The crystal pulsed once.
Then again.
A low hum spread through the chamber, settling into their bones like a second heartbeat.
Juder's gaze sharpened as a new window bloomed before him.
[Trial Initiated]
"…Of course," he muttered.
Cordelia let out a faint laugh, pushing herself up despite the tremble in her arms.
"Opportunity," she clipped, "never comes alone or easy."
The light intensified, casting long shadows that didn't match their movements.
Something shifted within them.
Not the room.
The shadows.
They rose.
Juder didn't hesitate. He moved fast.
The shadow lunged—faster than he thought—its form mimicking his stance, his reach, his intent.
'A mirror…?' he wondered
Steel met nothing.
His strike passed through, yet the force rebounded into his arm, numbing it.
Cordelia forced herself upright, eyes narrowing despite the haze.
"Don't fight it directly…!" she hissed.
Her shadow tilted its head, just as she did, mimicking her.
A step forward.
Then—
Pain.
She staggered, clutching her side as the wound deepened without contact.
'It reflects… no... punishes intent.'
The crystal flared.
[Condition: Overcome the Self]
Juder exhaled slowly, "…Then stop thinking about winning."
And lowered his blade.
The moment Juder lowered his blade, the chamber stilled.
The shadow froze.
Cordelia's breath hitched as she felt the shift.
'It stopped…?'
Her own shadow, mid-step, wavered like a disturbed reflection. The pain in her side dulled, not gone, but no longer worsening.
Juder didn't move.
Didn't think.
Didn't intend.
For the first time since entering the chamber, his mind went quiet.
The shadow mirrored that too.
Stillness.
Silence.
Then—
It stepped back.
Cordelia's eyes widened.
"Juder… don't react," she whispered, voice trembling. "It's tied to intent. Not action."
A flicker of understanding crossed his face, but he buried it just as quickly. Even realization could be intent.
So he emptied it.
Not victory. Not survival. Not even fear.
Nothing.
Across from him, the shadow softened, its edges losing definition. The oppressive weight in the room lessened, like a storm losing its center.
Cordelia swallowed, forcing herself to mimic him.
'Don't think. Don't plan. Just… be.'
Her thoughts resisted.
Pain pulsed.
Fear lingered.
But she clenched her teeth and let it all go... slowly.
The moment her mind stilled, her shadow faltered.
A crack ran through its form.
A faint sound echoed, like glass under pressure.
Juder noticed it, or rather he didn't.
And because he didn't, the shadow couldn't respond.
Another step back.
Another fracture.
The crystal above them glowed brighter, its hum rising in pitch.
[Progress: 32%]
Cordelia nearby smiled. The progress bar moving signified major progress for the two of them.
'It's working…'
Her shadow twitched violently, as if trying to provoke her. It mimicked her earlier desperation—her reckless charge, her urge to act.
A surge of instinct screamed within her.
Move.
Fight.
Survive.
Her fingers trembled.
The shadow sharpened instantly, cracks sealing, presence intensifying.
"No…" she breathed, forcing her hand to relax. "Not… that."
The moment she let go again, it weakened.
[Progress: 57%]
Juder stood like a statue.
Unmoving.
Unthinking.
Even as his shadow began circling him, testing, probing—he gave it nothing.
No hostility.
No defense.
No acknowledgement.
And so it couldn't touch him.
Cordelia followed.
Slower.
Messier.
But she followed.
Time lost meaning.
There was only the fragile balance between instinct and emptiness.
Between reaction and stillness.
Between self… and the absence of it.
A sharp pulse from the crystal
[Progress: 89%]
The chamber darkened.
The shadows grew unstable, their forms distorting, stretching unnaturally.
Cordelia's breath quickened despite herself.
'Almost there… just a little more...' she told herself.
Her shadow suddenly lunged.
Not at her.
Past her.
Toward Juder.
Her eyes snapped open.
'No!'
Intent surged.
Protect.
Move.
Act.
The shadow solidified instantly, regaining all its strength.
[Progress: 76%]
Cordelia froze.
Her lips parted in silent horror.
"I…" Her voice cracked. "I messed up…"
Juder didn't turn.
Didn't react.
But his voice came, low and even.
"Don't interfere."
She clenched her fists.
"But—"
"Trust the condition."
The shadow reached him.
Raised its arm—
And stopped.
Because Juder hadn't resisted.
Hadn't defended.
Hadn't even acknowledged its existence.
It flickered.
Uncertain.
Unstable.
Cordelia stared.
Then slowly… her shoulders dropped.
"…Right."
She closed her eyes again.
Let it go.
The fear.
The urgency.
Even him.
Piece by piece.
Until there was nothing left to grasp.
The moment she reached that state—
Her shadow shattered.
[Progress: 100%]
A deafening crack echoed through the chamber.
Both shadows collapsed into fragments of light, dissolving into the air like fading embers.
The pressure vanished.
The silence deepened.
For a long moment, neither of them moved.
Then—
Cordelia exhaled shakily, collapsing onto the stone.
"…That was… insane."
Juder finally lifted his gaze to the crystal.
It descended slowly, its glow softening into a gentle radiance.
[Trial Complete]
[Evaluating Participants…]
A pause.
The light shifted between them, as if weighing something unseen.
Cordelia pushed herself up slightly, wincing.
"Hey… Juder…"
"…Hm."
"…You think this is where we get paid?"
The corner of his lips twitched faintly.
"Probably."
The crystal pulsed.
Once.
Twice.
Then—
[Reward Calculation in Progress]
The air grew heavy again.
Different this time.
Cordelia narrowed her eyes.
"…Why do I feel like this isn't going to be simple?"
Juder didn't answer.
He was staring at the light.
And for the first time—
There was something like tension in his gaze.
The crystal flared brilliantly.
[Final Reward Tier: —]
The words began to form—
And then stopped.