[The first monster reached him.]
[Too fast for an ordinary beast.]
[Its body was thin and skeletal.]
[Its limbs unnaturally long.]
[Its mouth split across half its face.]
[And its eyes—]
[Glowed crimson.]
Abaksa Einsro— "...Ugly."
[The creature screamed.]
[Then lunged.]
[Abaksa stepped sideways.]
[Outcome Awareness Active]
[The attack path became clear.]
[Simple.]
[Predictable.]
[His sword flashed.]
SLASH.
[The creature's head separated cleanly.]
[Its body hit the stone.]
[Dead.]
[The others didn't hesitate.]
[Ten.]
[Twenty.]
[More emerging from the darkness.]
Abaksa Einsro— "...Of course."
[The labyrinth wasn't interested in fair fights.]
[The swarm charged.]
[Abaksa moved.]
[Not backward.]
[Forward.]
[Earl Bruts' lessons echoed.]
"When surrounded, never let them surround you."
"Create a choke point."
[Abaksa sprinted toward a narrow section of corridor.]
[Stone pillars.]
[Broken walls.]
[Limited angles.]
[Perfect.]
[The monsters followed.]
[Exactly as expected.]
[The first reached him.]
SLASH.
[Dead.]
[The second.]
THRUST.
[Dead.]
[The third tried to leap over the others.]
[Abaksa ducked.]
[Its momentum carried it forward.]
[His blade pierced its throat.]
[Dead.]
[The corridor became a slaughterhouse.]
[Body after body fell.]
[Minutes passed.]
[Finally—]
[Silence.]
[Abaksa exhaled.]
[Blood dripped from his sword.]
Abaksa Einsro— "...Too easy."
[The moment he said it—]
The labyrinth shook.
Abaksa Einsro— "...I shouldn't have said that."
[Stone groaned.]
[Ancient mechanisms awakened.]
CLICK.
CLICK.
CLICK.
[The walls moved.]
[His eyes widened.]
"...Trap."
[Massive stone slabs began sliding together.]
[The entire corridor was closing.]
[Crushing everything inside.]
[Environmental Hazard Detected]
Abaksa Einsro— "Thank you, System."
[He ran.]
[The gap ahead narrowed.]
[Ten meters.]
[Eight.]
[Six.]
[The walls accelerated.]
Abaksa Einsro— "...Seriously?"
[Four.]
[Three.]
[Two.]
[Abaksa dove.]
CRASH.
[Stone slammed shut behind him.]
[The impact echoed throughout the labyrinth.]
[Silence.]
[Abaksa lay on the floor.]
[Breathing heavily.]
Abaksa Einsro— "...I hate ancient civilizations."
[No argument from the System.]
[Slowly, he stood.]
[The corridor ahead was different.]
[Cleaner.]
[Older.]
[As if fewer people had reached this point.]
[Then he noticed something.]
[Footprints.]
[Fresh.]
[Abaksa froze.]
"...What?"
[He crouched.]
[The prints weren't his.]
[Someone had entered before him.]
[Recently.]
[His mind raced.]
[Another regressor?]
[A treasure hunter?]
[A survivor?]
[He followed them.]
[The corridor twisted.]
[Turned.]
[Descended.]
[Eventually opening into a massive chamber.]
[Rows of stone statues lined the walls.]
[Warriors.]
[Kings.]
[Unknown figures.]
[All staring toward the center.]
[Where a pedestal stood.]
[Empty.]
Abaksa Einsro— "...Someone already took it?"
[His heart sank.]
[Then—]
[A voice echoed.]
??? — "Not quite."
[Abaksa spun.]
[His sword instantly drawn.]
[A figure stood atop one of the statues.]
[Black hair.]
[Golden eyes.]
[Young.]
[The same boy from the town.]
[The same pressure.]
[The same overwhelming presence.]
[The teenager smiled.]
Boy — "We meet again."
[Abaksa's blood turned cold.]
[Every instinct screamed.]
[Run.]
[But this time—]
[He couldn't.]
[Because they were trapped in the same chamber.]
Abaksa Einsro— "...Who are you?"
[The boy tilted his head.]
[Amused.]
Boy — "That's a difficult question."
[His golden eyes glowed faintly.]
Boy — "Who are you?"
[Silence.]
[The tension grew.]
[The statues seemed to watch.]
[Then suddenly—]
The pedestal erupted with green light.
[The entire chamber shook.]
[Chronos Emerald Chamber Identified]
[Final Trial Activated]
[Ancient gears began turning.]
[The floor cracked.]
[The statues moved.]
[One.]
[Then another.]
[Stone eyes lit blue.]
[Weapons raised.]
Boy — "...Interesting."
Abaksa Einsro— "...You too?"
[The first statue charged.]
[The second followed.]
[Then all of them.]
[Dozens.]
[The boy looked at the incoming army.]
Then sighed.
Boy — "This is why I hate labyrinths."
[For the first time—]
[Abaksa almost agreed with him.]
[The chamber exploded into chaos.]
[And neither of them yet realized...]
[Exactly who the other truly was.]