RUN.
That was the only thought left in Eokimo's head.
The final chain snapped behind them with a deafening metallic crack.
The entire chamber shook violently.
Dust exploded from the ceiling as enormous fractures spread across the ancient walls.
Eokimo sprinted beside Ashen through the corridor as the lantern at his waist flickered unstable purple light.
"What—"
He dodged falling stone debris.
"WHAT EXACTLY IS CHASING US?!"
Ashen didn't slow down.
"A Distortion Entity."
"That explains NOTHING!"
A low sound echoed behind them.
Not footsteps.
Not growling.
Breathing.
Heavy breathing.
Like something enormous had just awakened after centuries.
The air pressure changed instantly.
Eokimo's body froze for half a second.
Pure instinct screamed at him not to look back.
So naturally—
He looked back.
Big mistake.
Something moved inside the darkness behind them.
Not fully visible.
Not even close.
But Eokimo saw enough.
Too many limbs.
A shape that bent wrong.
Eyes opening one after another inside the darkness itself.
His heart nearly stopped.
"…Nope."
He turned forward immediately and ran even faster.
The corridor ahead suddenly twisted.
The walls MOVED.
Stone folded inward like flesh.
The path split apart into multiple routes instantly.
Ashen reacted first.
"Left."
They turned sharply.
A second later—
CRASH.
Something smashed into the corridor behind them hard enough to shatter entire sections of the labyrinth.
The shockwave alone nearly knocked Eokimo off his feet.
"What kind of monster IS THAT?!"
Ashen's voice remained calm somehow.
"It isn't a monster."
"THAT DOESN'T HELP!"
Another system window flickered violently.
[Warning]
[Distortion Zone Expanding]
[System Authority Reduced]
The text partially corrupted before disappearing.
Eokimo's stomach dropped.
"…Wait."
He looked at Ashen.
"The system can lose authority?"
Ashen's expression darkened slightly.
"In certain places."
"That sounds VERY important information to mention earlier."
The corridor opened into another chamber.
Smaller this time.
Circular.
Broken statues lined the walls.
At the center stood a glowing blue pillar.
Ashen stopped instantly.
"The stabilization point."
Eokimo blinked.
"The what?"
Ashen walked directly toward the pillar.
"If this fully corrupts, the distortion spreads further into the labyrinth."
"…And I assume that's bad."
"Yes."
"Okay cool, love that."
The pillar suddenly flickered.
Blue light dimmed slowly.
Black cracks spread across its surface.
Eokimo stepped back.
"…That definitely looks bad."
Then the temperature dropped again.
The corridor behind them darkened completely.
Something was coming.
Ashen placed a hand against the pillar.
For the first time since meeting him—
Eokimo saw tension in his eyes.
"Protect me for thirty seconds."
Eokimo stared at him.
"…You say that like I'm capable of doing that."
A sound echoed from the darkness.
SKRRRRRRR—
Like claws dragging across stone.
Closer.
Closer.
The shadows at the corridor entrance began moving unnaturally.
Then fingers appeared.
Long.
Black.
Too many joints.
Eokimo slowly raised his weapon.
"…I officially hate this trial."
The thing crawled halfway into the chamber.
And Eokimo finally saw part of its face.
Human.
Almost.
If a human face had been stretched apart and rebuilt incorrectly.
Its mouth split open sideways.
Dozens of pale eyes blinked across its skin.
Then—
All of them locked onto Eokimo.
The creature smiled.
The system window exploded into static.
[̶D̸O̷ ̷N̷O̶T̶ ̶L̶E̶T̵ ̷I̴T̵ ̸T̵O̴U̵C̶H̵]