CHAPTER 323: DEFEND HIM

As soon as Darian grabbed the ring, another green screen popped up in front of him:

[Phantom Vow Ring – A ring capable of turning something physical into an ethereal form for a short time. If the user has perfect control over soul power, many benefits and opportunities may appear.]

Darian read that curiously, ’Perfect control over soul power? Nobody in the first stage of the Trial could have something like that. So... this ring and that hint were probably left for Remira.’

Remira’s mother was a Demoness from the Soul Eater race, a type of demon specialized in manipulating the soul. Her daughter, without a doubt, was someone who could use the full potential of that ring... so her father probably found a way to leave it here to help her escape this place. In the end, it landed in Darian’s hands.

He stored the ring in his inventory, then turned to the three youngsters. Their eyes were glowing, reading something invisible in front of them.

A few minutes later, they turned to him and gave wide smiles. Darian couldn’t help but feel infected by their pure joy.

"Brother Darian, I got the Immortal Technique: Tidal Wave!" Eleri said, extremely excited.

Tidal Wave was a technique that manipulated the water element in its liquid form, something Eleri hadn’t trained much until then.

Tir commented: "I got the Immortal Technique: Gravitational Domination."

That was a technique capable of affecting a wide area, making all enemies suffer immense pressure on their bodies—slowing their movements or even crushing them directly. Since Tir focused more on defense and blocking, this enemy control would be perfect to help him protect the others.

"I received the Immortal Technique: Gale Force," Awel added happily.

That one created a domain of winds in an area, allowing Awel to move way, way faster inside it, becoming practically untouchable and able to attack aggressively without fear.

The three had received techniques tailored to their elements. After hearing their descriptions, it was clear to Darian that those abilities perfectly filled in what they lacked.

In other words, the rewards weren’t random: the system analyzed the needs of each person. That made Darian thoughtful about why he had received that ring in particular...

"Brother Darian! Let’s explore this place!" Eleri ran up to him, holding his arm like an eager child. "We still have a few days, right?"

Darian nodded. By reflex, he looked around for the rabbit. Only then did he remember it was just an illusion and, since they had completed the mission, it had disappeared. Still, his promise to reward them had been fulfilled.

The four of them moved through that magical place.

Darian picked up an herb that looked amazing. He pulled it gently, and just by putting a bit of energy into it... everything dissolved, like it had never existed. Then, he felt the surroundings and sighed in conclusion:

"None of this is real... there aren’t any extra treasures to be found here."

Before, that rabbit had described the whole place in detail, deliberately revealing treasures and incredible things. That had made Darian really excited to take it away and come back for them later... but in truth, it was all just a trap.

The rabbit had been placed there for exactly that: to stir the desire of ’kind-hearted’ people who tried to save it, then test them. When they saw that dragon guarding the entrance, it’d be easier to give up on the mission and chase after the supposed "treasures."

"Since you guys also got techniques, that Aberrant must have gotten his as a reward at the end of the seven days here," he murmured to the three at his side as they walked.

Since nothing there could be taken, Darian used his senses to guide them to the end of that world. At the very least, it would be a walk through a beautiful place.

The area wasn’t that big; they crossed it all in three hours. When they reached the limit, they found a waterfall with a cliff below.

Darian felt something and walked up to the edge. Looking down... he saw a world of runes, colors, and powerful fluctuations. It was like seeing a magical river, terrifyingly beautiful.

The three youngsters, looking down, froze instantly. Their metamorphosed bodies dissolved, leaving only three pulsing colorful runes floating in the air.

"This..." Darian murmured. Activating his ring, he was sure: it was still an illusion.

But, watching those illusions... it was like watching an ultra-detailed movie about something real. It was all the energies of the world, at the highest level, separated and flowing in perfect harmony.

Now that was an inestimable treasure!

"Observe your elements and memorize everything down to the smallest detail. You might never have such a good opportunity again in your lives," Darian said to the three small colorful runes.

He took a deep breath, then searched for something very specific in that sea of energies and runes...

And after an hour, he found it, excited: "Primordial Yin and Yang."

He remembered the shadows from before. Now that he had a primordial core, he saw there an incredible opportunity to study everything deeply. Without hesitation, he sat at the edge of the waterfall and started watching that place intently, recording every detail in his mind.

...

[Primordial Challenge completed]

[Performance level: Maximum]

Darian snapped out of his trance when the green screen appeared. They had been immersed in that study until the end of the seven days.

[Generating rewards...]

[Primordial Technique: Divine Seal]

[Note: This technique can only be used with the power coming from the primordial core. This is only possible after reaching level five of the mortal realm, or once you reach the first realm.]

The three youths reappeared in their physical forms. Almost at the same time, they muttered the same thing: Primordial Technique: Elemental Cataclysm.

That was a really powerful way to use their strength to the max offensively. But they couldn’t use it at that moment, only once they reached level five or above.

[You will be taken out in 200 seconds...]

Darian took a deep breath and looked at the three, who grew tense.

"It’ll be fine, just stick to the plan," he said calmly, staring at them.

Then, he pulled something out of his inventory. In his hand appeared a yellow paper, about five centimeters wide and fifteen long. On it, colorful bizarre lines, which seemed to move, were drawn.

That was the basis of Darian’s plan: a Talisman.

He had found it among the treasures of thieves and assassins. At first, he just felt a very subtle special power in that paper, but since it was weak, he judged it to be nothing valuable. Later, though, he casually asked Golden Monkey about it.

The Fiendgod had been surprised by the question and explained it might actually be an unimaginably rare treasure. Talismans couldn’t be made from anything existing in the desert—they only came from the descendants of those who lived in the final stage of the Trial.

They received talismans from their parents, to save themselves in emergencies. Even in that place, they were rare objects and extremely hard to obtain. That’s why, usually, each person had only one, kept as their ultimate survival trump card.

Since many of them arrived, sometimes one died and left those things behind. According to records, most talismans were spatial-type, able to move the person instantly without leaving traces.

Hearing that, Darian concluded that his was exactly of that type. So, he built his whole plan around it.

"Don’t worry, Brother Darian. We won’t fail..." Awel suddenly murmured, giving him a determined look.

The three moved closer to Darian, then the green window reset the counter. They were immediately wrapped in a golden light and vanished.

...

When they opened their eyes, everything was blindingly bright. Right away, a terrifying pressure crashed down on their bodies, to the point where the air in their lungs felt frozen.

They should’ve been inside the central building, but everything had vanished. What they saw now were beasts of all shapes and sizes, in every possible direction, staring at them with pure killing intent.

Since each participant had seven days to escape, it was obvious they wouldn’t allow anyone to just run away.

Tir, Awel, and Eleri moved around Darian, swords in hand, using their own bodies to shield him from a sudden strike.

They were ready to defend him with their lives. All this time, Darian had left the fighting and physical effort to the three of them, making it seem like combat wasn’t really his strong suit.

Nobody found that strange, after all, he was still considered a rookie. Even though he was believed to be a Demon–Chromaraic hybrid, his body looked thin and fragile.

But in exchange, he was insanely skilled, full of mysterious methods, and above all, the most reliable and intelligent person they had ever met. The three, on the other hand, were inexperienced and not that wise. That’s why this brother was someone they would never allow to be lost, no matter the cost.

"Oh? Such a warm welcome." Darian mocked calmly.

In that moment, he clenched the talisman in his hand, and it gave off a strong fluctuation.

All the beasts locked their eyes on him, widening them in shock.

In an instant, the space around them twisted.

"No!!"

*Vwoosh!*

In the very next second, the four of them vanished, as if they had never been there.

When they opened their eyes again, everything was dark.

A strange, nauseating stench filled them... no, they quickly realized it wasn’t a smell, but an instinctive sensation clawing at their very souls.

It was as if... countless eyes were watching them... full of agony and despair.

Darian waved his hand and touched something nearby; like flipping a switch, as soon as he poured in a bit of energy, everything suddenly lit up.

They swallowed hard as they looked ahead.

Before them stood a massive wall covered in black runes. Behind those dark runes, they could see hundreds of pale ones... vibrating, as if desperately begging for help.

It was like a prison, and those pale runes... were all Heavenly Elemental Spirits. Dozens of them.

The three young ones trembled, their eyes brimming with tears.

Darian looked around and noticed many other walls just like that one, each imprisoning hundreds of Heavenly Elemental Spirits.

"This is their forge... where they’re trying to craft weapons with that technique..." he murmured painfully, "We have to move fast. I’ll free them, and then—"

*BUZZ!!*

Suddenly, the whole place shook and began to hum.

All four of them widened their eyes as, in an instant, the entire space around them sealed shut, turning into a black cell that trapped them inside.

"A trap!!" Eleri shouted in panic.