CHAPTER 428: CHAPTER 428 TRIALS 2

The low hum of the library intensified, resonating through the towering shelves. Shadows stretched and twisted, crawling along the floor, walls, and even the ceiling. The fragments’ glows flickered violently, as if the library itself were taking a deep breath, preparing to strike.

Kailen’s eyes narrowed. "Stay close. The first trial begins now."

Without warning, the fragment near the center of the room pulsed sharply. Shadows erupted from the floor like black flames, coalescing into a humanoid shape. Its form was jagged, indistinct, yet impossibly solid. The air thickened, pressure rising, making each breath a conscious effort.

Everlong instinctively raised her hands. "A guardian...?"

Kailen’s shadow swept forward, intertwining with the growing darkness around the guardian. The entity halted, its movement stuttering, as if the shadow’s presence disrupted its flow.

"This is just a test of intent," Kailen muttered, almost to himself. "It’s strong, but not sentient. React to aggression and it reacts in kind. Observe its pattern."

It was easier for Kailen because he was making use of umbral pirouette, his battle style.

Observe , predict, incorporate.

The group watched, tense, as the guardian moved in stuttering steps, its body forming a jagged circle around the fragment. Every step it took left faint rune marks that flared briefly before vanishing.

Arrie floated closer, her voice trembling. "Babe... what do we do?"

"Observe first," Kailen said calmly. "Every movement tells you what it can and cannot react to. Learn it. Don’t rush."

Ethan fidgeted. "I... I don’t think I can just stand here. What if it attacks?"

"It won’t," Kailen replied, his tone firm but patient. "Not unless provoked. If you panic, that’s when danger starts."

Arnold’s eyes darted across the floor. "The runes... they react to its steps. So it’s linked to the fragments?"

Kailen nodded slightly. "Everything here is connected. The library itself is a living trial. Guardians are extensions of the fragments’ intent. They test courage, perception, and understanding."

The jagged shadow guardian lunged suddenly, faster than the eye could track. Kailen’s shadow surged in response, twisting into a barrier that absorbed the brunt of the movement. The fragments pulsed in tandem, casting golden light across the library.

Anaya gasped. "He... he’s controlling it without even touching the fragment? That’s impossible!"

Kailen’s gaze remained locked on the guardian. "Not controlling it. Guiding it. The moment you force the trial to obey, it becomes deadly. You must flow with it, not against it."

The guardian’s movements became erratic, testing each member of the group. Arrie barely floated back in time as the shadow swiped past her, leaving only a flicker of golden light in its wake. Ethan’s hand hovered above a fragment in reflex, and a pulse flared violently — shadows rose, twisting into phantom claws that reached toward him. Kailen’s shadow extended instantly, pushing them back harmlessly.

"Focus!" Kailen shouted. "Observe! Understand its rhythm!"

Slowly, the group began to adjust, stepping in patterns that avoided the guardian’s strikes while keeping within the fragments’ safe zones. Shadows and runes pulsed rhythmically, reacting to their movements.

Finally, Kailen reached the fragment he had previously tested. He hovered his hand near it, careful not to touch directly. A golden light shot upward, illuminating the library. The guardian froze, then dissolved into a mist of shadows that swirled harmlessly before vanishing.

Arrie floated closer to his side, eyes wide. "Babe... you... you made it stop?"

Kailen’s lips curved faintly. "Not stop. I guided it. If you learn the rhythm, nothing here can truly harm you."

The fragments’ pulses slowed, returning to a calm shimmer, though their golden glow was now stronger than before. The first trial had passed.

The Time Dilation Artifact’s voice echoed in Kailen’s mind, tsundere as ever. "Hmph! Not bad. But don’t get cocky. The next tests won’t be so simple."

Kailen said to her inwardly " Your clues are helping, but I had to decode them myself. We could have had it easier if you simply told me what to do"

" Hmph . Like I said, I won’t spoonfeed you"

Kailen sighed and ignored her. She was being helpful , her hints were helping.

Just that , he had to figure out what they meant by using his high IQ rapidly, as at the same time, he used his terrifying deduction capabilities and his understanding of runesmithery, and umbral pirouette to make terrifying deductions and help himself and his friends to escape a fate worse than death.

He glanced at the group. Their faces were pale, a mixture of awe and lingering fear. "Good. Observe the others. Every fragment, every guardian... everything here is a lesson. Learn first, act second. This library decides who is worthy."

A sudden pulse ran through the floor again, stronger than before. Shadows coalesced along the far wall, and a second fragment began to glow violently.

"Looks like the next challenge is here," Kailen muttered. "Stay sharp. The real test starts now."

The golden light of the library hummed softly, yet beneath that calm beat, tension lingered like a living thing. Shadows slithered along the floors, runes flickered, and fragments hovered in eerie anticipation, waiting for the group to make their moves.

Kailen’s eyes swept across the room, sharp and calm, reading every subtle pulse, every quiver of light. The guardians of the fragments were no longer mere tests—they were sentient reflections of the library itself, reacting to intent, perception, and hesitation.

"Stay focused," Kailen said, voice steady. "One wrong move, and you’ll be trapped in an illusion for eternity. Observe first, then act."

Arrie’s gaze drifted to a fragment glowing softly, green and gentle, its light radiating warmth. Her hand trembled slightly as she hovered closer. "I... I feel like it’s calling me," she whispered.

Kailen’s shadow extended subtly, brushing against her without her noticing, a silent guide. "Flow with it. Let your intent align with its rhythm. Do not force anything."

Her fingers hovered just above the fragment. The hum of energy around it pulsed faster as she focused, drawing in a breath. Slowly, the green light enveloped her hand, then her entire arm, until a gentle warmth spread through her body. The shadows around the fragment twitched once and dissolved.

Arrie exhaled, eyes wide with awe. "I... I can feel it. It’s... healing. I can sense its energy flowing into me, like never before"

Kailen nodded faintly. "Good. You’ve synchronized with it. That’s your fragment—healing. Remember it, respect it, and use it judiciously"