"Where to go? I hate choices." Ely added as she looked at the paths ahead.
"Left is a trap," Aiden said as he used his Runic Compass to detect the danger ahead.
"Those hands will drain our energy on contact." He added as he looked at the floating Ghostly Hands waiting for them.
"Right is also problematic..." Mira added. Well, she had recently received a gift from her High Priestess Mother. It was a pendant that made her sensitive to distortions. She felt that once they entered the right path filled with mirrors, they’d get warped or lost...
"Those mirrors aren’t reflections—they’re gateways." She murmured.
"That’s true... It’s also a huge problem, according to my Runes." Aiden added...
Although the Marshall Academy doesn’t really focus on Runes Arts since they literally only had two Instructors who knew about Runes, he still knew about these ancient runes.
At the very least, Orde and Ryzoir, who were rumored to be related to Dragons, taught them about this.
In any case, those two only taught difficult Runes, but they were all very effective.
Armin smiled as he listened to them.
"You’re both correct... The left and right are problematic. However, all three of them lead to the sa end. We just have to choose the difficulty."
As he said this, the two didn’t doubt him at all... Although their tools could barely detect so problems, they knew that Armin was receiving special training with the Shadow Immortal.
Although it was secret at first, after being together for a few years, there was no way for them to keep their secrets.
"Initially... I really liked the left passage... But... This center path is indeed better for the five of us." He said.
Indeed, if Armin were alone, it would be easier for him to choose the left path with his affinity.
"Alright... We will walk quickly here. Also, do not look down. Do not answer any voice you hear. We just move ahead. No distractions." Armin said, and this had certainly scared so of them.
After all, it seed that once they stepped on that bridge, they would be tempted by so unknown entities to deviate from their path.
"Focus on moving... Got it." Ely said, and she even started repeating it in her mind.
"We just need to pass the bridge. No distractions... I can do that much." Mira also chanted this in her mind.
She had no idea what would happen if she didn’t follow Armin’s instructions, but she didn’t want to find out.
Soon, they stepped onto the bridge—and after a few monts, the first plank dissolved beneath Rehan’s foot. He barely yanked his leg back in ti.
"Ahh..."
"No hesitation..." Armin said... "Move fast, but don’t run."
Just like that, they advanced, plank by plank, as the void beneath them whispered... They were calling for them and using various voices they were familiar with.
If not for Armin’s warning, they might really get curious and not just answer their calls, but also look for them.
Unfortunately, the bridge seed to be so long, and they had to walk quickly... Thankfully, even if they felt so problems, Armin would actually assist them!
It seed that he was the only one who was resistant to the unknown entities.
Soon, the bridge led them into a circular arena...
"Thanks for your help, Miss Lotus." Armin murmured as they reached the place.
"Hmm? You’re talking to soone, Armin?" Ely asked... Actually, the rest of them heard Armin’s words as well.
However, they didn’t think too much of it as they thought that he was just referring to a deity. Perhaps, Lotus was a goddess of an unorthodox church.
Of course, they wouldn’t judge him at all, even if he doesn’t follow any of the five Orthodox Churches.
In the anti, Armin jolted after being asked and shook his head.
"It’s nothing..." He answered.
Soon, they shifted their focus to their current situation.
They seed to have entered the arena walls, and at the center stood five shadowy figures.
"We have enemies?"
"Wait..."
"Isn’t that..."
"Ahh... Is that the challenge this ti? This is tough."
Rehan, Ely, Aiden, and Mira couldn’t help but feel surprised after seeing the figures on the other side of the arena.
Apparently, they were seeing copies of themselves, but with a hint of Chaos Energy aside from the Arcane Path they were practicing!
Looking at them closely, the Tower also added so ’features’ to the copies that were not on them.
At this ti, Armin’s double had eyes like shattered glass, and he could feel a strong Psychic Energy on it as well, aside from the additional Chaos Energy.
Rehan’s copy, on the other hand, was carrying a dagger made of bones.
"Oh, this is just rude," Rehan muttered as he didn’t like daggers at all...
Ely’s double, however, was missing half its face. But it didn’t seem to weaken this copy as it was replaced by a mist-like energy instead...
Its remaining diamond eye also seed to be more than capable of seeing everything around her.
"Oh, that’s disgusting..." Ely muttered, instinctively reaching for her staff.
Her copy mirrored her movent—but instead of using a staff, its weapons were shards of mirrored glass!
As for Aiden’s copy, its skin was covered in shifting, living runic marks around its body! These runes looked like worms moving through his skin!
"That’s... not possible," Aiden breathed. "Those runes don’t exist." He muttered.
Finally, Mira’s double was the most unsettling.
It wore her face—but backward, as if reflected in a broken mirror. Its robes were stained black, and instead of a staff, it clutched a whip made of fused vertebrae.
Armin’s grip tightened on his weapon as he felt their Arcane Energy intensify...
"Alright... To be safe, we’ll fight our own copies... I’ll do my best to quickly finish my double and help you guys. Be careful, they’ll use Chaos Energy for sure." He said to everyone.
"Got it! We will trust you." Ely replied.
"Help first, Armin." Rehan chuckled as he started casting his Spells.
Then, the copies finally made their move.
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