Trial of Destruction

"Master Ultraman, how did this Holy King's heroic spirit end up in your hands in the end?" Ariel's tone was deadly serious, her eyes fixed intently on Anbaixiu. Anbaixiu replied expressionlessly, "Aige gave him to me. We're both members of the Elegy Poetry Society and on quite good terms. Haven't you inquired about what happened at sea recently? I've been helping Aige seize control of the Volcanic Sea." "I've heard about it. Even though it happened in the deep sea, it closely concerns humans like us who live on the ocean." Ariel said so aloud, yet a strange sensation lingered in her heart. She didn't know what she had stumbled upon, but a persistent sense of déjà vu throughout this journey made her feel something was amiss! The feeling was thoroughly bizarre. Clearly nothing was wrong on the surface, yet her heart was inexplicably restless. Unable to help herself, Ariel pressed further, "Have you known the master of the Silent Night Sea for a long time?" "Not too long, I suppose—well, calculating by undead standards, since I joined the Elegy Poetry Society less than a century ago. From a human perspective, though, we could be considered old friends who've known each other for most of a lifetime." This answer was also completely airtight, yet the doubt in Ariel's mind refused to disperse. Something was off—very off. But where on earth did the problem lie? Just as Ariel was about to question him further, Arthur Ryan drew his longsword and pointed into the distance. "My friends, I fear now is hardly the time for chatter. There seems to be something ahead." The two followed Arthur Ryan's gaze. Beyond the colossal archway had originally been a blank expanse of mist, but now vast silhouettes appeared within the fog, as though some colossal creature was about to charge out. Just as Anbaixiu was about to extend his senses, he noticed the dark shadows in the mist dispersing rapidly, unsure whether the creature had hidden itself or departed. "It seems Talos's blessing won't let us stride through here unchecked. Keep your wits about you; this place could easily claim lives. Your Highness, I assume you have no desire to become undead yourself?" Ariel understood that this was not the right time, so she could only take up her warhammer again, watching ahead vigilantly. Anbaixiu gave a broad wave of his hand and said to Arthur Ryan, "Your Majesty, please lead the way." Arthur Ryan gave a wry smile and did not object, striding forward into the mist. Though Arthur Ryan wasn't one for deception, he could tell something was off with the previous conversation—his own slip of the tongue had forced Anbaixiu into tricking the young girl once more. He judged it best to keep his mouth shut, or there was no telling what this lich might do. Holy Light flared brilliantly across Arthur Ryan's body as he strode into the mist. The Holy Light remained conspicuous even amidst the dense fog, shining like a beacon to guide Anbaixiu and Ariel forward. All three kept a vigilant watch on their surroundings, unwilling to miss the slightest rustle or stir. This was perhaps the world's most formidable warrior-mage-priest trio. Arthur Ryan was the most renowned paladin in history, the undisputed chosen of the Lord of the Dawn, and the great hero who had slain the Demonic Dragon Tyrant. Ariel was Talos's chosen, a storm priest wielding an artifact. As for Anbaixiu, he was a dual practitioner of Divination and Necromancy who possessed multiple legendary boons—all the mages in the world combined might not boast as diverse an assortment as his. With these three joined together, there was truly no enemy they needed to fear. Yet as they ventured deeper into the fog, they did not encounter a single danger along the way, giving all three the sensation of having swung at thin air with all their might. However, they did not come away empty-handed; Anbaixiu soon found traces left behind by the Githyanki. Numerous footprints marked the heavily weathered ground, accompanied by sparse spatters of blood—evidently, they were traveling with wounded. They had likely entered from the subterranean labyrinth as well; without Talos's blessing, who knew how many lives they had sacrificed to reach this point. Anbaixiu simply followed the Githyanki footprints forward, soon arriving at a massive platform. It resembled an altar about two hundred meters in diameter, its floor bearing the distinct relief of three lightning bolts. Crafted from the same material as the archway, it retained its original form despite countless ages. Three lightning bolts were the mark of Talos; this was plainly Talos's altar. Anbaixiu walked a circuit and discovered that the three lightning bolt emblems each pointed toward different directions—three walkways built over the water, extending into the depths of the mist. Unfortunately, Anbaixiu knew little about the faith of Talos and did not understand the difference between the three walkways. Fortunately, they had a devout believer of Talos with them. Though Ariel had not lived in ancient times, she knew the meaning of these three lightning bolts well. "This is an ancient emblem of Talos. The three lightning bolts should have been green, blue, and red, but having gone unmaintained for so long, the colors have worn away entirely. According to ancient records, the three colors represent three different trials: green is Disaster, blue is Destruction, and red is Fury. As for the specific details, I'm not entirely certain either. "My guess is that this is the entrance to the Arena of the Storm. The warriors participating in the duel would need to perform an initial sacrifice to the Lord of the Storm upon this altar, choose a path to enter, and upon passing the trial, they would enter the final arena to contest the ultimate victory." Having explained this, Ariel turned to look at Anbaixiu; the final decision on which path to take still rested with him. Anbaixiu paid little heed to the contents of the trials, instead scrutinizing the residual traces on the three pathways. He discovered that two of the passages bore bloodstains and footprints left behind by the Githyanki, though the tracks were exceedingly chaotic, making it difficult to discern which way they were heading or how many Githyanki there were. "Take a look at this. These footprints and bloodstains are interesting." Ariel asked in confusion, "Could they have split their forces?" Arthur Ryan, however, said, "No, they likely entered one of the paths, retreated, and then chose a second. Look, the passage for the Trial of Destruction has more footprints and more bloodstains. I suspect the Githyanki chose this path first, failed the trial, retreated back the way they came, and then took the path toward the Trial of Fury." Anbaixiu nodded in agreement with Arthur Ryan's deduction. He truly lived up to his reputation as a legendary figure who rose from humble beginnings; only someone with vast adventuring experience could notice such details. Back before Arthur Ryan had raised the banner of rebellion, he had traveled far and wide, amassing a wealth of experience. Ariel, on the other hand, while a prodigy in her own right, had always been a kingdom's princess, leaving her far lacking in this regard. "Shall we follow them, then?" Ariel asked. Anbaixiu's purpose here was to find the Githyanki. With them now inside the Trial of Fury, following in pursuit seemed the natural course. However, Anbaixiu replied, "No, I think we can take the path where the Githyanki failed instead. Princess, don't forget the words of the Lord of the Storm. He wants us to reenact the ancient gladiatorial contest. If we follow the Githyanki—whether we wipe them all out or tag along behind them through the trial—neither outcome is likely what the god wants to see." That divine brat was currently watching mortals slaughter one another with great relish. If Anbaixiu took a shortcut by trailing behind the Githyanki to clear the trial, or staged a premature sneak attack, Talos would hardly be amused. Ariel understood Anbaixiu's point. He was truly worthy of being chosen by a deity; even now, he clearly perceived what the Lord of the Storm desired. By contrast, Ariel felt the need to reflect on herself—her mind had been in disarray ever since entering this place. "I need to pull myself together as well. Right now, I must focus on completing the god's trial!" Ariel's expression sharpened, arcs of lightning dancing across her warhammer as if answering her inner resolve. Anbaixiu pointed toward the walkway where the Githyanki had suffered defeat and retreated. "Let's choose the Trial of Destruction. If we can defeat the opponents the Githyanki couldn't beat, Talos will surely be delighted." Ariel was instantly filled with a measure of respect for Anbaixiu; the courage the lich displayed at critical junctures was truly worthy of Talos's favor. In reality, Anbaixiu's reasoning was that the three trials were probably similar in difficulty. Since the Githyanki had already run the gauntlet of Destruction once, whatever was in there had to be at least somewhat weakened, meaning he might be able to pick up an easy bargain. Having reached a decision, the trio walked toward the middle walkway. Treading along the path paved with Githyanki blood, they entered the mist beyond another stone archway. After advancing three or four hundred meters, they finally transitioned from the narrow walkway above the water onto a colossal platform. The instant they stepped onto the platform, furious bolts of lightning crashed down from above, ceaselessly striking the surroundings. Aside from their fairly steady intervals, these lightning strikes showed no discernible pattern whatsoever. Evidently, this Trial of Destruction was designed for duelists to fight amid this storm of lightning. Anbaixiu had long since raised his Shield. When the lightning struck him, it felt completely negligible. Arthur Ryan was the same; his body had ceased to fear ordinary lightning, and he didn't even bother dodging. As for Ariel, lightning was already coiled thick around her form, blending seamlessly with the surrounding thunderbolts. Not only was she completely unaffected, she even seemed capable of drawing upon the storm's power. Such was the potency of a chosen; Talos's divine might bestowed immense boons upon Ariel. Once the three had advanced into the arena, three gigantic figures plummeted from the sky. A deafening crash shook the ground so violently that Anbaixiu nearly lost his footing. Before they could even get a clear look at what had leapt down, a colossal hammer came spinning straight toward Anbaixiu. The hammerhead was nearly as large as a carriage. How monstrous must something be to hurl an object weighing God knew how many tons with a shrieking whistle? As it flew through the air, lightning struck the colossal hammer repeatedly, coalescing crackling thunderous energy upon it that shone with blinding brilliance. If hit by such a thing, one would likely be smashed to pieces before being scorched to ash. Yet Anbaixiu had no need to worry. Arthur Ryan's longsword had already met the great hammer. With a flick of his blade, the thunderous hammer was deflected diagonally away. Arthur Ryan barely exerted any strength, yet he had effortlessly neutralized this thunderous blow—such was the swordsmanship he had tempered over a thousand years. Only now did they see the newcomers clearly. Three giants, averaging well over four meters in height, wielding an axe, a hammer, and a greatsword respectively. Every single one of their fingers was thicker than the thighs of the three adventurers. "For Talos!" The three giants roared, charging toward Anbaixiu and his companions from three different directions. The sheer momentum was akin to Headless Horseman Gareth launching a charge. Anbaixiu was utterly dumbfounded. What the fuck kind of trial was this? Were Talos's believers back then all this insanely daring? How could any normal person beat something like this?!