After running for a long time, the group finally found a safe space to stop. Ascil panted, feeling tiredness creeping into his body. He had never run this fast before, especially in a situation like this.
"I didn't think I could run that fast," Ascil said, panting, a bit surprised.
Before he could stop to adjust his breathing, a voice rang out from the surrounding space. The sound seemed to come from the control system they had just come into contact with.
"You guys just used a blessing that increased your speed towards the light."
Ascil looked around, a little surprised:
"Oh, I see. I thought it was an ability that exploded."
Akira, who was also catching his breath, glanced around and asked:
"It's good that we can run, did that blessing activate automatically?"
The system did not reply immediately, but after a while, a voice rang out again:
"When you wish for something, it will be possible for it to happen if the 'people above' feel interested, so it is called blessing."
The three of them were silent for a moment, thinking about the system's explanation. It was not easy to understand everything about the 'people above' and what they could do.
Khaz could not contain his curiosity, turning back to ask the system in a cold tone:
"Who exactly are those people above that have such power?"
Once again, the system replied, but this time it seemed like the explanation was hidden in vagueness, as if no one could really know them clearly.
"Your answer will depend on this game. The 'People Above' are the ultimate power entities in this universe. You will gradually understand more as you participate in the game. What you feel, desire and fight for will decide everything."
Ascil raised his head, looked around, and suddenly realized something he hadn't noticed before: around them was a vast area, with ruined towers, ancient walls covered in moss, and the air was quiet. He vaguely realized that they were in an ancient ruin, where time seemed to have stopped. There were no signs of life, only the ruins of a long-gone civilization.
Ascil pulled out a map from the void, opened it, and quickly checked it. On the map, they were in an area marked "Ancient Ruins". The roads were deserted, the ancient buildings were cracked, and there was no sign of anyone else around.
"Where are we anyway?" Ascil asked, looking at the map and not understanding why they were brought here.
Akira, always flexible and able to find opportunities in any situation, looked around and seemed to have started to think of a plan.
"Maybe there's an item here that can help us get in?" Akira suggested, her eyes sharp as if she wanted to explore every nook and cranny of the ruins. "Areas like this often contain valuable items that can help us in the game."
Ascil shrugged, his eyes not leaving the map.
"Where else can we go?" he muttered, a little tired. He understood that this was not the time to hesitate. If they wanted to survive, they had to keep moving forward, even though they didn't know what was waiting for them.
Khaz, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke. His gaze swept over the surrounding ruins, as if searching for something in the empty space.
"We can't just stand here forever. If we have the chance, we have to find items to increase our strength. Now, it's not the time to think too much. Just go, find something that can help."
As the group entered the ruins, the sky outside suddenly changed. Dark clouds gathered, covering the sun, and in just a few seconds, a rain began to fall, large drops of water falling like broken gems, painting a gloomy picture outside. But inside the ruins, not a single drop of rain entered. Everything was quiet as if this space did not belong to the outside world.
Ascil, Akira, and Khaz entered a corridor about 100m long. The dim light from the torches mounted on the walls was dim as if it was just enough for them to see the path ahead. On the surrounding walls, ancient characters were deeply engraved, intricate patterns winding, containing a language that the three of them could not recognize. Although it seemed like this place once belonged to a great civilization, everything was strangely silent.
There was no sound other than their footsteps echoing in the quiet space. The three of them felt an eerie silence, as if there were no other living creatures besides them. Every object in the ruins had been eroded by time, and silence seemed to permeate every corner. It was as if the place had been long forgotten, with no trace of life left.
Akira was the first to speak, her eyes scanning her surroundings, though there was nothing special besides the walls covered in symbols.
"It feels like we're the only ones here, right?" Akira said, her voice echoing softly in the quiet space.
Ascil glanced at the walls with ancient symbols, but couldn't decipher them either. He nodded, saying nothing more.
"This place… seems deserted, without any signs of life," Ascil said, a sense of unease rising in his heart. "There must be something hidden here."
Khaz walked behind, his eyes never leaving the walls, as if searching for any clue that might help them decipher the symbols.
"It's eerily quiet. There's no sound other than our footsteps," Khaz said, a hint of worry in his voice. "Could this be a trap? A trap we can't see?"
They continued walking, each step echoing in the long, seemingly endless hallway. The dim light from the torches reflected on the cold stone walls, adding to the gloominess of the space. It seemed like everything had settled down long ago, leaving only traces of a bygone era.
Suddenly, a strange noise rose in the air, very faint, but enough to startle all three of them. A sound like wind blowing through a gap, or maybe something moving in the darkness in the distance.
Akira turned to look behind him, but saw only a long, dark hallway. Nothing. No one.
"Did you hear that?" Akira asked, his voice slightly worried.
Khaz and Ascil also stopped, listening in silence. There was no other sound, only silence. But all three felt like there was something wrong, an elusive presence in this space.
The three of them continued to move forward, in a dead silence. The air around them became heavier and heavier, as if an invisible weight was pressing down on their every step. Everything was too quiet, a strange silence that none of them felt comfortable with.
Suddenly, they stopped in front of a large door, engraved with ancient characters that none of the three could understand. This door was not like ordinary doors. It was large, heavy, and seemed to be made of a metal that none of them had ever seen before, the light from the torches reflected on its surface creating strange ghosts, as if this door contained some mysterious power.
"What is this?" Ascil asked, staring at the strange characters on the door. "I don't think this is an ordinary door."
Akira moved closer, her eyes sharp as if she wanted to understand every detail. She reached out, touching one of the characters on the door. When she touched it, a faint light flared up, then disappeared immediately. The door made a sound like breaking stone, then slowly opened, revealing a pitch-black space behind it.
"What is this?" Khaz said, his voice a little skeptical but also curious. "The door opened by itself… Is it a trap?"
Akira didn't reply, just nodded and walked in first. Ascil and Khaz followed, they couldn't help but feel a lingering anxiety in their hearts. The door had opened, but there was no sound other than their breathing. Every step echoed in the quiet space, making them feel even more like they were being watched.
When the three of them stepped through the door, they found themselves entering a large room, but it was no ordinary room. The walls and ceiling were decorated with strange characters and symbols, and the dim light from somewhere in the space made everything gloomy and dim.
In the center of the room was a large stone table, on which was a shining object emitting a strange light. This object looked like a gemstone, but it emitted a pale blue light, as if it had life inside. Next to it was an ancient book, seemingly ravaged by time, but the pages still retained the strange characters.
Akira approached the table, but as soon as she touched the stone, a powerful beam of light suddenly emitted, forcing all three of them to retreat. The air around them seemed heavier, and just then, a voice rang out from somewhere in the space:
"Congratulations, you have found the starting point. But do you have the strength to uncover all the secrets of this relic?"
The voice seemed vague and came from an invisible entity. It echoed in the air, making the three of them feel like they were in the middle of an invisible, unpredictable challenge.
"Who is speaking?" Ascil asked, his voice a little fearful, but also full of challenge. "Who is controlling all of this?"
Silence fell for a moment, then the voice rang out again, this time seeming closer:
"You have entered a game from which you cannot return. Every decision you make will determine your fate. And now, you must choose a path. Life or death, you can only choose one."
Khaz turned around, his eyes as sharp as knives. Although he could not see who was behind those words, a sense of danger spread throughout his body.
"What should we do now?" Khaz asked, his voice low. "What choice?"
Akira looked at the stone and the ancient book, then turned back to his two teammates. She knew it wasn't as simple as exploring an ancient ruin.
"There's no turning back," Akira said, his voice resolute. "We'll have to face the next challenges."
The great wall suddenly collapsed, the sound of broken bricks and stones echoing in the air. Dust and smoke rose up, blocking the view. Ascil, Akira, and Khaz quickly covered their faces and sat down, avoiding the flying debris. All three felt a strong shock as the space around them suddenly changed. As the dust cleared, everything around them changed strangely.
As the smoke cleared, the three realized that they were no longer standing in the ancient room. They were in a completely different place. Not a room like before, but a strange maze. The structure of this place was completely chaotic. The walls, corridors, and passages did not follow any rules. Up was down, right was left, left was up — everything was upside down as if space and time had been completely disrupted.
"What is going on?" Khaz exclaimed, his eyes looking around in confusion. "This is not where we were just standing."
Akira frowned, trying to observe. Every step they took seemed like a challenge, as everything was unpredictable. A hallway might lead to an empty space, while a wall might be a path to a completely different path. There was no indication of which way was right.
"This maze… is strange. It's unlike anything I've ever seen," Akira said, her gaze sharp and focused. "It doesn't seem like this is a normal maze."
Ascil looked around, trying to figure out the space. He saw a wall that seemed to be facing out into space, with an angle that couldn't be explained, as if everything was being stuffed into a chaotic space.
"We're definitely in a trap." Ascil frowned, his voice grave. "But not a normal trap, this is a test from the 'one above'."
The three of them felt uneasy, as if this place was watching their every move, each step could lead to danger. It felt like invisible chains were trapping them in a game they couldn't escape from.
Suddenly, a voice rang out from afar, this time, not just from one direction but from all directions.
"Congratulations on coming. But if you want to escape this place, you must overcome the challenges of this space. This maze is not only a test of physical strength but also of intelligence. Only the strong and intelligent can escape. The rest… will be drowned in the endless space."
The voice seemed to be coming from the surrounding walls, from the gaps and hidden corners, creating the feeling that this space was alive, breathing, and waiting for them to make a mistake.
"It seems this challenge is not simple," Khaz said, his voice slightly tense. "We must find a way to escape from here."
The three of them began to move, step by step, carefully through this chaotic maze. Every turn, every step could lead them to a trap, but also a clue. Everything felt unfamiliar, as if this space was designed to challenge their senses.
Suddenly, they stopped when they saw a narrow passageway in front of them, leading to a giant door. On it, there was a very familiar symbol — a symbol they had seen in the ancient ruins before. However, this time it emitted a strange light, as if calling them forward.
"We must choose," Ascil said, his voice somewhat tense. "Is this the exit?"
Akira moved closer, feeling the invitation from the door. She placed her hand on the surface of the door, and a sudden cold air blew out, causing all three of them to shiver. The light from the symbol on the door gradually brightened, as if it was leading them into a new challenge.
"I'm not sure this is the right choice, but we have no other choice." Akira looked at Ascil and Khaz, determination rising in her eyes.