Clarity revisited my mind. I broke through the surface of the water and took in a giant, welcome breath of stale air.

  I was Level 6.

  My right arm was functional. The wounds on my body had been closed. My raggy clothing was still torn up, but I could live with that.

  I waded over to the thing I found–the Trial Terminal–got out of the water, and rested my back against the side of this waist-high stone monument. It had something written on it–I could read it later after catching my breath.

  That was a bit metaphorical, though. The Level Up eliminated my fatigue, but the mental fatigue was more or less still there.

  “Just need to activate this, and I’ll gain another easy Level,” I mused, closing my eyes.

  The battle up above went in an unexpected direction. I thought that with my Gimmick unleashed, I would have won, but the sudden change in pattern and speed caught me off guard. The Gimmick was strong, though. I just fell short of it.

  “I wonder if I beat him at the end…”

  I opened my eyes and let out a long, slow breath, my back still pressed against the cool stone of the Trial Terminal. The air here was stale, but somehow… it felt different. Maybe ‘lighter’ would be a better word. It was lulling me into a sense of peace.

  I looked toward the pool of water, following the thin trail of water linking the monument and the pool. The cavern was vast, the ceiling drowned in shadow far above. The walls were too smooth, almost polished, and the floor was a mix of damp gravel and cobblestone. The pool in front of me was still again, as if I had never ruined it, its surface reflecting the faint light that was so common in these caves. The water was so clear that I could even catch a reflection–hold on. I looked the other way, and that’s when I saw it.

  The statue.

  It was massive, towering over the cavern like some ancient guardian. The figure was of a woman, her form the stuff of legends, her face obscured by a blindfold. Six arms extended from her body. Four were posed with deliberate grace, their palms facing skyward, as if they were offering something to the world above.

  Two of her arms, though…The obelisk extended all the way down here. Those two arms were wrapped around the obelisk, her back against that obsidian surface. Meticulously carved stone chains further bound this woman. Such a beautiful figure bound–I couldn’t make sense of it.

  Did my village have a statue like this one beneath it, too? And a Trial Terminal?

  In one of her hands, a glowing, teardrop-shaped bundle of magic floated, its blue light becoming more noticeable the longer I looked at it. That was odd, too.

  The statue was breathtaking, surely. And not just because of its size. The craftsmanship was incredible, every detail meticulously carved—the folds of her blindfold, the delicate curves of her fingers, the way her hair stood out against the obsidian of the statue. She was nude–and every single explicit bit was not brushed over in the pursuit of modesty. Everything was so detailed–like it was a giant that had been petrified. There was no way something like this could have been done by human hands.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  My gaze drifted from her face to her waist, and that was when I completely deadpanned. The statue was on her knees, her legs behind her, with the obelisk’s base flanked by her calves. Since she was naked, her crotch was right there, nearly at eye level with the same level of detail I had been praising. The pool to my left that I had scrambled out of? A steady stream of water was pouring from the statue’s crotch. That water was traveling to the monument, then drained into the very pool that had just saved me.

  I was silent as I stared. The memories of the female monster were still fresh in mind too.

  “That’s just kind of extra, isn’t it?”

  Well, I shrugged and went on with my life. The monument–it had words of a language I didn’t recognize on its surface. It also had the very obvious imprint of a hand in the middle.

  “Alright, I’m rested,” I muttered, more to myself than anyone else. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”

  I reached out, my hand hovering over the imprint for a moment before pressing my palm against it. The stone was cool to the touch, but the moment my skin made contact, a jolt of energy shot up my arm, spreading through my body like a shockwave. My vision blurred, and for a moment, I felt like I was taken forward suddenly, like I was on a rollercoaster.

  And then, a voice. Not a voice I could hear with my ears, but one that resonated deep within my mind. The sound of water dripping intensified, the “sound” of ripples spreading coming at the end of each word.

  “Welcome, Seeker, to the Trial Eternal.

  Where the Divine themselves are but embers in the fields of War.

  Here, the chains of your becoming are yours to shatter,

  And the forgotten glory of your spirit shall burn bright or fade.

  Step forth, and let your spirit be tested.

  Speak your intent, and welcome the Trial whenever it may arrive.

  But once spoken, there is no turning back.

  The fields of war are greedy and wish to swallow all.

  Be brave, and claim what you are owed.”

  The voice faded, leaving me in the cavern, with that relentless drip of water that was impossible to ignore. The Trial… Eternal?

  It sounded incredibly dramatic. My everyday life was never that puffed up. Just miserable. And you’re telling me something so great and grand was right beneath the village? What an aggravating thought.

  I took a deep breath. My mind raced. Maybe the Checklist needed me to accept in order for it to count as an “Activation.” In that case…

  “I accept,” I said, my voice steady despite my mild irritation. “I’ll face the Trial.”

  Nothing happened but a flash and a surge that made my skin prickle. The statue was unchanged. The glowing water drop in her hand was the same as before.

  I pulled my hand away. The stone was warm now—where it had been cold just a moment ago. The monument’s symbols glowed faintly, the handprint at its center shimmering with a soft, green light.

  Then, finally, the ding.

  ***

  ? Activate a Trial Terminal.

  +1 Level.

  ***

  I pumped my fist. Level 7. It felt like a big milestone. I popped open my Checklist to admire my progress and was surprised–there were new entries now.