Ch 192.

  Matt sprinted along the boundary, relentlessly battling any creature that dared to obstruct his path, including monsters that crossed the threshold more than once. This added an extra layer of difficulty to his journey, as it seemed the boundary was a mere illusion for the monsters in the trial, while it remained rigidly real for him. The most exasperating encounter came when he faced a group of monkey-like creatures, their shrill cries echoing as they hurled stones and debris at him from the safety of the other side of the barrier. Although Matt had discovered he could retaliate by throwing objects back, his puppets were off-limits in this peculiar exchange. In fact, the one time he attempted to send even a part of himself through the barrier, it collided harmlessly against the invisible wall, rendering his puppet attack futile.

  Determined not to be thwarted, Matt made a strategic decision as he dashed forward: he would create a few puppets by taking control of monster bodies. His targets were two avian creatures; one was a formidable beast nearly twice his size, while the other was a tiny, nimble bird with a long, needle-like beak. Once he successfully seized control of both, he commanded the larger bird to ascend into the sky, while the smaller one zipped through the underbrush. Both were tasked with scouting for the exit, and Matt held onto the hope that the other monsters would overlook their presence. As it turned out, this was only partially true; he watched as the larger bird took flight, only to become the focus of several airborne predators. However, once it broke free from their grasp, the attention of those monsters shifted back to Matt, leaving him to confront the oncoming threat alone.

  Even though using his puppets as decoys could have been a valuable strategy for escaping, Matt felt a surge of relief to see that they were largely overlooked. As he concentrated on sprinting along the boundary, he began to notice that it appeared to curve in a circular shape. This conclusion stemmed from the consistent way he encountered the barrier whenever he pressed straight ahead, always finding himself on his side closest to it rather than running into it face first. This realization led Matt to ponder that, instead of employing a grid search pattern, a spiral approach might yield better results. However, the challenge lay in figuring out how to execute this plan effectively, especially since he didn’t have the luxury of time on his side. With each passing moment, he could feel the weight of urgency pressing down on him. About twelve hours after he had created the two bird puppets, fortune finally smiled upon him; the larger bird returned, its wings flapping eagerly as it signaled for Matt to follow.

  Eight long hours later, Matt was greeted by the smaller bird as it darted into a gaping hole at the base of a towering tree. Although he hadn’t been actively searching for an entrance, the sight was unlike anything he had encountered thus far, compelling him to leap into the opening without hesitation. He tumbled through the darkness for several seconds before landing in a shadowy cave, the sound of rushing water echoing around him. As his eyes adjusted to the dim light, he quickly spotted a massive underground waterfall cascading down into a shimmering pool, and behind it loomed an enormous door that appeared as though it would require the strength of two people to budge before the integration.

  Matt felt a flicker of confidence, knowing he could typically manage such a feat alone, but the torrent of water obstructing the door filled him with unease. The oppressive weight of the water hinted at something sinister; he was almost certain it was no ordinary liquid. Uncertainty gnawed at him—he had no idea what might happen if he made contact with it, but the pressure radiating from the waterfall suggested that his life could be in jeopardy. Resolute, he nodded to himself and sent the small bird puppet soaring into the waterfall.

  In an instant, the bird became encased in a thick layer of ice, only to be violently hurled back down to the cave floor, where the water seemed to vanish. The frozen creature struck the ground with a deafening crack, shattering into countless fragments that sparkled like diamonds in the faint light. Staring at the remnants, Matt felt a surge of panic and confusion wash over him. He barely had time to process this shocking turn of events when, suddenly, a skeletal hand shot up from the ground, breaking through the earth with a bone-chilling speed.

  The battle against the undead transported Matt back to his harrowing experiences in the tomb of the restless defenders, where he had encountered that sinister liquid. The chilling memory connected the dots for him; this situation mirrored that previous nightmare, yet now he found himself compelled to plunge into the frozen waters and fight for survival. With urgency coursing through him, he forcefully shoved the nearest skeleton into the waterfall, then transformed his left arm into a hook fashioned from tooth enamel. He thrust it into the icy cascade, and as soon as it latched onto the door handle, a thick layer of frost enveloped it, swiftly creeping up his arm like a creeping vine.

  Panic surged through him as he yanked back, but the door remained stubbornly immovable. In a moment of desperation, with skeletal hands clawing their way up from the ground beneath him, he made the drastic decision to sever his own arm to escape. Cursing under his breath, he dispatched both skeletons with swift, practiced movements, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he weighed his options while his arm regenerated. A glimmer of hope surfaced: his severed arm remained encased in ice, presenting a potential solution to open the doors. Yet, a nagging doubt crept in—he sensed there was a trick he had yet to uncover, or perhaps he needed to pull on both doors simultaneously.

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  With determination, Matt approached his frozen arm, tapping the newly grown pinky finger against it. To his shock, that simple touch shattered the frozen limb into a flurry of ice shards, forcing him to sever his pinky finger as the frost began to spread across it.

  This confirmed that he needed to act quickly; even if he managed to pull his arms out, they would continue to freeze until the chill enveloped his entire body. To make matters worse, Matt wasn't certain whether opening both doors simultaneously was the solution. Just then, four skeletons clawed their way up from the earth, ready to engage him in battle. While he dispatched these four with relative ease, a gnawing worry crept into his mind about what might emerge in subsequent rounds, as the cramped space left him little room to maneuver. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Matt plunged both arms into the icy waterfall. The moment he gripped both handles, ice quickly encased his arms, but he pulled with all his strength.

  This time, the doors creaked open, and the freezing sensation receded as the waterfall parted before him. Stepping through the threshold was a familiar adversary; the spitting image of Vassilis stood there, a smug smile plastered across his face, radiating an air of superiority. Instinctively, Matt fell into a defensive stance, his heart racing as the world around him began to blur and fade. His stamina was below 30%, his HP hovered just under 10%, and he sensed he was running low on several of his essences. To compound his anxiety, despite knowing that the figure before him was an illusion, the memories of their previous encounters haunted him, especially the psychological toll they had taken on him.

  “Already giving up?” scoffed the false Vassilis, his voice dripping with disdain. “You claim to want to stand at the top, yet even my shadow sees you backing away in fear.”

  “I know you’re not real,” Matt growled, forcing himself to breathe steadily. “That doesn’t mean I should underestimate what you can do.”

  The false Vassilis let out a mocking laugh, then vanished, reappearing behind Matt just as he felt the air shift. With a quick twist of his body, he barely evaded the grapple that would have ensnared him. Rolling back to his feet, he launched an attack, only to find himself striking empty air as the illusion materialized at his side, delivering a sharp kick to his gut.

  Instinctively, Matt retaliated, channeling the pain right back at the false Vassilis with a swift swing of his arm as the figure appeared directly in his path. The false Vassilis laughed even harder, effortlessly catching Matt's arm and swinging him around like a ragdoll.

  Though this didn’t chip away at Matt’s HP, it was still affecting him in other ways. Despite his stats being far beyond human levels, a wave of queasiness washed over him, and his limbs felt unnaturally heavy, as if shackled by an unseen force.

  Seeing no better option, Matt focused on weakening his own arm at the point where the false Vassilis held it. As it splattered, Matt was sent flying across the ground. Tumbling through the air, he desperately tried to regain his footing. Just as he managed to stop, the false Vassilis loomed over him, placing its foot firmly on Matt’s chest, pinning him down with a cruel smile.

  “Don’t move,” the false Vassilis warned, his voice dripping with malice. “You can’t beat me, and you know it. So, just give in, and I’ll make this painless.”

  “Ha, ha, hahahahaha!” Matt burst into laughter, the sound echoing through the dim space. “I get it. You’re just a reflection of my fears, and I have to push past them or die here.”

  “Not at all,” the false Vassilis replied, his tone chilling. “This trial is meant to kill you. Only those who have no fear greater than themselves—”

  “Oh, shut up!” Matt spat, his eyes narrowing with determination. “I’m going to get through this, and one day, I’ll kill the real version of you. I don’t care what it takes; I already know that only one of us can exist. So, stop rushing things and wait for me to become your equal, or are you afraid of me?”

  “I am not real, so why would fearing you matter?” the false Vassilis retorted, a smug smile plastered across his face. “As you said, I represent the greatest threat to you that you know of. Your fear of me is irrelevant, so just smile and be happy that it will all be over soon.”

  “Be happy? Fuck you, now die!” Matt screamed, channeling his rage. He forced a spike made of tooth enamel to erupt from his chest, its sharpness gleaming ominously. Simultaneously, both of his arms transformed into sinuous octopus tentacles, wrapping around the false Vassilis with a vice-like grip.

  This maneuver didn’t save him from the false Vassilis stomping down hard, crushing his chest beneath its weight. But Matt had anticipated the blow, and with a fierce grin, he sent the injury right back at the false Vassilis, the impact reverberating like a shockwave. This was finally enough to make the false Vassilis waver as Matt rolled to the side, finding himself gazing down at the imitation of the greatest danger he had ever faced.

  “I know I have to kill you and those who follow you, no matter the consequences for the universe. Now tell me, are you a representation of the system or merely a construct created for this trial? You know more than others might give you credit for.”

  “Why does it matter?” the false Vassilis replied, a sneer curling his lips.

  “You haven’t used a single one of his abilities, and I want to understand them. Otherwise, what good is this fight?”

  “Ha! Would you like it if I let him face a powered-up version of yourself in a situation like this?”

  “Then you are the system.”

  “No. You wouldn’t comprehend what I am, even if I explained it to you. Not that it matters, as you will still die.”

  In an instant, Matt felt himself propelled backward, both arms severed, pain radiating through him as he transferred those wounds back to the false Vassilis. Only he noticed that his health had plummeted to under 2%, a bitter curse escaping his lips as he lamented entering this battle in such a weakened state. Despite the overwhelming odds, he gritted his teeth, relief washing over him when he hit the ground and rolled to a stop, discovering that the false Vassilis had vanished.

  While this didn’t signify the end of the fight, it granted Matt a fleeting chance to recover as he awaited the next round. The pressing question lingered: how long would he have? Determined to restore his health, he sank down to the ground, harnessing his luck essence and regeneration to stimulate his recovery rate while below 10% HP. He hoped for just a few precious minutes before the fight resumed, knowing that such an opportunity might not come again.