"Four days," I mused as my gaze fell upon the intricate pocket watch I had acquired from the enchanting markets of Easrich. Time had seemingly slipped away, and for what felt like an eternity, I had been navigating this enigmatic maze, each moment fraught with challenges and intrigue.
Within its enigmatic confines, I had stumbled upon a plethora of rooms, each presenting a unique blend of puzzles, enigmas, and treacherous traps. It was a place of both wonder and danger, where every step was a test of wit and courage.
In some rooms, I found myself at a crossroads where the choice of path held the weight of unknown consequences. It was as if the maze itself taunted me, demanding that I unravel its secrets to earn my passage.
The realisation dawned upon me that the Blessing of Seersight, a formidable gift that allowed me to peer into the future, possessed a limitation. I could harness its power only once a day, and thereafter, it seemed to require a period of recharge before it could be wielded again.
While this restriction posed a challenge, it also imbued a sense of strategy and caution in my approach, making me contemplate the most opportune moments to activate this invaluable ability during my perilous journey through the labyrinth.
As I ventured deeper into the maze, my senses had already proven their worth, aiding me in evading treacherous traps and unforeseen dangers. However, I knew that I must exercise prudence in relying too heavily on this power, for its overuse might leave me vulnerable during the most crucial junctures of my odyssey.
Stepping into the next room, the flickering torches cast eerie shadows on the aged walls, hinting at the mysteries concealed within. My gaze swept across the chamber, and the remnants of a past presence caught my discerning eye. It was as if a phantom, an intrepid soul, had traversed these very halls before me.
Curiosity piqued, I spoke to myself, breaking the solemn silence that enveloped the room: "This is strange... It looks like someone has been here before." The remnants of their passage revealed themselves subtly—a worn footprint etched in the dust, a displaced stone in the floor, and an intricate symbol barely discernible upon the walls. My mind swirled with questions, and I found myself yearning to uncover the identity and motives of this prior traveller.
In the labyrinth’s intricate web of paths and trials, I had arrived at this particular room by selecting one of the eight options that had presented themselves in the previous circular chamber.
As I surveyed the surroundings, a jolt of realisation surged through me like a bolt of lightning. My keen eyes discerned the telltale remnants of a dark, blackish mass—something I knew all too well.
"The Void Order... they were here!" I couldn’t help but exclaim, my mind filled with concern for the safety of my companions. The unmistakable signs left behind were unmistakable—Voidlings had traversed these very grounds.
The presence of the Void Order in this sacred space was troubling. Their motives for being here were undoubtedly sinister, and it left me with a gnawing sense of unease. I could sense that they were searching for something specific, and the freshness of the traces indicated that their visit had been recent.
"I have a hunch... They are here searching for the fragment," I whispered in a hushed voice, trying to decipher their intentions. If the Void Order managed to locate the fragment, the heart of Limbo itself, the consequences would be catastrophic. This entire realm, the tomb of the 9th Overseer, would be at risk of collapsing, plunging into an abyss of chaos.
Though this place held great significance for the Void Order, it was not yet confirmed that the fragment they sought lay here. The uncertainty only heightened the urgency of the situation.
"There’s no time to waste on conjecture. I must put a stop to their plans as swiftly as possible!" I declared as I walked towards the exit.
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**
Over the past few hours, I had rushed through several rooms, seeking a way out, only to be faced with an insurmountable roadblock.
I took a deep breath, forced myself to calm down, and carefully surveyed my surroundings. My previous haste had caused me to overlook important details in the room that now stood before me.
It differed significantly from the other challenging rooms I had encountered thus far. Here, there were no traps or lurking monsters. Instead, the walls bore an intricate carving painted in a serene shade of light blue, giving the chamber a somewhat grand appearance akin to a majestic dining hall.
As I inspected the walls, I noticed strange engravings in an unfamiliar language, leaving me utterly puzzled and unable to grasp their meaning. Trying to decipher the words only led to a throbbing headache, forcing me to abandon the attempt.
The room’s large expanse was adorned with numerous wooden tables painted in a deep blue hue. On these tables lay various flasks and test tubes of different shapes and sizes, now veiled in a layer of dust that I carefully wiped away during my examination.
Midway through my exploration, a faint noise caught my attention. Turning my gaze to its source, I beheld a peculiar apparition materialising before me. My initial instinct was to view it as an adversary, but upon closer observation, I recognised the figure as a man. With his pallid, almost ghostly white skin and deep blue eyes, he seemed more like a creature than a human.
Draped in a dark blue robe embellished with enigmatic patterns, he exuded an aura of scholarly knowledge. His appearance was intriguingly crowned by a pair of blue-tinted glasses, adding an air of mystique to his visage.
Uncertain whether he was an enemy or an ally, I mustered the courage to speak, "Who are you...?" However, to my astonishment, there was no response. Suddenly, something bizarre unfolded before me. The man began to walk towards me, yet as he approached, his image started to distort, and he passed right through me, as if he were a ghost or a mere projection.
The realisation struck me like a bolt of lightning. The man I saw was not physically present in the room. Instead, it was like a recording or a projection played out before me as if to convey a message from the past or some other realm.
"It seems you have ventured here, stranger, an intrepid soul who has reached this place before all others. I, Nelchael, stand as the architect of this place, together with my brethren, hailing from realms beyond your understanding."
"We wove these intricate mazes to shield something precious from a singular individual—that’ enigmatic being. It is of utmost importance that he never amasses all nine fragments," spoke Nelchael in a voice that transcended mortal realms, as if borne on the ethereal winds.
"At the moment of this recording, the humans of Earth still linger in their nascent stages, and it shall be aeons before they chance upon our creation. I opted for seclusion, dedicating my final days to unravelling a power that could reshape everything."
As soon as Nelchael’s words fell silent, the chamber trembled with an otherworldly resonance. Before my eyes, the very ground rippled and contorted, birthing a stone altar that emerged with gradual grace.
I saw two items resting on the flat surface of the altar. One was a small glass vial containing a vivid green liquid, and the other was a spherical artefact emitting a faint, mystical glow.
"As the first voyager to discover this concealed sanctum within the labyrinth’s depths, I bequeath to you these artifacts." The first, a repository of my research, holds my revelations, albeit unfinished. I entrust you to continue my endeavour," he paused, a cosmic sigh woven into his words.
"And the second gift, from me to you, is the liquid within the vial. Imbibing it shall bestow upon you the vision to perceive all. May these blessings aid you on your journey," concluded Nelchael as his projection waned, fading like stars surrendering to the dawn. The recitation had run its course.
The weight of the revelation was overwhelming, and I sat there for a while, attempting to comprehend all the information he had imparted. Ultimately, I decided to take the items with me. While I still held reservations about Nelchael’s intentions, I knew I needed every advantage I could acquire to grow stronger, even if it meant taking risks.
With a gesture of gratitude, I bowed before placing the small glowing sphere into my pocket. Then I opened the glass vial and drank its contents. Instantly, my body felt an icy chill, followed by a searing pain in my eyes that grew increasingly terrifying. It felt as if my eyes were being torn apart. But just as suddenly as the pain had struck, it subsided, and I opened my eyes.
To my surprise, I found myself submerged underwater. Panic enveloped me as I struggled to breathe, and my voice emerged distorted in the water’s depths. I was on the brink of drowning, yet in an instant, everything returned to normal. There appeared to be no visible change in my physical form.
While the room remained unchanged, a door materialised, signifying the exit. Before me lay the empty altar, with the door now revealed behind it. Stepping towards the door, a resonating voice filled my mind.
[ You have received a hidden blessing: Nelchael’s eyes. ]