Chapter 5: Information about Inheritance.

Then, something caught his attention—a voice in his head, a line that rang loud and clear: No one should know about the inheritance, or I’m doomed.

His eyes widened, and his ears seemed to sharpen, like a rabbit hearing the slightest rustle. He had found his new target, and this time, he wasn’t going to mess it up. He knew he had to be careful not to alarm the person. Darin discreetly took a few steps back, observing the man from a distance. The man appeared to be buying materials, particularly weapons, which further confirmed Darin's suspicions. There was a high chance that this person knew not just something about an inheritance.

Darin followed him quietly, staying just out of sight as the man moved from one shop to another. He purchased not only weapons but also healing solutions and low-level spell books. Darin noted that the spell books were likely single-use, able to cast spells only once or twice, based on what he overheard from the man’s thoughts. He was spending a fortune on it.

Keeping his distance, Darin knew he had to approach this opportunity carefully. This man could be the key to unlocking the inheritance he needed, and he couldn’t afford to lose track of him now.

Darin continued to follow the man, though he had already made eye contact with him twice. He felt uneasy about making further eye contacts, unsure of how to approach him directly. For now, he kept a safe distance, watching the man closely. Soon, Darin realized the man’s destination—the Elves Mountains, a nearby mountain range just two hours from the capital. He overheard the man talking to carriage drivers, trying to arrange transportation to the mountains. Sensing an opportunity, Darin decided to act quickly.

He approached the man and, with a steady gaze, asked if he could join him on the trip to the Elves Mountains. The man hesitated, frowning slightly as he took a few seconds to consider the request, but eventually, he agreed.

Together, they searched for a carriage, and after a few minutes, they found one willing to take them—for a slightly higher fee. Both agreed to split the cost, so it wasn’t too burdensome. Once inside the carriage, they introduced themselves. The man explained that he came from a small family and worked as a gardener for the Egon family, a well-known noble house in a small southern region. He was responsible for tending to the gardens at the capital estate.

As the conversation became more comfortable, Darin seized the moment to ask, “Why are you going to the Elves Mountains?”

The man, appearing relaxed, replied, “Oh, nothing much. I’m looking for some rare herbal plants to bring back to the estate. I hope to plant them in the gardens to earn a raise and impress my master.” It was a well-crafted answer, simple and believable.

Darin said nothing in response, but soon after, he heard the man’s thoughts: I can’t talk about the inheritance, or he’ll either run me through with his sword or force me to guide him to it. It’s the secret of my family, and today, I’ll finally claim it and change my life whatever happens.

The revelation startled Darin, but he remained composed.

They reached the mountain, it was massive with thousands of trees. The Elves mountain kept up to its name, half the mountain was made of stones. From the position, he was standing he could see the other sides of the mountain. He could see colorful dots on the mountain, they were people. He wondered where he would find the inheritance in such a big mountain. Then, he looked at Aaron.

A moment later, the man—whom Darin now knew as Aaron—asked him why he was headed to the Elves Mountains. Darin responded calmly, explaining that he was a merchant on a quest in the mountainous region. He went on to elaborate about his current financial struggles, mentioning that, despite his family’s once-renowned name, they were going through tough times. Darin spoke truthfully, hoping to build trust but he didn’t reveal his name.

Aaron seemed impressed by Darin’s honesty, and for the first time, Darin sensed he had gained a small measure of trust from Aaron. This fragile bond might be his key to uncovering more about the secret inheritance Aaron was after.

Darin was on the verge of becoming good friends with Aaron. As a result, Aaron began guiding him through the mountains. Darin had never ventured into the mountains before. As they walked, Darin occasionally made purposeful eye contact, allowing him to pick up Aaron’s thoughts. Aaron remained calm and composed, showing no signs of worry. Darin soon realized that the inheritance Aaron sought was still far from the location he was being shown. Despite his efforts to gather information and scan the surroundings, nothing seemed to yield useful clues.

They continued their journey, engaging in deep conversations about flowers, poisons, and other topics. Darin had to admit, Aaron’s knowledge was impressive. As a gardener in a noble family, his understanding of plants and herbs far exceeded Darin’s own, despite Darin being a young master of a noble house.

Suddenly, a loud blast echoed through the air. Without a word, Aaron sprinted towards the source of the explosion. Darin heard a single thought scream in his mind: *My inheritance!*

Without hesitation, Darin followed him. A short distance later, they reached a pond where several people had gathered, many diving into the water. Darin was confused, unsure of what was happening. He glanced at Aaron, who was already rushing around the pond and diving in without saying a word. Though he couldn’t read Aaron’s thoughts, Darin’s instincts told him that the path to the inheritance lay beneath the pond’s surface.

One by one, the people around the pond were leaping in. After a moment of contemplation, Darin followed their lead, diving into the water. As they swam deeper, they entered a hollow area beneath the surface. It was either a hidden hole or a cave. Darin emerged from the water to find Aaron already on his feet. Only a part of the cave was submerged, the rest dry and spacious. He was able to breathe and so the other people fighting for the inheritance. It was a level clearing, with an obvious path leading forward. Darin noticed the crowd of people rushing towards a gate ahead and realized he had finally found the right place.

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Darin's breath caught in his throat as he gazed at the chaotic scene before him. A crowd clustered at the edge of the vast, yawning cavern, their eyes fixed on the only way forward—a jagged path of floating stones, suspended eerily in mid-air. The broken bridge seemed like a cruel joke, with each stone spaced dangerously far apart, forcing people to take daring leaps from one to the next. Beneath this precarious crossing, a churning sea of putrid, green liquid bubbled menacingly, its rancid stench rising in thick waves. The foul odor clung to the air, curling into noses and throats, turning stomachs. The nauseating reek alone was enough to make the weak stumble, but fear was the only thing keeping most from vomiting.

Suddenly, a person slipped and fell into the green liquid below. The body floated for a moment before going still. Darin immediately realized it was poison—the person had died on impact. He surveyed the path ahead, which stretched a long way forward. A large queue of people waited to cross, and Darin knew that any attempt to rush through the crowd would result in chaos, with others likely pushing him aside. The challenge was clear: to reach the other side, one had to navigate the deadly path carefully, avoiding both the poison below and the aggressive crowd around.

Aaron stood at the edge, contemplating whether to wait in line like the others or take a different route. He was confident in his abilities—he knew that normal poison had no effect on him. Though the risk could cost him his life, he had already tested the strongest poisons, including those from the poison master, and none had harmed him. He was certain of his immunity.

Without further hesitation, he stepped down toward the river of poison. He swallowed hard, his heart racing as he floated near the edge. Glancing up, he saw the long line of people waiting to cross. Anxiety and fear were palpable in the air, though a few brave souls stood out, unafraid of the challenge ahead. People were carefully jumping across the floating stones, each taking their time to navigate the deadly obstacle. Meanwhile, Darin continued to study the poisonous river beneath them, the dim light inside the cave making everything just visible.

[poison has been nullified]

Taking a deep breath, Darin jumped into the river. Within seconds, he plunged into the toxic water and began swimming. He moved quickly, staying as far from the crowd as possible to avoid drawing attention. After a few minutes of swimming through the poisoned river, he saw that it continued to flow, but something felt wrong. He briefly considered letting the current carry him, but the thought of where the river might lead—perhaps to an even more dangerous source—made him reconsider. Whatever lay at the origin of this poison, he had no desire to find out.

Darin climbed out of the river and surveyed his surroundings. Ahead was another path leading to a gate, with people cautiously entering. He observed the obstacles they faced—one wrong step, and arrows or stones would strike from all sides. It was a deadly trap. Those who made a mistake were instantly thrown into the poisonous river below, their bodies discarded like broken toys. He realized that the path was designed to eliminate the weak, ensuring only the brave or skilled could proceed.

He watched as one by one, candidates entered the gate for the second trial. A bulky man stepped inside, but almost immediately, he was hurt. Despite the pain, he pressed forward. An arrow pierced through his hand, and he cried out in agony, but his strength allowed him to keep moving. However, after a few more arrows struck him, the pain became too much to bear. His body weakened, and as he halted, the floor shifted beneath him. He lost his footing and fell into the river below.

The next man entered, moving with remarkable agility. He was fast, dodging the arrows and rolling stones with precision. His movements were calculated, smooth, and deliberate. He timed his steps carefully, never allowing the ground to open up beneath him. Clearly, this man was a skilled and agile professional, a seasoned adventurer with plenty of experience.

Darin felt a shiver of fear as he watched these formidable competitors. The second man, with all his skill, successfully made it through to the next trial. Everyone stood in silent awe, watching him advance to the next stage.

A smirk crossed Darin’s face as he considered the situation. He glanced at the people still attempting to navigate the treacherous path, noting that many of the fearful and inexperienced had already lost their lives. Only the most courageous, the seasoned adventurers, remained. Darin was the youngest in the group, yet he felt a strange thrill watching it all unfold. The number of survivors had dwindled, but the challenge was far from over.

He studied the path again—one wrong move and death was certain. Arrows shot from hidden crevices, and massive stones tumbled down without warning, capable of crushing anyone in an instant. Darin was fortunate not to have to face this obstacle directly. Instead, he quietly made his way back to the river of poison and dove in once more, swimming forward.

As he pressed on, the river’s current intensified. Though it had narrowed, the speed of the water had increased dramatically, making it difficult to swim. Darin struggled against the flow, realizing that the poison was sinking deeper into his skin. Yet, even as he felt its weight dragging him down, he knew no one would dare come near him.

After a challenging swim, Darin reached the end of the river. Exhausted, he climbed out and found himself in a large, dark hall. The room was eerily silent, but the stench of decay filled the air. Skeletons and rotting bodies littered the floor, remnants of those who had perished in this forsaken place. The smell was overwhelming, and the sight of the dead added to the ominous atmosphere.

He had entered the third round, and the trials were only getting more dangerous.

As Darin looked around, he realized there were far fewer people left than when the trial had begun. Many of the survivors stared at him in shock, their attention drawn to the fact that this young boy had made it to the third round without a scratch. Not only that, but they had also noticed he had been submerged in poison and somehow survived. No one dared to approach him. Instead, they glanced around nervously, unsure of what was happening or how to proceed. Everyone was focused on figuring out how to pass this ominous trial.

The hall was dark and eerie, with nothing but old, rusty plants, scattered skeletons, and rotten corpses littering the ground. Darin could tell that many had made it this far, but none had succeeded. There was no clear path forward. He scanned the area, but nothing stood out. Rather than being the first to search for a way through, he decided to sit in a corner and wait for someone else to make a move. He figured that once someone discovered the path, he could follow them.

As he waited, he noticed a man—one of the participants—suddenly collapse to the ground. Everyone tensed, watching in alarm. What had just happened? When they looked closer, they saw it was a tall, muscular man—someone who was clearly neither tired nor injured. Yet there he was, unconscious. A few minutes later, another person collapsed. Something was definitely wrong with this place, but no one could figure out what it was.

Darin looked around again. The hall offered no clues—no visible traps, no clear dangers—yet people were dying. He realized that even the more experienced, stronger participants were falling, and he was in a dangerous position. If things got worse, his plan was to jump into the river of poison and let the current carry him away from the hall. The river, now reduced to a stream, still flowed to one side, and Darin could see steam rising from it. It wasn’t much, but he figured he could escape through it if necessary. For now, though, he decided to wait and observe.

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