Chapter 43: Astral Spectacle

The Silver Serpents barely had time to catch their breath as they arrived at the next chamber. This room was unlike anything they had seen before. The walls shimmered with a cosmic glow, as if the very fabric of reality had been peeled back to reveal the star-strewn void beyond. The tracks wove through the room in a complex figure-eight pattern, looping around swirling astral formations that pulsed with energy.

“Is it just me, or does this feel way more ominous than the forge room?” Tomas muttered, his grip tightening on the steering wheel of his cart.

“No, it’s definitely worse,” Lirien replied, her sharp eyes scanning the room. “And where’s the exit? I don’t see a door.”

As if in answer to her question, a deep, resonant voice echoed through the chamber, its tone filled with disdainful amusement. “You dare to enter my domain uninvited?” Zyrris materialized in the center of the room, his form flickering like a living constellation. His robes seemed to shift between dimensions, trailing streams of astral light as he hovered effortlessly above the track. “Foolish mortals. You shall find no mercy here.”

Baldric gripped his mace tightly, his knuckles turning white. “Oh, great. Another big-talker boss. Can’t wait to shut him up.”

“Careful,” Tink said from her cart. “This one doesn’t look like he’s playing around.”

Without warning, Zyrris raised his hands, and a swirling rift opened directly in front of Tomas’ cart. The gravitational pull of the Celestial Rift yanked the cart toward it, the tires screeching against the road as Tomas struggled to maintain control.

“Help!” Tomas shouted, hitting the accelerator as hard as he could. The cart slowed, but the pull was relentless.

“On it!” Lirien called. She veered her cart toward him, using her own speed to bump him out of the rift’s influence. “Keep your eyes open! This place is full of tricks.”

Zyrris laughed, the sound cold and mocking. “You are but ants scrambling in the dark.”

The room lit up as several Astral Beacons materialized along the track, glowing faintly as they began to drift slowly along the path. The orbs pulsed with shifting colors, their purpose unclear.

“What are those things?” Baldric asked, pointing at one of the beacons as it floated past him.

“No idea,” Korwin replied, his eyes narrowing. “But I don’t trust them.”

Tomas, still shaken from his near-death experience, swerved slightly to avoid another bend in the track. In his haste, his cart clipped one of the Astral Beacons, causing it to burst into light. A shimmering aura enveloped him, and a notification appeared in the corner of his vision:

Astral Protection Activated: Immune to Celestial Rift - Buff Duration: 4 minutes. Buffs Collected: 1/4

“Uh, guys? Something just happened,” Tomas said, blinking at the display. “I think... I got a buff?”

“What?” Lirien asked. “What kind of buff?”

“Not sure, but it says I’m immune to that gravity thing he just did. I’ve got a timer and everything.”

“Well, that’s good news,” Korwin said, though his tone was cautious.

“But it looks like we’ll need all of those buffs if we’re going to survive this,” Tomas added.

Zyrris, noticing Tomas’ newfound aura, sneered. “Ah, so you’ve discovered my beacons. Very well, let us see how far your mortal cleverness takes you.”

With a wave of his hand, Zyrris summoned Astral Projections—five shimmering copies of himself that spread out across the room. Each one mimicked his movements, their forms flickering like distorted reflections in a pond.

“They’re multiplying!” Baldric shouted, raising his mace defensively.

“Which one’s the real one?” Tink asked, her voice tense.

Before anyone could answer, the projections unleashed a set of weakened Stellar Barrage attacks, arcs of astral energy streaking toward the adventurers. The bolts homed in on random targets, forcing the team to swerve wildly to avoid them.

Tomas managed to avoid a direct hit, but one of the bolts grazed his cart, leaving a glowing scorch mark on its side. “These things are real enough!” he shouted.

As the team raced along the figure-eight track, the chaos only intensified. Zyrris phased out of sight using Voidwalk, reappearing directly in front of Korwin’s cart with a burst of energy that sent him spinning.

“Watch it!” Korwin shouted, struggling to regain control.

Zyrris laughed again, his voice echoing through the chamber. “You amuse me, mortals. But amusement will not spare you.”

Baldric, fueled by frustration, charged his cart toward one of the projections, swinging his mace wildly. His strike connected, shattering the projection into shards of light, but he quickly realized his mistake as another projection struck his cart from behind, nearly toppling him.

“Focus, Baldric!” Korwin barked. “We need to figure this out, not charge blindly!”

As the adventurers continued to struggle, Zyrris opened another Celestial Rift, this time in the center of the track’s intersection. The gravitational pull sent debris flying into the air, creating additional hazards for the team to navigate.

Lirien, driving with precision, spotted another Astral Beacon floating near the rift. She gritted her teeth and steered her cart toward it, barely avoiding a loose chunk of stone. The beacon burst into light as she passed through it, granting her another buff:

Astral Protection Activated: Immune to Temporal Stasis - Buff Duration: 4 minutes. Buffs Collected: 1/4

“Got one!” Lirien shouted, her confidence bolstered.

“Good! Keep an eye out for the others!” Korwin replied, dodging another barrage of astral bolts.

As the room descended into chaos, Zyrris hovered above the track, his eyes glowing with malevolent light. “You are persistent,” he said, his voice dripping with disdain. “But persistence alone will not save you.”

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

The adventurers, battered but determined, pushed forward, their carts weaving through the labyrinth of danger. The figure-eight track made them feel as though they would be coming around the track forever, and Zyrris showed no signs of letting up.

“We need a plan!” Korwin shouted. “This isn’t working!”

As the team raced toward the next bend, another set of Astral Beacons appeared, their faint glow offering a glimmer of hope amid the chaos. Zyrris watched them intently, his expression unreadable, as if daring them to continue.

The air in the room grew heavier as the Silver Serpents continued to race through the chaos of Zyrris’ domain. The figure-eight track was a whirlwind of flashing Astral Beacons, shimmering projections, and deadly spells, forcing the team to swerve and dodge with every turn of their carts.

“Keep your eyes peeled for the beacons!” Korwin shouted as he narrowly avoided a burst of arcane energy from a projection. His knuckles were white on the steering wheel, sweat dripping down his brow. “We need to get all the buffs if we’re going to survive this!”

Lirien hugged a corner tightly, her cart fishtailing as she maneuvered toward a glowing Astral Beacon hovering near the edge of the track. The cart’s engine roared as she accelerated, slamming into the beacon just as a barrage of Stellar Barrage bolts rained down.

The beacon burst into light, enveloping her cart in a shimmering aura. A notification appeared in her field of view:

Astral Protection Activated: Immune to Voidwalk Burst - Buff Duration: 4 minutes. Buffs Collected: 2/4

“Yes! Got another one!” she shouted, glancing at the counter on her HUD.

“Nice work!” Tomas called back from his own cart.

Suddenly, Zyrris appeared out of nowhere, phasing back into the room with a crackle of energy. His reappearance released a shockwave that rattled the track, and the closest cart—Baldric’s—was thrown into a spin.

“Damn it!” Baldric bellowed, wrenching the wheel to regain control. “This guy’s a nightmare!”

Zyrris raised his hand again, and several shimmering Astral Portals materialized across the track, swirling with cosmic energy. Before the adventurers could react, Baldric’s cart careened straight into one.

“Baldric!” Korwin shouted as the cart vanished into the portal, leaving behind only the faintest shimmer.

The room fell silent for a moment as Baldric’s cart reappeared on the opposite end of the track, completely disoriented. He spun the wheel wildly, trying to regain his bearings as his cart skidded dangerously close to the edge of the track.

“Where the hell am I?” Baldric yelled, his voice echoing through the chamber. “This place is a nightmare!”

“You’re not the only one who thinks that,” Tomas muttered, dodging another portal just in time. His cart clipped the edge of the track, sending sparks flying.

“Stay focused! We’ll regroup!” Korwin shouted, his voice steady despite the chaos.

As Tomas navigated back onto the track, he spotted a beacon ahead. Gritting his teeth, he aimed his cart toward it and slammed into the glowing orb, hoping for something new. Instead, the same notification flashed in his view:

Astral Protection Activated: Immune to Celestial Rift - Buff Duration: 4 minutes. Buffs Collected: 1/4

“Are you kidding me?” Tomas growled, realizing he had just collected the same buff again. “What’s the point if it’s not different?!”

“Looks like it’s random,” Lirien called over the din. “Just keep going. Someone has to get them all!”

Zyrris raised both hands, summoning more Astral Projections that began weaving across the track. The copies mirrored his attacks, sending smaller bursts of Stellar Barrage bolts at the adventurers. Each bolt homed in on the carts, forcing the team to swerve and dodge constantly.

Korwin’s cart skidded as he barely avoided one of the bolts. “This is insane! It’s like he’s everywhere at once!”

“Tell me about it!” Tink yelled as she accelerated, trying to outpace a bolt chasing her. She spotted a beacon in the distance and veered toward it, slamming into the glowing orb just as the bolt grazed her rear wheel.

Astral Protection Activated: Immune to Astral Projection Damage - Buff Duration: 4 minutes. Buffs Collected: 1/4

“Got one!” Tink shouted triumphantly, the counter appearing in her HUD. “This’ll help!”

“Good work!” Korwin replied. “Let’s keep it up!”

With two beacons collected, Lirien spotted another ahead. She aimed her cart for it, dodging past a set of portals and a projection. The beacon burst into light as she passed through it, and her HUD updated again:

Astral Protection Activated: Immune to Temporal Stasis - Buff Duration: 4 minutes. Buffs Collected: 3/4

“That’s three for me!” she called out, her voice filled with determination.

“Good! Let’s get the last one!” Korwin shouted, his eyes darting around the track.

Baldric, finally back on track, spotted a beacon near the center of the room. Gritting his teeth, he aimed his cart for it, determined to contribute. He slammed into the glowing orb, and his HUD updated:

Astral Protection Activated: Immune to Voidwalk Burst - Buff Duration: 4 minutes. Buffs Collected: 2/4

“Got it!” Baldric shouted, a rare grin crossing his face.

“Good job, big guy!” Tink called back. “We’re getting closer!”

As the chaos continued, Korwin spotted another of the beacons floating near the edge of the track. His cart roared as he accelerated toward it, weaving between projections and portals. Just as Zyrris opened another Celestial Rift, Korwin’s cart burst through the glowing orb.

The final notification appeared in his HUD:

Astral Protection Activated: All Buffs Collected - Exit Unlocked: Proceed to the Door

“The exit’s open!” Korwin shouted, relief flooding his voice.

The shimmering outline of a door appeared at the far end of the room, glowing faintly as if beckoning the adventurers forward.

“Let’s move!” Lirien called, her cart already speeding toward the exit.

Zyrris watched from above, his expression unreadable. “So, you’ve managed to overcome my domain. Impressive... for mortals.”

The adventurers’ carts roared toward the door, narrowly avoiding another set of projections as they raced to the exit. As they passed through the glowing threshold, the oppressive energy of the room began to fade, leaving Zyrris alone once more.

“You may have escaped this time,” he muttered, his form flickering. “But the dungeon will not be so kind to you again.”

The adventurers emerged from the room, battered but alive. As they continued, the sight of the starting line and its checkered stone pattern came into view.

"There it is! We made it to the beginning again!" Tink called out, pushing the accelerator harder with the hope blossoming in her chest.

All of them crossed the starting line and immediately hit the brakes. Their carts came to a screeching halt.

Lirien wheeled around, looking each of them in the eye in turn. "Okay, before we continue, we need to have a serious talk."