Amongst the hallway's doors, Ethan finds stairs leading to the castle's ramparts. Moats lie below, too deep to see to the bottom. Russ walks beside Ethan. He twitches his head, each time with a snarl. He's frustrated, or at least it's the way he usually shows it.

They reach a circular observation platform. Russ lies down under a stone bench, starring at the platform's entrance. Ethan gazes at the vast, desolate expanse with predator's sight. He spots a dozen humans, all journeying to the castle. From this spot, he can make out some of their features, searching for Hayes among them. Unable to find him, he thinks, 'He has a fifteen-hour head start on me. Can I even catch up? The wait is killing me.'

Keeping his sight on the ramparts, he sits down on Russ' stone bench. The cold air gliding over the ramparts carries a scent of rot. Discomfort forming in his throat, Ethan lies down on the bench, below the winds.

Scanning around for any sign of surveillance, Ethan summons his status. He looks to the side at Russ', but nothing seems to have changed for now.

Ethan Reed

Lv.16 (Harbinger) High-Human

Lv.13/20 (Arsenal)

Strength: 27 + Charisma: 15 +

Dexterity: 23 + Perception: 20 +

Constitution: 26 + Willpower: 26 (24) +

Intelligence: 25 +

Available characteristic points: 6

Talents

Oracle

Pastseer

Rapid martial growth

???

Titles

Dungeon conqueror (D)

First dungeon conqueror (D)

Dungeon conqueror (E)

Dungeon conqueror (F)

First dungeon conqueror (F)

First hunter

Goblin hunter

Hobgoblin hunter

Human hunter

Kin slayer

Kobold hunter

Skeleton hunter

Slayer of the first incursion

Warg hunter

Abilities

Anonymity (E)

Identification (F)

Inventory (F)

Insight (F)

Martial skill echo (F)

Piercing shot (E)

Predator's sight (E)

Prescience (F)

Silent steps (F)

Spell casting (E)

Strengthening (E)

'I completely missed that I had a new ability,' Ethan thinks. He looks at it, pondering what it may do. He stands up, stretching lightly. 'Martial skill echo.'

A glowing mist escapes his entire body, forming into a dim specter of himself. It raises its guard, using Ethan's default hand-to-hand stance for duels.

Russ growls, crawling from under the bench to face the thing. 'Down,' Ethan orders. Russ obeys, but his eyes stay on the thing as he continues growling.

"That's remarkably identical to me," Ethan thinks aloud. He throws a punch at it, the specter deflecting with Ethan's techniques. It follows up with a counterattack, aimed at Ethan's sternum.

Ethan catches its fist. "You have my technique, but your strength is lacking," Ethan says. He pours more Ether into the connection linking them, the specter's strength increasing in proportion. 'That's less effective than Strengthening.'

'Cancel martial skill echo,' Ethan thinks, loathing how long this is to say or think. The specter vanishes. 'The ability name isn't unarmed combat echo. So, what if I give it a weapon?'

Ethan retriggers the skill, simultaneously thinking of his M4 to summon it. To his surprise, the rifle appears in the specter's hands; it assumes a shooting stance, ready to clear the ramparts.

'Go there,' Ethan thinks, focusing on a far spot. The specter breaks into a run, aiming its rifle as it moves. Russ raises his head, unsure of the order's meaning.

'Come back,' Ethan orders, careful not to use Russ' commands. The specter turns around and runs back to the platform. The fact that it understands natural language is impressive. But how complex could Ethan word his orders? Could he use this thing to cover him with a sniper rifle? Could he order it to poison a drink or place explosives?

'What happens if someone damages it?' Ethan thinks. Summoning Phantom Reaver, he swings his arm faster than the specter can react. Its head splits from its torso, floating in the air until the specter vanishes. Ethan's heart contorts, some of his life force escaping from it, vanishing without a trace.

"That was dumb," Ethan blames himself. His M4 vanishes with the entity, returning to his inventory. 'But that's a good thing to know. Is there a distance limit to its ability to return my weapon? I should test it extensively when I have the time.'

Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

Ethan looks back at his status. He raises his Strength to thirty and his Perception to twenty-one, keeping two potential points for his Willpower. Ether manifests from thin air, seeping into his muscles, tendons, eyes, ears, and nerves. Still unable to perceive the source of the system's Ether, he closes the window.

Ethan sits back down, summoning his history book to continue where he left off. The next chapters explore the void left by the war and the many countries that sprout after, including Amberfell. He loses himself to his reading, realizing minutes later that he lost his focus on the outside world.

As a precaution, Ethan triggers predator's sight to spy on everyone inside the castle. Coming from under, ragged gasps reach Ethan's ears. He looks down and sees Fabio's figure squirming on a bed, his heart racing. 'Is he having sex?' Ethan asks himself. Fabio's movements and the placement of his hands correspond, but not the fact that no one appears on top of him. Two moaning voices with no seeable sources reach him. 'How hard is it to understand? Don't commit sins in this place.'

He hears the door leading to the ramparts groaning. A feminine figure steps through, her posture betraying Ivy. She looks beyond the ramparts to the desolated lands as she approaches. She doesn't seem to be searching for Ethan. Is she seeking some fresh air?

Ivy reaches the platform's entrance. Russ barks, scaring her. 'Shush,' Ethan thinks. He twists to sit on the bench rather than lying on it. He locks eyes with her, silently commanding her to go away.

Ivy enters the platform and sits on the opposite bench. She says, "Sorry for earlier."

"You already apologized three times; I think that’s enough," Ethan says. "Where are your bodyguards?"

"With Mikko and Andrei. They wanted to train on their Ether manipulation. And Fabio is searching for a place to sleep; he was tired," Ivy answers.

"Sure," Ethan says, the word escaping him. "I told you to not follow me."

"I didn't follow you," Ivy retorts. She smiles lightly. "And besides, I don't think I'm in danger with you around."

"You are the worst judge of character I ever met," Ethan says. Images of the many people he tricked flash in his mind, making him smirk as he realizes she's not. He places his book down, not wanting her to see him use Inventory. "How is it I don't scare you?"

Ivy looks down to avoid Ethan's gaze. Moving her hands against each other, she sighs. "You helped us twice without asking anything in return. No matter what the obelisk referred to, you're not deranged or mad; that's the kind of people that scare me."

"Who's to say I'm not mad?" Ethan says. Once again, he spoke his mind without his usual restraints. This place's influence is dangerous. He straightens himself, focusing on this conversation and his own words.

"I've known enough of them to recognize mad people. Irrational, emotional, violent, and insulting people," Ivy says. She looks down, as if she realized she wouldn't normally share this either.

"Perhaps we shouldn't talk. Avoid sharing too much," Ethan says.

"Actually, I came here exactly for that," Ivy begins. "You were the first to understand what this place is about."

"Not entirely," Ethan cuts.

"You might be our best chance to find out how to pass this level," Ivy continues. She fiddles with her thumbs and then says, "Derek didn't commit any crime before, but Grant and I did. He was a thief, a real one. He stole from jewelry stores; he never killed or even hurt anyone, but it isn't less of a crime. And I … I … When I was a kid, I … killed my father."

Ethan triggers predator's sight. Her heart is beating fast; what she did weighs on her. Yet her expression and voice are neutral, devoid of emotion. Is she lying? But to what goal? Ethan shuts down predator's sight and locks eyes with her.

"My mother lied, and the judge concluded to self-defense. But I attacked him when he had his back turned," Ivy says. Her heart is still racing, throbbing the same vein as before.

"Why?" Ethan asks, the question escaping him.

"I … He drank a lot and be– passed his anger on my mom. On that night she was so injured she couldn't walk, and I couldn't take it anymore," Ivy says.

"I don't know what to tell you. Not about what you did, but about its impact on whatever the next trial is," Ethan says.

"Could it be that it will judge us on everything we did? That's how it works in religions from Christianity to old Egypt," Ivy asks.

"If this place judges past crimes, or even just deadly sins, no one can pass it," Ethan says. "What child didn't steal something out of envy, even if it's candy in their parents' cupboard? Who never wanted more than they had? Who never did anything reprehensible in anger? The weird part about this place is that it coerces into committing sins. I doubt it works with our laws, but being in control of yourself is necessary to be guilty of a crime."

'I don't feel guilty of anything I did, but I was clearly conscious of every crime I committed,' Ethan thinks. His own heart rate rises. Could it be that only the pure of heart can pass this trial?

"What if instead of resisting the urge, people gave into it? Would they be guilty then?" Ivy asks. Her heart calms. Her body returned to the calm state her mind never left, making Ethan ponder if she was somehow faking it.

"Most likely," Ethan answers. It cannot be all there is to it; otherwise, why would the furies eye those they are supposed to punish?

"Thank you," Ivy says. "I don't know exactly what you are, but I feel like we can trust you."

"I'm only taking care of the both of us. If I save someone else in the process, it's a happy side effect," Ethan says. How can someone say that after reading the obelisk's answer? Unless this is a failed attempt at charm, she is far too trustful for her own good. He picks up the history book and resumes his reading, making it clear that the conversation ends there.

Ivy stands up, a light smile on her face. Dusting herself, she walks off the platform, towards the door leading downstairs. She gasps right before Russ begins to growl.

Alecto's sabatons echo from the door as she approaches with her hands behind her back. Ethan stands up, grabbing Russ' collar in prevention.

Ivy steps back, reentering the platform and placing herself further away than Ethan. Frost coalesces around her hand as she draws Ether from the surroundings.

Alecto stops a few paces away. "The lord is awaiting you," she says. Without waiting for an acknowledgement, she turns on her heels and walks back to the door.