...In persistent pursuit of the dragon's heart, Sarah races time for two grueling days, succumbing finally to sheer exhaustion. Collapsed on the ground, she scans the horizon for the heart, but her efforts yield no sight of it.
Sarah "Fuck... what a waste of time?"
As she rises... her legs quiver. With each step, she draws closer to the river's edge.
Pausing, she drinks in her reflection. An odd sensation stirs within her, not a physical shift, but an awakening at her very core. The person once clouded by imperfection seems to have vanished.
Could this be self-confidence? Sarah never thought she would see the day.
Sarah "So this is how it feels... to achieve something. It's great... no. It's amazing! I feel fucking amazing!"
In a burst of adrenaline, The Aspect of Fiction bounds across the river with pride. Under the watchful gaze of an ancient tree, Sarah settles down, laying her equipment to rest.
Sarah " 45 slime icicles, Razor Greatblade, Sharp Duality, Electrical steel cloak, Frost Blubber glove... I don't know if I should be considered stacked or not."
Stowing her gear back into her inventory, she ascends the tree, masking a yawn before surrendering to a brief slumber.
At dusk, she's roused by a thunderous crash.
Sarah "What the fuck?! What was that?!"
Hastily, she descends and sprints towards the river. On the other side, she watches in disbelief as two biomes crumble into ruin. With bated breath, Sarah peers over the precipice...
Nothingness, an impenetrable abyss. The sight robs her of her newfound confidence, filling her with immense dread.
The night passes sleeplessly, the incident stirring a tumult of anxiety within her. Sarah finds herself captivated by the remaining biome, contemplating the anomaly till dawn. Exhausted by her own restlessness, Sarah decides to chart a course for the next land.
Sarah "Hmmm, I'll call this one The Land of Grass and Mazes, or LOGAM for short."
Buoyed by her decision, Sarah makes a bold leap across the river, meeting the imposing wall of the maze with a nod of respect.
The maze responds with a rustling sound that ends in an eerie ring, falling into a disquieting silence. The grass shaping the wall bows inward, carving an S-shaped gateway.
Sarah "Okay... Now I know that you're fucking trolling me! Let's see how you deal with this."
Taking a leap of faith, Sarah tries to land atop the maze, only to tumble headlong into the grass... it grows taller.
Sarah "Fuck. You thought ahead, huh? Shit. Fine. I'll do your stupid maze!"
Drawing a deep breath for courage, she steps into the "S". Turning around, she realizes the entrance remains open behind her.
Sarah "Suspicious. I was expecting it to close. Then again you have no choice but to be fair. Right? Douchebag!"
Suddenly, a fierce gust of wind slams her to the ground with a force so spiteful it nearly takes her breath away.
Sarah "Sheesh! You should take a fucking chill pill. Or better... a snicker! And stuff it up your ass!"
Wandering through the labyrinth's grassy corridors, Sarah is met with one impasse after another. Mysterious sounds, initially faint but growing in intensity, echo from behind the walls.
Unsheathing her daggers, she conducts a survey of her surroundings. Yet... she finds nothing out of the ordinary.
Sarah "Okay! This isn't funny, dude! Come out and fight me!"
Alas, nothing occurs and she presses onward. Hours meld into days, and her hope begins to wane. The gargantuan egg, peeking from the maze's prime, seems to recede further with each attempted approach.
With a weary gaze, Sarah turns her attention back to the verdant walls.
Sarah "Wait, what if I... No! there would be a twist to it... but I have no choice. Fuck!"
Swiftly, she wields her blades, mowing down a sizable swath of the grass. The strange, eerie sound resonates again as the grass regrows, restoring its initial height.
Sarah "Welp. There goes that idea."
As she settles down, her right foot thumps against the shorn grass.
Then, the noise returns. The grass sprouts furiously, expanding until it collides with a distant wall.
Sarah "Woah! That was awesome!"
Methodically, she grasps a single blade of grass, her fingers enveloping it completely. The blade elongates, stretching upward until she relinquishes her grip. Intriguing ideas spring to mind.
With a two-fingered pinch, the grass lunges forward, mimicking the thrust of a blade, its tip blunt and harmless.
Employing three fingers, she observes the grass move as if animated. A revelation strikes her— the blade's tip is somehow responding to the direction of her gaze.
She pinches the grass with four fingers. Ouch! The docile blade morphs, sprouting prickly thorns. She swishes it around, the grass responding with the flexibility of a whip.
Sarah "Okay, now I just... need to be careful. Ugh, that was painful..."
With her free hand, she gently grazes the thorny grass, cautiously detaching it. The grass reverts to its original state.
For a final experiment, Sarah fastens the grass around her left thumb. It morphs, growing denser and more resilient.
Using a three-finger pinch, she wills the grass to bind itself to one of her daggers.
Success! Encouraged, she secures another blade of grass around her left thumb, binding it to her other dagger.
Sarah "Holy shit! I'm like Kretos from The God of Mayhem series. This is so fucking awesome!"
Continuing her pinch the grass, Sarah maneuvers her floating weapons above her. In her right hand, she grips her great blade.
Sarah "Okay. Now I'm decked out! Triple wielding for the win!"
Her gaze drifts between the grass wall and the ground below.
Sarah "Hold on a minute. Don't I have a-
Unsheathing her shovel, she breaks the ground beneath the wall, scooping out the earth persistently until she perceives the wall's other side. Peering down into the cavity she's excavated—
A hole? From the pitch abyss, a pale hand extends, seemingly reaching for or tugging at something invisible.
Sarah "The grass! So it was you!"
With a swift downward stroke, Sarah severs the intruding hand with her great blade.
In its place, a green seed materializes, which she stows in her inventory.
An unnerving chorus of moans and cries reverberates through the maze, a cacophony so deafening it's almost unbearable. She tries to shield her ears from the onslaught of sound. Yet, as abruptly as it began, the noise subsides. When she opens her eyes, the maze has vanished, replaced by a single path leading straight to the egg.
Sarah "Okay... That was easy."
Upon reaching the shell, she knocks on it. Silence. She leans closer, lending an ear.
The sound is unusual, reminiscent of a flock of birds foraging, pecking at the ground in a feeding frenzy, their beaks crunching through seeds.
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
She retrieves the seed from her inventory, placing it against the shell.
The seed's vibrant green pigment seeps into the shell, spiraling over its surface until the egg fractures open. What emerges is... umm... a giant chicken?
Sarah "Wow... that's a bit fucking anti-climactic. Okay, then I am having KFC for breakfast."
The gigantic chicken pays her no mind, striding away nonchalantly. Sarah trails behind until the bird halts. Its gaze is fixed on something... a spot where the maze's wall once stood.
With a decisive peck, it extracts a massive pale worm from the ground, a writhing mass of countless arms.
The worm struggles vainly for freedom, but its fate is sealed as the chicken slurps it up like spaghetti before searching for more. Observing the bird's fascination with these worms, an idea sparks in Sarah's mind. She studies the creature's eyes, attempting to anticipate its next target.
Sarah "Bingo! Now we wait..."
The chicken strikes again, revealing another worm, this one plumper than its predecessor. Sarah can't help but notice the chicken's clear delight. So evident is its joy that it toys with its meal, rolling the squirming creature on the ground, gradually nibbling away at its numerous limbs.
Sarah "There is it! Now!"
As the chicken begins to hoist the worm, Sarah commands her floating daggers to latch onto it.
Swinging back and forth, she builds momentum, launching herself toward the chicken's neck. Her great blade swoops down with ferocious force, cleaving through half of its girth.
With a squawk of agony, the chicken releases the worm and thrashes about wildly, but Sarah maintains her grip.
Attempts to extricate her weapon prove futile. She directs her daggers to slice the surrounding flesh around the great blade, but it doesn't budge. Then— a new strategy forms in her mind.
Instructing her daggers to deliver powerful, piercing thrusts rather than slashes, she loosens a finger at the last moment— Two forceful stabs bore through the chicken's neck.
Sarah "Yes! FUCK YES! I did it! I-
The chicken's right leg strikes out, sending Sarah careening out of the LOGAM. Her body slams into a tree, splitting it in half.
Her consciousness flickers in and out, each lucid moment revealing the colossal chicken's body collapsing like a ragdoll. Relieved, Sarah glances at the remaining tree stump, thankful the launch spared her right hand from being crushed.
Sarah "I think... I had enough for one day"
... Sarah wakes to the sound of ringing.
Sarah "Aaaaaaaaaaaaah! Fuck! What the fuck?!"
With a swift, irritated swipe, she dismisses the pop-up window, her eyes suspiciously...
Sarah "What?! This is day 40! Jesus! How long was I asleep?!"
Attempting to stand, she finds her feet numb and unresponsive. Utilizing a fallen branch as a makeshift cane, she sets out toward the final biome. As she traverses, she notices the maze now reduced to nothing. A sigh escapes her lips as she lets out her frustration at the fallen labyrinth. With a stomp, she presses onward...
Sarah "Huh? That's odd..."
The looming forest, once a dark and foreboding silhouette, now seems less intimidating. The sight before her is a spectacle beyond description. The interplay of light and shadow between the trees alternates in a mesmerizing pattern.
Gradually, her feet regain their strength, her pace quickening.
Sarah "Oh thank fucking god. Maybe a little bit of exercise wouldn't hurt."
Sarah runs along the outline of the island, eventually halting at her starting point. An icy breeze brushes against her face.
Sarah "Okay. That was cold... like really cold. Earthas... Was that you?"
Growing increasingly suspicious, she takes the leap onto the biome. A beckoning radiance invites her to proceed, but she opts for the path shrouded in darkness. As expected, it's pitch black.
Suddenly, a brief flash illuminates her surroundings, followed by a blood-curdling scream.
The sound sends a jolt of icy fear through her bones, rendering her right arm numb. Her greatsword slips from her weakened grasp. As Sarah kneels to retrieve it—
The sound of bone crunching underfoot fades into the distance.
Sarah "Hey! Give me back my-Aaargh!"
Something claws her stomach. Clutching the bleeding wounds, Sarah feels a sickening sensation as her innards threaten to spill out, a wave of dizziness sweeping over her.
Desperation sets in. She pinches the blades with three fingers of her left hand, commanding them to drop and retreat. There's a resistance... something is tugging on the daggers.
Sarah "Two of them. Damn... must be my lucky day!"
Pressing her fingers harder, she feels her unseen daggers pierce two creatures. Twin guttural gurgles confirm their demise.
Sarah "Wow, that noise lol. Wait. Is that light?!"
Sarah drags herself toward the source of a blue luminescence, which turns out to be the creatures' ethereal blood. Assured of no approaching footsteps, she hastily extracts four syringes. Administering them, she witnesses the miraculous healing of her severe wound and damaged innards, while the paralysis in her right arm dissipates.
Her attention falls upon the glowing pool of blood.
Sarah "My mind is telling but my body is telling me... FUCK YES!!!"
She scoops up the luminous liquid and brings it to her lips. The taste is bizarre, a blend of pig blood mingled with a robust oily flavor.
Sarah "Seriously. No superpowers or anything-
Her vision sharpens, illuminating the surrounding darkness! Overwhelmed with joy, Sarah bounces up and down. To her right, trees stand so close together that the gaps between them are impassable. In two of these trees, she spots hollow cavities filled with dry leaves and an assortment of strange, primitive weapons.
Sarah "Do these guys like weapons? Speaking of..."
Sarah shifts her gaze to the corpses. These are humanoid squirrels, equipped with claws that could rival any weapon in sharpness.
She reaches out to stroke their fur, finding it to be ordinary. Slightly disheartened, she presses onward. Her path leads straight to an enormous indentation in the ground, akin to a crater formed by a meteor.
Within this natural amphitheater, small huts and planter pots spiral towards its center where the biome's egg is nestled. Encircling the egg are more of the humanoid squirrels, these ones lacking the freaky claws of their fallen brethren.
Sarah "Wait, that is weird. Why don't they have those claws? Unless... those two were outsiders. No... more like outcasts."
Shaking off the unpleasant thoughts, she opts to quietly observe. The squirrels are performing some sort of ritual dance around the egg. Abruptly, one squirrel raises its hand, and all activity halts...
Sarah "That guy must be the chief or something. Wait, that's my weapon!"
As the apparent chieftain reveals Sarah's lost great blade, the crowd gasps collectively. An elderly squirrel approaches the chief, a smile of recognition on its face. A cluster of other squirrels carries forth a wrapped object from one of the larger huts. As they unwrap it, it reveals an exact replica.
Sarah "No, that's impossible."
Every feature, from blade to hilt, mirrors her weapon. She surmises it could be a mimic weapon, capable of duplicating the properties of other weapons. The crowd bursts into enthusiastic cheers as the chief effortlessly lifts both weapons.
Sarah "Damn, that's one tough squirrel."
Another group of squirrels joins the gathering, bearing a stone table. Strapped to the table is a squirrel, its ferocious red eyes and vicious claws similar to the outcasts. The crowd starts to hum in unison as the chief positions the table before the egg and delivers a swing.
A crimson tide blankets the table. Sarah takes note of the egg, its lower half gradually adopting the same bloody hue.
Sarah "Oh so that's how I make it hatch."
Sarah waits until every squirrel goes to bed.
Sarah initiates her deadly quest from the outskirts, each dwelling invaded with an icicle gripped in her hand. With quick precision, she delivers lethal strikes to the necks of the squirrels, preserving silence as her ally. Eventually, she confronts the sleeping chief, and with dual icicles, she ends his reign.
His eyes bulge out and his tiny arms flail towards her.
Sarah "Sorry, little dude but you just got euthanized."
As she exits the house, she encounters the elder. Startled by her presence, the aged squirrel succumbs to a heart attack and dies on the spot.
Sarah "Well, that was easy. Thank god, I didn't have to kill an old person. I mean squirrel! Fuck!"
The egg melts... morphing into a slurry of crimson ooze.
The globular mass rises, merging into a monstrous worm.
This creature sprouts a dozen limbs, evenly distributed on each side. Its abdomen tears open, revealing a spine-like protrusion.
Innumerable pale feathers sprout, enveloping the spine in an angelic display.
Sarah "Okay. Now that is fucking awesome!"
Armed with the original greatsword and its mimic, Sarah leaps onto the behemoth's back, swinging with all her might...
Sarah "Shit! Why isn't working?!"
Her assault seems futile, her strikes merely echoing through the somber forest.
The creature retaliates, it's tail sweeping away her greatsword and knocking the mimic from her grasp.
A barrage of feathers ejects from its tail, embedding in her skin, before detonating, flaying the flesh from her bones.
In a panic, she applies her remaining bandages, grabbing the mimicked weapon as she retreats further from the beast.
The edges of her vision begin to blur into darkness.
Sarah "Oh shit! Shit! Shit!! Shit!!!"
She spots the corpses of the two outcasts. Hope is rekindled, and Sarah takes off with a burst of speed, running like a cheetah.
The darkness closes in again, but she keeps pushing forward. A stumble... it must be the bodies.
Courage taking hold, she locates one of their arms and sinks her teeth into the flesh.
The taste of fur and dirt threatens to turn her stomach, but she continues chewing. She ingests the meat and expels the fur much like a cat. Looking back, she sees the monstrous worm inching closer.
Sarah directs her daggers at its leg.
Success! But the creature adapts, slithering on its belly at an even greater speed. She attempts to command her blade when—
The worm's tail elongates, shattering her daggers and snaking toward her through the grass.
Sarah unties her thumb and flees.
A dead-end. She unsheathes her axe, infusing it with a layer of frost.
She unleashes a barrage of icy beams, yet the creature remains unaffected.
Feeling defeated and weak, Sarah is on the verge of collapsing, her vision blurred with tears. Then... she glances at her weapon. Could it be... shedding tears too?
Sarah "So this thing... doesn't only mimic weapons. Huh... Wait maybe if I?"
She begins to dance, her right hand gripping the mimicked weapon while her left hand appears to clutch at thin air as if there is something there.
Her movements evolve, the dance turning into a series of aggressive moves. Sarah hurls both the mimicked and imaginary weapon into the fray.
As they hurtle through the air, she envisions the two weapons colliding. And they do... causing the mimicked weapon to morph into a familiar disk.
Sarah "Finally. I miss you so much! Don't ever leave me again!"
Her spoken command reaches the ring, and it obeys, returning to the hand of its master.
The beast grows increasingly agitated and quickens its pace. It prepares to boost its tail once more—
The creature is sliced clean in two.
Sarah "Sorry but you're just a bit too slow."
|Congratulations, Aspect of Fiction. You have completed this ultra-hard trial and reached level 2.|
|You have earned Vortex Battery (Weapon Recall)|
With her head held high and a satisfied smile on her face, Sarah exits the trial, her back adorned with 12 gray quills surrounding a battery.