Inside the stone structure, a mural stretched across one wall, its colors still vibrant despite its apparent age. The scene depicted was both awe-inspiring and terrifying - a powerful figure in dark robes with silver dragon embellishments on his cuffs, arms raised to the heavens, summoning a rain of meteors upon an army of monstrous, red eyed giants.
Jelani stood transfixed, his mind racing. Could this be some ancient depiction of their patron? The figure in the mural radiated power, the kind of strength that could reshape worlds. How old was this being that had brought them here? In his mind, Jelani imagined an image of a thousand-year-old inter interdimensional wizard, deeply focused on some large scale mystical mission.
Jelani found himself wondering how much of that level of power he could have for himself. As he pondered this question, a movement in his peripheral vision snapped Jelani back to the present. He whirled around, hand summoning his sword, only to see a spectral form taking shape in the distance near another squire. His heart rate spiked, a mix of angst and excitement coursing through him. This was it - a chance to test his new abilities.
But before he could move towards the specters, something else caught his attention. Ahead at a higher elevation, barely visible through the trees, was a massive gray-skinned humanoid creature. Bits of silver armor adorned its body, though much of its stomach and forearms were bare. Even from this distance, Jelani could see how wide and muscular it was.
Activating his threat radar, Jelani saw the creature labeled as [Trawll], surrounded by a menacing red hue. The sight of it sent goosebumps rolling over his forearms. He found himself wondering if his sword could even penetrate its muscularity before the creature could land a devastating blow.
Unbidden, memories of the guardian fight flashed through Jelani's mind. The pain, the fear, the desperate struggle to survive. He shook his head, trying to dispel the thoughts. This wasn't the time for doubt.
"I need to stop being a pussy and just get this shit done," Jelani muttered to himself.
He checked his timer: [18:10:22]. Only about six hours in, and the second phase was already proving to be far more challenging than the first. He couldn't afford to slow down now.
Jelani turned his attention back to the spectral squires moving nearby. They would make good practice targets, a chance to test his new skills without risking everything against the Trawll. He moved forward, blade at the ready, determination etched on his face.
The first spectral squire wore a ragged hood that seemed to drink in the surrounding light, leaving its face in perpetual darkness. Twin daggers gleamed in its grasp, the semi transparent blades ready to cause psychic damage. Its movements were predatory, shoulders hunched and arms loose – a phantom rogue ready to strike.
The second specter was equally rogue-like. A frayed scarf wrapped around its neck, the ends trailing behind it like tattered banners. Its face was hidden behind a grotesque mask with four hollow eyes arranged in a diamond pattern, giving it an arachnid-like appearance. A short sword hung loosely in its right hand, the blade pitted and scarred but clearly deadly.
Jelani didn't wait for them to make the first move. He charged the hooded specter, his blade held slightly too high in his eagerness. The entity flowed around his initial strike like water, its twin daggers flashing in a cross-cutting pattern that forced Jelani to awkwardly hop backward. He'd underestimated its speed.
They exchanged a series of blows, Jelani's wider sword swings keeping the daggers at bay but never quite finding their mark beyond that. Through a combination of aggressive advances and lucky footwork, he managed to push the specter back toward one of the twisted trees. A grin tugged at his lips as he saw his opportunity.
Jelani focused on the Enhanced Slash icon, feeling the surge of power course through his arm like electricity. His blade erupted with neon green energy, casting an ethereal glow across the forest floor. He swung hard, putting his whole body into what he hoped would be a finishing blow.
But the hooded specter proved more agile than expected. It tucked and rolled at the last possible moment, leaving Jelani's empowered blade to slash into the tree behind it. The sword cut through the trunk with frightening ease, like a hot knife through butter. The tree groaned, a clean diagonal cut nearly severing it completely.
“Holy Sh-“ Jelani started, but had to scramble backward as the masked specter rushed in, its short sword whistling past his face. He managed to get his blade up in time to parry, the impact jarring his arms. His mind was still trying to process the display of power he'd just witnessed – he'd nearly cut through a whole tree without feeling any resistance.
It’s one thing to see guys on social media tossing cars and shooting fireballs but it's a whole other thing to be able to feel the power yourself. The small icon at the bottom of his vision had gone gray, Enhanced Slash now on cooldown.
The masked specter pressed its advantage, suddenly scooping up dirt with its free hand and flinging it toward Jelani's eyes. He barely managed to turn his head, feeling the particles brush past his cheek. These weren't the straightforward opponents he'd faced before – these things fought dirty.
Deciding to test his other skill, Jelani focused on the masked specter and activated Hex. A sickly green aura wrapped around it like smoke, seeping into his opponent. At first, it seemed to have no effect, but as they continued to exchange blows, Jelani noticed the specter's movements becoming slightly sluggish, its timing just a fraction off.
When it launched into a combination attack – a high slash followed by a spinning low cut – Jelani saw his opening. He stepped inside the specter's guard, his blade-work more enthusiastic than precise, and drove his sword through its neck. His form was sloppy, but effective. The masked entity dissolved into mist, leaving behind a glowing core.
Without pause, Jelani turned to face the hooded specter. They clashed again, and this time Jelani found himself struggling to keep up. His strikes were too wide, his recoveries too slow. He managed to deflect most of the specter's attacks, but his arms were beginning to tire faster, 6 hours into constant fighting and moving up elevation would do that.
Then the specter found a gap in his guard – the result of an overextended thrust. Its blade sliced across his shoulder, not deep enough to cause an explosion of the shadow pain he’d gotten familiar with. Jelani sucked his teeth, hoping the wound wasn't sufficient to trigger a vision. He needed to try something that probably wouldn't work. He activated his threat radar right before a vision invaded his mind.
He saw a man – this specter's past self – leading a band of thieves through winding streets slick with rain. Behind them, mounted police on strange, bird-like creatures gave chase, their mounts' shrieks echoing off the wet cobblestones. Even as the vision played out, Jelani noticed something crucial – the edges of his vision still showed the threat radar's yellow warning, and he could hear the faint ping warning him of danger.
The vision continued, showing the leader making a cruel choice. He crippled two of his own men, leaving them to be captured while the rest of the band escaped. The cold calculation of it, the casual betrayal, made Jelani's blood boil.
The ping suddenly intensified on his left side. Acting on instinct, Jelani ducked. The sound of the specter's blade whispered through the air where his head had been a moment before. His gamble had paid off – the threat radar worked even when his mind was compromised by visions.
Back in full control, Jelani faced the specter with renewed fury. His next series of attacks weren't pretty – no master swordsman would have praised his form – but they were driven by raw emotion and determination. He swung his blade in wide, powerful arcs, forcing the specter to give ground.
When the specter tried to counter with a precise thrust, Jelani knocked the blade aside with a forceful parry. He followed through with a clumsy but effective combination – a diagonal slash that transitioned into a horizontal cut, ending with a piercing stab. His blade caught the specter in the chest, and its form dissolved into mist, leaving another core behind.
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Breathing heavily, Jelani surveyed the aftermath of the battle. He'd won, but the fight had highlighted both his new strengths and his lingering weaknesses. His swordsmanship needed work – a lot of work. But at least he was learning, adapting. And now he knew something valuable: even when caught in a vision, he wasn't completely defenseless.
As he collected the cores, Jelani couldn't help but smile. He was probably doing a lot better than what the average person would in this situation so he couldn’t help but give his ego some needed boosting.
As Jelani pressed onward, the forest around him began to change. The trees grew sparser, giving way to more of the ancient stone structures he'd encountered earlier. Some were towers, dilapidated and worn by time, standing as silent sentinels, their crumbling facades hinting at a civilization long forgotten.
Jelani moved cautiously, his eyes constantly scanning for threats. The Trawlls were out there, he knew, and he had no desire to face one unprepared. As he navigated between two parallel towers, a scroll suddenly materialized before his eyes:
"You've entered a Trawll zone."
The message continued: "Due to an ancient curse, no mortal can leave this zone without paying a toll. If a price isn’t paid at the exit before the allotted time, all trawlls in the zone will be alerted to your location.”
A new timer appeared in Jelani's vision, a menacing black clock ringed with curved spikes. It showed an hour and a half - a deadline that suddenly made the mountain seem even more insurmountable.
A new scroll rolled open in his vision above the timer. “Each trawll has a key to your escape but be weary as they are dangerous foes”
“Fucking hell bruh,” Jelani muttered, frustration bubbling up inside him. "Why did I think it was going to be simple?"
As he contemplated his next move, movement caught Jelani's eye. About a quarter mile ahead, a figure darted between the shadows of trees and towers. Jelani squinted, trying to make out details. It was a man in military camo gear, his movements precise and purposeful. He seemed to be stalking a lone Trawll, separated from a group of three others in the distance.
Jelani's mind raced. It had been some time since he last came across a person. Was this one of the two aspirants ahead of him? Or had someone managed to overtake him while he'd been hunting specters?
The man's appearance - short dark hair, light brown skin, and a trimmed beard - suggested Middle Eastern descent. Jelani recalled news reports of the region unifying under tentative alliances in recent years to face off against Ishtari warriors invading through a massive vortex in eastern Turkey.
The man looked to be in his late 20s, but his eyes... Jelani recognized that look. It was the gaze of someone who'd seen too much death, who'd been forged in the fires of conflict. It was a sobering reminder that while Jelani had faced his own struggles, others had been fighting battles on a scale he could scarcely imagine.
Jelani debated his next move. Part of him wanted to approach, to gauge where this man stood in the trial's progression. But caution held him back. In this realm of constant danger, any stranger could be a potential threat.
After a moment's hesitation, Jelani decided to take the risk. He told himself that he didnt need anybody's help, but if they were already near each other it would be practical to face one of these things together. He moved forward, waving to catch the man's attention from behind a tree.
The soldier's reaction was immediate and unsettling. He sized Jelani up with a quick, assessing glance, then promptly ignored him, returning his focus to the Trawll. Undeterred, Jelani moved closer. This time, the man's hand went to the gun at his hip, his posture radiating tension.
Jelani felt a flash of anger at the implied threat, but he forced it down. This was a soldier, he reminded himself. Someone who'd likely left one battlefield while set to die only to find himself in a trial for the chance to survive. Caution was understandable, even though Jelani hated being threatened.
Slowly, deliberately, Jelani made his sword disappear and raised his hands in a gesture of peace. The soldier's hand moved away from his weapon, but he pointed at Jelani with a clear message: "Stay put, or else."
Jelani bristled at being ordered around, but before he could react, movement behind the soldier caught his eye. A spectral squire had materialized, poised to strike. Without thinking, Jelani burst into motion.
He dashed past the startled soldier, summoning his blade as he moved. In one fluid motion, Jelani parried the specter's attack and countered with a precise thrust to its chest. The entity wavered, then vanished, leaving behind a glowing core.
As Jelani scooped up the core, he felt a strong hand grab him by the neck, yanking him down and out of sight. The soldier had pulled them both into cover, his eyes fixed on the Trawlls in the distance, which had begun to move at the commotion.
Jelani shoved the man's arm away, anger flaring in his chest. But as he opened his mouth to snap at the soldier, a raised finger silenced him. The man pointed meaningfully at the moving Trawlls, his message clear: now was not the time for noise.
Swallowing his irritation, Jelani muttered a terse "Thanks." The soldier began to speak in rapid Arabic, but Jelani shook his head. "Sorry, man. Do you speak English?"
The soldier rolled his eyes, a flash of annoyance crossing his face. "Of course you're American," he said, his accent thick but his English clear. "Why have you approached me?"
Jelani bit back a retort about the lack of gratitude. Instead, he focused on gathering information. "You're the first person I've seen in hours," he explained. "Based on the scrolls I got at the altar, there should be two people ahead of me. What place are you in?"
The soldier's expression tightened. "I'm in second," he replied, "but not for long." He turned back to where the Trawll had been, only to find it gone. Frustration etched itself across his features as he struck the tree in front of them.
"Thank you!" he spat, sarcasm dripping from every word. "Now I've lost an opportunity for a kill."
"So you can say thank you," Jelani shot back, unable to entirely suppress his own sarcasm. But he pushed on, recognizing the need for allies in this dangerous zone. "Look, I want to get through this zone as quickly as possible, so for now, we both have a similar goal and a common enemy. How ab-"
The soldier cut him off abruptly. "You interrupt me for no purpose. You won't be helpful to me."
The dismissal stung, but Jelani forced himself to stay calm. He couldn't risk taking on the Trawlls alone, no matter how much this man's attitude grated on him. He hated needing to rely on others, but time was running low, and he needed to keep moving forward.
"How many cores do you have?" Jelani asked, changing tack. "This area is low on specters, so I know you can't have an unlimited supply."
The soldier grumbled but didn't interrupt, so Jelani pressed on. "I want to take a Trawll on, but it could be wasteful to use up cores facing one now when there will be more the higher we go. If we can pair up temporarily, we can help each other conserve cores."
The logic seemed to register with the soldier, but doubt still lingered in his eyes. Jelani understood the sentiment; after all, hadn't he turned down working with Tobi and Reason earlier? But as he studied the man's face, he saw something familiar there - a pain he recognized but had always avoided addressing in himself.
"What are you doing this for?" Jelani asked, his tone softening slightly. Before the soldier could deflect, he added, " Let me land.. power is the only way to take back our lives. I'll do whatever it takes to get to the top of this mountain and make a change in my city. I can tell you've got the same drive. We don't need to be friends; we just need to be temporary allies."
The soldier regarded Jelani for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Finally, he spoke, his voice low and intense. "You've got purpose, brother. I was on the front lines of a battle with an Ishtari contingent when I ended up here. I've seen much suffering. I know that it takes real power to be useful in this conflict we've all ended up in."
He paused, then added with finality, "I take point. You follow. I wont risk my life for you if you end up in a bad spot."
The words rubbed Jelani the wrong way, but he bit his tongue. This wasn't the time for ego. He nodded, trying to keep the disdain from his face.
“I can hold my own. As long as your plays are clear we won't have an issue.” Jelani responded.
"How many cores do you have?" the soldier asked.
“Five ,” Jelani answered, then corrected himself. "Well, six now."
The soldier nodded, looking pleased. "You?" Jelani asked in return.
"Eleven," came the simple reply.
Jelani felt a twinge of competitive frustration. How had this man managed to get five more cores than him? He'd have to step up his game if he didn't want to fall behind.
Suddenly, the soldier tensed, his gaze fixed on a point in the distance. "Solo Trawll," he murmured, a hint of excitement in his voice.
He turned to Jelani, his expression now all business. "I'm Ahsar. We move now. You take the left flank and I go right". Without waiting for a response, Ahsar burst from their cover, summoning his blade as he ran. Jelani, caught off guard but determined not to be left behind, quickly followed suit.
As they charged towards the behemoth, Jelani felt an eerie sensation wash over him. The Trawll, noticing their approach, raised its massive broken club. A ragged, sharp-toothed smile spread across its gray face, a predator finding joy in the fact its prey came running towards slaughter.