Brian brushed the sweat off his forehead as they entered the final chamber, a room with stone walls that managed to be both unremarkable and ominous. The only noteworthy feature was the massive golden door at the far end of the room, which seemed to emit a sinister aura. As Brian approached it, The Valtite System sent a chill down his spine with its announcement:

Welcome The Echoing Vault.

Objective: Open the door 0/1

The dungeon will be sealed permanently in one Sol.

Time Remaining: 53 Minutiae, 53 Nivosec.

"Shit," Brian muttered under his breath, hurriedly walking towards the door. He glanced back at Serdna, who appeared completely relaxed, and realized that he couldn't see the system messages. "Serdna, we've got a problem," he said. "The dungeon will be sealed off in one Sol. We need to get through this door before then, or we're trapped here forever."

"Wait, what?" Serdna exclaimed, his eyes widening in panic. "One Sol? That's…that's not much time at all!"

"Welcome to my world, buddy," Brian replied as they stood in front of the grand door. An elaborate web of mechanisms adorned its surface, making it impossible for their eyes to follow. Ancient symbols and disks lined the door, tantalizing them with the promise of hidden secrets.

"Okay, let's figure this out," Serdna said, taking a deep breath to calm himself. "Now, what’s the trick to open this vault."

“There should be clues somewhere, just like in the other rooms, keep looking" Brian snapped. He scanned the door once more, and his gaze fell upon an inscription above it. He furrowed his brow, surprised that Serdna hadn't mentioned it yet. “What do you think about that up top?”

“Couldn't tell you,” Serdna said.

"Can you not read this?"

"Read what?" Serdna asked, looking genuinely confused.

"Right here," Brian pointed to the inscription. "So, you can’t read it?"

"That’s foreign to me. Man, you are not even from Valteria and you can read it? Must be because you are a monster.” He stepped back, allowing Brian to take the lead.

"Alright, let me read it," Brian muttered, trying to ignore the sting of Serdna's comment. He focused on the inscription and read aloud: "In whispers soft, the call resounds, reaching far to creatures' grounds." He looked at Serdna, who just shrugged.

"Sounds like some ridiculous riddle," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "How's that supposed to help us?"

"Damn if I know," Brian admitted, feeling a surge of frustration. But they didn't have time for this. They needed to figure it out, and fast.

Brian decided to take a risk. He reached out and spun one of the disks, hoping for a reaction. The door remained unresponsive. He continued fidgeting with the disks, hoping for a reaction, but they didn't budge.

Okay, think, Brian urged himself, his mind racing almost as fast as his pulse. "Whispers…soft…calls…creatures… What does it mean? These disks certainly have a slight valtite signature,” Brian whispered to himself.

“I heard the disk just now. It reacted to something,” Serdna probed one of the disks. “I think it was when you spoke, at least that’s what I picked up with my Auditory Core.”

“Serdna you astronomical genius!” Brian snapped his fingers and the disk spun to the right slightly. “Whispers soft! That’s it!” Suddenly, it clicked. "Serdna, I think we need to whisper the phrase into the door!"

"Are you serious?" Serdna asked skeptically, but he clearly had no better ideas. They stood side by side, took a deep breath, and whispered the phrase together.

Time Remaining: 28 Minutiae, 17 Nivosec

"Please work," Brian thought desperately, his hands clammy with sweat. "Time keeps going down."

To their surprise, the disks began to spin on their own, emitting a soft, reverberating hum. Brian and Serdna exchanged glances, both relieved and amazed.

"Okay, so we're onto something," Brian said, his voice betraying a cautious optimism. "Let's see if we can figure out the right pattern."

Serdna nodded, “It’s working, I hear the phrase moving the valtite that is infused in this door.” He focused on using his Auditory Core to map out the distinct sound patterns corresponding to each whispered phrase. His jaw clenched tight as he analyzed the subtle differences in each sound wave, creating a mental image of how the disks might need to be aligned.

"Alright, I think I've got it," Serdna said, snapping out of his trance. "Let's try this sequence."

Brian followed Serdna's instructions, aligning the disks according to the sound patterns they'd detected. As he put the final disk into place, they held their breath, waiting for the door to react.

Brian's gaze darted between Serdna and the disks, sweat beading on his black hair. "Alright, I think if we just... give it a little twist like this..." he said, more to himself than to his companion.

"Are you sure about that one?" Serdna asked, his voice wavering ever so slightly.

"Positive," Brian replied with a sarcastic confidence that belied his uncertainty. "What could possibly–”

"Shit," Brian muttered as the disks slammed back into their initial positions with a discordant crash. The jarring cacophony of metal against stone reverberated through their skulls, causing them to wince and momentarily lose their bearings.

"Fuck me sideways, that was worse than Mandrix's snoring," Serdna groaned, rubbing his temples. "You'd think Valteria had enough noise pollution without these damn things. And the Auditory Core makes me hear every little note that any valtite infused object makes."

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

"Ok, what did we mess up?" Brian placed a palm on the side of his face.

"Oh, it was that top disk, try setting it slightly left," Serdna replied, offering a sheepish grin.

"Alright, let's give this another shot." Brian squinted at the disks as he pondered on the sound wave pattern.

"Wait, that's it!" Brian exclaimed, snapping his fingers again. "You found the error. Give me the last sequence."

"Yeah, go for that middle disk now." Serdna admitted. "The sound is correct so far."

Brian recounted the pattern Serdna was feeding him, his voice tinged with excitement at the prospect of solving this puzzle.

"Okay, now for the last one…" Serdna instructed, tentatively scrouching.

"Exactly!" Brian grinned, encouraged by Serdna's enthusiasm. "Let's do this."

Together, they whispered the phrases and manipulated the last disk in sync with their understanding of the sound wave pattern. The room seemed to respond to their efforts, the cacophony gradually morphing into a symphony of metallic harmony.

"Here goes nothing," Brian whispered, repeating the phrase one last time: "In whispers soft, the call resounds, reaching far to creatures' grounds."

The disks resonated in harmony with their whisper, and the room fell silent for a moment before the whirring and clicking of the door's mechanisms began. The grinding noise of stone against stone filled the chamber as the Echoing Vault door swung open, revealing the entrance to a smaller room beyond.

"We did it!" Serdna exclaimed, slapping Brian on the back. "Your deduction was spot on!"

"See, we make a great team when you're in the zone," Brian teased.

"Hey, I am always in the zone," Serdna shot back good-naturedly, strumming a triumphant chord on his lyre.

"Fair enough," Brian conceded, smirking as the door before them finally creaked open. "Now let's see what other nightmares await us beyond this hellish chamber."

"Whatever it is, I'm sure It’ll be easy," Serdna said, placing a reassuring hand on Brian's shoulder.

"EASY?..." Brian retorted while cautiously taking a step forward into the small room, his eyes immediately drawn to the stone altar in the middle. Upon it sat a whimsical object that seemed to dance with life. He glanced at Serdna and nodded.

"Wow," Serdna breathed, reaching out to touch it but hesitating at the last moment. "This must be what we've been sent to find."

The artifact was indeed a sight to behold. Its intricate patterns shifted and moved subtly as if alive, depicting various creatures native to Valteria. These mystical beings intertwined and looped together, culminating in a swirling harmony at the very tip. The rare and precious metal composing the artifact fluctuated between silver and blue, further adding to its otherworldly allure.

"But what is it?" Brian muttered under his breath as he focused on the artifact.

[Whispering Core] - This core serves as the means to transmit the wielder's commands to the lesser creatures in Valteria, using an almost imperceptible whisper that resonates with the creatures.

When his valtite energy reached the flicker rank his Valtite Identification also got upgraded. Now, Brian didn’t have to physically touch an item to learn about its properties. However, he needed to be in very close proximity to be able to identify it, especially if the item’s valtite energy was faint.

"Hey, Serdna, check this out." Brian gestured to the artifact. "It's got the Whispering Core imbued in it. Maybe it’s connected to the inscription we found. I mean it fits the theme."

"Amazing…" Serdna marveled, unable to tear his gaze away from the mesmerizing object. "So, what does that mean? What can this thing do?"

"I think it can control the creatures," Brian admitted, an amused smirk playing on his lips. "That’s probably why the government wants it."

Before they could continue discussing the artifact, Brian noticed a stone carving in the form of a frame high up on the far wall. It bore the riddle they'd used to solve the previous challenge: "In whispers soft, the call resounds, reaching far to creatures' grounds."

"Hey, look at that—" Brian began, but was interrupted by an ominous announcement from the dungeon.

Time Remaining: 11 Minutiae, 49 Nivosec

"Shit, the timer’s still running" Brian cursed, panic rising in his chest. "We need to get out of here, now!"

Serdna started quivering, and without another word, they both sprinted towards a set of stairs to the left. Their hearts were pounding in their ears louder than the invisible maze’s unbearable hum. The dungeon trembled around them, rocks and debris raining down as they dashed up the staircase.

“Fuck, how deep did we go?” Serdna complained.

"We free-falled down a pit at the very first chamber… and I mean, we fell for quite a long time. Come on, come on,” Brian urged himself, his legs feeling like lead from exhaustion and fear. He could see Serdna struggling alongside him, but they suspected they were close to the exit.

Time Remaining: 6 Minutiae, 07 Nivosec

The stairs seemed endless, with enough of a curvature that made it impossible to see their end. But finally, light started filtering from the top.

Time Remaining: 4 Minutiae, 48 Nivosec

Brian was completely out of energy, and a quick check confirmed that his vigor had dropped into the single digits. He was literally using his hands to lift his thighs. Serdna seemed just as tired, but he spun his lyre from his back onto his chest and played three consecutive notes.

Time Remaining: 3 Minutiae, 54 Nivosec

Brian instantly felt a rush course through every fiber of his being. He felt as if he had drunk a gallon of coffee.

With a final, desperate lunge, Brian and Serdna burst free from the collapsing dungeon just in time, finding themselves back in Havenstone. They collapsed onto the ground, chests heaving as they tried to catch their breath.

Objective: Open the door 1/1

Dungeon Completed - Echoes' AbyssYou have gained +100 Valtite Reserves.

Through enduring a challenge that tested the very limits of your fortitude, the sonikwraiths' echoes resonate within you, imbuing your very essence with power. You have gained +10 Endurance.

‘DING’ Your valtite energy grows to level 22, empowering your stats and increasing your potential. +3 to each stat and +3 untrained points.

Brian was hit with instant gratification as he observed the +10 boost in his Endurance points. The event further reinforced his new obsession with raising his stats. Free points!

"Ha...we did it!" Serdna managed between gasps, a grin breaking across his face.

"Yeah, we just barely made it."

Energy Spike Detected - Signature: Serdna Baker - Glow

“Holy cow Serdna. Did you just… You’re energy...” Brian chuckled weakly.

"Hahahaha, yeah I feel the surge," Serdna replied, sheepishly. “What is a cow?”

“It’s an Earth animal.”

“I like that, ‘holy cow’. I’m going to start using it.” Serdna said thoughtfully.

“Well, ok. Anyways, I think we should rest and examine this artifact," Brian suggested, still grinning. "I wonder what it can do."

"Agreed. But... I need to get it back to Arcasium and report. The minister of resources is one scary woman." Serdna’s voice took on a more frightened tone.