Chapter 198 – Floor 24: Part 1

Floor 24: The Timeworn Crypt

Deep beneath the earth lies the resting place of a Magus who studied the mysteries of time and space. The gods require your assistance to delve into the depths of this tomb and return an item from the library within.

Wedged between territories of rival Divine Factions, a neutral party has been selected for this task. There will be no interference from outside forces. Once entered, you will be removed from all communication with the surface.

Note: Shop and Inventory services will be sealed.

Reward: Word of Power: Shift

With the understanding of the Word of Power: Shift, you will be able to swap your physical location with any object or person within sight. Subject to a momentary delay, as your understanding of the Language of the Celestials increases, so too will your control of ‘Shift’ rise.

“Oh goody, a long forgotten tomb cut off from the outside world. Fantastic.” Mathew muttered sarcastically as the white light faded and he exited the elevator next to a chasm that stretched into the distance in both directions.

The ground was barren rock and Mathew couldn’t see a single sign of life in any direction. The chasm was endless black after only a few hundred feet and it caused the wind to howl as it blew through it. Aside from Mathew and the chasm, there was a small statue of a robed man set into a rock with a small plaque beneath it.

There appeared to be the remains of offerings beneath, melted candles and scraps of rubbish that had likely part of packages or items. People had obviously travelled to this place in the past, but it had been a while since the last offering had been left behind.

Mathew leaned closer to get a look at the plaque. Thankfully, the sun was still above him and he estimated that he had a few hours left before night arrived. Strangely enough, there was no name or dates on the plaque, instead it was a short message.

‘As day wanes, so does the path reveal,

When the sun’s light begins to kneel.

Stairs concealed in the twilight’s hue,

Guide the way when dusk comes to view.’

“Could have just said, ‘The stairs will appear when the sun sets.’” Mathew grumbled, already disliking this Floor. He had a feeling it was going to be all riddles and puzzles, something that he never enjoyed. Looking up at the sun again to judge the time, Mathew found a shady place to sit and wait.

Taking out some snacks from his inventory, that thankfully hadn’t been sealed yet, he planned to enjoy the little time he had before the annoying part started.

Page Break

Ethereal and palely glowing stairs appeared as soon as the sun began to touch the horizon. Putting away his snacks and drinks, Mathew brushed himself off and followed them down into the chasm. Testing the first step with his foot, he wasn’t surprised when it felt similar to crystal.

The descent only took a few minutes, even with Mathew’s bad leg, but by the time he reached the bottom, the blue sky above was completely absent. Instead, it was replaced by pitch-black darkness. The stairway disappeared as soon as Mathew touched the rocky ground of the chasm bottom.

But before he could stumble or look around in his inventory for a light, two globes of bright, incandescent white burst into being. Held by twin statues of the same man as above, Mathew let out a snort.

“Not so humble, are you.” Mathew mocked the statues as he walked forward and pushed against the door that was situated between the two statues. It opened effortlessly, releasing a gust of long-sealed, dusty air.

Coughing, Mathew entered the crypt. However, a palace would have been more of an apt description.

The floor below his feet was made of white marble, and the walls were covered in paintings and tapestries lit by braziers that contained a magical fire burning merrily even after all the years that the tombs had been sealed.

Passing through a wide hallway that held only a faint layer of dust, Mathew came to a large chamber. High-ceilinged and brightly lit, the room contained several objects that interested Mathew. A sealed door was at the other end of the room, and two large, gold-framed mirrors faced each other.

Scattered across the room were dozens, if not hundreds, of other tiny mirrors of various shapes and configurations. Carefully stepping around the small mirrors so as to not disturb them, Mathew walked to the door and tried to open it.

As expected, it was sealed tightly. Stepping back, Mathew raised his hand and pointed at the door.

“Break.” Mathew used the Word of Power and waited expectantly for the door to crumble. When, after a moment, nothing happened, he let out a frustrated sigh.

“Right…no outside interference. Shit.” Mathew cursed and ran his fingers through his hair. He was about to look around the room for something to use to pry the door open, when a voice spoke.

“Greetings, Stranger in Search of My Secrets.”

“I would greet you properly, but alas, I am long dead.”

“Are you a fan of puzzles?”

“I absolutely adored them, and so I have designed this place as a test to ensure that those who enter share my love for them.”

“There will be five chambers, all similar to this one before you can claim your prize! How fun! Oh, how I wish I could have been there to see the look of joy on your face! Now, let us begin with the first puzzle.”

“I have named it ‘The Mirror Chamber.’”

“Clever.” Mathew mocked.

“Reflections dance in silver light,

Two faces meet and alight just right.

Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

In mirrored gaze, the path is found,

Guide the beams where truth is bound.”

A small section of the ceiling retracted and a beam of white light shot down and struck the ground. Meanwhile, the hundreds of small mirrors began to rise up and float in the air, while a single mirror flew toward Mathew, who snatched it into his hand before it could strike his chest.

“Alright, redirect the light into…that symbol?” Mathew guessed as he looked around and saw a small symbol appear above the door. Hefting the mirror, he got to work.

Page Break

“Ahh!! I hate puzzles!!” Mathew shouted as the seal on the door was disrupted, and it silently opened. Throwing the small mirror down onto the ground in disgust and frustration, Mathew stomped his way to the door while making sure to kick every mirror in his path.

It had taken him a solid hour or more to get through the chamber. It was more of a tedious task than a puzzle, but the small mirrors had a habit of going out of alignment when he wasn’t looking, making it even more arduous.

Passing through the door, he barely noticed when it closed behind him.

Mathew was in another chamber, which was identical to the last in shape and size, except the objects inside differed. Rather than mirrors, this one contained a dozen different archways that led to identical chambers with more archways inside.

Each of the passageways had a different coloured frame or a different symbol above it, or shape and size. If there were more passageways beyond the ones he could see here, Mathew had no idea how massive this room could be.

“Puzzle number 2! Oh, I’m sure you are eager for more! Now, this chamber is called ‘The Sequential Doorway.” The voice said, before clearing its throat and speaking in a sing-song, rhyming voice.

“In the realm where time is but a thread,

Colours dance where footsteps tread.

First the hue of Sunset’s Flames,

Then the shade where shadows claim.

Follow the path of dawn’s first light,

Next the twilight’s deepening might.

Finally, the midnight’s dark embrace,

Align them well to find your place.”

“Can you repeat that?!” Mathew shouted, only to be answered with silence. Frustrated beyond measure, Mathew began to mutter the parts of the rhyme that he remembered. Looking around at the doors, he entered the first one, which was a bright orange.

Page Break

“Just send the undead after me! Or goblins! Anything but more rhymes and puzzles!” Mathew screamed as he stumbled through the doorway. It had taken him an embarrassingly long amount of time to figure out the sequence in the previous chamber.

If he still had his enhanced memory, it would have been simple, but with his reduced ‘Mind’ attribute, his lacked that eidetic memory he used to possess.

The next chamber Mathew entered was similar to the previous two, with grey walls and the same marble floor that had been a staple throughout the entire tomb. This room had thousands of random objects covering the floor and walls.

There were toys and gadgets, pieces of furniture and pieces of art. The walls had switches and valves, things to toggle on and off or twist and turn. There were even ropes and chains descending from the roof, some with bells or chimes that would ring out faintly from time to time.

“What the hell is this?!” Mathew cursed, his frustration reaching a new level. He wished for nothing more than to blast this entire tomb out of existence and take its creator with it.

“The Echoing Chamber!” The voice of the chamber's creator rang out, and Mathew listened carefully. After the last chamber, he knew he needed to remember every word it said.

“In echoes old, the truth shall show,

Their actions clear, their paths will glow.

Move as they did through shadowed dance,

To open the gate and seize your chance.

Follow their steps, each gesture bold,

The silent guides from tales of old.

Err and suffer, heed the cost,

A false step here will leave you lost.”

When the verse ended, ghostly apparitions began to rise up from the floor near the entrance. They were men and women wearing a variety of outfits. Some were clearly warriors, others mages. Tall and short, young and old, there were a multitude of them.

One by one they would step forward and interact with the objects in the room. Some would pick up a toy or small trinket and fiddle with it in a certain way or toggle a switch off and wait a moment before turning it back on.

Several even walked in a peculiar way, carefully avoiding certain sections of the floor while stomping hard on others.

“Great. Just great.” Mathew let out a deep breath and hunkered down to memorize what the visions were doing.

Page Break

“This can’t be fun. I mean, I hate doing it, so it couldn’t have been a blast for this idiot to design it. Maybe he’ll get bored, and things will drop off at the end?” Mathew talked to himself as he flicked a switch, waited for exactly three seconds and turned it back on.

The door slid open, and Mathew was finally free.

Entering the third chamber, Mathew was stunned. This chamber was well beyond the size of the others. It stretched miles into the distance in every direction. There were staircases that led upwards, archways to different rooms and levels, while other walkways and stairs led nowhere.

“What the?” Mathew said, confused. He couldn’t find the doorway anywhere. Worse, his sense of direction immediately went out of control, and he had the odd sensation of going up and down, switching places.

Mathew quickly knelt on one knee and closed his eyes as his stomach heaved. It felt like he was dropping through the air or was underwater and couldn’t find which direction was up.

“In shifting space where steps may stray,

Seek the lights that show the way.

Find the beacons, one by one,

To stabilize where paths are spun.

Activate the symbols, old becomes new,

When light and patterns guide you through.

The room will settle, the path will clear,

And soon you’ll find the exit near.

Mathew opened his eyes to see the room was completely dark. The walls and floors began to shift, flickering in and out of existence while the staircases, walkways and doors would vibrate and move. In a small section in front of him, Mathew could see a hovering orb of white light.

The orb seemed to be stabilizing the room, preventing it from shifting. A quick look revealed several more orbs in the room, but they were not activated. Each had a symbol beneath them.

“Right, I just have to find my way through this mess without losing my mind.” Mathew muttered as he stood. He was immediately off balance and had to grip a nearby wall to keep from falling.

Page Break

Mathew stumbled through the door and immediately fell to his hands and knees. He proceeded to vomit the entire contents of his stomach onto the clean, marble floor. Despite being stationary, the room still felt like it was spinning.

The previous puzzle had been as much about planning his route and navigating a confusing, ever-changing chamber as much as a test of his endurance. Now that he was out, Mathew wanted nothing more than to never see another puzzle again for the rest of his life.

Spitting on the ground, Mathew stood up and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

“One more.” He muttered, looking around the room.

There was a giant hour-glass in the center of the chamber, surrounded by orbiting orbs shaped like planets in their solar system, the sun and moon, comets, and various constellations. It was incredible, and Mathew, despite his hatred of the magus who created this place, marvelled at its design.

“Ah, you’ve reached the end of my tomb and the location of my greatest creation. I have studied our solar system for a long time, taking great pleasure in observing celestial objects. But alas, my time grew short. Time and space are inextricably linked and the subject of this last puzzle.”

“Before you is an hourglass that represents our fleeting time in this world, along with a model of the cosmos.”

“In a chamber where time flows and sways,

Celestial patterns light your ways.

Alight the sand with the stars’ bright dance,

To reveal the path and give your chance.”

Mathew looked up when the ceiling retracted to reveal a representation of the night sky. It was breathtaking in its scale, but Mathew knew that it wasn’t the real sky. He was currently deep underground, and what he saw was just an illusion.

The sand in the hourglass wasn’t flowing, and Mathew suspected that as he turned the model of the planets and stars in the correct direction, that would solve the puzzle and drain the hourglass. Using the sky as a guide, Mathew started working on the model.

After a few days of work, Mathew finished. Hungry, exhausted and parched, he sat next to the hourglass as the last grain of sand fell to the bottom. The hourglass retracted into the ground, revealing a staircase. Following it to the bottom, Mathew came to an empty library that contained only a single book.

Picking it up, he disappeared in a flash of white light.