Kaelen's breath steadied as the overwhelming surge of power around him receded.
The once-violent liquid mana that had surrounded him was now gone, leaving only the faint trace of ethereal energy lingering in the air.
His system chid once more.
[Ding! You have reached the Level 100 threshold.]
[Ding! A new chapter has been unlocked in the Book of Heroes.]
His eyes widened.
For a mont, Kaelen completely forgot about the terrifying power he had just unleashed.
His mind was only focused on one thing.
"The Book of Heroes has finally unlocked a new chapter…?!"
It had been months since he had last been able to learn anything new from the legendary book.
Each chapter contained techniques lost to ti, battle experiences from past heroes, and secrets of power that defied logic.
His heart pounded in excitent.
"Finally…" He clenched his fist, anticipation racing through his veins.
But before he could even dwell on it—
CREAK.
The door before him—a door that led deeper into the pocket dinsion's trials—suddenly swung open.
Kaelen's excitent cooled instantly.
His eyes snapped toward the entrance, his battle instincts kicking in.
'Right.'
He was still inside the Foggy Hill's Trial.
His upgraded armor, his newly strengthened skills, and the mysterious Book of Heroes chapter would have to wait.
Taking in a deep breath, he adjusted his grip on the Blade of Eternity.
'Well then, let's see what kind of challenge lies in store for '
Then, with determination in his gaze—
Kaelen stepped through the door.
The mont Kaelen stepped through the door, an overwhelming sensation of weightlessness struck him.
For a brief mont, it felt as if he was floating in an endless void.
But before he could fully process it—
WHOOSH!
He landed on solid ground.
Kaelen's gaze snapped up, his eyes narrowing as he took in his surroundings.
A dense forest stretched around him, the trees towering with twisted, unnatural shapes.
But what stood out the most—
Was the sky.
It was not blue.
It was purple.
A deep, ethereal hue, swirling with faint traces of silver mist.
His brows furrowed.
"What kind of place is this?" he muttered under his breath, gripping his Blade of Eternity tightly.
But before he could analyze further—
A voice rang out.
A voice that made his eyes widen in surprise.
"Kaelen!"
His head snapped to the side.
From between the trees, a figure rushed toward him.
Lila.
His childhood friend.
Her hazel nut hair swayed behind her as she approached quickly, her expression filled with slight relief.
Kaelen let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding.
"Lila…?"
She stopped before him, looking him over as if to check for injuries.
"You're okay…" she murmured, nodding slightly.
Kaelen gave a small smirk. "Of course, I am. What about you? You made it through your trial?"
Lila nodded. "Yeah, but I don't know where this is. It hasn't been long since I arrived here myself."
Kaelen exhaled.
A strange, unknown land.
A mysterious purple sky.
And now, a reunion with Lila.
Sothing told him—
That this was just the beginning.
But even if he felt that sothing is amiss, Kaelen's eyes swept across the dense, eerie forest once more.
The twisted trees and purple sky only deepened the mystery of their location.
"We should move," Kaelen suggested. "We won't learn anything by standing around."
Lila nodded imdiately. "Agreed. Let's find so clues about where we are."
But just as they were about to take their first steps—
RUMBLE—!!
The ground beneath them shook violently.
Both Kaelen and Lila instinctively tensed, their combat instincts kicking in.
Then—
THUD!
A massive shadow lood over them.
And another one followed.
Erging from the thick mist, two enormous ogres stomped forward, their grotesque, muscular bodies covered in thick, scarred skin.
Each wielded a gigantic spiked club, their eyes gleaming with bloodlust.
They had one goal.
Kill.
Yet—
Neither Kaelen nor Lila looked fazed.
Instead, Kaelen let out a small exhale, gripping his Blade of Eternity.
"Back up," he said calmly.
Lila didn't hesitate.
A flick of her wrist—
And her ice-crafted scepter appeared in her grasp.
"Got it."
Her eyes narrowed, her aura flaring with a frosty chill.
The battle was about to begin.
"Let's do this"
Kaelen suddenly lunged forward, his Blade of Eternity gleaming in the dim light.
But just before he could close the distance—
CRACK!
A freezing blast of ice slamd into him, sending him flying backward.
His body crashed against the ground, skidding across the frozen earth.
Shock flickered in his eyes.
Not because of the impact—
But because of where the spell ca from.
Lila.
He could still feel the residual cold clinging to his body as he forced himself to stand.
"What… the hell?" Kaelen muttered, his mind blank in disbelief.
But before he could process it—
WHOOSH!
Another ice spell hurtled toward him.
Instinct took over.
Kaelen gritted his teeth and swung his blade.
CLANG!
The spell shattered, icy shards scattering into the mist.
Then—
"I missed…"
Lila's soft voice echoed through the cold air, tinged with displeasure.
Kaelen's heart pounded.
"Lila…?" His voice held both bewildernt and shock. "What the hell are you doing?"
But before she could answer—
FWOOOSH—!
The entire area was suddenly blanketed in ice.
The frost spread at an unnatural speed, consuming everything in its wake.
In a split second—
The Lila standing before him was encased in thick ice.
The two ogres were frozen mid-motion, their weapons locked in place.
Kaelen froze as well— not from the ice, but from sheer confusion.
"What… is going on?"
And then—
He felt it.
A warm, gentle touch.
A pair of arms wrapped around him from behind.
Kaelen's breath hitched.
He turned his head.
And there she was.
Another Lila.
Her face was tear-streaked, her shoulders trembling as she clung to him.
"I'm sorry…" her voice cracked. "I didn't an for this to happen…"
Kaelen's eyes widened.
There were two Lilas.
And now, he had no idea which one was real.
But Kaelen's eyes remained sharp, his grip on the Blade of Eternity tightening.
The warmth of Lila's embrace was familiar—comforting even—
But he couldn't take any chances.
"Lila…" his voice was low, cautious. "If you're really you… then tell —"
He took a deep breath.
"What happened during a particular incident when we were eight, and you made swear never to tell anyone?"
The Lila in his arms froze.
Her cheeks imdiately turned red, and she buried her face in his chest.
"You promised you wouldn't bring that up!" she grumbled.
Kaelen sighed in relief, a small smirk playing on his lips.
It was her.
Before he could say anything else, though—
CRACK.
A deep fracturing noise pierced the air.
Kaelen's head snapped toward the ice sculpture where Lila's imposter had been frozen.
Cracks veined across its surface, spreading fast.
Kaelen's stance hardened, his instincts screaming at him to brace for battle.
But before he could act—
"Stand back, I will handle it."
Lila's tone was calm, yet it carried an undeniable weight—
One that Kaelen had never heard before.
He glanced at her.
Her aura had shifted.
Gone was the warmth of his childhood friend.
In its place—
A cold, commanding presence.
Lila stepped forward, raising her Ice Jade Scepter.
SHATTER!
The ice prison exploded—
And from its ruins, a twisted, nightmarish creature erged.
Gone was Lila's imposter.
In its place was a wraith-like being, its body an abyss of swirling shadows with piercing crimson eyes.
A beacon of darkness.
The mont it broke free—
It raised its clawed hands, and dark tendrils surged outward—
Latching onto the frozen ogres.
The shadows wrapped around their bodies, sinking into their flesh like venomous veins.
In an instant—
The ogres' ice cracked—their bodies contorted—and they let out monstrous roars.
Kaelen gritted his teeth.
"They're free—"
Before he could react, the shadow entity raised an arm—its voice a chilling, distorted whisper.
"Kill her."
The ogres charged.
Kaelen's muscles tensed, ready to strike—
But then—
A sharp chill ran down his spine.
Lila was smiling.
Not a warm smile.
Not a relieved smile.
But a cold, rciless one.
Her Ice Jade Scepter glead, and her mana surged to terrifying heights.
Kaelen had seen Lila fight before.
But this—
This was sothing far beyond what he'd ever witnessed.
"Ice Jade: Frozen Judgent"
The air around her plumted in temperature, turning the entire battlefield into a frozen wasteland.
The ogres roared—
But they didn't get far.
In an instant—
BOOM!
The world turned white.
The ogres froze solid mid-charge, their monstrous howls dying on their lips.
The dark entity thrashed, its shadows resisting—
But the ice crept up its form, consuming it layer by layer—
No matter how much it struggled, no matter how much it shrieked—
It could not escape its fate.
Within seconds—
It was over.
The battlefield was left in absolute silence.
Only the sound of ice cracking could be heard—
As the final remnants of the shadow creature crumbled into frozen dust.
Kaelen let out a slow breath.
Lila lowered her scepter, her expression unreadable.
"…That thing," she murmured. "it can be found everywhere in this place."
Kaelen nodded slowly.
And that's when he realized—
Whatever trial they were in…
It was about to get much more tricky and dangerous.
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