Chapter 54: Something Different?
Linri walked inside the corridor to the next room. He was dismayed, it was almost like a big joke had just been played to him. He almost died to such a simple trap, maybe it would be more appropriate to call it a 'genius' trap instead.
There was also another question that was ringing on his mind. He could explain the first room as something like a gladiator arena where you could be exempted from your crime if you survive but the second room was different. Using such a room on criminals was unrealistic.
This raised the question that was gnawing his mind, if he was not in a prison then where was he? He did not know anything about this place and made him also worried for Jaime. There was still a chance for her to pass the first room since it was just an overgrown tiger but what about the second one?
Linri himself would have been a victim of the ingenious trap if not his brain was preconditioned to act in a certain way since he was young. Could he expect the same from Jaime? The answer was maybe, she just might try to open the door immediately unlike himself. Though that possibility was quite slim since everything in the room created a false illusion that the door was locked.
A source of light appeared in his vision, it was the third room. He wondered what he would face this time, was it another fight? Or was it another riddle? Maybe it was the exit. The only way to find out was just going inside.
He slowly arrived at the threshold of the door. It was just like the previous ones so there was not a way for him to tell what's inside. He grabbed the cold as ice handle and turned it.
The room was ... empty? There was not a single thing inside, just 4 walls and some torches. That was simply it. He was confused, maybe it would start to change once he stepped inside, so thinking along those lines he stepped in. As always, the door closed behind him but there still was not any trace of something appearing. Was he in a wrong room?
There was no way that this a wrong room so maybe it was the end? Yep that seemed possible.
Linri yawned, he was tired. First he fought against a giant beast that could slash him in half with a single mistake and then he was forced to solve a complicated riddle under the imminent threat of death. That took a toll on him both mentally and physically. He guessed that a quick nap wouldn't hurt.
He thought it would be fine since he wasn't transported to the 'dream world' last two times he fell a sleep so this time should be the same. His parents were here for some time and they were still alive and kicking. Jaime was a smart and a strong girl so both parties could afford to wait for a couple more hours, his sleep was important.
It didn't take long for Linri to use his backpack as a pillow and fall to sleep.
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Linri was inside the cave again, Udcek was sitting across the lake once more. This time it felt weird though, he did not remember running in the forest and coming here. Now that he thought about it he did not remember falling a sleep at all. Only thing he could remember was going inside the third room. Does that mean this place is real?
The thought itself made Linri's back cover in cold sweat. He had never won against Udcek, not even once. Let alone winning he could not even hurt him in the first place. Should he turn back and run?
He turned back and there was not the path he usually took coming here. He looked around the cave and there was nothing at all. Was he trapped in here with Udcek? Could it be that Lozna was finally fed up with him and directly sent him to the Udcek?
'Fuck'
Linri could not help but curse inwardly, his life was about to end so how could he not be angry? Wait why was he so sure that this was the reality? Wasn't the whole point of the last test was not to believe anything unless he saw it first hand?
Linri tried to create a 'Fire Bullet' but nothing came out, then he tried the same with the 'Icicle Strike'. He was ecstatic to see an icicle appear before him. He did not know how his powers worked in the 'dream world' whether it following the sun inside here or the real world; but he knew that it was day outside world so this had to be a 'dream'.
Still it was different to the one he was used to. There weren't any exit and he was not sure if he could still revive after dying in here and most importantly he did not remember falling to sleep.
He looked at the hazy silhouette sitting across the lake, ever since coming here it did not move one bit. Was it waiting for him to make the first move? I mean he was standing here and thinking for a long time but he had not moved an inch so maybe this was something different?
Linri shot the 'Icicle Strike' he condensed before hand to the hazy silhouette. This time he had to be cautious, so instead of going around the lake Linri created an 'Ice Wall' on top of the lake to use as a platform. Since Udcek loved to use his skeletons and grabbing his ankles why not take the fight to the lake and make it impossible? Normally he would not bother with this as his aim is to die but this time he did not want to risk it.
As always the hazy shadow disappeared, the real fight was STARTING NOW!
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone