WebNovels

Chapter 7 - Chapter 7 (House of Mysteries (3))

Scene 1: Carter's Trial – The Abandoned Castle

[Carter – POV]

The moment I stepped through the right door, a blinding light swallowed my vision. When it faded, I found myself standing inside a massive, ancient castle—the kind built in the days when kings ruled the world by sword and sorcery.

A purple, transparent square floated before me:

> SCENARIO 1

ABANDONED CASTLE

OBJECTIVE: Uncover the mystery behind this castle.

REWARD: The Dark Faith

FAILURE: Death.

"A scenario...? What the hell is this place?"

The halls stretched endlessly. The place was empty—but scattered throughout were glowing codes, etched into the walls like digital ruins. I examined one.

"Maybe these are hints..."

I stood at the main entrance. Ahead were seven doors—four to the left, three to the right. Each was numbered and labeled with strange names:

> Right Side:

(46) – Black Heart

(47) – Dream

(48) – Ghost

> Left Side:

(49) – Knight

(50) – Axzeroth

(51) – Zelenia

(52) – Demon King

I walked past them, trying the staircase ahead.

But the second I reached the top… I was back at the entrance.

"What—? A loop?"

I turned around. The stairs had vanished. Wherever I went, it all led back to the same place.

So I went back to the glowing hints:

"A DREAM THAT HAS NO END."

"EVEN NUMBER IS THE KEY TO THE END."

"WHO GIVES A DEADLY SCAR, THAT'S THE DOOR."

"THE DEMON LIKES TO FIND BALANCE IN EVERYTHING."

"'End'..." I murmured. "That word keeps showing up."

The hints seemed to contradict each other—or maybe they were all pieces of the truth. But one thing was clear:

This place was designed to trap minds.

"I wonder how Ron's doing right now…"

Scene 2: Ron vs the Imitator

[Ron – POV]

"Damn, it's foggy everywhere. Is anyone even here?"

I kept moving through the endless maze of Eznoid. Hints were scattered along the path—some glowing, others etched like warnings.

One read:

> "YOU THINK THAT'S THE RIGHT WAY? IT'S NOT."

I ignored it. Most of these were meant to distract or confuse. As I moved, I noticed strange patterns etched on the walls, like ancient glyphs. I approached one—but a wave of dizziness hit me.

> [MIND CONTROL: NULLIFIED]

"So it was a trap…" I muttered, shaking it off.

To keep track of my path, I marked arrows on the walls as I went. But after an hour… I realized none of the clues helped. Most were traps.

That's when I sensed it—a dark presence behind me.

I turned. Carter.

Walking calmly, a few steps behind.

Me: "What are you doing here?"

Carter: "Let's go back. This place is dangerous. I barely escaped my scenario. I know the way."

But something felt wrong.

Carter doesn't run. He never backs down.

I narrowed my eyes. My pupils flashed red for a second. He froze, a bead of sweat rolling down his face.

I turned and kept walking—watching him from the corner of my eye.

(Is this really Carter… or something else?)

Suddenly, the evil aura around him surged.

I turned just in time to see his punch coming.

BOOM.

I flew backwards, smashing through the walls of the Maze—kilometers of destruction trailing behind me.

When I looked up—he was changing.

His voice deepened, monstrous and gravelly.

His eyes turned fully black. His muscles swelled.

A gray aura erupted from him, dark and heavy like gravity itself.

> "HAHAHAHAHA… YOU AND YOUR FRIEND WILL NEVER LEAVE THIS PLACE ALIVE!"

I smiled, cracking my knuckles.

"Let's see who's really walking out of here."

My aura exploded—black and red lightning crackled around me, lashing out like a storm. I hadn't transformed physically, but my Ki was raging, my power spilling out like a flood.

The maze trembled. Walls cracked and shattered.

He grinned.

"Those walls are forged from a material that could withstand a trillion universal collapses… and you just tore through them. Impressive."

I lunged forward—punched him straight in the gut.

We both blasted backward, but he flew farther.

He barely stood—then I appeared in front of him with my speed.

He dodged, barely—but the wall behind him vaporized from the shock.

He started laughing wildly.

> "You really are something else. These realms—this dimension—it exists on a plane beyond time and space. You humans live in a bound reality. This? This is one of the untamed Realms. A place where rules collapse."

He laughed like a madman.

> "You've earned my respect. Now… I'll show you my true power."

[TRUE FORM AWAKENED]

His body began to morph.

His size multiplied—towering over the maze.

Two massive horns curled from his head. His skin turned crimson red. His arms split into four—each now wielding a blazing red axe, forged from pure fire.

He roared—his voice shaking the entire realm.

> "NOW... THE REAL FIGHT BEGINS!"

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