“[Lune Stone: Guard]!” Jennifer shouted, using the newest skill she’d gained. Her mana plummeted, fueling the skill as a shimmering blue layer covered her body.

The ogre slammed its four arms into the ground, sending a shockwave through the chamber. Jennifer stumbled as she quickly cut off her skill to conserve mana.

Irwys charged at the beast. His sword glowed, runes shining on its surface as he faced off against the Ogre. “[Sword Art: Mistblade],” he shouted, mist billowing around him as an incorporeal blade rose extended from his sword. “[Piercing Lunge]!” His form blurred.

The ogre roared as the mist blade cut through its flesh, trying to swat at Irwys with one of its four arms.

Jennifer's heart thundered, her mind blanking as she watched the fight. She hadn’t ever had to fight such a monster before. Lienmont was a well-guarded city, all the more so because it was on top of a massive dungeon. There were always guild members who took up scouting quests to prevent monsters from slipping out.

Another blow shook the hall. She fell back, still watching Irwys cut out a chunk of flesh from one of the ogre’s arms. His agility and skill surprised her. The monster was easily twice the size of the orc he'd fought mere hours earlier.

Jennifer slowly retreated from the hall. She would just be a hindrance if she tried to interrupt. Her spell base consisted primarily of convenient cantrips and Tier 1 spells. Trying to help would do more harm than good.

Sera, this is how he wanted to get out?

Her backwards crawl ended when her back bumped against a metallic surface. She turned to face the hall’s entrance. The gates leading outside were closed, still glowing with glowing blue light as runes flashed across them, the silhouette of the dragon glowing brightly.

Of course, they're closed. It’s some kind of stupid trial. What am I going to do? Make my way through the dungeon alone?

The tremors from the dungeon mixed with the rumbles of the massive ogre stomping around a single swordsman. She wasn’t needed here. All she had to do was to stay put and survive.

Irwys moved swiftly. Where was this agility when he was fighting the mercenary? He dodged another blow from the ogre. He embedded his sword into its massive arm, drawing blood. The ogre stumbled, and Irwys advanced.

His enchanted blade doubled in size. Burning with a flash of light, the sword cut through the ogre’s thick skin and into its bone. The ensuing roar of agony shook the hall.

One of the four arms detached from the monster’s body, falling with a loud crash as blood flowed freely from the stump. The ogre growled, grabbing its cut off arm. The beast held it over its head and lunged at Irwys. Mist swords slash through the massive ogre once more, drawing dark blood.

She pushed herself closer against the door, making herself small to avoid the enraged monster’s eye. Her heart threatened to leap out of her throat as she watched the fight continue.

With a sudden shudder, runes lit up around the hall. Mana slid around the chamber, flooding the runes that covered every surface. Jennifer’s gaze drifted towards the horned woman sitting on her throne. The magic continued to build around the statue until she once more heard stone grinding against stone.

A second set of statues rose in the chamber: eight armored knights wielding longswords. Jennifer felt the swirling magic rise to a peak as the knights rose, the halls shaking around them. The knights raised their swords as one, blades aimed at the ground.

Then, with a long swing, they struck the ground.

Magic exploded through the chamber. The mana vibrated something within Jennifer’s very core. The noise sent her reeling. Overwhelmed by nausea, her mana sense cut off automatically. She tried reactivating the skill but it refused to work. Frowning, Jennifer tried once more, before switching to any of her other skills.

None of them worked, not even the most basic skills.

Eyes wide, Jennifer turned toward Irwys. The swordsman clutched his head, faltering from the sound.

How the hell is he supposed to survive against that thing without Skills?!

Her mind snapped out of the terrified haze it'd been locked in. What am I doing? I could die here and I just sat on that ground like an idiot!

Her chest tightened, each breath accompanied by burning pain. She forced herself to calm down.

Keep it together. I need to think. There has to be a way to escape this place. There's no way Irwys can defeat the ogre without his skills. And I don’t even know why our skills aren’t working.

Pushing herself to her feet, Jennifer tried to think. The ogre roared, causing her to stumble again. Without his skills, Irwys struggled against the beast, his mist fading. Yet he still managed to run circles around the monster, dodging blows.

Don’t dwell on the problems. Think. What can I do?

She turned towards the knights standing across the chamber. They stood, eyes glowing dark blue inside their hollow helmets of stone. She inspected the rows of women next to the knights, searching for clues. There were symbols engraved on the bottom of the statues, all in pairs.

Women and knights. There was a chain of mana around them, links of mana forming before my Skills cut out. Spell threads have to be supported by a spell matrix. That means there’s a way to unravel it.

The ogre struck Irwys, sending him sprawling. Her heart dropped in her chest as the man hurtled across the arena, but the swordsman recovered quickly. He turned around with a slash of his sword.

It wasn’t enough; Irwys was still struggling to hold the monster back. She needed to be quick.

Jennifer shifted her legs, rising from where she’d fallen. Moving carefully to avoid drawing attention, she made her way to the closest statue.

It was a tall statue of a woman carved in smooth white stone, with runes etched at the bottom. Jennifer tried to recall what runic language it may be using, but any obvious options didn’t match.

Not Dwarven. Isholdic? Not Zweirilian either. Old Drakan maybe? I can’t say. This is outdated beyond belief.

Jennifer brushed her hand against the stone.

My mana sense, I can’t even use my mana sense. How am I supposed to dissolve the spell matrix without my mana sense?

She took a deep breath.

I can try. [Enhanced Mana Sense] was an extension. As long as I maintain skin contact, I can still feel the mana. There has to be a spell controlling this. I just need to focus.

She closed her eyes, trying to emulate when she’d been taught how to touch her mana for the first time.

It had been years since she had to use this method. She tried to steady her mind, the fear fading away as she sank deeper into her consciousness.

She put her hand on the statue, feeling the smooth rock against her palm. It thrummed with mana rising from within the surface. The magic pulsed against her skin in a steady rhythm.

Deeper.

Her mind sunk into the layers of mana lines running within. The deep and complex array of spell matrices spread out in a mesmerizing pattern, powering the spell. But the key wasn’t there; something was missing.

Deeper.

She went past the outer framework. Her mind pushed into each spell node in the massive web of magic, reaching for the core. She struggled to maintain the shape in her mind. The lattice of spell matrices was layered on top of each other, and complex enough that just analyzing them was giving her a headache.

Jennifer couldn’t guess what Tier the spell was. She knew that anything above Tier 5 was much more diverse in application and mana threads than her spells, yet the layers present within just this single piece outdid even the wildest comparisons she’d read about.

Concentrate. This is still just formation and shaping practice. Just slowly piece it together. Tier 6 or Tier 8, it doesn’t matter. I can still manipulate it.

Sorting through the complex shapes, Jennifer fed the correct threads through the beacon. The spell slowly started revealing itself.

A central link node appeared in the network of mana, connecting the entire spell together. Jennifer decided to use the simplest method she knew of to dispel any spell: blasting it with mana.

She focused on the central node, holding the anchor in place. With a pulse, she poured her mana in, breaking the spell lattice.

A wave of mana rushed forth from the statue.

Jennifer stumbled back, opening her eyes. She looked up to see the statue’s eyes glowing with a bright blue light. She gaped as it opened its mouth and began to sing.

Sharp melodic notes rang out, powerful enough to shake her bones. Mana poured into her hand, the magic pulsing in her chest. A system prompt rose in front of her.

Trial Key (1/8)

Obtain all to form the Mark.

She heard a shout and turned around to see the ogre clutching at its ears. It roared, thrashing its arms and one bleeding stump in agony as if it was trying to push the resonant voice of the woman away. The song ebbed away, and the ogre soon recovered. Its deep red eyes searched about, settling on her.

Rotten rats.

“Run!” Irwys screamed as the ogre leapt towards her.

Jennifer dashed away. The ogre crashed into the statue she’d been standing in front of, blowing up a cloud of dust. The beast lifted itself up and gave chase.

Irwys intercepted it, mist flowing around him. A cloud of white billowed out and covered the entire place in a thick haze. Shadows flickered in the mist, phantoms that attacked the ogre from all directions.

A misdirection spell. That should buy me some time.

Taking her chance, Jennifer sprinted to the next statue. She put her hand on it, closing her eyes as she once again tried to sense its internal workings. Within a minute, she located the spell’s core and activated it.

Trial Key (2/8)

Another bright light flashed into her mind as the woman let out a sharp, resonant note. The two beacons now hummed powerfully, their spells linking up and resonating with one another as a beautiful harmony shook the hall.

Jennifer paused for just a second, to marvel at the mystical magic that was forming beyond anything she’d ever seen before. Another roar from the ogre reminded her of the danger she was in, and she sprinted across the hall.

Still six more to go. No, only six more. I can do this. I won’t die here.

A vague red blur from the corner of her eye made her jump. Something exploded, the shockwave throwing Jennifer away. She rolled to a halt and picked herself up. Looking back, she saw the ogre standing where she'd been moments ago.

Jennifer clutched her chest as Irwys went after the ogre. Jennifer hurriedly stumbled to the third statue and shoved her mana through it.

Another note of magic rang.

The ogre clutched its ears once more, roaring in frustration as the magic swirled into a storm.

Trial Key (3/8)

She ran for the next statue and turned its beacon on. The sound traveled through the arena, now generating powerful currents. The mana around her vibrated.

Five more to go. Four… Three more… Two.

Irwys jumped out of the mist as the spell began to fade at last. His arm was bleeding and his armor was chipped in places. The ogre bled much more heavily, tracking blood all over the otherwise pristine floor from its missing stump and the large gouge in its leg.

The beast charged Jennifer again, now free of the mist. Irwys leapt back into the fray, his sword pushing the monster back.

Jennifer rushed towards the next statue and touched its surface. She closed her eyes as she focused on the spell lattice. The familiar sensation returned as the spell lattice came with ease. She turned on the beacon, hearing the sharp melody of magic that the women sang.

Trial Key (7/8)

Just one more. Just one more to go.

The Ogre howled as Irwys took a step back. The monster slammed its chest, its eyes burning red. It let out a bestial roar, charged with aura that echoed through the chamber. Jennifer winced.

The monster was going berserk.

The ogre grabbed its torn arm, now battered and with bone jutting through its flesh, and threw the stump at Irwys. The beast then stomped towards one of the knight statues.

The massive muscles on all three of its arms bulged as the monster bent down and grabbed the statue’s base. The floor cracked as the statue was torn from its place.

Jennifer stared dumbfounded as the ogre picked up the huge statue. It turned around, facing towards her and threw it.

“G-Guard! [Lune Stone: Guard]!” she screamed and froze in terror when a horrifying realisation dawned on her. She couldn’t use her skills.

Magic flared, mana pulsing and reaching out to her. A silver barrier flashed, covering both her and Irwys a moment later.

An explosion of rock and soil blasted over them. The world spun as she was flung across the hall like a toy. The barrier protected her from a quick and instant death, but that was the only saving grace.

Chunks of rocks and debris stabbed through her skin. Pain erupted across Jennifer’s body. Blood ran down her forehead, dripping into her eyes. She tried to get up, but found her limbs strangely unresponsive.

For a terrifying second, she thought the attack had snapped her spine, leaving her paralyzed and as good as dead. But the feeling faded as feeling returned to her limbs.

Fighting against the pain, she pulled herself up.

“Agh!” Jennifer screamed as a sharp throb went through her leg. She looked down to see her ankle twisted in the wrong direction. Oh no no no, not now. Please.

Biting her lips, she took in a breath and slowly set her foot against the floor. Jennifer braced herself, closing her eyes as she grabbed her foot and then—

With a sickening crack, she set her foot back into place.

“Mffgghh!” she bit her dress, screaming into it as she slowly moved her feet back, bit by bit. Tears streamed through her eyes as she blindly searched her belt, taking out the half-filled vial of healing potion. Removing the cover, she spilled a few drops onto her leg.

A cool sensation ran through the area, numbing the pain. She dared not use any more of the potion. If the bone healed the wrong way, it’d be much more difficult to fix it.

She stuffed the vial back in its pouch, climbing to her feet. Blood thundered in her ears, the pain from her foot slowly fading away. The adrenaline took the pain away temporarily but it would come back to haunt her later.

Only If I survive.

A shout echoed across the chamber, and Jennifer turned to see Irwys clutched in the ogre’s arm. She whipped around in panic, stumbling forwards as she screamed. "No! You can’t! I need him!”

Mana poured through her body, her blood seeping away from her as Jennifer pushed her pathways to their limits. She had one spell that could work. Delay it for the time she needed. And only enough mana to try it once. Just one. It would have to be enough.

Spell lines weaved themselves around Jennifer, wind rustling her clothing. She shook the spell matrix, draining her mana pool completely. Her mind strained, feeling like it would snap in two as the symptoms of mana depletion began to set in.

With difficulty, Jennifer controlled her spell, which threatened to break apart from the amount of mana forcefully poured into it. She held the spell at bay and took aim. She only had one shot.

“Wind Blades!” Jennifer screamed with all that she could as all her magic poured out in a storm.

A shrieking blade of wind shot from her palm, striking the beast’s shoulder. Dark red skin parted, her spell almost hitting bone as thick blood poured from the ogre’s arm.

The monster roared, as another one of its arms went limp, hanging from strands of muscles.

Irwys freed himself, jumping on the beast’s arm as he climbed towards its face. Bright light flared around him, a massive sword of silver light forming extending from the enchanted blade he carried.

Even without her skills, she felt the magic in the blade as clearly as anything else. Ancient magic of untold power coursed through it. The power of one of the gods.

Irwys climbed up to the ogre’s face, lifting his blade of light up and pointing it at the beast.

Then, with a slam, he stabbed it into the ogre’s eye.

A scream, louder than any before, tore itself from the ogre’s throat as the massive blade of magic cut through its flesh. The ground shook as the monster fell down, shuddering and twitching as the magic tore at it from the inside.

Irwys fell alongside the ogre, his sword slipping from his grasp and tumbled across the floor. Dark blood covered him as he lay still. He wouldn’t last much longer.

I have to hurry.

She turned and shuffled to the last statue, wincing with each bloody step. Jennifer fought to complete the magic, as the pain and her thundering heart made her fumble the process. Her mind kept returning to the thrashing ogre behind her. Jennifer forced her mind to still as she traced the spell lattice.

Then it was done. She waited as the spell activated and the last note was sung.

Trial Key (8/8)

Move to the pedestal, chosen one.

The note played through the halls, as the winged women harmonized. Magic came forth a flood, unlike any she'd felt before. Jennifer drowned in it. Her nose burned, tingling as dense mana saturated her very being.

The knight-statues kneeled in place and the women spread their arms, their wings glowing brightly as the beacons lit up.

A glowing pedestal rose in front of the central statue.

Jennifer turned towards the pedestal. The glowing characters imprinted on it flickered and moved about. Her body burned like fire as she limped forward, a throb of pain stabbing her feet with each step. The words’ power resonated deeply as she drew closer

Putting her hand on the pedestal, she pieced together all the eight pieces into one. The spell lattices attracted one another, forming their spell shape.

A symbol appeared on the pedestal.

Moving on impulse, Jennifer slammed her hand down, pushing the last dregs of her mana through the mark on the pedestal. The runes flashed, rising from the pedestal and crawling onto her hand.

The magic broke free of its chains.

Pain worse than anything she'd experienced before surged through her. Veins of fire crawled up her arms, burning her skin. They spread up to her neck and through her mind, tearing her apart from the inside. Mana flowed into her like a rushing river. Blood seeped through her pores as her body broke apart internally, struggling to keep itself contained.

The beacons turned, swirling in a storm as eight pieces merged into one.

The Trial of Time

There is no truth greater than time

Jennifer screamed, yet only a broken whimper came out of her burnt and torn throat. Her body broke apart and mended itself over and over as the mana continued to ravage her insides.

Vague images flashed in her mind. A tower stood above all, with eight dark figures standing around her. Dragons soared across the sky as the steps of giants shattered the earth below.

The eight figures moved, turning towards Jennifer as one.

INTRUDER.

YOU DO NOT BELONG HERE.

Her heart stopped at the words. They ordered her dead, and she knew she could not refuse.

Hands grasped Jennifer’s soul, restraining her. Cracks spread through the vision as the world around her shattered into hundreds of thousands of fragments. Her soul was crumbling.

A soaring dragon morphed, taking the form of a woman. Time turned upon itself as the cracks in her soul began to mend. The hands went towards the woman but she swept them aside with one sweeping motion, scoffing.

The horned woman stared at Jennifer. Her presence spread through the chamber, gripping the girl in place. Time itself froze under the weight, and the world ground to a halt.

The statue she’d seen lounging upon the throne moved towards her, extending its hand. The limb entered her, touching something within her spirit. The runes on her hand coalesced into one, forming a single mark.

Carry it well, my child.

The Mark seared itself onto her soul.

The statues quieted as the flow of time resumed. The hall shook, its magic fading. The old ruin began to collapse. Jennifer’s legs gave out as comforting darkness covered her eyes.

The last voice she heard, a fading whisper of the world ringing in her ears.

[Mark of Time] received!