Dungeon of Pride, Laplace



Simon tried to decipher the meaning behind the Murals and after a while, his breathing became composed and his mind cleared up as if entering a mysterious state. Unbeknownst to him, Simon's left eye started reacting at this moment.

Like a circuit pattern, the golden light spread across from the left eye and almost covered half of his body. The letters and runes that had once appeared meaningless now held clarity and purpose.

Each stroke seemed to convey a message, a narrative that had been waiting to be unveiled. The story began to take shape in Simon's mind, revealing a tale of valor and sacrifice.

In the murals, he saw two warriors depicted in vivid detail. Gaelen Sunguard, a figure with a stalwart stance, held a shield adorned with intricate patterns. The Shield of Oath, it was called a symbol of unwavering dedication and unyielding protection.

By his side stood Veridian Sunblade, a warrior of noble bearing, wielding the Sword of Dawn that radiated a warm and radiant light.

The story told of their quest, a journey to stop the relentless advance of Malgrum the Vile who the threw the entire realm in chaos and darkness.

As Simon continued to decipher the runes, the story unfolded further. The warriors had faced trials that tested not only their physical prowess, but their inner strength and convictions.

They encountered challenges that pushed them to their limits, forcing them to confront their own doubts and fears. Through the murals, Simon was able to learn about the epic confrontation between Gaelen, Veridian, and Malgrum.

The battle was fierce, the clash of light against evil, strength against malevolence. The warriors' determination and the power of their bond resonated with the very essence of the realm.

In a climactic moment, Gaelen raised his shield of oath, its radiant energy forming an impenetrable barrier against Malgrum's evil energy. Veridian's Sword of Dawn blazed with brilliance as he struck, his every movement infused with the light of dawn itself.

The battle reached its peak, the struggle of wills and power echoing through the ages. And in the end, it was Gaelen and Veridian who emerged victorious.

With the combined strength of their spirits and the power of their artifacts, they sealed away Malgrum's malevolent providence, halting his advance and preserving the realm from his darkness.

Simon's eyes widened as he absorbed the entirety of the story. For some reason, he was now able to fluidly read and understand the murals.

"Gaelen Sunguard and Veridian Sunblade… so these were the names of the two warriors".

He had met the statues of the two warriors back when he was clearing the second trial. At that time, he was very impressed by the powers and the little bit of history he learnt about the two brothers.

It also turned out that they had been the heroes who stood against Malgrum's threat. They had shown courage, sacrifice, and an unbreakable bond. It was too bad that one of the brothers fell to the evil side leading the Jury to make the two brothers confront each other.

With a deep breath, Simon stepped back from the murals. Now that the story was revealed to him, he felt like he got some clue as to how to proceed from here. His eyes shifted from the murals painted in the chamber and towards the doors.

He quickly scanned each of the doors and tried to decipher the hidden meaning behind the changing engravings on them. Thanks to the number of doors increasing with every chamber, there were now thirteen doors in total, each with a different engraving and runes, in front of him.

Well, to be exact there were twelve discounting the one he came here from. In any case, it was clear that each set of doors represented a different story, a unique narrative that held the key to his escape.

For example, one door showed a mighty figure sitting on a throne with a crown on his head. the figure in the engraving had a powerful gaze and exuded an authoritative aura. Another door showed a dragon, leveling a piece of land with its powerful breath.

While another showed a serene garden with exotic flora and fauna, a battle between celestial beings and shadowy demons, ancient battlegrounds, mysterious rituals, and otherworldly landscapes. Each image seemed to tell a story.

"I feel like there is more to these paintings than what meets the eye" His heart pounded as he recalled the murals within the chambers. The second trial and the fifth trial both recounted the tales of the two mighty warriors, it had to be related somehow.

As Simon observed the doors, he finally seemed to realise something.

"These engravings on the door, they are not some random painting but a scene from a story. All the doors depict a certain part of some story".

There was no mistaking it. Although it might look like he was opening wrong doors till now, it was not exactly the case. Simon had been keeping an eye on all the doors, their positions, the engraving and runes on them and even the chambers.

That is why, he could tell that each of the doors were definitely following a part of the story. If so then could it be that the doors were inviting him to step into those stories, to become a part of the narratives they depicted? Or could it be that the challenge lay in choosing the right story to follow?

[Warning- Maglrum the vile has found your position. Two minutes remaining before he catches up to you]

Simon ignored the notification and placed all of his attention on the doors. Soon, one of the doors caught his interest. He approached that door and glanced deeply at the painting depicted on it.

A round table and numerous vague figures sitting around it. Although it was hard to make out the appearance of these people from the drawing, the atmosphere and engraving on the door made one feel a heavy suppression instinctively.

Below the round table, although barely noticeable were two figures, one holding a shield and one a sword. Further below them was a city with tall walls and numerous buildings.

The engravings on the door were a little strange in that it depicted a hierarchy. The round table, or more precisely the people sitting around the round table were at the top. Below them, were the two warriors and further down was the city.

The chain of command, that is what the painting was depicting.

"The two warriors in this door look a lot like the shield and sword warriors".

If he remembered correct, he had learned in the second trial that the two powerful warriors, Gealen and Viridian used to serve a Jury. Could it be that the round table was the jury who once made the two brothers kill each other?

[Warning- Malgrum the Vile has found your position, 1 minute remaining before he catches up to you]

The second and the fifth trial, Gaelen and Viridian, the murals, the doors and the stories they followed. At this moment, Simon finally found the clue, the pieces finally clicked and he knew what the fifth trial was all about.

Without any hesitation, he opened that door and rushed in.

[You opened the wrong door. Applying penalty, your level have been suppressed by -10].

Simon did not bother to think about the notification and kept on opening the doors that depicted a part of the story of the two warriors.

The Fifth Trial wanted the challengers to find the right door, so of course many would think that there was a right door among the options. However, Simon realised that wasn't the case.

There was no right door, more precisely the right door wasn't among the options. To exit from this place, one needed to find the right door and to do that, one needed to open a series of wrong doors.

That said, simply opening some random wrong doors won't do, as it would simply lead you to a dead end until your level is completely suppressed and you are no longer able to open any doors and can only wait for Malgrum to reach you.

To find the right door, one needed to follow a specific story from amongst the many stories the doors followed. The Fifth Trial wanted the challengers to realise that and follow the story that was depicted on the murals.

That is to say, follow the story of the Gaelen Sunguard and Viridian Sunblade.

[You have opened the wrong door…]

[You have opened the wrong door…]

[You have opened the wrong door…]

[You have opened the wrong door…]

Simon continued to suffer the penalty and he could feel his strength growing weaker every time. 

Nevertheless, he did not stop, the penalty couldn't scare him. He knew that his deductions were right and he continued to follow his instincts.

Soon, he reached the Twenty Third chamber, and by now his level was suppressed by (-200). Yet the look in Simon's face did not waver, he walked towards one of the many doors in the chamber and after confirming that it was the story he was following, he opened it without any hesitation.

To his surprise, as soon as he stepped into the Twenty Fourth chamber, the periodic notification that announced him opening the wrong doors, did not arrive this time.

Instead, another notification that told him that he was very close to clearing the trial, appeared before him.

[You have reached the Hall of Mythos. Defeat Malgrum's remnant to exit the trial].