Chương 6: Essence room

The surroundings were nothing like Eric had seen before, at least not in the video games he played. Different kinds of traps with devious designs swarmed the area. There was not a single plane without some kind of killing machine - walls, floor, even the air had swinging blades. Eric spotted a concealed contraption stuck in the ground just in front of him. Watching from a distance, he observed how the trap's design was simple but effective.

It had a square metal cube protruding from the ground with a blade attached on one side. With no direction but forward, Eric stepped closer to the mechanism, and it sprang up. The blade turned on and swung around the standing metal shape with a clockwork motion, perpendicular to the ground, enough to split him open at the waist. Okay, this should be easy. The particular trap was time-based. With proper timing, one could escape the violent swings of the sharp steel and emerge unscathed.

Eric watched it cycle twice, inhaled slowly, and psyched himself up. Approaching, he moved past right as the blade turned and cleared a path before him. The entire room was divided into sections. An empty area followed each passage of traps, with one platform moving back and forth to the next segment with deadly machinery. The first one proved less of a challenge, as Eric stepped onto the moving platform and arrived at the second section of traps. While gliding in the air, he peered downwards at the endless dark.

Nothing was visible, and the idea of falling into the endless abyss made him shiver. The next section was worse. More curious designs presented themselves. Eric stood still and planned his next move. Hollow metal lines ran from one wall to the other. Spawning just several meters ahead of him, these contraptions continued to the very end of the section. On the left wall, he noticed two holes joined by a carved-out line. To the right, the same configuration appeared.

Whatever came out of those holes probably wasn't friendly. Eric needed to activate this section, as coming closer wasn't working. Stepping on one of the hollow lines in the floor, he heard the metal clicks and clangs. Seconds later, a giant scimitar rose from the empty space in the ground, spanning from one wall to the other. Some of his senses warned him against the coming danger, but in a place like this, he felt this was normal. Eric jumped backward and dodged the trap.

With a new plan in his mind, he stood up and dusted his clothes. The problem with this section was that he couldn't activate the last part. Those two holes on both walls concerned him, but there was nothing to do at the moment. The hall was long, and running through it would activate the traps like a tidal wave. Eric sprinted ahead as fast as he could. Behind him, the mechanisms activated one by one, each later than the previous one. While running, he had no idea what to expect at the end.

Shortly after, he realized that this was a terrible decision from the start. He didn't time his sprint with the movement of the platform over the abyss, and would be stuck waiting for it to come closer. Behind him, blades burst from the floor one after the other, smashing back into place as they closed the distance. Eric stopped for a moment before the end of the section. Panic rushed through, freezing him on the spot. The sound of gruesome, metallic demise crept closer.

Instinctively, he took a step forward, activating the traps on the sides of the walls. Two horizontal columns spun violently. Rusted nails sprouted from their surface. One of the newer contraptions was located up in the air, while the other one was on the ground. Slowly and ominously, the one up high dropped with a grinding shriek. Eric had to seize the moment, because he was either going to be chopped to pieces by the blades behind, or ground into human mince by the columns.

Jumping through the gap, the descending pillar slammed into him mid-air. Pain shot through his chest as the rusty nails tore most of his back muscles. Lying on the platform in a pool of his own blood, Eric heard the traps snap into place the moment he was away. Nothing prepared him for this. His body was numb, and he was writhing in pain on the platform. Before passing out, the last his brain registered was the sudden stop of the platform as it hit the third section of traps.

Eric woke up where he'd first entered the room. Gasping for air and touching his back, he felt there was no trace of the old injuries. I… respawned? How could this be?! After checking that all his body functions and appendages were in place, a wave of relief and calm washed over him. He stood up and went to where he had entered the room. /—————————————————————\ Do you want to exit the Essence Room? All progress will be lost. YES | NO \——————————————————————/ Yeah… progress.

If we count the bloodstained traps as progress. The familiar feeling of hopelessness came back. Eric sat on the ground and leaned his back against the door. Pain and agony were waiting for him, but the potential payoffs could help him survive and continue his quest. His current objective was to find the Elegy Vault and meet Grim. From there, he could gather more information and move forward. He needed the rewards, whatever they were. Supplies were also welcomed. Anything to keep him going.

Eric's inventory was nearly empty. No Bone Dust for invisibility, no weapon he could use. Just a few acid potions left. He wanted to save them for a special occasion because they proved effective even for larger foes. His mind reminded him of the description of the Essence Room earlier. It explicitly said that challengers can respawn at the start of the room upon death. This was a great feature, but he needed to reach the fountain on the other side functioning and not on the brink of death.

Blood was still dripping from one hole where the spinning columns went back into place. The same puddle was on the second platform where Eric met his demise, but something about it had changed. If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it. Passing the starting traps with ease, he stepped off the first moving platform and onto the familiar section.

Taking his time, he waited for the second platform to complete several courses, just so that he could be sure his estimation was correct.

"Let's go!" Eric yelled out and went full speed ahead. All the planning and observation proved invaluable, as he jumped through the gap between the spinning columns and onto the moving platform. Standing victorious, he heard how the traps behind him clicked into place, signaling their defeat. This time, Eric checked everything. Walls, ceiling, hidden groves. Nothing looked suspicious until he saw the small holes in the ground. That was the only thing separating him from the fountain.

Learning from his mistakes, he spent more time inspecting every nook and cranny of the space in front. Eric needed to find how to activate the device without getting himself impaled, crushed, or pulverized. Every trap so far followed a pattern. From the previous designs, he learned that all mechanisms had different activation times, and there was only one way to find out how fast they were. He crouched and slowly extended his hand towards the gaps in the ground. Spikes appeared randomly on the floor.

One of them grazed his finger right as he was pulling it back. The injury was not severe, and he could continue with the experiments. The second time he pushed his hand over the holes revealed the pattern. Some rows moved together, while others didn't activate at all. He threw one of his shoes where the spikes weren't showing and moved his hand again. That spot was safe, and he jumped to it. Repeating this exercise two more times, he escaped the contraption. Waiting ahead was the fountain.

Carved entirely from pale stone, it depicted a kneeling angel with water sprouting from its head, sending tiny droplets into the air. One splash landed on his hand, healing his cut from earlier. Eric interacted with the spout, impatient to find out his reward. /——————————————————\ Achievement unlocked! Essence Room Wanderer Finish your first Essence Room. Reward: Boots Of Speed \——————————————————/ Equipping these cowboy-looking boots gave lightness and speed.

Taking a stroll around the fountain confirmed the buff in movement speed. The boost wasn't massive, but it made his movements feel sharper and more responsive. Another window popped up, showcasing what seemed like a skill with a description. /—————————————————————————\ Skill Unlocked! Summoned Swords Level 1 Description: Using stored essence, summon a spectral sword at your disposal. You can use it as a melee weapon or launch it in a direction of your choosing.

The power of the summoned swords depends on your Strength and Insight stats. Summoned Swords skill can benefit from delayed casting and concentration casting. The skill functions independently of equipped weapons. If you had more hands, you could wield multiple summoned swords, but you would've been really overpowered if that was the case. Do you want to learn this skill? YES | NO \—————————————————————————/ This new screen puzzled Eric because he saw how behind it two more were floating.

He pulled the second one with his hand and started reading the new skill and its description. /—————————————————————————\ Skill Unlocked! Camouflage Level 1 Description: Conceal your presence from enemies and traps. Duration is based on the amount of essence available and the amount used for the cast. Physical signs of your presence are not hidden, only scaled down. Other modifiers or passive skills related to duration affect this skill. Benefits from concentration casting.

The effect and duration of the skill are related to your Stamina, Insight, and Willpower. Doesn't hide the fact that you haven't showered for days and probably never will. Do you want to learn this skill? YES | NO \————————————————————————/ The last screen showcased an interesting skill that could be useful to any adventurer. With each choice, Eric was getting more and more frustrated. He wondered if he could learn all the skills at once or if there was some kind of cap. /————————————————————————\ Skill Unlocked!

Sky Star Level 1 Description: Summon a platform at a location of your choosing. You can jump on it to propel yourself in the cast's direction. This spell works on other beings as well. Can be used for delayed casting and benefits from concentration casts. Can propel physical objects. Functions on all surfaces. Does not benefit from surface conditions. Only one usage of the platform is available while midair. Your Strength, Stamina, and Awareness directly influence the effect.

Everyone knows you'll try to double jump the moment you learn this spell. Warning! Learning this spell will change the availability of skill evolution paths. Do you want to learn this spell? YES | NO \——————————————————————————/ Eric stared at the three options, feeling the pressure settle in. The Summoned Swords sounded cool, but it was more of an offensive skill. He was concerned mainly with staying alive for the time being. It could be handy in situations where his weapons were missing.

Camouflage was the safer choice. After all, Eric had already been invisible several times. The added benefit of this skill instead of using Bone Dust was that there was no warning when a weapon hit you. The obvious downside was the duration, but with enough training, he could increase it. Not relying on consumable items was the major advantage. Looking at the Sky Star spell made Eric curious about all of its potential effects and synergies. He thought about launching himself and using it as a double jump.

The description hinted at propelling physical objects and weapons, or acid potions for added chaos. It sounded great in his head. The reality was that he had already died once in this room. Respawn mechanics wouldn't save him outside. With only a few acid potions remaining and with no invisibility, he chose the Camouflage spell. Staying alive mattered more than potential power at this stage. Upon accepting the spell, he saw the other spell screens collapse one by one.

A small notification flashed right in front of him. /———————————————————\ Camouflage Learned! Essence fully restored! \————————————————————/ Feeling invigorated and fresh, Eric felt a change in the room. The fountain crumbled to pieces, and water spilled everywhere. Not a single trap was left. It was time for another tutorial.