Nathan, Rory, and Subaru pressed forward, navigating the seemingly endless cavern that continued to stretch and swell the deeper they ventured.
Time blurred as they moved. What began as a narrow tunnel had now widened into a vast subterranean expanse, one that could easily be mistaken for an underground city ruin. Before them loomed a colossal metal door, monolithic, ancient, and unmoving.
"This has to be the boss room. No doubt about it!" Rory exclaimed, a strange mix of thrill and tension clinging to his voice.
What did Nathan feel upon hearing that?
Relief.
A quiet tide of it rolled through his chest. The end of the tutorial was finally within reach. Soon, he'd gain unrestricted access to Gaia and Origin Expanse. His stats would unlock. The dormant power in him would awaken. He would finally be able to pursue strength as any true awakener would.
But closely following that fleeting relief came another emotion? Fear.
An overwhelming, visceral fear.
Behind that imposing gate lay a calamity. Not a mere monster. A threat. A being powerful enough to raze a city to the ground without effort. How were they supposed to confront that? How could he possibly make it out alive?
"We-We should head in now," Nathan stammered, his voice barely audible.
The tension had begun to consume him. Up until now, he had done a decent job of masking the anxiety gnawing away at his insides. But with the looming confrontation, his mental defences crumbled. He felt like a dam about to burst, emotions slipping through the cracks.
Subaru wasn't faring any better, perhaps worse. His expression had twisted into a pale mask of dread. Where Nathan clung to the edges of rationality, Subaru teetered at the edge, inches from emotional collapse.
Rory, surprisingly, remained composed.
Whether it was numbness from everything they'd experienced or quiet acceptance of the chaos they'd been dragged into, he held himself steady. For once, he wasn't panicking or spewing nonsense.
It was a welcome change.
"I'll take the lead this time," Rory announced, stepping forward.
He laid his palm against the cold, metallic surface of the gate.
A series of messages flickered into his view.
---
[You have arrived at the boss room of the dungeon: The Whispering Wake]
[Would you like to open the door?]
[Yes / No]
---
He swallowed hard. This was it alright, the final trial that stood between them and the end of the tutorial.
"Open!" Rory declared, solidifying his resolve.
A deafening grind echoed through the chamber as the metallic door shuddered and slowly began to part. Steel scraped against steel, each inch of movement sounding like a mechanical scream. No hands pulled the doors, some invisible force dragged them open on its own accord.
The twin slabs retreated into the walls, unveiling the chamber beyond.
From the newly opened space, a cold mist seeped out, slithering across the floor like smoke. A low hum, hollow and dissonant, reverberated through the air, a soundless whisper echoing from the darkness beyond.
All three boys stood frozen, then gulped simultaneously, their throats bobbing in unison.
"Here goes nothing…" Rory muttered and stepped across the threshold.
Nathan followed closely, and Subaru, albeit with immense reluctance also trailed behind, his legs stiff with hesitation.
---
[You have entered the territory of: The Whispering Wake]
---
The moment the last of them crossed over, the massive door behind them slammed shut, cutting them off from the outside world.
They were locked in.
There was no exit until the beast, The Whispering Wake was defeated.
The chamber inside was pitch-black, an abyss where light dared not linger. They fumbled forward, extending their single torch stick ahead. But the moment its glow pushed forward, a powerful gust snuffed it out instantly.
"This... this isn't good!" Subaru whispered, trembling.
Now cloaked in total darkness, they felt as though they'd been swallowed whole by the void itself.
"Don't move. Not even a step," Nathan warned sharply.
The darkness was disorienting, but given time, their eyes might adapt. Until then, the safest course was to remain exactly where they were. Who knew what traps waited ahead? Or what form the room itself might take?
Then...
WOOSH!
The entire room suddenly illuminated as torchsticks flared to life along the walls, igniting a synchronized chain reaction.
A fleeting sense of relief surged through Subaru.
"Good. Now we can finally seeee-
His voice faltered, dying mid-sentence. His eyes had locked onto something across the chamber. Something horrific.
"That... that's the Whispering Wake?!" Nathan's voice broke as he stammered. "No... no fucking way!"
His grip on his sword faltered. It wasn't a conscious act. His body simply reacted. The creature, if it could even be called that, stared them down from across the room. Its form was obscured by writhing shadows, but the sheer pressure it exuded was enough to shatter resolve.
Nathan's instincts screamed Run! Or worse, Surrender! Something primal within him wanted to bow before it and beg for mercy.
Panic flared. His thoughts scattered, his breath ragged.
And then-
---
[Talent: Perceptive Reflex!]
---
The text blazed before his eyes, and almost immediately, his senses sharpened.
Something shot out from the darkness.
Too fast to track.
But Nathan felt it. His nerves screamed, and without thinking, he moved.
"Look out!" he cried, lunging at Rory.
He shoved him aside, the two of them crashing to the ground as a bladed projectile roared past overhead. It struck the wall behind them with such force it cracked the stone, sending debris flying.
Rory's eyes widened in shock.
Had Nathan been a second late, that spear-like attack would've torn clean through his chest. He wouldn't have survived.
"Wha–What the hell was that?!" Rory gasped, still sprawled on the floor.
But Nathan could barely respond. Pain exploded in his skull as another system alert lit up in front of him.
---
[Error!]
[Error Detected!]
[Forced Temporary Talent Awakened – System Glitch Detected!]
---
The messages flashed red, ominous and unstable.
A blinding migraine followed, splitting Nathan's thoughts apart like an axe to the skull. He dropped to his knees, clutching his head with both hands, screaming in sheer agony.
His body writhed, immensely!