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Chapter 553 Labyrinth of Shadows (4)

At the chamber's center lay a serene pool of iridescent water, its surface shimmering with an ever-changing display of colors. It was as if the water held the secrets of the cosmos, offering a glimpse into other realms. Orion could sense the pool's profound connection to the mysteries of the labyrinth.

Despite the chamber's breathtaking beauty, there was a prevailing sense of tranquility and serenity. It was a sanctuary within the labyrinth, a place of respite and contemplation where the chaos of the maze was left behind.

"This place doesn't feel like it belongs in hell… or, purgatory I guess."

.

[Side Quest: Trials of Despair - Confront Your Regrets]

[Description: Within the Trials of Despair, you have the opportunity to confront your deepest regrets and fears. The benevolent sanctuary challenges you to face your own demons and emerge stronger.]

[Reward: [Sanctuary Vision Upgrade - Resilience] | [Mental Fortitude] | [Emotional Clarity]

[Penalty Upon Failure: Despair's Mark]

[Time Left: One Day]

.

Upon seeing the automatic activation of his second side quest, he knew he was in the right spot. And upon feeling a strange calling coming from the tranquil pool at the center of the chamber, he knew exactly where to head to next. 

Still dressed in his heavy combat armor and clothes, he stepped into the pool, a tingling sensation worming its way up his body. That same feeling was then followed up by the sight of the water crawling up his body, gently enveloping him and injecting a relaxing, pleasurable sensation that ate away at any anxiety he had. 

"*sigh*... Let's see what's next." 

Orion soon found himself standing within a disorienting and ominous black abyss. It was as if the very concept of darkness had taken physical form. In every direction he looked, there was nothing but an unending expanse of utter blackness, a void so profound that it seemed to devour the very notion of light.

The absence of any visible landmarks or reference points left Orion with a sense of profound isolation. The darkness stretched endlessly, giving no indication of where it began or where it might end. It was as if he had stepped into a place untouched by time and space, a realm of primordial nothingness.

The silence in this abyss was absolute and suffocating. There were no echoes, no distant sounds, only an eerie and pervasive stillness that seemed to press upon his senses. Every movement he made, every breath he took, felt as if it were absorbed by the all-encompassing void.

Orion's presence in this abyss was a solitary one. He could see no one else, and the sense of being utterly alone in this boundless darkness sent a chill down his spine. It was a desolation that transcended any he had encountered before, a feeling of being adrift in an eternal night.

As he took a step forward, his footfall made no sound, swallowed by the oppressive silence. The boundaries of the abyss, if they existed at all, remained elusive. Orion was left with a disconcerting sensation that he had entered a place where the rules of reality no longer applied.

It was a realm that challenged his senses and his very perception of existence. The absolute blackness pressed upon him, creating a sense of weight and density, as if the darkness itself possessed substance. He was, quite literally, enveloped by nothingness.

[Searching your soul for fears and regrets…]

[The Dungeon Master is surprised at your lack of regret]

[The Dungeon Master is surprised at your lack of fear]

[Only One Fear has been identified]

[Fear of Gods - Target: Ares, The All Mighty God of War]

[Target has been deemed too powerful]

[Power will be adjusted]

[Speed will be adjusted]

[Magic will be adjusted]

[Summoning Fear…]

[Fear: The All Mighty God of War, Ares]

[Danger Level - SSS (Adjusted)]

[Description: Ares, the younger god of war in his prime, was a formidable and imposing figure. His presence exuded an aura of battle and conflict that could not be ignored. He was the embodiment of martial prowess, a god of war like no other.]

As he appeared, I felt a shiver vibrate through my bones. 

Ares wielded a blood-red spear, a weapon that seemed to thirst for combat and conflict. The spear was an extension of his very being, an instrument of both destruction and mastery. Its crimson hue hinted at the countless battles it had seen and the bloodshed it had caused.

His attire was both practical and imposing. A long, flowing black cloak draped over his broad shoulders, trailing behind him like a shroud of darkness. It added an air of mystery to his already intimidating presence. Beneath the cloak, Ares donned combat boots that signaled his readiness for action. His combat gear, thin and flexible, allowed him to move with incredible agility and precision, an advantage he exploited to the fullest on the battlefield.

Ares was distinctive for his choice not to wear a helmet. His face, framed by long flowing dark red hair, was fully exposed, revealing his striking and intense countenance. His eyes were perhaps the most captivating feature, as they were as black as the deepest abyss. Pupils shaped like squares gave his gaze an otherworldly and mesmerizing quality as if he could see into the very soul of those who met his eyes.

lightsΝοvel On his pale skin, Ares bore five god marks, each one a symbol of his divine power and his connection to the forces of war. Two of these mysterious markings adorned his face, positioned just below his left eye and mirrored on his right. They seemed to accentuate the intensity of his gaze. Another triangle was centered on his forehead, a mark of his dominion over the realm of battle.

Ares, the god of war in his prime, was a deity to be both revered and feared. His presence was a testament to the unending cycle of conflict and strife, and his appearance was a reflection of the relentless and destructive nature of warfare. In his very being, he embodied the chaos and power of the battlefield, an entity capable of both destruction and dominion. I couldn't almost believe my eyes. 

"This is adjusted?" 

As the darkness began to take form, it coalesced into a vast, open battlefield. The scene that emerged was one of grim and haunting devastation. The earth beneath their feet was churned and marred, a desolate landscape stained with the remnants of countless battles.

Ares and Orion found themselves standing amidst the harrowing aftermath of conflict. The field stretched as far as the eye could see, and its once-vibrant grass and fertile soil had transformed into a sea of mud and gore. The air was heavy with the stench of decay, and the grim stillness was broken only by the mournful whispers of the wind.

The battlefield was littered with the grim evidence of past struggles. Countless lifeless bodies lay strewn across the terrain, their armor and weapons twisted and broken. Their vacant, unseeing eyes bore witness to the horrors of war, and their pale faces held expressions of agony and despair.

Though there was no sign of life among the countless corpses, the battlefield felt eerily alive in its own way. The echoes of conflict seemed to linger in the air, and the ground itself appeared to bear the scars of past violence. Broken standards and tattered banners, once symbols of hope and allegiance, now lay discarded and forgotten.

The bodies that littered the battlefield were a testament to the brutality of war. Knights and soldiers, once clad in shining armor, now lay broken and lifeless. Their weapons, some still clutched in rigor-mortis grips, bore witness to the futile struggles that had played out on this cursed ground. Ares's blood-red spear stood in stark contrast to the desolation, a weapon that had reaped a grim harvest.

The armor, once a symbol of protection and might, was battered and shattered. Helmets, breastplates, and shields bore the scars of countless blows, a reflection of the relentless and unforgiving nature of combat. The fallen standards and banners, now trampled and muddied, were the remnants of armies that had once marched to glory but now lay forgotten.

The battlefield stretched out into the distance, a vast expanse of desolation that seemed to have no end. On both sides, it was bordered by shattered remnants of once-proud fortifications. Crumbling walls, cannons, and gatehouses stood as battered sentinels of an era gone by, their stones weathered by the passage of countless years.

The battlefield was uneven and scarred, bearing the marks of siege engines and powerful spells that had torn the earth asunder. Craters and fissures, some filled with stagnant water, scarred the terrain, creating treacherous obstacles for any who dared to traverse the wasteland. It was as if the very ground had been scarred by the violence that had played out upon it.

The distant horizon was shrouded in a gray mist, obscuring the true boundaries of the battlefield. The mist seemed to hold secrets of its own, whispering stories of battles and sacrifices that had faded into obscurity. It added an eerie, ethereal quality to the surroundings as if the boundary between the mortal realm and the divine had been blurred.

Though the battlefield was devoid of life, it pulsed with a strange energy. The ghosts of fallen warriors, those who had met their end on this accursed ground, seemed to linger in the shadows, their memories and regrets etched into the very fabric of the battlefield. It was as if their presence added an extra layer of weight to the already heavy atmosphere.

[Battle Begin…]