"It''s unkible," Lyra exined, her voice tinged with frustration. "You can defeat it in it''s challenges, yes, but killing it is out of the question."


    "Interesting," Pyris mused, his curiosity unmistakable. "So we just have to figure out how to do the impossible," he added, the corners of his mouth twitching into a smirk. He wanted every bit of this challenge to test his limits.


    "You''re ridiculous," Seren muttered, though there was a flicker of admiration in her crimson eyes.


    Alera, her brows furrowed, broke the momentary silence. "I don''t understand," she said, her voice tinged with genuine confusion. "Why does it sound easy to defeat the guardian but it''s impossible to kill it?" At the end of her words one could already feel her desire to im the life of the so-called guardian.


    She felt like she wanted to give this guardian a kiss of death.


    Her question drew Lyra''s attention. With a somber look, the light-user exined, "That''s because the guardian only requires six moves to be decided. You get three, and it gets three."@@novelbin@@


    Alera blinked, still processing. "Six moves? That''s all? What kind of twisted game is this?"


    "It''s not a game. It''s thebyrinth''s rule to get past it into the inneryers,," Zara interjected with a sly chuckle.


    Lyra nodded grimly. "For your three moves, you must make the guardian take just a few steps back. If you seed, you win that phase. Easy, right?"


    "Too easy…" Pyris murmured, his sharp mind already dissecting the catch hidden behind the seemingly simple rules.


    "And its moves?" Alera asked cautiously.


    Lyra''s lips curled into a bitter smile. "You just have to survive. That''s the rule—don''t die during its three moves."


    The group fell silent for a beat. The simplicity of the challenge was deceptive, a signature trait of thebyrinth''s cruel design.


    Pyris finally nodded, breaking the stillness. "I see. And how powerful is this guardian exactly?"


    "Hah," Seren let out a sardonicugh. "It''s only a Rank 16."


    Alera gasped. "Rank 16? That''s it?" Thebyrinth had already thrown Rank 16, 17 and even the weak Rank 18 creatures at them, and they had managed although thetter had nearly killed them thanks to their tricks.


    Zara raised an amused brow, sensing Alera''s anticipation. "Don''t let the number fool you," she warned. "This guardian isn''t just any Rank 16. It''s an Emperor ss beast."


    Now, Pyris nodded, he understood why the guardian was feared.


    Creatures and corrupted beasts followed the same ranking system as awakeneds, but their sses made a world of difference. Normal, Special, Elite, Emperor—each jump was exponential.


    A single Special-ss beast could annihte five Normals without effort.


    Seren Nightshade and Elion Arvad had faced a Special ss creature and it trashed them. Pyris had delt with it easily though and now it was Alera''s Shadow Guard but...


    They hadn''t faced an Elite yet, but now, skipping ranks straight to an Emperor was their reality.


    "Skipping ranks again, huh?" Pyris mused inwardly, it felt and sounded familiar, he had skipped ranks into a foursome with his women without having a threesome, "I guess it will be amazing." He said inwardly.


    If Lia was here she would have rolled her eyes.


    Alera''s eyes gleamed with determination. "An Emperor ss, huh? This will be… interesting." Her excitement was palpable, but Pyris could see the tension hidden beneath it.


    "I see you''re excited," he teased, ruffling her hair. "Just don''t let your enthusiasm kill you, Lovebug."


    Alera swatted his hand away but couldn''t hide her grin.


    Lyra, however, wore a more somber expression. "It''s not as simple as it sounds," she said, her voice low. "Defeating the guardian just to pass is one thing, but killing it outright? That''s another story. The guardian doesn''t die."


    "Doesn''t die?" Pyris echoed, his interest piqued.


    "Exactly," Lyra confirmed. "Its energy is almost infinite. You can beat it, but you can''t end it."


    Pyris leaned back, his lips curling into a wolfish grin. "That just makes it more interesting, doesn''t it?"


    "You''re insane," Seren muttered, though she couldn''t help the faint smile tugging at her lips.


    "Perhaps," Zara added, smirking from the sidelines.


    "So, what''s the n?" Zara finally asked, her gaze shifting to Pyris.


    Pyris''s expression turned serious, his mind already formting their approach. "We''ll retrieve the Flower of Darkness first. Alera, Nysa, and I will deal with the guardian''s six moves together. After that, we''ll head for the Blood Chalice."


    The group nodded, the weight of his words sinking in.


    ____


    As the group prepared to move forward, the tension between them eased, reced by a shared determination. Pyris''s calm confidence was infectious, even as thebyrinth seemed to loom darker and more foreboding with every step.


    "Let''s get this done," Pyris said, his tone resolute.


    Behind him, Seren exchanged a nce with Lyra. "Do you think we can pull this off?"


    Lyra hesitated, then nodded slowly. "If anyone can attempt the impossible, it''s him. But killing the guardian?" She shook her head. "That''s as unlikely as sharing a table with the gods." It was as if she was doubting the sess of her own goal why she came to thebyrinth. Discover exclusive content at My Virtual Library Empire


    From the back, Zara smirked, her eyes gleaming with amusement. "Oh, this is going to be fun."


    Nysa, silent as ever, trailed behind, her thoughts inscrutable. Yet her sharp eyes never left Pyris. "A curious mortal indeed," she murmured to herself, her voice barely above a whisper. "Let us see how far thy arrogance carrieth thee, young noble. Thou shalt soon face the consequences of thine ambition."


    The path ahead grew darker still, and the air thickened with tension. Thebyrinth was waiting.


    Thebyrinth''s jagged pathways stretched endlessly, each step feeling heavier under the oppressive atmosphere. Beasts—distorted amalgamations of ws and fangs—lunged at them from the shadows, only to be swiftly dispatched. Seren''s hammer crushed skulls with satisfying thuds, while Alera''s Living Shadows turned attacks back on their origin. Pyris mostly observed, asionally hurling a streak of lightning or a burst of me.


    "You''re gettingzy," Lyra said, ncing at him as she drove her de through another creature''s throat.


    "Delegation isn''tziness," Pyris retorted. "It''s leadership."


    "Or cowardice," Seren muttered.


    "I heard that."


    "Good."


    With thest beast felled, Nysa stepped forward, her every movement dripping with effortless grace. "Follow closely. I hath glimpsed the path that leadeth to thy precious flower."


    The group moved in tighter formation, Lyra and Nysa guiding them through a narrow opening in thebyrinth wall. It was barely wide enough for their bodies, the rough stone scraping their arms as they squeezed through.


    "Alera, are you stuck?" Pyris asked, ncing back.


    "No," Alera growled. "I''m just... taking my time."


    "You sure? It looks like your... assets are holding you back."


    "Pyris, I swear—"


    "Focus," Nysa interrupted, her voice calm butmanding. "Beyond this threshold lies the terrain thou seekest."


    They emerged into a swamp.