Nyxfall 7: The Veilbreakers

Minutes later, Kai woke up, and the first thing he saw was the same dark green stone floor. It was too close to his face, though. He was lying on his stomach. Exhaling with painful effort, Kai pulled himself up. 

His entire body was aching, and his HP on his screen was barely 20/100.

Still, without caring much about the situation or lowering the pain setting, Kai immediately looked around to figure out what was going on. He turned left, and there was nothing but a large dark green stone wall. The second he looked right, a creepy, wrinkled old face stared deep into his eyes, accompanied by an evil, toothy smile.

Too close!

Scary. Scary fucking Granny!

Kai immediately backed away a few steps and saw Deimos on the side. She was focused on some fancy wooden doors on the side of the wall. What the hell was going on?

The granny's voice came seconds later: "You are not as cute as I thought you were.."

Kai really wanted to try some karate chops on the weird ghost granny, but he controlled himself and walked over to Deimos.

"What is going on? Did we pass?" he asked.

"Ah! You're awake!" she said. "Hurry up and go, read the riddles written on each enchanted door. She gave me a book that has a spell. It's supposed to remove any magical powers from an item or person, but can only be used once. We have to choose the correct door."

"Did she give any reward for the last one?" Kai asked, moving quickly toward the next door.

"No notification of the trial being done, so no rewards, insect," she replied, annoyed.

Kai had to believe her words, but there really had been no notification, so it should be true. He started reading the words written on the second door, and within a few seconds, wrinkles began to form on his forehead. It simply said:

"I am the echo of forgotten dreams, held in a cage of stars. To see me, you must close your eyes, but to touch me, you must remain blind."

That makes no sense! Not wasting time, Kai hurriedly moved to the third red wooden door, which was decorated in a fancy style, just like the two beside it. This one said:

"Born in the heart of flame, I grow in the coldest dark. My voice is a silence that carries, my form a shadow in the light."

Kai was growing really irritated. Even after thinking for a solid minute and coming up with nothing, he walked over to the same door Deimos was standing near. Her eyes were glued to it. This one said:

"I grow with the whispers of the ancients, but fade with the breath of the wind. I carry the weight of stars, yet cannot be seen by mortal eyes."

Kai wanted to curse at whoever had written this crap! What level 90 dungeon difficulty questions were these? And what was so interesting about this one that Deimos was staring at it mindlessly?

"These make no sense!" Kai said.

"I know.." she replied.

Suddenly, Granny spoke up, "Two minutes left, before I hack you two to pieces.." She had a ghostly machete in her hands, and her crazy smile made the simple threat seem five times scarier. Shit like this only came in nightmares! Kai was definitely going to see it again in his sleep.

"Weren't you just a guide?" Deimos squinted at her.

"I can guide you to heaven.." Granny said with another smile.

Kai shook his head and ignored the crazy ghost woman, focusing on the riddles.

'Grows with whispers of ancients.. fades with wind.. carries the weight.. and invisible.. The hell is this thing!?'

"Go away from here, will you?" Deimos said, annoyed, beside him.

"Why are you staring at this one? Did you figure something out?" Kai asked, suspicious of her behavior.

"What? No, I was thinking. I don't understand a single sentence!" she confessed.

"The hell are we doing, then!?" Kai complained.

She eyed him, then added, "Fuck it! Let's just choose one randomly."

"1 minute left before your forever sleep.." Granny started singing behind them while clanging two machetes together, making an annoying sound.

That was one insane character. This shit could not be from a real person. Was she really such an insane lady in real life?

"Huh..." Suddenly, Kai felt like something was wrong.

"Which one do we choose? Come on, hurry up.." Deimos kicked him while pulling out the book and opening the page with the spell.

Kai suddenly asked, "What did she say when she started this trial?"

"Huh?" Deimos looked at him. "What are you tal.. We don't have time for this."

"Just answer me.." Kai insisted.

She repeated, "You must choose a door. Then, you will have to use the spell of Nullmancy on the right one to pass the trial. If you fail, my machete will claim you both." Then she added, "The book said the spell of Nullmancy steals the ability to hold mana of any item or person."

The granny hadn't threatened them herself before. She truly was just a guide. Why would she suddenly use a machete to kill them? She was wearing mage robes.

"Use it on her.." Kai muttered.

Deimos's eyes widened beside him. "Are you sure?"

"Fuck it, just do it.." Kai said. It was a much better bet than just choosing one random door with nonsensical riddles.

Deimos started chanting the spell loudly, her book pointed at the old woman.

"Nullus potentia, frangite vincula,

Exsolvo energiam, dissolvo nexum,

Velum obscurum, lumen retractum..."

The granny glared at them with red, dangerous eyes and immediately started floating toward them, even though the minute wasn't over yet. Right or wrong, this would be the last thing they did if her machete even touched either of them. Kai only had 20 health!

"...Arcanum evanescit, virtus perditur,

In hoc momento, magica vanescit!"

Just as the machete cleaved near their heads, Kai stood ready to block it with his flimsy wooden bow, but he knew that wouldn't work! He had so many things in his inventory, he didn't want to lose them!

In Nyxfall 6, at least, the system was such that if a player died, all their inventory would be emptied, along with weapons and armor. One had to bind important items in the Stonbinder city to keep it with them even after dying. Or buy charms to avoid losing things.

However, the moment they were waiting for never came, as just as Deimos finished her chanting, the granny froze mid-air. Her bright glowing white energy around her ghostly body vanished, and she plopped to the ground, becoming.. human? The hell had happened?

Somehow, the spell of Nullmancy had turned her from a ghost into a human? 

The granny groaned and, with a visible effort, pulled herself up, looking all around as if confused about her location. Kai and Deimos just stared at her, stupefied by her actions.

After a second, they snapped out of their stupor, and Deimos immediately pulled out her half-dull and chipped dagger. 

Suddenly, the whole room brightened, and the three doors disappeared. Instead, a stone block was removed from the side, and a stream of water with a powerful force behind it began pouring into the room.

From above, the ceiling opened, and a wooden boat fell down. It was about to smash into the stone floor, but Kai grabbed Deimos and immediately caught it with her help somehow while taking some more damage. It was really small, more like a canoe that only one person could ride and row.

The water was rising at an alarming rate, and all three of them just stood there, confused about the situation. Where the hell could they take the boat? All four walls were sealed shut!