The fight was just beginning, and the group already seemed to be on the losing end… Adam's attention immediately went to Chloe. He anxiously scanned the room, hoping she had not been wounded, just to saw her running frantically, weaving and bobbing across the room, constantly evading her pursuer… A strategy that was ungraceful but highly effective.

He tried to move to her aid, but the relentless, overpowering force of the statue he was fighting prevented him from breaking away.

Meanwhile, Teo, facing the same impossible challenge, invoked his enormous coffin. He used the structure itself as a massive, improvised shield, pushing the relentless statue that was attacking him back several feet. Then, with desperate urgency, he broke the seal on the coffin, freeing his Empress once again.

The ghost woman manifested instantly: a young, delicate figure, impossibly pale, clad in an angelic-looking white gown that flowed around her. Her face remained completely obscured by the cloth bandages that covered her eyes. Teo performed a quick, low bow, a gesture of respect and dependence, and immediately felt the immense surge of power that she channeled into him, allowing him to defend himself with renewed ferocity using his twin revolvers.

Charles continued to use his flaming katana to defend himself, blocking and parrying every blow from his statue. However, it was evident that with every passing second, his opponent improved, growing faster, stronger, and more cunning in its attack patterns. Charles soon began to suffer deep, painful cuts from the few attacks that managed to slip past his defense.

The same happened to Adam. Initially, he managed to keep the statue at bay, but the entity quickly began to increase its speed and strength. At one point, the statue managed to bypass the boy's defense completely, the rusted blade coming within an inch of stabbing him directly in the face. Adam reacted purely on instinct, a flicker of agility saving him from a fatal blow.

The three men continued the desperate, losing fight. As the five-minute mark drew near, all three were injured, not critically, but with several notable, bleeding wounds, and all were utterly exhausted. They found themselves cornered, their backs pressed against each other, and the three statues attacking them with ferocious, synchronized swings.

Adam wanted to use his own ghost invocations to defend himself, but the Empress within his own body stopped him.

"Do not summon them!"

The Empress's internal voice screamed in warning.

"I feel something strange in those swords… I sense that if one of our ghosts were impacted by those weapons, it would be utterly destroyed instead of being regenerated back into my internal world!"

That would have been an unfounded comment, were it not for the fact that Adam had seen that the ghost accompanying Teo also seemed to have some misgivings about said swords, avoiding them at all times, and even seemed to be scared. The boy gritted his teeth, his hand twitching on the hilt of his lance.

Not that far from there, even in this dire moment, Chloe continued her frantic run, fortunately making her pursuer unable to land a single cut. However, in the few instances the rusted blade did manage to reach her, the hardened skin of her new High Dragonkin race proved sufficient to resist the unenhanced edge of the sword. It seems she would be fine for the time being, but… Suddenly, Adam, Teo, and Charles, their movements ragged and their minds dulled by relentless pressure, failed to coordinate their movements for a critical split second.

Adam, anticipating a downward slash from his opponent, initiated a wide, sweeping parry with cursed lance. Simultaneously, Teo, aiming to block a low thrust, stepped forward into Adam's space, his revolvers clashing against the massive lance. Charles, trying to duck under a horizontal strike, swiveled his body right into Teo's back, jostling his balance.

This unintended collision created a fatal moment of opening, and the three statues, with their chilling precision, instantly seized the opportunity… Their rusted blades sliced through the air, poised to deliver a fatal strike to each of the three men.

Chloe, running wildly across the room, happened to glance over. She saw Adam's tired, deeply focused face, and something snapped inside her. An intense, blazing heat invaded her, a powerful, protective instinct rising from the depths of her Dragonkin biology. Before she could process the thought rationally, she opened her mouth and unleashed a massive, swirling column of black fire directed at the entire group.

Fortunately, Adam noticed the surge of cursed energy at the last possible moment and acted instantly. The sudden burst of black flame enveloped everyone, forcefully dragging the three attacking statues sideways and preventing them from delivering the killing blow. Adam, however, positioned himself as a shield between the devastating flames, Charles, and Teo, and activated his skill [Cursed Fire Consumption], inhaling and ingesting the black fire that had erupted from Chloe's mouth to prevent it from harming his allies.

The desperate tactic worked for the moment. The absorbed corrupted fire was a powerful influx of pure energy, instantly replenishing Adam's stamina and returning a measure of his strength. However, this action would not deter the statues for long. With still half a minute remaining, they needed a final, decisive strategy.

The answer arrived just as Chloe, possessed entirely by the defensive instincts of her race, finally defended herself against the statue that had taken advantage of the fire to attack her. Her right arm transformed, shifting rapidly into a massive, heavily scaled black dragon claw, the same racial skill that Solène frequently displayed. She grabbed the statue, holding it fast, and violently hurled it across the room to crash into its companions.

Immediately, the pink-haired girl leaped high into the air. Hovering above the cluster of statues, she utilized a new skill that just came naturally to her.

"[Cursed Dragon Fear]"

She exclaimed, her voice so powerful and resonant that it boomed and echoed throughout the entire chamber.

A massive, invisible wave of cursed sonic energy washed over the statues. It did not wound them, but it clearly caused them immense difficulty in trying to stand up, their forms shaking violently. Adam noticed it instantly, as did Teo: That was the key. The easiest way to survive this trial was not to attack them, but to group them together and completely prevent their movement.

Without exchanging a single word, Adam and Teo moved forward in a unified, synchronized motion, positioning themselves directly in front of the staggered statues that were struggling violently to move within Chloe's sonic field. Adam opened his mouth, his spectral voice box humming, and Teo signaled quickly to the Empress floating behind him.

"Banshee's Torment!"

They both screamed simultaneously, unleashing their own sonic waves.

The combined, devastating power of the three sonic attacks was too much, and the statues crashed to the ground, utterly unable to move or even struggle effectively until the sonic barrages ceased.

They were forced to repeat the combined attack two more times, the effort draining Adam and Teo entirely, but it was enough. The statues were pinned, unable to attack again, until the clock finally ran out.

[The trial of the 'Ancient Seat of Primordial Envy' has successfully ended!] [Users are free to access the containment room.]

The statues immediately deactivated, becoming still, silent stone once more, collapsing onto the floor. At the same time, the massive door of the chamber slid open, granting them an open exit. But nobody was going to leave yet; the main prize was still there. Teo, Adam, and Charles all began to gasp heavily, utterly exhausted from the ferocious effort.

Chloe, snapping out of the high-level aggression of her Dragonkin instincts, immediately rushed to Adam, her face etched with profound worry.

"Are you alright?!"

She asked, her voice high with concern, her hands hovering near the visible cuts on his cloak, realizing that his new living clothes were protecting him from most of the slashing damage. Adam managed a weak smile, nodding in assurance.

"Yes… Fortunately, everything turned out well."

He replied, his voice still slightly ragged from the intense sonic attack. However, he was quick to use the moment as an experience to learn from.

"But let this be a lesson that acting so impulsively can lead to very serious problems."

Chloe's gaze dropped instantly, her cheeks flushing with shame at the reprimand. She was about to offer an apology when Adam placed a reassuring, gentle hand on her shoulder. The girl looked up and saw him smiling at her—a genuine, warm smile, not the soft smirk or aloof expression he usually wore.

"That being said, I have to admit that I was wrong."

Adam continued, his voice soft but firm.

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

"That… that was truly impressive, Chloe. You are genuinely strong."

A bubble of pure joy instantly filled the girl's heart, the surge of happiness so powerful that she felt tears prickling her eyes. Her smile immediately invaded her entire face, erasing all traces of shame or fear. She couldn't help it and launched herself at Adam, wrapping him in a fierce, tight embrace that momentarily stunned him.

After a few surprised seconds, Chloe finally became aware of what she was doing. She blushed an intense, fiery crimson, immediately pulling away from Adam just to stammer, profusely apologizing for her brazen behavior. Adam, who was himself slightly red-cheeked from the unexpected contact, simply chuckled softly.

"Do not worry about it."

He said, his voice light. Then he turned his attention to Teo, who was still recovering his breath, the Empress ghost floating gently beside him as if trying to comfort him.

"I will wait for you so we can check the contents of the stone together."

Adam offered, standing a little straighter. However, Teo shook his head, waving a hand dismissively.

"Do not worry about me. I still need to recover my strength. If that stone activates another combat trial, it would be bad. I am in no condition to do anything right now… But, if you wish, you can go ahead and check it out."

Adam noticed the strange nature of the offer and the odd sensation he felt regarding Teo's accompanying ghost, yet he conceded the point; there would be no harm in investigating a bit, as long as he remained vigilant. He turned to look for Charles, seeing him also seated, recuperating and seemingly out of breath, though it appeared he was muttering something in a very soft voice, as if talking to someone invisible. Adam was about to go to him to finally confront him about his suspicious movements he had had throughout the entire scenario, when a sharp exclamation of surprise drew his attention back to the center of the room.

"Whoa!"

Chloe gasped, standing near the massive stone.

Adam whirled around. The girl had approached the rock after Teo had given the go-ahead, and the stone had begun to crack the moment it registered her proximity. The boy's eyes widened with panic, and he rushed toward the girl, intending to pull her away in case the shattering caused a dangerous reaction.

Just as he reached her, the outer stone completely burst open, revealing an inner stone of an impossible, deep, profound black color. It was glowing, but simultaneously, it emitted an oppressive, visible darkness—a contradiction that made no sense. It reminded Adam of… What? It couldn't be possible, could it?

Adam finally managed to use his [Cursed Vision] on the inner rock, but before he could read the complete information, the very name of the object turned his blood to absolute ice.

[Sacred Piece of Envy - Rank S] [Additional Information] [A small black stone that absorbs light yet somehow illuminates its surroundings with an eerie, shifting glow. Said to be a pure fragment of the sin of Envy, forged in a forgotten world by a god who no longer exists. Prolonged exposure to its presence stirs intense jealousy within living beings, driving them to resentment and violence toward one another.] [Cursed Vision Knowledge] [Warning: Prolonged exposure to the fragment's energy can cause the altered effect [Skill Block] and lead to issues with the psyche of the affected individuals.]

Adam could scarcely believe the data scrolling before his eyes. He had found fragments of the Seven Lights before, incredibly potent, cursed objects he had encountered back in the desolate halls of the Necrogear Citadel during his second scenario. What was an object of such magnitude doing hereof all places?

He distinctly recalled the description of the other fragments: they were, as the name implied, mere shards of a much larger whole. This object, however, was clearly labeled a Piece, significantly larger and undoubtedly containing a far greater concentration of the deadly, cursed energy.

Both Adam and Chloe were frozen in place, staring at the unsettlingly luminous black stone with a mixture of terror and consuming fascination.

The Empress found her moment. She seized momentary control of Adam's mouth and began to talk.

"What are you waiting for!?"

She demanded, her voice a chilling whisper that carried an undeniable urgency.

"You must touch it and consume the energy of this rock, just as you did in the other world."

Adam immediately wrestled back control of his own vocal cords and his thoughts.

"It is not that simple…"

He refuted, his brow furrowed with extreme caution.

"I must at least analyze this much better. This is not the same as what we found back in 'Steam and Steel'; this is a version that is clearly far purer and more powerful."

But before he could react further, the Empress acted without asking again. A sudden, cold pressure shot down Adam's right arm while he watched, horrified, as his own limb extended, moving with an unnatural speed he could not halt, and instantly made contact with the surface of the black stone.

The moment his fingers touched the fragment of Envy, Adam felt as if a torrent of icy water had plunged into his body, invading every fiber of his being. The sensation was profoundly unpleasant at first, a cold shock that penetrated bone and spirit, yet it was remarkably less painful than the insane agony he had endured absorbing the energy of the other fragments in the past... In fact, after the initial shock, he could almost describe it as refreshing, like stepping into an ice-cold shower on a brutally hot day.

Several System screens immediately flashed into existence, overriding his vision with text.

[Notice: The skill [Mark of the Damned Lv10] has absorbed the entirety of the 'Divine Power of Envy'.] [The skill [Light of the Six Sins Lv2] is reacting with the newly acquired energy and is recovering its original form.] [The skill [Light of the Six Sins Lv2] has transformed into the skill [Light of the Seven Sins Lv10]. Congratulations!] [The summon 'Sacred Guardian of Envy' has resonated with the divine energy of the sin of envy within the user and has permanently evolved to 'Cursed Emperor of Envy'.]

Adam snatched his hand back, his mind reeling as he tried to process the information. He had not merely absorbed the energy; he had evolved a core skill and one of his first summons. The magnitude of the change was staggering. But before he could even begin to contemplate the implications, the rock, now completely devoid of energy, began to crackle and shake violently.

The Sacred Fragment of Envy exploded without warning, sending a final shockwave of raw energy through the chamber that washed over everyone present. While the wave seemed to cause no immediate physical harm, its effects were immediately profound.

Suddenly, two new System screens appeared before the eyes of each of the four users. Adam quickly read his own:

[The item [Sacred Piece of Envy - Rank S] has ceased to exist on this plane and has released an enormous curse all around.] [The user is affected by the altered status [Skill Enhance] for the next 10 minutes.]

His eyes flew wide open. He knew what that meant... The Malediction Reversal trait inherent in his unique skills had once again protected him, turning a debilitating curse into a massive, temporary boost to his abilities.

He barely had time to read Chloe's screen. It said the same thing, except that, without the Malediction Reversal trait, she had been afflicted by the original altered status: [Skill Block].

Around the girl, several translucent red chains briefly shimmered into existence, binding her instantly to the spot before vanishing as if they had never been there. It was a clear, unmistakable sign that her skills, including the newly acquired powers of her Dragonkin race, had been completely sealed.

"That was a Skill Block curse!"

Adam exclaimed, his voice ringing with immediate concern and worry, the statement causing Chloe to flinch violently in shock.

However, before the boy could even take a step toward her, the voice of Teo sliced through the air next to him, utterly devoid of surprise or confusion.

"Yup."

Adam snapped his head around just to see it... Teo stood there with a terrifyingly somber smile stretched from ear to ear with his two revolvers now leveled directly at them. The chilling finality of the situation, the entire scenario, the entire fight, the deal, registered instantly in Adam's mind.

Teo fired. A sharp, loud crack echoed through the chamber as twin beams of consecrated light shot out, aimed directly at the chests of both Adam and Chloe, specifically targeting the area where her Dragon Core would reside.

Adam felt the direct impact, but thanks to his high defensive stats, his myriad of Undead traits, and the fact that the curse had not affected his skills, the damage was minimal. The impact merely sent him staggering back a step.

But when he looked up, a wave of cold horror crashed over him... Chloe had fallen violently to the floor, completely unable to evade the direct hit because of the very curse that had sealed her abilities. Adam's eyes widened, finally registering the full scope of the betrayal. He was about to shout the girl's name in a frantic cry of sorrow when she suddenly opened her eyes, lifted her head, and rubbed the back of it, complaining about the impact she had taken.

"Hey, what gives?!"

She demanded, her voice ringing with annoyance rather than pain, not knowing what had happened.

Only then did Adam lift his gaze further, fully taking in the impossible scene.

Charles was there. Somehow, with impossible speed, he had managed to position himself directly in front of Chloe the instant before the shot could reach her core, and had successfully blocked the bullet with the flat of his fire-imbued katana.

Teo's entire demeanor transformed. His face became a mask of absolute fury, his eyes murderous, as if they were about to explode with pure, incandescent rage. Without lowering his weapons, he screamed violently at his teammate.

"What in the hell are you doing, Charles?!"

The blond, who remained eerily calm despite having just betrayed his companion in the most definitive way possible, stood firm. He simply spoke over the man's fury, his voice level and devoid of all emotion.

"I'm sorry. Change of plans."

Adam stood between the two, watching the impossible confrontation, his mind utterly blank. He understood nothing of what was happening.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.