Tarosk's Trial (Part 6)
Step, step.
The sound of my own footsteps felt strangely unfamiliar.
It was because my hearing, which had been sealed for three hours, had finally returned.
The penalty has been lifted.
The reason Tarosk's Trial was so infamous wasn't just because of the vicious gimmicks that appeared in every room.
The real problem was the accumulating restrictions.
Once a penalty was applied, it rarely went away easily.
The system was designed so that they would only be lifted after a certain amount of time had passed or specific conditions were met.
As a result, the shackles would pile up one by one until they eventually became too heavy to bear.
To make matters worse, the two teams split at the fork are completely cut off from each other.
No communication.
No way to assess the situation.
Neither side could know what restrictions the other was facing, or when they would be lifted.
Consequently, as the trial progressed, suspicion would inevitably grow.
In the game, it was extremely rare to raid the Lasutku ruins with a party you could actually trust.
It was usually a situation where everyone prioritized their own self-interest over mutual trust.
When raiding ruins with massive rewards on the line under such conditions, the seeds of doubt naturally began to sprout.
Is the other team dumping all the burdens on us?
Why are all the weird penalties piling up on our side?
Are those bastards going to betray us and take all the rewards for themselves?
Once distrust took root, the outcome was predictable.
Preoccupied with keeping tabs on each other, proper cooperation became impossible, ultimately leading to the catastrophe of stabbing one's allies in the back.
It's a sight I've witnessed countless times over my two hundred playthroughs.
No matter how skilled the players gathered were, how many times had I watched them crumble from within, unable to overcome the wall of trust?
But.
This time, the situation was different.
The private message function.
Thanks to this, we could communicate with the other team in real time.
This is seriously convenient.
Although there was a limit to the amount of text that could be sent, it was more than enough to get through the trial.
Just the simple fact that we could share each team's progress and accumulated penalties in real time completely changed the nature of the trial.
Most importantly, my conversation partner was Strawberry Latte.
A friend I had consistently kept in touch and interacted with for twelve years. We knew each other's tendencies and ways of thinking inside out.
Because of that, there was no need for unnecessary explanations or complex negotiations.
A few concise lines of text were enough.
With just that, we could perfectly grasp each other's intentions and make the optimal decisions.
[The challengers of the left path have transferred a restriction.]
[Selecting a random target...]
[For the next '2 rooms', 'Biorf's' vision will be blocked.]
"Argh! My eyes...!"
Right then, Biorf, who was walking down the corridor, clutched his eyes and screamed.
Of course, there was no need to panic.
We had already agreed with Strawberry Latte beforehand that our side would shoulder the vision-blocking penalty.
"Sir Gaon! Emergency! It is an emergency! I suddenly cannot see anything...!"
"Calm down. It will be lifted after we pass through two rooms, so just rest for a bit."
"Ah, is that so? Understood."
"...?"
I paused.
For a moment, I was speechless.
I mean...
Why did he make such a fuss if he was going to calm down that easily?
Dumbfounded, I turned to Marcus Koshat.
"Marcus, support Professor Biorf."
"Yes, sir."
With a brief reply, Marcus carefully took the stumbling Biorf by the arm.
In any case, I already knew all the gimmicks of the rooms ahead.
If we proceeded by distributing the penalties appropriately like this, the raid would go smoothly.
By the way, is it really okay for me to follow you into the ruins? I'm only at the 2nd Circle, so I'm worried it might be a bit dangerous.
Had I not said it before?
Strawberry Latte would never be a burden to us.
In fact, considering the 'trait' he possessed, he would be an indispensable helper for this raid.
Yes.
I hadn't dragged Strawberry Latte all the way to the dark city of Dawnguard for nothing.
"Oh...?"
How many more rooms had we passed?
Adelia, who was leading the way, stopped in her tracks and looked back at me.
"Sir Gaon, I can finally see the end of the corridor."
It was just as Adelia said.
In the distance, a brilliant light was spilling through the gap of a massive door.
The Audience Chamber of Emperor Tarosk.
At last, we had broken through all the trials and reached our destination.
Oh...
Stepping out of the corridor, a massive space unfolded before my eyes.
Despite the passage of hundreds of years, the Audience Chamber still boasted a majestic grandeur.
The ceiling was dizzyingly high, and the light fixtures installed throughout emitted a soft glow, illuminating the entire space.
...It looks way cooler than it did in the game.
Faded marble pillars lined the hall at regular intervals, and antique statues stood between them, exuding a heavy presence.
The traces of time were clear, but one could tell at a glance how magnificent this place had once been.
"...?"
Right then, familiar silhouettes emerged from the opposite passage.
It was Strawberry Latte's group.
They, too, seemed to have passed the trial without any major injuries.
Everyone was perfectly fine, without a single scratch.
Strawberry Latte began spamming emoticons in rapid succession.
It seemed he was celebrating successfully passing the first gate of Tarosk's Trial.
Of course, the expression on the pink-haired youth in the distance was as stoic as could be. The way he kept a sharp eye on his surroundings made him look like a textbook mage.
Seriously, that guy is a pretty good actor. Is acting a basic requirement for being reincarnated?
Anyway...
I shifted my gaze.
There was no time to leisurely exchange pleasantries with Strawberry Latte's group.
Indeed, from the moment we stepped into the Audience Chamber, an overwhelming presence had been palpable.
Rumbleeee!
At the highest point of the Audience Chamber.
The throne, situated atop dozens of steps, looked less like a simple chair and more like a massive monument.
And upon that throne sat a man of colossal stature.
His body was as massive as a mountain, built entirely of solid muscle.
Although his face was obscured by a helmet, the eyes visible through the slits held a sharpness that seemed to pierce through everything.
Tarosk, the elder of the Twin Emperors.
He slowly lowered his head and looked down at us.
A deep, low voice filled the entire Audience Chamber.
The gaze visible beyond the helmet carried a hint of intrigue.
He was inwardly surprised by a result that had exceeded his expectations.
...
Tarosk paused for a moment, looking back and forth between the two groups.
...
Tarosk leaned forward, continuing in a dignified voice.
...
Instantly, the entire Audience Chamber fell into silence.
It was when everyone was keeping their mouths shut, merely gauging each other's reactions.
"T-Then..."
A cautious, trembling voice broke the silence.
Marcus, who had been hesitating and glancing around, finally gathered his courage and spoke.
"Forgive my rudeness for asking, but... is Your Majesty of the Lasutku Empire also one of the 'Ancient Beings'?"
At that moment, the air in the Audience Chamber shifted subtly.
Tarosk remained silent for a moment before nodding.
"Y-Your original body...?"
A strange loneliness was laced in Tarosk's voice.
...
Marcus was speechless for a while before carefully opening his mouth again.
"Then... why did the Lasutku Empire, which was once favored by the Great Ones, meet its demise?"
...
It was an extremely sensitive question.
However, it was also a fundamental mystery that any scholar researching ancient civilizations and ruins would desperately want to know.
A brief silence fell.
The colossal emperor sitting on the throne quietly spoke.
"No."
Snap.
It was at that exact moment.
I flatly cut off Emperor Tarosk.
"We will not challenge the second trial."
"...?"
"...?"
Everyone froze.
The entire Audience Chamber instantly turned icy cold.
Every single gaze locked onto me.
Adelia was lost for words in sheer absurdity, while Pean let out a bewildered chuckle, tilting his head in confusion.
Even Tarosk was left speechless for a moment by the unexpected response.
...
Creak.
The next moment, Emperor Tarosk slowly rose from his throne.
His colossal frame was immense.
The sheer pressure radiating from this single entity—even if he was just a 'thought-form' and not the original body—was enough to take one's breath away.
Thud!
As the emperor took a single step forward, the entire floor vibrated.
...
Tarosk's eyes flashed with a crimson light.
Thud, thud!
The ground shook with every step he took down the stairs.
...
...
Everyone tensed up in anticipation of an immediate battle.
But I was different.
"I will say it once more."
With my arms crossed, I looked up at Emperor Tarosk with a calm expression.
"We have committed no sin."
Rumbleeee!
Tarosk's fury reached its peak.
Yet, I took a step forward without a single shred of hesitation.
Because...
"Do you, a mere thought-form, dare to harm your true 'master'?"
...?
I possessed a trump card that would completely shatter Emperor Tarosk's logic.