From the smoke and flickering shadows of the blazing doorway, two figures emerged. Two sorcerers, both draped in black robes, stepped forward.
Their faces were hidden behind a mask, etched with patterns that seemed to change subtly as they moved.
"I don't think I can fight these people," Sieg remarked under his breath.
Something about them felt wrong.
They looked human, yet at the same time, unmistakably not.
Then the sorcerers advanced with eerie grace. Each step clicked against the marble floor of the inner domain. They weren't in a hurry as they closed the distance, their attention on the slum boy.
Sieg instinctively tightened his grip on Cryostalgia. His body ached from the earlier fight, but his senses remained sharp as ever.
I'm not receiving any enemy stats?!
"We are not your enemy." The black-robed male sorcerer spoke calmly, his tone leaving no room for doubt.
His dark, intricate mask bore faint crimson markings, and smoke still curled lazily from his hands, it was the remaining trace of the inferno he had cast. He stepped forward from the domain's gates.
"Candidate. We our your guides to the next trial, so please, lower your sword." The second voice was softer, almost gentle.
The female sorcerer wore a similar mask, though hers favored a royal blue hue. Short black hair framed the mask neatly, and while her robe matched the dark tone of the male's, it revealed subtle curves beneath the fabric.
Less is more, Sieg murmured inwardly at the sight.
He exhaled slowly and loosened his grip on Cryostalgia. If they had truly wanted him dead, he reasoned, he would've been reduced to ash long ago.
His gaze flicked back to the lingering inferno. The flames cast by the male sorcerer still raged behind them, forming a blazing barrier that kept the remaining stone knights at bay.
"This guy's fire is so hot it's melting stone," Sieg muttered. "That doesn't make any sense."
He turned back to the two masked sorcerers, who oddly emanated the same presence as Mister Knight, and perhaps were even of the same race.
"Let me see their status."
---
—[ ??? (Female Sorcerer) ]—
Elite Level: 4
Ascendant Type: Hybrid (Execution/Sorcery)
Awakened Art: Permafrost Dancer
Talent Resistance (III): ??
Special Talent (I): ??
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Basic Arts: ??
Unique Art: ??
[Stats: ??]
[AFFLICTION: ??]
---
—[ ??? (Male Sorcerer) ]—
Elite Level: 4
Ascendant Type: Hybrid (Domination/Sorcery)
Awakened Art: Inferno Dancer
Talent Resistance (III): ??
Special Talent (I): ??
Basic Arts: ??
Unique Art: ??
[Stats: ??]
[AFFLICTION: ??]
---
Two Elite 4s.
Fighting them would be a terrible idea.
Suddenly, the female sorcerer stepped closer ,too close. She circled Sieg like a serpent, her movements smoothly feminine, her curves swaying like gentle waves as she inspected him from head to toe.
"Our candidate looks rather fragile," she commented casually.
That single remark shattered Sieg's heart on the spot. The more beautiful they are, the more painful their words become.
However, Sieg was flustered. After all, you didn't see this kind of beauty in the slums, it felt like a peasant standing before a princess from a storybook. He briefly wondered whether she and the male sorcerer were dating… though that was none of his business.
"Sir Ark saw potential in him," the male sorcerer said calmly. "We will not question that decision."
Sieg hesitated, then asked, "Can I at least know your names?"
The two sorcerers looked at each other, momentarily confused.
"Candidate," the female sorcerer replied, tilting her head adorably, "we do not share our names that easily. Please understand, we have different customs."
The gesture was… cute. No—no, no, no. I must not be charmed! Sieg scolded himself as he looked down at his feet.
"I understand," Sieg said quickly. "That makes sense I guess, let's go…"
"Very well," the male sorcerer nodded.
The female sorcerer had already begun walking ahead.
Sieg followed behind with his exhaustion, he deeply longed for a rest as they moved deeper into the domain. Behind them, the massive gate slowly closed, sealing away the approaching, burning stone knights.
"The architecture of this place is magnificent," Sieg murmured.
? [Domain Entered: Welcome.]
? [You are now in the Halls of the Visage Ones.]
It resembled a royal ball of a castle.
The hall opened into a vast expanse of polished marble flooring, its surface reflecting the glow of crystal chandeliers suspended high above.
Magnificent pillars of ice lined the chamber, each one holding a soft blue hue within, it was faintly glowing with frozen light itself had been trapped inside.
Masked figures filled the hall, this time dressed in elegant robes, their black ornate masks traced with blue lines.
They danced across the floor, but not in any familiar manner. There were no clasped hands, no embraces. Instead, partners swayed in close proximity, maintaining contact only through their masks, moving in slow circles and perfectly synchronized patterns.
The dance was elegant and mesmerizing.
Before Sieg realized it, his steps carried him toward the center of the hall, where a circular platform awaited.
At its heart stood an obsidian throne.
Seated upon it was a figure who could only be a lord. He wore battle-hardened armor forged from obsidian, crowned with a heavy helm.
His face was hidden behind a demonic mask, at his sides stood two masked women in flowing white gowns, their bodies were that of a goddess with curves that could make Sieg suffocate just by gazing at them.
Sieg gulped. "What did Sir Art bring me into…" Whatever trial awaited him… it was clear he now stood before the ruler of the Visage Domain.
The two sorcerers stepped forward and lowered themselves into a deep bow before the obsidian throne.
"My Lord," the female sorcerer spoke, her voice reverent, "this one has been chosen by the Revenant Ark — to be determined for a Visage."
Sieg lowered himself as well, choosing caution, though the word "Visage" left him utterly confused.
The male sorcerer followed, his tone matched the same reverence. "He has proven himself through spirit and trial. The Revenant Ark believes him worthy of the power of a Visage."
…What is a Visage? Sieg was there listening in silence, his body still trembling from his injuries.
Yet the king remained silent, merely gazing at him and judging him.
---
—[ Visage Lord ]—
Elite Level: ?????
????: ???? ERROR
[Stats: Too high for you to comprehend…]
---
Am I In front of a monster, or a god…
Chapter End.
