Ascension Gates: Rise of the Beast Monarch-Chapter 42: The Trial of Illusions

The ancient stone doors slowly opened.

Beyond them stretched a long corridor that seemed far darker than the previous chambers. Unlike the golden glow of the first arena, this passage was illuminated only by faint blue runes carved into the walls.

Cold air flowed through the corridor.

It carried a strange feeling.

Heavy.

Unsettling.

As if the ruins themselves were watching them.

The six challengers stepped forward carefully.

Aether walked calmly beside the Flame Sovereign Pup, while the others remained alert after witnessing how easily his beast had destroyed the guardians.

Rylan glanced at him.

"You handled those statues like they were toys."

Aether shrugged slightly.

"They weren’t that strong."

Lucien scoffed loudly.

"Hmph. They were weak. Anyone here could have defeated them."

But inside, Lucien felt irritated.

The Flame Sovereign Pup’s performance had clearly overshadowed his own wolf.

And that annoyed him.

Greatly.

---

The group continued deeper into the temple.

The corridor eventually opened into a vast circular chamber.

But unlike the first trial arena, this chamber looked... strange.

Large mirrors covered the walls.

Hundreds of them.

Tall mirrors.

Broken mirrors.

Curved mirrors.

Every direction reflected distorted images of the challengers.

At the center of the chamber stood a tall stone pillar carved with ancient symbols.

The moment everyone entered—

The doors behind them slammed shut.

The ancient voice echoed again.

"Trial Two will now begin."

Everyone immediately grew serious.

The voice continued.

"Trial Two: Mind and Spirit."

Lucien frowned.

"What does that mean?"

As if answering his question, the mirrors began glowing.

A strange mist slowly filled the chamber.

The voice spoke again.

"Face your inner fears."

"Those who cannot overcome their minds... will be eliminated."

Rylan blinked.

"Eliminated?"

Before anyone could ask further questions—

The mist thickened.

The mirrors began reflecting strange scenes.

Distorted shadows.

Memories.

Nightmares.

Then suddenly—

The entire chamber changed.

---

Aether blinked.

The ruins had disappeared.

He now stood alone in a burning city.

Flames covered the streets.

Buildings collapsed.

Screams echoed in the distance.

Aether recognized the scene instantly.

His previous life.

The day everything had ended.

He saw his former self standing in the middle of destruction.

Friends dying.

Allies betraying each other.

The overwhelming despair of failure.

For a moment—

Even Aether felt a slight pressure on his mind.

The illusion was extremely realistic.

It tried to drag him back into those emotions.

But Aether closed his eyes.

His voice remained calm.

"This isn’t real."

Golden light flickered within his mind.

The strange soul energy that the ruins had already reacted to earlier appeared again.

The illusion shattered like broken glass.

The burning city disappeared instantly.

Aether found himself standing in the mirror chamber once again.

Only a few seconds had passed.

---

But the others were still trapped.

Lucien stood frozen in front of a mirror.

His face twisted with anger.

"No... impossible..."

The illusion showed him being defeated repeatedly by powerful rivals.

Each defeat destroying his pride.

He roared angrily.

"I will never lose!"

His wolf growled violently beside him, reacting to his unstable emotions.

Meanwhile, the female adventurer knelt on the floor, shaking slightly as tears streamed down her face.

Her illusion showed fallen comrades accusing her of abandoning them.

The other academy student struggled against a nightmare of endless monsters devouring his beasts.

The illusions attacked the mind directly.

Strength alone could not overcome them.

Only mental resolve could.

---

Rylan stood near the center of the chamber.

Sweat covered his forehead.

He clenched his fists tightly.

The mirrors around him showed something painful.

His family.

Disappointed faces.

People telling him he would never become a great tamer.

For a moment, doubt filled his mind.

But then—

He took a deep breath.

"No."

He raised his head.

"I decide my own path."

The illusion cracked.

The mirrors shattered.

Rylan suddenly snapped back to reality.

He looked around.

Only two people were standing normally. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Him.

And Aether.

Rylan exhaled slowly.

"That was intense..."

He glanced at Aether.

"You broke the illusion already?"

Aether nodded.

"Yes."

Rylan laughed weakly.

"I guess I shouldn’t be surprised anymore."

---

The chamber remained silent for several more minutes.

Gradually, the others began breaking free from their illusions as well.

Lucien escaped last.

When he regained control, his expression looked darker than before.

His pride had clearly taken damage.

He glanced toward Aether again.

And the hostility in his eyes had grown stronger.

---

The ancient voice spoke once more.

"Trial Two complete."

"All challengers have passed."

Stone doors opened on the far side of the chamber.

But this time the atmosphere between the challengers had changed.

The trials were becoming harder.

And the prize waiting at the end of the ruins was clearly valuable enough to push everyone forward.

Lucien stepped closer to Aether.

His voice carried clear arrogance.

"You seem confident."

Aether looked at him calmly.

Lucien smirked.

"But don’t get comfortable."

"My family’s power isn’t something you can compete with."

Aether didn’t respond.

He simply walked past him toward the next corridor.

Lucien’s smile twitched slightly.

That calm indifference irritated him even more.

---

As the challengers moved deeper into the ruins, the temple grew quieter.

The glowing runes dimmed slightly.

And the air became colder.

Far below the temple...

In the deepest sealed chamber...

The mysterious being continued watching through a magical projection.

Its crimson eyes shimmered with amusement.

After, leaned back lazily against the glowing seal that bound it.

"So the second trial was illusions..."

The long black hair flowed behind it like silk.

Large dark wings remained folded behind her back.

But no one in the ruins could see them.

Except the ancient sealing magic.

He/she tapped her finger lightly against the glowing barrier.

"Interesting boy..."

His/her gaze focused on Aether again.

"You shattered the illusion instantly."

"That kind of soul... doesn’t belong to this world."

His/her lips curved into a playful smile.

"Perhaps my wait is finally ending."

The mysterious being closed its eyes slowly.

The trials continued.

But she had already begun making his/her choice.

And among all the challengers inside the ruins...

Only one person truly interested her.

The one who Bypass this ancient ruins authority which had sealed this being for centuries.

Anyone with that type power or luck should be extraordinary.