Chapter 33: El dorado

The entire platform suddenly began trembling.

Karl looked toward the Circle of Pistis as the eleven small altars surrounding it cracked one after another, each collapsing into the stone before the golden lines connecting them started fading.

Within seconds, the entire array disappeared.

Everyone’s attention shifted toward the change, including Atherion and the others who were still fighting the two Beast Humans near the edge.

That moment of distraction nearly cost them.

The scaled Beast Human rushed through the shaking ground and swung one massive claw toward Atherion, but Atherion twisted aside before catching its arm with both hands.

His jet-red body surged forward.

The Beast Human tried pulling free, but Atherion’s claws tore through its chest before it could escape.

Blood sprayed across the broken stone as the creature stumbled backwards, and Atherion struck again before it could recover.

The second attack tore through its neck and jts body collapsed beside him.

The fox-like Beast Human reacted immediately.

Several tails slammed against the ground and launched it backwards just as another section of the platform broke apart beneath everyone.

Atherion rushed after it, but falling stone filled the space between them.

The creature vanished beneath the collapsing rocks.

Atherion stopped at the edge and looked down toward the lava for several moments, but nothing came back up.

"Tch."

The strange substance covering his body slowly withdrew.

His size returned to normal as the red liquid disappeared beneath his armour, and Atherion finally turned toward the others.

Karl was already forcing himself back onto his feet.

The high-quality healing potion Leon had given him had repaired most of the immediate damage, though his ribs still protested whenever he moved too quickly.

Mira appeared beside him almost immediately.

"Are you alright?"

Karl glanced at the concern on her face before raising one hand and patting her head.

"We’re alright."

Mira stared at him and Karl smiled and then she punched him directly in the ribs.

"Ow fuck!"

Karl immediately grabbed his side while Mira stepped away with a pout.

"Don’t pat my head."

"You could have chosen literally anywhere else."

"Then remember next time."

Leon looked between them and wisely said nothing.

Atherion’s group had gathered nearby as well.

Balder leaned against his shield while the others hurriedly used potions and treated whatever injuries could still be dealt with quickly.

Then another notification appeared.

[Final Trial commencing.]

Everyone looked around and nothing happened even after several minutes had passed.

Karl finally turned toward Atherion.

"Didn’t you say your family knew about this place?"

Atherion’s already irritated expression became worse.

"I said we knew more than you."

He pointed toward the ruined platform around them.

"I never said I knew everything, and half the things that happened here were never supposed to happen in the first place."

Karl clicked his tongue.

"What use are you, then?"

Atherion’s eyes widened.

"What do you mean, what use am I? I just saved your—AHHH!"

The platform disappeared beneath them.

Stone shattered everywhere as the entire structure collapsed at once, sending Karl, Leon, Mira, Atherion and the remaining Fitzalan members falling into the darkness below.

Another notification rang through their minds.

[Good luck, Pioneers.]

[May you succeed in your ventures.]

Karl hurriedly looked downward, there was no lava beneath them.

Only a massive expanse of golden light growing brighter as they continued falling.

Are we actually going to die from the fall after surviving all that?

He looked around and saw everyone else dropping alongside him, several already trying to activate movement or defensive skills.

Before anyone could do anything useful, the golden light swallowed them.

Karl’s surroundings changed and his feet touched solid ground.

Bright golden light pierced his eyes from every direction and forced him to cover them for a moment before slowly looking ahead.

A voice sounded beside him.

"Damn."

Leon stared forward with his mouth slightly open.

"We really found El Dorado."

Karl turned toward him.

"What bullshit are you—"

The words stopped halfway, a massive golden city stretched across the land ahead of them.

Walls, towers, roofs and enormous structures reflected the light until almost everything in sight seemed made from the same golden material.

Beyond the city, the landscape continued as a vast golden plain with almost nothing else visible in the distance.

Karl stared for several seconds before looking toward Atherion.

The Fitzalan heir was gawking at the city just as much as everyone else.

Karl raised an eyebrow.

"Oi. Didn’t your family tell you anything about this?"

Atherion immediately snapped out of it.

"This is the last time I’m telling you, Reed."

He turned toward Karl with obvious irritation.

"I am not a fucking Mr. Know-it-all."

Mira muttered from beside Karl.

"Arrogant bratty bastard."

Atherion’s head shifted slightly and Karl immediately raised one hand in front of Mira before she could continue.

No reason to start another fight here.

"You must know something."

Atherion frowned.

"We knew the legacy contained several trials and that its inheritance was connected to something divine."

His eyes returned toward the city.

"Nothing about this."

Karl sighed, for the first time, he actually started missing Satan.

At least that bastard had usually told them what they were supposed to do before trying to kill them.

No notification had appeared after their arrival.

There was no timer, no objective and nothing indicating what the final trial expected from them.

The bastard system had gone silent again as well. Karl had already tried calling it several times since they arrived here, but not even a single response came back.

Leon pointed toward the distant city gates.

"Well, standing here isn’t going to explain anything."

He adjusted the axe over his shoulder.

"We might as well move toward the city."

Karl looked toward Atherion, he stared at the gates for another moment before nodding.

"Agreed."

The remaining group started forward together.

The golden plain looked far larger from a distance than it actually was, and before long the enormous gates rose directly in front of them.

No guards stood outside.

Karl crossed beneath the gate first with Leon and Mira beside him, while Atherion’s group followed only a few steps behind.

Then they saw what was inside and everyone froze in there tracks.