Boundless Chronicles

Chapter 4: The Iron Tomb, III

The air in the Second Sector tasted of Copper and ozone.

Noël Stepped past the threshold, his boots Crunching on the soot-covered grating. Tally drifted beside him, his translucent Ledger glowing with a faint blue luminescence.

[You have entered the Chained Abyss. The administrative pressure is slightly higher here. Don't die too quickly, laborer. My commission depends on your Survival.]

Noël didn't answer him. He opened his Codex interface and Checked the updated parameters.

[Trial #2 – The Chained Abyss]

Category: Main

Difficulty: E+

Clear Conditions: Cross the floating basalt platforms and activate the Central Control pillar.

Time Limit: 12 minutes.

Compensation: 800 Tributes.

Failure: Fall into the void.

Twelve minutes. That was plenty of time on paper.

Below the narrow basalt platforms, an endless dark void Stretched downward, filled with the faint, rhythmic Sound of heavy chains grinding against Stone.

"W-Wait."

Elara stumbled out of the doorway behind him, Clutching her broken Spear. Her face was pale.

"What is this place? Where are the others?"

"Dead," Noël Said.

Some of them were still banging on the doors in the first Sector, but explaining that would only Cause unnecessary panic. Her facial expressions were very easy to read.

He opened his mouth. "If you want to Survive, Stay directly behind my left shoulder. Do not Step where I don't Step."

She Swallowed hard and nodded. "O-Okay."

[The Gallery-being 'The Hollow Cartographer' watches your route Selection with mild Curiosity.]

[The Gallery-being 'Widow of the Third Bell' notes that the woman's Survival rate is dropping.]

[100 Tributes have been granted.]

Noël ignored the prompt and Stepped onto the first floating basalt platform.

Kuuong!

As soon as his weight hit the Stone, the platform lurched Sideways.

'Let's See…'

In his memory of the third timeline Collapse, these platforms remained completely Stable for at least thirty Seconds after Contact. Right now, the platform tilted at a Sharp forty-five-degree angle the moment his heel touched it.

Noël lost his balance. His left foot Slipped toward the abyss.

Elara Screamed, "Look out!"

He didn't panic. Panic was a waste of Calories. Noël firmly planted his feet and twisted his torso, throwing his weight backward against the momentum of the tilt.

Hwiiik!

The platform Snapped upward like a Spring, launching a volley of hidden iron Spikes from its Surface.

Peeok!

One Spike grazed his left Sleeve, tearing the fabric and drawing a thin line of blood.

The Clear Condition wasn't 'Cross the platforms by walking'. It was 'Cross the floating basalt platforms and activate the Central Control pillar'.

The mechanics of this Sector weren't based on weight or balance. They were governed by acoustic resonance. The Constant grinding of the chains below was Sending frequency pulses through the Stone.

Noël Closed his eyes for a fraction of a Second.

Dudududu.

The low-frequency vibration rattled his teeth.

Right Side.

He leaped off the tilting platform before it flipped completely over, landing hard on a Stationary anchor chain Suspended across the void.

Kakakang!

His boots Scraped hard against rusted iron. He gripped the thick links until his palms burned.

Elara managed to jump across, landing on the chain behind him with a terrified Sob. "How did you know that was going to flip?"

"I didn't," Noël Said.

He had Calculated the resonance Shift based on the third Sector's architectural manual, which he had memorized during an earlier loop.

[The Gallery-being 'The Auditor of Ash' approves of your tactical adaptation.]

[200 Tributes have been granted.]

300 Tributes total. Not bad, but he needed more if he wanted to Survive the upcoming threshold.

They Crawled along the anchor chain until they reached the Central basalt pillar. A large, Circular bronze valve was Set into the Stone, Covered in thick layers of Aethelgard frost.

According to Noël's ghost-memories, turning this valve required Tier 1 physical Strength.

He was Tier 0. His Strength was Lv. 10 after the recent Stat dump, but raw muscle alone wouldn't be enough to break the frozen Seal.

Noël looked at the valve and made a slightly Complicated expression.

"Hey. Are you going to just watch?"

Elara blinked, her eyes wide with Confusion. "Who are you talking to?"

"Not you."

Noël didn't turn the valve with his hands. Instead, he unhooked the rusted iron pipe from his belt and jammed it directly into the mechanical gear-teeth behind the dial.

In the fifth timeline, a Careless laborer had tried to force the valve open by hand, Causing the internal pressure to detonate the entire pillar.

Noël jammed the pipe into the Secondary release Slot and Struck it with the heel of his palm.

Kwajijijik!

The internal gears groaned, and the thick frost Covering the bronze dial Shattered into fine white dust.

Tiing!

The pressure lock released with a Clean, resonant chime.

Noël grabbed the wheel and turned it counter-Clockwise. With a heavy thud, the entire Cavern shifted, locking the floating platforms into a Solid, unmoving bridge.

[You have Cleared the Second Sector Trial.]

[You have received 800 Tributes in Compensation.]

[You are the first mortal to Clear the Chained Abyss using resonance manipulation.]

[You have earned 1,200 Tributes as an achievement reward.]

A total of 2,000 Tributes. Noël's Codex interface flashed brightly.

[Tribute Possessed: 3,500]

He didn't hesitate. He opened the interface and reinvested the balance immediately.

[3,000 Tributes have been invested in agility and magic power.]

[Agility Lv. 10 -> Agility Lv. 18]

[Magic Power Lv. 1 -> Magic Power Lv. 5]

A violent wave of energy Surged through his nervous System. His vision Sharpened, and the ambient noise of the abyss Seemed to Slow down around him.

Elara stared at him as if she were looking at a monster. "What... What are you? You aren't just an ordinary laborer, are you?"

Noël looked at her and made a blank expression.

"I'm just a reader."

Before she could ask what that meant, the air above the Control pillar warped violently.

Paaaht!

Tally dropped out of the Spatial tear, landing Squarely on top of the bronze valve with a yelp.

[Hey! Void-Weaver! You need to Stop breaking the trials! The administration is getting Complaints from the Gallery!]

Noël looked down at the Clerk-Spirit. "What kind of Complaints?"

[The Auditor of Ash thinks you're making it too easy! And the Archivist General...] Tally Clapped his translucent hands over his mouth, freezing mid-Sentence.

Noël's eyes narrowed. "Soren Vael?"

[...N-Nothing! I didn't Say anything!]

Noël's head throbbed. A Sharp pain pierced behind his temples, and a new text line flickered into his vision without a System chime.

[Your Mnemonic Ledger has updated: 5 / 60]

The timeline was fracturing faster than before. Noël turned away from the pillar, ignoring Tally's Sputtering protests, and looked toward the far end of the newly bridged path.

A wall of white administrative light blocked the tunnel entrance. A Single silhouette Stood within the glare, its hand resting Casually on the hilt of an unactivated blade.