Thud.
Crack.
Impact.
Riku landed hard—tumbling through pitch-black stone dust until he finally rolled to a stop in a low-ceilinged chamber. His knees ached, ribs screamed, and a shallow cut on his forehead traced down his cheek like a painted scar.
The darkness pulsed with mana.
He stood, brushing himself off.
[System Alert: You have entered Floor 2 of the Underground Testing Bracket]
[Challenge Type: Timed Puzzle Trial]
[Time Limit: 30 minutes. Failing to exit in time results in… "permanent stagnation."]
Stagnation?
Riku narrowed his eyes.
That wasn't a typical system word. That was deliberate phrasing.
---
The Clockwork Labyrinth
As faint lights flickered to life above, the room shifted. Walls slid with mechanical groans. Panels realigned. Hallways reshaped themselves with every ten seconds, creating an ever-moving maze of bronze gears and shifting stone.
A voice whispered from nowhere:
"Only the brilliant pass. The foolish become part of the machine."
