The fight was nearing its end.
"Finish it," Arthur commanded the serpent.
The serpent's body tensed, rainbow scales rippling as it gathered its remaining strength. With lightning speed, it struck, its jaw unhinging to an impossible width as it lunged for the tiger's throat.
But the Flamefang had one last trick.
As the serpent closed in, the tiger's entire body erupted in brilliant flames, a desperate final defense mechanism. The serpent screeched as it hit the wall of fire, its momentum carrying it forward even as its scales blackened.
They collided in a brutal tangle of scales and fur, fire and venom.
The tiger's flames died out almost immediately, its mana reserves completely depleted. The serpent's fangs found their mark, pumping the last of its venom into the great cat's bloodstream.
For a moment, they lay motionless together, predator and prey, neither clearly victorious.
Then the tiger's body shuddered once and went still.
[You have slain Level 17 Flamefang Tiger]
"Well done," Arthur said to the painted serpent before uncorking a health potion and pouring the shimmering liquid over its wounded scales. The vibrant colors that had dulled during battle immediately began to brighten as the potion took effect, torn flesh knitting together before his eyes.
The serpent writhed in satisfaction, its body undulating as strength returned to its battered form.
Arthur walked toward the tiger's massive corpse, its six eyes now lifeless, the flames that had wreathed its body completely extinguished. With a wave of his hand, he activated his storage skill.
'I might as well sell the body. It could fetch me a few gold coins,' he thought as the tiger's remains shimmered and disappeared from the forest floor into his infinite storage.
He bent down to pick up the item that had materialized when the tiger fell.
Arthur slipped the item into his inventory, then turned his gaze toward the cave where the bear had fled with its cub.
Curiosity tugged at him.
What might a Crystal-Spine Bear be guarding in its den?
"Follow me," he commanded the drake.
The beast huffed in understanding, wings folding tight against its body as it prepared to navigate the narrower confines of the cave system.
Arthur advanced into the darkness, his enhanced vision adjusting instantly. Where ordinary players would see nothing but impenetrable shadows, Arthur perceived the world, every detail crisp and clear—a benefit of his high attribute points and his Enhanced Senses skill.
The serpent slithered behind them, its body now fully recovered, and its tongue flicking out to taste the air for threats.
Twenty meters in, the cave forked into two distinct passages.
To the left, a trail of blood droplets and disturbed earth.
To the right, a tunnel that sloped downward, its walls unnaturally smooth compared to the rest of the cave.
Arthur paused at the junction.
He could split his forces, sending the drake after the bear while he investigated the right passage...
'The reason why I didn't let the drake pursue him was because I wanted to watch them fight. I wanted to see how the drake fared in tight places.'
"This way," he decided, turning right.
The drake hesitated, its nostrils flaring as it glanced at the left passage.
Seeing Arthur already moving down the right-hand tunnel. It followed him.
The passage descended at a steady angle, curving gently like a massive serpent burrowing through the earth. The walls became smoother with each step, eventually displaying faint inscriptions—symbols that seemed to shift and change when viewed from different angles.
"What an interesting turn of events," Arthur muttered.
After what felt like hundreds of meters of descent, the tunnel widened abruptly into a vast chamber.
And there, at the far end of the chamber, stood a massive stone door.
It towered three times Arthur's height, its surface covered in intricate carvings and glowing runes that pulsed with ancient power.
No handle, no visible mechanism—just an imposing barrier.
"I knew it..." Arthur breathed, approaching the door.
Before he could finish his thought, a notification window materialized before him, glowing with an intensity that illuminated the entire chamber.
[You have discovered the hidden realm: Magus Regret (Difficulty - Hard)]
[Would you like to enter?] [Yes/No]
Arthur's heartbeat quickened. A hidden realm.
The last one he had entered was at the village, more specifically, the one he entered with Gates.
Hidden realms often contained unique items, potential Unique Classes, and experience gains far beyond standard hunting grounds.
The difficulty rating of "Hard" meant it was not easy in the least.
Without hesitation, he pressed [Yes].
The runes on the door flared blindingly bright, then rearranged themselves into new patterns. A deep rumbling shook the chamber as the massive stone began to slide open, revealing a swirling vortex of energy beyond.
"Stay close," he instructed his summons as the vortex pulled at them.
The serpent and drake moved to flank him, their bodies tense and ready for whatever lay beyond.
As they stepped through the threshold, Arthur completely forgot about the injured bear and its cub. Such mundane prey paled in comparison to the treasures that might await within the hidden realm.
The vortex engulfed them, reality twisting and bending around their bodies.
Then, just as suddenly as it began, the chaos stopped.
They stood in a vast courtyard of polished obsidian, surrounded by impossible architecture—buildings that defied gravity, spires that seemed to bend back on themselves, walkways that twisted.
Above them, instead of sky, an ocean roiled and churned, fish and stranger creatures swimming as if the water were air. Yet not a drop fell on them.
"What is this place?"Arthur whispered.
Before Arthur could answer, a figure materialized twenty meters ahead of them. Humanoid in shape, but clearly not human—its body composed of what appeared to be liquid mercury, constantly shifting and reforming.
"Welcome," it spoke, its voice resonating directly in Arthur's mind rather than traveling through the air. "You have entered the Trial of Archmagus Regulus."
The mercury being extended an arm that elongated unnaturally, pointing at Arthur.