Void Evolution System

At that point, they were only a few minutes from the final boss room.

It was separated from the rest of the labyrinth by a massive set of stone doors. They looked like they weighed several thousand pounds, which meant pushing them open was a declaration of war against the being inside.

Somehow, though, Eris had caught a glimpse of that being.

No, even more than that, she'd understood it to the point of knowing that she needed a smarter teammate to help her fight it.

Since they'd arrived in front of the door, it was too late for August to run or pull tricks. Eris was comfortable enough to tell him what they were dealing with now.

"Inside there is a beast in a room far larger than what you're expecting," she said as he listened.

"I'll say it now. You don't need to focus on the beast. Unless it's attacking you or trying to stop you, don't pay any mind to me or it."

"What am I supposed to do, then?" August questioned, confused by her "orders."

"There are six stations around the room. Each one contains a puzzle that needs to be solved. Unless they're all completed, the beast will be invincible. Your job is to take care of them while I fight so that I can actually kill the thing."

"I see…"

August nodded his head.

If it was like that, then it made sense.

Solving complex puzzles while fighting a beast meant to be the final challenge of the labyrinth was practically impossible.

The challenge was designed specifically so that at least two people had to be present to complete it.

And, because both of them were vital to the success of the operation, they couldn't betray each other or scheme.

'It's a good deal for me. If she wins, I get second. If she leaves any openings, I have a chance to steal the top spot.'

There was no reason for him to refuse.

As long as Eris did her job properly…

'No. I can't rely on that.'

As long as he did his job properly, it would end as he expected it to, even if Eris tried to get him killed.

'Okay.'

The only troubling part was the way Eris was keeping him in the dark about most things.

The way she phrased her sentences made it obvious that she knew more than she was willing to let on.

Perhaps it was unintentional, but August was definitely not happy with the conclusion he'd made.

'We'll find out for certain when we get inside.'

He couldn't see Eris gaining this kind of information by using honorable means, but he wasn't going to say anything about it.

"I'm assuming you'll protect me while I solve the puzzles?" August asked for clarification.

"Of course. My victory also relies on your actions, so I won't do anything stupid," Eris responded matter-of-factly.

"Hm."

August made a sound of acknowledgement as they approached the stone doors.

"Are you ready?"

Eris turned to him.

"Well, as ready as I can be."

August responded as half-heartedly as he had to every single question she'd asked thus far.

It seemed to be enough for Eris since she didn't press for anything more.

Just as much as August didn't want to work with her, she didn't want him here either.

They were somewhat forced into a cooperation, him more than her, and despite not outwardly expressing ill intent towards each other, neither believed that the other party would play fair.

Their only security was their shared goal.

For the time being, it was all they needed.

The duo approached the stone doors. Eris pushed them with just a bit of strength, but they swung open like she'd put all of her power into it.

That was the first time August saw the beast and room in question.

His eyes strayed away from the elephant in the room to confirm the positions of the stations Eris had mentioned prior.

He saw six immediately. There was some distance between them, so it would be difficult to move from one to another without being targeted by the enemy.

And, August felt that there was more to them than what he saw at first glance.

That, however, was something for him to learn as he interacted with him.

For now, his thoughts were so rudely interrupted by a certain elephant, both metaphorically and literally.

After all, that beast was indeed an elephant.

It raised its trunk and bellowed, forcing those who intruded on its space to pay attention to it.

Of course, since it was Arulion, the final beast was draconic. It had scales covering its entire body like a coat of armor, and its eyes glowed with flames as if it were a demon from the depths of hell.

It stomped its feet, making the ground rumble under its weight. Flames billowed from its every movement, and even its tusks were equipped with what looked like energy weapons.

The beast was created for combat specifically in the space it inhabited.

From its body shape, it clearly didn't have the best capabilities in terms of movement and dexterity, but the room was relatively small.

There was just enough space for an outer ring of stations to exist around a battleground.

While August did the puzzles, Eris would be stuck in the range that best fit the beast's fighting style, pulled into its momentum.

Nevertheless, the two of them didn't plan to lose this battle.

They glanced at each other and nodded without another word.

From here on, they'd focus on their own parts more than each other.

Eris dashed at the beast and slammed her foot on the ground as she skidded to a stop.

A domain of darkness enveloped the beast and all of the space within the inner ring.

The battle had probably already begun inside, but it wasn't August's concern.

He immediately rushed to the nearest station and inserted his mana into the terminal.

His eyes were graced with a holographic image of the puzzle he was to complete.

This first one was actually very simple.

It consisted of five rings of varying sizes that were layered within each other.

They had divots and patterns in them. August's task was to line them up so that a ball present in the middle of the pattern could make its way out.

This kind of pattern could be solved by anyone. Even the stupidest of geniuses could just turn every ring until they eventually found the right configuration.

As such, August finished solving it within just under a minute.

Voom!

A wave of energy spread from the terminal as its lights turned from red to green.

It sunk into the ground, becoming a glowing pattern in the outer ring, one of six that would eventually inhabit it.

August moved to the second terminal without worrying about anything else.

He didn't experience the changes personally, but they were indeed reflected.

Only…

Perhaps it wasn't in the way that he was expecting.

After all, while Eris was telling the truth about needing his help to take down the beast, she hadn't been entirely honest with him.

His manipulation of the terminals did more than just weaken the beast.

Those stations had another purpose that he was completely unaware of.