Chapter 109: Second Hidden Trial

Chapter 109: Chapter 109: Second Hidden Trial

Rowan led the group down the smooth white marble staircase, their boots echoing softly in the quiet, pristine passageway. At the bottom of the steps, the ambient dampness of Floor 4 gave way to a tranquil pool of floating azure mana surrounding an ancient, shimmering archway. The spatial energy pulsing from the gateway was unblemished—a pure, untainted trial portal untouched by human hands for centuries.

Rowan paused at the foot of the stairs, tipping the brim of his Enchanted Straw Hat as he turned to face his companions. The fatigue from their grueling two-hour boss fight was still visible in their weary eyes, yet beneath it burned a distinct spark of excitement.

"Do we need some time to rest or are we ready to head in?" Rowan asked, a quiet smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

The hesitation lasted less than a second. The sudden discovery of a hidden, pristine trial chamber had sent a sharp jolt of raw adrenaline straight through the squad, entirely washing away the exhaustion of their low mana pools.

Caelen grinned fiercely, rolling his shoulders as his hand rested firmly on the grip of his greatsword. "Rest? We just hit Level 10 and found a secret floor trial! I’m way too wired to sleep now. Let’s conquer this thing while our blood is still hot."

"Agreed," Princess Lyra said, her eyes reflecting the serene azure glow of the portal. Her golden aura flickered around her runic blade with renewed vitality. "Hidden trials of this caliber yield rare rewards and unique domain blessings. Turning back now would be a waste of momentum."

Barney hoisted his heavy vanguard shield onto his broad shoulder with a loud chuckle. "I’ve got more than enough gas in the tank to hold the line for a secret room."

High above, Mirei quietly pulled an armor-piercing arrow from her quiver, resting it across her longbow string with a confident nod, while Seraphina quickly tapped a final confirmation on her mapping slate.

"Spatial energy is locked and stable," Seraphina reported, her eyes bright with analytical curiosity. "Ready when you are, Rowan."

Rowan looked across his unified team, feeling the surge of determination binding Squad 07 together. With a calm, decisive nod, he turned toward the swirling blue light, stepping past the threshold into the portal as the squad plunged without hesitation into the hidden trial zone.

***

The disorienting pull of spatial magic tore through Rowan’s senses as he stepped past the azure threshold, the familiar presence of his squad vanishing in an instant. When the swirling mist cleared, he stood completely alone beneath a colossal canopy of towering pine and fir trees. The damp, violet-glowing cavern of Floor 4 was gone, replaced by the sharp, crisp scent of pine needles, rich resin, and a biting alpine wind.

A pale blue system window materialized before his eyes:

[Individual Trial Initiated: Harvest of the Primordial Canopy]

[Objective: Locate and harvest the true apples of the Evergreen Realm.]

Rowan tipped the brim of his Enchanted Straw Hat, an amused smile tugging at his lips. Separating the squad was a classic trial mechanic, but assigning a harvesting objective to a wielder of the Gardener of Eden traits felt less like a life-or-death test and more like a tailored invitation.

However, a quick sweep of his surroundings revealed the true nature of the challenge. This was a dense, ancient evergreen forest—a biome dominated entirely by conifers, needle-bearing trees, and pinecones. Standard deciduous fruit trees had no natural place growing in this soil. The trial wasn’t merely about picking fruit; it was a test of botanical perception, mana tracing, and environmental manipulation.

Closing his eyes, Rowan knelt onto the soft carpet of shed needles and pressed his palm flat against the damp earth. He channeled a smooth, rhythmic pulse of green vitality mana deep into the subterranean root network. His awareness expanded rapidly through miles of resin-rich timber until he detected a subtle, anomalous mana signature high up in the woodland structure—a sweet, radiant life force disguised within the dense canopy of an ancient red cedar.

Moving with calm precision, Rowan sprinted through the evergreen grove, using his trusty hoe to vault effortlessly up the rough, mossy bark. Nestled forty feet above the forest floor, concealed behind a thick curtain of needle-covered branches, grew a cluster of shimmering, ruby-red apples pulsing with concentrated nature energy.

As his hand reached out, the ancient cedar shuddered, its needles hardening into wooden darts that primed to launch. Rowan didn’t flinch. Infusing his hands with a gentle aura of botanical purity, he quieted the tree’s defensive instincts, plucking the golden-stemmed apples clean from the branch and completing his objective with practiced, effortless mastery.

Rowan cradled the glittering fruit in his palm, the pale blue system window hovering above its crimson skin with ominous, dark-gold runes.

[Eve’s Apple]

[Description: Eating the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge will trigger the biblical "Fall of Man" and bring sin, shame, and mortality into the world.]

The heavy weight of the system warning hung over the quiet evergreen forest. Rowan stared at the notification, the brim of his Enchanted Straw Hat casting a sharp shadow over his eyes. For virtually any other climber, the glittering golden stem and intoxicating, sweet aroma would be an irresistible lure—a classic trial trap tempting a weary or greedy challenger to consume the fruit for an immediate burst of power, only to suffer a catastrophic penalty.

A dry, amused smirk touched Rowan’s lips. "A classic snake-in-the-grass test."

As the wielder of the Gardener of Eden trait, the thematic irony of the fruit wasn’t lost on him. The primordial energy hummed in harmony with his core mana, yet his sharp intellect seized upon the exact phrasing of the trial prompt: find and harvest, not consume. The temptation to partake was the failure condition; the discipline to harvest and master it was the true test.

Instead of bringing the apple anywhere near his mouth, Rowan channeled a smooth, rhythmic thread of green vitality mana through his palm. Rather than fighting the fruit’s volatile nature, he used his botanical authority to gently soothe the primordial corruption sleeping beneath its skin. The ominous, dark-gold text on the system window shimmered, neutralizing into a tranquil, harmonious blue as the biblical curse was safely sealed within the fruit’s cellular structure.

With practiced care, Rowan placed [Eve’s Apple] into a specialized, stasis-locked compartment in his system inventory.

The instant the forbidden fruit was secured, the towering pine canopy around him shattered like glass into a cascade of shimmering golden light. The biting alpine wind vanished, replaced by a resonant, ancient chime that vibrated through his soul.

[Individual Trial Cleared: Perfect Score]

[Evaluation: Harvested the primordial fruit without succumbing to the temptation of knowledge. Eden’s harmony maintained.]

A brilliant golden portal materialized at the edge of the dissolving forest, pulsing with spatial energy to lead him to the trial’s central reward chamber—and his waiting squad. Rowan wiped a stray speck of pine resin from his trusty hoe, tipped his hat, and stepped through the light.