Chapter 169
Hadrien’s quiet instructions echoed in her mind.
Push through?
Lyra’s eyes flew open, locking straight onto the streaks of starlight rushing toward her.
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The starlight sped up faster and faster until she could no longer tell if she was moving forward or if the lights were closing in on her.
A soft pop sounded, like a bubble bursting out of nowhere.
A faint tingling touch brushed her forehead, and the blinding light vanished in an instant.
Her vision spun violently, and the whole world tilted downward. She felt herself plummeting at terrifying speed.
Beneath her stretched an endless, open ocean surface.
On Earth, a fall from such a height would have been instantly fatal.
Lyra took a deep breath, forcing down her panic at the rapid descent. She kept her eyes wide open, staring straight ahead as she crashed toward the water.
A loud splash rang out as she broke the ocean’s surface.
The stinging water made her squeeze her eyes shut for a split second.
The next moment, her body began losing heat at an alarming rate.
When she opened her eyes again, she was completely encased in thick, solid frost.
She was trapped like a buried corpse sealed inside an icy coffin.
The tight ice confined every movement of her hands and feet. Endless cold seeped into her bones, shaking her violently and draining every ounce of her strength.
Lyra parted her lips, huffing repeatedly in a useless attempt to warm herself up.
She clenched her fists hard, trying to smash through the ice trapping her.
Every strike against the unyielding frost sent sharp, throbbing pain shooting up her arms.
She had to get out.
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Chapter 170 Mindscape Breakthrough
She had to prove her true worth.
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She had to make them honor her terms.
Fueled by sheer stubborn resolve, even as her arms grew weak and numb, Lyra began slamming her forehead relentlessly against the thick, icy wall.
Once.
Twice.
Pain flared sharply across her brow, but she pushed through it, hitting again and again without
pause.
Spots danced across her vision. Driven purely by raw instinct, she kept slamming her head forward.
A faint, hairline crack spread across the ice before her eyes. The tiny sliver of progress ignited a spark of hope.
Gritting her teeth through the agony, Lyra slammed forward harder than before.
Finally, a sharp crunch cut through the cold air.
Dozens of new fractures spiderwebbed across the frozen barrier.
She pushed with every last bit of strength from her head, hands, and feet against the wall–like
ice.
Crash.
The ice shattered outward like a bursting gateway.
A beam of bright light flooded in, clearing her vision completely.
Lyra panted heavily, swallowing hard as the bitter cold draining her body slowly faded away.
She stared straight ahead as the light dimmed, revealing a horrifying new scene.
Mountains of corpses stretched out before her, piled atop rivers of blood.
Countless dead bodies lay tangled together, their unblinking, lifeless eyes fixed rigidly on her.
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The pooling blood on the ground mirrored their bloodstained, ghastly faces.
Lyra froze completely on the spot, paralyzed by terror.
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The primal fear of death and corpses sent her heart hammering so fast it felt ready to burst out of her throat.
Before she could recover, a new wave of horror rolled in.
A horde of twisted, grotesque monsters oozed toward her. Their bodies were covered in slimy mucus and bulging, deformed organs, inching forward with squelching, sluggish movements.
Far behind the abominations stood a towering gate bathed in brilliant golden light, standing open and waiting for her to charge through.
Any normal person would have fled on sight of the worm–like monsters creeping closer and closer.
But Lyra had to fight down her bone–deep dread of death and decay and push forward toward the light.
She took a trembling step forward, her legs shaking like those of a frail, exhausted elder.
The overwhelming sight of endless blood and staring dead eyes churned her stomach violently.
Her gaze fell on a jagged, nicked longsword half–buried on the ground.
She bent down and grabbed the weapon.
The weight of the blade in her hands ignited a flicker of courage in her chest.
Lyra lifted her head, ignoring the tide of repulsive monsters closing in, and fixed her gaze firmly on the golden gate of hope in the distance.
Straightening her shaky legs, she gripped the longsword tightly. With the resolve of someone walking toward certain sacrifice, she let out a silent shout and charged forward at full speed.
Hadrien waited anxiously beside her.
Lyra sat motionless in her wheelchair with her eyes squeezed shut.
Her face twisted with faint frowns, her breath coming in ragged gasps, and her skin drained of color, as if she were enduring unspeakable terror inside her mindscape.
Hadrien dared not disturb her, terrified of disrupting her mental trial.
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The only reassurance came from the steady blinking lights on the testing device, confirming she was still stable.
The Sentinels inside Building Three watched her progress closely, sending their spirit animals to circle nearby and keep a cautious watch.
While everyone else was tense and on edge, Zev remained completely calm and unruffled.
He stood rooted in place with his arms crossed, tapping one finger slowly against his forearm.
Beep–beep–beep-
The testing device suddenly let out a flurry of rapid, urgent beeps, drawing every eye instantly.
At the same time, Lyra drew in a sharp, deep breath and snapped her eyes wide open.
“Lyra p>
“You okay p>
“Are you hurt p>
Amid the flood of worried voices, Lyra’s unfocused pupils slowly sharpened.
She glanced first at Hadrien, then at the other Sentinels around her, finally pulling her full consciousness out of the brutal mindscape trial.
Her gaze settled last on Zev, silently asking one question: How is my level?
“What does inaccurate data mean p>
Faced with the group’s skeptical stares, Zev nodded toward the testing device.
“It failed to display a clear tier ranking p>
Rhys scoffed loudly, wearing a look of pure disdain.
“What kind of junk equipment are you even carrying?
“Your people never do actual honest work. You let corrupt officials siphon all the Credits while
you run around bullying people with these defective toys. ”
His grumbling drew a faint smile from Kyren.
Arthur spoke up calmly, backing their side.
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“If the machine can’t produce accurate results, that’s your mistake. You should’ve inspected it properly beforehand p>
“Impossible.” Zev pulled his gaze away from the screen, his tone unwavering. “There is nothing wrong with this machine p>
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Feral
Ruby Walker
Ruby Walker is a rising voice in the world of romance and spicy fiction. With a gift for weaving deep emotions, sizzling chemistry, and unexpected twists, her stories are a blend of passion and drama that captivate readers from start to finish. Ruby’s writing style is bold and irresistible—perfect for those who crave intense, addictive love stories.