It seemed Koko wished to bring Heres along into the rift, claiming to see a glimmer – be it yellow or green – of potential growth within him.

‘Well, there’s no major harm in bringing him.’

Rosha didn’t envision Heres causing any uncontrollable mischief, even if he tried.

In fact, she wasn’t entirely sure whether he was the type to attempt such antics in the first place.

“Come on, hurry up and walk!”

Rosha watched as Koko, having fashioned Heres’s red hair into a nest, imperiously commanded him while exuding an air of self-importance. A sight that couldn’t help but elicit a pang of pity for the diminutive parrot bossing him around.

But that feeling was fleeting.

“…Oh.”

“So they’ve been concealing such a colossal rift all this time?”

Those who had descended to the basement level simultaneously halted their steps.

The door leading to that most clandestine area within the Lycaon estate – over a palm’s thickness, intricately carved with complex patterns – stood ajar.

Perhaps due to its open state, a considerable mana presence permeated the entire residence, with an overwhelmingly dense concentration emanating from beyond the doorway itself.

“It’s that rift I glimpsed in the illusion.”

Cassis muttered as he approached and peered inside.

Excluding a five-step area immediately beyond, the floor abruptly dropped off into an abyss surrounded by undulating obsidian waves.

If the night sea could be erected vertically, this might be the result.

From this immeasurably vast rift, monsters occasionally emerged only to plummet back into the depths below.

While some were winged, none could penetrate the high-level barrier installed at the entrance.

Surveying the rift’s turbulent movements, Duke Feriel remarked with tension:

“In all my years, I’ve never witnessed a rift of such enormity.”

“Your ‘all my years’ amounts to barely half a year since the trials began, you know.”

“Aye, you make a fair point. Still, judging by the estate’s antiquated state, this rift seems to be quite ancient…”

As the two conversed, they turned towards Heres at the same time.

Yet he seemed too preoccupied to respond.

“Uh… uhh…”

Standing at the rear while gripping the railing, Heres could only emit pained groans as he gazed upon the roiling rift. It seemed like the only thing he could do was stand still without even running away.

As the young man and the elder questioned Heres, Rosha approached the barrier, extending her hand outwards.

‘First, let’s determine if we can pass through this barrier. If it needs to be dispelled, we’ll have to adjust our plan accordingly.’

She didn’t want to create an opening that would allow the demonic beasts free passage, leaving physical contact as the only way to verify the barrier’s nature.

Though her attempt was swiftly halted, even before making contact.

“Is there any need to act so rashly?”

Froy admonished as he caught her wrist.

Evidently judging her actions as reckless, Rosha mumbled as she eyed her slender wrist dwarfed by his grasp:

“…Thinner than I expected. And I did spend the last two days circling the practice yard.”

“I know it. Sometimes, your antics nearly cost me my lifeline.”

“Oh, I wasn’t going that far. I just wanted to check if we could pass through the barrier. If we could proceed beyond it?”

“I had already guessed it. However…”

Trailing off, he scrutinized the rift intently – or more precisely, the void between the rift and their current location.

“While difficult to explain clearly… the space within the barrier differs somewhat from the outside.”

“In what way?”

“…Call it a hunch.”

He furrowed his brow.

Though lacking concrete evidence, Froy’s instincts carried considerable weight.

Regardless, checking the barrier was a necessity.

“Hmm…”

After alternating his gaze between Rosha and the rift, the man eventually released a small sigh as he relaxed his grip on her wrist, smoothly intertwining her fingers with his own.

“What’s this, all of a sudden?”

“Sudden? If we must verify it together, wouldn’t holding hands be preferable?”

The fleeting glimpse of Froy’s expression revealed no ulterior motive whatsoever.

And his reasoning, that their differing hand sizes necessitated synchronized contact, seemed quite plausible.

‘…I suppose?’

Moreover, his fair, slender yet surprisingly calloused fingers radiated an unexpected warmth and reassuring solidity.

For a person’s body heat intrinsically harbored a comforting magic, after all.

“…Very well.”

After briefly regarding their joined hands, Froy extended their arms towards the barrier.

In contrast to his initial unhesitating resolve, his pace gradually slowed as tangible tension built within his grip, his violet irises darkening ever so slightly in concentration.

Rosha understood the thoughts occupying his mind.

‘Perhaps this barrier doesn’t merely block monsters, but some unknown force emanating from the rift itself.’

Any part of their bodies that passed through could instantly rot, combust, or even undergo the monstrification witnessed during the third trial.

There were no limits to his imagination, and Froy was exceptionally quick-witted.

“…”

Rosha chose to patiently wait, having no objections if he ultimately abandoned the idea.

“Hmph…”

Yet after weighing every possibility, the man merely let out a faint chuckle as he muttered:

“If that’s the case… this wouldn’t be so bad, either.”

There was no chance to ask about his words’ meaning.

Because without further ado, he promptly extended their intertwined hands towards the barrier.

“…!”

Remarkably, their hands passed through the barrier as effortlessly as if through empty air, their bodies remaining unscathed by any rot, combustion, or monstrification.

Instead, as if sweeping away his earlier contemplations, a blue window materialized before them.

Ding!

Confirmed: 2nd Trial – Hardmode

‘The Path’ is now open.

* * *

The meaning of ‘The Path is now open’ became immediately apparent.

A faintly luminescent rainbow bridge had manifested spanning the previously gaping chasm in the basement floor.

“Hmm, it seems quite serviceable. Not only is it enveloped by a protective barrier to ensure safe passage, but the lack of guardrails is a minor flaw.”

“Come now, old man. If one were to fall from there, they’d be out of this expedition regardless.”

“…Do you think I might fall?”

As time elapsed with their bridge inspection, two individuals, having completed their preparations, arrived at the Lycaon estate.

Lysithea and Joel.

“Good heavens… the rift is far more immense than I had imagined. You mentioned bringing your hand near it caused this bridge to suddenly appear?”

“Yes, milady. But have you informed Marquis Belice?”

“Ahem.”

Joel silently shook his head from behind.

So be it, then.

Surprisingly, Lysithea remained wholly undaunted by the cavernous rift, even going so far as to inquire when they would be crossing the bridge.

‘Is her backbone made from an alloy?’

Whether fortunate or not, she wasn’t the sole owner of such an alloy backbone.

Everyone present had declared their intent to venture into the rift without hesitation.

“…”

Was this a collective case of fearless imprudence? Yet considering it was the same group that had participated in the first trial, such unwavering resolution was only natural.

The true oddity was Heres’s unexpected change of heart, despite initially seeming opposed to entering the rift.

“…I suppose I’ll give it a try. One cannot live in fear forever, after all.”

While he spoke those words, it seemed Lysithea’s presence had likely influenced his decision.

Witnessing a young lady around his age fearlessly inspecting the rift appeared to have stirred something within him.

In any case, having steeled her resolve, Rosha approached the rainbow bridge.

‘A path that only opens before those in Hardmode…’

While uncertain of its purpose, a sliver of anticipation mingled with her apprehension towards the unknown.

‘Could this be the oldest rift the Guide God mentioned?’

Though unconfirmed, the possibility existed. Perhaps marking the conclusion of this protracted ordeal.

However, her expectations were swiftly overshadowed by the blue window that greeted them immediately upon entering the rift.

Ding!

You have entered an unknown trial.

Proceed to the central circular theater and eliminate the monsters.

Time Limit: 2 days, 6 hours

*Due to Hardmode, quest failure will result in total party death.

…Gods, this is maddening.