Adam, who had been completely focused on Chloe and the intense, complex feelings bubbling between them, broke his concentration instantly, his head snapping up to locate the source of the interruption.

He saw Charles standing a notable distance away, positioned near the entrance to an enormous corridor that branched off the main chamber and evidently led to several adjoining, unseen rooms. The blond guy was waving his hand, signaling for him to approach with a mild yet insistent gesture. Adam sighed internally; nevertheless, the integrity of the scenario and the necessity of maintaining the fragile alliance with the 'Black Phoenix' members for the moment took precedence. He gave a small, almost imperceptible nod to Charles, before turning his attention fully to the girl.

"Let us go, Chloe."

Adam spoke, his voice low and carefully modulated, ensuring the lingering tension from their previous exchange did not resurface in that moment.

"It seems they require our presence for something important."

Chloe, still visibly struggling with the powerful mix of embarrassment, excitement, and uncertainty that Adam's words had sparked within her, merely nodded back, her gaze fixed briefly on the floor before she quickly lifted it, attempting to regain her usual, cheerful composure.

"We have been searching for anything of note, whether useful for us or vital for concluding the scenario."

Charles began speaking the moment the pair was within earshot. He spoke as he rubbed the back of his neck with a quick, nervous motion, his eyes shifting from Adam to Chloe and back again.

"He found something quite strange that immediately piqued his interest, and he specifically requested that I summon you."

The guy then paused his narration, his focus intentionally shifting to the girl who was standing just slightly behind Adam's shoulder. His gaze was polite, though perhaps too calculating, and his expression was one of mild, friendly consideration.

"And if you can join us, that would be splendid."

Charles added, extending the invitation with a mild smile.

"More assistance is always better when dealing with the unknown."

Chloe's eyes widened slightly, her surprise evident in the sudden lift of her chin. She looked at Adam, as if silently seeking permission, or perhaps just a confirmation of the sincerity of Charles's offer. Adam, feeling the weight of the blond's gaze on his own back, merely offered a short, neutral shrug that conveyed neither approval nor disapproval but simple neutrality, leaving the decision entirely to her.

Chloe gave Charles a quick, shy nod in return, confirming her assent.

"Good, follow me then."

He stated, turning quickly on his heel and leading the way into the enormous, dark, and utterly silent passageway.

As they walked, Adam maintained an unnerving silence. He showed no outward sign of hostility, his posture remaining relaxed, yet his gaze was entirely, relentlessly fixed on Charles's back. The boy's instincts, honed by countless brushes with death and countless betrayals within the System, were screaming warnings.

Something about Charles did not sit right. There was an uncanny quality to the man's demeanor, an ambiguity that, for some inexplicable reason, dredged up memories of other characters he had encountered in past scenarios—characters who had ultimately deceived or betrayed him in the cruelest ways. Adam remembered the multiple suspicious, almost furtive movements Charles had made throughout the scenario, observations he had logged silently but had not yet acted upon.

Throughout the entire journey down the corridor, however, nothing unusual occurred. Charles walked with a steady gait, not once looking back with suspicion or making any sudden, inexplicable move that would justify Adam's apprehension. In fact, Charles did something entirely unexpected. He seemed to notice the lingering, palpable discomfort radiating from Chloe.

"Is everything alright?"

He asked, his voice softening with a note of genuine concern, or at least a highly convincing imitation of it. He slowed his pace slightly to glance back at her. The young woman was still walking with that strange, embarrassed stiffness, clearly lost deep in thought as a result of the incredibly intimate conversation she had shared with Adam barely a minute prior.

Chloe was caught completely off guard by the direct inquiry.

"Oh! Ah, y-yes, everything is fine!"

She stammered, the words tripping over themselves as she scrambled to compose herself.

"I am just… a little lost in my own head, that is all."

Charles looked at her for a moment longer, a subtle wrinkle forming between his eyebrows. He scratched the back of his neck again, an action that felt profoundly self-conscious.

"I apologize if I perhaps interrupted something then. Please, forgive me if that is the case."

Chloe immediately shook her head vigorously, waving both hands in a dramatic, panicked gesture of denial.

"No! It is not that at all! Truly, I swear."

The tension, though not entirely dissipated, eased slightly in the wake of the awkward exchange. Charles gave a short, polite chuckle and then focused his attention back on leading the way.

Finally, they reached their destination. It was another room, situated deep within the labyrinthine structure of the Treasure Hall. Yet, this chamber was noticeably different. It was illuminated by an utterly strange, blue light. It was not a conventional, easily identifiable light source; it could almost be described as a bizarre form of 'black light,' if such a thing were possible within the boundaries of the System. The effect, however, was remarkable: unlike every other part of the hall, which required strained vision in the pervasive darkness, here they could see with considerable clarity without the light being so intense as to blind their eyes, which were already fully accustomed to the gloom.

Standing sentinel at the entrance to this illuminated room was Teo. The 'Black Phoenix' member was already inside, arms crossed over his chest, his posture radiating a mix of arrogance and intense focus as he stared intently at something in the center of the chamber.

As Adam and Chloe approached the blue-lit room, the boy's gaze immediately began to sweep the surroundings. The air here felt different, thicker, imbued with a subtle dark energy. Unlike the other rooms they had seen, this one was entirely empty, save for one object: a gigantic rock, or at least what appeared to be a rock, situated directly in the center of the chamber. This immense object was encircled by strange, taut ribbons of an unknown material and guarded by four big statues.

Adam felt an immediate, jarring sense of familiarity upon viewing the statues, though he could not identify where he had seen them before. The recognition was strong enough that even the Empress sent a subtle, intrusive thought of unease into the foreground of his mind, confirming that something was distinctly off.

The statues themselves were clearly humanoid in form, draped in tattered robes and deep hoods. Beneath the shadow of the hoods, their faces were skeletal, carved from the same material as the central rock, or so it seemed at first glance.

Chloe immediately became interested.

"What do you think this could be?"

She wondered aloud, her voice laced with curiosity and excitement as she peeked cautiously further into the room.

"Is it a treasure?"

Teo, however, ignored her questions and comments entirely, treating her interruption with a profound and irritating silence that dismissed her presence entirely. He remained focused on the massive stone. After a moment longer of intense observation, Teo turned his head, his dark eyes locking onto Adam.

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"David."

Teo said, his voice flat, using the alias he seemed to know the boy for.

"Can you also sense what I feel emanating from this rock?"

Adam did not need the question to be asked. He could feel it in every fiber of his Undead being. That rock was emitting an extremely faint level of Cursed Energy, but the purity of that energy was undeniable and striking to his Lich nature. For a high-level Undead like Adam, it was akin to catching the exquisitely rich aroma of a gourmet meal wafting from the best restaurant in the world.

"Yes."

He replied, his voice a low drawl and his expression hardening with suspicion.

"I can feel it. Whatever is contained within that stone is clearly something extremely valuable."

Teo's lips curled into a slow, knowing smirk, a look that conveyed both superiority and condescending acknowledgment.

"I knew it. I was aware that you possessed abilities similar to mine."

He commented, his gaze sweeping over Adam's form.

"I knew you would be able to sense that refined energy."

Teo then took a step toward Adam, raising his voice to propose something.

"I propose a deal, David. We will cooperate to secure this object. If we succeed, we will share whatever is inside, strictly fifty-fifty."

Adam considered the proposition. The offer struck him as incredibly strange. Why would Teo, who had discovered the object first and who obviously desired its contents immensely, not simply try to claim it all for himself? The entire situation smelled deeply suspicious, a pungent odor of deceit that was almost as strong as the Cursed Energy from the rock itself. Yet, the Empress's internal insistence, a fierce, hungry demand for that particular energy, was too powerful to ignore.

After a prolonged moment of internal conflict, Adam finally sighed, the slight movement of his shoulders conveying his reluctant acceptance.

"Fine, let's do it."

Adam conceded, the single word clipped and final.

With the deal struck, Teo and Adam moved forward, advancing deeper into the strange room, ready to act. But, before they could take another step or articulate a strategy, Chloe also rushed in, her face alight with an eager determination.

"I want to help too!"

She announced, her voice pitched slightly higher than usual. Teo's expression instantly soured. He looked supremely annoyed by her unwelcome intrusion. Adam, however, looked at her with patience, turning fully to face her.

"Chloe, it is not a good idea for you to engage in unknown circumstances so soon."

He said gently, his voice carrying a note of concern. He understood her enthusiasm for trying out her newly acquired powers, especially the unique capabilities of her race.

"I understand you are eager to test your new strength, but the best place for that is a controlled environment. This could be incredibly dangerous."

Chloe did not take the gentle advice well. The words hit her with the brutal impact of a direct physical strike. She had finally acquired something for herself, finally had the means to contribute meaningfully to her team, to finally be useful. And now, Adam, the one person whose approval she craved most, was telling her that she was still the same useless girl who needed constant protection… The unfairness, the humiliation, was too much to bear.

"So you are saying that I am still the same useless person who needs to be protected, then?"

She challenged, her voice breaking, the edges of her eyes starting to glisten with unshed tears. Adam was genuinely startled by the raw emotional pain in her outburst. He quickly took a step toward her, trying desperately to explain.

"No! That is not what I meant at all!"

Before Adam could elaborate or comfort her, Teo's patience snapped entirely. He lost control, his face contorted in a snarl of annoyance at the interruption of his plan.

"Charles! Get in here and take the girl out, by force if you have to!"

The man roared, his voice echoing sharply in the strange chamber.

Charles immediately obeyed the command. He took a single, swift step into the room, intent on grabbing Chloe and removing her. But the very moment his foot crossed the threshold, the enormous, massive stone door of the chamber slammed shut behind him with a deafening, terrifying clang that shook the very ground beneath their feet. Every person in the room flinched, startled by the sudden, violent noise.

Then, a System window, its neon edges glowing with an ominous light, appeared before the eyes of Adam, Teo, Charles, and Chloe.

[The minimum number of users meeting the requirement (Malignant Base Power) has been detected to have entered the 'Ancient Seat of Primordial Envy'.] [Users will have to survive for a period of 5 minutes.]

Teo instantly clicked his tongue in extreme annoyance, his shoulders slumping slightly as he realized his current situation. Adam, conversely, was immediately consumed by a deep sense of worry. A secret trial? Five minutes of survival? That timeframe was too short, and if his time in the System had taught him anything, it was that any treasure as valuable as whatever was hidden in that rock indicated an absurdly, unforgivingly difficult trial.

Suddenly, as if to confirm his grim prognosis, the four colossal statues lurched into motion. They stepped down from their pedestals with a grinding sound of stone against stone, immediately beginning to exude a thick, heavy black miasma that seeped out from beneath the deep shadows of their cowls and skeletal heads.

Adam instantly attempted to use his [Cursed Vision] skill, hoping to glean some information about the entities they were facing. However, the informational display did not appear before his eyes. This confirmed that these were not mere inanimate objects that could be analyzed, but living entities of the scenario—yet, they were clearly radiating an enormous amount of cursed energy, meaning they were definitively malevolent.

The boy thought his Title [Ghostmarked Warden: Bound and Cursed] should grant him an immediate advantage, forcing them to feel respect and submission… It did not.

The skeletal statues immediately drew long, wickedly rusted swords from beneath their heavy cloaks, each blade radiating a colossal pressure of power that seemed to warp the very light around them. Immediately, each of the four statues attacked, moving with unnatural speed and focusing their respective assault on one of the four users present in the room.

The statue that attacked Adam gave no quarter. Its movement was swift and utterly brutal, forcing him to twist and contort his body to narrowly dodge the slicing attack. He silently questioned why his title was having no effect. If the entity was not an object but a living being, it should have been affected by [Ghostmarked Warden: Bound and Cursed]; it should have felt respect and fear for him. Yet, it continued its relentless, furious assault.

The Empress immediately took possession of Adam's mouth for a fleeting moment, her voice, though sounding like his own, carrying a chilling, worried tone.

"Be careful."

She warned, the single utterance conveying profound urgency.

"Those are very strange entities. It is not alive, but simultaneously, it is... It is an Undead, but it is not."

"What does that mean!?"

Adam mentally shot back, fighting to keep his footing as the rusted sword sliced past his ear.

The Empress's internal voice was brief and decisive.

"The best way to describe it is an artificial being, without a soul, but alive."

The boy's jaw tightened in sudden understanding. The pieces clicked into place. These entities fell into a frustrating, utterly infuriating loophole within his abilities rules. They were technically not living beings, meaning his title had no effect, but they were not classified as items either, meaning his [Cursed Vision] offered no information. He was fighting blind, with half his arsenal neutered.

The four individuals immediately scrambled to defend themselves. Teo, with a flash of light, manifested his two revolvers in his hands. He fired a rapid-fire barrage of holy bullets at the head of the statue attacking him, the shots landing directly with sharp, metallic thuds. Charles reacted by imbuing his katana with his fire skill, using the flaming edge to parry the rusted sword of his attacker, instantly reflecting the blow and leaving a shallow, smoking cut directly on the statue's body.

Adam, with a snarl of frustration, re-invoked his cursed lance, 'Az'Karul's Versebreaker', using the massive weapon to block a devastating downward slash aimed at his head. He knew that the very nature of his enemy—this 'artificial being'—was a major impediment, as most of his offensive abilities relied on targeting entities considered truly 'alive.'

However, despite the tactical disadvantage, Adam counterattacked with his skill [Parasitic Mutation]. His mouth opened in an unnatural yawn, and a torrent of sharp, black tentacles shot out, impacting his enemy and momentarily throwing the statue off balance. Seizing the tiny advantage, Adam rammed his cursed weapon forward, impaling the staggering entity.

Chloe, on the other hand, focused entirely on evasion. Her body, now possessing the enhanced physical capabilities of a High Dragonkin, was far more agile than before. Through a series of terrified shouts and panicked cries, she managed to avoid every single slice and thrust from the statue that relentlessly pursued her.

But then, a second System Window appeared simultaneously before the eyes of Teo, Charles, and Adam.

[Attack nullified. The status effects [Invulnerable Object] and [Invincible Will] prevent any damage from user attacks.]

The expressions on the faces of Teo, Charles, and Adam changed instantly and drastically… Their attacks had done literally nothing. The statues were completely intact, the impact from Teo's bullets, the heavy cut from Charles's fire katana, and the point where Adam's lance had pierced were gone, or rather, proving that the damage had never registered. The entities immediately resumed their ferocious assault.

Cursing under his breath, Adam realized the horrifying reality. They had no way to damage these things. They were effectively invincible. With no other option remaining, all four combatants switched immediately to a strategy of pure defense: blocking, parrying, and desperately dodging, praying that the five minutes would elapse as quickly as possible.

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