I, The Villainess, Will Seduce All The Heroines Instead
Chapter 167: The Trial (24)

Chapter 167: The Trial (24)

[Editing]

The corridor pulsed with a low hum, as though the walls themselves were breathing. Ethereal lights flickered overhead, casting dreamy colors that shifted with each step Verena and Vivienne took. The floor beneath their feet shimmered faintly, as if not entirely solid, like they walked across the surface of a stilled lake.

Vivienne’s grip tightened around Verena’s hand, her eyes wide as she scanned the ever-shifting hallway. "This place feels... wrong," she whispered.

"No shit," Verena muttered, her voice dry but tinged with tension. "Trial Two’s not supposed to be this twisted."

It was meant to be a battle trial—clear-cut objectives, enemies to fight, something you could stab. But this? This was psychological warfare wrapped in dreamscape aesthetics.

They passed by a floating staircase that curled into the ceiling like a snake, then a door that opened to reveal a blindingly bright meadow—only for the image to flicker and turn into a pit of black ooze. The maze wasn’t just testing their bodies anymore. It was digging into their minds, pulling at their fears, insecurities, and regrets.

Suddenly, the walls began to ripple like liquid, and from them emerged familiar figures.

Verena’s breath caught.

Her old self.

Not the cold, competent version she had refined through suffering, but the earlier Verena—naive, still clinging to ideas of fairness in a twisted world, wide-eyed and hopeful. She stood across from her, expression frozen in time.

"I remember you," Verena said bitterly.

The echo of her younger self tilted her head. "Do you really think you’re better now?"

Vivienne blinked beside her. "Is that—"

"An illusion," Verena replied through gritted teeth. "Don’t talk to it."

But the illusion wasn’t done.

"You sacrificed your gentleness to survive," it said. "And yet, you still feel powerless."

A chill ran down her spine. Not because it was false—but because it was true.

Verena turned away, pushing forward. But as they moved deeper into the passage, more illusions emerged—people she had failed, those who had died in previous loops, those she couldn’t save, and even Evelyn—standing with her back to her.

"You promised me," the illusion said, not turning.

Vivienne whimpered beside her, her own illusions beginning to form—ghosts from her past, cruel teammates who had pushed her away, and a mirror image of herself sobbing alone in a corner.

"I don’t want to see this again," Vivienne whispered. "Why now? Why does it always come back when I finally feel okay?"

Verena grabbed her shoulder. "Because the labyrinth knows when to strike. It’s made of fate, remember? It unravels you from the inside."

"Then what do we do?"

"We keep going."

With great effort, they pressed forward. Every step was like dragging chains, each memory trying to anchor them to the past.

Finally, they reached a circular room. The walls were lined with floating mirrors, each reflecting distorted versions of themselves. One showed Verena in a bloodstained dress, smiling as she stood atop a pile of corpses. Another showed her begging on her knees.

"What the hell is this trial even about?" she hissed.

Then a familiar ding echoed in the air, followed by a system notification:

> TRIAL TWO: HEART OF SELF – FINAL STAGE

To pass, confront your mirrored truths. Accept them... or be consumed by them.

"Well, fuck," Verena muttered. "It’s therapy."

"I didn’t sign up for therapy!" Vivienne cried.

"None of us did!"

The mirrors began to glow. The distorted Verenas and Viviennes stepped out from the glass, forming a circle around them.

"This is your last chance," one of the illusions said. "Admit that you’re afraid."

"I am afraid!" Verena shouted, surprising even herself. Her voice echoed off the chamber walls. "I’m afraid I’ll lose everyone! I’m afraid I’m not enough! I’m afraid that even after everything I’ve done... none of it will matter!"

The illusions paused. The mirrors shuddered.

Vivienne stepped forward next, her voice trembling. "I’m afraid I’ll never be good enough. That I’ll always be the weak link. That everyone will keep leaving me behind..."

Silence.

Then, one by one, the illusions smiled—not mockingly, but sadly—and began to dissolve into mist.

> SYSTEM: Trial Two – Complete.

Inner equilibrium acknowledged. Emotional resonance stabilized.

Proceeding to next phase.

A door materialized at the end of the chamber, glowing with soft golden light.

Verena exhaled slowly. "You did good, Vivienne."

"I cried and nearly passed out."

"Exactly. Amazing progress."

Vivienne sniffled. "Can I still sleep on your lap later?"

Verena groaned, dragging her by the arm toward the door. "Let’s just get out of here first before the next trial turns us into musical instruments or something."

As they stepped through the door, the world shimmered again—another challenge awaited.

But for once, they had emerged stronger.

Together.

The third trial didn’t wait for them to breathe.

The moment they stepped through the glowing doorway, a sudden wave of cold air slammed into their bodies. Verena staggered back slightly, instinctively shielding Vivienne, who clung to her arm like a determined but shivering barnacle.

"Wh-why is it suddenly Antarctica in here?!" Vivienne chattered, her teeth practically performing a percussion solo.

"Because apparently emotional breakthroughs aren’t enough," Verena muttered, eyeing the landscape ahead.

Trial Three stretched out as a vast, snow-covered valley. Glittering ice pillars jutted from the ground like frozen spires, and strange glowing runes shimmered beneath the snow. Overhead, the sky churned with northern lights—beautiful, but unsettlingly unnatural. There was no wind. No sound. Just oppressive, crystalline stillness.

Then the system popped up again:

> TRIAL THREE: FROSTBOUND RESOLVE

Objective: Maintain internal warmth.

Status: Emotional Fortitude Under Evaluation.

Warning: Prolonged exposure to despair will result in crystallization.

Team Sync Required: 85%.

"...Did that just say crystallization?" Vivienne squeaked.

"Yep." Verena’s lips pressed into a thin line. "We’re in a trauma freezer."

"I just got done crying!" Vivienne protested, pulling her coat tighter.

"Which is exactly why this trial is worse. It kicks you after you’ve gotten back up. Welcome to emotional cardio."

Verena took a breath, pressing forward, boots crunching on snow that didn’t melt no matter how warm her body was supposed to be. The cold wasn’t physical—it was psychological. A slow drain. The kind that made your thoughts sluggish, your heart tired. The kind that whispered, Why bother anymore?

Vivienne trudged beside her, cheeks puffed from the effort of staying upbeat.

"I’m fine... I’m fine..." she chanted, breath fogging. "Totally not thinking about that time my parents forgot my birthday and replaced me with a cat. Totally. Fine."

"Your parents what?"

"N-Never mind! Emotional frost! Stay warm! Happy thoughts!" she squeaked, waving her arms like she was fanning invisible flames.

But even Verena’s steps were starting to slow. She could feel it creeping in—that bone-deep weight of inertia. The silence wasn’t silence. It was the noise of every failure she hadn’t forgiven herself for.

"Maybe... maybe I should’ve let someone else do this," she muttered. "I don’t even know why I’m trying so hard anymore."

"Nope." Vivienne grabbed her hand.

Verena blinked.

"You don’t get to give up before I do," Vivienne said firmly. "You’re like... my cool big sister-slash-broody guardian. If you fall apart, I definitely will. So suck it up, Your Grumpiness."

Verena stared at her. "Did you just promote me to family?"

"You wish," Vivienne puffed, cheeks red from cold and probably some misplaced confidence.

And somehow... that helped.

They marched on together. Slowly. But together.

At some point, the landscape began to fight back more aggressively. Ice beasts materialized from the snow, growling with glowing eyes and long icicle claws. Verena didn’t hesitate—she conjured spears of Zodiacal energy, slicing clean through one, her movements precise despite the dull ache in her limbs.

Vivienne backed her up with her Dreamtide magic. She couldn’t fight directly, but she created illusions of fire and warmth, confusing the beasts and slowing their movements. One polar bear made of crystal nearly tackled Verena—until it slipped on an illusion of a puddle and faceplanted into a pillar.

"Okay that was actually impressive," Verena said between pants.

"I am a useful burden!" Vivienne declared proudly.

"You’re still calling yourself a burden?"

"Useful burden."

The system chimed again:

> Team Sync: 72% → 81%... 84%...

TRIAL THREE: ALMOST CLEARED

"Just a little more," Verena muttered, steadying her breathing.

And then it happened.

A final enemy appeared—not a beast, but a manifestation of icy regret. A towering figure that looked eerily like Evelyn, eyes frozen, expression blank.

Verena froze.

She wasn’t ready for this. Not this image. Not her.

Vivienne stood in front of her. "Don’t look at it. Look at me."

"I—Vivienne—"

"You’re not going to fail her. You’re not failing me. You’re trying—and that counts."

Verena let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.

She stepped forward—and launched her spear of light right into the heart of the icy Evelyn. The illusion cracked, then shattered like glass.

> TRIAL THREE: COMPLETE.

Emotional temperatures stabilized.

Team Sync: 91%

Proceeding to final trial.

A warm glow enveloped the field, melting the snow in a radiant wave. The frozen valley faded, replaced by a golden hallway leading to a massive set of double doors.

"Ready?" Verena asked, glancing at Vivienne.

"Mentally? No. Physically? Also no. But emotionally? Maybe."

Verena smiled faintly. "Good enough."

They stepped forward together—toward the final trial.