Reincarnated Avatar; I got 2 SSS-Rank Unique Skills
Chapter 127: A busy week [3]

Chapter 127: A busy week [3]

It was a maze, and mazes were never straightforward.

There were false paths in the maze. Stepping on the wrong glyph teleports Noah back to the start or activates a trap.

There were also shifting routes. Every ten seconds, the maze reconfigures, forcing Noah to memorize patterns and predict changes.

And then there were the mimic walls. Some passages looked open but are actually illusions, leading players in circles.

He smiled. "Puzzles can be fun too".

But then with narrowed eyes, he carefully started his work, studying the pattern of shifts. Rather than relying on trial and error, he deciphered the logic behind the glyphs, finding the hidden formula that governed the maze’s movement.

After weaving through the puzzle with calculated precision, he was able to reach the exit just as the entire floor reset.

A deep rumble echoed through the temple, indicating that the first phase of the puzzle was complete.

And then the familiar voice echoed again.

"Phase 2, the Pillars of Memory".

The next chamber was lined with six towering stone pillars, each covered in intricate carvings depicting forgotten battles, fallen empires, and celestial beings.

At the center of the room is an ancient pedestal with a single inscription.

>Only one of these tales is true. The others are mere echoes of history<

Noah understood his goal immediately.

He was to examine each pillar’s carvings and determine which represents real history. The catch?

Some carvings contradict one another, meaning they can’t all be true.

The correct history must be pieced together from subtle details; dates, attire, battle tactics, all hidden within the imagery.

Choosing the wrong pillar activates a trap, forcing Noah to start over or face an enemy manifestation of the false history.

Noah sighed. "Having Caleb would have made this so much easier".

He didn’t sulk though; he didn’t have the time for it.

And so he started, studying the carvings closely, recognizing a hidden emblem on one pillar that matched ancient Warstar lore.

Trusting his instinct, he placed his hand on the correct pillar.

DING!

The temple rumbled in approval.

[Phase 2, complete!]

The familiar voice reverberated again.

"Phase 3, the Final Enigma, the Time-lock mechanism".

The last chamber is a grand hall with a massive door sealed by an intricate mechanical lock; a combination of rotating rings, shifting tiles, and luminous sigils.

At the center of the room, an ancient hourglass slowly empties, marking the time limit that Noah had.

And the voice reverberated again.

"Align past, present, and future. The lock will open".

Noah’s eyes gleamed. ’A three-part puzzle’. He thought.

He could make the connections immediately.

’If I’m not wrong, past will encompass rearranging sigils into a forgotten language to form a coherent message’.

’Present should be adjusting the mechanical rings to match the correct planetary alignment’.

He rubbed his chin in thought. ’While future should be predicting the correct sequence of tiles before they finish cycling through randomized patterns’.

Noah’s mind raced as he deciphered, adjusted and predicted, working against the relentless ticking of the hourglass.

With seconds to spare, he managed to make the final adjustment.

And then...

CLICK!

The mechanism clicked into place.

The door shuddered, then slowly creaked open.

A golden system notification appeared before him.

[Congratulations! You have completed the Puzzle of the Ancients! Your intellect, pattern recognition, and logic have reached new heights!]

[You have received Rewards:]

*+8 Skill Points.

*New Passive Skill: Analytical Insight.

>Analytical Insight: Your ability to recognize patterns and solve complex problems is enhanced. You now have the ability to see hidden clues, making puzzles, illusions, and strategy-based encounters easier to navigate<

Noah exhaled, stretching his fingers after all that mental exertion.

"I swear, that was harder than fighting a boss".

He felt mentally exhausted but his inner fighting fire was not dead yet, Noah wanted to keep on going and that was exactly what he did.

He went up to the 3rd quest among the 7.

...

[You have accepted Quest 4: The Merchant’s Wrath!]

BZZZ!

After accepting the quest, the world shifted around Noah for the 3rd time today and he found himself standing in the center of a grand bazar unlike any he’s ever seen before.

Stalls lined the streets, filled with exotic wares; gleaming jewels, enchanted weapons, and delicacies from across the realms.

The air hummed with haggling voices, the scent of spices, and the glint of gold. But there was an underlying tension in the air.

Noah groaned. ’I already know this is going to be a headache’.

Still, he moved.

The moment Noah stepped forward, a robed merchant with piercing golden eyes appeared before him.

"Welcome, challenger".

"You have entered the Merchant’s Wrath test, a trial that measures not your strength, but your wit, persuasion, and cunning".

"You stand in a city where fortune and ruin are decided by trade".

"Prove your mastery of negotiation, deception, and business acumen, or be left penniless and powerless".

Noah deadpanned. "Are you telling me to go about scamming people".

The merchant didn’t respond to him. Rather, waving a hand, a golden contract appeared before Noah.

[Quest Objective: Amass 10,000 Gold within the time limit.]

[Rules:]

*You begin with 100 Gold.

*You may buy, sell, trade, and haggle as you please. If possible, you can scam customers so long you’re not caught.

*You may manipulate the market through rumors or strategic investments.

*The test ends when the time limit expires or you reach 10,000 Gold.

*Failure means bankruptcy... and a humiliating system-wide announcement of your failure.

Noah raised an eyebrow. "Still feels like I’m being told to scam..., but I guess this is a battle of wits, huh?"

Thinking of something, he sighed. "Is this what it feels like to go to business school?"

"Damn, I always hated merchants in games!"

He had no choice though. He was already in it, and Noah had no intention of stopping till his Heavenly Domain Challenge was completed.

’These developers are truly playing with us players, aren’t they?’

Without hesitation, he moved, doing the first and most important thing that he realized, securing his stall in this city-wide market.

"Let’s do business!"

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