"Hah… Hah… Hah…"
Aurora panted for breath as she tried to walk past the invisible barrier that barred her from moving forward.
However, no matter how hard she tried, she was unable to take another step.
Lux, who was on the other side of the wall, frowned because aside from the barrier, he could also see invisible chains binding Aurora's body, preventing her from leaving the depths of the Inner Sanctum.
The shackles and the barrier were a foolproof method to bind the young lady and keep her from escaping.
While he and the others had no difficulty walking in and out of the invisible barrier, Aurora was unable to do the same.
"That's enough, Aurora," Lux said as he rested his hand on her shoulder. "I'll ask my friends if they have a way to let you pass through this barrier."
"Hah… Okay." Aurora nodded as she sat down on the ground in order to catch her breath.
While the young beauty was resting, Lux asked the members of his guild if they had encountered a barrier similar to the one that was preventing Aurora from leaving the Inner Sanctum.
Although the invisible chains were also a factor, Lux believed that the barrier was the biggest hurdle that stood in her way to freedom.
Unfortunately, none of the members had seen a barrier that could specifically prevent a single person from leaving.
"Maybe this barrier was created for the sole purpose of isolating her," General Garret commented. "Since you and others can pass through it, I can only guess that you cannot destroy it since you can't even touch it. Even if you attack it, your blow will only pass through it like you're hitting air."
Suddenly, Cai, who was also paying attention to the chat, gave her opinion on the matter.
"Since she can't pass that barrier, how about she just go over it?" Cai asked. "Have you tried inviting her to the guild?"
Lux blinked once then twice before covering his face with both hands.
'How could I forget something so simple?!' Lux thought as he rubbed his face. 'Cai is right. If Aurora can't pass through it, then she could just go over it!'
Taking a deep breath, he thanked his fiance and decided to give it a try.
"Aurora, please accept my guild invitation," Lux said.
"Understood." Aurora nodded.
She already had the suspicion that Lux was the Guild Master of Heaven's Gate, but since there was still no proof of it, she didn't think much about it.
However, seeing the invitation in front of her confirmed that his Guild was indeed the one and only Mythical Guild in the world which she had heard about, even though she was located deep underground and surrounded by darkness.
Aurora suddenly felt herself growing stronger as the Guild Buffs of Heaven's Gate washed over her weakened body.
Suddenly, the chains that bound her body shattered, taking Lux by surprise.
"What's this?" Aurora stared at her hands in disbelief. "Where is this power coming from?"
The young lady didn't know that the chains that bound her were sapping away her stamina and mana, making her feel weak.
The chains also had some status debuffs that prevented her from regaining her strength, which was why she couldn't break free from the shackles that held her in place.
After becoming a member of Heaven's Gate, the Guild Buffs had given Aurora a 300% boost in Health, Mana, and Stamina regeneration.
Not only that, the Guild Buffs also gave her 25% chance in resisting status ailments, which was the final nail in the coffin that shattered the invisible chains.
The young beauty then closed her eyes as she took a few deep breaths.
Each breath allowed her to recover her strength, making her feel more alive and powerful.
The moment she opened her eyes, Lux found himself staring at a pair of purple eyes that were glowing with power.
It took him a while to understand what was happening, but when he did, he felt alarmed because Aurora was subconsciously using a charm spell that could make people without strong willpower and resistance become her obedient slaves.
"L-Lux, I…," Aurora tried to reach out to the Half-Elf, and the latter held her hand firmly.
Since he was somewhat immune to Charm Spells, Aurora's gaze didn't have much effect against him.
"It hurts," Aurora said as she hugged Lux tightly, using his body as support. "My chest, it hurts."
The young lady didn't know that the moment her shackles were removed, the dormant power inside her body came back to life and was forcing her to regain the power that had been rightfully hers since birth.
Purple flames erupted from her body, making her look like a human torch.
Lux, who held her in place and supported her body, gritted his teeth as he covered himself with dragon scales.
He had no intention of backing away and leaving Aurora to her fate.
"Eiko, get back!"
"Pa!"
Eiko obeyed and jumped off her Papa's body, staying a safe distance away from the blazing flames that were illuminating the darkness.
"So… hot… I can't!" Aurora gritted her teeth as she held onto the Half-Elf as if her life depended on it.
A moment later, Lux witnessed two small horns grow out of the top of Aurora's head.
But it didn't end there.
Two bat-like wings sprouted from her back, making her cry out in pain as fiery-blood flowed down her back, which immediately disappeared after a few seconds.
A spade-tipped tail also emerged from her backside, making her body shudder.
"Lux… I'm scared," Aurora cried in pain. "Help me."
"Don't worry. I'm here with you." Lux held her tightly, giving Aurora some kind of assurance and security, which allowed her to endure the pain that was wreaking havoc inside her body.
If she hadn't been trapped inside the Inner Sanctum, she might have awakened earlier and it would have been less painful.
But because multiple years passed yet her awakening was delayed over and over again, her power passively grew and their side effects stacked.
Lux also noticed that Aurora's Rank was rising at a rapid rate.
When he first met her, she was only an Apostle.
But now, her rank was steadily increasing until it reached the Initiate Rank.
It didn't take long for Lux to realize what was going to happen next.
'She's going to break through as a Ranker!' Lux braced himself for what was about to come.
Usually, when someone was going to become a Ranker, they needed to undergo a trial to become a Ranker.
Each trial was different.
Usually, people had a choice when it came to what kind of Trial they needed to do.
However, for those who didn't have the choice, they had to leave it up to the Heavens to decide what kind of Trial they needed to face.
Suddenly, the Pantheon of Exile shook, and the Pillar of Light that was shooting up in the sky changed its color until it turned crimson red.
The Monsters that were locked up within their cells all started to roar as they pounded against the barrier repeatedly, desperately hoping to break it apart.
They were not aware that in the deepest depths of the Inner Sanctum, Aurora's trial was about to take place.
