"Where am I?" Just then, Nina's voice broke the silence, faint but clear enough for Max to hear. He turned his head with effort and saw her eyes flutter open. Her body trembled as she tried to lift herself, but the attempt failed almost instantly. Not a single part of her body moved, as if invisible chains bound her to the ground.

Her face turned pale. Panic surged across her features as she let out a horrified cry. "Why can't I move my body?" Her voice echoed sharply through the cave, filled with despair.

"Don't panic," Max said evenly, his tone calm despite the weight pressing on them all. "I think this is the second trial. We have to adapt to this pressure. Only when we can move under it and walk out of the cave will we be able to proceed to the final trial."

"Max, is that you?" Nina asked, her voice trembling at first, though a faint relief softened her eyes when she confirmed he was near. Knowing she was not alone steadied her, but his words made her brows furrow. The thought of adapting to such crushing pressure and walking freely under it sounded far too cruel. She could already feel her bones aching with every breath. To endure this long enough to stand felt almost impossible.

"Max? Nina? Why can't I get up?" Another voice joined them. Evan stirred, his eyes opening wide as he tried to push himself up. Like the others, his body refused to respond. He grunted in frustration, his jaw tightening as he realized even lifting his arm was beyond him. Panic crept into his voice as he repeated the question.

Nina turned her head as best as she could and explained in a strained voice what Max had told her—that this was a trial, a test of adaptation. Evan listened silently at first, his chest heaving with uneven breaths, but gradually his expression steadied. The explanation gave his panic a shape, something he could understand, even if it did not lessen the difficulty.

"Young Miss," Evan said after a pause, his voice heavy with warning, "you must not use your powers here. If you unleash them, you might break free for a short while, but it will do you no good in the long term. You would only cripple yourself for what comes after."

Nina closed her eyes briefly, then gave a small nod. "I know," she said firmly. "Don't worry. I won't use my powers. I will only circulate my mana and slowly adapt to this pressure. That's the only way forward."

Max listened to them with a thoughtful frown. Their words struck something in him, and he recalled what Evan had said back in the wasteland. He had warned Nina not to use her powers, claiming they could harm her.

Now, here in the crushing weight of the cavern, it sounded as though those very powers could allow her to overcome the trial with ease if she unleashed them. The contradiction stirred his curiosity.

"What is her power?" Max asked, his voice calm but direct.

"None of your concern," Evan replied sharply without hesitation. His tone carried a protective edge, his eyes narrowing as if daring Max to press further.

Max only shrugged. He had no need to push. It was not as though knowing her secret would give him any advantage here.

To his surprise, Nina spoke up herself. Her voice was quiet but firm. "My power is related to stars," she admitted, "but it comes with a cost."

She drew in a slow, steady breath before continuing. "Every time I use it, my body cannot bear the strain. To sustain it, my lifespan burns away. When I first awakened this power, the elders of my family told me that I would not live past fifty years. I have defied that prediction and reached my nineties, but I know I will not live past a hundred, even if I avoid using my abilities. If I use them recklessly, I will die even sooner."

Her words echoed with a quiet heaviness that filled the cave.

"I see," Max said after a pause, nodding slightly. His eyes softened with faint understanding. He could relate. Not long ago, he had been on the edge of death himself, his very soul crumbling under the weight of his own strength. Yet Nina's burden felt even harsher. Her own power, the gift that set her apart as a genius, was also the blade cutting down her lifespan.

He thought about the lifespan of Mythic Rank experts, how they were said to live seven to eight thousand years. For someone like her to be struggling to reach even a hundred was cruel beyond measure.

In that moment, Max finally understood why Nina and Evan were so unyielding in their determination. Their desperation to reach the trial site, their willingness to risk everything—it all made sense.

For Nina, every step forward was not just for glory or opportunity. It was for survival, for clawing back time stolen from her by her own destiny.

Just then the sound of heavy footsteps reached their ears as the ground beneath them started to tremble non stop.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

The sound grew louder with every passing moment, echoing through the cavern like the beating of a colossal drum. Each heavy step shook the walls and sent vibrations through the floor, making the stone beneath them quiver. Dust and tiny fragments fell from the ceiling, raining down around Max, Nina, and Evan.

All three of them immediately became alert. Their breaths slowed, their senses sharpened, and they stared toward the mouth of the cave where the sound was drawing closer.

"What is this?" Nina whispered, her voice trembling with fear. Her eyes widened as the ground continued to shake in rhythm with the approaching steps.

Evan's face had turned pale. "What kind of being could make such a sound just by walking? To shake the ground like this with each step… it's not something ordinary." His voice was thick with unease, his fists clenching even though he knew he could not move under the pressure pressing on them.

"Silence, both of you," Max ordered firmly, his voice low but commanding. He cut them off with a sharp glance. "Don't say anything strange. In fact, do not say anything at all." His tone left no room for doubt.

Max extended the reach of his Three Dimensional Body, scanning the space around them. Almost immediately, he caught sight of the figure that was entering the cave. His eyes narrowed sharply at the sight, and his heart skipped a beat.

The being approaching them was indeed one of the dwarves he had glimpsed before, but now that he saw it clearly, his earlier assumption shattered completely.

The creature was enormous. Its frame towered above the height of any human, its body so massive that it seemed to fill the entire passageway as it entered. Broad shoulders, thick limbs, and a heavy stride made it look less like a dwarf and more like a giant clad in the form of one. Its sheer presence pressed against the air like an additional weight, layering on top of the crushing pressure already filling the cave.

'Why did I think they were dwarves?' Max thought grimly, his mind racing. 'This one alone is three times my size. If they are all like this, then we are in the presence of giants disguised as dwarves.'

He suppressed his aura completely, watching as the massive figure's footsteps drew closer, each one like a hammer striking the earth. Whatever this being was, Max knew one thing—it was far more dangerous than he had expected.

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