Fenix scanned the icy wall again, then let out a low breath. "If there’s no monster guarding the chest, it must mean there’s another way to get it," he muttered under his breath. "But how?"

  He stood still for a moment, considering his options. Wondering if brute force was the answer, he raised his staff, deciding to try Ice Bolt on the frost wall blocking the chest. The spell shot out, swirling in the air before colliding with the ice—but nothing happened.

  Fenix’s brows furrowed as he tried again, sending another icicle at the wall. Still, no cracks, no shift—just a solid icy surface staring back at him.

  “Well, magic isn’t the answer,” he sighed, scratching his head in frustration. He paced around the wall, eyes scanning for any clues that might help. But after circling the area twice, there was nothing—no runes, no hidden switches, nothing to indicate how to get past.

  He gnced up, intending to check how much time he had left when something caught his eye. There, just beyond the ice wall and partially hidden behind a tree, a faintly glowing object floated in midair. A hammer, shimmering with a soft, magical light.

  “That’s it,” Fenix whispered, his eyes widening. “That must be what I need to break open the wall.”

  But as he studied the hammer’s position, a new challenge emerged. It was too far from the tree to simply climb up and grab it. Leaping for it wasn’t an option either—the distance and height made that a death wish.

  Fenix narrowed his eyes, thinking hard. “So it’s a puzzle,” he muttered. “Just like the potion dungeon. No riddles this time, though… just figuring out how to get that hammer down.”

  Fenix took a deep breath, letting the icy air fill his lungs as he scanned the area beneath the floating hammer for any signs or clues. His eyes roamed over the snow-covered ground, searching for anything out of pce. That’s when he saw it—a rge gust of air blew up a leaf, sending it spinning in the wind. But how could the wind come from the ground?

  As he walked over to the strange wind that’s when he noticed it. There, ten feet away from the tree, almost hidden by the snow, was a metal vent. Putting his hand over it, he felt cold air gushing from it at steady intervals.

  The vent was barely noticeable—if not for the leaf floating directly into the stream of air, he might have missed it altogether. He was thankful for that leaf. However, even though he knew he would need to use the vent to get the hammer, how was he supposed to do it?

  Fenix’s eyes narrowed in thought. The vent wasn’t directly beneath the hammer, so it couldn’t help him reach it from where it stood. But as he turned his head, following the direction of the airflow, he spotted two more vents positioned higher up along the mountain’s side. They were set at different heights, each one spaced just enough to create an upward path.

  He rubbed his chin, realization dawned on him. So that’s how I get to it, he thought.

  Stepping closer to the first vent near the tree, Fenix hesitated as the cold wind gushed out again, the bst strong enough to ruffle his robe. He braced himself, took a deep breath, and stepped into the airflow.

  Immediately, the powerful gust lifted him off the ground, sending him airborne toward the second vent. As he soared, he caught the angle perfectly, nding lightly on a patch of snow just next to the second vent.

  The second vent was positioned higher up, almost at eye level with the hammer. Fenix timed the next gust, and when the wind surged again, he leaped forward, letting it carry him toward the third and final vent. He felt the freezing wind catch him as he ascended higher, gncing down at the distance he’d already covered.

  With one st push, Fenix propelled himself upward using the final vent’s bst of cold air, sending him soaring right toward the glowing hammer. He reached out, his fingers just grazing the shimmering handle as he came down, grabbing it firmly.

  As soon as he grabbed the hammer, a bubble appeared around him, gently lowering him back to the ground. The nding was soft, his feet hitting the snow with barely a sound. The magic from the hammer seemed to cushion his descent, letting him touch down without so much as a scratch.

  Without wasting time, Fenix made his way back to the ice wall. He raised the magical hammer high, then brought it down with force. The ice wall shattered instantly, shards of frost scattering everywhere, revealing the chest within.

  He reached out, tapping the chest. As his fingers brushed against it, a familiar system notification echoed in his mind.

  [System: You have gained a Legendary treasure chest! It has been sent to your inventory!]

  Fenix's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the notification: Legendary treasure chest. He could hardly wrap his mind around it. He’d read about someone getting one during this event in his previous life, but that pyer had never shared what was inside. Now, he had the chance to discover it for himself.

  His heart raced with excitement at the thought. He couldn't wait to tell Maya—no, he couldn’t wait to see what treasures awaited him inside the chest.

  As he checked the clock, urgency surged through him. Only five minutes left. If he didn’t reach the center in time, the legendary treasure would remain just that: a legend. The idea twisted his stomach into knots.

  Fenix broke into a sprint. He knew the maze was dangerous, but there was no other option now. He had to run. His hand brushed against the cold hedges as he dashed through the winding paths, his eyes flicking left and right for any traps or any sign of danger. The maze twisted and turned in ways that could trip him up, but he never lost focus.

  The first trap came out of nowhere. A thin wire stretched across the path, almost invisible in the dim light. Fenix barely spotted it in time, skidding to a stop and leaping over with a quick hop. He nded safely on the other side and kept running. If this was real life he knew his heart would be pounding in his ears.

  “Too close,” he muttered under his breath.

  He was nearing the center when another trap was triggered. All of a sudden the ground beneath him shifted with a click. He barely had a moment to react before a series of sharp metal spikes shot up from the floor in front of him, blocking his path.

  "Not now!" Fenix growled. Without thinking, he pointed his staff at the mechanism triggering the trap. "Ice Bolt!" The swirling icicle hit its mark, freezing the gears just enough to disable the spikes. He jumped over them and continued running.

  Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he saw it—the clearing up ahead. The center. He pushed himself faster, hoping he was the first one there. But he was sadly disappointed.

  Two people were already there. Fenix cursed under his breath. He had been too slow. The detour for that st chest had cost him. Maybe I got greedy... he thought, his eyes darting toward the clock.

  Two minutes left.

  He scanned the faces of those who had made it, but Maya wasn’t among them. His heart leaped into his throat. He hoped she was okay. Surely, she was making her way here.

  As more and more people stumbled into the clearing, Fenix grew restless. He kept his gaze fixed on the clock, watching the seconds tick away.

  "Where is that girl?" he whispered, anxiety cwing at him. The timer hit ten seconds, and a knot of panic tightened in his chest.

  Eight seconds.

  Six.

  Three.

  Just when all hope seemed lost, a blur darted into the clearing. Maya! She appeared at the st possible moment, just as the clock hit zero. The system timer froze, signaling the end of the game.

  Fenix let out a whoop, his earlier worry evaporating. He rushed over to her, grinning from ear to ear. "What took you so long?"

  "The maze shifted... I got turned around, and I didn’t think I’d make it."

  "Well, thank goodness you did," Fenix replied, still buzzing with excitement. "Or I’d have to rub my prizes in your face."

  Maya straightened, her tired expression softening into a smirk. "Is that so?" Without warning, she punched him lightly on the arm.

  "Ow!" Fenix ughed, rubbing his arm, but his grin didn’t fade. "Hey, I was joking at first, but now I'm really going to gloat."

  Maya just ughed.

  Author Note:

  Want to read 50 chapters ahead? You can do that here: ko-fi.com/momocatt If you’re happy reading at the current pace, that’s totally fine too—I appreciate every single reader.

  But if you feel like sending a little support my way (maybe for a coffee or some extra motivation), you can also do that here: ko-fi.com/momocatt

  No matter what, thank you for being here and enjoying the story! (????)