The days passed without much contemplation. I had no appetite, nor any need to eat. I simply locked myself in my room. I can't say how much time went by, but from time to time Axio would appear to remind me that I had to face the Trial of Taurus.
At that moment, I couldn't care less.
I would open my eyes, and shortly after, close them again.
But… "sooner or later, you have to get up," right?
And to think that just before everything happened, I was fully motivated to confront the trial—and now, if I thought about it again, I saw it as nothing more than a display window to avoid the real problem.
"I'm weak."
This time made me realize something: I didn't avoid the trial out of sorrow—I avoided it out of fear.
In the end, I didn't feel bad because of Gabriela's, Sucre's, or Gerónimo's deaths; I felt bad for Paul and Bolívar. The guilt I carried was hard to explain…
Maybe… guilt for not feeling the same pain?
I would face Taurus, not out of duty or the desire to keep moving forward, but as nothing more than a distraction.
The first time I went out, I caught sight of both Bolívar and Paul out of the corner of my eye. They both avoided looking at me and walked away, but judging by their faces, it was for completely different reasons: Bolívar out of shame, and Paul… out of resentment.
—Alright, here we are —I said out loud, as if trying to convince myself.
In front of me, a massive stone wall reflected a mirror that displayed the twelve constellations, moving farther away or closer depending on who touched its cold surface. With a long sigh, I placed my hand against the crystalline wall. A shiver ran through my body, reminding me what it felt like to exist in this world: the metallic taste in my mouth, the cold smooth texture beneath my fingers, and the emotional and physical exhaustion crashing down onto my shoulders all at once.
—Axio… —I murmured softly.
Even so, the little axolotl appeared behind me.
—Looks like your vacation is finally over.
—Our deal still stands, right? If I reach Steel, you'll answer my questions about That One's message.
Axio hesitated for a moment, as if recalibrating our agreement. His pained expression made it clear that the information tied to that message put him at risk. Even so, determined, he finally nodded to himself.
—Fine. It was a deal, and I'll honor it.
—So be it…
In an instant, the wall traced the symbol of Taurus: a massive bull struggling against golden chains. The chains opened, forming a luminous doorway. For a brief moment, my body faltered, tempted to turn back—there was no one there. No one supporting me. The expectant gazes waiting for my return were gone.
"This is the true feeling of the Nexo."
With a firm step, my body was consumed by particles of light. Before I realized it, I was standing in a vast grassland: a field of tall grass, no trees in sight, illuminated by the now-familiar twilight sky of the trials. Calm. Silent. Very different from my previous participation.
I didn't waste time. If I wanted any chance, I had to locate my teammates immediately, so I opened the system screen and activated [Search V].
Instantly, the field mapped itself before me. Though at first glance it looked like an infinite territory stretching toward massive hills at the borders, it was actually enclosed… or so the map indicated.
—That's strange…
The map was completely rectangular. There were hills scattered among the grasslands, but for the most part—at least visually—it was flat terrain. Expanding the map, I saw a small white marker with light-blue shading displaying the message:
[Mr Nobody / Level 2 / Metal Rank]
The other two white markers were far apart. One was about two kilometers east of my position, almost at the border, as if confirming the map's limits on its own—yet its data still showed as unknown.
"That rule about needing to see the target before getting their data is such a pain."
The other white marker was much closer to the south, about a hundred meters away. I considered heading there…
But something—or rather, someone—stole my attention.
In addition to the white and black markers, an emblem was active. I didn't know how to describe it other than a grumpy-looking axolotl face in red and yellow—something I hadn't seen before. But I didn't need to be a genius to understand it.
The personification of Taurus was already active.
It appeared far away—very far from me. According to the map, at least half a kilometer. But at the same time, the system warned me that such distance meant nothing to its movement. The vector lines showed its enormous leaps, allowing it to cross the entire map in mere minutes.
I swallowed as I watched its sudden movements, which before I realized it had shifted toward my direction. Even so, I stayed calm.
"Why?"
I don't know if it was the system making me more analytical or simply experience, but I didn't hesitate. I debated what to do with my miserable 20k credits. I didn't have many options, honestly. I wanted to ask the others for their opinion, but they… well.
I decided to trust the gift they had given me. So far, it had provided tools the system considered fair—tools that made my resurrection too costly to ignore. So I would bet on it.
With a swift motion and without hesitation, I activated the second node available after reaching level 2:
[Null / Requirements: Level 2 / Cost: 15k]While the user remains completely still, floor bosses and some players of equal or lower level will be unable to detect their presence. In theory.
"In theory…"
That didn't sound reassuring, but I had no other choice. [Search V] sent a risk notification—the incarnation had begun moving toward me. I couldn't see it yet, but the cloud of dirt was visible in the distance, along with the thunderous sound of its footsteps.
Instinctively, I crouched among the tall grass and spoke:
—[Null I].
In an instant, a faint translucent layer—like water flowing just centimeters from my body—began to hover delicately around me. I tried touching it lightly, only to create a massive crack that instantly repaired itself when I pulled my finger back. I could feel it. My hand became visible for a brief moment, so I immediately lowered it. The layer didn't force me to remain completely immobile as described, but any sudden movement would make it vanish entirely.
Then, a deafening stomp thundered just a few meters away. It didn't take long to hit close—the ground literally exploded, launching me several meters through the air. I rolled across the dirt and knelt as best I could. [Null I] reactivated on its own without needing to be invoked again, almost as if it were a passive skill.
That's when I saw it.
It was exactly what I expected: a massive bull, perhaps as tall as Paul, clad in what looked like bronze armor stained with oxidized turquoise-green patches. Its enormous horns burned as if constantly melting into pure white, and its eyes glowed like red-hot furnaces, steam snorting from what appeared to be its nostrils.
That's when I understood.
The "in theory" referred to that—to the random movements this monster could make, one I clearly couldn't even scratch. I urgently needed my allies. I opened the system again to search for them, and to my misfortune, one of our three markers was gone.
"Seriously? They're already dead? I didn't even get to see who it was…"
To make matters worse, the markers that did appear were a trio of black icons glowing with a violet hue in the background.
The rival team had me in their sights.
—Fire!
Ordered a man with long black sideburns and an imposing blue hat, matching the rest of his military uniform packed with multicolored insignia. His three companions wore the same uniform, though dirtier, duller, and lacking insignia by comparison. They held a pair of cannons aimed at the massive beast.
—We'll finish you off, metal beast! —he proclaimed, extending his sword toward the target.
Pressing on the black marker revealed the one I would be facing in this trial.
The former French emperor.
Napoleon Bonaparte.