Chapter 316

Chapter 316: Octagonal Island

This sounded like an actual floating island rather than an artificial space like the Shadow Maze.

If so, real treasures might exist here instead of just shadow creatures as enemies, and the rewards could be more valuable than temporarily useless psychic energy.

At this thought, everyone felt motivated. They began meditating, aiming to reach peak condition during the eight hours.

Midi caught a key detail from the ancient voice’s explanation—the Octagonal Island trial didn’t seem team-based.

"Prepare to fight alone," Midi warned the other three in a low voice.

Their expressions tightened. Though the four had dominated battles together, individual weaknesses against mind-related abilities became apparent when separated.

Midi’s personal strength kept him average in resisting mental attacks. Avril and Reinhardt, as melee fighters with low resistance, were more vulnerable.

Only Wiseman thrived due to the Undead’s natural resistance, but his level 56 status hindered higher-level challenges.

Separation meant risks for all—likely the true challenge of the Mind Maze’s final trial.

They spent the hours strategizing, healing injuries, and restoring magic and Mental Energy. Soon, the time passed.

A new teleportation portal emerged in the hall—massive, with intricate magical runes unlike ordinary Teleportation Arrays.

"Let’s move." Midi stepped in first, followed by the others. White light engulfed them.

Sandur scowled, gritted his teeth, and entered.

The magic’s brilliance faded, revealing a vast floating island.

Midi gauged its size—comparable to the Sky Arena’s island. The varied terrain and lush vegetation confirmed it wasn’t an illusion but a genuine Star Ocean floating island.

Magic sealed the island’s perimeter, blocking the starry sky above. At the center stood a towering structure crowned by a ten-meter-wide eyeball.

The eyeball shifted like a lighthouse beam, casting a pale green glow infused with mind-related power across the island.

As predicted, the Teleportation Array had scattered everyone.

"Survival trial…" Midi muttered, forming a theory.

Instead of exploring ruins emitting magic waves—tempting yet risky—he headed for the nearest high point.

Soon, he witnessed key events:

An Execution Team member trudged through a swamp when the tower’s glowing beam pinned him.

The level 60 trial participant paled like a cornered thief. Under the mental assault, his eyes bloodshot, face contorted.

"AAAAH!" His scream echoed as he vanished—teleported away, not killed.

_Elimination by displacement_, Midi noted.

Another battle erupted nearby, this time between Execution Team members.

The combative Berserker clashed fiercely with a Level 63 Star Exile, a creature unique to the Star Ocean. This Exile far surpassed those serving the Lord of the Light City, wielding mind-related abilities alongside heavy armor and brute strength. Their battle raged intensely until the central tower’s eyeball detected the disturbance. A beam of light shot across ten kilometers, freezing the Berserker mid-strike.

Unlike previous encounters, the Star Exile swung its blade before the trapped warrior could vanish. The Berserker was cleaved in two, collapsing into a bloody heap with unseeing eyes full of defiance.

"So defeat in battle means true death," Midi murmured, unease flashing across his face. The eyeball’s beam caused five seconds of agony before teleportation, but losing a fight brought permanent demise. Worse, the ever-present light could interrupt any battle, dooming even skilled warriors through cruel misfortune.

Later, Midi spotted three Patrol Team members. Their luck had kept them close after teleportation, and they’d regrouped using specialized signals. Moving cautiously behind cover, they evaded multiple eyeball scans – formidable competitors. Only Midi’s heightened senses as an Awakened One of Extraordinary Awakening and his veteran adventurer’s instincts revealed their presence.

Then he noticed it – a shimmering cloud gathering above them, radiating the eyeball beam’s distinct aura. Ten minutes later, radiant light erupted downward. The trio’s agonized screams echoed as they vanished, repeating the earlier tragedy.

Survival here demanded solitude. Midi’s blood chilled. This cloud mechanism prevented alliances, mirroring how the King of Shadows regenerated shadow knights. Cooperation wasn’t impossible, but without magical communications, coordinated efforts across the island became improbable.

Midi distilled three survival rules: evade the beam, use cover, work alone. The trial measured endurance against expulsion. Hiding in ruins might prolong survival, but the Shadow Maze proved passive strategies yielded meager psychic energy points. True rewards required boldness – avoiding guards and beams while aggressively exploring.

Resolved, Midi climbed a concealed vantage point instead of retreating to found ruins. From hundreds of meters up, Octagonal Island unfolded below. True to its name, eight spiked peninsulas radiated like octopus tentacles from the central tower. Each tip bore an ancient temple – eight trial participants for eight temples, gateways to becoming top-tier Thought Capturers.

Yet Midi’s sharp eyes spotted a ninth temple beneath the central tower, grander than the others. Its ancient walls emanated solemn majesty even at this distance. Reaching it meant crossing the island’s heart, evading countless guards and scans.

Corner temple or central challenge? The choice hung heavy as Midi weighed risk against reward.