Misty laughed at the absurdity of losing the trial because you used a piece as a support to help stand up, while Cara pointed at the Immortal’s reflection in their viewing bowl and mocked his idiocy.
There was nothing they could do about it, the trial conditions had been set by Matilda, and they were just here to observe.
{Two percent completion. Reward Granted.} The message on the wall declared.
The Immortal looked hopeful that he might still get something meaningful out of this trip.
However, he had not accounted for the fact that this puzzle had been created by a Legendary Chaos Dragon. There was no way that he was getting out of this without at least being made fun of a little bit.
A moment after the notice arrived, the Immortal was granted his "reward" in the form of a Mythic Rank mage staff and a small wooden box.
"Well, I got something from it. I might not know what the puzzle is making, but perhaps this is...
Fucking with me. It is fucking with me."
Cara laughed hysterically, letting her voice echo through the puzzle room as the Immortal realized that he got a staff of [Levitation] and a fancy box of tissues.
Misty winked at them, and then fog filled the puzzle room and the Immortal vanished.
"That was fun. I think that I’m going to like having the puzzle here until it is claimed.
Now, where were we?
Right, we had just finished with you rescuing yourself, and now I should likely send you back home. Or we could go on a small adventure?"
Cara raised one clawed paw, and the Dragon nodded. "That’s two votes for an adventure. Majority rules."
She was about to do something when Matilda walked into the room, Legendary Ranked and looking like she hadn’t slept in a week.
"Don’t go causing any more trouble, I need to deal with things in the Immortal Realm for a bit. Just send them back, and you can go on an adventure another day." She instructed.
Misty sighed. "Fine. But only because the puzzle room you made was so much fun."
"How did he do?"
"He tripped with a piece in his hand and failed at piece three."
Matilda smiled and shook her head. "He’s never going to live that one down."
Her gaze seemed to burn into Karl’s very soul as she examined him.
"You’re getting close to Immortality. We definitely need to send you back so that the others can be where they need to be before you ascend."
Cara huffed, and the dragon patted her furry head. "You too, but you already know the schedule."
With his aura dampened, it wasn’t nearly as unnerving for everyone else in the area, and the city of Drodh began to relax a little. The only ones who didn’t immediately try to go back to sleep or back to work were the members of the Darklight Host, who rushed out to welcome the Branch Leader back.
Matron Blackclaw, the Orphanage Leader in the workshop caverns of the Drodh Guild House, came out smiling.
"Lord Karl, welcome back. We were expecting you to be gone longer than a few minutes." She laughed.
"Time is relative when you’ve got a Temporal Dragon on your side." Karl agreed, then realized that Misty had vanished again.
He couldn’t find her with Soul Sight, so she might have left for another time and place. Or she might be able to actually hide from him. There was a lot that he didn’t understand about the powers of that dragon.
"Did you gain what you were hoping for?" The red dragon asked.
"I did. I am incredibly close to full comprehension of a Fundamental Rule now. Once I get there, it’s only a matter of time before I reach true Immortality."
Tessa and the others stared at him in envy, while Karl patted Cara on the head to distract her from checking everyone’s pockets.
The contents would be the same as when they left, anyhow.
"New spells?" Dana asked hopefully.
"Some incredibly good ones, yes. Where are the healing tree and the bear? Everyone should hear this at once."

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