Chapter 290 Paradigm Shift

"Well then! Time to solve this puzzle so I can get the hell out of here!" I sighed and walked forward to push on the inscribed door that opened very easily.

The door opened wide to reveal a long hallway with an inscription on the wall that said, "Your mind is your own worst enemy. Overcome it and find the way out." in big, bold letters. I narrowed my eyes at the words as I started down the hallway; looks like this was going to be another test of willpower or something.

I managed to get pretty far before seeing any type of obstacle, but when I did, it stopped me dead in my tracks. The first thing was a pair of huge swinging blades that were coming at me fast, and I ducked under them just in time before they decapitated me! As soon as I got up, though, there was more swinging towards me; this time, though, there was also a spiked floor and walls, so if I messed up, then it would not be a good day.

I managed to get through that by the skin of my teeth and sighed in relief when I saw the next door. I walked forward, pushed the door open, and started walking, but soon I got to the same blades and spikes. They even happened at the same time, as much as I could tell.

When I made it to the next door, I opened it but groaned as I same the same clear hallway. Again, I ran the course, but I was starting to get frustrated, even if I could now walk through it with perfect timing, so I didn't even need to dodge or break pace.

"What the Underworld is going on here? This can't be right," I said as I opened the door to yet again, the same hall. I let the door close and then stopped, pressing my fingertips of one hand around the crown of my head as I tried to figure out what this was.

Each time I went, the exact to the second, traps would retrigger, but I had been watching carefully last time if there was anything that looked out of place. Nothing had caught my eye, but now I started down the path again; this time, I felt around while easily avoiding the traps, but still nothing!

"Son of a bitch! Gah! This is ridiculous!" I growled as I pushed through the doors and then sat down on the floor to stare ahead with a pissed-off look on my face. "My mind is my worst enemy? What the hell does that even mean?!"

I flopped back on the hard floor, but as I did, I noticed something and rolled over. "What the fuck?"

The door had no handles like the other side, but there was a new inscription on it now. "When a person becomes so used to going forward, it makes it hard for them to think of looking back on what they have done."

I narrowed my eyes for a moment but then snapped my fingers as soon as I realized what was going on. "Paradigm Shift! Of course!"

I quickly got to my feet and ran back the way that I came from, making it all the way until I reached that original door with no handle still. The inscription had changed now, too; it now read, "The simplest answer is almost always right in front of you."

"Ok... so if this room wants me to look back on what I have done, then maybe looking at things from a different perspective will help," I murmured as I put one hand against the wall and started walking backward down the path instead of forwards like before.

When I reached the halfway point, something happened... All of a sudden, everything around me flipped upside down until I was now walking on the ceiling! I yelped and almost fell off, but I quickly composed myself and looked around; things were still the same but just... flipped.

"Well then! This is new," I said as I started making my way down the hallway, easily avoiding all of the traps since they were coming at me from a different direction now.

When I got to the end, there was another door with an inscription that read, "The impossible is only impossible until it is not."

I narrowed my eyes and then chuckled when I realized what this meant. "So if I am looking at things from a different perspective, then maybe what is impossible in one view is possible in another."

I put my hand on the wall again, but this time instead of walking forwards or backward, I walked sideways until I was clinging to the wall like a gecko! When I got to the halfway point again, everything did a flip, and now I was standing on the other side of the room that was now right side up.

"Well then! This place just keeps getting more interesting, but this is annoying!" I grumbled as I made my way down the hallway, easily avoiding all of the traps since they were coming at me from a different direction now.

When I got to the end, there was another door with an inscription that read, "The key to success is hidden within failure."

I frowned for a moment until I realized what that meant; this place wanted me to fail in order to progress. "Ok then! If that is what you want, then fine!"

I purposely walked into one of the swinging blades and yelped as it sliced across my arm before quickly healing over. When I got up, everything had changed... Now instead of walking on the floor or walls or ceiling, there was now an invisible floor in mid-air! The only thing I could see was the path ahead of me that suddenly led to another door with yet another inscription.

"Clever... very clever," I muttered as I started making my way down the new path. Finally, there were no traps.

When I got to the end, there was another door with an inscription that read, "The only way to progress is by taking risks."

I frowned and then put my hand on the wall, but this time there was no Paradigm Shift. I pushed on the door, but it wouldn't budge, so I started pounding on it in frustration. "What the hell? Come on!"

I stepped back and kicked the door as hard as I could, but still, nothing happened; it looked like this was a dead end. I growled in frustration before turning around to head back down the path when something caught my eye... There was now a new inscription at the bottom of that same door that read, "Sometimes you have to go to great lengths just to take one small step forward."

"Ok then! If that is what you want then fine!" I exclaimed as and stepped off the edge, but I landed right away, but I was instantly transported to a room with a single candle in it, but there was a body lying on the floor, and as I saw it was Tallia, face down in a pool of blood, making my knees instantly buckle.