As I turn to head toward the new passage, something tugs at the edge of my awareness. I pause, extending my telekinetic senses through the gauntlets, feeling their amplification enhance my perception. There's a subtle difference in one section of the wall, a variance in density almost imperceptible to normal senses.

  "Wait," I mutter, moving closer to investigate.

  "Something wrong?" Zix'ilit chirps through the communication system.

  "Maybe something right," I respond, running my gauntleted hand over the wall's surface. "There's a structural difference here. Something hidden."

  I press my palm against the anomalous section, channeling telekinetic energy through the gauntlets. The enhanced precision lets me feel the intricate mechanism concealed within, not mechanical, but some kind of energy pattern lock. It's sophisticated, designed to remain undetected by standard observation.

  "I think I found a hidden path," I tell Zix'ilit, focusing on manipulating the material at the molecular level.

  His response is immediate and high-pitched with excitement. "A hidden path already? That's incredible! Most assets need multiple Labyrinth runs before finding those! Be super careful though, hidden paths have the best stuff but the nastiest surprises!"

  With careful manipulation, I align the molecules correctly, finding the weak point in the structure. The wall shimmers and then simply parts like a curtain, revealing a narrow passage that descends steeply into darkness. Unlike the well-lit corridors of the main path, this route feels forbidden, secret.

  "This doesn't look like a shortcut to the gift shop," I mutter, peering into the gloom.

  Zix'ilit's voice drops to an excited whisper, as if someone might overhear. "Hidden paths can lead to special rewards way beyond standard Labyrinth offerings! But the guardians... they're no joke. Maybe you should stick to the main path for your first run?"

  "Not a chance," I reply, stepping into the hidden passage. The adaptive bodysuit responds immediately to the changing environment, its surface adjusting to provide better insulation against the sudden drop in temperature.

  The passage twists downward in a tight spiral, the walls composed of some kind of obsidian material that seems to absorb light rather than reflect it. My footsteps make no sound despite the solid surface, as if the passage itself is swallowing all noise.

  "I'm losing your signal," Zix'ilit's voice crackles with increasing static. "Hidden paths often blockommunication... be care... special guard... don't..."

  His voice cuts out completely, leaving me in silence broken only by my breathing. I'm on my own now.

  After what feels like an eternity of descent, the passage opens abruptly into a vast, spherical chamber bathed in a deep blue glow. The source of the light is a swirling vortex at the chamber's center—not water or air, but what appears to be condensed matter cycling rapidly around a central point.

  Floating within the vortex is a single object—a pair of metallic boots that pulse with energy I can feel even from this distance.

  "That's definitely worth the detour," I murmur, stepping further into the chamber.

  The moment my foot touches the central platform, the vortex reacts violently. The swirling matter condenses, forming into a massive creature resembling a centaur but with crystalline components throughout its body. Its upper torso is humanoid, rippling with muscle beneath a skin of shifting metal plates, while its lower body resembles a massive feline with six legs ending in razor-sharp crystalline claws.

  Its eyes focus on me—four of them, arranged in a diamond pattern on its face, each glowing with internal fire. When it speaks, the voice resonates directly in my skull.

  "Seeker. Unworthy. Depart or be broken."

  Without waiting for a response, it stamps one crystalline paw, sending a shockwave across the platform that nearly knocks me off my feet. Only my enhanced reflexes and the stability provided by the bodysuit keep me upright.

  "Not much for conversation, are you?" I mutter, gathering telekinetic force through my gauntlets.

  The creature charges with shocking speed for something so massive. I dive aside, feeling the rush of air as it thunders past, turning with surprising agility to face me again. Before I can counter, it raises both arms, crystalline spikes erupting from its forearms before launching toward me like missiles.

  I throw up a telekinetic shield, the spikes screeching across them, almost shattering the shields before being deflected. Holy shit. Without the gauntlets my shields probably would have completely shattered.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  Taking advantage of the momentary opening, I launch a telekinetic strike aimed at its chest. The force hits squarely, but the creature barely flinches, the metal plates across its torso absorbing and dispersing the energy.

  "Conventional telekinesis inadequate," it states, almost sounding amused. "Adaptation required."

  It slams both front paws down, and the entire chamber shifts, the platform tilting violently to throw me off balance. I stagger, nearly falling into the swirling vortex that surrounds the arena.

  The bodysuit reacts instantly, its surface becoming temporarily adhesive to help maintain my footing on the unstable surface. I use the moment of stability to reassess my approach. If direct telekinetic force won't work, I need a different angle.

  The creature doesn't wait for me to strategize, charging again with its head lowered, a massive crystalline horn gleaming at its forehead. Instead of dodging, I drop to one knee and focus my telekinesis on the platform beneath its paws, manipulating the molecular structure to temporarily liquefy the surface.

  The creature's front legs sink into the suddenly soft material, its charge halting abruptly. It roars in frustration, struggling to pull free as I reinforce the molecular bonds, hardening the surface around its limbs.

  "Interesting strategy," it acknowledges, before its metal skin begins to glow red-hot.

  The platform around its trapped legs melts, allowing it to wrench free. It turns to face me again, but I've already moved, circling to its flank where I spot a gap between the metal plates near its joint. A potential weakness.

  Using the gauntlets' enhanced precision, I target that gap with a telekinetic sword, focusing on that single vulnerable point. The blade cuts through the joint, and one of its legs fall off in a spray of blood.

  The creature roars in pain, and retaliates with a sweeping tail attack that I don't see coming until too late. The crystalline spikes along its tail slash across my chest, and if not for the protective bodysuit, would have opened me from shoulder to hip. Even with the protection, the impact sends me flying across the platform, pain blooming across my torso.

  I land hard, the bodysuit absorbing some of the impact but not all. Blood trickles from a cut on my face where the suit doesn't cover. The creature advances slowly now, one leg gone but the other five making up for it.

  "Pitiful attempt," it rumbles. "Unworthy seeker."

  I drag myself to my feet, pain shooting through my side with every movement. The gauntlets pulse with energy, responding to my determination. Time to use everything I've got.

  Remembering the way I handled the mist creature, I focus on the crystalline components of the guardian. Not trying to move them with telekinesis, but feeling for their structural resonance, the frequency at which they might shatter.

  The creature charges again, believing me weakened. At the last possible second, I release a telekinetic pulse precisely calibrated to the resonant frequency of its crystalline components. The effect isn't immediately visible, but microscopic fractures begin forming throughout its crystal structures.

  It falters mid-charge, confusion evident in its four-eyed gaze as hairline cracks spread across its horn, claws, and the spikes along its tail. Still, it's far from defeated.

  "Clever," it acknowledges, before stamping all five paws in sequence, sending cascading shockwaves across the platform that I can't possibly dodge.

  The missing leg seems to disrupt its rhythm, but the impacts still send me sprawling. My telekinetic shield only partially mitigating the force. The bodysuit's protection is reaching its limits, damage indicators flashing across its surface.

  Desperate now, I focus everything I have through the gauntlets, reaching deeper into the crystalline structures throughout the guardian's body. The fractures I started are spreading, but too slowly. I need to accelerate the process.

  Drawing on the last reserves of my strength, I create alternating telekinetic pressures within the cracks, rapid pulses that widen the fractures exponentially. The strain is enormous, sweat pouring down my face as I maintain the precision required.

  The guardian seems to realize what I'm doing, charging with renewed fury, determined to finish me before I can complete my attack. I hold my ground, pouring every ounce of concentration into my telekinetic assault while bracing for impact.

  At the last possible moment, just before it reaches me, the crystalline components throughout its body shatter simultaneously. The creature stumbles, roaring in agony as its horn explodes into fragments, its claws splinter, and the metal plates lose their structural support.

  It collapses mere feet from me, its massive body crashing to the platform with enough force to shake the entire chamber. Its four eyes dim as it stares at me with what might be respect.

  "Perhaps... worthy after all," it rumbles, before its form begins to dissolve, returning to the swirling vortex from which it emerged.

  I remain standing, battered and bleeding but victorious. The vortex calms, and the boots floating at its center drift toward me, hovering at eye level for my inspection.

  A holographic description materializes:

  VELOCITY ENHANCEMENT BOOTS

  Function: 25% increase to movement speed

  Application: Reduced energy cost for rapid repositioning

  Special: Impact absorption for landing from heights

  Rank: Uncommon

  Not the most impressive reward compared to the gauntlets, but the speed boost will be valuable in combat situations where positioning matters. The boots descend gently to the floor before me, waiting to be claimed.

  As I reach for them, my enhanced awareness picks up another anomaly, a subtle variance in the chamber wall behind where the guardian stood. Another hidden path? A secret behind the secret?

  Before I can investigate, the boots activate at my touch, conforming to my feet with the same liquid-to-solid transformation as my other equipment. The enhanced speed is immediate, even standing still, I feel lighter, more agile, ready to move with improved speed and efficiency.

  "Not bad," I murmur, testing the boots with a quick step that carries me further than expected. "But what's behind door number two?"

  The hidden chamber has proven its worth already, but something tells me there might be even greater rewards for those who look deeper. With my new equipment and hard-won victory, I'm ready to uncover whatever other secrets this Labyrinth might be hiding.