Looking at the disheveled man and woman before her, Scáthach, expressionless, turned and walked into the temple, leaving behind the words, "Meredis, bring them in."

The raven-feathered woman known as Meredith stood up and looked at Rachel: "Come on, there's only one more step left."

Sweat soaked his clothes. Rachel glanced back at Todd on his back and said anxiously, "The trial can begin anytime, but could you please help my companion first? We've heard there's a potion here called 'Tyrant'..."

Meredith blinked and said meaningfully, "That's quite a coincidence. Both the upcoming trial of fate and the 'tyrant' you're looking for are located in the same place."

"where?!"

"The Gate of Darkness..."

Following in Meredith's footsteps, Rachel stepped into the temple's main hall.

The place is in ruins; the stone pillars and sculptures have long since collapsed, the marble floor is full of cracks, and only a small portion of the goddess statue in the main hall remains. From a distance, moss and vines are the main features, unsurprisingly dominating this once-glorious sanctuary.

Looking at the devastation before him, Rachel asked Meredith, "Where are we going?"

The other person did not answer, but simply stood before the statue, looked up at the crumbling sculpture, sighed almost imperceptibly, and then continued walking forward.

The three of them followed the overgrown corridor into a sloping passageway.

Meredith pushed open the stone door at the end, and in the dim space, a spiral staircase leading downwards appeared.

Meredith took a torch from the wall and walked in front, lighting the way for those behind her, casually remarking, "There are many people like him..."

"What?"

"Those who seek to become demigods go to great lengths to pass trials in an attempt to access the relics of the ancient gods, but very few succeed."

Rachel paused, then suddenly remembered something: "What exactly is the connection between the 'Trial of Fate' you mentioned and the Gate of Darkness?"

With a somewhat surprised glance back, Meredith tilted her head and asked, "You came here without knowing the legends of the Shadow Kingdom?"

Finding that the other party truly knew nothing, Meredith explained as she ascended the steps: "The Land of Shadows is a synonym for the underworld within the Northern Territory. Continental people like to call it the 'Gate of the Dead,' while the people of the Northern Islands prefer to call it the 'Helheim Underworld.' Legend has it that this place was once the residence of Hel, the Queen of the Underworld, during the Age of Gods. After Ragnarok, the original underworld was divided into two parts, the outer and the inner, due to the collapse of the World Tree and the disintegration of the divine realm. One part separated from the divine realm and connected to the mortal world, known as the outer world, which is the land beneath our feet; while the other part is hidden in an inaccessible space, rumored to be the refuge of the gods, known as the inner world. The gate connecting the two worlds is called the 'Gate of Darkness.'"

“Legend has it that those chosen by the descendants of the gods, if they can pass the three trials of ‘Will,’ ‘Strength,’ and ‘Destiny,’ will gain the gods’ approval and become demigods.” Meredith walked to the platform at the bottom of the stairs, pointed to the deeper place beneath her feet, and said softly, “And the final trial of ‘Destiny’ is to make the trial taker pass through that dark gate and return safely.”

Rachel put Todd down, rubbed her sore shoulders, and looked at Meredith with hope: "May I ask, over the years, how many people have come here, and how many have successfully passed the trial?"

Meredith pursed her lips, rolled her eyes, and pondered for a moment: "Every year, about a hundred people come here, but in all the years I've followed my master, only two people have truly passed the trial..."

Rachel was taken aback, her expression complicated.

Meredith jumped down the last flight of stairs and walked to a wooden door in a corridor carved with runes. He beckoned to Rachel: "Come with me, the Gate of Darkness is just ahead."

Looking ahead at the uncertain future, Rachel gritted her teeth, hoisted Todd back onto her back, and followed the woman in front of her.

Walking through this underground corridor, Rachel looked around. The strange sight of numerous fossilized skeletons of bizarre creatures forming walls and pillars filled her with increasing unease.

Meredith extinguished the torch, for the corridor no longer needed its light; among the fossilized bones lay numerous strange green specks of light, emitting a gentle, soft glow that illuminated the path ahead.

After passing through the long corridor of bones, the three of them entered a spacious hall.

Scáthach was waiting at the altar at the far end of the hall. When she saw Rachel and Todd appear, she simply nodded, signaling them to come forward.

Rachel hesitated, her unease growing stronger at the prospect of the "Dark Gate" that led to the Land of the Dead. However, given the current situation, she had no choice but to stumble forward.

Once everyone had reached the sacrificial platform, Scáthach placed her hand on the giant stone totem in the center of the platform and began a long and difficult incantation.

Rachel looked up at the enormous totem, its surface covered with dense runes that shocked her.

Words like "death," "nothingness," "falling into the abyss," "soul imprisonment," and "eternal rebirth" made her eyes widen in terror, and she unconsciously backed away.

Meredith pulled her back and subtly shook her head at her.

A few minutes later, Scáthach's prayer also came to an end.

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