Come on! Adrian's thoughts were a desperate plea as his muscles screamed in protest.

His vision blurred slightly from the effort and lack of air.

He tried a different approach. Releasing the chains, he braced himself against the floor, digging his fingers into the grooves around the edge of the grate. Summoning his divine energy, he poured it into his arms, the veins in his forearms glowing faintly with golden light as he pulled.

The metal shrieked as it finally gave way, the circular plate dislodging with a surge of rushing water. The force of the current dragged Adrian downward, pulling him into the opening along with the flood.

The narrow tunnel spun him in dizzying circles, the water roaring in his ears as it rushed through the passageway. Adrian fought to keep himself upright, his hands clawing at the walls for some semblance of control.

He could feel the tunnel descending steeply, the force of the water growing stronger as it carried him deeper into the temple. The faint glow of the gilded walls disappeared, replaced by darkness as the current plunged him into unknown depths.

Finally, the tunnel spat him out into a cavernous chamber. Adrian tumbled through the air, hitting the water below with a loud splash. He surfaced with a gasp, coughing and sputtering as he struggled to find his bearings.

Adrian floated in the middle of the water, catching his breath. The chamber around him was huge, with shadows stretching up to a ceiling he couldn't see. The flickering torches on the walls made everything feel eerie and ancient.

Taking a deep breath, he swam toward the edge of the pool and climbed out, his soaked clothes weighing him down.

Dripping wet, Adrian scanned the room. The pool he had just escaped shimmered faintly, but aside from that, the chamber was empty—except for a single golden door.

It stood at the far end of the room, its surface carved with intricate patterns of lions, wings, and Hera's sigil.

"Well, here we go," Adrian muttered. He adjusted his grip on his sword, which blazed to life once more, and headed for the door.

It opened easily with a low groan, revealing a towering vertical shaft. Adrian stepped in and tilted his head to look up.

The chamber stretched high above him, a huge cylindrical ascent with narrow ledges and shiny golden chains hanging from heights he could not see. Golden statues of Hera were placed on the ledges, their confident faces looking down as if overseeing the climb.

But what caught his attention most was the movement above.

Shadows flickered near the ledges—three figures leaping from one to another. The assassins. They had gotten ahead of him.

"Of course," Adrian muttered. He stepped onto the first ledge, gripping a golden chain for balance. The moment he did, the room came alive.

A loud clang echoed, and the ledge beneath him shook. From the walls, arrows shot out, their tips glowing with a faint blue light. Adrian twisted his body, narrowly dodging the first volley. One arrow scraped against his armor, sending sparks flying.

Great, he thought, traps.

Adrian grabbed a golden chain and swung himself to the next ledge, landing with a thud. Before he could steady himself, an axe swung down from above. He ducked just in time, the sharp metal missing his head by inches.

"Who built this place?" he growled, already moving again.

The next chain swung slightly out of reach, but Adrian leapt, grabbing it with both hands. As he climbed higher, the traps grew more dangerous. Enchanted arrows shot out at random intervals, and golden statues spat bursts of flame.

But the traps weren't the only problem.

The assassins, now aware of his presence, turned their attention to him. The first threw a knife, the blade spinning through the air. Adrian swung the chain he was holding, using it to block the attack.

He grabbed another chain and swung to a higher ledge.

"Come on, then!" he shouted, his fiery chains snapping to life around him.

The nearest assassin leapt toward him, twin daggers gleaming in hand. Adrian blocked the first strike with his sword and lashed out with his fiery chains. The chains coiled around the assassin's arm, pulling him off balance.

With a swift kick, Adrian sent the man plummeting back toward the pool below.

The second assassin wasn't far behind. This one wielded a long spear, jabbing at Adrian as he tried to climb. Adrian deflected the spear with his sword, the clash of metal echoing through the chamber.

Adrian growled, wielding his chain like a whip. It struck the assassin's weapon, sending it clattering down the shaft.

The man lunged at him with his bare hands, but Adrian grabbed a chain and swung away, climbing higher and leaving the assassin below.

Adrian reached another ledge, pausing to catch his breath.

The climb was relentless, and every wrong move seemed to trigger another trap. He wiped sweat from his brow, scanning the next section of the ascent.

The ledges were even farther apart, and more golden chains hung above. Spiked traps now lined the walls, ready to impale anyone who got too close.

One of the remaining assassins was still above him, moving with incredible speed. Adrian observed the man skillfully leaping from one chain to another, effortlessly evading the traps.

The assassin seemed to know the safest path.

"Not this time," Adrian muttered.

He grabbed the nearest chain and swung upward, landing on a narrow ledge. The statue beside him shifted, its eyes glowing faintly. Adrian froze as a beam of light shot toward him.

He ducked, the beam narrowly missing him and carving a smoking line into the wall behind him.

Keep moving.

The assassins were fast, but Adrian was clever.

Instead of following their lead, he started watching the traps more closely. He noticed patterns in the way the arrows fired and how the swinging axes moved.

Timing his jumps, he began to make quicker progress, gaining on the assassin above.

As he ascended, he recollected Hestia's earlier statement that brute force was not necessary for everything.

And he decided to try out her method this time around.

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