I faced a complex mechanism inside the ancient chamber. To open the gate, I tied two pillars together, rotated them, and aligned the channels. After filling the pool with blood and oil, I ignited the fluid, burning away the wooden barrier and completed the trial of the serpent.
I stepped forward to face a far more complex mechanism than anything I had encountered before. Standing before the massive gate, I realized that I needed to align a series of stone channels in order to direct the fluid and fill the pool right in front of the entrance.
It was clear that this system was designed to test anyone who dared to enter. To get started, I needed to tether two central pillars together using my rope. I stepped up to the mechanism, attached the line, and pulled the structures into place.
As Lara suggested, connecting those two pillars should allow me to control the movement of the entire structure simultaneously.
Once the pillars were securely tied together, I grabbed the main lever and turned the pillar to align the carved tracks. Slowly, the heavy stone mechanisms rotated into position, lining up the grooves on the floor.
I carefully examined the floor channels to make sure every segment connected properly from the top basin down to the lower gate. It was definitely a hard puzzle, for sure.
I walked up to the upper basin and pulled the lever to release the liquid, but at first glance, it looked like the fluid was flowing to the wrong place. The mixture of oil and blood spilled out across the stone, but it failed to reach the pool in front of the gate.
I realized I had miscalculated the angle of the tracks, so I returned to the central pillars to try a different approach. I turned the mechanism again, resetting the rotation, and checked the path once more.
Unfortunately, my second attempt failed as well, and the fluid drained away into the wrong side of the chamber.
Determined to make it work, I re-examined the entire layout from a higher perspective. I realized that one of the middle channels was still turned sideways, breaking the continuous path needed to reach the lower level.
I tied the rope back onto the pillar, adjusted the rotation until every single groove lined up seamlessly, and returned to the top platform. I held my breath as I pulled the lever once more to release the oil. I waited patiently, watching the dark mixture flow down through each segment of the track.
This time, the liquid followed the exact path I had mapped out. The oil poured smoothly down the channels and filled the central basin right in front of the wooden barrier. With the channels aligned and the pool completely filled, I stood back and prepared to ignite the flammable liquid.
I ignited the pool, and watched as a brilliant wall of flame erupted across the trough. The intense fire spread straight into the wooden barrier, burning the ancient obstacle down to ash in a matter of seconds.
With the barrier destroyed, the trial was finally finished. I stepped through the cleared opening to look for the silver box of Ix Chel. As I entered the next area, a unique serpent artifact appeared, which seemed to be the exact piece Trinity was missing.
Lara collected the item for herself before noticing a stream of liquid flowing away, providing us with a clear path to follow to escape the chamber.
