"Nice to meet you. I am Wayde Qidius," the ragged figure introduced himself, extending his hand toward Ryan. Despite Wayde's attempt at a smile, it appeared strained, failing to convey genuine friendliness. Hesitating to accept the handshake, partly because of the dirt on Wayde's hand and to ensure no hidden intentions, Ryan quickly scanned with his Mana Vision. Confirming no mana manipulation, Ryan cautiously responded, "I'm Ryan," and proceeded to shake his hand.
As they settled on the ground, their eyes met, each filled with unspoken questions, and fell into a tense silence for the second time. Wayde's mind raced with thoughts, noticing Ryan's lack of recognition or fear toward his family name.
Intrigued, Wayde pondered the reasons behind it.
Could it be that he was from a family that rivalled his own?
Or was it that he had simply not heard of his family?
If that was the case, did he live in the middle of nowhere in Aria?
Meanwhile, Ryan observed Wayde's unkempt appearance and foul stench, signs of prolonged isolation. Despite this, Ryan acknowledged the raw power emanating from Wayde. A closer look using his Mana Vision revealed Wayde's Indigo Mana Core, a power level just below the Warlock's but still formidable.
'That would make him a Master Mage, right?' Ryan recalled how mages ranked themselves based on the density of mana in their mana core from one of Elora's books.
Scanning Wayde's body further with his Mana Vision, Ryan was impressed by how much he could gather.
'He definitely doesn't use Combat Magic like the Warlock,' he thought to himself, seeing how weak the mana flow and pathways were in his legs.
But aside from that, there wasn't much more that Ryan could gather.
He had no idea what to expect from Wayde and what kind of magic he wielded, but that only served to excite him.
'Maybe I can try to even learn or copy some of his magic?'
Meanwhile, Wayde had no idea what Ryan was capable of and was almost unnerved by the fact he couldn't sense how strong Ryan was.
Actually, there was one thing.
'Why does he keep looking at me like that? And why does it irk me so much?' Wayde questioned internally, feeling as though Ryan could peer into his very soul with his bright green eyes.
-
Breaking the silence for a second time, Wayde began explaining his experience in the Trial Of Odus so far and how he had arrived there.
"I've been in this place for three years now," was how he began his story, his voice filled with weariness and urgency.
'Three years?! Didn't Elora say they had entered not too long ago?' Ryan questioned internally.
But considering how long she claimed to have lived, it might not have seemed like long to her.
Unless Wayde was crazy or lying.
Both were possibilities, especially after observing the actions of the figure sitting opposite him.
He would make unusual facial expressions, twitching randomly and trailing off during his recollection, needing Ryan to ask him to continue and remind him where he left off.
However, he eventually managed to get through it all.
And supposedly, upon arriving at the underground structure, it was crawling with all kinds of beasts that he had to defeat both to protect himself and eat. Eventually, he found his way to the cavern they were in, which became his resting area, and arriving there wasn't as easy for him as it had been for Ryan.
It had taken him weeks, in which he could barely get a moment's rest without some sort of creature attempting to feed on him.
There were plenty of different paths that all led in different directions and seemed to continue endlessly. They were both confusing and challenging to navigate through. Facing dangers at every turn, Wayde gloatingly described decimating everything in his path.
Ryan simply listened intently, while also remaining slightly on edge, which Wayde noticed and was unfazed by as he continued.
Discovering the remains of those who had challenged the trial before him, they had left a record of all they had discovered. Using it, he attempted to clear the trial multiple times on his own but never managed to.
"So what actually is the trial? If you defeated all the creatures, can't you leave already?" questioned Ryan.
Bursting out into laughter, the ragged figure with a condescending attitude that was laughable considering the state he was in answered, "This is all merely the pathway to the real trial. What I, no, we, need to get through is the maze."
"The maze?"
Explaining that deep within the underground structure was a giant mysterious maze that was both difficult to navigate and filled with dangers, Wayde didn't seem to be lying. He also didn't benefit anything from doing so.
He had attempted to get through the maze multiple times on his own, and each time barely escaped with his life, taking long periods to recover. And, supposedly, according to the records of those who had attempted prior, the key to getting through the maze was Mana Sensitivity.
Hearing that, Ryan attempted not to make his relief apparent.
'My Mana Vision and constitution should help with that, right?'
It was a calming thought, as he took mental notes of all that Wayde had said while maintaining cautious scepticism.
Meanwhile, after divulging so much and speaking about himself and his experiences for so long, Wayde felt as though it was only right that Ryan did the same.
And so began the insane raggedy mage's questioning...