[Scarlett's PoV]
We had been wandering through this maze for nearly an hour, yet somehow we kept ending up in the same place every 20 minutes. Brian was leading us, but I was beginning to doubt his sense of direction.
"Brian… We've reached this same red-spider-patterned door three times already," Ariel muttered, clearly frustrated with our endless circling.
"Ughhh… Alright, let me retrace our steps," Brian said, scratching his chin as if deep in thought. "The first time, we went right at the first intersection, left at the second, and straight at the third."
Even with that route, we still ended up at this same spider-patterned door. On the second try, we took different turns at each intersection, yet we got the same result.
"And on the third attempt, we went straight at every intersection," Brian recalled. "But why do we always end up here? Wandering aimlessly in circles like this is just infuriating!"
His words made sense. Logically, changing routes each time should have led us somewhere new, but for some reason, we kept coming back to this same spider-patterned door.
Fortunately, we had the advantage of having both Ariel and Brian, who could use light magic to illuminate our way. But despite the prolonged use of magic, Brian didn't show any signs of exhaustion or mana depletion.
Perhaps this was due to his Codex abilities.
After a sigh, Brian started walking again. "Let's keep moving; standing around isn't going to get us anywhere," he encouraged.
I glanced over at Ariel, who was visibly weary after all the walking. It was understandable—Ariel wasn't a Knight like me or Brian, whose physical endurance surpassed that of a Priestess like her.
"Brian," I called out.
The blond man turned, his expression showing surprise. It was probably the first time he had heard me speak since we became teammates for this second trial.
"Y-Yes, Scarlett?" Brian stammered, seeming unexpectedly nervous.
"We should rest for a bit; Ariel looks exhausted," I said, sharing my concern.
"A-ah, no, I'm fine," Ariel protested, but her body wasn't fooling anyone here.
Brian examined her carefully, noting her beads of sweat, the slight tremble in her legs, and the unfocused look in her eyes.
"I'm sorry, Ariel," Brian apologized, looking remorseful. "I didn't notice how tired you were."
"No need to worry, Brian," Ariel replied with a weak smile. "We could rest at the first intersection."
"Alright, then."
Seeing Ariel's insistence, we continued. Before long, we arrived at the first intersection, where three paths lay before us.
"Alright, let's rest here," Brian said, handing Ariel a water pouch. "Here, recover your energy."
"Thank you, Brian."
Leaving them to their conversation, I paced around the area, hoping to understand where we had gone wrong and why we kept looping back.
I soon noticed several carvings of animals on the maze walls. There were three: a Dog, a Bird, and a Wolf. I wasn't sure what these carvings meant. Were they just decorations?
"…!"
Suddenly, the three carvings began to shift, rearranging into a new formation.
What does this mean…?
Initially, the carvings showed the sequence Dog, Bird, Wolf. Now, they had all shifted to show only Dogs.
Could this be the reason we kept ending up at the same place, despite taking different routes?
---
[Raul's PoV]
After about an hour of navigating this maze, I finally found a door with a spider carving.
It seemed we had reached the illusion section of the maze.
This maze was designed by an illusion magic expert from the Kingdom of Kuwalid. To get out, one had to memorize the arrangement of the carvings on each wall before an intersection.
"Raul, why did you stop?" Valeria asked.
"It's nothing. Let's go in."
We opened the door and stepped inside.
The maze was about 15 meters wide and 20 meters tall. However, after passing through the illusion section, it would become much larger and darker than usual.
The monsters inhabiting this maze were accustomed to hunting their prey in such darkness. It would be tough to fight them if the battle dragged on for too long.
As we walked further, I noticed a carving of three animals on the wall: Dog, Bird, and Wolf.
This was a disguised magical formation created by the maze's designer to confuse intruders. It was like a frustrating puzzle for first-time players entering this area.
"Raul, why did you stop again?" Valeria asked, confused.
"We'll wait here for a while, Valeria," I replied.
We had to wait for the wall carvings to rearrange into a specific order for the illusions to disappear. If we passed through this area before they aligned correctly, we'd just end up at the spider-patterned door and continue looping around.
"Huh? Why? What's strange about these carvings?" Valeria asked curiously.
I didn't answer, letting her watch what would happen next.
"…"
Valeria's face changed when she saw the wall carvings shift. This time, they changed to Bird, Wolf, Dog.
"What does this mean…?" she murmured. "Raul, do you know what's really going on here?"
"It's a disguised magic formation set to change periodically," I explained.
I then went on to tell her about the illusion magic embedded in this maze and why this formation was here.
"I see…" Valeria murmured, before suddenly fixing her gaze on me. She moved closer until I was backed against the wall, our faces inches apart.
"Raul, tell me the truth," Valeria said seriously. "How do you know all this? It's impossible you'd know it all just from brokers and library books."
Ughhh… I really need to watch my mouth when discussing the game I created. In this world, information is more valuable than anything.
I noticed the carvings shifting again, this time to Dog, Dog and Dog.
"Hey, let's talk about this later, okay?" I suggested, trying to change the subject. "We need to pass through this section while the formation is right and the illusion magic is inactive."
Valeria kept her intense gaze on me, but finally took a step back, pouting as she walked ahead of me.
"She's quite the handful…" I muttered.
Her curiosity had finally become a double-edged sword for me.
We continued our journey for nearly an hour, passing through the third intersection. Upon exiting the illusion area, we arrived in a large, dimly lit area.
Here, light was scarce, and our visibility extended only two or three meters.
"Raul, should we use light magic?" Valeria asked.
Using light magic here could scare off nearby monsters, who might otherwise attack in the darkness. However, this area was the most extensive we'd encountered so far. It would be dangerous if Valeria ran out of mana midway and couldn't defend herself.
This was precisely why Knights trained all their senses—to use in situations like this.
Ideally, I'd face the monsters now while Valeria was fresh and had plenty of mana. But fighting while protecting her would be challenging in such darkness.
"Valeria, activate light magic," I ordered.
"Alright."
It would be safer to fight near the maze's exit, even without Valeria's help, as it would allow us to escape if things got out of hand.
"Jade Light…"
A green light illuminated the entire area. Several monsters crawling along the walls scrambled into the ground, vanishing instantly.
"Ughhh… There are quite a few monsters here," Valeria observed. "What if my magic fades, Raul?"
"I already have a plan for that," I replied. "How long can you maintain this light without Mana Exhaustion?"
"Hmm… Maybe around an hour or so."
"And how long would it take for your mana to regenerate enough for a few level-two spells or lower?" I continued.
Hearing my question, Valeria touched her chin, thinking. "I'm not sure… Maybe around 10-15 minutes."
Alright, then.
I could activate Night Vision magic, but my mana would only sustain it for about 10 minutes.
We pressed on, the monsters scattering away from Valeria's light magic. Among them, I noticed a Phantom Dweller, a humanoid creature with a rat-like head and long, sharp claws.
It would be troublesome if there were more than five of them lurking around.
Let's hope there aren't too many of them nearby.
Walking and walking again through this pitch-black labyrinth, the sounds of monsters trailing us from afar make me a bit uneasy.
Valeria seems the same—she looks worried they'll attack us the moment her light magic fades.
After nearly an hour, the glow from Valeria's magic starts to dim. Beads of sweat form on her smooth skin, signaling her exhaustion.
The path in this labyrinth has also narrowed again, now only five meters wide, indicating we're not far from the exit.
"Valeria, how are you holding up?" I ask.
"Don't worry, my magic can last another five minutes," she replies quietly.
That means I need to prepare. The moment this light vanishes, the monsters will likely charge at us.
"Valeria, I want you to run straight ahead without turning back or stopping, no matter what," I instruct.
"Alright, but what about you, Raul?"
"You don't need to worry about me," I reply calmly. "If you find a door, open it and wait for me for about 10 minutes. Got it?"
Hearing my instructions, Valeria simply nods. It seems her poor view of me has shifted after these five days of the second trial together.
After five minutes, the light in Valeria's hand starts to fade, dimming further until it vanishes completely.
Skreeeet...!
The sound of monsters is clear the moment Valeria's light disappears.
"Run, now!"
"I understand!"
Valeria begins running as fast as she can.
Activating Night Vision magic, I turn around and see five Phantom Dwellers charging at us.
Their mouths open, revealing terrifying sharp teeth. A piercing screech echoes as the monsters scrape their claws along the walls while running.
"Now... Come here, you pieces of sh*t."
I brace myself to fight them, though this time, I won't use my sword since there isn't enough room to wield it effectively. A dagger would be easier.
Screeech!
One of them leaps, aiming its sharp claws at me.
Sidestepping, I evade its attack with ease. However, the monster then starts running to chase Valeria.
Skreeet!
The monster shrieks as I grab its tail and throw it back, colliding with the others.
One moves forward again, this time attacking with both hands, trying to slash at me with its sharp claws.
Activating tempering magic on both hands, I wait for it to make a wide swing to strike back quickly.
The monster lunges with a stab, leaving its guard slightly open. I dodge to the right, then swiftly throw a right hook to its temple.
Crack!
A cracking sound echoes as my punch drives its head into the wall hard.
The monster's body slumps and goes limp.
Now two monsters advance together, seemingly too wary to attack me one by one.
The monster on my left makes a stabbing move. I sidestep left and push its elbow, causing it to accidentally stab its partner beside it.
Crack!
Grabbing its neck from behind, I lock it tightly until its neck snaps.
Turning around, I see the last two monsters charging toward me.
This time, they attack alternately, but it doesn't matter. Seeing one monster spread its legs wide, I kick it square in its hanging appendages.
Augh...!
It collapses, clutching its injured, delicate area.
Its partner rushes to attack me again, but I swiftly draw my sword and slice off its arm.
The monster staggers back in pain, clutching its severed limb, but my sword soon finds its neck, ending its life quickly.
All five monsters defeated with ease.
Skreeet...!
Skreeet...!
Skreeet...!
I hear more monsters coming from ahead.
"You've got to be kidding me..." I mutter in disbelief as I see their numbers surging toward me.
Eight, nine, ten... No, there are nearly twenty of them!
My Night Vision magic won't last much longer...
---
[Valeria's PoV]
It's been almost ten minutes since I left Raul back there.
I'm now standing in front of the labyrinth's exit. Opening the door, I didn't expect us to be high in the mountains at about a 30-degree slope.
This place is still around 500–700 meters up. We'll have to descend the steep mountain if we want to continue our journey.
Turning back, I hear footsteps from inside the labyrinth. Raul is sprinting toward me quickly.
"Valeria! Get ready to jump!" Raul shouts.
"W-What do you mean, jump!?" There's no way I could jump from this height.
Soon, I understand why he's telling me to jump. Behind him, a horde of monsters is pursuing him.
"Kyaa!"
Raul scoops me up in a princess carry and leaps out of the labyrinth.
I quickly wrap my arms around his neck to avoid falling. He holds onto my shoulders and legs firmly.
We land relatively smoothly, and Raul starts running down the steep mountain.
"Hey, are they still following us!?"
Looking over his shoulder, I see the horde of monsters leaping after us. They then begin crawling down the mountain quickly with their hands and feet. At this rate, they'll catch up.
"Yes! Ten monsters are chasing us fast from behind!" I answer.
"Alright, release your grip and shoot them with magic!" he orders. "I can't fight while carrying you like this!"
"Alright!"
"Tell me when you're ready!"
Gathering mana in my right hand, I try to remember the positions of the monsters.
"I'm ready!"
At my signal, Raul jumps and turns to face the monsters so I can aim better.
'Triple Fireball!'
Three fireballs form in front of my hand and shoot toward three monsters. Two hit their mark, but one misses as it dodges just in time.
Raul turns back and lands, struggling slightly.
I hold onto his neck again, watching him carefully navigate his footing.
Skreeet!
Skreeet!
"Raul, four monsters are closing in from each side!"
Our earlier moves slowed us down, allowing the other monsters to catch up. I use earth magic to trip two monsters on the right, sending them tumbling down.
Skreeet!
Two monsters on the left leap at us.
Raul dodges with quick maneuvers. I hear a faint groan of pain—one of them managed to scratch Raul's leg.
"Raul, your le—"
"I'm fine, just focus on taking them down, Valeria."
Looking back, I see six monsters still chasing us. I need to knock them out all at once.
"Raul, throw me forward and a bit higher," I suggest.
"Are you sure?" the black-haired man asks, a bit hesitant.
"You'll catch me, right?" I reply with a smile.
"Alright, just give me the signal when you're ready."
This time, I gather a larger amount of mana. I think this will be my last spell for today.
I've exhausted a lot of mana after using light magic in the labyrinth for hours.
"Raul... I'm ready."
At my word, Raul throws me into the air with decent height.
I aim my right hand at the monsters.
'Sparkling Fire!'
Six fireballs shoot toward each of the monsters, but two manage to dodge and leap to attack me mid-air.
Twisting my body, I avoid attacks aimed at my vital areas. Still, they manage to slash one of my legs and an arm.
A sharp pain floods my body. But I have to endure and release this last spell.
Raul catches me well, and the two monsters land right in front of us.
"Say it, Valeria..." Raul whispers in my ear.
Hearing his playful whisper, I smile and aim my left hand at the two monsters.
"Hasta la vista, baby..."
Two fireballs launch toward the monsters. Their bodies ignite, and they roll around, unable to control themselves.
I defeated the monsters once again...
Satisfaction fills my heart.
Raul suddenly brakes, slowing us as we near the ground. However, due to the momentum, he loses his balance and falls.
Thud!
Raul twists his body to shield me from the impact with the ground.
I end up on top of him, the same position we were in after defeating the two cricket monsters on the fourth day.
My heart races, my body soaked with sweat, and my breathing ragged from yet another wild experience with this man.
My hand touches his chest, feeling Raul's heartbeat without his academy uniform. His neck is covered in sweat from the recent fight.
Lifting my head, I gaze at his expressionless face. A few of my hairs fall across his face. His dark, empty eyes seem like a chasm ready to swallow me whole.
I place my hands on his cheeks, and he looks surprised.
"Hey, Raul..."
Why is fighting alongside him so thrilling? Why don't I feel this way when I'm with anyone else? Fighting with him always makes me feel stronger and more experienced.
"That was such an exhilarating fight," I say, smiling. "Let's do it again sometime, okay?"
He doesn't reply, only turns his face away.