After leaving the church, Nova arrived at the teleportation square, where the labyrinth was located.
On his way, he bought weapons and necessary supplies using his savings. He additionally bought a ticket for exploration — one that doesn't require explorers to concede a part of their profit.
The square was more crowded than Nova could have ever imagined. Thousands of individuals were in line, patiently waiting for the labyrinth to open.
Most of them appeared in groups of three or four. Very few individuals, like Nova, stood alone.
A few meters away from the explorers, a group of knights with gleaming silver armor were standing like a statue with a spear in their hands.
Their expressions remained impassive, and no one near the knights dared to raise their voices.
Every single explorer gazed up at them with a mix of fear and admiration.
"It seems the reputation of the silver knights is not an exaggeration at all."
Nova quietly joined the line and awaited the opening of the labyrinth.
The silver knights are officials appointed by the kingdom, tasked with maintaining law and order throughout the realm.
Every knight has been a formidable explorer in the past, having at least reached the fourth floor of the labyrinth.
It's no wonder that the explorers hold them in such high regard.
The labyrinth only opens once a month, on the full moon day, which is why Nova was in a hurry. He only has two chances to enter the labyrinth before the deadline arrives.
There are a total of nine floors in the labyrinth, each entirely different from the others.
Explorers navigating the first floor are labeled Stage 1, the second floor Stage 2, and so forth...
Currently, Nova isn't even a fully-fledged stage 1 explorer. A proper stage 1 explorer should possess at least one special ability, but Nova, being a novice, hadn't acquired any.
His objective for this month's exploration is to become a legitimate stage 1 explorer and gain a special ability.
After becoming a Stage 1 explorer, he can easily start his own business or sell monster carcass for a high amount.
While Nova was full of thoughts about a positive future, a sudden change happened.
The entire teleportation square trembled, bricks and stones vibrated; some of the people standing around near the portal fell down.
Then, a massive portal manifested out of thin air.
The portal emitted a silvery-blue light at its edges, and its interior resembled a pitch-black void.
Nova observed the entire spectacle with awe. Although he had witnessed the portal from a distance in his childhood, this was the first time he was experiencing it up close.
"Step inside the portal, explorers. Do not waste time." With the silver knight's command, the line began to move swiftly.
Nova found himself in front of the portal in just five minutes.
Standing before the portal, Nova felt a heavy pressure on him. His breathing became rapid, and his hands trembled at little. At the same time, he could also feel a strong force attracting him inside the portal.
He could feel that as long as he wanted or even considered going inside, he would be pulled in. This strange sensation left Nova in a state of disbelief.
Hiding his anxiety and nervousness, Nova thought, 'That's it. I did everything I could, no more excuses or preparation. It's time to face the challenge.'
As soon as he completed his thought, he felt something pulling him into the darkness. But that sensation vanished in the blink of an eye.
When he opened his eyes, Nova found himself next to a bush.
'Why is the landing so random?!'
Some leaves had gotten lodged in his ear, and both his legs were entangled by snake-like vines. It was an embarrassing position for him; had there been any monsters nearby, it could have been dangerous.
Fortunately for Nova, no danger lurked in his vicinity. He pulled out a knife from his thigh and sliced through the vines that had ensnared him.
After getting out of the predicament, Nova carefully inspected his surroundings.
He was in the middle of an ancient and mighty forest. Each tree excluded a strong vitality, towering towards the endless skies.
The vines over the trees along with the leaves were dancing with the wind, making them look alive and cheerful.
The forest seemed identical everywhere, along with the gentle breeze and warm sunlight, making them an ideal place for tourism.
Nova seemed lost, but he breathed a sigh of relief after he didn't find any danger.
'Thankfully, I arrived in the Garden of Spring; it should be relatively easy to survive for seven days here.'
The labyrinth's first floor splits into four sections, each representing a distinct season.
Nova, currently located at Garden of Spring, which symbolizes the spring season and was the most manageable area to survive among the four.
Though the forest looked peaceful, Nova noticed some bushes shifting unnaturally and accompanied by a strange creaking sound from a distance, his heart stopped momentarily, but he acted without hesitation.
"I need to leave this place at once and seek a safe location for the next seven days." Nova put away his knife, grabbed his backpack, and departed in a random direction without delay.
Nova initially intended to buy a map for the first floor, but the vendor asked for 10,000 rubies; Nova didn't even attempt to negotiate and exited the shop.
With a budget of only 20,000 rubies, he needed to allocate funds for weapons and provisions.
Nova initially planned to purchase a whip and short knife—the weapons he was most comfortable with.
However, the vendor persuaded him to add a katana to his arsenal, sweetening the deal with a discount. After much haggling, Nova managed to acquire all three weapons for 18,000 rubies, leaving just enough to buy food and potions for survival.