Just as the announcement echoed through the maze, its voice stretching unnaturally through every corridor, Olivia turned a corner with Corey close behind her.
The air felt different now.
Tense.
Like the maze itself was watching.
Ahead, a pair of figures came into view.
Olivia recognized them instantly.
Darius and Seraphina.
Corey noticed a second later, his expression tightening as his gaze sharpened.
Olivia's face lit up. Relief, excitement—something familiar in the middle of all this chaos.
She stepped forward without hesitation, already about to call out—
—but Corey grabbed her arm and pulled her back into the corner.
"What are you doing?" Olivia snapped, twisting slightly as she tried to shake him off.
"Why are you going to them?" Corey whispered sharply, his voice low but urgent.
Olivia frowned at him, like the answer should've been obvious. "Maybe we can team up."
Corey stared at her for a moment.
Then exhaled.
"We have a bounty on us," he said flatly. "A high one. Do you really think they won't attack us the moment they see us?"
Olivia paused.
The excitement on her face dimmed slightly.
Right.
She had almost forgotten.
They weren't just participants anymore.
They were targets.
Still, she didn't look convinced.
"So?" she said, crossing her arms slightly. "We can still try."
Corey shook his head, already peeking around the corner again.
Darius and Seraphina were getting closer.
Their steps were calm—but careful.
They weren't relaxed.
They were alert.
Watching.
Listening.
Corey pulled back.
"If we walk out, we give them the advantage," he said quietly. "They'll already be ready."
Olivia clicked her tongue. "So what do we do then?"
Corey's eyes flickered once more toward the corridor.
Then back to her.
"We ambush them."
Olivia immediately frowned. "That's cheap."
Corey didn't even react. "So is getting eliminated."
She opened her mouth to argue—
Then stopped.
Her mind drifted back to the entrance exam.
Darius's steady pressure.
Seraphina's controlled casting.
They hadn't held back then.
Why would they now?
Olivia exhaled slowly.
Her shoulders relaxed just a bit.
"…Fine."
Corey nodded once.
That was enough.
The two pressed themselves against the wall just beside the corner, bodies angled carefully to stay hidden.
Close enough to strike.
Far enough to remain unseen.
Corey adjusted his breathing, slowing it down, sharpening his focus.
Beside him, Olivia was different.
Her breathing wasn't calm.
It was faster.
Not nervous.
Excited.
Corey could practically feel it—her energy building, her body already preparing to explode forward the moment the chance came.
Footsteps echoed faintly.
Getting closer.
Stone scraping softly under boots.
Closer.
Closer.
A shadow stretched across the edge of the wall.
Darius.
Olivia moved.
No hesitation.
No warning.
Her body twisted out from the corner, her fist already driving forward, magic surging through her arm.
Strength layered over strength.
Defense reinforcing her bones and muscles.
The air itself seemed to split as her punch tore through it.
Darius reacted.
His eyes snapped toward her—
His arm came up—
—but it wasn't enough.
BOOM.
The impact rang through the corridor.
The force slammed into his guard, the shock traveling through his body as he was sent flying backward.
His back hit the wall hard—
—but not cleanly.
At the last moment, his body shifted.
Instead of collapsing, he twisted with the force, letting it carry him sideways.
His boots slammed into the ground.
He slid.
Stopped.
Still standing.
A faint glow lingered around his arm.
Reinforcement magic.
Olivia's eyes narrowed slightly.
He didn't go down.
"…Not bad," she muttered.
Darius exhaled once, rolling his shoulder as if shaking off the impact.
A small grin appeared on his face.
"Ambush, huh?" he said calmly.
Behind him, Seraphina had already reacted.
Her hand rose, mana gathering quickly—
—but Corey moved.
With a flick of his fingers, the air twisted.
Seraphina's forming spell stuttered—
Then reversed.
Her own mana was ripped from her control, reshaped, strengthened, and hurled back toward her.
Her eyes widened as flames surged back at her—larger, hotter, unstable.
She cut the spell immediately, dispersing it before it could hit her.
"Corey—" she started.
"I know," Darius replied, his tone steady.
Then—
He moved.
The ground cracked faintly beneath his foot as he pushed off.
In an instant, he closed the distance between himself and Olivia.
Fast.
Faster than before.
Olivia grinned.
She raised her arms—
CRACK.
His punch slammed into her guard.
The force pushed her back a step.
Solid.
Controlled.
Not overwhelming—but precise.
He followed immediately.
A second strike angled toward her side.
She twisted, blocking with her elbow.
A third came low—
She stepped back.
A fourth—
High.
She ducked.
No wasted movement.
No hesitation.
His attacks flowed together seamlessly, each one setting up the next.
Olivia's grin widened.
He wasn't just strong.
He was skilled.
"Now this is more like it," she muttered.
She pushed forward.
Her counterattack came fast—heavy strikes backed by raw strength, each one forcing Darius to adjust, to redirect, to absorb.
Their movements clashed violently.
Power against precision.
Aggression against control.
Each impact echoed through the corridor.
Meanwhile—
Seraphina adjusted.
Large spells weren't working.
Too easy for Corey to interfere.
So she changed approach.
Smaller spells.
Faster casting.
Sharp bursts of wind.
Condensed flames.
Quick, disruptive attacks meant to break rhythm instead of overpower.
But Corey mirrored everything.
Every spell she cast was instantly reflected—stronger, faster, more refined.
Her breathing tightened.
Her rhythm broke.
"You're not just copying…" she muttered, narrowing her eyes.
There was understanding behind it.
Adaptation.
Corey stepped forward.
Closing the distance.
Applying pressure.
Seraphina clicked her tongue.
Fine.
If that wouldn't work—
She changed again.
Mana surged—
But instead of releasing it outward, she compressed it.
Condensed it tightly into a small, unstable sphere in her palm.
The air around it trembled.
Corey's eyes flickered.
That wasn't a standard spell.
She threw it.
Corey reached out instinctively to reflect it—
—but the moment his magic touched it—
BOOM.
The sphere detonated violently.
The explosion forced Corey back a step, disrupting his control.
Seraphina didn't hesitate.
She immediately began casting again—
But—
Olivia broke through.
With a sudden burst of strength, she forced Darius back just enough—
Then pivoted.
Closing the distance to Seraphina instantly.
Seraphina's eyes widened.
Too fast—
She canceled her spell and threw up a barrier.
CRASH.
Olivia's punch shattered it.
Fragments of mana scattered into the air.
Seraphina stumbled back, her casting broken again.
"Tch—!"
Across from them, Darius exhaled sharply.
Enough.
His stance shifted.
Subtle—but clear.
The air around him tightened.
Olivia noticed immediately.
"…Finally serious?" she said, rolling her shoulders.
Darius didn't answer.
Mana gathered around his legs.
Condensed.
Focused.
Then—
He vanished.
Olivia's eyes widened.
Too fast—
He reappeared at her side.
She turned—
—but his kick was already there.
THUD.
The impact landed clean.
Olivia was sent sliding across the ground, her boots scraping hard against the stone as she forced herself to stay upright.
She skidded to a stop several meters away.
Silence lingered for a moment.
Dust settling.
Breathing steadying.
Then—
Olivia smiled.
Wide.
Excited.
"Okay," she said, cracking her knuckles. "Now this is fun."
Corey stepped up beside her, eyes still locked on Seraphina.
Darius straightened, his gaze steady.
Seraphina steadied her breathing, forcing her mana back under control.
The ambush was over.
Now—
It was a real fight.
Elsewhere in the maze, Lily and her team arrived at a strange door.
It was brown, worn, and unremarkable—except for the sign hanging from it:
Minimum three people.
Lily glanced at Arlen and Gina. They nodded without needing to speak.
Each of them stepped forward, inserting their badges into three small slots embedded in the door.
Click.
The sound echoed softly.
The door creaked open slowly, revealing nothing but darkness.
Not shadow.
Not dim light.
True darkness.
Lily's body tensed instantly.
"Stay alert," she said quietly.
They stepped inside.
One step.
Two.
Three—
SLAM.
The door shut behind them.
Gina flinched slightly at the sudden sound.
Arlen raised a hand, conjuring a small sphere of light.
It illuminated their surroundings—
—or tried to.
The light stretched outward, swallowed quickly by the darkness.
All it revealed was a narrow tunnel.
Long.
Endless.
Silent.
"…I don't like this," Gina muttered.
Lily didn't respond.
Her eyes stayed forward.
Watching.
Listening.
Waiting.
Meanwhile, Kane wandered the maze alone.
His steps were relaxed.
Unhurried.
Not because he wasn't searching—
—but because he didn't need to rush.
He hadn't found anyone willing to team up with him.
Not because he lacked skill.
But because everyone knew exactly how dangerous he was.
At first, people had tried.
Groups had attacked him, hoping to claim his points.
It hadn't gone well for them.
Now, things had changed.
People avoided him.
Watched from a distance.
Disappeared before he got close.
At this point, Kane had the highest bounty in the maze.
Ironically—
That made him a worse target.
No one wanted to risk it anymore.
Kane turned another corner.
Then stopped.
Ahead, two familiar figures walked side by side.
Olivia.
Corey.
they were battered up and injured.
Olivia spotted him almost instantly.
"Kane!" she called out, waving without hesitation.
Corey glanced at him—
Then looked away.
He silently mumbled something before glaring at kane
what was that? kane thought
Kane walked over.
Simple.
Direct.
With Kane joining them and receiving a bracelet, their group finally met the required number.
Now—
They just needed to find the door.
At the end of a long passage, Lily's team arrived at a chamber.
Two doors stood before them.
One on the left.
One on the right.
Between them was a stone podium with three slots.
Lily, Arlen, and Gina stepped forward, placing their badges into the slots.
The moment they did—
A figure appeared above the podium.
An illusion.
It spoke in a flat, mechanical tone.
"This is the second phase of the test."
"For this phase, you will work together as a team to reach the end of the trial."
"Good luck."
The illusion vanished.
In its place, three cards materialized.
Each of them picked one up.
Lily read hers carefully.
Commander
The holder of this card becomes the center of the team.
They cannot participate in battle directly.
They may only give orders or provide support.
Knight
The holder of this card is the team's blade.
All offensive actions must be carried out by them.
Mercenary
The holder of this card has no restrictions.
However—if they are eliminated, the entire team fails.
The three exchanged glances.
Gina moved first.
"I'll take Commander."
Arlen nodded. "Knight."
That left Lily.
She looked down at the final card.
"…Mercenary."
A faint tension settled over them.
Then—
Words appeared on the wall between the doors.
The left door is filled with traps and deceit.
The right door is filled with monsters and enemies.
Which will you choose?