— Gravyor… it's hard to explain, but follow me.
I know where the entrance to the labyrinth is.
He stared at me for a moment, wary.
Then shrugged.
— Mmh. Okay, sure. I've got nothing to lose anyway.
His tone was neutral, but the smirk on his lips betrayed a hint of curiosity.
He followed without arguing, tearing apart the roots blocking our path.
Each step brought us closer.
The mist grew heavier.
Denser.
As if the air itself wanted to lull us to sleep.
And finally—
the vines parted on their own.
A dark passage formed before us.
The entrance.
A cold breath seeped out, carrying a scent of ashes and sleep.
— No doubt about it… that's definitely the entrance, right?
A nervous smirk escaped me.
— Yeah, you're right, Gravyor exhaled, voice low.
Gives me chills.
Without that damn objective, who would be stupid enough to go in there?
I turned toward him.
— Actually, Gravyor… I need you to take a power test.
He raised an eyebrow.
— A test?
— I might have an idea… about that "plan" you mentioned earlier.
If we can still call it a plan, anyway…
I pointed at the wall forming the entrance to the labyrinth.
Massive. Veined with pulsing roots.
— Hit here. With everything you've got.
Silence.
Then Gravyor let out a rough, pleased chuckle.
— Tch… I like that.
He stepped back, muscles rolling under his skin.
His aura flared—heavy, reddish, like a restrained blaze.
Then he charged.
And his fist slammed into the wall.
The impact made the whole structure tremble.
The sound echoed through the maze like an iron bell.
At the point of impact, a cylindrical dent had formed—barely ten centimeters deep, one and a half meters wide.
Gravyor's raw mark.
Expected.
In pure physical strength, he surpassed me by twenty to thirty percent.
Perfect for what I had in mind.
He looked at me, puzzled.
His brows tightened when he saw my eyes glow with golden, hypnotic light.
I struck next.
Sharp.
Precise.
Almost the same spot… but shifted by five centimeters.
Where [Nyx's Eyes] had revealed the weak point.
The sound was different.
Higher.
But the effect—immediate.
Cracks raced across the wall.
Fast. Hungry.
And with a heavy crash, a whole section collapsed.
I brushed dust from my hand.
— Listen. I'll place the nail.
You hit it with all your strength. Same exact point.
He smirked.
— Like a hammer, huh?
I like that.
I nodded.
Simple. Efficient.
With his brute force, the wall didn't stand a chance.
I crossed my arms, staring at the still-smoking breach.
— Alright… time to make our own path.
Gravyor let out a brief, sharp laugh.
— Finally, something I like hearing.
We moved forward, side by side, through the opening.
Behind us, the dust fell slowly…
as if the labyrinth was already closing its jaws.
After breaking a second wall, we froze.
Two silhouettes stood in the mist.
Kiyoshi.
And Veda.
They approached cautiously—then brightened when they recognized us.
— You're lucky, Veda said.
The labyrinth releases creatures… or illusions.
You passed right between them.
Kiyoshi nodded, calm as always.
— If you accept, we can assist.
Let us handle the summons and illusions.
You two… keep opening the way.
I exchanged a look with Gravyor.
A faint smile curved his lips.
Veda frowned.
— By the way… what weapon are you using to break these walls?
Kiyoshi nodded, equally curious.
Gravyor and I froze.
A moment of silence.
We glanced at each other.
— Weapon?
I simply raised my hand.
— Watch. Easier than explaining.
I struck.
A clean hole tore through the wall.
Gravyor followed immediately, his fist landing exactly on my impact.
The wall collapsed in a burst of dust and torn roots.
Veda and Kiyoshi froze.
Mouths open.
They exchanged a stunned look—then smiled, relieved.
Yes.
They made the right choice aligning with us…
instead of against us.
We kept going.
Each wall fell to our combined blows.
Every creature that emerged from the mist ended crushed or pierced.
The rhythm was simple:
Advance.
Strike.
Destroy.
But the deeper we went, the thicker the mist became.
And in that white curtain… more silhouettes appeared.
Survivors.
They didn't speak.
Not a word.
Just quiet steps slipping behind us.
Cautious shadows walking the path we opened.
I watched them from the corner of my eye.
Always behind.
Always out of reach.
Close enough to leech the safety we provided.
No hostility.
But no intention to help either.
A silent procession.
A line of survivors clinging to the shadow of the strong.
And every wall that fell, every monster that died—
I felt their eyes.
Half envy.
Half fear.
I had nothing against them.
They hadn't harmed me.
But when I saw Gravyor, Veda, and Kiyoshi giving everything they had…
while those parasites simply followed…
Sometimes, dark thoughts crept in.
Ones I didn't dare voice.
Was that really me?
Or the blood demon Thana warned me about?
Every time it rose, it made me uneasy.
Like something was trying to pry open a crack in my mind.
I needed to shift my focus—
— Gravyor, we stop after this wall. I feel a big group behind it. Ready?
— Whenever you are.
— Alright… three, two, one—
We shattered the wall with ease.
The dust settled—
And on our left, Narcisse appeared.
Carried by her followers—men and boys alike.
Clueless?
Charmed?
Completely hollowed out?
Veda stepped forward, eyes sharpening.
— What do you want? she asked, voice firm.
Narcisse smiled—venomous, silky.
— Ohoh… the little commoner speaks for them? Or did you already win yourself a spot?
Her followers laughed—forced, empty, like puppets with cut strings.
Veda didn't flinch.
Her face stayed cold, but her fist tightened.
I focused only on Narcisse.
Every gesture, every glance, oozed invisible power.
A heavy perfume in the air.
A pressure sliding into thoughts.
She was about to try something.
And she was convinced it would work.
She reminded me of Evelyne.
Weaker, sure.
But the scent was the same.
Why?
The men around her?
The way she spoke?
Her fake confidence?
Didn't matter.
Not my problem.
— Gravyor, we keep going.
Narcisse snapped the moment she saw us turn away—
as if something was supposed to happen, but didn't.
Furious, she raised her hand, ready to order an attack—
But right then, the next wall collapsed under our combined strike.
The crash echoed through the corridor.
Everyone froze.
Even Narcisse understood instantly—
the power gap was enormous.
She swallowed her frustration.
Turned back.
But not without throwing Veda a murderous glare.
Veda answered with a mocking smile.
Kiyoshi scolded her immediately.
— Stop it. Focus.
We moved forward without a word.
Narcisse and her puppets faded into the mist, leaving a heavy silence behind.
Then a cold vibration rippled through my shadow.
Umbra.
A window opened.
⟡ [ Umbra ] ⟡
— Labyrinth core located.
My breath hitched.
That was it.
The key.
Take it, I ordered inwardly.
Wait for me at the exit.
Answer was immediate.
— Executing.
A beat.
Then the mist changed.
Heavier.
Darker.
A metallic scent—like dried blood—spread into the air.
The labyrinth twisted.
And the first screams echoed.
— Move! Faster! I yelled.
Howls bounced across the maze, warped and growing closer.
— Gravyor! From now on, I'm going all out.
You hit at the same time as me!
— Heh… fine by me, he grinned.
I turned to Kiyoshi.
— You've got a reinforcement sigil, right?
— Yes. Something close. I also have mantras if needed.
— Good. Use everything.
Veda raised her hand.
— I can help too. Not mystic—mechanic.
Give me your arm, Kael.
I held it out, confused.
She strapped on a thin exoskeleton, delicate as glass.
— You can hit full power without hurting yourself for a while. Go wild.
I smiled.
— Perfect. Exactly what I needed.
I turned to Gravyor.
— Assist them. I'll take the walls.
If I need you, I'll call.
He laughed.
— Insulting… but if you say so, you've got your reasons.
Alright, I'll follow your lead!
Kiyoshi traced an invisible circle, chanting under his breath.
A sigil lit up, wrapping us like a faint halo.
My muscles tightened.
My breath deepened.
— Reinforcement active, he said.
A shiver ran through me.
My whole body vibrated—
every fiber waiting for impact.
And Veda's exoskeleton amplified everything.
I struck.
The wall exploded in a single blow.
Before dust even hit the ground, I was on the next one.
Behind me, Gravyor roared—
Crushing every creature that leapt from the mist.
His body stood like a moving fortress, sweeping monsters aside with brute force.
Veda sprinted behind us, adjusting gear, reinforcing plates, reloading capsules.
Her eyes sparkled—thrilled by the chaos.
Wall after wall, we advanced.
Howls grew louder.
Closer.
Grotesque shapes hurled themselves at Gravyor—
and died instantly.
Kiyoshi's mantras beat like drums.
His breath was shaky, but steady.
I kept hitting.
Again.
Again.
Thunder rolling in my bones.
Even with the exoskeleton, my limits frayed.
But the path opened.
Unstoppable.
Then we reached the second-to-last wall.
The thickest.
Oldest.
The mist itself clung to it—
as if it didn't want us through.
I rested my hand on it.
Cold stabbed through my arm.
Something waited behind it.
I knew.
The exit.
How?
Umbra was right behind it.
This wall—
I would pulverize it.
— Give me every buff you've got!
— Gravyor, hit the reddish brick in the middle.
Give it everything!
While the others readied themselves, I closed my eyes.
— Thana… can you hear me?
— Yes. No need to ask. I know what you want.
You haven't learned it yet… but in theory, it should work.
— Thank you. You're saving me.
— You don't need to thank me.
We're here for each other. Listen now…
A silence.
Two breaths aligned.
— Thank you, Thana. I'll try.
— I believe in you.
I bent my knees slightly.
My right fist glowed—
Magia saturating it.
A mist at first.
Then a gelatinous mass.
Then—
Denser.
Blacker.
So dense the others could see it.
My aura thickened.
Suffocating.
They could barely breathe.
But I didn't notice.
My Magia had changed.
Refinement wasn't ×2 anymore—
but ×3.
I struck.
The wall exploded.
The next one shattered too.
And thirty meters beyond, the outer forest disintegrated under the shock.
The blast faded slowly.
Silence fell.
Heavy.
Behind us, the survivors froze—
eyes wide, unable to look away.
I could feel their discomfort.
Their fear.
To them, what I'd done wasn't human.
But my group—
Veda whistled softly—eyes sparkling like a child witnessing the perfect explosion.
Kiyoshi stayed silent—lips moving in a faint prayer, but eyes filled with quiet shock.
And Gravyor—
A predatory grin split his face.
His fists tightened.
No jealousy.
No hate.
Just a clear spark—
the look of a rival finding a new peak to crush.
— Not bad, he chuckled.
But next time… it'll be me.
But the most shocked—
was me.
I never expected that.