Chapter 312 – When the First Floor Decides to Cheat
The professors' footsteps echoed softly behind the children, crushing damp leaves and moss.
Ravna watched the scene, arms crossed, gaze attentive.
Despite the unknown forest.
Despite the monsters.
Despite the Labyrinth.
They were smiling.
— …They weren't even afraid, Ravna murmured.
— Pure excitement, Eldric corrected calmly.
Ahead of them, Solan was still laughing after his slip, Kaor was testing the density of a shadow blade between his fingers, and Lyane advanced with a calm that was almost unsettling.
— If all young hunters were like this, Ravna continued, our guild would probably have three times as many rank S.
Eldric nodded slowly.
— Perhaps. But even in our guild, there are already several elite hunters.
He paused.
— And… there is also that unknown member.
Ravna frowned.
— The one who applied…
— And was never seen again?
— Exactly, Eldric replied. No reports. No contracts. No missions. Just… a name on a register.
Ravna chuckled softly.
— Who knows? Maybe he's stronger than Blackstar, the most powerful in the guild.
Eldric shook his head.
— Mystery doesn't automatically mean strength. And you know how monstrous Blackstar is.
— …You're right, Ravna admitted. I got carried away.
Then she smiled faintly.
— But I still hope that guy's a beast.
🌲 **Ahead — The children in action**
A Sylvan Lycan leapt out of the bushes.
Kaor raised his hand. Shadows condensed, stretched, then became a smooth black blade.
— Clean cut, he murmured.
**FSSHHK.**
The monster was sliced apart before it even understood what had happened.
— Classy… Solan whispered.
Another Lycan appeared.
Solan snapped his fingers. The monster was instantly frozen, a thin layer of ice covering its body.
— Final kick!
**CRASH.**
He shattered the ice with a sharp blow, then added, a little too proudly:
— Compact wind!
Sharp gusts sliced the remains.
— Hey! Kaor protested. You stole my style.
Lyane calmly raised her hand.
— Judgment of Heaven.
A ray of light descended from the sky like divine sentence.
The Lycan was vaporized — no cry, no resistance.
Solan blinked.
— …Okay. That was overkill.
Lyane tilted her head.
— It was effective.
Ravna inhaled slowly.
— They're rank A. But they already fight like veterans.
Eldric smiled slightly.
— And they're having fun. That's what worries me.
⚠️ **Labyrinth Alert**
Suddenly, the air vibrated.
A cold, mechanical voice resonated everywhere:
**WARNING.
OVERPOWERED HOSTILE ENTITY DETECTED.
SUPERIOR BEING ATTEMPTING INTRUSION.**
Ravna paled.
— …This doesn't sound good.
Eldric immediately turned to the children.
— We're leaving. Now.
But—
**BOOOOOM.**
The ground shook.
A colossal throne erupted from the earth, cracking roots and stones.
A figure sat upon it.
Its aura made the Labyrinth itself tremble.
The figure raised its head.
Long red hair, tied back.
Incandescent eyes.
Heat so intense the air rippled around him.
— I am Agniryos, he said calmly. The incarnation of primordial flames.
Ravna whispered:
— …A superior being.
— In truth, Agniryos continued, I was only a fragment. A shard of a far greater entity.
His smile twisted.
— And I remember very well the humans who faced me.
His eyes burned brighter.
— Kae. Oris.
Ravna clenched her teeth.
— He's talking about Oris and Kae… from our guild.
Agniryos chuckled.
— Two arrogant humans. Especially Oris.
He rose slowly.
— They humiliated me. They erased my master's domain.
His voice turned icy despite the heat.
— I will make them pay.
Eldric immediately signaled the children to stay silent.
*Eldric's thought:*
*For mercy's sake… don't say you know them.*
Agniryos burst into laughter.
— But you see… being a fragment of a Void entity, I had… some trouble resurrecting.
He raised his hand. An image appeared in the flames.
Kael.
— You can thank this boy. His flames were so intense…
He smiled, almost grateful.
— That they allowed me to locate the Labyrinth. To regain my power. To return to life.
— Hahahahaha!
He descended from his throne.
And in an instant, he was before the children.
Crouched. At their height.
His aura crushed everything.
— So… he said softly. Who are you, children?
Solan swallowed. Kaor clenched his fists. Lyane slowly raised her head.
Ravna thought:
— …Why did the first floor turn into a final boss?
The Labyrinth itself remained silent.
As if it were watching.
Curious.
And perhaps… slightly embarrassed.
Chapter 313 – When the Boss Stops Playing
Agniryos tilted his head slightly, observing the children frozen before him.
— You're not answering, children…
His aura weighed down like a mountain in fusion.
Solan trembled despite himself.
Kaor clenched his teeth.
Lyane felt her heart beating too fast.
Agniryos sighed, almost disappointed.
— Oh… did I scare you? Don't worry.
He smiled softly and restrained his aura. The crushing pressure vanished instantly, leaving the children gasping.
— I won't harm you. Just tell me… do you know Kae and Oris?
Solan swallowed hard.
— N-no, sir… we don't know them…
— Same, added Kaor with a trembling voice. — Never heard of them…
Lyane nodded quickly.
— We swear.
Agniryos stared at them for a long moment, then burst into a deep laugh.
— Ah… so it was my aura. Forgive me.
He raised his arms as if speaking to children around a fire.
— You know, the Labyrinth is a fascinating place. Beyond space. Beyond time.
His eyes blazed.
— Invisible even to us, superior beings. We who exist beyond creation itself.
He smiled.
— Don't you find that… wonderful, my children?
Solan, despite the situation, instinctively answered:
— Y-yes… Whoever owns this place… is clearly not normal.
Agniryos nodded, satisfied.
— Good boy.
Then his gaze turned cold again.
— I'll ask again. Do you know Oris and Kae?
— No! the three shouted in unison.
Silence.
Agniryos's eyes gleamed dangerously.
— Yet… I could have sworn you were lying.
Ravna slowly placed her hand on her sword's hilt.
— That's enough, she said sharply. — I am their mentor. And a rank S‑ hunter. Step back.
Kaor raised his hands.
— I swear we don't know them, sir!
Agniryos walked a few steps, thoughtful.
Eldric summoned his grimoire in a flash.
It floated beside him, pages turning on their own.
— …This will end badly, he murmured.
Agniryos stopped.
— Since you're of no use to me…
His smile widened.
— I'll get rid of you.
— WHAT?! shouted Solan.
**WHOOM.**
One step.
He was already in front of them.
— He wants to kill us! cried Lyane. — If we don't act, we'll die!
Solan gathered all his mana.
— FIREBALL!
A massive sphere of flames crashed onto Agniryos.
— Useless, he said calmly. — Flames have no effect on me. I am their primordial incarnation.
Lyane raised her arms.
— Judgment of Heaven!
A ray of divine light struck him.
No reaction.
Agniryos laughed.
— Neither gods… nor heavens… can compare to me.
— SHUT UP! shouted Ravna.
She charged, her blade tracing a perfect arc.
The impact pushed Agniryos back several meters.
— I will NOT let you touch my students!
Agniryos smiled.
— Interesting.
**BOOOOM.**
A meteorite crashed onto him.
— CELESTIAL RAIN! roared Eldric.
Agniryos caught the meteorite with one hand.
— …That's all?
He clenched his fingers.
The meteorite shattered into thousands of fragments.
— You are brave. But you're no match.
Kaor struck the ground.
— Shadow Spikes!
Black lances erupted from all sides—
But Agniryos vanished.
He reappeared before Kaor.
— Too slow—
— NOT YET! shouted Ravna.
She struck with incredible speed.
Agniryos grabbed her arm.
Reality cracked at the impact.
Ravna focused her mana into her other fist and punched.
He caught that arm too.
— Disappointing.
He pulled her close and struck her with a sharp blow.
Ravna was hurled back, spitting blood.
— PROF! the children cried.
Eldric, face hardened, opened his grimoire.
— Astral Chains!
Magical chains wrapped around Agniryos.
— Rain of Swords!
Dozens of blades of light descended.
— PURIFYING RAY!
A column of light engulfed Agniryos.
A heavy silence settled.
The dust fell.
Agniryos was still there.
Barely scratched.
— Impressive, he admitted. For humans.
He raised his hand.
— But now…
His aura exploded.
The Labyrinth trembled.
— …Playtime is over.
And somewhere, far away,
something — or someone —
finally seemed to notice what was happening.
Chapter 314 – Until the Body Gives Way
Ravna slid for several dozen meters, stopping her fall by driving her blade into the ground.
The earth screamed.
A long smoking gash scarred the forest.
She stayed still for a moment… then slowly rose.
Blood trickled down her forehead.
— …He's stronger than I thought.
Her red eyes shone, not with fear, but with raw determination.
— But I won't let him harm the children.
Eldric rushed to her side, breath ragged.
— Ravna… he's too strong. Far too strong.
She stepped past him without hesitation.
— Don't worry. I will win.
Eldric stared at her, incredulous.
— How? What exactly do you plan to do?
Ravna didn't answer.
She suddenly hurled her sword into the air.
The children's eyes widened.
— Huh…?
The blade spun.
Ravna caught it in the same motion…
and vanished.
**BOOM.**
She charged straight at Agniryos, absolute speed, and unleashed a vertical strike.
Agniryos dodged with a single step.
The blade sliced space itself.
The ground behind him split in two, an abyssal line stretching endlessly.
Ravna was already behind him.
Another strike.
Then another.
Then ten.
Then a hundred.
Her attacks were so fast the order of movements seemed reversed:
the impact landed before she even raised her arm.
But Agniryos kept up.
He dodged at the very edge of possibility, his body moving with inhuman precision.
— Fascinating…, he murmured. — A human forcing causality.
Eldric's eyes widened in shock.
— She's using the March of Accumulation… a suicidal technique.
He explained in a horrified whisper:
— Each movement increases her speed. Each strike accelerates the next. The more she attacks… the faster she becomes. And since her strength is constant… the power of her blows grows exponentially.
Ravna struck again.
And again.
The air exploded at each step.
Trees were pulverized by mere displacement.
Agniryos dodged one last time…
then vanished.
He reappeared inside her guard.
— Too predictable.
He delivered a lightning kick.
The impact slammed into Ravna's stomach.
The sound was sharp. Final.
She was hurled like a projectile, tearing through forest, shattering trees, rocks, terrain—
— PROF!! the children screamed.
Ravna crashed hard.
She tried to rise… her legs trembled.
— …He got me good.
Eldric clenched his teeth.
— Then it's my turn.
He leapt before Agniryos and hurled a sphere of concentrated energy.
— DETONATION!
The explosion engulfed the area.
As the light devastated everything, Eldric chained mudras, his fingers trembling, the grimoire blazing violently.
Pages flipped on their own, frantic.
Blood streamed from his eyes.
— Hrrrk…
— Grand Seal of Absolute Void.
The world shifted.
Agniryos was trapped in an infinite white space, no ground, no sky, no direction.
Suspended.
Eldric collapsed to his knees, gasping, blood spilling from his mouth.
— …This spell… consumes too much… I have… no mana left…
He smiled faintly.
— But… I sealed you…
Inside the seal—
A hand ignited.
— You really think…
**SCHRRRAAASH.**
Agniryos split the sealing space with a single vertical gesture.
He appeared behind Eldric.
— …that a fragment of the Void could be sealed by a human?
— THERMAL RAY.
Ravna leapt.
— NO!
She took the attack head‑on.
The ray pierced her.
Her body fell heavily to the ground.
— PROF!!
— RAVNA!!
Eldric cried her name.
Agniryos raised his hand.
— Eruption.
A blast of absolute fire.
Eldric was incinerated instantly.
Only the grimoire remained… falling silently to the ground.
Agniryos turned to the children.
They wept.
Frozen in terror.
— Only you remain.
He extended his arm.
— Eruption—
**BOOM.**
His body was hurled backward.
An overwhelming presence had entered.
The children were lifted into the air, shielded by an invisible force.
A cold, arrogant, dominant voice resounded:
— So it's you… the insect… who dares prey on those weaker than himself.
Agniryos rose slowly.
His eyes blazed.
Before him floated a silhouette.
— …Valor.
The true battle had just begun.
Chapter 315 – When Despair Meets the Flex
The children floated gently in the air, surrounded by a stable, reassuring light.
Valor, arms crossed, declared in a theatrical tone:
— Don't worry, children. The great Valor is here.
He smiled, confident.
— And believe me… he won't get away so easily.
Agniryos rose slowly, his gaze burning with rage.
— How dare you strike me, miserable human?
Valor tilted his head slightly.
— Stop barking. Calm down, my little dog.
The children, still trembling, looked at each other.
— I-it's… it's Valor… Lyane whispered, her voice broken.
— He came… to save us…
— The fire man… he burned the professor… he was terrifying…
— I thought we were going to die… sobbed another.
Their hands shook, some still had red eyes, others stared at the ground, unable to look at Agniryos.
Valor turned to them, placing a hand on his chest with an exaggeratedly proud smile:
— Don't worry. Watch closely what Uncle Valor is about to do to him.
The children blinked.
— U-uncle…?
— He's… too sure of himself…
— But… he looks super strong…
— I want to be like him one day… Solan murmured, awestruck.
Agniryos advanced, each step burning the ground.
— Don't be arrogant, human. Do you really think you stand a chance against me?
Valor walked forward too, hands in his pockets.
— You're noisy for an insect.
He chuckled.
— Aren't you just a fly? Hahaha.
The children burst out laughing despite themselves.
— YES! A fly!
— A burning fly!
— Mister Valor is too mean!
Agniryos's face twisted with fury.
— Eternal Absolute Flame Storm!
A gigantic whirlwind of fire rose, devouring the air itself, crashing down on Valor to vaporize him.
— You can't stop it, human! My flames never die!
Valor watched the attack, impassive.
— Looks like you don't realize who you're facing.
He turned to the children.
— You're mages, aren't you?
— Then watch closely.
— YES, Mister Great Valor! they answered in unison.
Valor raised a finger.
A tiny black hole appeared at its tip… and swallowed the entire attack, as if the storm had never existed.
Then—
he vanished.
— W-what?! the children gasped.
He reappeared calmly in front of Agniryos, walking as if on a stroll.
Agniryos tried to charge at him—
But his body refused to move.
— W-what…?!
Fine invisible threads bound his limbs.
— I wove this while you were talking, Valor explained calmly.
He tugged lightly.
— You monologued too much.
He yanked him violently forward…
and delivered a kick.
Agniryos was hurled away, crashing heavily.
— YOU'RE SERIOUSLY STARTING TO ANNOY ME, HUMAN!
Valor blinked.
— Really? I annoy you?
He raised his hands.
— Sorry, I didn't know. Truly.
Ravna, despite her wound, struggled to rise.
Valor looked at her.
— Ah… you're not dead. You're tougher than I thought.
— I'm used to it… she answered weakly.
Then, worried:
— And Eldric…?
Valor shrugged.
— Didn't check. I suppose he's dead.
He added, thoughtful:
— No mana, burned alive… not ideal.
Ravna clenched her teeth.
— Then… we can't do anything anymore…
Valor smiled faintly.
— That depends.
— On the nature of the flames.
She stared at him.
— Why… why didn't you come sooner?
— One must intervene when everything is on the brink of despair, right?
She looked away.
— …
Valor gently lowered Lyane.
— See what you can do for him.
— The children… if they see him like this… they'll be traumatized.
Valor lifted her back up instantly.
— Good point.
He turned to Agniryos.
— Well. Time to deal with the walking torch.
Agniryos growled.
— I must admit… this guy is a lost bastard.
Then, darker:
— Against him… I'll have to be more serious.
Valor spread his arms wide.
— Serious or not…
He grinned broadly.
— You don't stand a chance against the great Valor.
— Come closer, insect.
Agniryos roared:
— BURN, ARROGANT HUMAN!
Flames engulfed Valor.
Agniryos growled, satisfied:
— He deserved it, that bastard…
The children held their breath.
Silence.
🔥🔥🔥