Gate to the Intermediate Tower of the Abyssal Labyrinth
One by one, groups of students passed through the massive gate standing proudly in the center of the main hall. Its surface was shrouded in thick, swirling black mist, moving like smoke that obscured whatever lay beyond. As if, beyond that gate, there was only an endless void.
The exam rules required students to enter the labyrinth gradually, not all at once. This was meant to avoid unnecessary early conflicts between groups of participants. On the second floor of the Abyssal Labyrinth, each team's starting point had been predetermined, with designated posts prepared as their initial landing spots after passing through the gate.
Soon, it was their turn.
"Ember Sprouts."
One of the instructors in charge of monitoring called their team's name in a firm voice.
Lucien, Elara, and Victor quickly grabbed their supply bags and followed Garrick, the overseer assigned to ensure their journey.
As an overseer, Garrick's main duty was not only to ensure they did not get lost but also to guarantee their safety until they reached their designated post. If an emergency arose—such as encountering a spirit they could not defeat—Garrick had the authority to intervene. However, he would not always be with them. Once he ensured the team had arrived at their post, he would only observe from a distance, ready to act if their emergency beacon was triggered.
As they approached the gate, Lucien began to feel something strange. A cold aura radiated from its surface, wrapping around him with an inexplicable sensation. The surrounding darkness felt unnaturally dense, as if something was lurking within. Yet none of them showed any fear.
Elara looked confident, her expression radiating belief in her own abilities. Victor, as usual, remained calm, concealing any thoughts that might be stirring in his mind. And Lucien? He was simply himself. Fear had long since faded from his being. After everything he had been through, anxiety was no longer something that could easily take hold of him.
"Check all your equipment again."
"Make sure you reach the post before noon."
"The real test will only begin afterward."
The instructor gave his final instructions before they entered the labyrinth.
Without speaking much, the three of them nodded in understanding.
Garrick exchanged a few brief words with the instructor before finally signaling them to move forward.
As Lucien stepped past the threshold, he felt something unusual. The black mist enveloping the gate brushed against his skin, feeling like fine grains of sand tickling his senses.
Then, everything changed.
Total darkness.
"Ashthorn?"
Victor's voice came from ahead.
Lucien snapped back to reality. In an instant, his awareness returned, and he found himself standing on a stone staircase. In front of him, Elara, Victor, and Garrick were staring at him with questioning expressions.
"Why did you stop?" Garrick asked.
Lucien exhaled before replying casually, "It's nothing. Just felt something different."
Elara narrowed her eyes at him, while Victor remained expressionless.
They were in a vast chamber with a spiraling staircase leading downward. At the center of the room yawned a massive black hole, seemingly bottomless, as if swallowing the surrounding light.
The only source of illumination was Garrick's blue sigil lantern, its glow flickering gently, casting long shadows on the stone walls.
Lucien glanced behind him, expecting to see the gate they had just passed through. But all he found was another staircase leading upward, with no trace of the entrance they had come from.
"Are you scared?" Elara smirked, her tone laced with mockery.
Lucien met her gaze briefly before shrugging nonchalantly. "No."
Elara let out a small scoff before turning away, seemingly satisfied with winning their little confrontation.
Without wasting any more time, they continued forward.
The staircase seemed endless. After nearly ten minutes of descent, traversing hundreds of steps, they finally reached a wide, flat platform.
"This is the gate to the second floor."
Garrick raised his lantern, pointing toward a smaller gate compared to the one they had previously passed through.
"The Abyssal Labyrinth has many entrances scattered across the world. Just like other Blacksmith academies, our academy also has exclusive access to one of its gates."
Lucien nodded in understanding, processing the information.
"So, this place is the exclusive gate they were referring to."
The surrounding structure did resemble a tower. The spiraling staircase they had descended seemed to form a corridor leading into immeasurable depths.
At the center of the chamber, the small gate stood adorned with intricate engravings, signifying its importance. Blue lanterns hung at various points, casting dim light that revealed the ancient architectural details around them.
"Once you step through this gate, you will officially enter the Abyssal Labyrinth." Garrick gave his final briefing. "You may encounter low-tier spirits at the start, but if you made it into this academy, that shouldn't be much of a problem."
His gaze swept over the three students, evaluating their readiness.
Lucien, always attentive to details, noticed something about Garrick.
From the way he spoke, his demeanor, and how he regarded the students, Lucien could tell that the man was not from a noble family. There was a certain tension in his tone whenever he spoke about the academy, as if he harbored specific feelings toward the social hierarchy here.
Lucien recalled Aldric's words:
"The academy has become a playground for nobles to build connections and influence."
It wasn't impossible that some students here had secured their spots not through skill, but through family ties. The academy's entrance exams were supposed to be rigorous—comprising theoretical tests, combat simulations, and multiple layers of selection. But Lucien wouldn't be surprised if some had made it through solely because of their family name.
"Let's go in." Garrick ordered.
The three students exchanged glances before stepping forward together.
Lucien walked in the middle, with Elara to his right and Victor to his left.
As soon as they passed through the gate, the air turned significantly colder. The pressure was heavier—almost suffocating, as if something unseen was watching them from the darkness.
Lucien's first step onto the second floor of the Abyssal Labyrinth felt different.
The ground beneath them was no longer the solid stone of the stairs earlier but a rough surface that looked like soil, worn down by the passage of many creatures. The light from Garrick's sigil lantern illuminated the rocky path ahead, flanked by towering natural walls.
"Don't get separated from the group," Garrick warned.
The second floor might not be too dangerous, but the risk of getting lost was real—and for the inexperienced, it could be fatal.
Lucien and his team had studied the map of this floor beforehand. They knew the path they needed to take to reach their initial checkpoint.
Lucien observed his surroundings carefully. The towering black stone walls formed narrow corridors and branching paths, creating the characteristic structure of a labyrinth—countless alternative routes, some leading to safety, while others might bring them into unexpected danger.
The only sources of light came from Garrick's sigil lantern and the faint glow of blue minerals embedded in the stone walls. Though the light helped them see the path ahead, the atmosphere inside the labyrinth remained unsettling. The shifting shadows of the rocks, cast by the flickering light, only heightened the sense that unseen dangers lurked within the darkness.
After about ten minutes of navigating misleading intersections, they finally arrived at their first destination—the Ember Sprouts' checkpoint.
This area was more open than the paths they had just traveled. A vast clearing stretched before them, with a small structure at its center serving as the main checkpoint. The place seemed comfortable enough as a starting point before the real test began.
"We've arrived at Ember Sprouts' checkpoint," Garrick stated flatly, confirming their location.
Elara, who had been on high alert, noticed something unusual. "We haven't encountered a single spirit on the way here," she remarked, her voice tinged with curiosity.
Lucien had noticed it as well. His mind began working, piecing together possible explanations for this phenomenon.
Victor, seemingly thinking along the same lines, spoke up, "Other teams entered the second floor before us. Even though they took different routes, there's a high chance they've affected the situation within the labyrinth."
Lucien nodded in agreement. That was a reasonable possibility. However, he had another theory—one simpler and, in his opinion, more likely.
He cast a brief glance at Garrick, who showed no interest in elaborating. With a detached expression, Lucien voiced his thoughts, "I think this is part of the academy's preparations. They want to ensure all participants reach the checkpoint on time. Most likely, the academy sent scouts to clear the paths before we passed through. After all, the test hasn't officially started. It wouldn't be fair if some teams managed to hunt spirits before the official start time."
Victor studied Lucien with a curious expression, as if trying to read deeper into his words. Instead of responding immediately, he simply narrowed his eyes slightly, a faint smile still lingering on his face.
Elara, on the other hand, remained silent. She seemed to hold back from commenting further, though it was clear that her mind was still processing Lucien's reasoning.
Meanwhile, Garrick merely nodded, confirming Lucien's theory without feeling the need to add anything.
Without waiting any longer, Lucien took the lead toward the checkpoint.
"Before the test begins, we should use this time to rest and refine our strategy," he said casually, not looking back.
Elara let out a small scoff before following. "Didn't we already decide on our strategy?" she asked, her tone carrying a hint of irritation.
Garrick observed their interaction with understanding eyes, while Victor simply watched Lucien with an unreadable expression—as if trying to decipher his often unpredictable thought process.
---
Strategy Discussion
Tick. Tock. Tick.
The soft ticking of Garrick's watch echoed in the silence. He sat outside the checkpoint, allowing the three students in his group to discuss without interruption.
The room inside the checkpoint was simple—just a wooden table in the center, surrounded by a few chairs. There were no elaborate decorations, only a functional space suitable for resting and planning.
Lucien sat in one of the chairs, his back facing the window, his eyes focused on his two teammates. Elara stood at the edge of the table, arms crossed, while Victor sat on the other side, appearing relaxed but still paying close attention to the discussion.
"There's nothing to change. Once the test starts, we'll head straight for the deeper sections of this floor," Elara asserted, punctuating her statement with a firm tap on the table.
Victor nodded in agreement without saying much.
Lucien regarded them with a neutral expression, his eyes slightly narrowing as if he were considering something.
Elara, who disliked unnecessary delays, pointed directly at Lucien. "Didn't you already agree to this plan?"
Lucien exhaled softly before responding, "I'm not trying to change the strategy we agreed upon. Given our current position, heading straight for the labyrinth's deeper sections is the most logical choice. I just want to know one thing..."
He glanced between Victor and Elara before continuing in a calm tone, "Are you both truly confident we can win if we have to fight another team?"
Victor raised an eyebrow, his expression shifting to mild curiosity. It seemed as though he had just realized something from Lucien's question. With the same faint smile on his lips, he gave a small shake of his head. "You really are a complicated person, Ashthorn."
Elara, on the other hand, looked more confused than Victor. "Why would we need to fight another team? Isn't our main goal to hunt Lesser Spirits?" she asked, still trying to grasp the meaning behind Lucien's words.
Lucien sighed, this time deeper, before finally meeting Elara's gaze with an understanding—but slightly disappointed—look.
"You're too naive," he said flatly.
Elara froze for a moment, then her expression shifted. "Naive? Me?" she muttered under her breath, her hands clenching reflexively.
It was clear that Lucien's words had struck a nerve within her. However, whether it made her reconsider or simply fueled her frustration remained uncertain.