Lucien quickly realized that his previous words might have offended Elara. The girl's gaze carried clear displeasure, and from the way she clenched her fists, Lucien could tell that her patience was wearing thin.
"Before you decide to beat me up, at least listen to my explanation first," he said calmly, trying to ease the tension.
Elara continued to glare at him but did not immediately interrupt.
"The main objective of this exam is to collect Cores from Lesser Spirits, which will then be converted into points. In theory, what you said isn't wrong. Under normal circumstances, there's nothing strange about this rule. However, you have to remember one important thing—this exam is competitive," Lucien explained, rolling his eyes before focusing back on Elara, who still seemed irritated.
He continued, "There's no rule explicitly prohibiting confrontation between groups. In fact, if you look deeper, it seems like this system was deliberately designed to allow battles between participants."
Elara didn't respond immediately, but her expression showed that she was beginning to process the meaning behind Lucien's words.
"My point is," Lucien went on, "those who are ambitious about securing first place will do whatever it takes to earn as many points as possible. That includes attacking other groups and seizing the Spirit Cores they've collected."
"That clearly violates the rules," Elara commented, her voice firm.
Lucien let out a long sigh before replying, "As I said before, there isn't a single rule that states this is a violation."
Elara's expression shifted slightly. She thought for a moment before asking, "So, what you're saying is that this exam isn't just about hunting Lesser Spirits, but also about testing each group's strength?"
Lucien nodded. "More or less."
Elara glanced at Victor, searching for additional confirmation. However, all she found was a slight nod of agreement from the brown-haired young man.
A brief silence followed.
After some time, Elara finally turned back to Lucien with a cold expression. "Even so, it won't change anything. I will secure first place, and anyone who tries to stop me will face the consequences."
Lucien observed the way she spoke. Her tone lacked the formality of a noble, but there was a distinct confidence in it. From that alone, he made a mental note.
"She's not a noble, but her last name must carry some weight. Or perhaps, she's well-known enough that even a noble like Victor speaks to her respectfully."
"I don't mind," Victor finally responded casually.
Lucien simply nodded in agreement.
—
A true Blacksmith, especially one aspiring to reach the highest ranks in their craft, must not only master the art of forging but also the art of combat. For this reason, combat techniques were a crucial part of the academy's core curriculum.
The primary reason for this was clear—the high-quality materials needed to enhance a Sigil Hammer could only be obtained by hunting powerful Spirit Cores. Because of this, there was a saying often repeated in the Blacksmith world:
"A true smith must know how to acquire the finest materials."
Essentially, there were several types of combat arts being taught. First, physical combat, which relied on individual skills in close-quarters fighting. Second, combat that utilized Mystical Artifacts and mystical techniques, which were directly linked to a Blacksmith's forging expertise.
In most cases, Spirit hunting encouraged the use of Artifacts and mystical techniques as intermediaries to realize a fighter's true strength. One of the most famous examples of a mystical artifact was the Wind Sword, the legendary weapon wielded by Grandmaster Aldric.
Lucien understood well how important artifacts and mystical techniques were in combat. However, one thing struck him as odd—for this exam, the academy had explicitly banned the use of Mystical Artifacts and mystical techniques.
This decision sparked much speculation among the students. Some believed the academy wanted to test their raw abilities without external aids, while others saw it as a filtering method to identify students truly gifted in pure combat.
For Lucien, this decision was not surprising. From the start, he had suspected that the academy wanted to measure how well the students could fight using only their individual skills and their mastery of Mana.
Time passed without them noticing.
Garrick, sitting outside the post, watched the hands of his wristwatch move steadily.
The moment the long hand of the clock struck 12:00, he finally stood up, opened the post window, and announced in a flat tone, "The exam has begun."
Lucien took a deep breath before rising from his seat.
Ten Minutes After the Exam Began
Lucien, Elara, and Victor moved swiftly through the winding, narrow corridors. They followed the map they had studied beforehand to avoid getting lost or encountering dead ends.
Elara led the way, her hand resting on the hilt of her light sword strapped to her waist. Victor carried his greatsword on his back, while Lucien remained alert, gripping a short bow with two daggers fastened to the leather belt around his thighs.
The lighting within the labyrinth was minimal. The only illumination came from faintly glowing minerals embedded in the rocky walls. Although they carried lanterns, they chose not to use them, fearing they might attract unwanted attention.
So far, they had not encountered a single Lesser Spirit.
The Increasingly Wild Circulation of Mana
As they ventured deeper into the labyrinth, Lucien noticed that the flow of mana around them was becoming increasingly erratic. The currents felt chaotic, difficult to track, and hinted at something unusual.
Remaining vigilant, he scanned the surroundings and finally voiced his unease. "Are Lesser Spirits really this hard to find?"
He didn't lower his guard but felt the situation needed to be addressed.
Beside him, Victor glanced around before responding, "From what I've heard, they shouldn't be. Lesser Spirits are usually quite easy to locate, especially since we've already reached the deeper sections of the labyrinth."
Elara replied with a serious tone, "This isn't normal."
Lucien furrowed his brows. "We've been walking for almost thirty minutes, yet we haven't encountered a single Lesser Spirit." He then turned to Elara, trying to confirm something. "Are you sure you read the map correctly?"
"Hah? Do you think I can't read a map?" Elara shot him a sharp glare, clearly offended by his question.
Lucien shrugged casually. "I just want to make sure. This situation feels too strange."
Elara huffed in annoyance, then unfolded the map in her hands again. Her eyes traced the routes they had taken, verifying that they were on the right track. "Nothing is wrong. According to this map, we should already be in a zone where Lesser Spirits frequently appear."
At that moment, Lucien felt an unusual chill. Something was off—something that unsettled his instincts. Something is wrong here, he thought.
Elara remained focused on her map, while Victor continued scanning their surroundings. At first glance, nothing seemed out of place—no signs of danger, no suspicious noises. The only truly disturbing thing was the complete absence of Lesser Spirits, as if they had all vanished from the area.
And this silence only made Lucien more wary. That growing sense of unease gnawed at him.
Then suddenly, the ground beneath them trembled.
—
The stone walls around them began to move on their own, as if a massive mechanism had just been activated. Heavy rocks shifted, sealing off the paths they had previously believed to be correct.
A deep, rumbling sound echoed through the area, as though enormous gears were turning underground, altering the structure of the labyrinth.
Lucien immediately looked down, noticing that the small stones around his feet were vibrating unnaturally. "What's happening now?" he asked, his tone alert.
Their instincts screamed at them to turn back and find another way out. But what they saw made their chests tighten—the path they had just taken was gone.
The stone walls had shifted, sealing off all previous exits!
Elara, quick to react, unsheathed her sword, channeling mana into its blade, then lunged forward at incredible speed. Her silver hair flowed behind her as she shot past Lucien and Victor, striking the stone wall that now trapped them.
TING!!
A sharp metallic clang echoed through the corridor as her sword struck the stone. Small sparks scattered from the impact. But the result was disappointing—only a shallow scratch marred the surface of the wall that now imprisoned them.
"Damn it! What the hell is this?" Elara growled, withdrawing her sword with frustration.
She eyed the faint mark she had left, realizing that her attack had barely made a difference.
Lucien, analyzing the situation closely, immediately deduced, "These walls are reinforced with mana."
He recognized the signs instantly. If this were just ordinary stone, Elara's mana-enhanced strike should have caused far more damage.
Lucien let out a long sigh, feeling the situation grow even more complicated. "Great… Now we're trapped in some kind of pre-set mechanism."
Elara exhaled sharply in frustration, sheathing her sword. "Then we need to find a way out."
"This is bad," Victor commented. "With all the paths changed… our map is now useless."
A heavy silence settled over them as each of them sank into their own thoughts.
—
Lucien then turned to Elara with a thoughtful gaze. "Are you absolutely sure we took the right path earlier?" he asked, his tone laced with doubt.
Elara immediately spun toward him, her sharp glare piercing. "Damn it, I know what I'm doing." Her stare was intense, full of pressure. But Lucien couldn't ignore the subtle expression hidden beneath her anger—there was uncertainty in her eyes, as if she was beginning to feel afraid.
Seeing this, Lucien raised his hands in a gesture of peace. "Alright, alright."
He fell into thought. If Elara Moonveil truly followed the recommended route given by the academy, then this trap shouldn't have activated out of nowhere. This clearly isn't the work of Lesser Spirits—it's a pre-designed field mechanism. That means…
He stroked his chin, delving deeper into the mystery. If this path was indeed correct, then why did the trap only activate now? Previous explorers should have triggered it first, unless…
His eyes swept across the area, analyzing every detail for any possible clue.
Meanwhile, Elara still clutched the map tightly in her hands. She studied the stone walls blocking their exit, her breath slightly unsteady. A bead of sweat formed on her forehead, though she made an effort to hide it by keeping her back turned to them.
Lucien observed her closely. She's nervous.
That thought surfaced in his mind unbidden.
"Should we light a flare?" he asked after a moment.
Elara's reaction was immediate. She whipped her head toward him, her blue eyes darkening as she fixed him with a sharp glare. There was something in her gaze that made Lucien think that if he actually lit a flare right now, she might punch him on the spot.
Seeing that, Lucien let out a quiet sigh. "Alright, I guess that's not necessary yet."
Victor, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke. "That means we need to find another way."
Despite being trapped, they still had options. When the labyrinth shifted, it hadn't only sealed pathways—some new corridors had also appeared.
In front of them now lay two possible routes. One veered left, appearing wider, while the other was narrower and stretched forward into darkness.
Lucien turned his gaze back to Elara. The tension in her shoulders, her tight grip on the map, and the way her breath was just slightly uneven—it all pointed to one clear conclusion.
She was no longer entirely confident.
And in a situation like this, losing confidence could mean disaster.