"Two paths left. We have to choose one," Lucien said seriously.
His gaze shifted to Elara, who was growing more hesitant and slow in making decisions. On the other hand, Victor remained calm, as if the trap they had just fallen into wasn't significant enough to bother him.
Both Lucien and Victor focused on Elara. So far, they had let her take the lead, a decision made because they acknowledged her as the strongest among the three. But in a critical situation like this, they needed quick and decisive action.
Elara studied the two paths ahead, trying to judge which was safer and would lead them out of this mess. After a moment of thought, she finally pointed to the left. "We're going left," she decided, her voice heavier than usual.
Lucien nodded. "Alright, let's go."
As they ventured deeper, the flow of mana around them became wilder and harder to control. This was proof that they had reached the deeper layers of the labyrinth. For a Novice Blacksmith, unstable mana like this could slowly drain stamina. However, compared to the mana pressure from Vulcan Draegor, this was still manageable.
Lucien watched Elara closely, noticing that her mentality had slightly wavered due to the sudden turn of events. Her eyes darted around, and tension was evident in her shoulders. Just as Lucien was about to shift his attention away, a faint hissing sound echoed along the stone walls surrounding them.
He halted immediately.
"Something's here," he warned in a low but sharp voice.
The corridor ahead remained shrouded in darkness, and even more unsettling, the stones that should have been glowing to light their way had suddenly lost their radiance.
The three of them instantly fell into battle-ready stances.
From within the darkness ahead, a faint shadow emerged. Its form slowly took shape, revealing the outline of a wolf-like creature. A Lesser Spirit. The faint blue aura pulsing around its body indicated an affinity for ice.
"Finally, we found one," Victor muttered, gripping his sword tightly.
But before they could strategize, Elara suddenly dashed forward.
"Moonveil, wait—!" Victor tried to stop her.
Too late.
Elara had already swung her sword at the Lesser Spirit without a second thought.
"I didn't make a mistake. I followed the correct path, there's nothing wrong," Elara gritted her teeth, forcing herself to believe her own words. "If they blame me, so be it. I just need to prove that I can handle everything. Traps, Spirits, whatever—I'll deal with them myself!"
Lucien cursed internally. "Idiot."
Sensing danger, the Lesser Spirit leaped back swiftly, dodging Elara's attack with ease. The moment her sword struck the ground, cracks of ice spread outward, branching like frozen veins in the cold air.
The creature wasted no time. Its sharp blue eyes gleamed, and within seconds, ice began forming around them, restricting their movement. Lucien and Victor quickly retreated, avoiding the freezing terrain.
Elara, however, wasn't so lucky.
She was already within the Lesser Spirit's range, and in an instant, the ice from the cracks surged upward, freezing her sword and trapping both her legs.
Elara growled in frustration. She immediately channeled mana through her body, hoping to break free. But no matter how much she struggled, nothing changed.
"Why isn't this working?" she muttered, confusion creeping into her thoughts.
Meanwhile, the Lesser Spirit prepared to strike. It lunged forward at high speed, claws glinting in the dim light.
But before it could reach her—
Swoosh!
An arrow shot through the air, forcing the creature to abandon its attack.
Lucien stood behind them, his short bow drawn, his expression cold and focused. But he knew this was just a distraction. His arrows alone weren't enough to take the Spirit down.
Victor, who had been prepared from the start, immediately charged forward. His greatsword was already raised high, but instead of attacking the Spirit, he swung it down—toward the ice trapping Elara.
"Oi, dumb girl! Stop wasting your mana and let Runevele help you!" Lucien shouted.
Elara snapped her head up, glaring at Lucien. Her heart pounded.
"Did he just call me a dumb girl? Who does he think he's talking to?"
BOOM!
Victor's sword smashed against the ice, shattering it into pieces.
But at the same time, the Lesser Spirit lunged again—this time, targeting Victor.
With his heavy weapon and limited flexibility, Victor had little time to react.
But before the claws could reach him—
Swoosh!
Another arrow streaked through the air. This time, Lucien infused it with mana, accelerating its speed far beyond normal.
The Lesser Spirit sensed danger. At the last second, it tilted its head, narrowly dodging the arrow.
But now, it was Victor's turn.
With swift precision, he swung his greatsword sideways.
BOOM!
A powerful impact sent the Lesser Spirit tumbling backward, its body rolling several times before it finally skidded to a halt—severely wounded.
Elara, now freed from the ice, didn't waste the opportunity.
She dashed forward, her sword glowing with a thick layer of golden mana. Her movements were fluid like water but carried immense force.
Swiiing!
In a single slash, the Lesser Spirit was cleaved in two.
Its glowing blue eyes dimmed, and its body collapsed in two halves.
From the remnants of its mana, a crystalline core began to form, solidifying at its center before emerging onto the surface.
Silence filled the air.
The three of them stood still, catching their breath.
Victor was the first to break the silence. "Our first Core," he said, satisfaction in his tone.
But before they could relish the victory—
Elara suddenly spun around and lunged at Lucien.
Her sword sliced through the air, missing his ear by mere millimeters, leaving a thin cut on his skin.
Lucien didn't move. He knew Elara wasn't actually trying to kill him.
"What do you think you're doing?" Lucien asked, his chin slightly raised.
Elara glared at him. "You think you're better than me? A foolish girl? Who do you think you're talking to?"
Lucien sighed. "I'm just stating the facts. Now, lower your sword."
—
"Hah?" Elara narrowed her eyes, her expression a mix of irritation and disbelief at Lucien's words.
Lucien didn't wait for a further reaction and simply walked past her. "Do you realize that your reckless actions nearly got us all killed?" His tone was cold, leaving no room for argument. "Not only did you lead us into a trap, but you also nearly dragged us into an even worse situation. If you want to throw your life away, be my guest. But don't take Victor and me down with you."
His words were sharp, cutting straight into Elara's pride, making her blood boil.
Technically, what Lucien said about them getting lost wasn't entirely true. Elara had followed the recommended path, and by all logical measures, she hadn't made a mistake in navigation. Lucien knew this but deliberately provoked her. He wanted her to release her frustration now, before they encountered any more threats. If she vented her emotions now, perhaps she could think more clearly in the battles ahead. That was his hope.
"Look around you. Use your head properly for once," he continued, his voice unwavering. "You wasted an absurd amount of mana in just the first encounter. No matter how large your mana reserves are, if you keep acting this recklessly, forget securing first place—you won't even collect enough Cores to stay in the competition. In the end, the so-called strongest among us might just end up being our burden."
Elara clenched her fists tightly, her breath coming in short, ragged bursts of anger.
His words stung. Not because they were cruel, but because they weren't entirely wrong. Deep down, she knew he was right. But her pride refused to accept it so easily. "Bullshit!" she snapped, her voice filled with rage. "I'm far stronger than the two of you! If anything, you're the ones slowing me down!"
Lucien scoffed, his eyes meeting hers with a calm, almost indifferent gaze, as if he had expected that exact response. "Do you think strength alone gives you the right to act however you please? If we hadn't reacted in time, do you really think you'd still be standing here?" He exhaled, shaking his head. "Yes, I acknowledge that you're stronger than both of us. But that doesn't make you better in everything."
He turned, his crimson eyes locking onto hers with an intensity that made her breath hitch. "You have exceptional talent, incredible power, and a prestigious name backing you. But none of that matters if you fail to use them properly. Sooner or later, you'll have to accept one simple truth—failure is not something we can afford in this world. Failure means the end."
His gaze bore into her, and for the first time, Elara shuddered. There was something unsettling in his eyes, something terrifying. Yet beneath that cold, piercing stare, there was also something else—an unspoken sadness.
"Ashthorn, that's enough," Victor finally spoke up, his voice calm but firm after having observed the exchange in silence.
Lucien merely let out a dry chuckle. "Heh. I'm just stating the truth."
Drip.
Without warning, a single tear fell from the corner of Elara's eye. Her lips trembled, her breath hitched. She was crying.
Lucien froze. Something was off. Her reaction is too extreme... His eyes instinctively darted around, as if searching for something.
"I... I didn't make a mistake..." Her voice wavered, barely above a whisper, drowning in her own sobs. "I followed the recommended path... so why? Why did we end up in a trap?"
Her tears came faster now. She tried to wipe them away, but they wouldn't stop.
This was new. This frustration, this suffocating sense of self-doubt—it was unfamiliar. She wasn't just upset about the situation. She was upset with herself.
She was their leader. She was supposed to guide them, to lead them down the right path. Yet instead, she had led them into danger. And worst of all, when she realized it, she had panicked.
From that moment on, every decision she made was laced with hesitation. What if I make another mistake? What if my next choice puts them in even greater danger?
For the first time in her life, Elara Moonveil doubted herself.
She kept crying, whispering the same words over and over again, as if trying to convince herself that she hadn't done anything wrong.
Lucien and Victor remained still, neither of them moving to comfort her. Neither of them tried to stop her.
Ten minutes passed.
Ten long minutes filled only with the sound of quiet sobbing.
No matter how strong she was, at the end of the day, Elara was still just a fourteen-year-old girl—one who was still vulnerable to fear and uncertainty.
—
Inside the Executive Tower of the Academy
Two figures stood in a vast chamber, their eyes fixed on a magic screen displaying Elara's group. Vulcan Draegor and Aldric Valtor had been monitoring the trial from the beginning. They had seen everything—the group entering the trap, unknowingly triggering it, and their subsequent battle with the Lesser Spirit.
And now, the screen reflected nothing but Elara crying in silence.
Vulcan was the first to break the silence, his voice deep and weighted. "Their team name was a special trigger, activating an Emotional Serum spell. This was meant to test how they handle high-pressure situations while under emotional instability. I expected this from Elara Moonveil, but those other two..." His gaze lingered specifically on Lucien. "Tell me, Aldric—what exactly have you been teaching that boy?"
Aldric didn't answer immediately. He stroked his beard, his expression calm yet contemplative. "Not much," he finally said, though it was clear Vulcan was far from satisfied with that response.
Vulcan scoffed, his eyes returning to the screen. "That boy... the way he handled this situation, the way he spoke and thought... that's not something an ordinary child his age should be capable of." His eyes narrowed as he studied Lucien's stance, the way he carried himself. "The look in his eyes... those aren't the eyes of a boy who still has innocence left in him."
Aldric sighed deeply. "Of course not. You know his past as well as I do. What he's been through forced him to grow up far too quickly." His gaze darkened slightly, as if recalling something. "I never pushed him to mature beyond his years. But sometimes, life doesn't give you a choice. And for Lucien, growing up faster might have been the only option he had left."
Vulcan fell silent, letting Aldric's words settle in his mind.
His eyes returned to the screen, now focusing solely on the dark-haired boy standing tall among his teammates.
"That boy is intriguing," he murmured. "His combat ability isn't extraordinary, and his mana reserves are average at best. But... his composure under pressure, the way he strategizes, the way he refuses to let emotions cloud his judgment... That's more than just natural talent." His gaze sharpened. "Now I understand why you took him in."
A smirk tugged at his lips.
"...And, I see he's just as arrogant as his adoptive father."