One Week Later

“Despite saying we were pressed for time, and that we had to hurry… this much had to be done.” I smiled at my comrades.

They were all outfitted in different clothes and Magic Items.

Not only that, but their level of power had drastically risen—thanks to the one-week intensive training we did.

They looked like strangers, compared to their past selves—well, some looked just the same.

In any case, I was proud of how much had been achieved so far.

‘While they were training, I was compiling all my research and developing a route. I’m still not done, but it’s time we begin.’

I had no idea how long the enemy would take in finding out the positions of all the Arcanas, but for it to take me this long when I was simply building upon existing information, they couldn’t have been able to get very far.

“We’ll be going on our very first mission. Legend has it that the Heroes of the past actually challenged this one and they failed.” I said.

In the past, a few of them would have made troubled expressions, but none of my comrades seemed the least bit shaken.

“The true nature of the Arcana is unknown, but one must overcome trials and tribulations in the process of obtaining it.”

It wasn’t easy on them, or me, but we had made it this far.

It was time we began our journey for real.

As we all readied our hearts, I felt a surge within my heart. Watching them all, I realized—

Neron Kaelid

Serah Crimson

Lemi Vindiel

Maro Smith

Aloe Vida

Edward Karl Leon

Anabelle Frederick

Jerry Keller

Ciara Epilson

Maria Helmsworth

Ivan Smith

And finally…

… Asa.

—This was my team.

‘If I add myself, we’re thirteen. That’s more than the Hero Party’s numbers… and we’re definitely surpassing them!’

“Let’s get this show on the road.”

******************

>VWWUUUUUSSHHH<

The blue warbling portal flashed, and then disappeared after bringing us to our destination.

The environment looked like the thick of a jungle, and several tall trees filled the area, nearly blocking out the sun from view.

The vines and dried branches on the ground were trampled upon by the soles of our feet, and the entire environment gave off an eerie vibe.

Thin fog pervaded the area, and there was a massive Mana disturbance everywhere.

If not for my heightened degree of Mana control, I would have been disoriented.

I observed my companions, and I found that they were all fine as well.

‘They’ve all erected a Mana Field… good.’ I looked around once more.

This place wasn’t very strange to me, and that was because I had come here within the past week to scout.

However, even before that, this was the one place that the Hero Party gave up on in the search for the Arcanas.

It bugged me every time, but I knew we couldn’t clear it.

In simple terms, we weren’t strong enough.

“Well, we’re here everyone….welcome to the Labyrinth of Despair.”

Using his Mana, Neron cleared off the fog that surrounded us, creating a massive Mana Field that encapsulated all of ours.

As a result, our vision was restored.

Right in front of us was a very massive monument.

It resembled the stone face of a Dragon, and it had beads around its neck.

However, the neck and head were the only parts visible, as the remaining parts seemed to be buried in the ground.

“There…” I pointed at the gaping mouth of the sculptured Dragon.

It was the entrance to the place we were heading to.

‘Here goes…’

“Should I use Time Immersion?” Neron asked, looking in my direction.

True, if he utilized his very convenient Magic, it would make the work easy for us.

All Neron would have to do was survey the area and show us the right path.

Once that was settled, we would reach our destination in no time.

However…

“No, you can’t.”

… That method was forbidden.

“You can’t use Magic. None of you can… at least, not while we’re in there.”

“E-EHHH?!” The comrades that I had previously praised for being calm and collected were now sounding panicky.

It wasn’t like I couldn’t understand their logic, though.

‘They’ve been training their Magic and several abilities in preparation for this day. To say they can’t use any of that is… well…’

“The purpose of your training isn’t for this Labyrinth, but for the others,” I said calmly.

There was a reason this one was a different case, and why even our team couldn’t resolve it.

“The Labyrinth Of Despair changes with respect to the challenger. It observes those who come into it and offers a challenge that is impossible for their level of strength.”

If a challenger was at the Intermediate Level, it offered a challenge at the Advanced Level. If one was at the Advanced Level, it brought up obstacles that were at the Peak Level.

That was how annoying this place was.

“If Neron uses his Magic, there’s no telling how the Labyrinth will respond. That’s why none of you are also allowed to use Magic. If you do, the difficulty of this place will exponentially increase.” I explained, making sure everyone grasped the implications of their actions.

“So, how do we handle it? If we go in without utilizing Magic, we’ll be safe, right?”

‘If only that was the case…’ I smiled wryly.

“No. It’s still plenty difficult. Even without using Magic, the Labyrinth is impossible to beat.”

That was why it was called The Labyrinth Of Despair. No matter what we tried, nothing seemed to work.

“How do you expect us to win, then? If it just gives us challenges that are impossible to overcome, we’ll never win.” Ana chimed in, now looking annoyed by the whole thing.

pa(nd)a no vel “Relax. I didn’t say we can’t win.”

“But isn’t that what you’re implying?”

Well, maybe I put things too much in a pessimistic view.

‘I must have been reliving the past frustrations I had with this place…’

“There is actually a way to overcome this place. That’s why I had us challenge it first.”

It seemed like the most difficult place, but, if my plan was correct, then…

“This could potentially be the easiest one yet.”