Chapter 31: Beginning of the Chaos (2)
Meanwhile—one hour before the Great Labyrinth Quake.
“Hm-hmm-hmm~”
Gale hummed a tune as he tightly bound the limbs of the defeated.
And why wouldn’t he be in high spirits? The operation had played out perfectly, just as planned!
‘Really, things turned out exactly like that brown-haired brat said.’
Gale glanced over at Abito and suddenly recalled the conversation they’d had the night before.
—Right now, we’ve been lucky enough to secure the three essentials for survival on the very first day. Water, food, and comrades.
—But I wonder... have any of the other examinees managed even one of those?
Abito had grinned as he spoke.
—So let’s wait quietly from today until maybe halfway through tomorrow. Until the bloodthirsty examinees bite and tear each other apart in mutual destruction.
—Wow... you sure know how to say some savage stuff with that sweet, innocent face.
—Ahaha! That’s my charm, isn’t it?
—I don’t think that’s really a compliment, Abito.
Their chatter had only lasted a moment before shifting to strategy.
—The team we should target first is the beastkin and minority alliance team. I’d bet 99% they’ve banded together.
—…I know you’re smart, but are you really that confident? They could’ve split up and joined other teams, no?
Sercia voiced her doubt, but Abito remained firm.
—No, I can say with certainty they wouldn’t. Because… there’s no one else they could mix with.
And sure enough—
—They’ll be the first to strike out at others. They're all strong enough to be considered top hunter candidates, after all. Their stats are way above your average examinee.
The next day, Gale’s group spotted the beastkin and minority alliance team, their designated target.
—This place is probably their hideout. Coincidentally, it’s where Timur and I first dropped into the labyrinth. There are thick shadows here—perfect for hiding.
And it was exactly the spot Abito had predicted.
—But why are they easy targets if they’re strong? Isn’t it common sense to take out the strongest last?
—Exactly. But… think about it from the other side.
—The other side?
—Strong ones usually have their information out in the open, right? What kind of personality they have, what weapons they use, what kind of magic they possess… All those little details add up to a weakness.
Abito smiled sweetly.
But that smile sent an eerie chill down Gale’s spine.
—I remember everything about them.
—……
—So doesn’t that make the strong the easiest to take down? If we already know all their weak points?
At that moment, Gale had a vision—this boy, barely half his size, looked ten times larger.
—Now then… I’ll explain the operation. I know their coordinates. First, we teleport using Miss Sercia’s spatial magic, then I’ll erase our presence entirely with my rune magic! It only lasts five minutes, so we’ll need to make those minutes count. After that, it’s critical—we’ll each take on a designated opponent.
Batan, the golemancer, was a quarter giant. Though large in build, he lacked any real close-combat ability.
So his opponent would be—
“Maldor—! I, Timur of the Eltar tribe, shall face you!”
Timur, with his immense physical strength, could shatter golems and press in on the enemy’s territory through sheer force.
Natuia, the merfolk spearwoman, possessed exceptional skill fitting of a spear master.
But even after being on land for some time, she still hadn’t fully adapted to human legs—leaving her vulnerable to fast, close-range assaults.
Her opponent—
“Come on, give me more of a challenge! I haven’t even warmed up yet!”
Gale, skilled in both ranged and close-quarters combat, with agility and veteran experience.
Frau, the kangaroo hybrid martial artist, was a master of close combat with powerful boxing and leaping ability.
However, she had no way of countering ranged attacks.
Her opponent—
“I’ll take her!”
Abito, a rune magician capable of manipulating long-range magic at will.
And lastly, Melasa, of the witch lineage—the most dangerous of all.
She used the mysterious power of curses and seemed to have no discernible weaknesses.
So her opponent—
“I was kind of hoping I’d get the perfect match…”
Would be Sercia, the all-round mage capable of adapting to any situation.
“This is disappointing. Miss Melasa, you’re not entirely without a weakness, are you?”
“Ugh…”
Clack!
Sercia stepped behind Melasa—who had been stirring a potion even while being ambushed—and pressed a magic gun to her head.
From there, the battle ended swiftly.
“Ggh... You exploited our weaknesses?! Don’t you feel any shame, doing that as a fellow warrior?!”
Frau’s furious cry rang out as she was bound, but Gale just nonchalantly picked his ear.
“What are you babbling about? Winning’s all that matters.”
And he wasn’t wrong. It was an exam—winning was the whole point.
After securely binding the five of them, Gale and the others took out toy water guns and sprayed them.
The special solution inside soaked into their bodies.
[Victory confirmed for Gale Garav and three others!]
[Defeat confirmed for Batan and four others!]
[Scores will now be updated based on points earned!]
The Mediale system officially recognized the outcome.
“Okay! That’s points secured... now what do we do with them?”
“Mm-mph!”
“Mmmgh!”
The five bound examinees couldn’t move a muscle thanks to Sercia’s binding magic.
“Hm. Timur, this is a bit of a dilemma.”
“Let’s just stash them in a corner until the exam ends. Miss Sercia, will that be okay?”
“Of course. This is no big deal. Binding spells don’t require that much mana… and strangely enough, my mana is recovering fast here.”
Sercia opened and closed her hand repeatedly, her expression curious.
“Something’s... off about this place.”
“Huh? What do you mean, Miss Sercia?”
Abito asked.
“You don’t feel it, Abito?”
“Ah, I’m not a trained mage, so…”
“What? Then that rune magic of yours...?”
Abito raised a hand and summoned letters into the air in strange, magical shapes.
Floating glyphs shimmered before them.
“This is my unique magic. I can just use it.”
Unlike the basic spells taught in magic towers or academies, unique magic was inherited by blood.
People with unique magic didn’t need formal training to use it.
“Ah, I see. Then you probably wouldn’t notice the flow of mana in this space.”
Sercia’s eyes darkened as she examined their surroundings.
The flow of mana here was… bizarre.
“...It’s thick. Too thick.”
Magic existed everywhere—in cities, towns, forests, rivers, mountains, and snowy peaks.
There was no such thing as a place without mana. That was a certainty.
“No matter how ancient this labyrinth is, this isn’t normal. Other parts of the labyrinth weren’t like this.”
Just like how overly pure water can’t support life, excessive mana was unnatural too.
This was a density you’d only find in a high-grade mana crystal mine.
It was overwhelmingly pure.
“But more than that… it reeks.”
Sercia quickly pulled out a handkerchief and covered her nose.
It was a nauseating stench—like rotting corpses mixed with blood.
Mana with a stench? She had never experienced such a thing before.
“Well, maybe it’s because of that massacre earlier?”
Gale scratched his head, still not fully grasping the problem.
Indeed, there were bodies strewn about from the earlier fight—that seemed a reasonable conclusion to him.
After all, as a mana user, he wasn’t as sensitive to mana as mages were.
“No. It’s not that. This is…”
She shook her head, her expression grim.
“The smell of mana.”
“The smell of mana.”
The voice overlapped with hers.
…And it definitely wasn’t from their group!
“You’ve got quite the nose, young lady.”
“…?!”
“Who’s there?!”
Suddenly, a man dropped from the air.
A man with deep green hair, clad in a heavy robe.
“That a young and talented mage like you would be here… What a waste. Especially since you had to meet me here.”
He carried a staff woven from thick tree roots.
The symbol of the Gnaude tribe, who lived in harmony with nature.
“Zeraphe Gnaude!”
Abito screamed the name in horror.
He bit his lip hard.
“Why now, of all times...?!”
He had judged Sercia Edelweiss to be stronger than Zeraphe Gnaude—
…Not in current ability, but in future potential.
“Hmm. The five bound over there... and the four of you. So, you’re the last ones left.”
Mages grow stronger with time. That was the universally accepted truth.
Zeraphe Gnaude is 54. Sercia Edelweiss is 22.
There was only one known exception to that rule—at least from what Abito knew.
The Black Special-Class Hunter.
To overcome that time gap, you’d have to be a once-in-a-generation genius destined for the history books.
Sercia was brilliant, yes—but was she yet that brilliant?
Not yet.
Someday, she might surpass even that legend. But not now.
Even though Zeraphe hadn’t made a move, the oppressive force he exuded was overwhelming—as if facing a high-tier demon.
Could all four of us together even beat him?
Abito ran calculations in his head and made a snap judgment.
No.
Then what was the most effective course of action?
The only remaining method that gives us the best chance of survival is…
Having finished his calculations, he dropped to his knees and gave a pitiful smile.
“Abito!”
“…You!”
Timur and Sercia shouted in shock, but Abito stared only at Zeraphe.
“I surrender. Take all the points you want.”
“Oh?”
“So please, I beg you—spare our lives. I still have things I need to do…!”
His desperate plea, spoken with a trembling voice, was enough to make even the listeners curious—what was it he needed to do?
But unfortunately, his gambit failed.
“…Regrettable.”
BOOM!
A powerful surge of magic condensed from Zeraphe and blasted Abito.
“—Kuh!”
His small body flew like a rag doll, slamming hard against the labyrinth wall.
He spat blood and collapsed helplessly.
“Abitooo!”
Timur screamed.
He rushed forward, but was immediately restrained by Zeraphe’s next attack.
“I always intended to remove all nuisances. Points are meaningless to me.”
Crack! Crunch!
Massive tree roots burst from the labyrinth floor.
“I never intended to become a Hunter in the first place!”
SWOOSH!
The roots went wild—striking at Gale’s party in a frenzy.