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The labyrinth continued to change, the walls twisting and reshaping with every few steps, as if it had a will of its own. Erik led the way cautiously, his earth magic acting as both defense and map. Alina and Zara flanked our sides, ever-watchful. I lingered behind my senses on high alert, knowing this was only the beginning of the labyrinth's challenges.

The deeper we ventured, the more distorted reality became. Occasionally, I felt like I was walking on air, only to be pulled back to solid ground by sheer will. The magical pressure was increasing with every step, pushing against my mind. Yet, amidst the discomfort, I couldn't shake a strange sense of familiarity with the place.

"Anyone else feels like the walls are watching us?" Alina mused, her voice attempting to lighten the oppressive mood.

Zara glanced over her shoulder at me, her gaze thoughtful. "It's not just the walls. The magic here feels alive, sentient even."

Erik grunted in agreement, wiping sweat from his brow. "Yeah, I've been sensing that too. It's like the labyrinth is trying to test more than just our strength."

So they noticed~ Surprising but not unpleasant...

Actually what they are feeling is the gaze of the labyrinth sentient which might be preparing tough challenges for us, Due to me being much more powerful than anyone else in this labyrinth and the pre-programmed obstacles might not be enough to truly challenge me. The labyrinth itself could be adjusting its difficulty, sensing my power, and adapting accordingly.

I could feel it shifting, not just in the physical sense, but in its very essence. It was preparing something... bigger, something far more dangerous.

But of course, its upper limit is still Fifth Circle Mage, which is too much for all the participants. Well except me...

I smiled externally at Erik's comment while, my hand remained on the hilt of my blade, ready for whatever was next. The labyrinth's sentience was becoming more apparent, its magic reacting not just to our movements, but to our emotions, fears, and even our intentions. It was almost like it could read us—our strengths, weaknesses, and desires.

"I wouldn't be surprised if it throws something more... tailored at us soon," I remarked, my voice casual but laced with the understanding that I might be the catalyst for whatever new challenge awaited. Erik looked back at me with a raised brow but didn't question it. He had come to trust my instincts, even if he didn't fully understand the extent of my abilities.

Alina, always the first to speak up, glanced at me curiously. "Tailored? What do you mean by that?"

I shrugged, not wanting to reveal too much. "Just a feeling. This place is more alive than we think. It's learning from us."

Zara nodded, her pragmatic mind quickly catching on. "Which means the deeper we go, the harder it's going to get. We need to be ready for anything."

The atmosphere grew heavier with that realization, but there was no turning back. We pressed forward, the corridors narrowing, twisting, then suddenly opening into a vast chamber. The room was bathed in an eerie green light, shadows dancing on the walls from an unknown source. At the center, a massive stone door stood, carved with ancient runes that pulsed with energy.

Erik stepped forward cautiously, examining the door. "This is it. The next trial."

Alina crossed her arms, staring at the door with a mix of frustration and excitement. "So what now? Another puzzle, or are we fighting something this time?"

Zara's fingers traced the runes on the door, her brow furrowed. "These are different from the ones we've seen so far. More intricate. I think it's a combination of both."

I stayed back, observing their interactions while my senses reached out to the room. The magical energy was palpable, but there was something else—something hiding just beneath the surface. I closed my eyes briefly, letting the labyrinth's presence wash over me. And then I felt it—a ripple of power, far stronger than anything we had encountered so far.

"They're coming," I said quietly.

Erik's head snapped up. "What is?"

Before I could answer, the ground beneath us trembled. The walls of the chamber shifted, and from the shadows, figures began to emerge—dark, twisted forms that looked vaguely humanoid, but distorted as if they were reflections in a broken mirror.

"Looks like we're about to find out," Alina muttered, drawing her weapon as the creatures surrounded us.

Erik slammed his fist into the ground, causing a wall of earth to rise between us and the advancing creatures. "We need to form a strategy!"

Alina smirked, her blade igniting with fire. "How about we just hit them really hard?"

Zara shot her a look but didn't disagree, summoning her own magic, a shimmering barrier forming around us. "Just don't get reckless."

I couldn't help but smile at their banter, even in the face of danger. But my focus remained on the creatures. They weren't ordinary monsters—no, they were constructs of the labyrinth itself, fueled by its sentience, and they were coming for us with intent.

"Well-"

"NO! You will not take this moment from me!" Alina shouted as her fiery blade cleaved through one of the twisted forms. Her movements were precise, but wild with determination, as if her words weren't just directed at the creatures but at the labyrinth itself.

The creatures were relentless, surging forward despite the wall Erik had raised. Their twisted, shadowed forms moved unnaturally as if each step was an echo of something broken. They seemed to melt into the shadows and reappear closer, making it hard to predict their movements.

Erik gritted his teeth, reinforcing his earth wall with another layer. "These things are getting through way too fast. Samael, any idea what we're dealing with?"

"Okay, you can switch to offense while leaving your back to Zara. You don't mind right?" I asked, glancing at Zara, who nodded with a calm determination.

"Not at all," she replied, focusing her energy on fortifying the shimmering barrier around us.

Erik gave a quick nod and shifted his stance, his earth magic transitioning from defensive walls to jagged spikes that erupted from the ground, aiming to impale the creatures. "Let's see if they can handle this."

As the spikes shot upward, a few of the shadowy figures dissipated, but others dodged unnaturally, bending their bodies in impossible angles. They moved more like phantoms than physical beings.

"Looks like they're adapting," Zara noted, her eyes narrowed as she tightened the barrier.

"Then we'll just have to outpace them," I said, stepping forward. "Erik, keep them grounded. Alina, strike fast and keep moving. I'll handle the rest."

Alina's smirk widened as flames danced along her blade. "Now we're talking!" She charged ahead, her movements fluid and aggressive, slicing through the twisted figures with burning precision.

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Erik focused his magic, the ground beneath the creatures' feet shifting and warping, making it difficult for them to maintain their erratic movements. "On it! Keep them in one place and let Alina and Samael take them down!"

As I moved forward, the labyrinth's presence grew stronger in my mind. It was no longer just a place—it was watching, reacting, testing. The creatures were merely extensions of its will, designed to probe our weaknesses. But what it didn't anticipate was that I had seen through its intentions.

Time to show it what happens when you try to outplay me.

I focused my magic, calling upon the affinity for Nature. Letting the

power flow through me, I extended my senses and summoned Nature's Embrace. Vines and roots burst forth from the ground, wrapping around the shadowy figures, restraining them in place. The labyrinth's sentience seemed to recoil, as if it hadn't expected such a countermeasure.

"This should slow them down," I said, grinning as the twisted forms struggled against the natural restraints.

Alina took advantage of the opening, her blade sweeping through the restrained creatures with a blazing fury. Each strike ignited the shadows, leaving nothing but smoldering remnants.

Erik's earth spikes continued to rise and fall, impaling any creature that tried to escape the vines. His control over the ground was precise, minimizing the risk to us while maximizing damage to the enemies.

Zara's barrier held strong, though the effort required was clearly taxing. She kept her focus sharp, adjusting the barrier's strength as needed to block any attacks that came through.

"We're making progress," Zara called out, her voice steady despite the strain. "But it feels like there's still something else coming."

I nodded, my eyes scanning the chamber. The core I had seen earlier was still pulsating, its magical energy seeming to intensify with each moment. The labyrinth wasn't finished with us yet.

"I agree," I said. "We need to keep moving. There's something behind this trial, and I have a feeling it's more than just these creatures."

Just as I spoke, the green light in the chamber flared brighter. The massive stone door at the center of the room began to shift, revealing an intricate lock mechanism. The runes on the door glowed fiercely, resonating with the same energy we had been encountering.

The creatures' attacks became more desperate as if sensing their time was running out. Their forms twisted and writhed, trying to escape the vines and spikes. The labyrinth seemed to be pushing them harder, reinforcing their numbers and strength in a last-ditch effort to overwhelm us.

.

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[To Be Continued]

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