[Nowo's POV] This land never fails to surprise me. I thought monsters only existed in books and that there was nothing to worry about since those were all a bunch of letters written on pages. But then, they kept showing in front of me, and this made me feel terrified. Lane and Talaa were captured by an unknown flying beast. Their appearances were somewhat blurry due to the thick dark smoke conquering the whole forest, but then the moment they started flapping their wings, the smoke began to disperse. The two little fairies were both trapped inside the long claws of a half-bird, half-woman creature. "H-help," Lane uttered as they gave us a grimace of pain. As the flying creature came near us, another two appeared behind her. Their eyes were wide-opened, which made me think that they do have a clear sight in this wide and gloomy area. Their faces were wrinkled, and they do have the creepiest smile I've ever seen here in this land. "Moha," I called him and was about to spill a few mo
[Narrator’s POV]There is nothing more entertaining for the headmaster than being able to watch all the orphans clearly with the help of Arphen’s magic. He is fully amazed by how they solved their obstacles with their bare hands and minds. Jack used his spear and his own strength to forcefully free himself from the trap, and Blaze, on the other hand, couldn't do the same thing because her weapon isn't capable of that. She made herself as light as possible, moved to the side where she saw a branch, and quickly reached it. In the end, despite the trouble, their pride still won, and Arphen shook his head as a sign of disappointment."I'm amazed at how these two overcame their situation. They are both skilled to be a pair.""I agree, my king. They are both skilled; however, there are no signs of unity," Arphen commented.Alasdair nodded after he realized what his loyal comrade was trying to teach this pair.As for the next pair, Cordelia and Helios kept on walking two meters away from eac
[Narrator's POV]They couldn't describe the raging happiness creeping inside their bodies the moment they all reach the end of the forest. Their once bowed shoulders and shaking limbs turned into their normal places and movements. They all felt like the energy they had lost during the troubles they faced inside the dark forest already came back.At the end of the dangerous path, another entrance to a weird destination appeared. A familiar place where they had all seen before.The labyrinth.Who would've enjoyed being trapped in a huge labyrinth that is covered not just by normal plant walls, but creepy-looking huge walls with sharp thorns? They could hear a lot of weird noises from where they are all currently standing. The sounds can be described as wailing creatures, which came after the loud growl of a seemingly wild monster. Fear started to creep on their bodies after taking a step towards the dark entrance of the labyrinth. The strong, howling wind gave them goosebumps and even m
[Narrator's POV] A long time ago, there was a group of male sinners, also called cursed humans, who had been altered by the Gods to transform into evil giants with fur-covered bodies, bull-like heads, and tails. These monsters, born from the arrogance of man towards the Gods, came to be known as Minotaurs or the Monsters of the Labyrinths. Five of them found themselves trapped inside the confusing structures created by Poseidon, where five pairs were currently walking through. "To kill is to live" was their belief, and they eagerly awaited the arrival of the defenders to satisfy their hunger. Meanwhile, three pairs, including Nowo and Moha, Helios and Cordelia, as well as Raiden and Fraise, were nearing the center of the labyrinth. Here, they needed to fight and defeat the monster to pass through to the other side of the death circle. The incredible force emanating from the center pulled them closer, and as they approached, strange sounds grew louder. "What is that creature?" asked
[Narrator's POV]Helios couldn't believe that Cordelia's seemingly simple suggestion would lead them to success. With nothing but their bare hands, they wrested the hammer away from the beast and used it to crush him. Lifting the heavy hammer, they felt as if their wrists were about to be ripped off."Damn. That was heavy," Helios exclaimed while stretching his long arms."See? I told you! It will work!" she joyfully uttered with sparkling eyes. Helios nodded. "Yes. You did well." He agreed and smiled at her. He patted her head while complimenting the female orphan.Cordelia smiled at him and suddenly ran towards the beast weapon. "Can I keep it?" She asked while jumping out of excitement."No." He firmly insisted.After the Minotaur fell lifeless, they started to walk and searched for their missing spear and sword. Their unexpected success surprised the headmaster as well as Arphen. Even though they knew the two would still pass through the labyrinth, they never expected Cordelia’s
[Narrator's POV]Except for pairs like Frisia and Raiden, the practicality shows that only close-range and big weapons can defeat a huge and strong enemy in an urgent way. Without cooperation, Blaze wouldn’t win against Jack, since it takes a lot of concentration for a slingshot user to hit a certain target with enough force. The enemy moves in different directions every single time, which is really challenging and difficult on Blaze's side. Due to this fact, the spear-user, Jack, won the said competition. He smiled at the thought that his calculations didn’t disappoint him. He knew from the very beginning that Blaze would find it hard to land her silver ammo on the beast’s body, but then because of her pride, she accepted the deal without thinking of the possible outcome. “What now, rude princess?” He teased her followed by a loud laugh. “Or should I say, my slave?”Blaze rolled her eyes and said, “Among all the dogs I’ve encountered, your barks are the most horrible.”Instead of lo
[Narrator’s POV] Amidst the echoes of Alasdair's enigmatic departure, Arphen found himself immersed in a sea of questions. The defenders, nearing the culmination of their second stage, faced uncertainties about the formidable creatures lurking in the hunters' mountain. Were these challenges more perilous than the Minotaur encountered in the labyrinth? Would their collective strength endure the dangers ahead? As the defenders stood on the precipice of the unknown, only their journey would unfold the answers, revealing the secrets concealed within the shadows of the impending trials. “What happened?” Arphen heard Alasdair’s voice, which made him tilt his head and stare at him with a frown. “Where did you go, your majesty? I went out looking for you, but then I found out that you weren’t in any part of this base,” he babbled. “It’s nothing important, Arphen. How’s the defenders?” He asked as he walked near his loyal comrade. Arphen took a deep breath and responded, “Some of them al
[Nowo’s POV] We ended up accepting the dwarves’ offer because we simply didn’t have any choice but to do so, or else we would end up being stuck here on the slope of the mountain. The dwarves' base was nicely hidden inside the huge tree. There was a big hole at the center of it, and after they cast some magic words, boom, we were now inside. I even thought our height would shrink, but it never changed. This land never failed to show me different, amazing things. “We’re like a family with lots of children,” he grinned. Those words left a different impact on me, though I knew he was just trying to tell a joke. Still, it felt weird. “Shut up, Moha,” I flushed. I was about to hit his head, but then, “Hey. I was just kidding,” he interrupted. Moha’s personality these past few days has been so unpredictable. There were times he didn’t want to speak to me and even pushed me away, and now, he keeps on teasing me as if seeing me in such embarrassment satisfies him. “You have such a beautif