The hound extermination crew sprinted along the winding forest path, paying no heed to the bedazzling array of flowers and the mosaic of wood, leaves, and vines that adorned their route.

“The closest exit is approximately a kilometer away. The next is three kilometers, and the one after that is seven kilometers. How should we decide who goes first?” Zara inquired mentally.

“I'll take the last one; you guys can decide amongst yourselves who takes the first and second,” Scott murmured.

“Are you sure, buddy?” Slim questioned, almost turning toward the eldritch knight.

“It doesn’t matter to me. I’m confident I can escape in any order,” Scott explained.

“In that case, I’ll follow after our dear leader,” Slim declared.

“Thank you,” Zara replied softly. Although Scott and Slim weren't obligated to choose the subsequent exits, they did so voluntarily. Zara had no intention of refusing their goodwill; after all, rejecting it would be akin to insulting them.

“Slim, how much time can your summons buy for us?” Zara shifted the topic as the trio reached another bend.

“Five to ten minutes at most. They can't do much since we aren’t allowed to fight,” Slim explained. The necromancer's gait resembled that of a galloping horse, seemingly bouncing with each step.

“That's more than enough time. We only need to... guys, stop!” Scott abruptly halted, forcing the others to do the same.

Zara and Slim ceased their movements without hesitation. The feline brawler turned toward the masked man, asking, “What's going on?”

Scott pointed ahead. “There's something over there.”

Zara and Slim followed Scott’s outstretched finger, but their eyes failed to discern anything out of the ordinary. Yet, having spent enough time with Scott, they knew he possessed the ability to perceive things that eluded others.

“Is there some kind of enemy ahead?” Zara questioned anxiously, casting wary glances over her shoulders. Even though faint, the distant echoes of explosions and screams underscored the urgency of their situation.

“No,” Scott replied, shaking his head. A frown etched his lips as he explained, “It's not an enemy, but there's something unsettling about that spot. It's almost as if the ground is emitting reddish fumes.”

Unlike the other segments of the winding path, an imperceptible ruby haze tainted a stretch of the road, yet to Slim and Zara, it appeared no different from the surrounding weedy pathway.

Turning their attention back to the path ahead, Slim and Zara strained their eyes, but the elusive phenomenon remained invisible.

“What should we do now?” Slim inquired, a sigh escaping his lips.

“Let's find cover and observe. It's inevitable that someone else will come this way,” Scott suggested. “We can witness what happens when they cross it.”

“That's a good idea. Let's head into the bushes,” Zara suggested, lazily approaching the surrounding foliage. Scott and Slim each found their own concealed spots, the trio skillfully blending into the dense vegetation.

“I wonder what will happen when someone crosses that place,” Slim mused over the party channel.

“That's not the important part. You should hope whatever's there vanishes as soon as someone crosses it; otherwise, we're going to be in a lot of trouble,” Zara advised.

Scott silently concurred with the feline brawler. The only thing that mattered was the disappearance of the ruby haze; everything else was inconsequential.

The trio remained in their respective positions; their gazes fixed on the path they had taken. Minutes passed, and in a flash, six minutes breezed by, yet no other party revealed itself. The hound extermination crew continued their vigilant observation of the road, making minimal movements in their concealed spots. Ten minutes later, footsteps echoed, and the unmistakable scent of fresh blood permeated the air. A group of three, clad in blackened armor, emerged from the other side of the winding road, their darkened attire adorned with a gruesome mix of fresh and dried blood.

I knew these guys would be first to arrive. They should be decent guinea pigs to test whatever the hell that is, Scott thought as he focused on the ruby mist being emitted from the ground.

The oblivious berserkers sprinted with unrestrained force, swiftly surpassing the location where the hound extermination crew lay concealed. The trio hidden amidst the foliage maintained their focus on the approaching berserkers, eager to witness the outcome upon reaching the coordinates Scott had divulged.

Despite their relentless sprint, the berserkers remained alert, cautiously scanning their surroundings. The forceful gusts of wind and the echoes of exploding trees diverted their attention, preventing them from detecting the concealed figures lurking within the bushes. As they reached the mist-laden spot indicated by Scott, a palpable tension filled the air, yet nothing transpired.

Contrastingly, the hound extermination crew persisted in their immobility. A minute elapsed, and the berserkers traversed the designated path unscathed, disappearing around the subsequent winding bend.

Apart from the haze attaching itself to their bodies, nothing happened. Scott frowned behind his mask. Was I being overly cautious?

Shortly after the berserkers departed, a new set of footsteps reverberated through the air. Another group materialized, a six-man party dashing through the ruby haze. Once again, a portion of the mist clung to the group members before they vanished into the next path.

“Buddy, should we go next?” Slim inquired.

“Not yet,” Scott replied. He took a moment to contemplate before fixing his gaze on the spot where the skeleton concealed itself. “Can you summon one of your boys? Let’s have them test it out.”

Find this and other great novels on the author's preferred platform. Support original creators!

“Sure thing. I wonder why we didn’t think of that earlier,” Slim chuckled, summoning Rattlebones. The skeleton emerged from the ground and sprinted ahead.

“Slim, have him reach the end of the road and come back to meet us,” Scott instructed.

“No problem, but why, though?” Slim queried.

“I have a hunch, but I’m not certain yet. If he comes back, I’ll know it’s nonsense. If not, well, let’s hope it doesn’t get to that,” Scott said.

Scott, Zara, and Slim observed intently as the skeleton strode forward without any delay, soon disappearing into the next path.

“Huh? Slim, why did you let him keep going?” Zara asked, turning toward the skeleton.

“He didn’t,” Scott answered before the necromancer. “It’s possible he lost connection with him. Isn’t that, right?”

“Yeah. My connection was severed as soon as he got to that spot,” Slim said, pointing toward an uninspiring section of the road. “I don’t know what happened, but I can sense Rattlebones was sent somewhere else.”

“Sent somewhere else? Where would—” Zara suddenly paused, a certain thought entering her mind. At that same moment, a certain realization dawned on Slim, too.

“I had a feeling that’s the maze’s trigger,” Scott said with an unseen frown. “It’s likely Rattlebones and the others were sent back to the starting point.”

“I'd been wondering how the maze would function in reality, and now I see,” Zara muttered, her gaze fixed on the path ahead. “Without your warning, we'd be clueless about the issue. This trial is going to be more mentally draining than the previous ones,” the brawler commented, a frown creasing her forehead.

“Slim, how many seconds did it take for you to lose connection with Rattlebones?” Scott inquired.

“Fifteen seconds. Just as he took a turn,” Slim replied, staring at the masked knight. “Why do you ask, though?”

“With a fifteen-second timeframe, it will be tricky for most people to pinpoint the exact problematic location,” Scott explained. The half-human opened his mouth again, but a sudden series of footsteps cut him off.

A new set of champions emerged, this time a group of lizardmen. They charged through the unseen misty region, swiftly disappearing toward another path.

“Should we consider taking a different path?” Zara pondered, gazing through the thick bushes. She believed they might emerge at one of the neighboring paths if they crossed the forest.

“I think that's a viable plan, but it should be our last resort if we can't figure out a way to cross that barrier,” Slim suggested, glancing at Scott. “What do you think, buddy?”

Scott exhaled deeply, turning away from the hazy fog. “I believe that's our only option right now. The mist cuts across the forest, so there's no sneaking around it. It extends to the skies as well. There's a possibility it goes underground too, but there's no point in considering that.”

“Let's go then; there's no point in wasting time here,” Zara proposed.

“Wait a moment,” Scott said. “Slim, can you send another summon to check if there are any obstacles along the way?”

“Sure, sure, let’s do that,” Slim said. Ossie shot out of the ground, and the suave skeleton sprinted deeper across the bush, racing toward the next path.

“Let us know if you notice anything out of the ordinary,” Scott suggested.

Slim agreed with a nod, whispering inaudible chants that neither Scott nor Zara could decipher. Several more groups passed through the same location, but the hiding trio paid them no mind. Instead, they all awaited the outcome of Ossie’s reconnaissance mission.

Ten minutes later, Slim turned excitedly toward the duo. “He made it through without any problems,” the necromancer announced.

Zara sighed softly, her tensed brows relaxing. However, Scott’s frown hadn’t disappeared.

“Ask him to go deeper; I want to confirm something. Summon the others and instruct them to investigate the other paths, using the bushes to cut across them,” Scott said.

Although curious, Slim silently summoned Ivory, Necrobone, and Marrow. He relayed their instructions mentally, and the refined skeletons hurried to accomplish their task.

“Has your connection with Rattlebones been restored?” Scott suddenly asked.

“Funny you’d say that; I was just about to mention it,” Slim said, staring at Scott with incredulity. He was starting to believe Scott’s eyes were far more powerful than he could ever imagine.

“Summon him here and ask him to choose another path too,” Scott said.

Slim nodded, and in a flash, Rattlebones resurfaced from the ground, once again running to complete his task.

“Are you going to tell us your plan now?” Zara asked.

With five summons occupying five of the seven paths, and the group positioned on one of the last two, only one path remained untouched. Although they had their guesses, they couldn't discern why Scott had instructed the summons to explore the other paths.

“It's not like I'm purposely trying to hide things from you guys. I'm just not certain if my theories are correct,” Scott said, reaching for a small stick. “If I'm right, then this trial is going to be more complicated than I thought. We'll...” Scott paused midway, a series of ear-deafening roars cutting off his words.

He turned instantly toward Slim, whose features had turned hideous.

Fuck, it seems what I was dreading is going to happen, Scott thought to himself.

“What happened?” Zara asked, also noticing the changes in the necromancer's expression.

“Those creatures appeared from nowhere and started chasing after my boys. Marrow couldn't escape in time, so he got shattered. Ivory ran at full speed, but he suddenly got tossed over a thousand feet into the air. Rattlebones fell into a sudden sinkhole, and Necrobone simply disappeared after passing through what seemed to be rain. Ossie stepped on a simple small puddle, but it consumed him,” Slim explained in one breath.

“If my guess is right, your connection should be restored soon, and they will all be waiting in the safe zone, except for Marrow, of course. You'll probably have to resummon him,” Scott said.

Zara and Slim exchanged glances, a silent understanding passing between them.

The berserkers and several other champions retraced their steps along the same path, vanishing once again after rounding the next bend.

As seconds turned into minutes, Slim turned his attention back to Scott. “You were right. They've all returned to the starting point.”

“What should we do now?” Zara inquired.

Scott pondered for a moment, his eyes lighting up with an idea. “Slim, can you summon Marrow again? I want to test out a theory.”

Slim nodded, and the necromancer conjured the skeleton once more.

“I'm sorry we're treating you this way, but can you help us one more time?” Scott asked, pointing towards the mist-shrouded section of the road. He retrieved a snow-white crystal from his inventory, tossing it over to the skeleton. “That should assist you, I believe.”

“You believe?” Marrow scowled at the man, then sighed before charging out of the bush. The skeleton reached the patch in a flash, crossing the twenty-foot section in seconds. Scott focused on the snow-white elemental shard; unlike before, its pristine exterior had been stained with a tinge of ruby.

“Slim, is your connection still intact?” Scott asked urgently.

“Yes, and it's not showing any signs of breaking,” the skeleton responded.

“Ask him to move even further,” Scott instructed.

Slim relayed the message, and Marrow disappeared down the winding path. Scott and Zara fixed their attention on the necromancer. “Still connected?” Scott asked.

Slim nodded, his excitement unconcealed. “What about the elemental shard?” Zara suddenly inquired.

“It shattered, but Marrow is fine. The path ahead is weird, though,” Slim explained.

“How weird?” Scott queried. The loss of the elemental shard didn’t concern him much, considering the abundance they had amassed from selling information about the maps. However, a stranger terrain could spell more trouble for them.

“It’s something you’ll have to see to understand. I don’t know how I’m supposed to explain it,” Slim replied.

Scott and Zara exchanged glances, and silently, the trio retrieved one elemental shard from their inventory before emerging from their hiding spots. Without hesitation, they charged through the ruby mist, arriving at the spot where Marrow waited. The transformed elemental shards shattered in the hands of the champions, but their bulging eyes remained fixed on the path ahead.

Scott frowned behind his mask, and his lips parted ever so slightly. “How are we even supposed to cross this?”