Emptiness

Eunice and Oliver, frantic, continued to run forward, fleeing from the monster chasing after them. There were clearly forks in the road, but for some reason, one entrance was blocked by vines, leaving only one path to choose.

Entering another passage, the Muzeion team, looking bewildered and holding their weapons, spotted Eunice and Oliver approaching and waved as if glad to see them.

,Hey, Elassium-

,Shut up and run…!!!

Eunice didn’t have the luxury of a friendly reply, so she shouted, tasting blood in her mouth. It was only a few seconds before the bewildered Muzeion team grasped the situation and joined the run.

,Shit, what the hell is that…!

,Hek, hek… I don’t know either!!!

Eunice felt like her lungs were about to burst. She couldn’t remember the last time she had run this crazily, except when she was a child.

Once again, a fork in the labyrinth appeared, but this time too, the left passage was blocked by huge vines. With the monster about to trample them in its frenzy, the only option was the right passage.

As they entered it, they heard the sound of monsters behind them, unable to control their speed, crashing into the wall. Leaving behind the gruesome sound of something exploding, they continued to run and met the Arcadia team, who were examining a box.

,Huh? Why are you guys coming here?

,Shut up and run!!!

Oliver shouted in place of Eunice, who had no strength left to speak. The Arcadia team, who had been tilting their heads with dumbfounded expressions, eventually joined the run as well.

,Wait, wait…! This is the way we came!

Eunice replied with an annoyed voice to the Arcadia chief’s voice coming from behind.

,So… what the hell do you want me to do about it!

Nothing is more annoying than someone talking bullshit next to you when you’re about to die from exhaustion. But everyone reflexively had to stop running at the answer they heard.

,The path ahead is blocked by a wall!!!

,Huk huk, what…? Are, are you kidding…?

Oliver asked with a desperate expression, telling him not to lie, but the Arcadia chief just wiped his face.

Oliver unknowingly turned his gaze to Eunice. But Eunice was only repeating inhales and exhales, unable to give any instructions due to the pain that felt like her lungs were tearing apart.

,Shit… what do we do now-

,Kkueeeeeeek―――!!!

Cutting off someone’s words, the monster’s cry was heard. They could feel numerous legs approaching, pounding on the wall. Feeling the vibrations under their feet, everyone swallowed hard and gripped their respective weapons.

Eunice, regaining her senses, urgently patted around her.

,It’s okay, because it’s a passage, we’re actually at an advantage when facing a large number. Use magic to create as many obstacles as possible in the passage to hinder their movement, and then just take care of the monsters that are rushing in!

At Eunice’s words, Muzeion’s mage immediately waved his staff, creating ice blocks in the passage. Oliver, who had abandoned his greatsword to run, stood in front, holding the dagger he used as a secondary weapon.

The vibrations on the floor began to intensify. The monster’s angry roars were heard echoing off the walls. Oliver gritted his teeth and shouted at the sight of the monsters rushing in like a wave.

,They’re coming!!!

At Oliver’s shout, the mages concentrated their mana, and the warriors with weapons braced themselves for the impact. And finally, the academy alliance clashed with the frenzied monster.

Kwaaaang―――!!!

A roar that shook the earth.

Kkueeeeeeek―――!!!

Kkureureureuak―――!!!

The monsters’ screaming roars.

,Ssibaal!!!

,Block them, block them!

,Kill them all!!!

The academy alliance desperately blocking the monsters, covered in blood and brains.

It was a reenactment of the desperate battle between humans and monsters for survival that had been going on since long ago.

The atmosphere of the audience watching the match was incredibly heated. Knowing that they couldn’t be heard, they sent enthusiastic cheers and applause.

Even those who had been cheering for Transcendence Academy couldn’t help but clench their fists and cheer as they watched them desperately withstand the endless wave of monsters.

But there were too many monsters rushing in, and the ice that had been made into cover couldn’t withstand the weight of the monsters and eventually collapsed. As one person blocking the front was eliminated by the impact, the academy alliance quickly crumbled.

Eunice, who was the last one left, resisted by waving her staff until the end, but was hit in the head by a fist swung by a monster and was eventually eliminated.

The arena, where fierce cheers had continued, was now filled with only silence.

Eunice, who had been eliminated from the match and ejected outside, let out a weary sigh at the sight of Oliver kneeling down, burying his face in his knees, and shaking his shoulders.

As she was about to get up to comfort him, she raised her gaze to the relay magic at the sudden voice she heard.

[Trash.]

A voice filled with contempt echoed through the arena. Visible in the relay magic was Ross, a participant from Transcendence Academy, leaning against the wall with an arrogant expression.

[To be eliminated because you can’t handle just this many monsters….]

The arena, which had been silent, began to buzz at the arrogant voice.

Oliver and the eliminated participants, who had been burying their faces in their knees, all raised their heads and looked at the relay magic. Their eyes were filled with undisguised anger.

,That, that son of a bitch….

The sound of teeth grinding -euddeudeuk- could be heard from around them.

Oliver glared at the relay magic with a murderous gaze.

Eunice also felt a stuffiness as if something huge was pressing down on somewhere in her chest.

[Ross, why did you bother doing this instead of just eliminating them?]

Elly, who had approached him, asked as if curious, and Ross snorted.

[It’s enough to cross weapons with insects just once.]

Boos poured out in the arena at the arrogant remark. The audience’s hearts had turned to the academy alliance, who had fought desperately until the last person.

,Woo-!

,Transcendence bastards, eat shit!

,Arrogant capital ssibsaekkis!

,Suck my dick!

As if responding to the fierce reaction, Ross twisted one corner of his mouth and picked up the spear hanging on his shoulder.

[Thanks to the idiots fighting hard for us, it’ll be easier to clean up. Let’s clean up the remaining monsters and leisurely collect the artifacts.]

Ross, who had raised one corner of his mouth, moved his hand, and the vines blocking the passage opened. Only then did Eunice realize that Ross had lured them to one place.

,Fro, from the beginning… he lured us to a dead end….

The question of how? flashed through her mind, and soon she was able to recall the golden barrier that had swept through the labyrinth.

Eunice, her legs losing strength, collapsed to the floor as she was.

,He knew our location with magic….

He provoked the monsters in the labyrinth to bring them to their side, and used the vines to block the path, leading them to a dead end.

A deep sense of despair tore through Eunice’s heart.

She thought that the first match was an accident, that she had underestimated the enemy too much. She thought that even if her talent was lacking, her effort was second to none.

But even the second match was thoroughly toyed with by Ross. Moreover, none of the eliminated participants had obtained an artifact to use in the team match. He had systematically made them complete losers.

With her vision blurred by tears, Eunice strained her neck and looked at Ross clearly. The triathlon is not over yet. The seniors’ matches are still left, and the team match is also left.

Even if there is an overwhelming difference in talent, Eunice could not give up for the sake of everyone who believed in her.

,I will definitely… capture you.

Eunice firmly resolved as she watched Ross, who was killing all the rushing monsters with an arrogant expression.

***

The inn in Destin Village.

Amber, who was staying here on the guild leader’s orders, gulped down a cold beer.

,Kkeueu…!

,Amber-ssi!

The dusty man who opened the inn door sat down opposite Amber without permission.

,Is the search over?

Amber asked Lloyd, the man who raised his hand to order a beer. Lloyd, who gulped down the beer brought by the innkeeper, shrugged his shoulders.

,Of course, the search is over.

Amber’s eyes lit up at Lloyd’s answer. It had been over a week since she had been in this Destin Village. A festival was taking place in the capital, but she was stuck in this small village without being able to enjoy the festival with Amy.

,Did you find where it is?

Lloyd only stared blankly at Amber’s question. Amber’s eyes widened slightly at the reaction and she asked.

,Don’t tell me you couldn’t find it?

,It’s not that I couldn’t find it, but there was no place around these mountains that Amber-ssi is looking for.

Amber felt like her temples were throbbing at Lloyd’s answer.

,That can’t be. It was definitely said to be a mountain near here. The innkeeper also said that he had told a visiting guest about a mountain where herbalists go.

As Amber spoke in a low voice, Lloyd emptied his beer and wiped his lips with the back of his hand.

,I even used shock detection magic and twilight magic. It’s magic that can find every small pit dug by animals. I even released moon moles to check all the mountains nearby in case there was a device that absorbs magic. The result? The cave you mentioned is nowhere to be found.

When Amber made an unconvincing expression, Lloyd sighed and said.

,Even if the cave had collapsed, it would have left traces, but there’s really nothing around here.

There was no reason for Lloyd to lie. Amber, who knew that fact well, sighed and drank the remaining beer.

,Hyu, she must have made another mistake.

She thought that Estelle must have written something wrong again this time.