Without fear, she looked to the sky. While it was indeed convincing and very similar to the sky outside of the tower, it was far different in color than theirs. It was a different shade of blue, and the sun was going in a different direction.

Folding her arms over her chest, Lakyus turned her attention forward after inspecting her floating swords that hovered just behind her back. Without worry, she began walking in the direction she could only perceive as north. There was little to no wind, it was hard to tell where she was going. However, what she could see off in the distance through the treetops that loomed overhead, was the ma.s.sive tower that leads into the sky.

"This place... Is abnormal," Lakyus couldn't help but state aloud as she could hardly believe where she was standing. A forest inside of the tower. It looked so much bigger on the inside than the outside gave credit for. "Potential my foot, only a being on the same scale of a G.o.d could create this place..."

Her gaze now on the trees, she traced her sight along the ground, and even the areas between the trees. She was quick to notice the undergrowth and shallow patterns. Narrowly avoiding what appeared to be a drop trap, she stared at a green hand that traveled beneath the fungal growth at her feet. It nearly brushed pa.s.sed the tips of her boots, before sinking into the dirt.

For sure she felt as if she could have died should that thing had touched her. And as she looked to the side, her thought hadn't been all too far wrong. Setting her eyes upon what appeared to be a giant tree trunk patterned set of spikes pointing out at her, she nearly turned blue in the face.

Without a second thought, she picked up the pace whilst scanning the ground and her surroundings for suspicious or maybe even elaborate traps designed to mislead those who were paying a little bit too much attention to the bigger things.

It was as if something had been running around through here. Creatures of varying sizes, but all similar to a pack of wolves. It was clear she was not alone, she knew that much. As she stepped over oversized roots, she could hear the trees behind her beginning to s.h.i.+ft aside.

Where she had come from was no longer a viable option to retreat to and moving forward was the only option. She mentally cursed at this, but even then remained calm and collected. "A holy woman such as I should not fear such a puzzle!" She huffed to herself, "For I am the only one who can wield this cursed sword." Her arms left her chest as she reached back and drew her weapon at the sound of paws scurrying some distance away.

The area smelled like a wet dog, and the scent alone was as potent as could be, it was a clear sign she was being stalked. Yet no matter where she took her gaze, she saw no sign of wolves, only small hints of their presence with her other senses.

That pungent smell of wet fur was becoming even stronger the farther she went.

"Jeez... How many of them are there?" She asked herself as she narrowed her green hues on the nearby trees, briefly coming to a stop. "Based on the tracks there has to be about thirty of them, are they beast-men or something else entirely?" Her mind went back to the report about the ma.s.sive wolf that was twice or three times the size of a horse. The very idea of a pack of those things chasing her sent s.h.i.+vers down her spine. "Not happening..." She uttered to herself before hurrying along the set course, her weapon held idly against her shoulder now as to keep it drawn and at the ready to swing.

A monstrous howl called out to the sky as what appeared to be day was fading into a sunset, as it seemed that time here was suddenly far quicker than the outside world. One by one, blood-curdling howls sounded from all directions as if someone was calling for a hunt.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Lakyus immediately picked up the pace, her feet hardly touching the ground before she was lunging forward in long strides.

Each time she gained a meter, her heart felt like it was going to skip a beat. She didn't look behind her, only kept her eyes up ahead. As she rounded a corner, she could see from the side of her eye several abnormally sized black wolves giving chase behind her.

"They aren't as big as the one described, that is for sure!" She laughed nervously with an upbeat tone, drawing in and releasing her breath at a steady rhythm as she kept herself paced. The last thing she wanted was to be overrun by these creatures. Even if Fenrir wasn't going to let them outright die during these challenges, she was sure he had no problem letting them get hurt in the process.

Kicking up dirt as she moved, dropped and slid across the ground, narrowly evading a broad-sized stick that came out to hit her. Jumping back up to her feet, she glanced behind her as she was picking up her speed without stopping. It seemed not only did the trees move on their own, but they also attacked people.

"This just isn't fair!" Lakyus huffed before she peered forward to see a lighter brown patch of dirt than the rest of the trail. It felt like a trap, but she had no idea what it was. Pursing her lips, the girl decided to jump over the patch as she refused to halt.

In that very moment, thick wooden spike-like branches protruded from the dirt ground of the patch. These sharpened edges of the branch arms scratched against the bottoms of her boots.

Rolling upon the ground as she landed, she moved onto one knee with one hand on the ground and the other on her thigh. Her green hues narrowed upon the spikes that animately began to swivel right back into the patch of dirt, kicking up dust. When they were fully retracted, there was no evidence that they had ever been there.

"If I hadn't jumped at exactly the right time... I would've been seriously hurt! This G.o.d is not playing around, is he? Or is he some sort of s.a.d.i.s.t?" Lakyus looked to the sky and noticed there was one of the angels she had seen earlier. It was the giant floating orb-thing with hundreds if not thousands of eyes. Though its main eye wasn't looking down at her, she could most definitely feel its gaze.

No longer reserved, she began to run once more as one of the werewolves skidded around the corner. It had glowing amber eyes and fierce-looking fangs dripping with murky fluids.

"Nope!" Lakyus sneered at herself, listening as the creature was catching up at a high rate of speed. Any time now she knew the wolf's goal was to catch her, or at least subdue her in some fas.h.i.+on. They seemed to be the only real living obstacle!

She didn't even think twice as she ducked, letting the monster pa.s.s over her and land on all fours several meters ahead. "Aaaaaaaaaaah!" As the werewolf turned to face her, she screamed whilst charging it, her weapon held high with both hands on the hilt's grip.

The werewolf didn't just sit there as she charged him, instead it charged her in return.

All four of its sharpened claws digging into the dirt, it was much faster than she was. Each muscle on its back twitched under the fur. It was as if she was charging at a ma.s.sive wall of muscle!

Just before she was about to swing, and just before it was about to jump, she threw herself to the side and rolled pa.s.sed the Werewolf before it could swat her with its clawed hand.

Bringing her weapon out to the side, she swung the weapon at an angle directly towards the being who attempted to turn around once more. Just as she thought her weapon was about to make contact, its right clawed hand reached out and grasped the flat sides of the weapon with its fingers.

"Eh!?" At this point, she was now able to tell that this creature was physically superior to her in physical apt.i.tude. It was also far superior to any beast-man she had fought prior. "What is this...?" And not only that, it was not a normal wolf, not having noticed the humanoid arms before engaging it.

Snarling, the wolf growled at her before bas.h.i.+ng the dark blade aside and out of her hands. "Lowly little human! Don't even bother trying to fight back!"

Dodging a swipe from its left arm, the Adventurer took several bounds backward. "You can talk!?" She laughed excitedly as she glimpsed to her armament which was now laying on the ground.

"Don't try it!" The Werewolf charged forward before leaping int the air, raising a clawed hand to bring down upon her as he came in for a landing.

Just as the werewolf was about to land on top of her, the girl just lept to the side, pus.h.i.+ng herself off the trees before stumbling toward her weapon. As she fell to her knees, having twisted her ankle from the sudden movement, she winced and her eyes became wide as she could hear the rest of the pack. Dragging herself over to the weapon, "Kilineiram! Give me your demonic power!" She shouted as she grasped the hilt and pulled herself to her feet, a grin widely forming over her lips.

"You're mine, you crazy little witch!" The creature spouted after hearing the girl shout to her weapon.

Just as she was about to turn around to face the werewolf, the cursed blade began to emit a dark misty aura. With a singular swing of the weapon, she intercepted the airborne werewolf, smas.h.i.+ng the flat face of the blade into his snout.

+ + +

The air was dry, arid and the path in front of Gagaran was much hotter than the floor she had just been on. A soft chuckle left her lips as the majestic giant of a woman stepped forward.

"This should be a piece of cake," her blue eyes scanned the pa.s.sageway in front of her as she moved forward as her armor was s.h.i.+mmering from the sunlight above.

Drawing her war pickaxe known as Fel Iron from her back, the woman looked over the sandstone walls of the labyrinth. Then her gaze moved up to the ma.s.sive tower that leads into the sky that was far off into the center of the floor.

With one hand at the neck of the weapon and the other on the lower grip, she continued to grin to herself. It looked like the labyrinth was inhabited. Patterns that looked akin to slithering trails could be seen to have been left behind by large snakes were present here.

"Large serpents? Perhaps they're Nagas... Those can be rather tricky to deal with," huffed the warrior sarcastically as she noted the stone floor the farther she wandered in. Keeping her movements animate compared to her still surroundings, it was like she was flaunting herself like a target. She was confident since she could take on a Basilisk in a solo-match should she be rightfully equipped against petrification effects and enough healing potions. If there was anything more powerful than that here, she knew though, that she wouldn't be able to handle them.

She wanted to see who her enemies were and be able to run if that was at all possible.

Just like in the forests that Lakyus was in, these walls could also be heard moving about at random intervals and different areas. "I could only imagine living in such a place as this," as her eyes drifted to the sky she could see the decrepit looking angel they first met in the polar floor. It was just hovering there, staring down at her. "I have to say, that is one creepy being of Divinity..."

Pelleon either didn't hear or care about the words she was using. There was little to no reaction from him at all as she was moving through the area unopposed by very much.

After an hour of following the first path she had started on, she stopped and peered behind herself. The walls had completely changed the way she had come as if the whole place was alive.

"That is unsettling," she observed as she then looked to the sky above. She was unsure whether or not that creature watching her was controlling the maze or not. However, the idea was rather unappealing, meaning it could change the maze so much that she'd be wandering around for days.

Was that what Fenrir wanted?

Gagaran shook her head, "not going to beat me with such menial tricks." Now then as she turned around, she came to notice that the area ahead of her had also changed. The pa.s.sage ahead of her had been split in half, revealing a ravine with toxic goop at the bottom of it. It smelled like sulfur farts, especially whenever a bubble exploded. "By the G.o.ds!" The hand holding the neck of her weapon released it and went up to fan her nose, "What is that smell?!"

"It surely wasn't me..." An ancient scratchy growl emitted from above as a shadow overtook her, sand-like drool coming down upon her shoulder.

"..." Lulling her head back, Gagaran narrowed her eyes on the living ochre yellow construct above her. Its mouth was guarded by six dark grey stone-like tusks that appeared to act as teeth. Ma.s.sive horns decorated its crown, and it had a very turtle-like form, aside for the lack of sh.e.l.l.

It was surely not a Basilisk, but it was much larger than one, and that was for sure. Basilisk didn't talk, at least the last time she checked!

"Now who might you be!?" She shouted enthusiastically, drawing one foot backward as she was getting ready to run while holding her pick readily in both hands once more.

"Blazvatan!" As its mouth opened agape, she could see its glowing purple interior filled with elemental energies. "Guardian of the Lamia and their Labyrinth! Now prepare yourself, Adventurer, for this may be your last breath!"

With those last words, Gagaran was already on the run with one foot in front of the other as she ran along the side of the ravine. A powerful gust of wind rushed pa.s.sed her, whipping her short hair that framed her face around wickedly.

The ma.s.sive being had turned into a sandstorm!

Up ahead she could just make out someone peering around a corner. They looked human, at least a first. White hair, Miko-like robes, violet-red eyes, and pale peach-toned skin. Even for a woman such as Gagaran, she was magnetized by the otherworldly beauty of the being.

When they abruptly darted across the intersection, however, that bridged over the ravine below, Gagaran could clearly see their lower half was that of a snake! Then following behind her were about a dozen smaller snake-human people.

They were different from Nagas, as their upper halves were completely humanlike! They even wore fas.h.i.+onable clothes. This was the first time she had ever seen Lamias, distant cousins of the Nagas.

+ + +

"This wasn't really what I was expecting," Tina said as she stood beside her twin sister Tia, her eyes settling on two pa.s.sageways laid out in front of them.

They were standing in a lobby of sorts, their hands by their hips. The room was dimly lit, orange flames on torches lighting the way. This place, the way the walls looked, seemed like someone had painted the surface with a brush. Intricate designs of moss and what appeared to be dampness and mold lined the corners and the surrounding alabaster grey colored brick walls.

"How do you think Evil Boss is doing with her challenge?" Tia asked as she looked to her twin blankly, giving her a few blinks of curiosity.

"...We can't underestimate her, she is more wicked than we are." Tina responded with a slight nod before the two of them crossed their gazes over one another, resting on the opposite archways.

The entrances into the maze from the lobby seemed to be very narrow so that only one person can take the lead and anyone who follows behind them would be at a disadvantage. However, based on what they could see from where they stood, the corridors seemed to spread out like funnels, eventually widening enough till the point that they conjoin. Then there was enough room for at least four people to walk down the center without even getting close to the walls.

Looking at each other for a few seconds, they nodded and approached the two pa.s.sageways.

Stopping in sync the twins crouched and examined the entrances.

"If you're looking for traps..." One voice started up and faded out.

"... You'll have to try better than that," had faded in from another similar voice, but was distinctively different. Their presence though was entirely anonymous and unfelt.

"They're here..." Tia uttered before both of the twins shot onto their feet and rushed silently into the maze in front of them. There was only one direction they could take as shadows of cat-like creatures ran along the walls, following right behind them!