Survive the labyrinth with EX-grade traits

After everything was settled, we had a meal inside the Mage Tower’s dining hall.

After finishing our meal, we came down to the first-floor lobby.

“Ughhh.”

Lehial stretched vigorously and muttered,

“Wow, I feel totally drained after just one day.”

“Haha, it looks that way. We were thinking of heading out to find an inn. What about you, Lehial?”

“Oh? Already leaving? Well, I was planning to head back to my lab and get some rest.”

He slumped his shoulders, saying he just wanted to rest without any worries.

“Thanks. Looking back, today was really eventful thanks to your guidance. I’m really glad you were our guide.”

“Hehe, I was paid for the job, so I couldn’t neglect my duty! Even though we’re parting ways here, this won’t be the end of our connection!”

Lehial held out his hand for a handshake, and I firmly grasped it.

“If we run into each other, let’s greet each other warmly! I’ll get going now, so you both take care!”

“Yes. See you next time.”

Lehial walked away with tired steps, swaying slightly.

Watching his retreating figure, I spoke.

“Let’s go. I know a good inn nearby.”

I led Lumia out of the Mage Tower.

.

.

.

The next morning.

After getting a good night’s sleep at a nearby inn, we woke up early and had a simple breakfast.

With the school affiliation decided and thanks to Fatima, there was no longer any concern about curses… It would be fine to let Lumia go on her own now.

“Just until the exams are over, can’t you stay?”

It felt like leaving a child unattended near water.

As she hesitated for a long time and looked up at me pitifully, it wasn’t easy to suggest that we start moving separately.

From what I had heard before leaving the Mage Tower yesterday, each school would oversee the exam for one day…

‘It would be a bit heartless to leave now, after coming all this way. She’ll need support to adjust to a new group and society.’

Besides, it didn’t really matter when I visited the knight order, sword guild, or the request board.

Since I had an appointment to meet Leesia at the bakery in three days, I decided to stay with Lumia until the three masters’ exams were over.

Heading back to the Mage Tower, we arrived at Rusalka’s office and knocked on the door.

Bang!

“Welcome! You ate breakfast, right? A proper meal is essential for an active body!”

Rusalka patted Lumia’s back and immediately announced the start of the exam without any delay.

And so began three grueling days under the guise of an exam.

Day 1.

Inside the personal training room of the Combat School, various tests were conducted on Lumia.

Lehial had already left since his role ended the previous day.

I was the only one observing from a distance.

“You can stretch a bit more. No whining! That’s it!”

“Ugh.”

She was tested for flexibility by doing a full split, then ran back and forth over obstacles placed around the area.

Leap!

Finally, she jumped high into the air.

“Good! Your body is lighter than I expected.”

From the way Lumia gritted her teeth, I could tell she was determined not to let any of her movements falter.

Next was a test of reflexes and reaction speed, dodging and catching rubber balls flying from all directions.

She was also tested for observational skills and coordination by mimicking complex movements depicted in illustrations.

Aside from her natural physical condition and skill level, the test assessed how well she could control her body, how precisely and efficiently she moved, and how stable her balance was—pushing the limits of biomechanics.

“Huff, haah… huff.”

After hours of intense testing, Lumia was gasping for breath, completely drained.

She collapsed, spread out like a starfish, while Rusalka looked down at her with satisfaction.

“I’m very pleased. If you’re like this at the start, I can’t wait to see what you’ll be capable of later.”

When people think of an ordinary mage, regardless of race, they usually imagine someone frail, sitting at a desk all day without stepping outside.

That’s the case for most mages, after all.

Maybe that’s why—

“You’re worth training properly.”

I could tell from the way Rusalka’s smiling eyes sparkled with enthusiasm.

“It’s getting late. Let’s wash up and eat!”

After a meal and some rest, the afternoon was filled with a continuation of the morning’s tests.

“Haaah…”

Lumia panted heavily.

The day flew by in an instant.

________________________________________

Day 2.

Lumia sat cross-legged in the middle of a vast meadow.

A classic meditation pose.

Fatima, who had taken human form, stood behind her and spoke.

“The basics of sorcery begin with spiritual sensitivity.”

She said she would assist Lumia and asked her to sink deeply into her inner consciousness.

To me, it sounded like vague nonsense, but Lumia seemed to understand.

“Now, close your eyes… and focus.”

A green energy emerged from Fatima’s entire body and gathered in her hands.

Tap.

Her radiant palm gently touched Lumia’s straightened back.

Dooong—

A deep, resonant sound, like a drumbeat.

At the same time, a strange vibration swept across the meadow, making everything feel heavier.

“Remember, you must not open your eyes.”

“…”

“Oh, right. If you understand, can you nod once?”

Fatima added that small movements and brief words were fine.

Nod.

“Good. Now, let’s try reading the impressions within the energy I’m channeling.”

Lumia, with her eyes closed, focused on the energy flowing into her back, silently surrendering herself to the flow.

[Chaos says she is bored.]

‘Hold on. We’re only observing, but this is an important moment for Lumia.’

Even when I stared into the Chaos, I couldn’t see anything, so I simply waited.

After 30 minutes—

“I… see something.”

While having a trivial conversation inwardly, a whisper from Lumia, who suddenly shuddered, reached my ears.

Fatima, looking expectant, quickly asked,

“What do you see? Just the key points.”

“A barren tree is swaying in the wind. Some of its branches are dyed pitch black… Beneath it, there’s a wounded cat… Ah…”

As Lumia continued speaking, her face slowly became consumed by pain.

Tsu-tsu-tsu—

To make matters worse, the changes were not limited to just Lumia; they were creeping into her surroundings as well.

The darkness seeping from her entire body gradually stained the grass black, and the air grew murky like fog.

Even though I trusted Fatima after she had shown me immense kindness yesterday, the ominous scene unfolding before me made it impossible to hide my concern.

It was obvious that if I interfered recklessly, I would only make things worse, so I had no choice but to watch with my eyes wide open.

Fortunately, Master Fatima, an expert in sorcery, reacted swiftly.

“────.”

With an incantation too fast to understand, a brilliant green light burst forth from the hand touching Lumia’s back.

Paaah!

As if time had rewound, the fog vanished, and the blackened grass regained its lush greenery.

“Stop! That’s enough!”

After completely purifying the surroundings, Fatima withdrew her hand, declaring that they would stop here for today.

“Phew—haah, huff…”

As soon as the connection was severed, Lumia gasped for breath.

Fatima, gently massaging her now-recovered shoulders, admired her efforts.

“For a first attempt, that was amazing. You progressed so quickly it caught me off guard.”

“Was it… amazing?”

“Of course! Honestly, I only planned to have you try it out today. If you struggled to grasp your inner self and spirituality, I was going to naturally transition into a lecture about sorcery… but that plan completely fell apart.”

Leaning into Fatima’s kindness as she massaged her sagging shoulders, Lumia slowly began to unravel what she had seen while submerged in her inner world.

“At first, it was too barren for me to recognize, but… it was definitely the tree that used to stand right beside my house.”

“I see… How precious was that tree to you?”

“Rather than precious… I just miss it. I’ll never see it again. The tree… my mom… my dad…”

Hugging her knees, Lumia murmured wistfully.

“I used to climb its trunk with my friends, play around, sit in its shade, and fall asleep to the books my mom read to me like lullabies… That kind of tree…”

…Hearing her halting words, spoken as if trying to suppress her tears, made my own chest feel tight.

[Chaos empathizes with her sorrow and loneliness, welling up with tears.]

Rustle, rustle.

Fatima, stroking Lumia’s bowed head, spoke in a warm voice.

“Those with talent in sorcery each have a spiritual artifact within them. A sword, a banner, a book, clothing… or, as in your case, a tree.”

“…”

“Within them reside different emotions—someone’s happiness, regrets, sorrows, and thirst for vengeance. What about you?”

Deep in thought after hearing Fatima’s question, Lumia asked hesitantly,

“So… you’re saying that my happy memories before I was cursed and had to leave my village… took root and remained in the form of that tree?”

“You understood well. The more complex knowledge can wait; for now, get some rest. How about taking a nap with me?”

At the mention of a nap, Lumia nodded and then pulled me along.

“Ahren, let’s sleep together.”

“Oh my.”

Before I knew it, the three of us—Lumia in the middle—ended up taking a nap together.

________________________________________

Day 3.

We arrived at the Exploration School.

“I’ve been hearing high praise about you for the past two days. I hope you’ll do just as well under my guidance.”

“Yes, I’ll do my best.”

“Good. I like your confidence. Let’s start by testing your memorization skills.”

Unlike the other two masters, Theo’s tests were neither passionate nor kind.

Simply put, they were mechanical and cold.

He handed Lumia a map filled with complex pathways and various markings, telling her to memorize as much as possible in a short time.

Then, he covered parts of the map and asked what symbols had been there, or where certain paths led.

“Here, use this to blindfold yourself.”

Lumia took the black cloth and tied it tightly around her eyes.

“Now, you will determine where sounds are coming from and whether the sounds belong to your target.”

Swish.

Theo circled her silently, deliberately knocking pebbles together.

“I’ll be making noises at random. Nod only if you believe the sound comes from a person.”

After setting a rule, he made completely different sounds to observe her reactions.

With his arms crossed, Theo adjusted the eyepatch covering one of his eyes and spoke.

“There are labyrinths where the five senses become unreliable, making it impossible to rely on them. In such cases, how would you locate a portal? Assume this is your first visit, and you don’t have a map.”

“…By examining the terrain to find a path?”

Theo shook his head.

“Incorrect. Even if you thoroughly investigate a new area, the peculiarities of the terrain usually make it difficult to determine a path forward.

“…”

“Even if you do find a way, you won’t be certain it’s the correct route for leading a party.”

Watching in silence, I had similar thoughts to Lumia, who frowned and asked,

“Then what should we do?”

“Hmm… Explaining it all now would take too long. You’ll learn gradually.”

“Gradually,” huh? That must mean she passed.

“Does this mean I passed the test?”

Seeing Lumia’s nervous expression, Theo uncrossed his arms and declared,

“Yes. You passed. Just like the others, I will take your training seriously. My teachings will be strict, so be prepared.”

“Yes!”

She did it!

“Ahren!”

Overwhelmed with joy, Lumia ran toward me and hugged me.

“Lumia, you worked so hard. I’m so proud of you.”

“It’s all thanks to you watching over me. I—I’ll work even harder! Now… now I can come here on my own!”

Lumia, unfazed by the cold sensation of my armor, rubbed her cheek against my chest.

With this, all my companions’ plans had progressed smoothly, and they had each successfully achieved their goals.

Yeriel at the Knight Order and the Grand Temple.

Lumia at the Mage Tower.

Veronica at her place of rest.

If I had time to stop by the Holy District later, the only thing left would be my own schedule.

‘Let’s go. To Sector 5, Remnant.’

Tomorrow was the 14th.

It was time to meet Leesia and discuss the grand banquet in earnest.