Chapter 19: Maze Realm Part 1

"Congratulations to all who passed. It only gets harder from here," Julio warned. "The second trial is straightforward. Beneath the clearing is the entrance to an underground maze. It contains various magical beasts that will try to kill you, as well as a few traps. All you have to do is reach the center of the maze and activate the teleportation array to return here. Naturally, the entrance to the maze will close once you enter. The maze changes with every one hundred people tested, so everyone will face different dangers and traps. The competitors who are not participating in the maze will be watching. Be careful how much of your potential you reveal and any weaknesses you might have."

"Ah, and I must remind you. After the first thirty minutes, a rank 6 magical beast that recently advanced to the fourth stage of Spirit Shaman cultivation will enter the maze from a different entrance on the far side. Ranks only reflect innate potential in cultivation and not actual strength. Of course, the higher the rank, the more likely it has divine abilities. If you’re still at the maze entrance when the thirty minutes are up, you will be the first to be hunted by the magical beast," Julio added with a laugh. "Oh, and by the way, the maze can’t be completed in thirty minutes. Unless your spiritual sense and abilities are exceptional, you’ll likely still be in the maze when the magical beast arrives. Good luck."

"What is this?" one person cried.

"Most of us are rank 1 Spirit Shamans!" another complained.

"You're asking us to commit suicide!" someone roared.

"The trials this year are ten times harder than last year!" another moaned.

"Quit your complaining and come forward. There are fourteen different colors of talismans, each numbered up to one hundred. Each talisman will measure your strength, and the maze is meant to be your trial. When your color is chosen, you will enter the maze. When the talisman glows dimly, it means the magical beast has entered the maze. If the talisman shines, it means the beast is on your path. The maze shifts every five minutes. If you survive for five minutes, you might be fortunate enough to avoid crossing its path," Julio explained.

"The maze ends after fifty people die, fifty people pass, or a mix of both. You see, there are fourteen hundred slips, but seventeen hundred and fifty of you. Three hundred and fifty won’t even get a talisman. If you’re not randomly assigned a talisman, you’ve already failed. Each color is randomly assigned. That’s why I said, 'Good luck.' Sometimes, luck affects your chances of survival. In the end, seven hundred people will pass," Julio roared with laughter.

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He stared at the angry and terrified spectators and asked, "Will you be among those who fail before it even begins? Will you be the one to die in the maze, or will you hope that fifty others die if you can’t make it to the center? Luck is a part of life. Luck, determination, skill, experience, wisdom, resources, connections, and power. That’s how one survives in the real world as a Practitioner. One last thing: the darker the color, the more dangerous the maze. Good luck. You’re going to need it."

Agemo sighed with relief when he saw that he had been chosen to receive a talisman. The color of his talisman was steel gray. He and the others watched as each maze was different from the previous ones. Each maze had a theme based on the color. If Agemo had been chosen for the first maze with the crimson and orange talisman, he would have joined ninety-nine others in a maze full of burning corridors, flame magical beasts, and geysers of lava. Julio had called that maze The Lava Maze.

"The last maze has been decided. The one hundred who hold the steel gray talisman will now proceed to the clearing. Those who did not receive a talisman have failed. The maze you will be entering is called The Steel Maze," Julio announced. "Inside are various traps with steel arrows and pikes. There are also magical beasts with skin, fur, or scales as tough as steel. My personal bane, thanks to my dear sister, is the ever-dangerous presence of golems. Steel swords shatter against them, so I hope you all have Practitioner-grade weapons if you encounter them. If you defeat a golem, you may take possession of it, as well as the magical beasts, just like in the other mazes. Good luck, and try to stay alive and reach the center. So far, the mazes have only ended with a mix of fifty people dying and a rare few reaching the center. To date, six hundred and fifty have passed. Only fifty spots remain. You may now proceed to the second trial!"

"Golems? This wasn’t part of the trials last year," someone cried.

"Let’s go! We only have thirty minutes before that magical beast enters the maze!" another boy in a similar robe said.

The one hundred rushed toward the maze as a large star-shaped barrier appeared in the center of the clearing. Each of the one hundred vanished into the maze as they stepped onto the formation. Agemo drew Rain Slayer as he felt a rush of spirit energy envelop him and then disappeared. The one hundred found themselves standing before a large steel gate. High above them, the ceiling was illuminated with glowing crystals, resembling stars in the night sky.

Agemo glanced to his right and noticed that twenty of the participants were from the same sect, though all were at the first stage. They began laughing, reassured by their numbers, and rushed in. A group of thirty-two, all citizens of the Kasara Kingdom with the exception of one second-stage leader, also rushed past the steel gates. Slowly, all ninety participants entered the maze. Only Agemo and three others lingered near the steel gate after rushing in.

"Hey there," a freckled boy grinned, waving at Agemo and the two others. "You’re not rushing in like the rest?"

"There’s no point. The maze shifts every five minutes. My concern is the safety of Princess Juliet," a youth in shiny silver and crimson armor said, standing beside a girl.

"I don’t need your protection. I’m at the third stage. You’re the one who needs protection, Marcus," the girl laughed. "What about you?"

"Me? I watched the last mazes. The first five minutes always have the most deaths and dangers. The name’s Eric," the freckled boy said, grinning at Agemo. "What about you?"

"I just didn’t want to travel with the others. I came to the tournament to test my training. They would only hinder my progress," Agemo said as the maze began to shake.

The walls began to part, revealing new paths as the gate disappeared behind a new wall of steel. The other three started racing down the new path to the right while Agemo headed left. As he ran, his foot sank into a lever. The walls shifted, and small barrels appeared, spewing a hail of arrows. Agemo kept running forward, chuckling as the arrows rebounded off his body with clanging sounds.

He turned left, then right, and left again. A magical beast bat appeared from a corner, but Agemo grabbed it and smashed its head against the wall. Agemo continued to run into dead ends as the maze shifted four times. The floor beneath him shook as the maze shifted for a fifth time. Then, the talisman in his pocket began to glow dimly. The magical beast had arrived.

"Well, that’s new. It flies," Agemo muttered as he looked up.

What he saw was a two-headed purple-scaled dragon with golden horns. The dragon flew to the right and landed on a steel wall. Agemo heard screams and flames roaring from the dragon. He gritted his teeth and ran forward. The walls were almost finished shifting, leaving a small gap that was slowly closing. There was a rectangular gap between the floor and the top of the wall. Agemo ran and lunged forward. His leg hit the wall as he didn’t quite make it through, flopping onto the other side with his leg numb from the impact.

"Ugh. Not doing that again," Agemo cursed as he stood up.

"HAHAHAHA! Look who it is. All alone. The sooner we kill the others, the sooner we get out of here!"

"Beat him up!"

"Surround him!"