Hearing Gwen's words, Ingram cast an expressionless glance at her, offering no response.

  Gwen was unperturbed, continuing with a beaming smile, "Besides, your cousin is now fellow disciples with Pierce. Their relationship is quite good. Even if just for your cousin's sake, you ought to improve your attitude towards Pierce, don't you think?"

  At these words, Ingram could finally no longer maintain his stoic facade. His cheek twitched, his expression contorting as if he were suffering from acute indigestion.

  Gwen laughed secretly at the sight.

  The Gwen family and the Yin family had always enjoyed a cordial relationship, so the younger generations of both houses were relatively familiar with one another and occasionally interacted.

  As far as Gwen knew, ever since Ingram had been overshadowed by Pierce during the Freshman Trial, he had secretly regarded Pierce as a formidable rival. He had been exerting every ounce of his strength to surpass Pierce, even going so far as to enter a family elder's Wizard Tower for a period of secluded cultivation.

  Yet, the moment he emerged from the Wizard Tower, he was greeted with the news that Pierce had slain a Legendary Knight.

  Gwen still remembered Ingram's expression at that moment; it had been exceptionally colorful.

  However, she could sympathize. After all, when the target one had painstakingly cultivated to surpass suddenly improved by leaps and bounds, widening the gap instead of narrowing it, anyone would be struck a heavy blow by the disparity between ideal and reality.

  What? You ask why she knew exactly what expression Ingram wore at that time?

  Naturally, it was because she was the one who had personally delivered the news to him.

  Aside from this, Gwen was also aware that Ingram harbored rather favorable feelings towards his cousin, Yuna. Consequently, Ingram naturally felt a certain animosity towards Pierce, a male whose talent and strength far exceeded his own and who was, moreover, very close to Yuna.

  Just as Gwen was contemplating whether to tease Ingram a few more times, she caught a glimpse of several figures approaching from the corner of her eye.

  upon seeing the leader's face clearly, the young girl secretly pursed her lips in disdain.

  Ingram also noticed the newcomers; he frowned without concealment, revealing a look of undisguised disgust.

  "Long time no see, Ingram. I heard you went into seclusion a while ago. How did it go? Did you gain anything?"

  The leading young man arrived before Ingram, greeting him with a smile that did not reach his eyes.

  Ingram snorted coldly. "Whether I gained anything or not, won't you know once you fight me?"

  "A fine suggestion," the young man said, narrowing his eyes and chuckling darkly. "Let us set a time then, and go to the dueling grounds to exchange pointers."

  In just a few sentences, the scent of gunpowder between the two became so thick that even bystanders could clearly perceive it.

  The surrounding Wizard Apprentices quietly distanced themselves, creating a wide berth around the pair.

  A younger Wizard Apprentice curiously asked an upperclassman beside him, "Who is that person? Why does it look like his relationship with Ingram is terrible?"

  "That is Monkay from the Shadow Academy. His elder brother, Monville, and our academy's Yuna are recognized rivals."

  The young apprentice came to a sudden realization.

  Monkay paid no heed to the surrounding whispers, turning instead to greet Gwen.

  "Long time no see, Gwen."

  Gwen responded with an air of indifference.

  The Mon family was a bloodline family as famous as the Pei family. They were incompatible with the Yin family, and their relationship with her own Gu family was not much better. Moreover, Monkay was arrogant by nature, so Gwen had always looked down on him.

  Monkay did not seem to mind Gwen's disregard. He looked up at the massive screen of light in the sky and said, "I heard that an apprentice named Pierce from your academy is participating in the competition this year?"

  Ingram snorted coldly. "Asking what you already know."

  Monkay chuckled. "I heard that Pierce is a first-year student like you, yet he has killed a Legendary Knight. Presumably, his strength must be considerable. I suddenly find myself looking forward to his performance in this trial."

  On the surface, these words seemed to praise Pierce, but anyone with ears could hear the thick layer of sarcasm dripping from Monkay's tone.

  Clearly, he did not believe in the authenticity of the rumors.

  Gwen's eyes darted around, and she suddenly spoke up, "Listening to your tone, it seems you don't believe Pierce can secure a competition quota?"

  Monkay smiled and did not answer the question directly, but the mockery on his face was undisguised.

  Seeing this, Gwen laughed, "How about we make a wager? Let's bet on whether Pierce can obtain a competition quota!"

  As soon as these words were spoken, both Monkay and Ingram were stunned.

  Monkay frowned slightly, staring at Gwen's expression for a few moments, somewhat puzzled as to why she would suddenly propose a bet.

  Ingram also furrowed his brow, discreetly sending a Message spell to Gwen.

  "What are you planning?"

  "Nothing much, just making some extra money."

  "...You trust Pierce that much?"

  Ingram was utterly baffled by Gwen's scheme. Even if Pierce had a record of killing a Legendary Knight, so what? Among the Wizard Apprentices participating in the trial, those possessing equal or even greater strength could not be counted on two hands. Not to mention geniuses among geniuses like Sanford, Monville, and Sutherland.

  The hope of Pierce securing a quota was truly somewhat slim. Where did Gwen get such abundant confidence in him?

  Gwen did not answer Ingram's question. Looking at Monkay with a spurious smile, she asked, "Well? Do you want to bet?"

  Monkay glanced at her, then looked at Ingram. Seeming to glean something from the latter's expression, his heart settled. He narrowed his eyes and asked, "What is the stake?"

  Gwen placed one hand on her hip and waved the other with a flourish, declaring grandly, "Five hundred Magic Stones!"

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  Hiss!

  A sound of sharp intakes of breath instantly rippled through the surroundings.

  The Wizard Apprentices eavesdropping on the conversation all gasped.

  Had they heard correctly?

  Five hundred Magic Stones?

  That was enough to purchase a Tier 1 Artifact of slightly lower quality! For many Wizard Apprentices, this was simply an astronomical sum of wealth.

  Monkay's expression froze.

  Although he was valued within his family and allocated quite a few resources, and had his brother Monville to subsidize him from time to time, producing five hundred Magic Stones all at once was no easy feat.

  It was almost equivalent to his entire liquid net worth.

  "Eh? You wouldn't happen to be unable to produce even this paltry amount, would you?"

  Gwen drawled, her voice pitched deliberately high, attracting the attention of even more people.

  Sensing the strange gazes from the crowd, Monkay could not help but curse inwardly. The people of the Gu family were indeed vulgar nouveaux riches!

  With a cold snort, he simply accepted the challenge.

  "Fine, I will bet with you. Five hundred Magic Stones!"

  He refused to believe that a Wizard Apprentice who had advanced less than three months ago could surpass the multitude of veteran apprentices who had been accumulating power for years.

  Seeing Monkay agree, a sly glint flashed in Gwen's eyes, and she immediately established a magical contract with him. With the binding of the contract, she had no fear of the other party reneging.

  Ingram watched the entire process and shook his head secretly.

  Although he did not know where Gwen's confidence stemmed from, he knew Gwen was likely to lose. Pierce was certainly strong, but in a trial teeming with such elites, those with outstanding strength were plentiful. How could Pierce stand out?

  If this trial had been postponed for a few months or half a year to give Pierce a little more time to grow, perhaps he could have secured a quota.

  But now...

  Ingram shook his head.

  Forget it. In any case, Gwen had plenty of money. Losing five hundred Magic Stones would not break her bones.

  As the news of the bet between Gwen and Monkay spread rapidly, a wave of commotion surged through the crowd. Many were frightened by the astonishing wager of five hundred Magic Stones, and the buzzing of discussions was endless.

  Consequently, the name Pierce quickly attracted the attention of the masses. Countless curious or scrutinizing gazes focused on the screen section where he was located.

  As if passing through a thin membrane, and after a moment of slight disorientation, Pierce found himself standing within a spacious corridor.

  The entire passage was roughly ten meters wide and nearly eight meters high. The walls, floor, and ceiling were all constructed of cyan-grey rock.

  Every five meters along the walls, a torch was suspended. The dim yellow flames flickered incessantly, causing the halos of light reflected on the stone to brighten and dim in a rhythmic pulse, adding a touch of gloom to the corridor.

  Pierce looked back; the gate of light through which he had entered had vanished, leaving only a solid, heavy wall.

  Composing himself, Pierce withdrew a longsword, gripping it firmly in his palm, and began to walk forward.

  The rules of this trial were far simpler than the previous Freshman Trial.

  Especially since there was no rule prohibiting the killing of other participants.

  Everything not forbidden is permitted.

  That is to say, homicide was allowed within the trial.

  However, considering that everyone had been issued a Teleportation Ring which allowed them to leave the maze instantly upon activation—essentially a life-saving artifact—killing other participants would not be easy.

  Even so, the fact that killing was permitted would undoubtedly escalate the intensity of the trial by a significant margin.

  Tap! Tap!

  Pierce's footsteps echoed in the corridor; otherwise, there was dead silence.

  Pierce did not walk fast, moving leisurely as if taking a stroll.

  He was in no hurry.

  The rules had stated clearly that even if one obtained the Rainbow Gem in the center of the maze, they had to hold onto it until the trial concluded. Therefore, even if someone else seized the Rainbow Gem first, there was no need to worry; he could simply snatch it away when the time came.

  The Dawn Council had set this rule obviously to encourage conflict among the participants.

  At the end of the corridor was a corner turning to the right.

  After rounding the corner, another long corridor stretched out, extending for more than a kilometer.

  Four or five hundred meters away, more than a dozen gaunt figures wandered unsteadily in the middle of the passage.

  Pale bones, dilapidated leather armor, rusted weapons, and the soul fire flickering in their eye sockets—they were unmistakably Skeleton Soldiers, the most common of undead creatures.

  Pierce was not surprised. Since it was a maze, the presence of monsters was only natural. The Dawn Council would not merely let a group of participants fight each other; they had to add some environmental difficulty.

  Soon, the Skeleton Soldiers spotted Pierce and immediately charged towards him with a clattering of bones.

  As the cannon fodder of the undead, the combat power of Skeleton Soldiers was not high. Any random Apprentice Knight could take on four or five of them alone.

  However, as the distance closed, Pierce noticed that the appearance of these Skeleton Soldiers was somewhat unusual. A layer of jade-like luster faintly shimmered on their exposed bones, suggesting they had been magically reinforced.

  When they truly engaged in combat, Pierce confirmed his hypothesis.

  These Skeleton Soldiers had indeed undergone some form of enhancement, and their combat power was no less than that of a Beginner Knight.

  However, such strength was still insignificant before Pierce.

  With a thought, the loose grey robe on his body instantly constricted, transforming into a form-fitting hunting suit designed for agility. Then, without even casting a spell, he charged directly with his sword, hewing through them with the ease of slicing vegetables, reducing the Skeleton Soldiers to a pile of shattered bones.

  Stepping over the debris, Pierce continued his advance.

  Reaching the end of the corridor, he was presented with a fork in the road, with two small paths extending to different stone chambers.

  The heavy stone doors were tightly shut, obscuring the view within.

  Pierce paused, a thoughtful expression appearing on his face.

  If one were to name the most headache-inducing aspect of a maze, aside from the innumerable monsters, it would be the labyrinthine network of paths and rooms.

  Typically, a place like a maze was most advantageous to Wizards specializing in the School of Divination. Divination Wizards were not adept at offense or defense, but they possessed a vast array of detection and scrying spells, making them perfectly suited for navigation.

  However, the participants in this trial were all Wizard Apprentices who had basically never come into contact with serious Divination magic. Among the spells they had mastered, the few detection spells usable in a maze—such as Detect Secret Doors, Detect Magic, and Detect Undead—were of limited utility.

  Thus, except for a few apprentices who held hidden trump cards, most could only explore the maze through brute force and luck.

  Fortunately, Pierce happened to be one of the few with a trump card.

  With a mental command, the black bracelet on his wrist instantly disassembled, and Mist Crows flew out one by one. They divided into two waves, flying towards the left and right paths respectively, crashing into the stone doors like cannonballs.

  Two booming thuds resonated almost simultaneously. The stone doors were blasted open, and the Mist Crows rushed in, scrambling over one another.

  Moments later, the sounds of intense combat erupted from both chambers.

  Through his mental link with Mist Raven, Pierce quickly ascertained the situation within.

  In the left chamber, more than twenty enhanced Skeleton Soldiers prowled. Aside from the entry door, there were no other exits; clearly, it was a dead end.

  In the right chamber, three Bugbears lay in wait.

  Bugbears were a subspecies of the Goblin race, falling under the category of goblinoid creatures. They were burly in physique, more than double the height of ordinary goblins, and possessed a ferocious and violent temperament.

  Adult Bugbears generally possessed the strength of a Mid to High-level Knight. A few elite individuals could even reach the level of a Peak Knight.

  However, before the Mist Crows, whose average combat power surpassed Peak Knights and approached the level of Grand Knights, these three Bugbears could not last a single exchange before being torn to pieces.

  The Mist Crows then discovered a passage deep within the room.

  The corners of Pierce's mouth lifted slightly, and he walked towards the room on the right.

  Passing through the stone door at the back of the chamber, Pierce arrived in another corridor.

  This spacious passage was completely empty; a single glance revealed nothing but vacant stone.

  "I wonder how vast this maze truly is."

  Looking down the kilometer-long corridor, a glint flashed in Pierce's eyes.

  Considering the trial duration was only seventy-two hours, the maze should not be infinitely large. The key was finding the correct path to reach the center quickly.

  Composing himself, Pierce continued forward.

  Walking through the desolate corridor, a sense of profound isolation washed over him.

  However, this solitude was abruptly shattered.

  A sharp, whistling sound of breaking air suddenly erupted from directly above his head.

  Without a second thought, Pierce dropped into a crouch and lunged forward. The wind of the attack grazed his back and smashed into the hard ground.

  A crisp cracking sound echoed as the stone floor fractured. Debris splashed up like shrapnel, striking Pierce's grey robe with the metallic ping of hitting armor, sending sparks flying.

  The moment Pierce regained his footing, he slashed his sword backward in a reverse grip, his speed faster than a spark from a flint.

  The sensation of steel biting into flesh transmitted through the blade.

  An extremely ear-piercing scream rang out instantly, stinging the eardrums.

  Only then did Pierce have the luxury to examine the attacker's appearance.

  It was a hideous monster that appeared vaguely humanoid at first glance. It had a long, narrow head, a small but sturdy grey torso covered in mottled spots, and limbs that were unnaturally long and slender. They resembled tentacles formed from multi-segmented cartilage, ending in thorny meat pads that opened like flower petals.

  A Choker!

  The name instantly surfaced in Pierce's mind.

  When I first started this journey, I was staring at barely a dozen views. Now, before I even realized it, we're closing in on 200 regular readers!

  Honestly, it feels surreal. It gives me a sense of accomplishment that’s hard to put into words.

  I know my writing isn’t perfect (far from it!), so I want to give a massive shout-out to those of you who have stuck around and offered advice. Having you here allows me to share this world and hopefully bring a little joy to more people.

  Thank you for the company. You guys are the best. Hope you all have an amazing week!