The ambush came just as the sun dipped below the horizon, when the labyrinth's crystalline walls reflected the dying light in shards of crimson and gold. The timing wasn't a coincidence - Jihoon could feel it in his bones.
Varn's first attack came without warning - a searing blast of mana that turned the air molten. The heat distorted the space between them like a mirage, the very atmosphere warping under the intensity. Jihoon barely managed to dodge, the heat singing his jacket and leaving the acrid smell of burned fabric in his nose.
'Great. That was my favorite jacket. Do they have a lost and found in this death maze?' he thought, already moving.
"Lightning Step!"
He blurred left, then right, buying time as his feet traced patterns he was only beginning to understand. But Varn was ready. The dragonblood heir's second attack split into a dozen smaller bolts, boxing Jihoon in. Each bolt hummed with enough power to punch through stone, creating a deadly cage of energy.
'Oh come on, that's just showing off,' Jihoon thought, dropping into a roll as one bolt sizzled past his ear. 'What's next, spelling out "you suck" in fire? Maybe a little dance number with the lightning?'
The air around them crackled with competing energies - Varn's raw power against Jihoon's desperate adaptability. Sparks rained down, casting strange shadows across the labyrinth's ever-shifting walls.
Ren, surprisingly, wasn't running away for once. He stood his ground, entropy magic swirling around his fingers in patterns that hurt to look at directly. "Hey guys, want to see a cool trick?" He pulled chaos magic into his palm, grinning like a maniac. "I call this one 'Why Are There Suddenly Three of Everything?'"
The air rippled like heat waves on summer pavement. Reality seemed to hiccup. Varn's next attack went wide as his depth perception suddenly failed him spectacularly. He stumbled, cursing as the world seemed to triple before his eyes. His mighty blast of mana ended up hitting a wall, leaving a smoking crater that somehow smelled like butterscotch.
"What did you do?" Varn demanded, his voice cracking as he tried to focus on the correct version of reality.
"Physics!" Ren declared proudly. "Or maybe anti-physics. I'm not really sure. But it's working, right?"
Evan moved like a shadow through the chaos, his blade finding gaps in Mila's defense that shouldn't have existed. But she was good - her barrier magic manifesting in hexagonal shields that deflected his strikes in brilliant flashes of light. Each clash sang out with a crystal-clear note, like someone was playing a deadly symphony.
"End of the line, Special Admission," Varn sneered, finally regaining his balance. His hands crackled with raw mana, arrogance barely masking the desperation in his eyes. The air around him distorted with power, his dragonblood heritage manifesting in scales of energy across his skin.
Jihoon stepped forward, hands raised. "Okay, seriously? We're really doing the whole 'end of the line' thing? What's next, monologuing about your evil plan? Maybe a little villainous laugh? Come on, we're better than this."
Mila's grip on her sister's medical bracelet tightened, a tremor running through her. The simple metal band seemed to pulse with its own light, a reminder of what was really at stake. Her voice was cold, but Jihoon could hear the edge of fear beneath. "You have no idea what this means to me. Failing here means no credits for my sister's treatment. I can't... I won't let her suffer because I was too weak."
The words hit harder than any attack. Jihoon felt them in his chest, understanding dawning even as his Lightning Step carried him clear of another blast.
Then the Resonant Pulse hit.
The labyrinth screamed, a sound that shook the very foundations of their minds. It wasn't just noise - it was pure force, raw magic given voice. Jihoon's dragon scale fragment flared to life, heat spreading through his body like wildfire. For a moment, he could feel it—the labyrinth's pulse, its rhythm syncing with his own heartbeat.
The walls pulsed with veins of light, patterns shifting faster than the eye could follow. It was beautiful and terrifying, like watching the northern lights have a seizure.
'I'm part of it. We all are.' The realization hit him like a physical force. 'And if I start hearing it chant "om," I'm officially done. There's only so much mystical nonsense a guy can take in one day.'
Ren gasped, his entropy magic swirling wildly in response to the labyrinth's call. The chaos mage's eyes went wide as his power responded in ways he'd never seen, creating fractals of pure possibility in the air around him.
Evan remained still, his calm presence anchoring them all. But even he couldn't hide the slight widening of his eyes as the labyrinth's power washed over them.
The walls began to warp and tear, reality bending like wet paper. Varn and Mila stumbled back, faces pale with terror as their own magic responded to the pulse. Without another word, they turned and ran, swallowed by the shifting corridors that seemed eager to welcome them.
A Brief Rest
They found a small safe zone, a pocket of calm in the chaos where the labyrinth's walls glowed with a softer light. The space felt almost peaceful, like the eye of a storm. Here, the constant pressure of the maze's magic eased enough to let them catch their breath.
"I can't believe we survived that," Ren said, breathless, sliding down to sit against a crystalline wall. "The Underground would never believe this. We just made Varn - THE Varn - run away like a scared rabbit!"
Evan gave a rare, fleeting smile, cleaning his blade with practiced motions. "They don't need to believe it."
'Sure, Evan, keep being the mysterious, brooding hero with the perfect comeback. I'm just here trying not to trip over my own feet while chaos rains down around us.' Jihoon shook his head, checking his jacket for damage. 'At least someone's maintaining their cool image.'
The Walls Shift Again
The labyrinth pulsed once more, but different this time. The air grew thick, as if the walls themselves held their breath. The crystalline surfaces dimmed, then blazed with new light as two figures emerged from the depths.
Seris Vellune, heir to the Frozen Throne, radiated an aura of absolute zero that made frost patterns dance across the ground with each step. Her presence alone dropped the temperature until their breath misted in the air.
Beside her, Rhydan Vex, prodigy of the Stormfang Dominion, carried storm clouds in his wake. Static electricity made their hair stand on end, and the taste of ozone filled the air.
'Oh great,' Jihoon thought, rolling his shoulders. 'The elite squad has arrived. Because this day wasn't complicated enough already.'
Seris moved first, but this time, they were ready. A crescent of razor-thin ice shot toward them, cold enough that the very air seemed to splinter in its wake. Frost trails painted deadly patterns through the space between them, each shard promising instant freezing on contact.
Jihoon side-stepped with Lightning Step, grabbing Ren clear of danger. The ice passed so close he felt his skin tighten from the cold, tiny crystals forming on his eyelashes.
"NEXT TIME WARN ME BEFORE YOU YANK MY NECK!" Ren yelped, stumbling to regain his balance. But he was already moving, his hands tracing chaotic patterns that seemed to bend the light around them. "Hey, who wants to see what happens when entropy meets ice? Because I've been dying to try this!"
The result was spectacular - and slightly terrifying. Ren's chaos magic collided with Seris's ice wall, creating a bizarre display where physics seemed to take a vacation. Some ice melted upward, some vaporized into rainbow-colored steam, and some started floating in lazy spirals, completely ignoring gravity.
"That's... not supposed to happen," Ren announced proudly, watching his handiwork with undisguised glee. "I have no idea what I just did! But it looks pretty cool, right? Get it? Cool? Because ice?"
"Ren!" Jihoon shouted, ducking under another ice shard. "Less puns, more helping!"
Meanwhile, Evan and Rhydan's battle had turned the other half of the arena into a storm of steel and lightning. Rhydan's Lightning Fang technique - a signature move that turned his sword into a conductor for storm magic - met Evan's Silent Moon Cut in a clash that sent thunderous shockwaves through the hollow. Each impact lit up the labyrinth's walls, casting wild shadows that danced like demons.
Evan moved like water between lightning strikes, his blade leaving afterimages in the air that glowed with an inner light. Each clash with Rhydan released a burst of thunder that made the ground shake, the very air becoming charged with competing energies. For someone so quiet, Evan's swordplay was deafening - a symphony of steel and storm.
"Show-offs," Jihoon muttered, lightning crackling around his fingers as he faced down Seris. He caught her next ice barrage with his bare hands, Adaptive Resonance letting him read the pattern in her attacks like a familiar song. The ice burned cold against his palms, but he held on, feeling the structure of her magic through his resonance.
'Okay, this is either going to be really cool or really stupid,' he thought, analyzing the energy flow. 'Probably both. It's usually both.'
Ren, not to be outdone, decided to get creative. His chaos magic swirled around him in patterns that hurt to look at directly, reality bending in ways that shouldn't be possible. "Hey Ice Queen, Ever wonder what happens when you mix entropy with that perfect ice magic of yours?" He hurled three balls of chaos magic in quick succession, each one wobbling through the air in a different direction. "Because I sure don't! Let's find out together!"
The first ball turned her ice shield pink, complete with glitter. The second made it start playing what sounded suspiciously like elevator music, the kind that gets stuck in your head for days. The third just made a sound like "boop" and turned a small section into what appeared to be strawberry ice cream.
"What... what did you just do to my magic?" Seris demanded, looking both offended and confused as her perfect ice constructs began to behave in ways that defied explanation. Her composed mask cracked slightly as she watched part of her shield start doing a little dance.
"No idea!" Ren called back cheerfully, already preparing more chaos balls. "That's kind of my whole thing! Want to see what happens next? I'm thinking maybe jazz music, or possibly interpretive dance!"
Jihoon seized the moment of confusion. Lightning Step carried him through her guard, past the crystalline barriers that were now humming an off-key version of "Never Gonna Give You Up." But instead of striking, he reached out - his Resonance brushing against her mana signature.
And in that touch, he felt it. Her fear. Her doubt. The crushing weight of expectations that rode on her shoulders like a mountain of ice. Every perfect technique mastered, every sleepless night training, every moment spent trying to live up to a legacy that threatened to freeze her soul.
Evan and Rhydan's duel reached its climax - a perfect clash of lightning and steel that lit up the entire hollow like daybreak. Evan's blade caught the light of Rhydan's storm, reflecting it back in a dazzling display that forced everyone to shield their eyes. The very air seemed to hold its breath as two masters pushed their skills to the absolute limit.
When the light faded, they all stood locked in a moment of perfect tension. Evan's sword rested at Rhydan's throat, steady as a mountain. Ren's chaos magic swirled ready, for once not causing random effects. Jihoon stood within Seris's guard, close enough to see the tiny fractures in her perfect mask.
"You're not our enemy," Jihoon said softly, his voice carrying in the sudden silence. "You're just scared you'll be forgotten if you lose. Trust me, I get it. We're all fighting something bigger than this test."
The words hung in the air, heavier than any spell. Seris's eyes widened, just for a moment, her perfect mask cracking completely as truth hit harder than any attack could.
The labyrinth thrummed in response, as if acknowledging something deeper than combat had been achieved. The walls pulsed with a gentler light, reflecting not just power, but understanding.
Jihoon, Han Jihoon—just a stubborn kid from Seoul who'd somehow ended up in this mess—stood ready. If this place thought it could break any of them...
It had another thing coming.
Because sometimes the greatest victories aren't won with fists or magic, but with the simple courage to see beyond the surface of things. Even if those things are trying to freeze you, electrocute you, or turn you into a physics experiment gone wrong.
Stay tuned for Chapter 14: Five Idiots vs. One Reality-Hating Eldritch Meatball
Ren breaks the fabric of space.Jihoon breaks his back trying to fix it.Seris breaks character.Evan breaks the sound barrier.Rhydan breaks... a sandwich? (Listen, he was hungry, okay?)Meanwhile, the labyrinth starts glitching like a bad video game.Will our heroes survive the boss fight, or will they just emotionally bond with it instead?Tune in to find out if Jihoon finally earns that nap he's been hallucinating since Chapter 3.
✍️ Author's Note:
So... that happened. 😅
If you're reading this, congratulations—you survived Chapter 13, also known as "The Ambush That Turned Into a Magic-Fueled Therapy Session." We had flying lightning, dancing ice, existential dread, and someone (Ren) basically Rickrolling an elite ice mage mid-battle. Honestly, if you're still with me after all that chaos, you're my kind of reader.
Big thanks to everyone who's stuck with the squad this far—especially Jihoon, who's just trying to pass a test and not get turned into glittery strawberry popsicles by emotionally repressed nobles.
Next chapter, expect emotional whiplash, possibly more labyrinth weirdness, and Ren doing something that probably breaks reality a little more. Again.
Jihoon says:
"One comment. That's all it takes. One funny little message and boom—you're canon in my brain and I will absolutely remember you until the last chapter. Immortality, baby. Don't waste it."
🤪 Poll Time!
What was the real MVP moment of Chapter 13?
A) Jihoon's jacket getting roasted like his patience
B) Ren inventing magical Rick Astley ice shields
C) Evan silently winning a duel while glowing like a K-pop idol on final boss mode
D) The labyrinth screaming like it stepped on a Lego
E) Seris's shield doing interpretive dance and playing elevator music
Vote below or scream your answer into the void. Either works. Jihoon accepts both.