Conquering the Labyrinth

A blue bird flew in from the sky, its body light and graceful, carrying a letter in its beak. It fluttered its long, narrow wings and appeared outside the window.

Fern pushed open the window, and the bird tossed the letter out of its mouth and flew away.

Fern opened the letter, and what came into view was the content of the second test:

"The second test will take place at the Ruined King's Tomb."

"The date is three days from now. The examiner is Jian Ze. All mages, please do not be late..."

At the end of the letter was the official seal of the Continental Magic Association.

Lavina, Kanne, Dugu Qing, Frieren all stepped forward to take in the contents of the notification.

"The examiner is Jian Ze!"

When Lavina saw Jian Ze's name, she couldn't help but think of her fearsome reputation.

According to his elder brother, Jian Ze is a truly ruthless person! He's usually aloof and cold-hearted.

"What bad luck! I finally managed to pass the first test!"

Kanne clenched his fist and sighed nervously.

What happened?

Fern looked at Lavina with curiosity, puzzled.

"Jian Ze has been in charge of four tests before, and not a single person passed any of them. He's jokingly called the 'Exam Demon King' by the students!"

Lavina looked into the distance with a heavy heart.

The first test was dangerous enough; the second one was likely even harder, especially with the notorious exam Demon King proctoring it. Her intuition told her something was amiss...

"With Frieren around, we'll definitely beat the game."

Dugu Qing rested his hand on Frieren's shoulder, showing no concern whatsoever.

That is.

Frieren arched her eyebrows and smiled gently.

Three days later, at the second testing site, in Ruined King's Tomb.

Amidst towering mountains and deep valleys, where the sky and earth stretch endlessly, a magnificent labyrinth stands out prominently.

Dugu Qing, Frieren, Fern flew slowly through the air and landed in the plaza in front of the maze.

The candidates arrived one after another, including Denken, Laufen, Lavina, Kanne, Ailu... all fully equipped, waiting for the exam to begin.

Jian Ze's long, light golden hair was loose, like a robe fluttering in the wind.

She wore a white dress, a blue coat, and a white bow tie; her eyes were devoid of any emotion.

She emerged from the maze, counted the number of people, and spoke with a detached and indifferent tone.

"Eighteen people passed the first test. Congratulations on passing."

The magicians who had passed by stood together, unable to reconcile Jian Ze's blank expression with the words "congratulations," and looked at her solemnly.

Being called the "Exam Demon King" annoyed Jian Ze, who couldn't help but explain that she was so cute, not a Demon King at all! She was a pacifist.

"Regarding the test I was in charge of, the fact that not a single candidate passed has led to all sorts of speculations. Some of you must have heard this rumor!"

Jian Ze's eyes darted around, looking at everyone, before finally settling on Dugu Qing.

"But don't be nervous, the test is very simple. Anyone aiming to become Level One Mage will be able to pass it easily."

"The test involves you conquering the Ruined King's Tomb. If you reach the deepest part of the tomb before sunrise tomorrow, you will pass."

Conquer the Never-Fallen Ruined King's Tomb? What kind of epic quest is this?

The weaker mage frowned, Alexander.

A bald monk couldn't hold back any longer and glared angrily at Jian Ze.

"Wait a minute, this is a labyrinth that many adventurers have never returned from, a labyrinth that no one has ever conquered. Are you not planning to let anyone pass again?"

Jian Ze retorted softly, "What are you talking about? Your goal is the pinnacle of magic. Only by turning the impossible into the possible can one be considered Level One Mage."

Methode calmly gazed at Jian Ze and asked the question that the other candidates were also particularly concerned about.

"Then how do you prove you've reached the deepest point?"

Jian Ze waved his hand and explained, "No proof is needed. I will also dive into the deepest part with you. I will know once you get through. Of course, I won't help you."

Then Jian Ze used his long hair to lift up the eighteen bottles containing the Escape Golems and distributed them to each examinee.

If a candidate encounters danger or wants to give up, they can break the glass bottle, at which point a giant humanoid golem will appear and carry the candidate out of the maze.

The test takers received the Escape Golem, Jian Ze announced that the test had officially begun.

Denken and Laufen stood together, discussing information about the royal tomb, their eyes intentionally or unintentionally glancing at Dugu Qing.

Lavina and Kanne stood together, discussing how to conquer the royal tomb, their fingers occasionally pointing at Frieren.

Frieren stood at several maze entrances, observing the different entrances, and after careful consideration, found a good path.

Dugu Qing was worried that if he waited any longer, Denken, Lavina... would come looking for him and ask to team up.

He dislikes crowded places, has to keep a straight face, behave harmoniously, maintain his persona, and can't go astray; it's exhausting.

Therefore, Dugu Qing took the lead and strode forward.

"Frieren, let's go!"

"Good."

Frieren and Fern followed Dugu Qing through the west gate.

Jian Ze glanced at Frieren and Dugu Qing, and immediately confirmed that this was the strongest team on site and the most likely to succeed. Without hesitation, he followed them.

"In that case, let's find Dugu Qing first, and then find more people to cooperate with!"

Denken and Laufen had agreed to cooperate with Dugu Qing, but in the blink of an eye, Dugu Qing disappeared.

The two sighed softly, realizing they had no choice but to cooperate with other test takers.

Lavina and Kanne, seeing Dugu Qing disappear, took off and entered the entrance used by the Frieren's Party, following closely behind the faint scent of Jian Ze's perfume in the air.

Denken invited the other candidates to collaborate, but they all declined, citing the inconvenience.

The candidates entered the maze one after another, and Ailu followed Wirbel, choosing a path that seemed safe.

Soon only five people remained in the square.

Denken berated the group for their stupidity and lack of team spirit, and then, leading Laufen and the other three, cautiously entered the maze.

Inside the maze, the light was dim, the candlelight flickered, and danger lurked everywhere.

Fern used paper magic to carve lines on the paper, recording the path the group had taken.

Frieren led the way, reminding Dugu Qing and Fern of the location of the trap and urging them to be careful.

Jian Ze followed the instructions and avoided many traps.

"Ms. Frieren is very familiar with the maze!"

After a series of thrilling yet safe journeys into the maze, Fern was completely won over by Frieren's command.

"We weren't this familiar with each other before, because Himmel really likes dungeons, and we've infiltrated many dungeons for monster-slaying missions."

A hint of nostalgia flashed in Frieren's eyes as she recalled events from many years ago.

"Then I can just sit back and win! I really hope the exam ends soon so I can lie in bed and get a good night's sleep!"

Dugu Qing stretched comfortably, his expression relaxed.