The Hollow

When the three members of Team 277 found their target by following the magical fluctuations, they had unknowingly stepped into the heart of this area.

The dark, earthen passageway widened, expanding from a few meters to ten meters in width. However, the expansion did nothing to alleviate the increasingly oppressive atmosphere. On the contrary, the further one went, the more stifling the air became, and the darker the earthen walls grew, until finally, only a few withered branches remained.

After passing through the final passage, what appeared before the three of them was a huge void.

The surrounding area of the hollow was still the same muddy ground as the previous passage, with both the ceiling and the earthen walls a grayish-white. There was no light source, so it was completely pitch black. Although this darkness didn't obstruct the magical girl's vision, it was still enough to create a sense of oppression. What made it even more suffocating was that, apart from a withered tree hanging in the very center of the huge hollow, it was literally "empty," with nothing to attract attention and not a sound. The entire area seemed to have been stripped of everything, tangible and intangible, turning into a dead wasteland.

The three of them entered the space in the same formation, with Tudingui in front, Foxtail Grass behind, Larkspur sandwiched in the middle, looking around as if searching for something meaningful.

"There doesn't look like anything there."

Foxtail Grass whispered behind Larkspur's head, "Could it be that we've taken the wrong path, and this maze area isn't actually open to test takers?"

"Probably not."

Larkspur shook his head. "According to the examiner, the entire maze was created specifically for the exam, so there's no reason for there to be any abandoned areas that aren't open to the candidates."

"But this also..."

Foxtail Grass strained to scan its surroundings, its gaze so intense it seemed to scrape mud off the cave walls. "This is too empty. Logically speaking, designing a huge space in the center of a maze should at least create enemies, right?"

"Yes, indeed."

Larkspur's expression softened with certainty. "Furthermore, I believe our previous perceptions were correct. Since there are unusual magical fluctuations in this area, there must be something hidden there. We should search further..."

Just as the two were discussing quietly, Tudingui, who was walking at the front, suddenly took two big steps forward. This action immediately attracted the attention of Larkspur and Foxtail Grass.

Did she think of something?

Both of them had this suspicion in their hearts, even Larkspur was no exception. After all, Tudingui's skillful performance along the way had already won her approval. As a new generation magical girl participating in the assessment for the first time, Tudingui's abilities in many aspects were indeed not like those of a newcomer, and could even be described as "trustworthy".

Under her gaze, Tudingui continued forward, as if summoned by something, slowly raising his head to face the hollow center, and then—

"Ah--"

She called out for a while, drawing out her voice.

"Ah..." A clear and ethereal echo formed in the void.

"Ah--"

Tudingui shouted it again, and the echo remained.

Larkspur and Foxtail Grass watched her do all this, and only when she stopped did Foxtail Grass ask, "Did you find anything?"

"Um."

Tudingui nodded. "It's a lot of fun."

"Wow, you found it so quickly! No wonder you're..."

Foxtail Grass was about to offer a few words of flattery, but after hearing the other person's words clearly, she stammered, "'What do you mean by fun'?"

"Because I felt that such a large space would create an echo, I wanted to try it out."

Tudingui wore a calm and natural expression, seemingly unaware that there was anything strange about his actions. "So I tried it out, and it was indeed very interesting."

"What's this... I thought..."

Foxtail Grass sighed, unsure whether she felt disappointed or relieved. "Oh well, it's not a problem to play around with it for a bit anyway."

"Why don't you give it a try?" Tudingui even tried to invite them.

"No, forget it." Foxtail Grass had no desire to try this kind of behavior that only extroverts would do, shouting in front of others just to hear a couple of echoes. This kind of behavior was completely unsuitable for her; in fact, she'd rather be killed than do it.

But just as she was about to refuse, Larkspur suddenly stepped forward.

"Huh, Senior Gentian?"

Amidst the Foxtail Grass's puzzled voice, the Larkspur had already taken up the spot where Tudingui had just shouted, expressionless, raised its head, stared intently at the cave ceiling, and slowly opened its mouth—

"Ah--"

Then, just like Tudingui, he shouted out loud.

She controlled her volume, so her shouts weren't jarring to her two teammates; the clear, crisp sound spread outwards, gradually fading into the distance until it disappeared. But soon, another sound echoed from the empty sky above:

"Ah..."

The echo was clear, exactly the same as the result of Tudingui's earlier attempt.

The Foxtail Grass standing to the side felt like crying but had no tears left to shed.

She had initially thought "Senior Gentian" would be a natural ally, but to her surprise, Tudingui's casual persuasion had Gentian joining in the fun. While she understood that Gentian was, after all, just a child, and playing was in his nature, she now felt like the odd one out, since two of the three in the team had already called him once.

What should I do? Should I really go up and shout into the cave like they do?

Foxtail Grass's thoughts were in turmoil; just thinking about doing such a thing made her involuntarily dig her toes into the ground. Her mouth opened slightly, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated, wanting to ask if she could not participate, but also worried that doing so would be too disappointing.

"Is it fun?" Unaware of the inner struggle within the Foxtail Grass behind him, Tudingui asked the Larkspur beside him.

"Hmm." The Larkspur responded softly, but her expression seemed to be deep in thought. Instead of the playful ease, she had a furrowed brow and a serious look on her face.

She paused for a moment, then suddenly looked up again. This time, however, she didn't speak. Instead, she raised her hand and gathered a ball of fluorescent blue magic in her palm.

In her palm, vibrant magic continuously radiated outwards, emanating magical fluctuations unique to Larkspur. These fluctuations, perceptible only to magical girls, spread like sound waves, eventually filling the entire void and even penetrating the walls.

Now, both the Foxtail Grass and the Tudingui could see that the Larkspur seemed to have ulterior motives.

As the magical fluctuations continued to spread, the once desolate environment around them finally changed once again.

Just as the cave echoed after the two shouted, now, another strange magical fluctuation appeared, somewhat similar to the style of the Larkspur, yet also different.

"This is... an echo of magic?" Foxtail Grass was startled by this sudden turn of events and blurted out the question instinctively.

"No, no, unless it's an environment with special materials, the powerful penetrating nature of magical fluctuations simply cannot create any 'echo'."

Tudingui explained from the side, "This is not a natural phenomenon at all."

"Including the 'echo' we just shouted."

Larkspur then spoke up, her gaze fixed on the ceiling of the hollow. "The cave is surrounded by soft soil, which should theoretically have a strong sound-absorbing effect. Even if there is an echo, it shouldn't be this clear and loud. So, if it's not a normal natural phenomenon..."

As she spoke, the piece of "dead wood" rooted in the soil and hanging upside down moved.

The strange magical fluctuations finally revealed their true nature at this moment, with the huge "dead tree" extending nearly ten enormous "branches".

These "branches" are even longer than the main trunk, and they tread towards the ground with an extremely exaggerated amplitude.

"... That means something is imitating us." Larkspur finally finished speaking, and at that moment, the "Dead Tree" stood before the three of them.

No, perhaps this thing isn't "dead wood" at all, but something resembling a stick insect, but many times larger, enough to give you goosebumps just by looking at it...

--A Aberrant Beast.

I didn't finish this chapter until midnight last night, but I thought I could update it this morning, so I didn't ask for leave. In the end, I still missed it and only finished this chapter now.

I know I was wrong, meow. I'm so sorry, meow.