305 Maze Completion

I found myself standing in front of an imposing throne, larger than any I had ever seen before. Seated upon it was a figure so colossal that it seemed to dwarf even the grandeur of the throne itself. It was Ignisara, the Phoenix Goddess, her presence commanding the space around her with an air of regality and power. Memories flooded my mind of the last time I had seen her, lying motionless in her coffin within the depths of Nightshade Sanctum.

Silence hung heavy in the air, stretching into an eternity as I stood there, grappling with the gravity of the situation. This wasn't the first time I had been thrust into this dark realm, each encounter more bewildering than the last. From meeting Jasmine to encountering Ren, and now this surreal confrontation with Ignisara, it seemed that the boundaries between reality and the unknown were becoming increasingly blurred.

As I stood there, lost in thought, I felt a strange sensation wash over me, as if I were being lifted from the ground and drawn closer to Ignisara's colossal visage. Her expression was inscrutable, devoid of any emotion or discernible intent. It was then that I heard her voice echoing in the recesses of my mind.

"Go back to Nightshade Sanctum," her words reverberated, their resonance filling the empty space around me. "This place is not safe anymore."

Confusion gripped me as I struggled to comprehend her cryptic message. "What do you mean?" I questioned, my voice barely more than a whisper.

"You'll lose," Ignisara's voice echoed, her tone unwavering. "You already have lost."

Her words struck me like a physical blow, leaving me reeling with uncertainty. What did she mean by "lost"? Had I already failed in some way without even realizing it?

Before I could voice my concerns, Ignisara's attention seemed to drift elsewhere, her gaze fixed upon some distant horizon beyond my comprehension. "Trust no one," her voice resonated once more, its cadence carrying an unmistakable warning. "Everyone is a liar."

With those final words echoing in my mind, I felt myself slipping away, my consciousness adrift in a sea of uncertainty. The world around me faded into darkness, and I drifted into a dreamless slumber.

"STOP!!!!!" When I awoke, I found myself lying in a dimly lit room.

My breathing was heavy, and I gulped, feeling as if my head was splitting in half bit by bit.

"Haa haa, Smokeball," I called. "SMOKEBALL!" I repeated again, but instead of Blaze, someone else dashed into the room.

It was Professor Night. "Ren! Y-you are awake! Thank God!" She immediately came in for a hug, but I raised my hand.

"Water-" Before I could say anything, she shoved a jar full of water towards me.

Gulping down the whole container, I just felt even more thirsty, to be honest. One by one, others entered the room too – Adam, Isolde, Erik, Vexa, and Aron, all of them.

"Where's my cat?" I asked.

"Hmm? That familiar of yours? Haven't seen him for a while," the Professor said.

Where the heck is that guy when you need him!?

I leaned back in bed and looked around. "Hmm, now what? What happened?"

"...."

All of them looked at me with a strange expression in their eyes, even Adam seemed to be engaged in a strange muttering contest with himself.

"Ren... we won," Professor said.

"Hmm? We did... of course, I guess," I sighed.

"Adam pulled the sword-" she continued.

"Obviously he did," I rolled my eyes. I never doubted his protagonist luck.

"...." Another awkward pause.

"We won because of you though. How did you even manage to get your hands on such a strong spirit? And what spirit was it? Do you remember?" she questioned.

"No, I don't. I made a contract before leaving the academy - it's a one-time contract, but I never saw the spirit," I clarified.

I couldn't go around telling them that I made a pact with a goddess - all they knew was Ellora in terms of goddesses. It was too much to explain, so I left it.

And it was obvious, I guess, that they knew the spirit was used in that last spell. I used Nova, a nine-star mage fire spell, because that's the maximum my body could handle.

Ignisara... haaa.

"So what now?" I asked.

"...What... nothing, I just- I just wanted- wanted to know, you know... I'll just leave you kids alone for now. I'll be back as I have a meeting with Headmaster Amrose Nexus; he has a few questions regarding all that happened." Stating this, she left immediately.

I didn't think they could take any action against me for the use of the spirit at all because that wasn't in the rulebook. But now, it definitely had put me on the map for them, I guess.

Silence hung in the air for a while before Vexa broke it, her voice curt but filled with a hint of admiration. "Well, looks like you really pulled through this time."

Erik, still visibly excited despite having been fully asleep when everything transpired, began to ramble on enthusiastically about the impressive feat, his words tumbling over each other in his excitement.

Adam remained silent, his expression unreadable as he processed the events that had unfolded.

Isolde, ever the inquisitive one, interjected with a comment, her tone tinged with curiosity. "I wonder how many spirits you have contracted. It's not wise to lie about such things."

I shot her a disgusted look in response, not appreciating the implication of dishonesty.

Aron stepped forward, placing a pendant - the Convergence Amulet - in front of me, stating that I had dropped it. His arm was adorned with a bandage, more akin to a plaster, drawing attention to his injury.

"Why the bandage?" I inquired, raising an eyebrow and offering a jesting remark. "Trying to outshine me in the battle of injuries?"

Vexa spoke in, providing an explanation. She revealed that after the explosion, my body was hurtling towards the wall, and Aron, despite his damaged mana veins, used what little mana he had left to prevent the collision. In doing so, he further injured himself.

Aron shrugged off the attention, dismissing it with a nonchalant wave of his hand. "It was nothing," he muttered, though the strain in his voice betrayed his attempt at nonchalance.

As the conversation continued, I couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude towards Aron. Despite our occasional clashes, he had proven himself to be a reliable ally in times of need.... atleast I think.

In the midst of it all, I couldn't shake the feeling of uncertainty that lingered in the back of my mind. Ignisara's cryptic words echoed in my thoughts, leaving me with a sense of unease about what the future held.

"Haa, I think you all should leave now," I said, breaking the silence that had settled over the room.

There was a momentary pause before Vexa nodded and began to make her way out.

Erik approached me, his expression grave as he spoke. "Take care. There's a banquet in a few hours. You should attend if you can – or maybe don't," he added cryptically. Leaning forward, he whispered, "I don't think the Luminaries and Nexus students like you very much." With that, he left, leaving me to ponder his words.

Isolde darted out of the room as if she couldn't escape fast enough, leaving only Aron and Adam behind.

Aron hesitated, as if wanting to say something, but a glance from Adam prompted him to leave without a word.

Adam remained, standing like a statue in the middle of the room.

"What? Is there something on my face, captain?" I asked, puzzled by his lingering presence.

He shook his head, as if trying to clear his thoughts. "Haa, what am I even thinking," he muttered to himself before finally turning to leave.

Alone at last, I took a moment to assess my body for any lingering effects from the battle. Thankfully, aside from a few minor bruises and scratches, I seemed to be unharmed.

As I reached to put the Convergence Amulet around my neck, something about it caught my eye. It wasn't just any pendant—

it was identical to the one Ignisara had been wearing.

"What the hell?" I muttered to myself, perplexed by the strange coincidence.

I reached out to touch the pendant, examining it closely. It appeared to be a perfect replica of the sun, its surface smooth and unblemished. There was nothing unusual about it, yet its resemblance to Ignisara's pendant unnerved me.

Sighing, I continued to stare at it, lost in thought, until a notification sound interrupted my reverie.

I opened the system panel, and a barrage of notifications flooded the screen, accompanied by a series of popping bell sounds.

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[SYSTEM WINDOW]

[Player: Ren Chris Hilton]

Age: 16.5

[Level 3: Scorchmaster]

[7 Star Mage In Human Terms.]

Achievements Unlocked:

1. Dragon Slayer: Defeated the Amphiptere, a fearsome dragon-

like creature, in battle.