They moved through the tunnels again.
Ezra walked in front, steps steady, eyes calm. He didn’t slow down or hesitate. Each turn he took was deliberate. The tricks of the maze no longer worked on him. Whenever the tunnels tried to curve back on themselves, he stopped, using the arrow trick, then chose another path effectively. They continued moving into the tunnel maze.
Aliya jogged up beside him.
"Co to think of it," she said, breathing lightly, "what kind of stage was the one you ca back all ssed up from?"
"I had to kill two Ground Apes," Ezra answered, eyes still facing forward.
"A Ground Ape?!" Bobby shouted before he could stop himself. He stared at Ezra, his face pale. "And two of them?!"
"And you wanted us to argue about who should be the representative," Li said, giving Bobby a sharp look from the side.
"I...I was just..." Bobby tried to explain.
"Just what?" Li cut in.
Bobby lowered his head and kept walking.
"It must have been hard for you... Were you scared when it said you had to kill them?" Aliya asked, worry clear in her voice.
Ezra slowed his steps for a mont.
He thought about it.
"I was more irritated," he said after a pause, "because it was a Ground Ape."
The image surfaced at once—the grin. That twisted, mocking grin the last Ape wore when it noticed he was injured.
"I heard they have so level of intelligence," Bobby said, walking closer to Ezra and Aliya at the front.
Ezra rembered the way the Ape had blocked his shots, instinctively shielding its eyes. The mory played clearly in his head.
"Yeah," he said. "They do."
Another scene followed.
The blood sared on bark.
The deliberate trail he left behind.
The Colt 1911 hidden and prepared.
He had tied a thin rope to the trigger, fixing the other end to a weak twig. He had calculated how long it would take for the twig to snap, how much tension the rope needed to pull the trigger. Step by step, he led the Ground Ape forward, guiding it to the firing point. The gun was aid at the small opening the Ape always left when it covered its eyes.
Ezra let out a quiet sigh as the mory faded.
"...It was really hard," he said honestly.
Ahead, a door appeared at the end of the path.
Aliya inhaled deeply, then exhaled. "Ah... we’re finally at the next stage."
"I wonder what this one will be about," Bobby said, his voice uneasy.
"Would it be bad if I said I hope it’s like the last one?" Li said, forcing a weak laugh.
No one responded.
The air grew tense.
Ezra walked while quietly judging his group.
Their overall strength wasn’t impressive. Not even close.
Still, there were good points.
Aliya was closest to becoming a Novice Alchemist among the three. Bobby and Li were Half-Stars—Half-Novice level. But Ezra could sense Bobby’s Cognis clearly. It was unstable, but close. Very close to awakening the potential of a Full Alchemist.
If nothing went wrong, Bobby would beco a big talent for the family.
His thoughts drifted to Veda’s group.
Too many weak mbers.
That was because of Veda’s nature. He gathered everyone who needed help. The result was dependency. Too many people leaned on Veda, Linda, Nickolas, and the stronger mbers instead of growing themselves.
Be a beacon of hope.
Ezra frowned slightly.
To him, that wasn’t kindness. It was a burden.
Even now, Veda had chosen the weakest for this stage.
Ezra looked at his own group again.
Still... they aren’t completely useless.
Aliya understood situations quickly. Bobby was a Flora Alchemist, skilled with herbs and recovery. Because of that, Ezra hadn’t needed to touch his own healing stash.
He glanced at Bobby as they reached the door.
He was competent in his field.
Li, however, was the weak link. He didn’t contribute much. Still, he tried—and that mattered, at least in terms of combat strength. He was the third strongest in the group.
Ezra placed his hand on the door and pushed it open.
A forest spread out before them.
Tall trees. Thick roots. Damp air. A living ecosystem hidden inside the maze.
The others froze, stunned.
"How did they even fit sothing like this into a damn maze?" Aliya muttered, slamming her hand against the soil in frustration.
"Another forest," Ezra said calmly, scanning the area. "But the ecosystem is different from Stage Two."
** Welco to Stage Three **
The voice echoed.
** You Must Pass Through the Five Terrains to Clear This Stage **
Silence followed.
"Five terrains?!" Aliya exclaid, breaking it.
"Calm down, Aliya. At least it didn’t say we have to kill a beast," Ezra said while scanning the forest ahead.
Tall trees standing close together, their trunks wrapped in glowing moss and faintly etched veins of light. Their branches tangled overhead, forming a living ceiling that dimd the world below. What little light slipped through shimred unnaturally, bending around leaves as if the forest itself was breathing.
The air felt thick and damp. The sll of wet soil mixed with strange herbs and faint energy, making Ezra’s skin prickle. Vines crept along the ground on their own, and clusters of odd-colored mushrooms pulsed softly near fallen roots. Sowhere deeper inside, leaves shifted without wind.
"So... what do we do now?" Li asked, his voice uneasy.
"We move," Ezra replied flatly. Then he turned and pointed at Bobby. "And since this place is a forest, we have an expert. Soone who should be able to help us get through this stage."
His finger rested on Bobby.
Bobby flinched. "W...Wait, ?" He pointed at himself.
"Ezra, what do you expect him to do here?" Li asked, confused.
"Bobby is a Flora Alchemist, idiot," Aliya said as she stood up and brushed dirt from her hands. "What Ezra ans is that Bobby knows plants, trees, and forests better than any of us. He should lead."
She crossed her arms, smiling with pride.
Hehehe... I understood Ezra’s thinking again. We really are in sync.
She lifted her chin slightly.
"M... lead?" Bobby’s face drained of color. "I can’t do that."
"Yes, you can," Ezra said calmly, placing a hand on Bobby’s shoulder. His grip was steady. "Don’t worry about making mistakes. If sothing happens, I’ll handle it. Right now, we need you more than anything."
Bobby froze.
Ezra is asking for my help... and telling to lead everyone?
He looked at the others. The pressure settled heavily on his chest.
The truth was clear. From the mont he stepped into this forest, he had recognized many of the plants, trees, and flowers around them. Their shapes. Their scents. Their behavior.
But leading people was different.
He had always walked behind others. At ho. Here. Everywhere.
What if I make a mistake and get everyone killed?
What if I give the wrong order and soone dies?
His fists tightened.
Then another mory surfaced.
Not Ezra’s voice—but Veda’s.
***
Veda knelt in the snow, brushing it aside to reveal pale petals hidden beneath.
"No-Scent Flowers," he said softly while cutting them carefully. "Bobby, I called you because I need your help. I want you to teach the others how this works."
"S...Sir Veda... I can’t," Bobby said, rubbing his hands together. "No one will listen to soone like . I’ll just embarrass myself."
"Who said that?" Veda looked at him in confusion. "Why do you think that would happen?"
"I just know..." Bobby replied quickly. "I don’t have the confidence to speak in front of people. Teaching is impossible. You should do it instead. You already know the process."
"But you’re the one who explained the effects of the No Scent Flower to ," Veda said, puzzled.
He sighed, stood up, and lifted the bag of flowers. "Alright. I’ll do it."
Relief washed over Bobby. "Thank you."
Then Veda paused.
"Bobby, I don’t know what kind of life you lived back ho to make you look down on yourself like this," he said quietly. "But you need to stop walking behind your own shadow."
Bobby looked up.
"You might not realize it yet, but people already see your strengths. So even look up to you. You’re the one who taught how No-Scent Flowers work."
Veda placed a hand on Bobby’s shoulder.
"So people might look down on you. That’s jealousy. Or their own inferiority. Don’t let that stop you. The Bobby I see..."
He smiled.
"...is soone who could beco very important one day. All you need is to believe in yourself a little more. And if you’re afraid of ssing up, I’ll always have your back."
Then Veda walked away.
***
Bobby let out a slow breath.
"...Okay," he said quietly. "I’ll lead."
He stepped to the front.
His hands still trembled slightly, but there was sothing different in his eyes now. A faint resolve.
This ti... I’ll step out of my shadow and move forward, Sir Veda.
He clenched his fist.
Behind him, Ezra, Aliya, and Li adjusted their posture, ready to move.
The forest waited.
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