“Hmm.”

“We have to go inside there…”

Having already heard a rough explanation on their way, they glanced at the rift while doing their final equipment checks.

Even Froy, who barely flinched at ordinary matters, looked a bit uneasy.

Well, psychologically speaking, forcing oneself into that black crack would feel like entering hell.

Rosha had felt the same way at the beginning.

‘But after entering many times, it will become very familiar.’

As a seasoned veteran of the cracks, Rosha took something out of her cape’s inner pocket to divert their attention.

It was a few signal flares and magic stones engraved with defensive spells.

“These are the items I mentioned earlier. Since we might start separated, fire one flare when entering, and two if you’re in danger. There will be traps everywhere, so don’t forget to enhance your perceptive abilities with magic.”

She recited the trial information she had shared earlier.

The second trial was a crystal maze with narrow, complexly intertwined pathways. The top was open but they couldn’t climb up, and the walls couldn’t be destroyed.

Moreover, it was filled with magical traps everywhere.

And in the center of the vast maze was an unidentified god’s shrine that seemed to be someone’s research space.

“Just head towards where you can see the shrine. Don’t go inside, just stay near it.”

“Um, but I can’t use magic, Lady Roshanak. What should I do?”

“Just stay put and fire a flare every now and then. I’ll come get you.”

Heres visibly relaxed at her words.

In cases like his, it would indeed be much safer for everyone to stay put while she went to pick them up.

She was extremely familiar with magical traps.

However…

‘They need to become stronger too. So they can continue surviving going forward.’

This trial filled with traps was optimal for honing their combat senses.

As they divided the flares and magic stones, Rosha, standing at the cliff’s edge and observing movements in the distance, glanced over her companions.

There were five of them in total, including herself.

But their goals were all different.

Some were there to protect their families. Some to uncover secrets. Some to ensure their Master’s safety.

And…

“Um… if I may ask, when we go inside, you will really try your best to help me use magic, right? Ah, of course I’m not doubting your abilities…”

Someone was there for their own greed.

After observing their different motivations, Rosha confirmed their preparations and took a step forward.

“Shall we head in, then?”

“Let’s go.”

Quickly following beside her, Cassis pushed his body into the rift. The black surface rippled smoothly, swallowing his body.

“May we meet again safely inside.”

“Yes.”

Giving a short reply to Froy’s words, she also smiled faintly and slipped into the rift.

Her ears grew muffled, her vision whitened, and then turned pitch black.

* * *

Unlike the first trial, which carried strong symbolic meaning as the start of the calamity, the second trial proceeded in a slightly different manner.

People directly entered the rift to tackle the trial themselves.

-There are quests for each trial, giving the feeling of clearing a dungeon in a game.

-There’s the critical penalty that if the quest isn’t cleared within the time limit, the dungeon itself will fully manifest in reality.

Trials manifested in reality have mostly caused astronomical damage.

The previous world had a very high population density, and the next trial wouldn’t wait until the catastrophe from the current one was resolved.

But let’s not dwell on that for now.

This was only the second trial, after all.

“Phew…”

Rosha took her first breath inside the rift.

A cool, damp scent.

A slightly chilly temperature.

And the overwhelming magic power density unique to the rift’s space.

At this level of density, even expending all her mana on a grand magic spell would refill her mana vessel within a minute.

‘This feeling, it’s been so long.’

Even though it had only been about two months, the time spent fighting while traversing the rift felt like ages ago.

Of course, the faces of her companions and the trials they had faced were still vivid, but in a way, it also felt like recalling a past life.

‘Was that one month spent with my family after returning too comfortable?’

Well, it did seem that way.

She had felt like she could endure for ten more years just clinging to those happy memories.

But now she had to readjust to the trials once more.

It was too painful to even imagine losing her family again after 18 years of hardship, which was why she had returned.

Rosha slowly opened her eyes.

Before assessing the trial’s appearance, a blue window had appeared before her, awaiting her attention.

You have entered the second trial.

Within the time limit, obtain the treasure kept in the Forgotten God’s Shrine.

Time Limit: 11:59:59

The time limit was twelve hours.

She had originally thought it would be one day, but it seemed shorter, likely due to Hardmode.

That wasn’t too big an issue, but the real problem was this part:

Returnees are only given one chance to clear the trial. Good luck.

…Why did returnees have so many penalties?

‘I thought that since the rift would open two days later, I could retry even if I failed…’

No, that was only possible if her companions survived, so it was better to clear it in one go.

‘Anyway, I don’t have time to waste because of the ‘Preciousness of Life’ quest.’

Not long ago, she had seen Marquis Lycaon’s knights gradually approaching the village from a distance.

Of course, as the Marquis’s knights, they wouldn’t kill the Marquis’s own people…

She could only hope Lysithea and Joel would handle the situation well.

“Ooh, it has been so long since I’ve felt such abundant magical power. Judging from how we didn’t get dumped into water or fire right away and have decent visibility, it seems to be a rather humane trial.”

Perhaps due to being separated from people, Koko chattered while fluttering his feathers.

His tap dancing-like shuffling on her shoulder showed he was enjoying this plentiful magical power density.

“There’s no such thing as a humane trial. This is all just a creative way to take lives.”

“Eh, do you really think so?”

“Well, what else could it be?”

“Isn’t there a reason why each previous trial is easier than the next? While the ultimate goal of the trials is unknown, there is certainly an intention to train people.”

After dismissing the blue window, Rosha found herself glancing at Koko without realizing it.

Of course, it was something she had also been pondering, but Koko, the self-proclaimed great magician and messenger bird of the Guide God, had remarkable insight.

…Was that why she sometimes wondered about his true identity?

“And it’s better than getting dumped into water right at the start! Do you know how hard I worked to pull you out back then?!”

“…”

“So you said you’d learn to swim, did you actually learn?”

Rosha, who still couldn’t swim properly and could only doggy paddle, ignored him and surveyed the area ahead.

A magnificent crystal maze unfolded before her eyes.

The crystal walls, emitting a bluish glow like ice, were at least twice as tall as her. The floor was solid, as if smoothly carved from stone, and the distant domed ceiling had phosphorescent stones embedded like constellations.

Magical traps could also be seen lurking throughout the maze.

‘There are at least three visible right away. Fortunately, avoiding them doesn’t seem too difficult.’

Two arrow traps and one that manipulated ambient temperature.

Judging by the difficulty level, the others shouldn’t have much trouble for now.

Seeing signal flares being fired over the crystal walls, Rosha slowly began walking.

In fact, there was something she needed to do before meeting up with the others.

“Let’s go to the secret shop first. I need to buy something.”

Infusing mana into the back of her hand, a round tattoo made of thin, bright lines appeared on her skin.

The ‘compass leading to the secret shop’ bestowed by the God of Prophecy.