I Became a Nobody in My Favourite Novel-Chapter 14: “The Real Trial Begins”:4

The system notification was still in front of the eyes of Emil.

Main Quest: Complete the Real Trial with the help of your teammates.

He couldn't stop staring at it. Even as the others caught their breath, Emil was sitting next to the mana spring but still, he was feeling too weak. His eyes kept staring at the line that said Main Quest.

Emil was confused, he thought 'Complete the real trial? What does that even mean?'

He'd never thought that the thing they were doing for a few hours was just a mere illusion. Was it a plan of the professors? Why did they not tell them about this back then?

He turned his gaze toward Luin, who was sitting a short distance away, head low, arms wrapped around his knees. The boy's golden eyes were dim now, his face pale. He looked completely drained

The quest didn't make sense. Emil looked at his team one by one. Luin was just sitting a few feet away from Emil and was exhausted and completely drained after a hectic fight. Then Emil turned his gaze towards Kael, he was sitting next to Luin, he was covered in blood and sweat, and completely looked like he couldn't even move an inch. Then he next looked at Riven, he was standing next to Luin and his back was stationed next to a wall, he was completely exhausted too, it looked like they all couldn't even move an inch, and now? The quest says 'Complete the real trial with your teammates. In this situation?' Emil knew that they were doomed.

Emil had no choice but to come up with the plan, he knew that he couldn't do anything in this situation, this was their fate and they had to face it.

"Destiny-level stuff" Emil muttered under his breath, staring at the flickering mana light rising from the spring-like mist. It glowed soft blue, catching on the edges of the nearby stones and the wide leaves of glowing flowers. The area was peaceful, strangely calm, like the dungeon had paused to let them breathe.

Kael sat nearby, trying to laugh as he rolled up a torn sleeve. "That ogre almost smashed me into pudding," he said, wincing. "I need new fucking clothes, damn it. And a new spine too."

"You're lucky it missed," Riven replied coldly, leaning against a stone. His sword lay across his lap, covered with dried blood. His gaze flicked to Emil, unreadable as always, and then shifted to Luin. He was watching him closely.

'He knows something.' Emil thought. 'Or at least, he's starting at us to get some information about us?.'

Riven said nothing else. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, then, He just cleaned his blade slowly, almost too carefully, like his hands needed something to do while his mind worked through something deeper.

Meanwhile, Luin still hadn't said a word. He was scared, Luin knew that something more dangerous was coming toward them.

Emil stood and walked over, crouching beside him. "You alright?"

"I'm fine." Luin said quickly "B-But" he stuttered.

Emil said with a normal look on his face

"What happened, Luin?"

Luin didn't respond. His shoulders were tight. His fingers trembled slightly. From here, Emil could see how pale he was, how his breath came just a little too fast.

"You held your ground back there," Emil said.

"You saved us, Luin. Don't hide from that, and we all are with you, you don't have to be afraid of anything."

There was a pause.

"...I wasn't strong enough," Luin whispered. "I only stalled the ogre. If you hadn't finished it"

"I didn't kill it alone."

Luin looked up.

"We all fought. All of us. That's how we survived." Emil gave a small smile. "You're part of this team, whether you want to be or not."

Luin blinked, unsure how to reply to what Emil just said.

Emil stood and looked back at the others. For a brief moment, he let himself feel something close to pride, and then he said.

"We all worked together, and will continue to do so."

They weren't perfect. They were still awkward with each other, still figuring things out about each other. But they'd survived the ogre. That meant something.

Then the ground trembled.

It was faint at first. Just a soft shake beneath his boots, like something stirring deep under the stone.

Riven stood at once, sword in hand. "Did you feel that?"

"I felt it," Kael said, frowning. "Was that another collapse? Or was it another ogre?"

"No," Emil said, slowly turning to Riven and Kael. The air felt strange. The soft mana that had flowed gently around them now was getting pulled in different directions, it felt like it was being sucked away.

The light dimmed slightly.

Then a voice echoed around them, deep and calm, but cold like steel on skin.

"Those who survived the first trial, your real test begins now."

The words hit like thunder. All four of them froze.

Emil's system window flashed again.

Trial Phase Two: Initiated.

Stone groaned. Somewhere nearby, a wall shifted open. A new tunnel emerged from the far side of the room, lit by a faint red glow.

Kael let out a low whistle. "Well. Now we can't even take a normal break session, huh?"

Emil nodded. "Everyone, check your gear. We move now, staying here any longer means death"

No one argued and followed the instructions of their leader.

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Kael grinned as he grabbed his spear. "This dungeon's got some flair. I'll give it that."

Riven sheathed his sword and walked without a word.

Luin hesitated, glancing once more at the spring, desiring to get a little more mana before they left, Emil gently put a hand on his shoulder and nodded.

"Let's go, team."

They entered the tunnel. The air was warmer now, thicker. It wasn't just the temperature, it was pressure, it felt like the atmosphere had changed completely, and the temperature was increasing gradually.

They walked carefully, every step echoed against a stone. Strange runes lit the walls in dim red pulses. The deeper they went, the more twisted the place became, hallways were narrowed and widened without any reason, stairs were curved in strange spirals, and there were carvings on the walls depicting battles, beasts, and flames.

Riven stopped for a while. Emil noticed it and asked, "What happened, Riven? Any problems?".

Riven said politely, the face had no expressions. "Well, do you guys see these carvings?"

Kael looked at them and studied them closely. "Well, it shows battles between humans and monsters. Probably they are monsters of this dungeon only?"

Riven said, "Not that, look here." He pointed at something.