Nova's eyes snapped open. Thankfully, the labyrinth wasn't filled with too much light, so his eyes didn't feel the sharp sting of light pouring into him and searing his unadjusted eyes slightly.

His body still felt like it had been hammered by a freight train, ribs aching, his head pounding, every muscle screaming for the bed. He lay there for a moment, staring up at the ceiling, seeing the labyrinth's faint blue hues giving the place a sense of coolness.

Slowly, he pushed himself up, getting on one elbow. His vision cleared, and there, standing a few feet away amid the scattered bodies of the Irish team, was James Mahe. The guild president looked bored, almost annoyed, as he wiped a streak of blood from his knuckles onto his pants.

Their eyes locked, Nova's filled with a mix of confusion and question, realizing all the dead bodies that were scattered on the ground. James's stare was cold and indifferent, like he was just going to ignore a "minor" inconvenience.

Nova held the stare, his breath still shaky, coming waves. "What happened?" he managed, his voice strident.

James broke eye contact first, glancing away with a scoff. "Nothing you need to worry about, kid. Just cleaning up your mess."

He turned on his heel, not bothering to elaborate. Trevor, who had been hovering silently in the shadows like a loyal shadow, fell in step behind him without a word.

James tilted his head back slightly, as if dismissing the whole scene, and the two left down a twisting corridor, their footsteps slowly, but steadily fading away, as if they had never existed in the first place.

Nova watched them go, a knot of unease twisting in his gut. James had saved them, maybe, but something about the way he moved, the casual brutality in his eyes, felt wrong. Like he enjoyed it too much.

Shaking it off, Nova turned his attention to the others. Elesch and Adam were slumped against the wall, breathing shallowly, their faces pale and bruised. Zane lay a bit farther, his chest rising and falling unevenly, while Michael groaned softly, stirring but not fully awake.

"Hey," Nova whispered, crawling over to Adam first. He shook his shoulder gently. "Adam, wake up. Come on, man."

Adam's eyes fluttered, then opened with a wince. "Ugh... feels like I got hit by a truck. What happened? Did we win?"

"Something like that," Nova muttered, helping him sit up. He moved to Elesch next, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Elesch? You okay?"

She stirred, her hand twitching toward her rapier out of habit. Her eyes opened slowly, confusion giving way to relief when she saw Nova. "Nova... the Irish...?"

"Gone," he said simply, not wanting to dive into details yet. "Zane, Michael, get up, you've been sleeping for too long."

Zane grunted, pushing himself to a sitting position with effort. "That hammer guy packed a punch." Michael followed suit, rubbing his head and muttering curses under his breath.

They all sat there for a couple of minutes, catching their breath in the dim glow of the labyrinth. The walls shifted subtly around them, a low rumble reminding them this place wasn't done with them yet.

Nova reached into his pocket, pulling out the yellow mana crystals Marcus had given them earlier. "Here," he said, handing them out. "Two each. Absorb them; we need to heal up fast."

Adam took his gratefully, pressing them to his chest. The crystals warmed against their skin, dissolving into streams of golden light that seeped into their bodies, mending bruises and knitting torn muscles.

Elesch fumbled in her pouch, frowning, realizing that she had fed the mother wolf from earlier. "I only have one left. I gave my first one to the mother wolf."

Nova didn't hesitate. He passed her one of his. "Take it. I'll manage with one."

She looked at him, a soft smile breaking through her pain. "You sure?"

"Yeah," he nodded, absorbing his single crystal.

The energy flowed through him, dulling the sharp edges of his injuries but not erasing them. It was enough to get moving, though, not full strength, but better than broken.

After another couple of minutes, the crystals' effects settled in. Wounds closed to scars, energy returned in waves. They stood, stretching stiff limbs, the group sticking close now, no more splitting up.

"We stay together," Nova said firmly. "We can't afford to keep on splitting up and getting in trouble. Let's try to minimize our risks and find the safe zone before the other teams."

They moved out, navigating the twisting paths with cautious steps. Nova led, his daggers ready to pounce, his senses sharpened by the recent fight. Elesch and Adam flanked him, while Zane and Michael brought up the rear, their higher ranks providing a safety net.

It wasn't long before they heard it: a thunderous roar, followed by the crackle of magic and desperate yells. Rounding a corner, they emerged into a wider chamber, a cavernous space where the blue glow intensified, illuminating a brutal scene.

A pack of S-rank beasts dominated the area: massive, shadowy creatures that looked like twisted hybrids of wolves and dragons, with scales that shimmered like oil on water and eyes glowing with feral intelligence. Their claws tore the stone, and bursts of dark energy lashed out like whips.

Fighting them was a group of Adventurers, their clothes marked with the British flag, Union Jack patches on sleeves and backs. The British Guild, Nova realized, was one of the top contenders.

They were holding their own, barely: a mage hurling fireballs, a tank-like fighter shielding with a massive barrier, others darting in with swords and spells. But the beasts were overwhelming, their S-rank power evident in every swipe that shattered shields and sent fighters flying.

Nova held up a hand, signaling the group to stop at the chamber's edge, hidden in the shadows. "The British Guild," he whispered. "They're in trouble."

Adam peered out, claws extending instinctively. "We should help. Take them down together."

Zane nodded, but Michael crossed his arms, a sly grin forming. "Or we let them do the heavy lifting. Use them as a meat shield. Those beasts are S-rank; no need to burn our energy if they're already engaged."

Elesch raised an eyebrow. "That's cold. But smart. We're not at full strength yet, anyway, so there is no way any of us can just walk in there and offer help."

Nova thought it over, glancing at the fight. The British were drawing the beasts' attention, pulling them into a chaotic melee. If his group jumped in now, they'd risk more injuries.

But hanging back, letting the Brits soften the pack, it could work. "Alright," he said quietly. "We 'help' from the sidelines. Pick off stragglers, but let them tank the main course. Stay hidden until the right moment."

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