<h4>Chapter 275 A problematicbyrinth situation?</h4>


    White Dragon Labyrinth Exploration Arc.


    ---


    (POV: Akashic Records)


    Traversing through different sections of thebyrinth, Fanatio and her party moved with focus, their footsteps echoing in the eerie silence.


    Meanwhile,


    On a separate path, Ophelia and her ss briskly made their way deeper into the darkbyrinth.


    Suddenly, the atmosphere shifted.


    The air became uneasy as Laura snapped her fingers, setting off a chain of events that none of them could have expected.


    The entirebyrinth bathed in a haunting shade of crimson, casting an unsettling glow upon the walls.


    Lumiere nced down and noticed the unusual transformation.


    "What''s happening?" he questioned.


    Ophelia?s brows furrowed. She replied with uncertainty, "I... I have no idea."


    Grome immediatelymented, "Dammit, I knew we should''ve turned back while we had the chance."


    The ground beneath them began to quake and tremble, intensifying their fears.


    Realizing the need for action, Lumiere turned to thezily hovering Steria.


    "Steria, keep the students together!" he urgentlymanded.


    "Hm, sure."


    With a nonchnt yawn, Steria slowly turned and extended her hand, attempting to use her spatial abilities to create a protective barrier. However, to her surprise, her powers faltered, failing to respond to her will.


    Panic entered Lumiere''s voice as he questioned Steria''s failed attempt.


    "What''s going on Steria? Set-up the barrier!"


    "That''ll be a problem..."


    "Wh... What''re you..."


    "My powers don''t seem to be working."


    "Eh?"


    In that moment, Steria ceased hovering and gentlynded on her feet, the usual confidence in her eyes reced by confusion.


    She shook her head fighting away another yawn, "Yeah, something?s definitely blocking my abilities."


    However, Lumiere wasn''t convinced. Instinctively, he raised his right hand, conjuring a magic barrier around the students. Yet, to his disbelief, it too failed miserably, his mana inexplicably blocked by an unknown force.


    "What''s happening?" Lumiere muttered to himself,pletely frustrated.


    Anastasia chimed in, "I don''t know what''s going on... but when thebyrinth turns red and rumbles like this, it''s never a good thing."


    Lance lowered his gaze from the mirror. "Well, it seems this could be the end of my handsome existence," he mused.


    Luna raised an eyebrow at his remark.


    "This isn''t really the time for that."


    Thebyrinth continued to tremble, its unsettling rumbles echoing through the air, causing the ground to quake beneath their feet.


    Simultaneously, on the other side of thebyrinth, Fanatio and her party found themselves trapped in the same harrowing situation.


    Fanatio?s eyes narrowed.


    She tried to make sense of their predicament.


    "What is happening here?" she wondered aloud.


    Garret looked back and forth. "I don''t know, but it doesn''t look good."


    Even with the rumbling of thebyrinth, she still stood calmly, trying to think.


    "I think it''s so—"


    Before Genevieve couldplete her sentence, a blinding sh of crimson light engulfed everyone, momentarily disorienting their senses. In the chaos that ensued, the students, teachers and adventurers were forcefully scattered and teleported across thebyrinth to random locations.


    ...


    ...


    ...


    When the light finally faded away, Anastasia regained her senses, momentarily stunned by the disorienting experience. Her hand came into contact with something soft, and curiosity got the better of her.


    "What is this?" she muttered, gently squeezing the soft, fleshy object.


    A low moan escaped the unknown entity, further piquing Anastasia''s curiosity.


    "It''s so soft..." she murmured, applying another gentle squeeze.


    As a louder moan escaped, realization struck her.


    "That sounds like Lu... Luna!"


    Anastasia eximed, finally recognizing the voice.


    Luna, her eyes still squinted shut, managed to speak through the difort.


    "Can you please stop touching me there?" she managed to muster with a strained voice.


    Panicking, she quickly withdrew her hand.


    "Sorry Luna!"


    Anastasia was quick to react, carefully moving away from Luna as she stammered an apology.


    "I... It''s fine..." Luna told her.


    Anastasia stole a nce at her own modest chest, then cautiouslyparing it to Luna''s noticeablyrger breast.


    "Wow, your boobs are unnecessarilyrge."


    Luna?s face immediately flushed as she wrapped her arms around her breasts.


    "They are not!"


    "Sure, they definitely aren''t."


    Anastasia, deep in thought, rose to her feet and rested her hand on her chin, her emerald eyes scanning the dimly litbyrinth.


    "I wonder where we are," she mused.


    Luna, still seated on the cold ground, replied, "We must''ve been separated from the rest of the ss. Or perhaps everyone''s been scattered."


    Anastasia nodded in agreement.


    Just then, they heard footsteps.


    Their gaze shifted towards the?source of the sound.


    "That sound... What is it?" Anastasia questioned, her brows furrowing in concern.


    Luna pointed a finger behind them.


    "It''sing from over there."


    Turning their attention to the noise, their eyes widened as they spotted two strangers approaching them in thebyrinth''s eerie glow.


    "Stay back," Anastasia eximed.


    Luna, quick to react, extended her hand forward, conjuring ice particles in her palm.


    However, Fanatio, one of the strangers, calmly interjected before Luna could unleash her magic.


    "Don''t waste your time... Magic doesn''t work in thisbyrinth."


    "W... What...?"


    Luna''s face contorted in frustration as her attempts to manipte the elements fizzled away into nothingness.


    Nevertheless, both Luna and Anastasia remained on their guard, their instincts urging caution.


    With a slight raise of her hands, Genevieve stepped forward.


    "There''s no need to worry. We''re not going to hurt you."


    Fanatio, arms folded across her chest, added calmly, "It''s not like we have a reason to either."


    Luna took a hesitant step backward, her blue eyes narrowing as she questioned the neers.


    "If that''s the case, then how did you end up in thisbyrinth?"


    Naturally, the two believed their ss were the only ones that should be in thebyrinth at the time.


    No one else.


    Genevieve exchanged a knowing nce with Fanatio before exining their predicament.


    "We''re adventurers," Genevieve began. "We entered thisbyrinth through a dungeon gate. But after a sudden sh of red light, we got separated from our party members."


    Luna, feeling a sense of empathy, rxed slightly.


    "The same thing happened to us," she admitted in a softer tone.


    Anastasia chimed in, "Their story does check out."


    She lowered her guard down a bit, her suspicions alleviated.


    "So, how do we escape thisbyrinth?" Luna asked.


    Genevieve, her demeanor calm and collected, responded, "Initially, we thought there was no way out, but the people we woke up next to might just have the answer."


    Anastasia uttered, "Hm?"


    Suddenly, emerging from the shadowed corners of thebyrinth, Ruri, Ophelia, and Steria made their appearance.


    Upon seeing Ruri, both Luna and Anastasia eximed in unison, "Ruri!"


    Overwhelmed with relief, they rushed forward, embracing her tightly.


    "Are you alright?" Anastasia questioned, worry etched on her face.


    Ruri smiled warmly and reassured them, "I''m fine, no problem at all."


    Luna, still holding onto her shoulders, beamed. "That''s wonderful."


    Meanwhile, Ophelia approached Anastasia and Luna.


    "Are the two of you alright?" she asked.


    Luna nodded, a small smile gracing her lips. "I''m fine," she reassured.


    "Me too," Anastasia added.


    Ophelia''s worry instantly dissipated. "That''s a relief," she said.


    While arms still folded across her chest, Fanatio turned her attention back to Steria.


    "You mentioned earlier that you could lead us out of thisbyrinth. How exactly?"


    Steria, her left eye closed and yawningzily, nonchntly replied, "Indeed, all you need to do is follow me."


    Fanatio raised an eyebrow. "That doesn''t sound too difficult."


    Observing the interaction between Ophelia and the familiar faces of Luna and Anastasia, Genevieve''s curiosity got the better of her.


    "You know each other?"


    Ophelia nodded. "Yes, they are my students."


    Genevieve''s expression softened. "I see."


    Stepping forward, Steria, already impatient, directed their attention.


    "Can we please get going? I''ve been standing or nearly two minutes now, my legs are killing me..."