Creating A Succubus Army In A Fantasy World!-Chapter 143: Stage 3 Silver Level!

The map danced in the air, revealing a complex maze of tunnels layered not just horizontally, but vertically, diagonally, and even spiraling inward like the anatomy of some monstrous creature.

At the very heart of it all sat the massive black triangle—obviously the pyramid—looming ominously like the final boss dungeon in a cursed video game.

The moment the map disappeared, Tierra grinned so hard Lilith thought her jaw might snap.

"We’ve been running in literal circles like rats in a cheese-less maze," she muttered with a sarcastic groan. "No wonder we kept ending up further away!"

It hit them both like a brick to the face. The worm tunnels weren’t just random paths—they were mechanized, shifting and rearranging in perfect sync with the mysterious thuds they’d been hearing all this time.

And they had no idea all this time! It was so subtle that it was eery!

Lilith’s face twisted in a mix of frustration and amazement. "So every time those thuds echo, they’re not just atmospheric horror effects," she said, crossing her arms.

"They’re literally rotating the map like a twisted Rubik’s Cube!"

Tierra’s eyes gleamed, her brain working at full speed. "Exactly! Think about it. The reason we kept heading away from the pyramid even though we were following straight lines was because the tunnels kept shifting in a three-dimensional configuration based on how many thuds we heard. The thuds are like codes."

Lilith blinked. "Like dungeon puzzle codes?"

"Yes!" Tierra nodded, then crouched and quickly began drawing patterns in the rocks with her dagger.

"Look—when there’s one thud, the tunnel shifts only once horizontally—like sliding a drawer left or right.

"When there’s three thuds, the tunnels rotate in an ’L’ shape: two shifts to the side, one up. Four thuds is diagonal, zigzagging in both vertical and horizontal layers—like stairs in midair.

"Five thuds... now that one flips whole tunnel sections upside down, kind of like a Rubik’s Cube face-turn. And seven?" Tierra hesitated, her voice lowering.

"Seven resets the entire map. That’s why after the seventh thuds, we always feel farther than before."

Lilith was stunned. "That’s... genius. Evil, but genius. So, we’ve got to plan our moves in sync with the next thuds?"

"Yup." Tierra stood, brushing sand off her knee. "And we have to keep moving between the shifts, timing our paths just right—or the tunnels will reset and trap us in a loop again."

With new determination, the girls blazed forward, darting down the dark crimson tunnels.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Each time they heard a thud, they’d stop, count the number carefully, then shift directions based on Tierra’s new 3D movement theory.

Sometimes it meant going backwards when it felt wrong. Other times it meant climbing jagged ledges that led to narrower passageways, almost like the worm-designed maze was testing not just their strength, but their logic and memory.

But the amazing thing was that, as they moved in this seemingly bizarre pattern, random pathways began popping up left and right.

It was like once they walked past a certain spot at a certain time, a hidden pathway would be triggered!

It was like they were inside a living breathing organism. And to think that this was an academy entrance examination!

No wonder the exam success rates for this academy were always so pitifully low!

If they had not discovered a way to activate this underground world, they would have continued walking around aimlessly like fools till eternity!

Thud!

At one point, after a single thud, they slid sideways along a tight ridge for over twenty minutes.

Then, after a triple thud resounded like drums in a dark cathedral, they ran up a steep incline until they reached a dead end.

Without panicking, Tierra kicked the wall three times in a rhythmic pattern and—click!—the rock vanished, revealing a new downward tunnel coated in fluorescent blue moss.

"The thuds are keys," she whispered like a kid finding candy on a scavenger hunt.

Then came the four thuds. Lilith rolled her eyes. "Here comes the zigzag special."

True enough, they had to jump between staggered platforms of hardened dirt and winding rock bridges that wove between gravity-defying drops.

It was like parkour in a nightmare. With Creed still safely tied to Lilith’s back like a very important sack of potatoes, she moved with grace, purple lightning occasionally sparking around her feet for better control.

Tierra, meanwhile, sliced portals through space to leap from ledge to ledge, looking like some goddess of geometry mid-flight.

Every second became a game of trial and instinct, and sometimes they got it wrong and had to backtrack, but gradually, the stale smell of death in the air began to fade and a breeze—yes, an actual moving breeze—wafted toward them from ahead.

This was the first time in days they’d felt natural airflow. Hope surged in their chests!

And then came the five thuds.

Both girls froze mid-step, eyes widening. "Brace for a flip!" Tierra shouted, grabbing Lilith just as the tunnel they were in rotated with a horrible grinding sound.

Gravity twisted and they both slammed against the ceiling—which was now the floor—and rolled down a slanted hallway that had suddenly flipped directions.

"Okay," Lilith groaned, rubbing her shoulder. "I’m never doing a gravity coaster with a load on my back ever again." freewebnøvel.com

Tierra snorted. "Shut up. You killed it."

But they were close now—they could feel it in their bones. The structure of the tunnels was becoming more deliberate, more refined.

The jagged rocks were replaced by smooth stone bricks. The red mist began to thin out.

And then, they saw it—a small dome-shaped building made of black stone, embedded right into the rock wall.

It looked like a bunker, or maybe a checkpoint of some sort. They ran toward it with pounding hearts.

As soon as they stepped inside, however, a heavy boom shook the chamber.

Both froze.

Emerging from the shadows at the far end of the chamber was a behemoth—an earthworm at least ten meters long, but this time... it was silver.

Not glowing yellow like the others, but shining, its metallic body reflecting the faint light like polished steel.

Its skin wasn’t just resistant—it was armor. Its eyes were glowing black pits of death and its mere presence sent a wave of pressure through the air.

But the pressure it was casually emitting...

Lilith’s grip on her scythe tightened. "That’s... that’s not Stage 5."

Tierra’s voice was grim. "Nope. That’s Stage 3 Silver Level! How is this possible in a trial where most candidates aren’t even stage 5!"

The atmosphere thickened like wet cement. No more jokes. No more banter. They were staring down a monster that could easily shred apart most of the youths above like paper dolls.

And it was blocking the only way forward. Behind it lied the last stretch to the pyramid.

They both stepped forward at the same time, lightning crackling and space distorting.

The real battle was about to begin!

_____

[Things are about to get spicy! Also, what do you think about this trial? Do you think it is too complicated and difficult for a mere entrance exam? Do you think it is not difficult enough?Let me know in the comments!]