Kingdom Building Game: Starting Out With A Million Upgrade Points!-Chapter 93: The Last Stage of the Maze

Back with the knights in the maze...

The final stage of the maze stretched before them like a grand arena.

Sunlight speared through cracks in the ancient stone maze, casting jagged patterns across the knights’ battered armor.

Sweat gleamed on Kael’s face as he raised a fist, halting the group at the mouth of the final chamber.

Before them stretched a vast arena of weathered stone, its walls pocked with shadowy alcoves.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from fгeewebnovёl.co𝙢.

Combat dummies—crude iron constructs shaped like armored warriors—stood motionless in rows, their hollow eyes staring.

Above, magically reinforced beams creaked, hinting at the falling wall traps embedded in the ceiling.

Kael was the first to speak. "This will be our most difficult trial yet, but it’s also our final one. We know how these dummies operate, but the wolves… they’re unpredictable. We’ll need precision, adaptability, and above all, unity."

Esten nodded, his daggers twirling in his hands. "I’ll take the flanks, as always. The dummies will be the distraction. Laris, you keep the center. I’ll weave in and out, finding their weak spots, hitting from the sides."

He flicked a glance at the combat dummies in the distance, their mechanical joints creaking as they stood still.

"Once those wolves charge at us, we’ll need to adapt fast."

Laris crossed his arms, his silver-streaked hair flowing as he adjusted the grip on his twin swords.

"I’ll hold the line, make sure they don’t overwhelm us. We’ve handled worse before. But when the wolves show, I’ll be ready to strike first. We don’t give them a chance to rally."

Kael nodded approvingly. "Right. We’ll break their formation in stages. The dummies are slow, predictable. It’s the wolves we need to worry about. We’ll have to deal with them as a team—no one fights alone. Stay close, and keep the pressure on."

He paused, looking over his knights. "We’ll move as one. It’s been a long road, but we’ve become something more than just a group of warriors. We’re a well-oiled machine. Let’s make sure that we leave no room for error."

With their plan set, Kael raised his sword, signaling the charge.

"For our brothers in arms who fell along the way, for our families who wait for us beyond this point, we shall push forward and emerge victorious!"

"For the empire!"

He yelled, and the knights surged forward.

The combat dummies charged forward as well, their heavy feet pounding the ground as they advanced.

Lionel’s heart raced as he followed the others into the fray.

’This should be easy... I think I’m better now... No. I am better now!’

He was no longer the unrefined knight who had started this journey—he felt the weight of his blade settle into his hands, his body flowing with ease.

His eyes widened as he observed the efficiency of his comrades, how seamlessly they moved in synchronization.

Truly like a well-oiled machine.

The first dummy came for Lionel with a wide, clumsy swing of its massive sword.

Lionel didn’t hesitate. He planted his foot firmly, dropping into a lower stance, and the dummy’s sword swung harmlessly above him.

The moment the sword passed, Lionel drove his blade upward, slashing cleanly through the dummy’s torso.

The metal screeched, and the dummy collapsed to the ground in a heap of sparking mana and shattered wood.

"Nice work, rookie," Darian’s voice called out from the side, where he was holding off a second dummy.

Lionel didn’t answer immediately. His breath was steady, his grip on the sword tight.

He was no longer just reacting to the fight. He carefully observed and acted accordingly… he was in control. "This feels… different."

His grip was firmer, thanks to the cliff he climbed, his footwork effortless thanks to the battle with the fishman and goblins, and his senses sharper due to all the traps he evaded in the jungle.

He smiled, feeling confident as he charged forward.

The first trap triggered with a thunderous crash. A stone slab plummeted from the ceiling, aiming to crush Garik.

The knight rolled sideways, his aura-flared Greatsword slashing the air as he sprang back up.

"Predictable!" he said, already charging at a dummy, slicing its head off with one clean diagonal arc.

One of the larger dummies swung its axe with devastating force at Kael, who stepped to the side, the axe missing by inches, his breath coming out like steam from a heated engine.

He swung his sword in a perfect arc, slicing off the dummy’s arm at the shoulder joint, rendering it useless, his eyes razor-focused, blazing with his mana.

"Focus!" Kael yelled, his voice echoing through the battle. "Don’t get overconfident."

The ground rumbled as a howl echoed from the far end of the arena, signaling the arrival of the first spectral wolf.

It charged, its fur dark as night, and its eyes glowing with an ominous purple aura.

"Defenders, shield wall!"

Kael shouted. The front line slammed their shields together, golden aura flaring around the steel.

It lunged toward Kael, but he was ready, his shield raised to meet the wolf’s savage teeth.

Kael grunted as the wolf’s claws scraped against his shield, sending sparks flying.

"This one’s mine!"

He yelled.

"Haaaaaaa!"

He swung his sword down, embedding it in the creature’s side. The wolf howled, but Kael didn’t let up, his blade glowing with aura as he forced it deeper into the beast’s flesh. With a final roar, the wolf crumbled into mist, vanishing from the battlefield.

Kael noticed some dummies were coming in hot to overwhelm them.

"Esten—flank left! Laris, smash their center!"

Esten’s daggers blazed with his aura as he blurred past a dummy, slicing its legs out mid-stride. "You’re slow, tin man!" he taunted, ducking as a wolf’s jaws snapped where his head had been.

Meanwhile, Laris’ Vanguard was in the thick of it, surging forward, their weapons trailing azure aura.

Laris, his twin blades a blur, clashed with the dummies’ heavy armor.

He was ruthless—each strike was well-calculated, each was a blow meant to completely destroy his opponent, not just immobilize them. With every movement, he made it clear why he was the leader of the Vanguard.

His twin swords sheared through a dummy’s torso, sparks flying. "Push! Drive them back!" he roared.

Lionel parried a dummy’s axe strike, his sword trembling under the impact.

Clang!

His boots skidded, but his footing held—stable.

"Hahhhhh…!" He roared as he twisted, exploiting the dummy’s attack. His blade arced upward, shearing through its neck with a burst of green aura.

"Since when do you hit that hard, rookie?!" Darian asked, bisecting a wolf mid-leap.

"It’s all thanks to our training," he said, looking at his hands.

"My grip, my footwork, my senses… they are all better!" Lionel said with pride.

His eyes suddenly narrowed as he noticed two approaching dummies, weaving between them. His calloused hands, hardened by cliff climbing, gripped tye hilt of his sword firmly.

He ducked a swinging mace from one of the dummies with ease, swinging his sword to slice off both of their heads.

Rumble~

His eyes instantly shot upward as he noticed another wall trap was about to fall.

A wall trap loosened and fell, it was right atop of him, but he’d already sensed the shift in the air—and acted accordingly.

BAM!

The massive rock came crashing down as he rolled to tye side.

Garik’s greatsword obliterated a dummy beside . "You’re starting to get the hang of this, boy," he smiled.

"Thank you for the encouraging words, sir," Lionel said with a grin as he slashed another dummy.

"Stay close and coordinate your attacks!" Laris shouted as he dispatched another dummy with a precise slice to its midsection.

One of the larger wolves, its fur streaked with silvery lightning, lunged toward Esten. He didn’t even flinch. He was already in motion, rolling to the side, his daggers finding the wolf’s throat in a fluid, deadly arc.

"Nice work, Esten," Laris called out with approval.

Soon, they had taken down all the wolves and dummies!

They were about to celebrate when…

VOOSH~

A massive, imposing wolf—twice the size of any of the others—emerged from a portal at the far end of the arena, blocking the door. Its eyes burned like fire, and it let out a roar that seemed to shake the very earth beneath their feet. This was no ordinary wolf.

This was the final boss.

An alpha wolf.

"Everyone, get ready!" Kael shouted, his voice firm. "This one’s going to take everything we’ve got."

"Sir, isn’t that an alpha wolf?" one of the knights asked.

Kael simply smiled as he said, "It sure is!"

The Alpha Wolf charged with an incredible burst of speed, claws scraping against the stone floor. The knights immediately reacted, their bodies shifting into battle stance.

Kael moved first, his sword swinging at the wolf’s flank.

The beast sidestepped, but Kael adjusted his stance, turning and striking again.

"Lionel, Darian, take the legs!" Kael barked.

Lionel and Darian immediately moved in. Lionel swung his sword at the wolf’s hind leg, striking deep. Darian followed up with a parallel strike on the opposite leg. The wolf growled, stumbling slightly, but it quickly recovered.

"Laris, Esten, flank it!" Kael ordered.

Laris and Esten moved swiftly, closing in on the wolf’s sides. Laris swung his sword, cutting across the wolf’s ribs.

Esten darted under the wolf’s snap, his daggers aiming for its throat. The wolf howled, its fury rising, but the knights stayed close, their eyes anticipating its every move.

The Alpha Wolf retaliated, lunging toward Laris, claws raking toward his chest. Laris blocked with his sword, the force of the blow shaking his arms. He sidestepped, rolling with the impact, and brought his sword down in a sweeping arc toward the wolf’s side.

Esten shifted, dodging a wide swipe from the wolf, and landed in a low crouch, striking the wolf’s leg with his daggers.

The wolf howled again, its movements erratic as it tried to fight back.

Kael signaled, and all the knights closed in for the final strike. With a synchronized move, Kael’s sword pierced the wolf’s chest, while Laris severed one leg and Esten cut at the other.

The Alpha Wolf collapsed, its body disintegrating into mist.

Lionel took a step back, catching his breath. His sword felt natural in his hand now, his footwork sure. He looked at his teammates.

Victory.

The arena was silent, except for the labored breathing of the knights. The Alpha Wolf was gone, and the battle was over.

Kael turned to his knights, pride swelling in his chest. "You’ve earned your place. No one can say we’re anything less than elite."

Lionel stood tall, his sword still gripped firmly in his hand. "I never imagined I could get this strong."

Darian slapped him on the back. "Told you, rookie. You’re one of us now."

As they walked toward the exit, the knights knew that they had passed the final test—together.

They stood before the massive stone doors, watching in awe as they slid open.

Beyond the door, a vast, sunlit courtyard stretched before them. The soft rustling of wind through the trees. The air smelled of freshly bloomed flowers, a very different sight from the smell of sweat, blood, mud, and iron of battle they had just endured.

And awaiting them on the other side was their Emperor.

Arkanos raised a hand, his voice, deep as it rang out.

"You have all passed the trial, congratulations!"