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Infinite Mage
Chapter 139 Labirinth of time and space (2)
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Chapter 139: Labyrinth of time and space (2)
Shirone realized the situation. The rule was more restrictive and dangerous than expected. It was much more difficult than he thought to unify most opinions.
He didn't know what was in Kerugo, but if there was something worth risking his life for, there was a possibility of an internal struggle.
"What? Was it that simple? How about this? We'll take care of the four kids and go in. I never knew there was such an easy way."
The leader looked back at Shirone and pursed his lips. It was a look expecting a fearful expression, but for Shirone, it was pitiable.
Once the rule was heard, it was the right way to cooperate, even if they didn't like it.
A leader who led with excitement from the start could not only ruin the organization but also endanger the lives of their comrades.
"This person is not qualified to be a leader. The other people seem at least halfway decent.
As expected, his comrades intervened to dissuade him. If they achieved success, they could pass unconditionally, so considering sacrifice was a later issue.
"Let's start. How long are we going to stay here?"
"Tch! You're a lucky kid."
The man with the white tattoo headed to the side of the altar. He crossed his arms where he could see the eight spheres.
"My explanation ends here. Come out one by one and demonstrate your abilities."
Shirone's group and the mercenaries exchanged glances. They were calculating who would benefit from going first.
The leader unsheathed his sword and pointed at Shirone.
"Hey, you go first. Of course, I don't expect much, but do your best so we can have an idea. You never know. Maybe it'll take you to Kerugo."
"I don't want to. Why do you decide that unilaterally?"
"What's wrong with that? I really don't like you! Should I kill you right now? Should I kill you and go in?"
"You keep causing trouble. From now on, we need to integrate opinions. Didn't you hear that if a single person refuses, we can't leave? Although there's no limit to the number of attempts, disadvantages can be applied. For those who have attempted it, traps like anti-magic can be triggered. Since we're all novices, we must make careful decisions and determine the order."
"This, this little impudent brat...!"
The leader was about to lose his temper. He probably hated that the kid answered him back, but the fact that he couldn't refute was most annoying.
But the mage had a different idea. Of course, there might not be particular restrictions, but unless one could see the future, it was good to consider all conceivable variables.
"The kid is right. Let's decide the order. How will we do it?"
Shirone looked back at the Time and Space Maze on the altar. Having experienced the phenomenon called 'spot', he could approximately predict the current situation.
"That sphere could probably absorb almost infinite energy. It's standard to send back powerful mages and let the warriors go first."
"Does it have to be so violent? Why the conclusion?"
"It's the best skill that warrior descendants can test. Besides, looking at the altar, it has a structural characteristic that something is implemented towards a specific target. Therefore, it's reasonable to assume that the device was made with the goal of striking."
"I'm convinced. Then let's decide the order. Do we start with the swordsman first?"
Said the mage, looking back at the leader. But he shook his head as if he were annoyed.
"No, I'll go later. What does that kid know how to talk about? It's a simple game. Just go out and destroy it."
"Huh, our leader is like this, what should we do?"
"It doesn't matter. Then we'll send a swordsman from our side."
Shirone looked back at the swordsman on his side. Both Rian and Tess were sword warriors. But it was predictable who would go without looking.
Once the first attempt was over, a lot of information could be obtained. It was such a heavy mission and such a dangerous role that there was no way Rian would send Tess first.
"I'll go first. Of course, it might end on my turn. Haha!"
"Well, baseless confidence is... Anyway, be careful. Don't be complacent."
Supported by Tess, Rian looked around at the center of the altar.
The feeling was definitely different from when seen from the outside. It felt like the spheres in all directions were watching him.
"Hey! Hurry up! Are you scared already?"
Rian couldn't even hear the leader's words. He had been figuring out what to do since Shirone designated him.
'In a way, I'm at the forefront. I must gather all the information I can on my turn. Right, Shirone?'
Rian walked towards the northern sphere. It wasn't as transparent as it seemed from afar. Should I say it was filled with a misty fog?
"Hmm, you said there's no limit to the number of attempts, right?"
Rian leaned towards the sphere and tapped it with the back of his hand. When there was no particular response, he gradually increased the force and repeated it.
At some point, the mist within the sphere dissipated, and the transparent sphere displayed the number 1.
"Eh? Is that a number?"
Shirone recalled the explanation heard from the man with the white tattoo.
"Oh, so the language of God means numbers. Rian, just in case, let's step back."
Rian calmly took a few steps backward. Shortly after, the sphere emitted a red light, illuminating the room.
That meant failure.
Everyone wondered what would happen next, but that was it. They observed for about three more seconds, but nothing particularly threatening occurred.
"Ah, so if a white light rises, that means a pass, right?"
After grasping the rules, Rian returned to the center of the altar and finally drew his straight sword.
When the size of the sword hidden by the giant Rian was revealed, the mercenaries were startled. If all of that was iron, it was a weight that couldn't be lifted unless it was with Schema.
"Rian! Hit it with all your might!"
Tess, somewhat relaxed, waved her arm and cheered. Just knowing that the attempt didn't harm the person was a great success.
"Don't worry. I'll crush it in one blow."
Rian lowered his stance as he held the sword with both hands. Embarrassingly, his heart was pounding hard.
But wasn't this the best situation to start with the sword his grandfather granted him? Moreover, it was a two-handed swing attack with all his heart.
"Alright! Here I go!"
Rian charged at full speed and brought down his greatsword. Instead of the powerful blast everyone expected, a low sound wave was heard.
The Labyrinth of Time and Space didn't tremble, and there was no reaction. It would have been impossible without absorbing all the force.
"Phew!"
Rian maintained the posture of striking the Labyrinth of Time and Space. He could clearly feel the energy draining from his entire body.
But more than that, he was curious about the number that would appear on the sphere. Was it a pass or a fail?
The sphere turned transparent, revealing the number 241. Considering the impact when the number 1 appeared, it seemed like he did fairly well.
Unfortunately, however, the sphere emitted a red light.
"Oh, it's a real shame! Shirone, can I try it once more?"
Rian became enthusiastic. Initially, he thought it would be okay to just explore, but when he received a judgment failure, it felt like he was being ignored, and his gut churned.
"Are you okay? Your legs look shaky."
"Oh, this? It absorbs all the power. It's not dangerous because it doesn't put too much strain on my body. I'll recover in a while."
Shirone nodded at the new information.
"Ah, I see. It's a disadvantage, but not severe. Hmm."
"Anyway, I'm really upset. If only I could have used Schema, I would have been able to pass."
At Rian's words, the warrior from the mercenaries' group burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! Have you been complaining even though you can't use Schema? This is ridiculous. Step aside, I'll try it this time."
When the warrior intervened, Rian had no choice but to leave the altar. But even as he walked away, he murmured.
'Just one more time.'
"The kid got 241, right? So, should I aim for around 2000?"
The warrior rolled up his sleeves and wielded his main weapon, a mace. He also had an axe at his waist, but seeing Rian's attempt, a mace seemed an easy way to deliver a blow.
The warrior took a deep breath and tensed all the muscles in his body. Although the muscle fibers didn't significantly thicken, when those changes took place throughout his body, his size increased noticeably.
"Tess, that guy..."
"That's right. He's a Schema user. He probably has a structure that enhances strength. Well, it's a natural choice for a warrior."
"Yaaaaaa! Here I go!"
The warrior let out a roar as loud as his size and charged. At the same time, his hand spun the mace rapidly.
Although it's not a two-handed weapon, adding rotational power could produce comparable destructive force.
The warrior swung his mace downward as if he were going to kill the world's enemy.
The action stopped with a low rumble. Like Rian, the feeling of power deprivation paralyzed his entire body.
"Huu! Huu! It's over! I did it right!"
The warrior stepped back, breathing heavily. Because the technique seemed impressive, those who watched were expectant.
The number 248 appeared.
"What—What? Nonsense! 248? Only 7 points more than that kid? Is this thing broken?"
Tess walked towards the altar, assuming a stance.
"Do you think this is a cheap toy from a corner store? Get down quickly! The red light is already on!"
"No, I can't accept this! Just once more, I'll try once more!"
"Alright, then come out! Whether you want to challenge again or not, first you need to regain your strength!"
The warrior wrinkled his face as if facing an injustice and turned his body. He couldn't understand it at all.
He had never lost in terms of strength since he was a child. It's 248 even with a strength-enhancing build.
"Eh? Wait a second."
The warrior looked at Rian as if it were absurd. Didn't that boy say he couldn't use Schema?
But 241 points? In other words, only with his physical strength, he showed the same power as the warrior who had Schema a moment ago.
"What-What? This makes no sense! You can use Schema, right? You lied, didn't you?"
"Why would I lie about something to brag about? If you fail, just wait silently for the next turn."
Rian didn't want to chatter about his disqualification. His current interest was how far his friend Tess could go.
Tess stood at the center of the altar and unsheathed her sword. There was a fresh sound like sliding on ice. People were mesmerized by the elegant movement, a textbook-perfect motion.
"Hmm, I'll try it, but wouldn't it be a disadvantage for my rapier?"
"No, not necessarily. It absorbs all the power. I didn't even feel a recoil when I swung it down. I doubt the sword will bend."
"Really? Then, should I stab it with all my strength?"
"If you're worried, do you want to use my sword? It's heavy, but you can handle it with Schema, right?"
Tess raised her sword and bent it with her fingers. The rapier bounced with a tinkling sound, vibrating rapidly like the flapping of a hummingbird's wings.
"No, I want to test it with my own sword skill. To be honest, this is quite interesting."
Tess walked to the end of the altar and stopped at a point from where she could see the Labyrinth of Time and Space diagonally.
Acceleration of concentration through Schema. There won't be vital points on the sphere, but the speed generated by compressing body movement becomes power entirely.
Tess charged in a silence more terrifying than a scream. As expected from her, who scored the highest in the balance test, her angle made her almost level with the ground.
The moment she reached the target, her body trembled as if creating a residual image, and the rapier grazing the ground soared.
As she stabbed the sphere with a perfect thrusting motion, there was a flash of light that burst at the tip of her sword.
While ordinary sword handling reaches maximum acceleration in the middle point, Tess's stabbing-focused sword handling reaches its peak in the sword's "final speed."
As these characteristics are maximized through Schema, an exciting optical illusion occurs.