Chapter 141: The Labyrinth of Time (4)
yXXThe mage returned with a serious expression and conjured a sphere of fire between her palms.9UX
2oZqpUnlike Amy’s multiple spheres, having just one made it easier to increase its density.egcM
6vZ“He’s focusing the firepower, isn’t he? Desperate to win.”6sQ
rvP1NPpAs Amy predicted, the mage was tense. Of course, she had never quantified the power of her magic, so it was uncertain how high she could score.oYj96
hwlBut it seemed unlikely that she would struggle to triple the output of a Lightning Arrow.ke8gg
NVgQWj“Ta-ha!”ePvN7BI
SNZpNThe mage thrust her hands forward vigorously.gZN2c
IRItqYaUnder the control of the mage’s Spirit Zone, inertia was ignored, so there was no need for special motions to cast magic.9Ln
Gtr8hzYet, adopting a shooting stance was the mage’s flailing attempt to increase her focus even by a bit.APm
mWL4e7PAmy followed the Fireball with her eyes. The fabric of the maze absorbed the fire, creating a whirlwind of flames.tAzvg
V2w4H52The mage looked at the orb with hopeful eyes, but soon her face fell.5xiw
OSVThe score was 1,330. Just 310 points higher than the Lightning Arrow.wAgKyrq
iUdA significant difference for a swordsman judged solely on physical prowess, but in the realm of magic where phenomena were manipulated, it was much of a muchness.QyjnuBE
nN4“How could this be? No! It’s because the firepower was dispersed. It should have exceeded 2,000.”F8S1X
80idXHNo one responded to the mage’s voice.yCO4P9I
bb0DTThe difference was too great. No matter what, she couldn’t surpass Amy’s score.II33
mHkEThe archer thought it was already hopeless to pass through here. The girl who scored over 3,000 points must be the highest level here.ZAGf6AP
rTHnjEven a mage revered as sacred in the mercenary world scored only 1,330. That she exhibited more than double that magical power meant she was at least the most talented of her age group.PxJp8DC
T80kFRian and Tess thought similarly.04cIysD
GUjNot to belittle Shirone’s skills, but Amy was his senior at school. If she, an advanced student, failed, it was expected that Shirone would struggle to surpass her.zQ4tC
35gLTGAmy alone didn’t think this was the end.YbaBEv
WQgrH“Shirone, you need to take this seriously. It might just be a narrow miss.”h3MWrv
JGoz9“Got it. I’ll give it my best.”kkfWvo
lKaShThe leader snickered, dripping with sarcasm.BDavEX
XJ2Vh“Ha! What good is giving your best? It’s about the results. It’s over. Let’s pack up and go.”YcI2sV
p4nDw9Shirone realized something from the leader’s readiness to give up without trying. The fabric of the maze, known as the Eye of the Angel. What was her purpose in creating such an altar?EnNPfwY
UCvThe fleeting insight had to be shelved for now. The priority was to focus on the task at hand.iZWZ6hn
wP8EsShirone closed his eyes and performed the Sequence Method. A faint point of light emerged in front of him. Then, countless photons swarmed towards the center, increasing in size.CxSR6x
iomE“What, what’s this? Photon Output? How is that supposed to make an impact?”bNF483
UfxwZqMThe mage exclaimed in disbelief. Yet, she couldn’t take her eyes off Shirone due to the unusual force not typically seen in regular Photon Output.mCXLnc
u5LoAs Shirone opened his eyes wide, a fist-sized white sphere vibrated as if furious.vjCBvW8
m98fqGritting his teeth, Shirone fired the Photon Cannon. The beam of light stretched at near-light speed, striking the fabric of the maze as if to shatter it.AGZn21Z
3KlmqEven the mercenaries, who initially had low expectations, were captivated by the brilliance of the flash, anxiously awaiting the score.3ZZ
mqbGL4,783.zTnN4
w8yAmThe unexpected number made everyone’s eyes widen.6TU
yej5pQTEspecially the mage and archer, who were appalled, as Shirone had used Photon Output.jSD
ApTHLight holds no special firepower. It’s defined solely by the product of speed and mass.XbFL
Z6seLYet, the score was 4,783. To put it in perspective, it was akin to the impact of 20 warriors, each opting for a strength-enhancement build, striking with all their might.YVIRLB
bef9“What in the world are those?”6xMu8bi
WDP669The mercenaries began to feel uneasy. They didn’t know the principle behind Shirone’s magic, but it was clear that none among them could withstand it.jkT6mXr
eg5zPNOHowever, there was no time to ponder further thoughts. Despite the tremendous impact, the fabric of the maze proudly emitted a red light, indicating failure.yRGLjK
HETShirone felt drained. What kind of orb was this?Pnzcp0
TlsxJPerhaps 5,000 points were the passing threshold. But it seemed unlikely that the Photon Cannon could be more powerful than this.9HqOI8E
c5tiF“I wish I could try one more time.”uiq
wrBUAmy covered her mouth, chuckling as if she had been waiting.o5hD
wIhSLM“Ho-ho! Do you understand how I feel? I felt the same. But really, how many points are needed to pass?”AFmEEzR
Yv0“I don’t know. Maybe a laser would work.”sMzm
O2S0s“Oh, right! A laser can accumulate energy.”64itud
wEpShirone’s laser vibrated molecules, increasing its destructive power over time. Theoretically, it could destroy anything, making it perfect for this kind of assessment.R4C
U3mCCwThere’s a next turn. We’ll have to try after a full round. What about you? Are you not going to try?”BqUl
oByd5qGShirone addressed the leader, but he just stood there, grimacing.kdNxB
mbjAs the scores escalated with each turn, the thought of stepping forward seemed impossible. As a swordsman, his best score might barely reach around 200 points.r4LLLBk
Jhv8tJC“Damn it! It’s over! We have nothing left but to go back.”akU9f
Uv5moNNThe leader walked towards the entrance with urgent strides, but no matter how much he twisted the doorknob, the iron door wouldn’t budge.zspyfJw
fIcMlThe group turned around in confusion to see a man with white tattoos saying,Jsq
GgknEX“You are one. If one receives an assessment, all must be assessed. You cannot leave before that.”j4sK
4iqnmfUnderstanding dawned on the group with the archer’s translation. The rule wasn’t just about unifying will but also about actions aligning.Hl1
K955zG“Ah! This is so annoying! Why keep insisting on something so obviously futile?”RZzhE
YFS8jcdComplaints poured from the leader’s mouth, but to leave, he had no choice but to prove his worth.05IxLiq
PjDnR7t‘So it is. This rule is truly cruel.’hlVHl
c1xr9Shirone felt a chill.mUF37kD
BY6HTiWhy hadn’t he realized it until now? All the rules explained by the man with white tattoos were based on one premise.XxDd
ZEfT8mTrust among comrades.soSTsfh
y8pibWJIt was a peculiar evaluation method. In terms of firepower alone, mages had an advantage over Swordsmen.JfdA
L1XNnBut that didn’t mean Swordsmen were weaker than mages. Even if a mage could shatter rocks and cleave the earth, a Swordsman specialized in biological combat could slice through that mage in one stroke.lSzMSux
zdZMoreover, measuring the power of magic was problematic. If Amy, specializing in long-range magic, had attempted Sniper Mode, she might have scored much higher. But this place didn’t consider such variables.UWyJ
zzA8tThe narrow octagonal altar and the eight orbs.UlKAOt
Bf7fLJN‘Why eight? Just for aesthetic balance? But in reality, didn’t we all evaluate using just one orb?’Zudt
zl8cWhat was most peculiar was the divine language. The fabric of the maze measured impact and displayed it numerically.W8Wc
fbPGWhy? What was the meaning behind it?qOc
MaFSQlEIf it was to distinguish those heading to Kergos, indicating pass or fail would suffice.flfTT
grNbkIThe score variance according to one’s specialty could be vast. In such a situation, requiring everyone to be evaluated created a single emotion.ajyeHX
4CP‘Obsession with scores. Anxiety when a comrade scores higher. Disdain when scoring lower. Without a perfect understanding of each other’s roles, discord is inevitable. And what awaits at the end of that rule is…’zVHzM28
7rFKlThe sacrifice of one to send another.TgPLcBj
W3QtEsCShirone took a deep breath. What was the maze thinking? This evaluation was designed to pit them against each other.QrgI
4dSSuY“Shirone, let’s just leave after this guy’s done.”1PNk
ZUIWAmy whispered, tension evident in her eyes, perhaps sharing the same thoughts.tErNo
WYbYIRian and Tess also wore grave expressions, sensitive to the atmosphere emphasizing comradeship, and quickly grasped the intention behind the rule, which clearly disadvantaged Swordsmen.XbKBRvl
09pAs expected, the leader was at a loss. He could sense a change in his fellow mercenaries’ gaze.CXBGHx
prZ“Huff, huff, aaaaah!”Gzv
4Z9qAAMWithout pausing to breathe, the leader charged. Although he was sprinting, to Shirone, it seemed as if he was fleeing from something.fze
PcnyDVWas his Schema fully opened? Where was his sword positioned? How far was the target? Without knowing any of these, his steps faltered, and he stumbled.NXKWxx
9uGDocGasping for breath, he swung his sword in a fall, and the imprecise blade struck beside the orb, bouncing off.FJCUQQ
7OHQZ“Damn!”5yptJOt
ZQxHprThe leader, attempting to escape the maze and the altar, hurriedly regained his balance and turned back.TZV7
9qduVlxThe number 32 floated there.VhP3508
Tz2But no one laughed. The comrades’ expressions were as if they had faced a tremendous humiliation.2U3oZp
ZRgiS“So what! It wouldn’t have passed anyway! I did it, so let’s just leave!”UjGNP0x
pPNsBh7The leader exited the altar with a forced bravado, but his steps were directed away from his comrades.qMixWPa
qyy7WT3‘That party is over. They’ll probably disband once they leave here.’aQYdci
Iy30Shirone thought it was time to give up. It was regrettable not to try again, but he couldn’t do more with the trust among the mercenaries broken.wGo
yzbeA“Could you translate for me, please?”BLzuMr
sPUrShirone asked the archer. Even if they were to leave, he wanted to confirm one thing.VWn
oMT8BhThe archer, seemingly disillusioned by the current situation, readily agreed.sbMTxt5
BGJ4R“Sure. What do you want to ask?”ROhuj
SvY“Has anyone ever passed through this gate before?”HUUdH
GZ8Wk0PThe man with white tattoos nodded firmly.Eat2F
wJSfDX“It’s a gate meant for passing. Its not a trap.”1gAtfRm
e7oOj“How many points are needed to pass through the fabric of the maze?”JeZE1TP
jtZ3p“The eight eyes of the angel will judge you.”tJ3
5CTxThe man repeated his initial statement. It all came down to the fabric of the maze’s decision.M7WnWY
vYAAfter pondering for a moment, Shirone asked one last question.k8e6sYn
LtQd“What’s the passing rate of those who’ve come here?”yHvA
0z9“I don’t know exactly. Sometimes many come, sometimes just one. From what I’ve seen, about one in ten pass. The rate seems higher when they’re alone.”csi
5IXKShirone was startled. The rate was much higher than expected.LqhF
8KBVZEHe had thought there might be no passers at all, assuming the maze’s design by Miro wasn’t just about assessing skills.WxA7q
EorTXcwOf course, that view hadn’t changed. But the man with white tattoos clearly stated there were passers, at a significant rate of 10 percent.Qet
N18kShirone’s smiling lips quivered. A shiver ran up his spine.VCKkd
Wno“Shirone, why the sudden change?”wnQG
MPcHeadmaster is really a trickster.”zVap4
owIe5J“Huh? What are you talking about all of a sudden?”SoW2X5s
wbpi5Although Amy was puzzled by his words, Shirone was too absorbed to respond. Alpheas’s voice seemed to echo in his head.skLg
4lu-Miro’s world can be roughly understood.81h
BmhNot roughly, but clearly. If one couldn’t overcome such a challenge, they weren’t meant to learn about Miro.UQBuN
6kxZu‘Sorry, Headmasterr, but I’ve come to know.’47lI8E
SaPXbsShirone hadn’t given up. He was determined to pass through here during the trip.SiJk7Tz
SiSuAmy, noticing Shirone’s silence, guessed his thoughts.8wfWC
P75Bru‘Shirone hasn’t given up.’H6Y09
KptxThen she wouldn’t either. Initially, she followed just to aid Shirone, but now she genuinely wanted to know about this woman named Miro.70L
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