Chapter 166: A Dangerous Deal (2)
l4uGoY“Rian, stop being stubborn and receive healing magic tomorrow.”CLD
v59“I’m fine! I don’t have any fatal injuries. Of course, the spot where Tess stabbed me is strangely a bit painful, haha!”S2GDVh
UYt“Rian, the moment you fall is the moment I die.”2H4
9JADRian’s laughter stopped abruptly. The living room was enveloped in silence. Everyone looked anxiously between Shirone and Rian.7OwOia
cSgevJU“Shirone, I…”aMZOCJv
v6Ld2“I know. You would protect me until your last breath. However, a moment’s decision can determine the success or failure of a mission. I’d prefer you take more hits for me if you’re going to be stubborn like this. Otherwise, I might have to reconsider entrusting my back to you.”rfsBII
zwHhTThis might sound selfish and cold. Indeed, asking a friend to take a blade for him was undeniably harsh.FOMuxb
4TnBut Shirone knew Rian better than anyone.Z4i
ArL1SRian was fire. The way to fuel that fire was not through shallow praise but by impressing upon him the harsh realities.53mUdap
jsC4mRian slightly curled the corners of his lips. A hot fire surged within him, burning away any trivial emotions.ff6Z80E
tTPja“Don’t worry, Shirone! I’ll do whatever it takes to return this body to perfect condition! As long as I’m here, no one will be able to reach you.”iJR32
haX8a6Rian seemed ready to receive healing magic right then. Freed from her own hell, Tess secretly looked up at the ceiling and sighed.GXg
tN9DS47“Phew. Thank you, Shirone. Really, thank you.”TvXH
o2a1oqWTess had no doubt that Rian would someday become the greatest swordsman. But even if he became a burning sword, only Shirone could wield him.cxPaN
jHHw***OsCT
biREarly in the morning, Shirone’s group left the villa.xjVFT
VZt3E6There was a mages’ guild in the residential area, small in influence due to the Freeman Organization’s control over the island but sustained by possessing a healing mage.gO3b4yq
OuyQJBeing a resort area, it was common for people to sustain injuries while relaxing and having fun.QC7C
Y4AWXCommoners might seek home remedies or visit a doctor, but nobles would get treated by a healing mage even for a minor finger injury.YRQh4Oq
avNwhDYThe cost of healing varied depending on the type and severity of the injury, ranging from 1 to 10 gold, but due to Freeman’s influence, the treatments were reasonably priced.HXYe9
ADajwUHealing magic stimulated cellular activity to naturally heal wounds, unlike physicians who diagnosed and treated based on the cause of the illness.SXE
ZXTtAlthough some schema users practiced emergency surgery as surgeons, mages preferred to follow the natural order, eschewing artificial methods.QoeJ
qnGHigh-level magic involved complex theories, but even simple cellular activation was highly effective because the human body knew how to heal itself.KfOaQ
gDiMv4The healing mage seemed not very skilled, as it took two hours to fully treat Zis and Rian’s injuries.jvn8J
dq4zShirone was newly impressed by the power of magic upon seeing Rian’s injuries cleanly healed.sfzD2e
63aTwo hours would be impractical in real-time combat on the battlefield, but over the long term, the combat effectiveness of a group with a healing mage was tremendously higher.lwiRwT
fCWEkLUpon returning to the villa, the group repacked their belongings and headed out.YGc
DlTWhile healing magic only regenerated wounds and didn’t boost overall condition, Rian seemed to overflow with vitality, strong as he was.8x7BVbY
tORfZZis also seemed confident in his endurance, cheerfully shouldering his backpack without showing signs of fatigue.OfXN34M
MDSPRian was puzzled by Zis’s luggage. Since Zis, the guide, was expected to part ways once they entered the self-governing district, he wouldn’t need much gear.amN
yD2pNWr“Huh? What’s with the luggage?”zFd2P
BbZ3aF“Ah, this is a packed lunch. Yuna made it while we were getting treated. She’s got a knack for cooking since she works in a restaurant.”viRgTwo
9Hh0r7I“Oh, she’s a professional? That’s great. Let’s eat now.”BJ47AQQ
26CCyEiAs Rian approached drooling, Tess pinched his side and scolded.uCP
ZKMS“We just ate, why another meal? Let’s head to the ruins first. It’d be troublesome if it gets dark.”1J9
Q3SJEveryone knew it was better to leave early since they had visited the location before. This time, the women didn’t complain and finished packing earlier than usual.8tx
cfloWhen they arrived a kilometer from the ruins, the coachman stopped the carriage as usual. Accustomed to this, the group disembarked and walked towards the ruins.Jc9w
WCLNothing had changed since their last visit.39gv
GiaUThe bustling crowd, the natives watching warily, and the pub where they had encountered mercenaries were all the same.TGZp6qT
IFdHeading towards the outskirts of the ruins, they decided to have lunch in the park. Yuna had packed rice balls made from leftover ingredients soaked in rice, a dish unfamiliar to them but popular on the island.ihc88
4UW0XShirone tasted it and found it uniquely delicious, with a salty, nutty flavor from the various ingredients.ACe
tJnu4pThough it seemed a light meal, it sat heavily in the stomach, more so than bread.FRE6Z
RcFehZis reviewed a manual that Freeman had passed along. Although brief, his years in the organization allowed him to quickly grasp how deals were conducted.idf
94JYoYDHe led them to the opposite side of the entrance to the Room of Achievement and Sacrifice, also guarded by a native in civilized clothing.5RtpFBV
mld4va“Hello.”hdyQL3i
JSRuJl“Who are you?”rgyi
bl8“I’m from the Freeman Organization. When can we depart?”QYo
RlCtdnOAfter scanning Zis up and down, the native spoke more freely once shown a pass.SFcXt
lrYZis and the native exchanged a few words in the native language before he turned to Shirone.WAu
NGw“We have to wait about an hour for our ride?”XNI
KYfwXG“Ride? What kind of ride?”Hm5bFzy
9BrV“We’ll probably take a tram. That’s what was written. Anyway, they told us to come back when the tram arrives.”4co
mmU8Tess looked around the group.ke0a
0IfCBJf“What should we do? Wait here for an hour, or look around a bit more?”b5gcO
I77dAYShirone pondered. Was it really okay to enter the self-governing district like this? If so, why did the Room of Achievement and Sacrifice exist?y0c4tl
6sC2nTess thought it might be tradition, but Shirone doubted it was that simple, especially since the labyrinth’s breath touched this place.a0wGGm
N0AgTC“I want to try the trial gate again.”iMq
WYBpHis sudden suggestion surprised his friends, who wondered why he would choose the hard way when a simpler route was available.vOA
jIAQBut Amy shared Shirone’s thoughts. There must be something beneath the ruins that people shouldn’t know about. So, if there were two routes leading to the same place, there must be a special reason for each.4GOddat
C803jTHowever, the problem was passing the trial. Pursuing an impossible task might just waste their time.GKp
tzB“Can we really pass it? Are you thinking of trying with lasers?”KaGST
hthAzAW“If possible, I’d like to try.”k8KFE27
oO0o6m“And if that doesn’t work? The tram might not wait for us. And entering the Room of Achievement and Sacrifice will take a significant amount of time.”I71CN
cSHY“I guess it wouldn’t matter much if we failed.”GFmK1LA
fhaShirone spoke nonchalantly, prompting a puzzled response from Amy.A6cSy5
4RcHgOI“It doesn’t matter if we fail?”4tGg
w3m9Rc“I have something on my mind. Of course, I can’t be sure of anything yet. How about this? I’ll enter the Room of Achievement and Sacrifice alone, and the rest of you wait here and take the tram if it comes. That way, we can synchronize our timings and experience both routes.”PEfQ
iSaTVAmy thought Shirone’s plan was logical. Since he had scored the highest in the Room of Achievement and Sacrifice before, there was no need for others to follow. Besides, if he went alone, it wouldn’t take much time.B4MvuS
IG7CJq“Alright. Let’s head to the trial route then.”CNDGz
Tcdvs3pWith Amy’s agreement, the group headed toward the altar to the east. Different natives guarded it this time.bZ50B32
UoMHSN“Shirone, you remember the password?”rdGd6mO
QSt“Yeah. Stay back. Last time, they mistook us for a group because you were too close. I’ll go in and come back alone this time.”4zIOf
93V528W“Okay. It should be fine, but… be careful, anyway.”nhYSB
Nv04Shirone walked toward the altar but stopped in his tracks after just three steps.HAPa
p1ISomeone inside was banging on the door.q1EWI
T3JorUAs Shirone approached, the native guarding it turned around and operated a mechanism, opening the stone wall.oRx6PR
xaP‘It seems someone else attempted the trial. Are there more challengers than I thought?’AJmp
GtfCurious about who was emerging from the trial, Shirone watched eagerly. But the moment he saw their faces, he was startled.D8Pdy
GYt94“Uh, what?”L2z
fdezNJAmy, standing behind him, also jumped in surprise.SSGqf
10j“What! How are they here?”kmcgt3e
8ExPfE“What’s wrong, Amy? Do you know them? Friends, maybe?”1x84cx
JAEEJa“Hmph! Friends? They’re enemies!”oD7kvBz
4LO54kPFrom Amy’s reaction, they clearly weren’t on good terms. Rian and Tess, more curious now, closely observed the man and woman who had emerged from the altar.syL9R
dGUWFrom a distance, they looked like siblings due to their similar features—black hair, dark eyes, pale faces, and a uniquely dark aura.db76Eth
azq5WNZShirone stared blankly at them. They were Canis and Arin, disciples of Archmage Arcane.zYg
w8m‘Why are they here?’mcXI
kjBCqEmOf course, they were free to travel wherever they wanted, but it was ominous that they had emerged from a place touched by the labyrinth’s breath.2AIRU3
jdJvZEXCanis and Arin were also surprised to see Shirone’s group but quickly regained their composure.7PRZ
rhQSab“So you were here too.”bpXPT
VsMACanis approached with a sneering face, while Arin shyly looked down, unaccustomed to social interactions due to her life confined in Radum.YOmLFOb
tirSuDAlthough they had clashed before, they would be classmates next semester, so she felt obliged to at least greet them.XFLl9SJ
z1UYk9“Ah, hello, Shirone?”eIuKrfO
3gRc4wVSummoning all her courage, Arin raised her hand to wave at Shirone, but Canis glared at her fiercely. Realizing her mistake, Arin quickly lowered her hand, though Shirone greeted her warmly.RPZX4
GDs“Hi, doing well?”Ox2
xkB“Uh? Yeah. Just…”76R
8GNJdlUArin, glancing at Canis, responded with a shrinking voice. But seeing Shirone genuinely welcome her, she wondered if there was really a need to be so hostile.UpN
pU82yAs she slowly raised her head, surprised by Shirone’s intense gaze, she gasped.PZ214N
uDy‘He was impressive before, but now he’s even more distinct. Truly a fascinating person.’uWPqnK2
mXDWOMeanwhile, Shirone also had a lot on his mind with the arrival of Canis and Arin. Their return from the altar meant they had likely been rejected by the Angel’s Eye.qZRj9
7xmu4q5‘It’s not easy, the Labyrinth of Time.’1S7kkb
DHjAs disciples of the Archmage, Canis and Arin were formidable, especially in real combat experience, where they were considered superior to anyone at the magic school.qnXgL
MHjvn1Although Shirone had subdued him before, he had struggled even while receiving elemental blessings.zMDPMUP
q2zmkBut even they had been unable to advance further in the Room of Achievement and Sacrifice, giving a clue about the high standards of the labyrinth’s cut-off.NEP3fBX
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