Chapter 139
Chapter 139
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 139
Chapter Title: The Spacetime Labyrinth (3)
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Shirone understood the situation. The rule was more restrictive and dangerous than he had anticipated. Uniting the opinions of a majority was far more difficult than it sounded.
He didn't know what lay in Kergo, but if it was something worth risking their lives for, the possibility of internal conflict was real.
"What? It was that simple? How about this? We take care of these four brats and go in ourselves. I can't believe I didn't think of such an easy way."
The leader turned to Shirone, a wide grin splitting his face. He expected to see fear, but Shirone just found him pathetic.
Now that they knew the rules, the right path was to cooperate, whether they liked it or not.
A leader who let his emotions rule from the start would not only destroy his organization but also endanger the lives of his comrades.
*This man is not qualified to be a leader. The others seem decent enough, though.*
As expected, his comrades stepped in to stop him. If they achieved the goal, they were guaranteed to pass, so considering sacrifices was a matter for later.
"Enough. Let's get started. How long are we going to stand here?"
"Tch! You're lucky, kid."
The man with the white tattoos moved to the side of the altar. He crossed his arms at a spot where he could see all eight spheres.
"My explanation ends here. Step forward one by one and prove your abilities."
Shirone's group and the mercenaries exchanged glances, each calculating who would benefit from going first.
The leader drew his iron sword and pointed it at Shirone.
"Hey, you guys go first. Not that I expect much, but do your best so we can at least get a feel for it. Then who knows? Maybe we'll take you to Kergo."
"No, thank you. Why do you get to decide that on your own?"
"What did you say? You know, I really don't like you! Should I kill you right now? Want me to kill you and then go in?"
"You keep trying to stir up trouble. From now on, we have to unify our opinions. Didn't you hear him say we can't leave if even one person objects? He said there's no limit to the number of tries, but there could be a handicap applied to the person who attempts it, or a trap like Anti-Magic could be triggered. Since this is the first time for all of us, we need to think carefully and decide the order."
"Th-this insolent little brat…!"
The leader was on the verge of losing his composure. He hated the way the boy talked back to him, but what infuriated him most was that he couldn't refute it.
However, the female mage had a different idea. Of course, there might not be any particular restrictions, but since they hadn't seen the future, it was best to consider all possible variables.
"The kid's right. Let's decide the order. So, how should we do it?"
Shirone looked back at the Spacetime Labyrinth on the altar. Having experienced the phenomenon called a 'Spot,' he could roughly guess the current situation.
"Those spheres can probably absorb a near-infinite amount of energy. It would be standard to have the warriors go first and save the mages with high firepower for later."
"Must it be something so violent? What's your reason for assuming that?"
"Because it's the best skill a descendant of a warrior can demonstrate. Besides, if you look at the altar, it has a structural characteristic of performing some action on a set target. Therefore, it's reasonable to assume it was initially designed for the purpose of striking."
"I'm convinced. Then let's decide the order. Shall we start with the swordsmen?"
The mage spoke, glancing at her leader. But he shook his head, looking offended.
"No, I'll go later. What does a brat like that know? This is a simple game. You just go out there and smash it."
"Sigh, that's our leader for you. What do you want to do?"
"It's fine. We'll send a swordsman from our side."
Shirone looked back at the swordsmen in his group. Both Rian and Tess were swordsmen. But he could guess who would go without even looking.
A great deal of information could be gathered after the first attempt. It was a crucial and dangerous role, and Rian would never send Tess first.
"I'll go first. Of course, it might just end on my turn. Hahaha!"
"Such baseless confidence. Anyway, be careful. Don't let your guard down."
Cheered on by Tess, Rian stood in the center of the altar and looked around.
It definitely felt different from when he was watching from the outside. It was as if all eight spheres were aiming at him.
"Hey! Hurry up! Are you scared already?"
Rian didn't even hear the leader. From the moment Shirone had singled him out, he had already figured out what he had to do.
*‘I’m the vanguard, so to speak. I have to gather all the information I can on my turn. Right, Shirone?’*
Rian walked toward the northern sphere. It wasn't as transparent as it had looked from a distance. It felt more like it was filled with a hazy fog.
"Hmm, he said there was no limit to the number of attempts, right?"
Rian leaned his face against the sphere and tapped it with the back of his hand. When there was no reaction, he repeated the action, gradually increasing the force.
At a certain point, the fog in the sphere vanished completely, and the number 1 appeared in the now-transparent orb.
"Huh? A number?"
Shirone recalled the explanation from the man with the white tattoos.
"Ah, so the 'language of the gods' meant numbers. Rian, step back for now, just in case."
Rian nonchalantly took a couple of steps back. A moment later, the sphere emitted a red glow, illuminating the hall.
It meant failure.
He wondered what would happen, but that was all. He watched for about three more seconds, but nothing threatening occurred.
"Aha, so a white light means a pass, right?"
Understanding the rule, Rian returned to the center of the altar and finally drew his straight sword.
When the true size of the sword, previously hidden by Rian's large frame, was revealed, the mercenaries were startled. If that was all iron, it would be impossible to lift without Schema.
"Rian! Hit it with everything you've got!"
Tess, now somewhat relaxed, cheered him on by swinging her arms. Just learning that the trial didn't harm the challenger was a significant gain.
"Don't worry. I'll shatter it in one blow."
Rian gripped the sword with both hands and lowered his stance. To his embarrassment, his heart was pounding.
But what better situation to inaugurate the sword his grandfather had passed down to him? And with a two-handed, full-hearted swing, no less.
"Alright! Here I go!"
Rian charged at full speed and brought the greatsword down. Instead of the powerful crash everyone expected, there was a low thud, like a deep wave of sound.
The Spacetime Labyrinth didn't shake, and there was no reaction to the impact. It would have been impossible without absorbing all the force.
"Ughhhhh!"
Rian maintained his posture, having struck the Spacetime Labyrinth. He could clearly feel the strength being drained from his entire body.
But more than that, he was curious about the number that would appear on the sphere. Would it be a pass or a fail?
The sphere turned transparent, revealing the number 241. Compared to the impact force that had resulted in a 1, it seemed he had done quite well.
But unfortunately, the sphere emitted a red light.
"Ah, so close! Shirone, can I try just one more time?"
Rian was annoyed. At first, he thought just scouting was fine, but receiving a fail verdict made his blood boil as if he'd been slighted.
"Are you okay? Your legs look wobbly."
"Oh, this? It sucks out all your strength. It's not physically taxing, so it's not dangerous. I'll recover after a little while."
Shirone nodded at the new piece of information.
"I see. So it's a handicap, but not a serious one. Hmm."
"Still, this is really frustrating. If I could just use Schema, I would've passed."
At Rian's words, the warrior from the mercenary group burst into hearty laughter.
"Puhahaha! You've been acting all high and mighty without even being able to use Schema? This is ridiculous. Step aside, I'll take it from here."
As the warrior entered, Rian had no choice but to leave the altar. But even as he walked away, he was muttering, "Just one more time."
"The kid got 241, right? Then I'll aim for around 2,000."
The warrior rolled up his sleeves and swung his main weapon, a flail. He also had a hand axe at his waist, but from what he'd seen of Rian's attempt, the flail seemed better for delivering an impact.
The warrior took a deep breath and tensed the muscles all over his body. The muscle fibers didn't thicken dramatically, but as the change occurred throughout his body, his frame noticeably swelled.
"Tess, that man is..."
"Right. He's a Schema user. It looks like he's on a strength-enhancement build. It's a natural choice for a warrior, I suppose."
"Uwaaaaaah! Here I goooo!"
The warrior charged forward with a roar as mighty as his build. All the while, his hand was rapidly spinning the flail.
It wasn't a two-handed weapon, but adding rotational force could generate comparable destructive power.
The warrior brought the flail down as if striking a mortal enemy.
A low thud, and his motion stopped. Like Rian, a sense of power deprivation rendered his body helpless.
"Hah! Hah! It's done! That was a solid hit!"
The warrior stepped back, panting heavily. His technique had been visually impressive, so the onlookers watched with anticipation.
The number 248 appeared.
"Wh-what? No way! 248? Only seven points higher than that brat? Is this thing broken?"
Tess assumed a ready stance and walked toward the altar.
"Do you think this is some corner store toy? Get down from there! The red light is already on!"
"No, I don't accept this! Just one more, I'll do it one more time!"
"Fine, just get down! Recover your stamina before you even think about trying again!"
The warrior's face crumpled in frustration as he turned away. He just couldn't understand it.
He had never lost a contest of strength since he was a child. And even with a strength-enhancement build, he only got 248.
"Huh? Wait a minute."
The warrior looked back at Rian, dumbfounded. Didn't that brat say he couldn't open his Schema?
But he scored 241. That meant he had produced almost the same amount of power as him just now, with only his physical strength.
"Wh-what? No way! Are you sure you can't use Schema? You were lying, weren't you?"
"Why would I lie about something like that? If you failed, just be quiet and watch the next turn."
Having failed, Rian didn't want to ramble on. His only interest now was seeing how far his friend Tess could go.
Tess stood in the center of the altar and drew her sword. A cool sound, like skating on ice, filled the air. People watched, mesmerized by her graceful, textbook-perfect movements.
"Hmm, I'll give it a try, but won't I be at a disadvantage with a rapier?"
"No, not necessarily. It absorbs all the force. When I struck it with my straight sword, I didn't even feel any recoil. I doubt your sword will even bend."
"Really? Then shall I try piercing it with all my might?"
"If you're worried, you can use my sword. It's heavy, but you can handle it with Schema, right?"
Tess held her blade upright and bent it with her finger. The rapier sprang back with a *ting*, vibrating rapidly like the wings of a hummingbird.
"No, I'll try it with my own swordsmanship. Honestly, this is quite interesting."
Tess walked to the edge of the altar, positioning herself at a diagonal angle to the Spacetime Labyrinth.
Acceleration of focus through Schema. The sphere had no vital points, but the speed generated by compressing her body's movements would be converted entirely into force.
Tess charged forward with a silence more frightening than a kiai. True to her perfect score in the balance test, her angle was almost parallel to the ground.
The moment she reached the target, her body seemed to blur into an afterimage, and the rapier, which had been skimming the ground, rose as if taking flight.
As she pierced the sphere in a perfect fente, for a moment it seemed as though a flash of light erupted from the tip of her sword.
Ordinary swordsmanship reaches maximum acceleration at the midpoint of a swing, but Tess's fencing, centered on thrusts, peaked at the 'end speed' of the sword.
This characteristic, maximized through Schema, created the thrilling optical illusion.