The Trial of the Mystic Labyrinth

t meant they were thinking the same thing, and even Rian and Tess didn't look pleased.

'This is getting annoying.'

As graduates of a military academy that prioritized camaraderie, they instinctively felt repulsed by the situation.

Meanwhile, the leader standing alone at the altar was at a loss.

He could feel that the way his comrades looked at him was different from before. Whether it was reality or just his imagination, he couldn't tell.

"Huff, huff! Aaargh!"

Failing to control his breathing, he rushed forward. To Shirone's eyes, he looked like he was running away from something.

Was the Schema properly opened? Where exactly was the sword's position? How much distance remained to the target? Everything was uncertain, and ultimately, his legs tangled just before reaching the sphere.

"Hup!"

The sword he swung as he stumbled missed its mark, merely grazing the side of the sphere and slipping away.

"Damn it! Ugh!"

Losing his balance, he barely stopped himself from falling off the altar and turned his body around.

The number 32 appeared on the sphere.

No one laughed.

The comrades' expressions stiffened as if they had suffered a great humiliation.

"So what?! It doesn't matter anyway! We weren't going to pass! We did it, that's enough! Let's just get out of here!"

The leader stubbornly insisted and headed toward the door, but none of his comrades followed him.

'That team is done for. Once they leave here, they'll probably disband.'

Shirone decided to withdraw at this point.

Although he wanted to challenge the trial, having realized the true nature of this room, he knew proceeding any further would be dangerous.

Before leaving, there was something he wanted to confirm.

Shirone approached the archer.

"Can you interpret for me?"

The archer seemed to have his own thoughts on the matter and nodded without hesitation.

"Sure. What do you want me to ask?"

"Has anyone ever passed this trial before?"

The man with the white tattoo nodded.

"This is a gate meant for passing. It is not a trap."

"Then… how many points must one score in the Labyrinth's time-space to pass?"

"The eight eyes of the angel will judge you."

The man simply repeated what he had said earlier.

In the end, everything depended on the Labyrinth's time-space.

'Why eight, of all numbers?'

Shirone pondered for a moment before asking another question.

"What is the pass rate for those who have made it this far?"

"I don't know exactly. Sometimes many come, sometimes only one. From what I've seen, one in ten attempts ends in success. The success rate is higher when someone comes alone."

"What?"

That was a higher ratio than he had expected.

'One in ten?'

At first, he had considered the possibility that no one ever passed.

That was based on the assumption that the labyrinth's purpose wasn't merely to test individual skill.

Though his belief hadn't changed, the white-tattooed man had clearly stated that some did pass.

And with a 10% success rate—an incredibly high percentage considering the difficulty he had felt.

Unconsciously, a smile formed on Shirone's lips, though it trembled slightly. A chill ran down his spine.

"Amy."

"Hm?"

"The headmaster really is a mischievous person."

"What do you mean?"

Shirone wasn't in the right frame of mind to answer. Alpheas' words echoed in his head like an auditory hallucination.

—You should get a rough idea of what kind of world the Labyrinth exists in.

But he still didn't know.

How much force was needed to pass?

Was the purpose of this cruel regulation merely to select people to enter the Kergo Autonomous District?

The only thing he realized was that this was the limit of what a student-level individual could approach.

'I'm sorry, Headmaster.'

Shirone had no intention of stopping. He had discovered a possibility.

Instead, he was determined to find a way into the Kergo Autonomous District before their travel period ended.

Amy, noticing the look in Shirone's eyes, smiled.

'You haven't given up, Shirone.'

If so, she had no intention of stopping either.

At first, she had simply wanted to travel with Shirone, but now, she genuinely wanted to understand who the woman named Labyrinth was.

'Kergo Autonomous District… I will get there.'

While Shirone's group was lost in thought, the leader pounded on the iron door.

"Let's just get out of here! No complaints, right? Hey, open this damn door!"

His pride was shattered beyond repair, and he couldn't bear his comrades' cold stares any longer.

The man with the white tattoo asked,

"Does everyone agree?"

No interpretation was necessary. The mercenaries simply nodded and headed toward the door without a word.

Their departure was utterly miserable.

They had planned to make a fortune, but in the end, all they did was damage their sense of loyalty while wasting a fortune in the process.

The archer turned to Shirone's group and spoke.

"Hey, hurry up and leave too."

His attitude was completely different from before.

Though he was filled with frustration, he had also realized that Shirone's group wasn't ordinary, so he had no choice but to be wary.

Yet, Shirone's group didn't move.

"Why aren't you leaving?"

The magician asked with an uneasy expression.

Feeling an ominous foreboding, Amy replied,

"We have no intention of leaving."

The mercenaries collectively turned around.

Their faces contorted with emotions—rage, confusion, and fear.

The magician, who was at least rational, swallowed his anger and asked in a conciliatory tone,

"Why don't you want to leave? It's over. We're exhausted and don't want to continue either."

"That's your problem. We entered this place together, didn't we? Shouldn't you at least ask for our opinion before deciding to leave?"

The magician was frustrated, but for now, he had no choice but to appease Amy.

"…Fine. I didn't consider that. So let's just go now."

"I don't think so. We're going to find a way to pass this trial and reach Kergo."

"But how…? Ah."

The magician's face turned pale.

This was the Room of Achievement and Sacrifice. One didn't necessarily have to prove their achievement.

The man with the white tattoo spoke.

"Will you leave, or will you stay? If you wish to prove your worth, pass the Labyrinth's time-space. If you wish to prove your sacrifice, then four must be sacrificed to allow four others to pass."