Chapter 47: Concentrated Broadcast

Even within this Labyrinth battle, there was still danger. Although the mages monitored the entire process, they usually did not interfere during the fights unless the power gap was too large, or an apprentice was severely injured and on the verge of death—but if some unlucky person had their head blown off by a lucky heavy punch from their opponent or something similarly unfortunate, then all they could do was take them to the Temple to gamble on that uncertain chance of resurrection. And for commoners who couldn’t afford the resurrection fee, it was a dead end. Of course, the apprentice themselves could also choose to give up, but doing so meant losing a rare opportunity, so very few chose that path.

However, this current battle was not difficult for Constantine.

His luck was not great, especially after arriving at Hayton, he had already gotten entangled in three consecutive troublesome incidents. But it was precisely within those troubles that those advanced opponents gave him experience that ordinary people could hardly reach…

After a brief appraisal, the youth had already made a judgment. He raised his hand and drew a strange symbol in the air. As his hand fell, the humanoid little monster’s charging movement suddenly slowed down!

Constantine calmly took a few steps back, watching the little monster that kept straining but moved much slower than walking. The large head of the opponent was wrinkled, and a large mouth cracked open within those wrinkles, revealing a row of fine, yellowish, sharp teeth clearly visible. But obviously, this posed no threat to the opponent before him. At this moment, not having eyes might be considered a kind of luck because his opponent had already drawn a dark gold gleaming, jet-black scimitar from his robe… Then, with a ear-grating grinding sound, that huge head had already separated from its small body!

Casually flicking off the green liquid staining the blade, Constantine picked up the crude short spear from his opponent’s hand… Though crudely made, considering the situations he might encounter later, the youth still casually stored it into the small pouch on his belt…

That belt of his, which looked somewhat ragged, gray, and unremarkable, was actually a decent magic item—perhaps it had been stored for too long, or perhaps the apprentice minding the store today didn’t know certain inside information. He merely charged the fee for a dragonskin product based on the annotations on the belt. However, with the Lich’s knowledge and his own eyes that could detect magical fluctuations, Constantine knew this belt bore a permanent spatial incantation, connecting to a fixed-size extraplanar realm space—what’s commonly called a bag of holding.

This was indeed a marvelous technique. Constantine secretly tested it; this small pouch on the belt, which looked like it could only fit a palm, could hold at least about half a cubic meter of non-living objects. Although it couldn’t compare to the legendary rings of holding or bags of holding that could move mountains and fill seas, it was still a quite excellent treasure.

And even better, the Lich reminded him that the space had no restrictions on length and width. That meant you could place a bundle of spears inside, or cram in a steel plate, as long as its total volume didn’t exceed half a cubic meter. So Constantine put his various bits and pieces, including his money pouch, weapons, and sundry items inside. Not only did it prevent theft, but it also completely ignored the weight of these things.

Several linen shirts that automatically adapted to his body and gray Robes of Magic all had magical tricks to prevent dust and water stains. This was a convenient effect for nobles who needed to stay neat. Most importantly, they also had an additional protective incantation of Mage Armor attached. Although it could only be used once a day, and the protective power was barely satisfactory, for low-level apprentices who had pitifully few spells to cast, they could sometimes produce a life-saving effect.

Only, these few items finally let the young sorcerer witness what prices within the Mage Tower were like—these mere bits and pieces cost one of Count Feithnan’s prized ruby ornaments, plus a diamond, and several scrolls he copied himself. Although there were some issues with their quality, if converted into gold coins, these things could still be exchanged for two thousand three to four hundred gold coins. That could be considered quite valuable. The young sorcerer felt the sting so much he curled his lips, though he also knew these things were actually worth the price.

Only, unfortunately, the Mage Tower’s shop did not have any props that could help someone walk out of the Labyrinth.

…

Around the huge table where the Labyrinth model was located, dozens of apprentices formed a neat semicircle. The buzzing whispers were like the low hum of mosquitoes and flies. The expressions under each hood were solemn and serious, but their gazes constantly wandered over the Labyrinth model. Encounters between the figures representing apprentices and monsters would cause momentary fluctuations in the whispers.

Only, although this model was huge, the thirty people who first participated in the test were scattered within it, but they were not much bigger than ants. One could barely notice them moving forward through various translucent passages, but their movements were completely impossible to see clearly. Fortunately, around the model, three large observation crystals had now been erected, with a circle of mysterious magical runes flashing. With a single secret word, they could project the situation around a specific participant. Of course, the control right was held by the three mentors responsible for the situation. The students had no right to demand seeing their desired target.

At this moment, three different scenes were reflected in the clear crystals.

One apprentice was confronting two kobolds. He swiftly gestured, and then a faint green light exploded on one of them! The unlucky monster immediately emitted streams of white smoke, rolling on the ground. Even without sound from the crystal, its wails were easily imagined. The other cowardly monster immediately fled. On another crystal, however, two apprentices were confronting each other. They each agilely dodged a spell from the other, then hid behind a corner and a rock respectively, preparing for a second attack.

A mage waved his hand, and the two scenes of battle blurred… The runes around the observation crystals flashed, and two other apprentice figures replaced them.

“Huh… Why change it? Mr. Narvey’s fight was very exciting just now, wasn’t it?” In the retained crystal scene, an apprentice stood in a shadow, while two goblins were lured by a small ball of light in the air and ran past not far from him, completely unaware of his presence. This caused the apprentice at the very front of the crowd, a short apprentice, to mutter in dissatisfaction: “The gestures and incantations were correct and flawless, the casting was swift, and the splash range of the Lesser Acid Orb was also wide. Why are we left with only this coward Binsk…”

“Because the mentors aren’t fools like you!” a tall apprentice beside him lectured, though his lowered voice carried a hint of excitement, seeming glad to have found an opportunity to show off. “A mage’s battle should rely on wisdom, understand? Tossing a spell at everything you see, what’s the difference between such a fellow and those northern barbarians who chop at anyone they see? Or perhaps they’re not even as good as those barbarians! A barbarian’s strength recovers with rest, but for us, memorizing a spell isn’t that simple… And to waste a first-level spell on two kobolds that could be fooled or scared off with Prestidigitation, such a fool can only be used to handle Lebet herbs! If he gets smoked to death early, it’s a kind of liberation too!”

Though this guy in red robes didn’t look very old either, the dragon wings on his badge were spread open. This meant he was already a Formal Mage who had passed the test. Although he still couldn’t leave the tower, he was after all a high-ranking figure. He smugly glanced at the crystals that had been changed for another round, then continued educating his companion beside him: “And those two idiots… although I say the personal grudges between you low-level apprentices are as numerous and smelly as farts after eating radish soup… But won’t their stupid brains consider the current situation? If you pass the test, there will be plenty of chances to stab each other in the back later. Yet they insist on choosing this moment for a duel! Truly stupid to the core!”

“Kid, considering you’re my distant cousin, I remind you of two… Huh?” The smug voice suddenly rose a pitch, but it didn’t attract any attention, because almost at the same time, everyone made similar sounds.

A group of apprentices stared dumbfounded at the black figure that suddenly appeared beside the platform with a flash of blue light. The other party paid no attention whatsoever, just casually waved his hand. Then the images on the three monitoring crystals were changed at the same time, all reflecting an almost completely dark environment. Then, the darkness was replaced by eerie green lines, revealing the passages within and a certain figure that was slowly standing up inside.

“Master Vernal, this, this is truly unbelievable…” After a long while, that high-level apprentice from earlier uttered a stammering exclamation. “It is said he never participates in such activities. Could it be that the great god Bodola picked up the wrong staff today?”

“Master Vernal? Who is he? A mage in our Mage Tower? How come I’ve never seen him before?” The little fellow beside him glanced in that direction and asked in a low, puzzled voice.

“How come you don’t know anything? This is the mad… Master Vernal, the most… in the Mage Tower…” The red-robed mage looked around, and seeing no one paying attention here, lowered his voice further: “The most terrifying existence… although I haven’t seen him either, but that face…”

“Oh, I know, it’s that mad dog…” The newly promoted apprentice showed a look of sudden realization, but before he could finish his sentence, he got a heavy thump on the back of his head! As he let out half a scream, his cousin’s suppressed cold snort came by his ear: “If you haven’t learned when to shut your overly active mouth, then you better not say you know me in the future… I still want to live until I become a Formal Mage!”

The cousin, holding his head, grunted a couple of times, then suddenly noticed something. “That, that guy is the Kang… something sorcerer they were talking about earlier, right? That mad… Why is he switching all the images to him?”

“It’s Constantine! Remember well, that guy is also a dangerous person. If you see him in the future, you better stay far away too! He’s the direct eldest son of the northern griffin Connallyvis Family, different from those second-rate trash in the Mage Tower!” The red-robed mage snorted, his lowered voice carrying a hint of disdain. “Also, although he is just a sorcerer, his martial skills seem pretty good. It’s said that a few days ago, that arrogant fellow from the Oriel family got a good lesson from him! Even their mentor Purness was left in disgrace! Hmm… I remember they said after that, Vernal appeared and cleaned up the mess for him? Perhaps the Griffin has already tamed that mad dog…”

“It must be nice to have a hereditary Duke backing you up… When will our family have that kind of glory?” The short apprentice shifted his gaze to the crystal surface, to the figure moving normally in the dark passage, and let out a sigh mixed with envy.

Although every single move within the miniature Labyrinth was exposed to the observers’ eyes, everything happening outside was completely unknown to those inside the Labyrinth. Therefore, Constantine, who was searching for an exit in the dark passages, naturally didn’t know that because of the actions of a certain unscrupulous archmage, he had become the object under everyone’s watchful eyes.

After the first easy battle, luck seemed to favor Constantine a little. As he traveled along, he actually didn’t encounter any more monsters.

But what was really giving him a headache now were the constantly appearing forks in the path. Although he had roughly memorized the route when outside the Labyrinth, a real Labyrinth wasn’t like those things in games—relying solely on memory simply wouldn’t work. Someone inside the Labyrinth couldn’t see the whole picture. The world in his eyes consisted of countless identical high walls. Various similar roads and turns were enough to make one dizzy and eventually lose their way.

Fortunately, Constantine was not unfamiliar with methods for navigating a labyrinth, and he also knew the direction of the goal—and the luckiest thing was undoubtedly his ability to see clearly in the darkness. Otherwise, even knowing the direction, he might have been lost for a long time in this dark environment… After all, darkness was a force that most easily provoked feelings of failure in people’s hearts.

However, the youth’s heart was still anxious. His sole purpose in participating in this test was the Bequli Gem. Now, he had been wandering around like a headless fly in this labyrinth for over half an hour, and there was still no sign of getting out. The locations where apprentices appeared were not fixed. If a lucky guy landed near the gem, even if he didn’t have the ability to bring the gem out of the labyrinth, those who arrived later probably wouldn’t be able to get it either.

Of course, Constantine had other choices. He could wait until the competition ended and exchange some more valuable items for that Bequli Gem… Only, obviously, that would be quite difficult—everyone knew such gems were quite valuable. Even if low-level apprentices couldn’t process them, and even if they obtained them they wouldn’t be of much use, they could still use them as gifts to please high-rank mages… For some commoner apprentices determined to become mages, this was a rare step up the ladder. Even exchanging items worth two or three times its value might not fulfill the wish. And it just so happened that most of those with the strength to get the reward were this kind of person.

After walking for another ten-plus minutes like this, just as the youth was getting a bit anxious, a chaotic noise suddenly came from within the passage—these enclosed walls on both sides undoubtedly produced an excellent sound transmission effect. Constantine’s heart leaped with joy, and he hurriedly ran in that direction.

Faint light lit up at the corner of the passage. Constantine checked his steps and carefully peeked out. He found this was a rather large space. Under the illumination of two lit torches on the walls, there were actually two groups of apprentices fighting, six in total, in a two-versus-four situation. But judging by their fighting style, it didn’t seem like a deliberate ambush; it was probably just that the locations were too close, and they accidentally bumped into each other.

Just as the youth’s gaze peeked out, he happened to see the air distort. Two jet-black ravens drilled out of thin air, cawing loudly as they pounced on a person!

But what they got in return was just a cold laugh. “First-level Summon Monster? This kind of thing…” The apprentice who was the target changed a gesture and chanted: “Mage Hand.”

After finishing the chant, he immediately made a grabbing motion toward one of the ravens from over twenty feet away. The raven seemed to be grabbed by an invisible hand around its neck. A bird’s strength wasn’t great to begin with, let alone having no leverage in the air. Though it flapped its wings desperately, it couldn’t move. Then, as the opponent made a twisting gesture with his hand, a crisp cracking sound was heard, and the magical raven fell straight down from the air, scattering feathers all over.

“We already said… we’re just borrowing. After the assessment ends, we’ll naturally return the things to you. If you’re worried about failing, you can join us. Isn’t it better for everyone to pass together?” An idle apprentice let out a sinister laugh. “Of course I know, having a pre-prepared auto-map shared like this, feeling unwilling is inevitable. But still, it’s better than not being able to complete the exam, right?”

“I also said already, no way!” The duo was clearly at a disadvantage. The apprentice who had just completed the summoning now raised her head and retorted loudly. Her voice was clear and crisp—it was actually a girl.

“Then don’t blame us for being impolite…” The opponent sneered a couple of times, then suddenly opened his mouth wide. A red shadow shot out from his mouth with a whoosh! Constantine blinked. He noticed it was actually the guy’s tongue, but it had elongated to a terrifying extent. It lashed out in the air, actually wrapping around his opponent in front of him tightly like a snake!

Although it wasn’t a real snake, the tongue seemed to be made of muscles too. Now increased in length, his opponent struggled desperately, but how could she break free in a short while? Though she wanted to cast a spell, the opponent seemed to have anticipated this long ago, tightly binding her hands to her sides—these low-level apprentices clearly hadn’t reached the level of casting without gestures. Therefore, once her hands lost freedom, she immediately became useless.

“What a perverted thing… using a tongue as a rope?… And what is an auto-map?” Constantine shook his head. In his memory, this seemed like an ability that would only appear in certain adult animations from some island country… Could it be that even between two worlds, there was some kind of connection regarding this?

“It should be Tentacle Tongue… this kind of spell is not very useful. It can only bully weaponless mages. If the opponent had a small knife in hand, it would be enough to make him pay a heavy price… I never expected someone would memorize such a boring spell!” The Lich was experienced. From Constantine’s slight remarks, he inferred the development of the situation. “But you better get that map. It’s a good prop, especially right now…”

“How could it be that easy… they have many people. I have no interest… Huh?” Constantine’s gaze swept over the several figures in the area, considering possible methods he could use. But before he could think of a viable plan… Everyone’s gaze suddenly turned toward his direction!

The shadows gave the youth good cover. He wasn’t discovered… The reason for this situation was because the situation in the area changed—the remaining magical raven flew straight down, snatched something like a scroll of parchment from its owner, and then flew directly into the passage where Constantine was!