Chapter 243 Entering the Ancient Labyrinth
Chapter 243 Entering the Ancient Labyrinth
"So this is the entrance to the Ancient Labyrinth, huh? I could've never imagined there would be a Labyrinth within our academy, nor that the entrance to this Labyrinth is inside the Chapel." Leo mumbled in a dazed voice when he saw the massive entrance to the Labyrinth that was hidden at the end of the building.
And unlike regular Labyrinths, this entrance was veiled in a warm light, giving off an otherworldly aura.
After waiting in line for about two hours, Leo and his team finally reached the front of the line, where they received their three pieces of equipment.
"This watch will tell you which floor you're currently on, and this camera will allow you to record your experience, just like the Wilderness Training Course. As for this necklace, it will teleport you out of the Ancient Labyrinth and back to the chapel in case you become stuck or need to escape. However, be aware that once you exit the Ancient Labyrinth, you won't be able to go back inside." A teacher explained to them as he handed out the equipment.
Leo inspected the necklace with interest.
After another hour of waiting, it was finally Leo's turn to enter the Ancient Labyrinth.
Eve, who was standing by the entrance, said to them, "Good luck, and I hope to see you all again in two months."
She looked at Leo and continued, "Don't die."
"I won't." He smiled.
Leo and his team took their first step towards the Ancient Labyrinth, and the moment they stepped into and through the light, they disappeared from the Chapel and appeared in the middle of a wasteland, one that was similar to the Wilderness.
After being teleported into the Ancient Labyrinth, Leo and his team immediately prepared for combat.
Unlike ordinary Labyrinths, the Ancient Labyrinth operated differently. Instead of wandering around the floor looking for the staircase to the next floor, they must complete specific trials, and the most common trial is fighting monsters.
"So, how does this work?" Leo asked them.
"We have to clear all of the monsters on this floor before we can head to the next one." Helia said.
"The monsters will all be F-Rank, so we don't need to worry about it as long as we stay focused."
Sure enough, monsters started appearing around them a minute later.
Not wanting to waste his arm strength by swinging his sword, Leo decided to use his magic to take care of these monsters.
[Black Flame]
He engulfed the monsters in a sea of black flames, killing most of them within seconds.
Helia and Lia also used Tier 1 magic spells to deal with the monsters.
As for Celeste, she merely stood there and waited for them to finish. Since the monsters were too weak, there was no need for her to buff them.
There were a total of 100 monsters, but it didn't take long for Leo's team to clear them all.
Once all of the monsters were killed, an oval-shaped portal appeared before them.
"This is what's going to take us to the next floor?" Leo asked.
"Yes." Helia nodded.
"The next team will be entering the Labyrinth soon, right? How will that work? What if we decide to stay here until they arrive?"
"Actually, there can be multiple active instances at once. In other words, there can exist more than one 'first floor' at once, and each of these instances can hold a team of their own." Helia explained.
"So there are multiple 'first floors', allowing every team to have their fair chance. But why would they say we can't sabotage each other?"
"Because there are floors where only one instance can exist, meaning we will be able to meet with other students."
"I see. That makes sense."
Leo's team walked through the portal and appeared on the second floor shortly after.
Over the next several minutes, Leo and the others would breeze through the Labyrinth, speeding all the way to the 5th floor.
Upon entering the portal that led them to the 5th floor, Leo found himself standing in a familiar scenery.
"This is… a boss room?"
"There will be a boss room every 5 floors." Helia said.
"Once we clear this floor, the next five floors will have E-Rank monsters."
They entered the boss room a moment later, and Leo killed it after another moment with a simple Void Spear.
Several hours later, they arrived on the 15th floor.
"Should we take a small break before we deal with this boss?" Leo asked them.
"Sure. We've made incredible progress in less than a day. A small break won't matter." Helia agreed.
Thus, they set up their tents in front of the boss room.
Three tents were set up a moment later.
"Then I will see you guys in a few hours." Leo said to them as he entered his tent.
When Helia saw Lia following Leo into his tent, she subconsciously spoke out loud, "W-Wait."
"What is it?"
"You're sharing a tent with Leo…?"
"Yes. Is that a problem?"
"N-No…" Helia quickly entered her own tent.
Celeste watched their conversation in silence before entering her own tent.
Once she was inside her tent, she took out a book and began writing, "After many years of watching him from a distance, I have finally been granted the opportunity to watch him— to stand right beside him— inches away from him. His scent is so much stronger than what I am normally used to, so much so that I cannot even keep a straight mind when I am beside him."
"I will be spending the next two months with him in the Ancient Labyrinth. Will I be able to go through this trial of mine without losing my self restraints?"
She closed her book a few minutes later and stored it inside her spatial ring, feeling quite satisfied.
A few hours later, Leo's team cleaned up their tents before entering the boss room.
After taking a minute to clear the boss room, they proceeded to clear more floors and delve deeper into the Ancient Labyrinth.