Magic Academy Bans Harem

Chapter 84 Treasure Chest
"So, the maze is really a giant creature?"

Taking a shortcut, Ritas and other faculty members arrived at the middle area of Murri's third maze first.

While Ritas was looking at the map thoughtfully, the Bathing Goddess was asking about various things about the maze.

“Not absolutely”

"That's what I said."

"According to current research results, the probability is only 99 percent at best."

"Hello!"

After spending a long time together, the Bathing Goddess was a little confused as to whether Ritas's breath-like words came from a seriousness or a special sense of humor.

Although it was hard to believe, she did find that Ritas had a sense of humor, especially when there were no students around.

"Ominus, one of the four sages, spent 120 years cultivating ten labyrinths from scratch. He also made public all the records of the labyrinths' growth during these 120 years. I believe there is no more direct proof than these labyrinth records."

The "Through One" mentioned by Ritas is the strange man among the four sages who is obsessed with making all the knowledge in the world public. It is also for this reason that the relationship between Ominus and the "Hall of Wisdom" in the Holy City is particularly bad.

"Wow."

Hearing this obviously ruthless behavior, the Bathing Goddess couldn't help but sigh.

Sometimes, she felt that the biggest difference between the "Star Pattern" world in the game and the world on Ritas' side was not in the various plot developments, but in the magic researchers that naturally existed in every corner of the world, including Ritas.

As long as they or the theories they have researched exist, the style of the entire "Sword and Magic" world will be accompanied by a strange smell that is difficult to describe.

In response to the questioning of the curious Bathing Goddess, Ritas answered a few more questions about the maze.

"The labyrinth itself is a creature with only the original desire to hunt. However, due to its own conditions, it can only take prey into its body. And until it produces monsters to collect souls for itself, it can be considered an innate behavior. But after that, it is not entirely true. And it is also based on these behaviors that the labyrinth will be divided into danger levels."

"In the lowest level mazes, there are only monsters. Only when such a maze hunts souls and absorbs those souls, becoming 'smarter', will the maze evolve."

"When the monsters in the maze start dropping gold, silver, copper, iron, and other items that shouldn't belong to monsters, it proves that the maze has evolved to the 'primary' stage."

"Furthermore, treasure chests, traps, and other things have begun to appear in the maze. This means that the maze has evolved to the 'intermediate' level."

"When the maze begins to be divided into layers and boss-level monsters appear to guard the layers, it means that the maze has evolved to the 'advanced' level."

"Above this, according to legend, if the advanced labyrinth continues to evolve, a 'king' will be born in the labyrinth, and all labyrinth monsters will gain a certain degree of wisdom. At that level, it will no longer be a question of grading. It will be a country that exists for the sole purpose of hunting human souls, and there will be a steady stream of soldiers pouring out of it, like a natural disaster."

Listening to Ritas describing the dangers of the maze, the Bathing Goddess let out an exaggerated gasp.

"Since the maze is so dangerous, why don't you hurry up and destroy it?"

Ritas was silent for a moment.

The Bathing Goddess's suggestion was obviously very constructive. It would be better to say that even the Bathing Goddess knew the danger of the maze and should destroy these terrible creatures as soon as possible.

But
"It's hard."

Ritas shook his head.
"This is just like the process of a maze growing bigger. The maze uses desire to attract prey into it, and then the nutrient-rich maze can create desires that are harder for prey to refuse, attracting more prey to form an uninterrupted vicious cycle. If you only take out the basic logic of the maze, it is like a machine that can convert souls into materials that can satisfy desires. Therefore, unless one day the maze can really be transformed into a wish-making machine, otherwise, the maze will not be destroyed. Even if the number of mazes decreases to a certain level one day, a large number of people will begin to protect the maze."

"Tsk, if we have a few more top-level mazes, those people will behave themselves."

That's what the myth of the bathing girl says, but in reality, it would be a ridiculous picture if some people really wanted to see a group protecting the maze.

"More? Rumor has it that the starting point of the first continental war was the appearance of a top-level maze. That war destroyed many races on the continent, and humanity almost collapsed. So if there are a few more top-level mazes, then it shouldn't be a question of being dishonest."

The top-level maze, in addition to its own combat power being at the level of a natural disaster, has collected countless souls and condensed the "Desire Core" from them, which is something that any intelligent creature would find difficult to refuse.

Therefore, the war that almost involved the entire continent was particularly tragic.

"Eh? Really? After suffering such a huge loss, you still allow so many mazes to grow wildly and send students in to take the exam?"

The Bathing Goddess' voice was full of disbelief.

"In fact, once a maze reaches the intermediate level or above, it will 'multiply'. It is said to be similar to self-division, and it will cause great damage to itself. Therefore, few mazes can develop to the advanced level or above. And once an advanced maze appears, people from all over the continent will gather to attack it. Eliminating the crisis is one thing, and the value of the maze itself is another."

"Why does it sound like some kind of paradise? Isn't there some kind of continental convention that stipulates that no matter which country discovers an advanced labyrinth, they cannot stop adventurers from other countries from coming to conquer it?"

"."

"Really?"

"In short, the specialized organizations on the continent are doing a good job of controlling the maze. There have been no advanced mazes for nearly fifty years. Of course, a lot of credit should be attributed to the 'Master'. Her research on mazes has made a decisive contribution to the fields related to mazes. Moreover, since it has been confirmed that the food of the maze is the 'soul'. Therefore, this research has further confirmed that the soul, a thing that cannot be observed at present, although illusory, does exist. The only regret is that even the 'Master' has not observed how the maze converts the soul into treasure chests, traps and other materials."

As Ritas spoke, he couldn't help but sigh for the few imperfections in his 120 years of labyrinth research.

"It sounds like you admire the four sages called 'The Masters'. Speaking of which, one of these four sages is the father of some kind of magic tool, and the other is a ruthless person who raises a maze. And what academic contribution did Levis make to be selected?"

"We can actually tell something from the title of the dean."

When others called her "The Thorough One", Livis was called "The Tree Witch".

"She's just simply unbeatable."

"."

After being silent for a while, the Bathing Goddess spoke again.
"Let's talk about this Mu-something maze. You were exaggerating the dangers of the maze before, weren't you?"

"Yes."

Ritas did not deny it.
"The Murri Third Labyrinth is a sub-maze split from the Murri Grand Labyrinth. In order to control the density of the surrounding labyrinths, this place has been blocked. Now, this labyrinth is basically on the verge of death. It has basically lost the ability to produce monsters. Therefore, it can only last for another half a year at most."

As Ritas spoke, before the goddess of baths could complain, he unfolded the map in his hand in a way that the goddess of baths could understand, and outlined it with his fingers.
"But there is still something unusual. This maze, which inherits the characteristics of Murray's first maze, is too wide. The practical test for freshmen does not require such a wide venue. The average size of the mazes selected for freshmen in previous years is only one-third to one-quarter of this maze."

"Well, according to your gestures, this long maze, the academy only used the middle section as the venue this time? Are the other two sides sealed? This place is not particularly regular in shape, and it seems quite troublesome to seal the extra parts. Are there no other mazes nearby to choose from?"

"There are many options. The Raguel maze that we used last year is not completely dead. Even if it is reused, there are no significant disadvantages."

"Raguel!"

Suddenly, the bathing goddess seemed to have discovered something and interrupted Ritas' words in a loud voice.

"I remember this name. Yes, it's Raguel! In the game, the maze that we were supposed to go to for the practical test in the first semester seemed to be this Raguel, not some third one or something like that. Since Mr. Yew didn't actually go there, this name only appeared in the conversation, so I'm not sure. But I can be sure that it's definitely not the third one or something like that."

Rather than saying that the name of Raguel's Labyrinth is bland, it is more accurate to say that Murri's Third Labyrinth is so memorable.

".What?"

Ritas's brows suddenly frowned.

"Um, Professor Xiaoli, did I discover it too late again?" The Bathing Goddess asked cautiously with an embarrassed tone.

"It's a little late, but there's nothing we can do about it. And even if we found out earlier, it probably wouldn't have made any difference. After all, there's no good reason for the academy to change its location."

Although Ritas said this, he still hoped that the Bathing Goddess could be more sensitive in the future.

Being aware of something before it happens is the "foreknowledge" that a goddess should have. But after something happens, she will be there and then and then she will realize it belatedly and shout "Oh, I know this" or something like that. Anyone who loves to stir up trouble in the market can do that.

"It doesn't necessarily mean something bad has happened. The decision-making level of the academy has changed in the game world compared to here, so it's normal for the location of the practical test to change. Moreover, when the other four students took the test two days ago, they didn't encounter anything...special."

Rumble, rumble——

Suddenly, the ground beneath Ritas's feet shook violently.

“.”「.”

Amid the earth-shaking sound, the Bathing Goddess didn't hear clearly, but she felt that Ritas probably said something to her after making a "tsk" sound.

A little while ago.

The students of the Zishanmu class followed the large group to the starting point of the practical test, waiting boredly for the other two classes to set off first.

The content of this practical test is very simple. They will go to the depths of the maze in groups of two.

Every few steps, there will be a checkpoint, and there will be several different small tests near the checkpoint.

Even before the last checkpoint, the academy would release a few real monsters of the same level as the horned rabbits with broken horns!
All the students have to do is to work together to complete the test, defeat the monsters, pass all the checkpoints, and then combine the scores along the way.
"Does the academy treat us like five-year-olds?"

After understanding the content of the practical test, Iris said speechlessly. She could strangle the devil horned rabbit to death with her bare hands.

Although Iris was well-informed and had learned the general content of the practical test from her classmates who had returned the day before, she thought it was a smokescreen or a rumor because the content sounded so stupid.

"Oh, I never thought that I, who killed a thousand horned rabbits on the battlefield when I was three years old, would become the final 'examiner' today."

The orange-haired master on the "battlefield" looked lonely into the distance.

Ignoring Glenwell, the funny guy, Sylvie, who still had some ambition for academic performance, tentatively consulted Xia Lu, an adventurer beside her.

“Well, I’m really sorry, Sylvie. Because I’m afraid, I’ve never followed the adventure team into dangerous places like mazes. Now, let alone suggestions, I’m already thinking of giving up when I see those pointed stone pillars on the top of the cave~”

Xia Lu, who looked particularly small compared to Iris, held her face with one hand and spoke in a delicate voice.

Unlike the other girls who had subtle expressions, Merci, who took it seriously, shook Xia Lu's arm with both hands, encouraging her seriously and warmly.

"With the 'magic pages' distributed by the academy and the 'survival kit' prepared by the professor, even if something unexpected happens, nothing should go wrong."

At the front of the line, Miriam, who had recently developed a habit of observing her surroundings, said in summary.

The so-called magic book page is actually a piece of paper that records a special defensive magic. When the test officially begins, the students will need to activate it.

On the one hand, this special defensive magic can ensure the safety of the students. On the other hand, it can also allow the school to grasp their approximate location to prevent accidents. In addition, there are some small tasks such as maintaining and strengthening the defensive magic barrier, which are hidden in it and will slightly affect the final score.

As for Ritas's "survival kit", it can only be said that there are too many things in it. However, most of them are things that are not used except in extreme situations.

The suit itself is not light, and the time in the practical test will also be used as a reference to a certain extent. Therefore, the students of the Yewwood School have legitimate reasons to doubt whether their instructor is hindering them from getting good grades.

"It's almost time for us to set off, Glenn. Where's your wand?"

Seeing that there were only a few students left in the Orange Hui class, Miriam, who was basically prepared, looked at Glenwell who was in the same group with him.

"Wand?"

Grenville shrugged.

"You know."

What do I know?
Miriam wanted to kick her classmate.

"If you mean that you can cast magic without a wand, what do you plan to do if the test is not wind magic? Also, your ability to cast magic without a wand is just for convenience, and it will greatly weaken the effect of the magic. Moreover, in my opinion, the biggest use of your ability at present is that if you are caught secretly using magic in the academy, it will be easy to get away with it. And you are so high-profile that all the invigilators in the academy know that you can do this, and then you will be caught again."

"I know, I know. You are so long-winded, just like a professor."

Grenville, who really wanted to show off his skills in this "big occasion", took out his wand from the package at his waist with a gloomy look on his face.

“Just like the professor.”

Miriam, who was unintentionally rebuked by Grenwell, had an extremely complicated expression on her face.

He wanted to deny it, but also wanted to ask Grenwell if he was really greatly influenced by Professor Ritas.

However, before these words were asked.

Miriam's mind automatically converted some magic terms into food. She didn't eat enough at the picnic at noon, so drool naturally flowed from the corners of her mouth.

Seeing Miriam drooling, and thinking about how he had been talking about special training with the professor recently, Grenville felt a chill down his spine.

The professor is really scary.

In the future, you should be nicer to Miriam and be more accommodating to him.
"Eh? Is that a treasure chest over there?"

Just when the only two male students in the Zishanmu class were acting stupidly, Iris, who was tall and had a broad vision, suddenly discovered something strange.

Following her voice, the group saw something that looked like a treasure chest not far away.

On the slightly dim but extremely bare and flat ground, a silver-rimmed, low-table-sized box was placed very conspicuously and abruptly. The classic shape of the box with a huge keyhole showed its identity as a treasure chest.

"Is this also part of the practical test?"

Sylvie asked doubtfully, and raised her hand, wanting to ask the faculty members of the academy who were not far away.

"It looks like a pure treasure chest, with no signs of traps around it."

Xia Lu, an experienced adventurer, saw through the condition of the treasure chest at a glance and wanted to remind her classmates that they could open it at will.

But as she was speaking, she suddenly remembered that the maze she was in was a state of impending death.

Suddenly, Xia Lu's long bright red hair stood up all over the place, like an animal with its fur standing on end.

Before she could issue a warning, the entire maze suddenly began to shake and tremble violently.

(End of this chapter)