BXBX NOVEL Chapter 159 158: Learning About The Labyrinthian
Each woman had expressed her desire to have me, so Jahi came up with a...
Solution.
I was bound again and carried to each girls room like an offering, and once they were finished with me they allowed the next to take me to their room.
Suffice to say, the next day was one that started off feeling incredibly sore, incredibly happy, and sufficiently filled.
Nothing a little water magic couldn\'t fix...
After that, I made us a quick breakfast before setting out for the Academy, where Vice-Headmaster Bijilo taught us more about the fundamentals of magic, mana, and where it comes from.
However, when we entered Professor Xiant\'s lecture hall, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the lesson for today was actually interesting for once...
It was on the Labyrinthian, that mysterious, gigantic landmass in the center of this already large continent.
The Empire was on the north western border of the Labyrinthian, which is why the Asmodia\'s were so valued; March Asmodia was on the Empire\'s south eastern section, directly along a good portion of the Labyrinthian.
However, there was little about the Labyrinthian inside the Asmodia Library, or at least the sections I was allowed to peruse.
That stayed true for most public libraries; you could find basic information there, like how it was the largest spawning ground of monsters in the world, how it was a gigantic, naturally formed stone maze that sprawled over land twice the size of our Empire, which was already on the larger side of the various Kingdoms and Empires of the world.
From what I had read, the Empire was a gigantic 7.5 million square feet, which was just under double the size of Europe, and around two thirds the size of Africa.
Giant.
Now imagine two of those put together, and you have an insane area filled to the brim with long stone corridors, giant stone walls, and monsters as far as the eye could see...
Honestly, it was pure nightmare fuel, since the monsters inside were also much, much stronger than those out here.
In fact, the ones inside Zhu-Rong Cavern\'s deepest pit, namely the Drakes, Wyverns, Lava Giants, and more were barely the top of the weaker monsters inside the Labyrinthian.
That\'s how insanely powerful and deadly the Labyrinthian can be.
So, as I sat down at my desk, I stared at the board with interest, wondering what the Academy would teach us compared to the books available to the public.
Leone plopped into her seat beside me, her face paler than normal as she gave me a quick glance.
Raising a brow at her, I held in a chuckle as she grew flustered, likely recalling how long she had \'kept\' me last night.
As for Jahi and Anput, the two women were already almost dozing off, only to jump awake as my foot collided with their chairs.
Both turned to glare at me, only to turn back to stare at the board as Professor Xiant let out a cough.
"Alright, today we\'ll be touching on the Labyrinthian. As you are all likely aware, the monsters we can find around us inside the Empire all originated from the Labyrinthian.
Drakes and Wyverns are the diluted versions of the Hydras that call the Labyrinthian home.
The Labyrinthian is, like it\'s name would suggest, a giant labyrinth, all naturally made. The stone walls and paths inside the Labyrinthian\'s borders are all older than anything we\'ve ever seen in this world.
The first and only Time Magician, Saturna Vera, even appraised the outermost walls of the Labyrinthian millennia ago and deduced that they were eons old. Far older than even the beginning of us Mortals walking this earth.
Besides its age, it also holds an untold amount of natural treasures, like various immeasurably powerful ores and alchemical materials, large chunks of mana crystals, and so much more.
Now, for today we\'ll discuss the outer regions of the Labyrinthian; what you need to enter the Labyrinthian, what you\'ll encounter, and what rewards might be laying around for you to grab."
Tapping the chalkboard behind him, Professor Xiant said "Whenever a group of people officially enters the Labyrinthian via the Guild, from a decree from the Royal Family, or when sponsored by two Noble Families of Count rank and above, they are called Exploration Teams.
The standard makeup of such a team is a Support, a Damage Dealer, a Defender, a Mage, a Tracker, and a Scout.
Now, some roles can be combined; Support and Mage is common to be found in one person, as well as Tracker and Scout.
These roles are self explanatory, and if you need me to explain it to you, please just leave this class; you\'re taking up a spot for someone who deserves it.
Anyways, the outer most ring of the Labyrinthian is filled with monsters such as Ogres, Elemental Tortugas, Lamians, and more.
Low level monsters here, like Goblins or Ghouls, do occasionally make an appearance inside the Outer Ring, however it is only as what we call an Outbreak of those monsters.
Hundreds will appear at a time during an Outbreak, and should they manage to make it to the exits of the Labyrinthian, they will flood out into the wider world.
Back before the Empire was truly founded, these Outbreaks were the reasons for the tribes to migrate so often; you couldn\'t create permanent settlements when hundreds, if not thousands of Goblins were roaming the countryside."
Scribbling something onto the board, Professor Xiant tapped it as he continued.
"Now, again, the Labyrinthian is a labyrinth; the walls and corridors form a maze that can lead to dead ends, other exits, or deeper into the labyrinth. This is where a Tracker and Scout are absolutely needed to enter the Labyrinthian; those who are trained in tracking and observation can lead a group not deeper into the perilous Labyrinth, but out of it. Without someone who knows how to follow tracks, you could join the thousands of dead trapped inside those walls.
This is why the Empress has set up Outposts outside every known entrance; to check and clear any Exploration Teams that wish to enter for a Tracker and or Scout. We simply can\'t afford to allow people inside if they have no chance of returning."
Turning back to the board, Professor Xiant wrote another word, saying "however, the Labyrinthian is still a mystery. It has more mana in the air than any other location known to us, and for some odd reason, it is capable of opening doorways to itself around the world, called Gates.
Gates are similar to teleportation ritual circles, except they can appear anywhere, at anytime. Even in areas that have heavy anti-magic ritual circles; the most notable one in history was the Gate that appeared in the Empress\' Throne Room a few decades back.
Now, should a Gate ever appear before you, make sure to inform the proper authorities of the area and DO NOT attempt to enter it. They can drop you into ANY part of the Labyrinthian, and should you be alone, well..."
He drew his finger across his throat, making a few students shiver.
Chuckling, he stared over us and added "Gates appear once every year inside the Empire, so the likelihood of you ever encountering one randomly is low. They remain open for different lengths of time; the shortest was open for just an hour, and the longest was open for a year.
The reason I tell you to inform the proper authorities as soon as possible is because, unlike a Teleportation Circle, which connects point a to point b, but not b to a, a Gate goes both ways, meaning monsters can use them as well.
That Gate that was open a year? That caused the Vineatian House to crumble completely, as the monsters razed the land they owned, killed their populace, and killed the next heir. Gates are dangerous, and it doesn\'t just affect you; it affects us all."
Moving over to his chair, Professor Xiant plopped down and opened his textbook, saying "Now let\'s get some work done, hmm? Read pages-"
What followed was a lot of annoyed groans as Professor Xiant made us read a dozen pages and write him an essay on the Labyrinthian, before completing another quiz on all the things we had done prior to this lesson.
During the remainder of his class, I noticed that Jillian was glaring over at us whenever she got the chance, the Elf\'s face twisted with anger.
When we exited his lecture hall and made our way to our Combat Class, all four of us were watching Jillian as she stormed ahead, Jahi chuckling as she said "I bet she\'s a little pissed about yesterdays parting words, huh?"
Covering her lips, Leone nodded, adding "I think it\'s more than just a little. Though, we should be a little careful today... who knows what crazy thoughts are running through that deranged skull of hers..."
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Might get one more out today, might not, we\'ll see.
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