Psychic Parasite

Chapter 240: Entering the Labyrinth

"If you still wish to train, you can do so. You have shown considerable improvement. Only through an exploration will you realise your faults. You can train after that to make up for your deficiencies." The moment he entered the Red Building, Madam Mila's voice resounded in his ear.

"Thank you, ma'am, for your consideration. I will explore the Labyrinth today." Jyorta glanced around, unable to find her. He then bowed towards the counter attached to the end of the hall, assuming her presence to be there. Having not heard any reply, Jyorta began to walk towards the counter.

The hall was large, with cages situated on compact platforms that protruded out the walls. There was considerable aura in the air, but not to the extent he had faced on the 1st of the month. It seemed the aura had only been produced by a few Tier 2 Frenzy Beasts placed far from each other.

The concentration was to the extent he could casually brush it off. Even an average Tier 1 Esper would only tremble for a couple of seconds under this aura intensity. It seemed the staff had left them like that to create the atmosphere. It was also to deter the students that didn't take the exploration seriously, preventing the injury they would later suffer as a result of their carelessness.

He soon approached the counter, finding a queue of four people before him. They were Espers from the August and September Batches, all Area Controllers. Among Espers, only Area Controllers dared to enter the Labyrinth of Frenzy.

As for the Line Controllers, they were no different from a normal person. So, unless they were confident in their body's capabilities, they wouldn't attempt an exploration. Even then, only if they were ambitious to improve would they dare take the risk.

Jyorta looked above the shoulder of the person before him, finding the counter empty. There were no signs of activity, everything looked pristine. But, the strange thing was the behaviour of the boy nearest to the counter.

He looked solemn and nodded his head a couple of times. He then stretched his right hand, acting as if he had grabbed something thin, around the length of his palm. His hand moved on the surface of the desk but didn't make any contact. There was neither any sound nor any signs of strain in his hand. It was eerie.

Finally, the student placed the thing he held, or behaved as such. He then entered the path trailing to the counter's right. It seemed to take at least five minutes for each person to finish. Feeling bored, Jyorta began to check out the weapons and armours of the students, comparing their choice with his.

'The student before me is going light. His armour is similar to mine. But, he is carrying around 20 Spindles and a couple of cube-shaped objects. I wonder how he fights.' Jyorta then glanced behind, noticing the presence of three others, all lined up.

"First time?" The boy behind him smiled. Seeing Jyorta nod, he extended his hand, "I'm Gwansa, from September Batch."

"I'm Jyorta, from October Batch." Jyorta shook hands with the other party, noticing the person in the queue before him begin to move his empty hands on the desk.

"So you're Jyorta Bone." Gwansa nodded, taking a second glance at his face. On seeing the student closest to the counter finish his task, he patted Jyorta on the shoulder, "Just do your best. I'm sure you will emerge victoriously. Even otherwise, take a step back, prepare and dive a second time and clench victory."

"Thank you," Jyorta smiled, "All the best to you too."

'Gwansa, ranked 7th in the September Batch, the strongest Esper in their batch; ranks 1 to 6 are all Warriors.' Jyorta took a step forward, feeling surprised to see the figure of Madam Mila. Many papers floated around her, stacking within their respective shelves. A couple of pens scribbled on a register, noting down details of the students, recording their performance in the Labyrinth.

"Read this and sign if you find it acceptable. You would be required to sign it every time you attempt to explore the Labyrinth." A notepad flew towards him, landing on the desk before. When he gazed at the first page, he noticed a ball-point pen land beside.

It was full of clauses, giving him a headache upon reading the first line. Jyorta glanced at Madam Mila, hoping the lady that resembled a statue would explain the contents in a couple of sentences. But, after getting no response to his silent pleas, Jyorta could only grit his teeth and read through the notepad.

The contents could be summarised into the following: The student will receive no assistance within the labyrinth. He/she would be pulled out only when on the verge of death. Any injuries suffered within will be healed upon exit. But, in the case of damage to the fused organs, the military academy will not compensate for the loss in Sync Rate.

Credits would be awarded only based on the quality of the Brain/Heart Crystals collected. The quality would be judged based on the Sync Rate of the Frenzy Beast, which would be apparent by just inspecting the Heart/Brain Crystal. In the case where a student sabotaged another student, the consequence would be disastrous.

His forehead throbbed in pain after reading through all the clauses, finally sighing in relief after reaching the end. Jyorta picked up the ball-point pen and began to sign at the end of each page. On the final page was a question that he was required to answer, in detail.

"Why do you seek to explore the Labyrinth of Frenzy?"

Seeing the question, Jyorta thought for a couple of seconds before writing, "To better my growth as an Esper. Training, battle experience, and Credit accumulation, they all can be done here."

Maintaining a no-nonsense approach, Jyorta decided to end after the two sentences. The notepad disappeared; appearing in its place was a pouch. Madam Mila's voice resounded, "It is made from Gulvana. So, you can store the Heart and Brain crystals in it without fear of them dissipating. Submit this pouch upon exit and we will evaluate your score. Head left; take path number 11. All the best!"

"Thank you, ma'am." Jyorta bowed a little, grabbed hold of the pouch, and entered the path trailing to the left of the counter.

"All the best man!" Gwansa raised his hand and shouted. Jyorta turned around and waved, "Thank you! You do your best too!"

The path was dark, save for the source of light placed every 10 metres. It was a flight of steps, kind of steep. Each step was around 60 centimetres high, making it a bit difficult to descend. Jyorta had to exercise a bit of caution, controlling his speed of descent from picking up.

Sounds of his footsteps echoed. The atmosphere was akin to walking within a dungeon, with cells of criminals trailing along the sides, the floor littered with shallow puddles of polluted water. The steps seemed to be made from stone, judging by its rough, uneven structure.

It seemed to span a considerable distance. Jyorta continued to descend through the flight of stairs, feeling as if he was walking into the mouth of a prehistoric beast. It got darker and darker as he proceeded down.

His pupil enlarged to its limits, trying to take in more light. The surroundings got progressively darker, the sounds of his footsteps painting a rhythm. He could hear the sound of the footstep he had made a couple of seconds before. Jyorta varied the intensity of his footsteps before getting this information. It was nerve-wracking.

He soon approached the end of the stairs, watching the path make a 'U-Turn' and continue with a flat path. He had walked ten metres on the flat path before noticing a large double door. A plaque hung over it, stating 'Path Number 1'.

The double door was four metres wide and three metres high. Jyorta continued forth, watching a double door appear after every six metres. The number inscribed on the plaque of each double door increased by an additive of 1. Spiking in response to it was his heart rate, thumping in ever-increasing intensities.

He felt nervous; sweat formed on his forehead and neck, seeping out through his pores. His breathing became unstable while his body entered a state of alarm. His senses heightened, grabbing hold of the slightest disturbances.

Jyorta didn't use his false persona, willing to temper his habit, eventually modifying his character. It was a negative from his past life. As he continued to comprehend the essence of his previous life's character, this negative was also enriched. He felt tense during the prelude to any event of significance, whether it had any impact on him or not.

It always existed. Now, Jyorta once again felt the tension, despite having not begun anything. He wanted to get rid of this aspect of him. That is why he refrained from using his false persona.

The air was mouldy, mixed with the stench of old leather.

Finally, he stopped before a double door. The plaque on it read 'Path Number 11'. It was then he noticed that the double door didn't have any handle to push it open. A flash of yellow later, a rectangular slab materialised before him.

The double door creaked open. A nauseating stench, akin to a mixture of urine, rust, algae-covered water, and old leather wafted from within. He could occasionally hear faint roars, ones that sent the chills in him.

The rectangular slab affixed itself on the wall within as Madam Mila's voice resounded, "When you wish to exit, slam your palm on it. The doors will automatically open. All the best!"

As he stepped foot inside the path, Jyorta watched the double door close behind him, slamming with a loud sound, akin to two boulders colliding with each other.