"There's something strange here."
Lynn narrowed his eyes slightly, keenly sensing an unusual presence.
The unique characters inscribed on the golden balance scale did not surprise him.
After all, based on what he had obtained from the first level of the labyrinth, the entire structure of this labyrinth seemed to be deeply connected to this balance.
However, what truly put him on alert was the voice that had previously spoken in the language of wizards.
"The language of the wizarding world… Who exactly left that message?"
Countless thoughts flashed through Lynn's mind.
So far, the strongest existence he knew of was the Lord of the Furnace.
But could this message have been left by the Lord of the Furnace?
He couldn't be sure, and his vigilance remained high.
As the saying goes, the more one knows, the more one feels awe and unease.
Lynn was in precisely this state. Because he had deciphered those strange characters and uncovered more of the truth behind the labyrinth, he remained extremely cautious, daring not to let his guard down for even a moment.
"Still, caution is one thing, but I have entered this labyrinth twice and passed multiple trials. It's about time I claimed my reward…"
Lynn took a deep breath, his gaze fixed on the balance scale.
He had already confirmed that the rewards came without immediate danger. Since that was the case, there was no reason to forgo what rightfully belonged to him.
The golden balance had two sides one side represented the price he had to pay, while the other contained the treasures he could obtain.
Lynn's eyes darkened as he recalled the strange characters engraved on his chest.
On one side of the balance, his very life was listed as the price!
"In that case, I'll place myself on the scale."
Lynn licked his lips, linking his spiritual energy to the balance and using that unique language to convey his thoughts:
"I hope you can bring out something that truly reflects the tenfold return!"
The next moment, the balance's equilibrium was broken it began to shift.
Lynn's figure appeared on one end of the scale, representing the value he offered.
According to the rules, the other side had to provide a tenfold equivalent reward.
Soon, new objects emerged on the opposite side.
The first thing that caught his eye was Little Green's figure.
Lynn was not surprised he had already suspected this.
He vaguely understood that the reason he had been targeted by the labyrinth was likely directly related to Little Green.
However, what followed was even more unexpected. The balance began manifesting glowing orbs, each radiating a peculiar light and exuding an ominous aura.
"What are these? Don't tell me you're just throwing random junk at me?"
Lynn frowned slightly, suspicion rising in his heart.
He extended his spiritual power into the orbs, attempting to analyze their essence.
Moments later, his eyes widened sharply, his expression complicated as he muttered,
"This balance… is truly ruthless."
From everything he had observed, he had now roughly deduced the rules of the balance:
Claiming the reward of the fourth trial required repaying ten times the cost.
But the most chilling realization was this even if he took nothing, he still had to pay the price!
The floating orbs were, in fact, projections of everything he had done within the labyrinth.
His breathing, movements, and even the mere act of sustaining his "not hungry, not dead" state were all recorded as part of the balance's calculation, and all required repayment at ten times the cost!
In other words, simply stepping into this labyrinth, even if he did nothing and took no treasures, would still result in him being forcibly "harvested" by the balance!
At this moment, the balance had already listed Little Green and Lynn's past actions as part of the price.
Yet, despite this, the value on Lynn's side remained far heavier than the other the balance was still significantly tilted!
"Let's see what else you have to offer…"
Lynn licked his lips, anticipation flickering in his gaze.
"Once this transaction is over, I should be free from this balance and this labyrinth forever."
Just as he eagerly awaited the next items to appear, a sudden message entered his mind.
This time, the message was not conveyed in the wizard's language but in that strange script instead.
Since Lynn had yet to fully master this new language, he had to carefully decipher the message, spending quite some time before finally understanding its meaning.
"Choose whatever you want, until the balance is restored."
The moment he grasped the message's meaning, Lynn was momentarily stunned. Then, his eyes shone with a brilliant light.
He could choose freely.
This was an incredible opportunity far better than having the balance distribute rewards at random!
Of course, Lynn quickly calmed down. He knew that this choice came with conditions he could only pick from the treasure vault, not demand the balance to create something out of nothing.
Standing still, he began sorting through his priorities.
His most pressing goal was, without a doubt, to break through and become a formal wizard, thus freeing himself from the limitations of the Life Seed!
For this, he had struggled through the trials of the Furnace Labyrinth, with all his actions centered around closing the gap toward that objective.
So far, Lynn had gathered three of the key resources necessary for his breakthrough:
Advanced Meditation Method – A technique to push human spiritual power beyond its limits.
Formal Wizardry Template – The foundation for constructing a wizard's core strength.
Auxiliary Potion – A potion to mitigate risks and assist in the breakthrough process.
However, despite having everything else, he still lacked one crucial element spiritual power!
Lynn's current spiritual power was only at 28 points, still 12 points short of the 40-point threshold required for a breakthrough under the Advanced Meditation Method's boost!
This hard limitation meant that even with all the necessary resources, he was still unable to complete his transformation into a formal wizard.
Thus, after organizing his thoughts, Lynn knew exactly what he needed most items that could increase his spiritual power!
He conveyed his request to the balance and waited for the treasure vault to respond.
Moments later, the entire treasure vault changed. Various items capable of boosting spiritual power emerged, neatly categorized by level and type.
"Fifth-level items: Reno Agate Crystal, Pelops Fruit…"
"Fourth-level items: Invitation to the Soulforge Tower, Belfigor's Water…"
Faced with this dazzling array of treasures, Lynn felt momentarily overwhelmed.
Those high-level items were undoubtedly enticing, and his heart burned with excitement.
However, he quickly realized a crucial problem these items were too potent for his current level.
High-level items had overpowering effects, and for someone who had yet to even reach the level of a formal wizard, they were not "medicine" but "poison"!
Even if the balance allowed him to take them, he would never be able to endure their terrifying effects.
"Those fifth-level items…" Lynn glanced at them before sighing internally. "They must correspond to fifth-level wizards in the wizarding world, right?"
Shaking his head, he shifted his focus away from the high-level items, scrolling downward until he reached the section containing lower-level items.
These were the ones truly suitable for a wizard apprentice like him.
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