Became the Unjust Contract Slave of the Archamage’s Book

“Ah, it’s so bright.”

After emerging from the dim, prison-like maze, their eyes were temporarily blinded by the sudden brightness, causing a stinging pain.

“Come over here.”

Sylvia pulled Binaeril towards the shade.

“Where are we?”

Squinting, Binaeril slowly opened his eyes and took in the scenery of the second location. What stood out were the white marble columns, the dome-shaped roof with light pouring through various holes, and the large rectangular floor made of the same worn marble as the columns.

“Is this a temple? It looks like it’s been here for a long time.”

The scattered columns were either broken or stood in a gnawed state, supporting nothing.

“Is this another maze?”

“The place is wide open; how can it be a maze? It looks more like an arena to me.”

Sylvia gave Binaeril a sharp look for his comment.

“Let’s take a look around.”

Fortunately, the three of them had been transported to the same place. They decided to split up and check if any pathways were connected to the area.

“…Nothing on this side.”

“Blocked here too.”

“Same here.”

The dome-shaped space had no visible exits leading to the ground.

“Do we have to go up there?”

“Where? Through those holes?”

The ceiling had several small openings where sunlight streamed in, but they were too narrow for a person to pass through.

“If magic works here, I could probably get us up there.”

Binaeril tried casting a simple spell as a test.

“Oh, it works.”

Unlike the maze, this place didn’t have any restrictions on mana.

“Wait! There’s something in the center here!”

Sylvia grabbed Binaeril, who was about to inspect the ceiling holes.

She was right. In the exact center of the rectangular floor was something made of a different material than the marble.

“You’re right. I didn’t notice it because it was next to the light.”

“What is this? A statue?”

Upon closer inspection, it was a head—a statue of a bull’s head, like something you might find on an altar dedicated to gods.

“This thing is stuck. It won’t budge.”

Sylvia tried to lift it but failed. The statue wasn’t just a broken-off piece; it seemed carved directly from the floor itself.

“Something about this feels ominous.”

Binaeril gently pulled Rike back by her shoulder. Historically, things like stuffed animals and statues often attacked intruders.

“Doesn’t it seem like something’s going to happen?”

“Exactly my thought.”

 “If it’s a bull-shaped sculpture, what do you think it’s meant to be?”

“There’s a classic theme that fits this scenario.”

A legendary monster known for its overwhelming strength and appetite for humans.

Even the trials the three friends had faced so far were perfect backdrops for this monster’s appearance.

“A Minotaur in a labyrinth.”

***

As the eyes of the statue began to glow, Dean Yulio was in the Tower Lord’s room. The Scala exam marked the near conclusion of a semester at Elfenbine. The Tower Lord usually did not involve herself in faculty meetings or routine administration but conveyed her opinions through a representative. This was the reason for Yulio’s visit today.

“Then, we’ll proceed with the rest as usual.”

The Tower Lord’s veil fluttered slightly. Based on his experience, Dean Yulio knew this meant she was nodding.

“You must be tired from the Scala exam. We’ve talked long enough.”

“It’s fine. Finish your tea and then you may go.”

The Scala exam wasn’t conducted within Elfenbine itself. The virtual enemies, the artificial space, and the trial scenarios the candidates faced were all the creations of the Tower Lord Elfenbine. Even for a mage of Dean Yulio’s caliber, it was unimaginable how much complex imagination and mana were required to construct something of that scale.

“Besides, it’s quite entertaining right now.”

The Tower Lord let out a low chuckle.

“You’re quite interested in Binaeril and his friends, aren’t you?”

“How could I not be? A girl with the eye for healing, a warrior unmatched in close combat, and a mage with endless mana. It’s a perfect combination, isn’t it?”

Dean Yulio felt pleased at her high evaluation of his students.

“Haha. But since the Scala exam is conducted individually, I’m a bit worried one of them might give up.”

“No. They’re taking it together.”

“Pardon? Together?”

“Didn’t I say they’d share collective responsibility? That means they must face it together.”

Dean Yulio had misunderstood her reference to a ‘joint exam.’

“Oh, so they’re not just sharing the outcome but are actually cooperating in the exam itself?”

The Tower Lord nodded. Dean Yulio felt a new concern arise. The difficulty of the second trial, if faced together, might be too low.

“Isn’t the second trial supposed to be against a medium-sized monster? If they cooperate, it’ll be too easy.”

Binaeril had already hunted a Dire Wolf alone before.

“So I increased the difficulty.”

“What monster did you send?”

“A Minotaur.”

“A Mino…what?”

Dean Yulio doubted his ears and sprang up from his seat. A Minotaur in a labyrinth was a large-scale monster that even veteran mages had to tackle together to defeat.

“That’s preposterous!”

The Tower Lord responded in a calm tone.

“Don’t worry. It’s not a real monster but a gargoyle replica. Their lives aren’t at risk.”

“But even so.”

Wasn’t this opponent too formidable for students who weren’t yet full-fledged mages?

No matter how much they thought about it, the Minotaur was an opponent far beyond their current capabilities. But before Dean Yulio could voice his concerns, the Tower Lord cut him off.

“Dean, trust your students. The three of them can handle this. I have great expectations for them.”

With the Tower Lord’s firm stance, Dean Yulio found himself at a loss for words. Realistically, there was nothing more he could do to support the students in the exam. The Tower Lord, in a voice barely audible, whispered her hopes.

“Especially that boy.”

Unlike Binaeril’s situation, the Tower of Elfenbine was calm. The tea on the table had gone cold. As the Minotaur began to awaken, the entire space seemed to vibrate. No, it was actually vibrating. The Minotaur statue, which had only shown its head, was now starting to pull its massive body out of the ground.

“Grrrrr!”

“Get back!”

Before Binaeril could warn them, Sylvia had already leapt back, her reflexes sharp. They had expected something significant, but this was excessive even for an exam trial. Binaeril crouched, preparing himself mentally as the Minotaur’s colossal body slowly emerged. It twisted its neck, pulled out one shoulder, then the other arm, and continued to rise.

“Hey, how long is this thing going to keep coming out?”

Though they had learned about large monsters in class, experiencing one firsthand was entirely different. It felt like it took several minutes for the entire body to emerge.

“Should we attack first?”

“I’m not sure. We should probably wait and see if we’re supposed to fight it.”

“What else would we do with something like that? Play a quiz game?”

“Maybe it’ll ask us a riddle or something…”

“Does that make sense to you, Sylvia?”

Rike was right. Attacking first seemed like the best option. Binaeril borrowed Veritas’s mana, sharpening his imagination for the spell. While he could cast spells without incantations, doing so with an incantation ensured more power and stability.

“A sharp blade to cut through steel, manifest at my fingertips.”

It was a slashing spell. Binaeril swung it towards the Minotaur’s shoulder.

Clang!

The recoil from the impact was so strong that Binaeril was pushed back several steps.

“Not a scratch?”

The Minotaur’s body remained unscathed. It wasn’t just mimicking a statue; it seemed to possess the monster’s full durability. The Minotaur didn’t even turn to look at Binaeril, still pulling its body out of the ground.

“Let me try. Light breeze at my feet. Power of the avatar in my arms.”

Sylvia chanted two of her favorite enhancement spells. Binaeril watched, curious to see if she had a plan. Sylvia’s approach was straightforward. She used a slanted marble pillar to leap high into the air, then brought her heel down onto the Minotaur’s head with all her weight.

“Die!”

Accompanied by a rather aggressive shout. The sound was akin to a massive hammer striking.

Sylvia executed a perfect backflip and landed smoothly on her feet.

“It doesn’t look affected at all.”

“But it turned around to look at me.”

The Minotaur turned its head toward where it had been hit, snorting, and then planted its two arms firmly on the ground. It was now almost fully emerged, with its knees and nearly its entire body free.

“Random attacks are useless. We need a plan.”

“It’s stupidly tough. Is this really just a student test? What should we do?”

“How about making it fall back into the ground?”

Sylvia and Binaeril turned to look at Rike. She had managed to trap two people in a similar situation back in the plaza of Elfenbine. If they couldn’t injure it, immobilizing it was the next best option.

“Good idea, Rike.”

“But it takes a lot of mana and some time.”

“I’ll distract it.”

“And I’ll support Sylvia.”

The roles were quickly divided.

“Eden.”

Binaeril called out to the spirit from his ring.

“Can you pull that thing down from below so it can’t come out?”

Eden nodded solemnly and dived into the ground, disappearing.

“Hya! Chya! Hiyap! Ha!”

Sylvia continued to hammer the Minotaur’s head with her strikes. Meanwhile, Binaeril pondered which spell to use.

‘If the goal isn’t to wound or kill it, then… like this.’

“Let the spreading cold freeze everything.”

“Huh?”

Binaeril first made the ground under the Minotaur’s hands slippery with ice. In the meantime, Eden was pulling the Minotaur back into the ground, restricting its movements. Then Binaeril continued his chant.

“Stupid bullhead, bow down.”

With the image in mind, the matching incantation didn’t come to him. So, he improvised the chant. It was a spell meant to press down on the Minotaur’s arms and shoulders, but spreading the force over a large area seemed ineffective. Binaeril then adjusted the spell’s focus to press down on the Minotaur’s head.

“Grrrr!”

Success. The Minotaur’s head began to bend down as if something was forcing it down. While they were buying time, Rike was also diligently performing her part.

‘It doesn’t need to be as wide as last time. Just deep and narrow enough for the body to fall in. Concentrate…’

Limiting the scope of her imagination, she began her incantation.