Arcane Innovator

The city beneath the Tower was surrounded by a massive wall - a type of wall I had never seen before.

Stretching to both sides as far as the eye could see, it was a completely black, circular thing. Its surface was smooth and unmarred, as if carved out of a single piece of obsidian, suggesting such a thing could only be built with the help of magic.

I carefully approached the only entrance point visible on this side of the city, noting that even the gate looked somewhat strange.

It took me a moment to realize what seemed off about it, but then I realized there was no actual gate - it was just a perfectly circular gaping hole going straight through the wall.

I also noticed no guards standing in front of it, only a young, robed man in his twenties seemingly paying me no attention. However, as I drew near, I quickly realized it was all just a pretense, as I suddenly had this weird sensation.

I shuddered involuntarily, feeling as if I was being watched by countless eyes from every direction despite the young man not bothering to look my way.

Which could mean only one thing... 'Mage.' I thought, instantly becoming alert. Still, I didn't waver.

I have been practicing my essence control for a long time, and I made sure to shrink my presence as much as humanly possible, making sure not a single strand of essence leaked out of me so that at a glance, I looked like any other scrawny young adventurer I have met on my journeys so far.

"Halt! State the purpose of your visit." The "guard" finally deigned to lazily raise his head, and on his face, I could see the hint of disdain for my appearance.

He looked quite bored, and that was no surprise, given that this gate seemed to receive very little traffic. Still, I wouldn't dare to underestimate the young mage, as I could feel a well of power emanating from him.

"I am an Aspirant seeking entry to the Grand Tower for the Acceptance ceremony," I declared, trying to sound as confident as possible despite my disheveled state after several months spent on the road.

"You're here early... It's still some time before the Trial would commence." He said, cocking an eyebrow.

"I know; I came a bit ahead to get the lay of the land," I replied, putting on a thin smile.

"Is that so?" The mage drawled, and I felt the suffocating weight of his gaze intensify as he appeared to be silently studying me.

The silence stretched on for a while, and my hand was already on its way into my pouch. I was expecting him to ask for an entrance fee, but after a while, he just snorted dismissively and waved his hand, letting me pass.

At first, I looked at him with mild confusion, but since he said nothing else, I decided not to question my good fortune and quickly brushed past him, stepping through the hole in the wall and entering the mysterious city beyond.

Soon, I found myself in a wide, perfectly symmetrical street that ran from the "gate" all the way to the base of the Tower in the far away distance.

The street was lined with towering, ornate, dark stone buildings on either side. It was also strangely devoid of people, with only an occasional figure hurrying along its exquisite pavement.

I looked around in amazement, still struggling to accept the fact I'd finally made it here after all this time. I allowed myself a moment to enjoy the simple feeling of satisfaction that after all the crap I went through in the past year, my long-held dream of becoming a real mage was already within my grasp.

Then, I took a deep breath to calm down my wildly beating heart, and with a wide grin on my face, I resumed my walk. 'Time to explore...'

As I curiously walked along the wide-open street, quickly approaching the looming silhouette of the mysterious magic academy, I noticed that the Tower itself was built atop a steep mound of rocks, starkly contrasting the flat plains below it.

I briefly wondered where such a mound came from, but as I came closer, I realized it was no mound but rather a raised edge of a gigantic chasm that ran through the middle of the city like a jagged scar, with the city built in a wide arc around it.

'That must be the Great Labyrint.' I thought in awe as I had never seen something like this in my life.

Although I wanted nothing more than to continue toward the Tower's entrance, I knew from my previous research that it was strictly off-limits for mundane people, and I had to wait until the Acceptance ceremony before I would be allowed entry.

Also, I was pretty certain the mages wouldn't look kindly upon me if I was found lurking in the Tower's vicinity, so instead, I made a sharp left turn and followed one of the side roads that ran alongside the chasm's wall, which would presumably take me into the center of this sprawling city.

It was already getting quite late, and as was usually the case, the things I needed the most right now were information and a place to sleep. That's why I decided the first order of business should be to locate a suitable inn that I could make into a temporary base as I explored the local area.

Soon, the streets became much busier and louder, and before long, I found myself in what appeared to be an expansive market area.

Despite the late hour, the market was bustling with people, the air filled with lively chatter and tantalizing scents. Vendors called out to passersby, hawking their wares from stalls and carts lining the winding cobblestone streets.

I slowly took in the sights and sounds of the lively marketplace, momentarily distracted from my inn-seeking quest by my rumbling stomach, and realized I hadn't eaten anything since the morning. 'I guess a little snack before dinner would be quite nice...' I thought as I eagerly approached one of the stalls selling what seemed like various exotic-looking fruits and vegetables.

But as I got close, I couldn't help but blink, realizing, to my surprise, that I didn't recognize any of the produce in front of me.

"Where do you get your produce from? Does it come from the Labyrint?" I asked the elderly woman behind the counter while pointing at the strange oblong purple fruits and oddly shaped gourds piled high on the merchant's cart.

"Well, of course, mister! Almost all of our produce comes from the Labyrinth; we wouldn't be able to survive here otherwise." The woman regarded me with an amused glint in her eyes. "You must be new here. Are you an adventurer?"

"Ehm, something like that..." I replied evasively, still examining the strange fruits. "And can anyone go there to forage?"

"Sure, mister! Every citizen can go; many delve there daily as it's their job. The mages guard the passages between floors, so it's fairly safe for the common folk, at least the upper floors. But on exit, you'll have to hand over a part of your haul as a tax to the Tower."

"I see... And how much is the tax?" I asked, curious to learn more.

"Half of what you gather for us common folk. The adventurers pay a third. Only the mages don't have to pay, greedy bastards." She said with a mild annoyance, but it was evident she only pretended to be angry. From what I have observed so far, most locals held the mages in very high regard for the protection they provided.

"But don't ever think of hiding anything from them." The woman added in a low voice. "They have ways of making sure you pay what you owe, and you don't want to find out what happens when you break their laws."

'Hmm, the more I hear about the Labyrinth, the more I want to take a look there. It sure sounds interesting...' I mused silently. "Thank you for the information," I finally said with a smile before purchasing a few of the weird-looking pink fruits as thanks for her help.

After some asking around, I soon arrived at a certain street that was absolutely packed with people. It was quite the chore trying to weave my way through the crowds, as this was apparently very close to the main Labyrinth's entrance.

But what was even more important—this particular street was lined with various inns and eateries that occupied every centimeter of the limited space along this busy boulevard.

Eager to escape the crowds, I quickly selected a decent-sized inn that appeared not too fancy or too shabby and quickly slipped inside.

Entering the inn, I was greeted by a wave of warmth and the smell of ale and roasted meat. The room was filled with patrons' chatter, their voices melding into a comforting hum. Making my way to the bar, I took a seat on a worn stool and caught the eye of the innkeeper.

"Greetings, adventurer! What can I do for you?" he asked, his voice gruff but not unfriendly.

I decided not to correct his mistake, as it worked in my favor. Instead, I cleared my throat, speaking up over the din. "I'd like a dinner and a room for the night."

The innkeeper nodded and quickly poured a frothy mug of ale from the tap, sliding it over to me. "Sure thing! We've got a few rooms left upstairs. It'll be 5 copper for the night and 2 more for the food."

I fished a silver mark from my pocket and placed it on the counter. "I'd like to stay for the whole month. You can keep the change."

Although I still didn't have time to exchange my money for the local currency, silver was silver wherever you went, so it was not surprising to see the greedy glint in the innkeeper's eyes as he eagerly grabbed the coin and quickly disappeared to the kitchen to fetch me my order.

The ale was bitter but helped wash down the dust from my journey. While I sipped, I curiously glanced around at the other patrons.

Most were travelers like me - merchants, adventurers, and laborers stopping on their way through the city. A few locals sat hunched together in whispered conversation. I strained to overhear anything interesting but only caught snippets of mundane chatter.

My food had arrived by then, so I focused on wolfing down the hearty stew, which seemed to be a staple even out here in this god-forsaken wasteland.

After finishing my dinner, I nodded to the innkeeper and made my way upstairs. The room I was provided was small but clean, with a straw mattress and washbasin. I secured the door and sat on the edge of the bed, finally allowing my exhaustion to settle on me. It had been a long, long journey here, full of close calls and near disasters, but I had made it.

'Tomorrow I'm going to explore the Labyrinth...' was my last thought before I drifted off to sleep.