When the maze changed, being separated by a wall was not just a simple matter of being divided by a single wall.
It was very likely that several kilometers separated them.
This was because when the maze shifted, it directly sliced through space, then would randomly reconfigure and rearrange.
Even if it’s just a single wall separating them, there might be no way to cross over, or it might require a long detour to get across.
The maze seemed to follow some sort of pattern, but this pattern was extremely difficult to discern.
If Ruan Qing were outside the maze, he might be able to find this pattern. However, he was inside the maze, with his view completely confined by it.
Naturally, there was no chance to find the pattern, nor any way to deduce his and Han Ze’s positions.
In other words, he and Han Ze had been separated.
Worse yet, the monster that was not far away had now shifted into the same space as him.
Ruan Qing looked at the horrifying monster not far away, his face turning a few shades paler.
Given his combat ability, his chance of surviving an encounter with the monster was zero.
He absolutely must not be discovered.
When Ruan Qing and Han Ze were separated, Han Ze’s anxious and fearful voice had been continuously coming through the earpiece, but Ruan Qing dared not respond.
Because in the passageway he was currently in, apart from him and the monster, there was nothing else. If he spoke, he would very likely be discovered by the monster.
Taking advantage of the moment when the monster turned away, Ruan Qing removed his earpiece and directly turned off the sound to prevent Han Ze’s voice from alarming the monster.
He then held up the earpiece, remaining completely still.
Ruan Qing couldn’t make any noise, but the monster’s movements and breathing were audible, and they were not quiet.
The earpiece would certainly pick up this sound.
This sound would let Han Ze know that he was still alive and in a dangerous situation.
If it were just Han Ze, he might be too clueless to understand what this meant.
But Han Ze was an avatar of the system. As long as the system was present, Ruan Qing just needed to give Han Ze a reason he could understand, and the system would help Han Ze realize his current predicament.
Sure enough, the moment the monster’s sound was transmitted, Han Ze’s voice stopped.
Ruan Qing continued holding up the earpiece, as the monster was now very close to him. Any movement he made could get him discovered by the monster.
The monster was getting closer, and the aura it emitted was incredibly terrifying.
It carried the same menacing presence as the maze, both horrifying and chilling.
Ruan Qing watched the approaching monster without blinking, standing as still as a statue as it came nearer.
As the monster approached, Ruan Qing was able to see its appearance clearly.
Although the monster was human-like in shape, it had only eyes and a mouth, with no other features.
Its skin was gray, seemingly covered with a transparent layer, giving it a smooth appearance.
Ruan Qing’s gaze fell on the monster’s eyes.
The monster’s eyes were golden, looking cold and emotionless, devoid of any human emotion.
The monster did not notice Ruan Qing and simply wandered past him.
Ruan Qing did not turn his head; instead, he moved his eyes slightly, watching the monster move away with his peripheral vision.
Throughout the entire process, he remained extremely calm, making no sound, and quietly waited for the monster to leave.
The monster seemed able to distinguish the depths of the maze from its periphery and instinctively moved towards the maze’s depths.
However, the monster was also trapped by the maze, turning back to find another path whenever it encountered a dead end.
Unfortunately, Ruan Qing was currently in a space where both sides were dead ends that required gamblers to find a way to open the doors.
And the monster couldn’t open doors.
Ruan Qing watched the monster repeatedly turn back, pressing his thin lips tightly, his gaze fixed on the door leading deeper into the maze.
That direction was the closest to him.
He had to help the monster open the door and let it leave, or the monster would eventually discover him.
After opening the door to let the monster leave, he would close the door and wait for Han Ze to find him.
This was the only way he could leave the maze alive.
Ruan Qing did not hesitate. When the monster turned and wandered to the other side of the passage, he subtly moved closer to the door.
The entire process was still silent, with even his breathing softened significantly.
The passage where Ruan Qing was standing was not long; the monster reached the end and turned back again.
Ruan Qing had already stopped moving, standing rigidly by the side of the passage, his back pressed firmly against the maze’s wall.
He watched the monster approach, eyes filled with tension and unease.
The monster’s static vision was very poor, but that didn’t mean the monster was completely blind.
There was definitely a difference after he moved compared to before, and if the monster noticed this, it might also discover his presence.
Fortunately, the monster didn’t seem to notice anything moving in the passage, and it continued to wander toward the end of the corridor.
Ruan Qing finally felt a bit relieved. He silently moved toward the door while the monster turned around.
After the monster went back and forth seven or eight times, Ruan Qing finally reached the door and figured out how to open it.
A special key was required.
Ruan Qing had already tried; there was no way to open any door in the maze by unconventional means.
For example, if a door required a key, you had to find the corresponding key; no clever tool would work.
Fortunately, as long as there was a door in the maze, it wouldn’t be a dead end, and the solution was usually nearby.
In other words, the key must be in this passage.
Ruan Qing carefully looked around.
This passage was somewhat complex, and even the walls were not straight. Some parts of the walls were covered with green, vine-like plants.
They didn’t seem to be dangerous.
However, Ruan Qing had instinctively kept his distance from those vines while moving earlier.
There was no harmless life form in the maze, not even a plant that looked green and harmless.
Moreover, Ruan Qing had seen these vine-like plants not only in this passage but in many other places in the maze as well.
From the outer perimeter of the maze to where he was now.
They were everywhere, and the closer he got to the center of the maze, the more there were of these green vines.
Additionally, Ruan Qing noticed that the roots of the green vines were not visible, as if they were growing out of the deepest parts of the maze.
The maze was fraught with dangers, and the sense of fear intensified the closer one got to its center. Ordinary plants couldn’t possibly thrive so well.
Thus, after seeing these green vines in multiple places, Ruan Qing constantly reminded Han Ze to avoid the green vines.
He himself had never approached those green vines.
But now it seemed unavoidable, because most of the walls in this passage were covered with green vines, and the key was very likely hidden beneath them.
Without getting closer, there was no way to find the key, let alone take it.
Vines definitely are not a good thing for someone with his luck...
ReplyDeleteThank you for the chapter!
i thought we would meet someone new but ig not yet?
ReplyDelete