Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 65: The Maze

The skewer-eating team didn’t seem inclined to share their names, but Xu Wang memorized them at a glance anyway—four people, each with a distinct style, none of whom looked like they matched the other.

The man who initiated the conversation seemed to disapprove of them holding a cup of tea. He looked like the leader of his team. He was in his mid-thirties, bald, and wearing a black t-shirt that showed his bulging muscles. He was the kind of person one would mistake for a tough guy collecting protection fees, looking even more imposing than Qian Ai.

The other three were around their late twenties.

One had phoenix-shaped eyes, radiating a mischievous kind of handsomeness, and was wearing a jacket and Martin boots. He exuded a punk vibe mixed with a hint of a playboy air. Holding a disposable transparent plastic cup, he managed to make it look like he was sipping an ’82 Lafite.

The second was slender with delicate features. Given his elegant body lines, he was probably a dancer. He looked elegant wearing a very casual knit sweater, which was quite pleasing to the eye. Even the skewer in his hand looked artistic.

The last one was an ordinary young man who was well-proportioned and dressed casually. He was neither tall nor short, fat nor thin, and had faint dark circles under his eyes, like many young people striving for a living in the city. Such a young man would blend into the crowd on the street, but standing next to his imposing, phoenix-eyed, and slender teammates, he stood out with his unique “approachability”.

Xu Wang hesitated over whether to explain the “red tea and cologne”, as doing so would inevitably reveal information about the Flying Island. However, before he could respond, the tough guy spoke again. “First time on the Flying Island, right?”

Xu Wang was startled, then realized he had fallen into a misunderstanding—since it was their first time ascending the lighthouse to the Flying Island, they assumed others were newcomers like them.

Wu Sheng, Kuang Jinxin, and Qian Ai, initially just listening to their captain’s socializing, became alert after hearing this.

The tough guy noticed their reaction but didn’t mind, casually saying, “These teams around us have mostly retreated from earlier challenges. Anyone seeing your style would know you’re newbies.”

Xu Wang caught the implication. “You mean we’re now targets?”

The tough guy sighed. “At least you’re sending a signal that ‘we’re easy to bully’…”

“Teacher Wei,” the phoenix-eyed man couldn’t help but say after having finished his beer. “When will you change your habit of trying to guide every newbie you see?”

The tough guy turned around and said with full of righteousness, “It’s the duty of the gardener to give guidance.”

The phoenix-eyed man rolled his eyes, almost turning his single eyelids into double.

The slender man leaned against a tree, admiring the moonlight throughout.

The young man with dark circles was uninterested in his teammates’ banter. He looked sleepy. He yawned and sat down on the ground, only to jump up as if he were a spring. “Damn, the grass is wet—”

Xu Wang, Wu Sheng, Qian Ai, Kuang Jinxin: “……”

Just as they were at a loss for words, the ground suddenly vibrated.

They looked up to see where there had been a forest, the ground bulged, trees fell, and a giant stone maze slowly rose.

A minute later, the dust settled.

Under the moonlight, the gray-white stones took on a serene glow.

At the same time, all forty people present received a “Ding—”

[Cheat Sheet]: 59 seconds until the [Moonlight Maze] opens.

The number kept changing. It was more of a countdown than a notification.

At this moment, Xu Wang realized that only their team looked at the message. The other teams, obviously familiar with what this meant, were already moving towards the maze’s entrance.

The four companions exchanged a glance and quickly followed the main group.

Seconds later, all the teams gathered in front of the stone slab at the maze’s entrance, each vying for a good starting position but none wanting to spark a conflict before the challenge began. Despite some jostling, there was no talking, only a silent struggle.

Xu Wang led his three teammates, not too far forward but also not letting others push them to the edge.

In the distance, faint footsteps suggested more teams were on their way.

Xu Wang found some comfort in these footsteps. It at least indicated that it wasn’t just them who were newcomers.

Experienced teams, knowing the nature of the challenge, wouldn’t choose a location so far from the coordinates to enter the “Owl”. It must be new teams who, based on their experiences in the 2/23 Red-Eye Flight and 3/23 Doomsday City levels, thought this challenge would have a similarly open map. Assuming the entry location wouldn’t make much difference and seeking to avoid the crowd, they deliberately chose a spot away from the main coordinates.

The one-minute countdown ended.

All forty people heard the last reminder before the challenge began—

[Owl: Enjoy the moonlight, but no climbing the walls~~]

The stone slab blocking the entrance to the maze slowly lowered.

The “new teams” rushing towards them hadn’t arrived yet, and the ten teams gathered at the entrance and charged in, seizing the initiative!

As soon as they entered the maze, there was a straight path four people wide, about fifty meters long. They could see straight to the end, where there was no path, just a wall—a dead end.

But on both sides of this path, there was a door every meter, each marked with a number. From the entrance to the end, there were fifty doors on each side, making a total of one hundred.

These doors were the real entrances to the maze.

There was only one maze and one endpoint, but the path had to be chosen!

The teams of forty people sprinting rapidly diminished as people entered the doors. The sounds of doors opening and closing were incessant!

“Crash—”

“Damn—”

Noise and curses came from behind, signaling that some team had gotten into action as soon as they entered.

Finally, Xu Wang’s team reached the door they had eyed, not delaying any further, and turned right into door number 44, the lucky door Kuang Jinxin had chosen during the day!

Inside, the path narrowed to three people wide, with straight and branching paths, truly maze-like.

Xu Wang slowed down a bit, reminding while running, “Adjust your breathing. From now on, maintain a steady pace. Don’t rush too fast to avoid running out of steam.”

Before his teammates could respond, another voice came from behind them. “Good point. Hear that? Everyone, adjust your breathing!”

The four teammates stopped and turned around to see that another team had entered through door 44.

The man, apparently the team captain, who was using Xu Wang’s words on his team, was in sportswear with a color similar to a school uniform. The other three were also in athletic gear and running shoes, clearly well-prepared.

“Sorry.” The sportswear team captain explained apologetically as he caught up with Xu Wang. “Everyone chose a lucky number, so we have to compete fairly.”

Xu Wang looked at him speechlessly. “How lucky can 44 be…”

The sportswear team leader just smiled.

“Let’s not beat around the bush.” Xu Wang didn’t want to engage in pleasantries while running out of breath. “Just say you thought we’d be easy to pick on, and let’s have a showdown…”

Before he could finish, Xu Wang was stunned to see a wooden basin slowly appear above the sportswear team leader’s head.

Before he could make sense of this stationery, a gust of wind suddenly rose from behind!

Instinctively turning back, he saw countless leaves flying towards them, forming a giant, deadly green net that was impossible to avoid!

[Owl: Someone used [(Offense) Picking Leaves and Flying Petals*] on you~~]

*I think this is a reference to a move in martial arts novels where, when someone reaches a certain qi level, they can basically fling leaves and petals, making them into sharp flying weapons.

The same message rang in the ears of all four teammates.

Simultaneously, the leaves curiously avoided the sportswear team leader, who stopped, stood still, and smiled as they passed by.

But to his disappointment.

The “rain of leaves,” just about to hit the four faces, seemed to crash into an invisible wall.

“Clang—clang clang clang clang clang clang clang—”

In the sound of crisp collisions, the “rain of leaves” all fell at the feet of the four, piling up, almost resembling their intended autumnal purpose.

The sportswear team captain and his teammates were momentarily stunned!

In that moment of surprise, the sportswear team captain’s teammates also noticed the wooden basin above their captain’s head. Just as they were about to warn him, they sensed something amiss with the light and shadows around them and looked up…

Sure enough, the basin was impartial. There were four in total, and no one was left out. Just as they looked up, the basin tilted slowly, pouring its liquid contents down.

[Owl: Someone used [(Offense) Pouring Dog Blood*] on you~~】

*(狗血淋头) Idiom that comes from old superstition. Originally, it refers to a saying that if dog’s blood is poured onto the head of a demon, its magic will be disabled. Later, it’s used to describe scolding fiercely, to the point that the scolded person looks like a demon soaked in blood, completely speechless to do anything.

Four basins of dog blood, one for each person, were poured from head to toe without waste.

The sportswear team captain, along with his teammates, was subjected to irreversible mental trauma amidst the suffocating smell of blood.

Finally, the sportswear team captain regained his senses, furiously wiping the blood off his face to clear his eyes, only to find that the initiators were long gone, vanished into one of the branching paths.

“Chase—” Not caring about his wet hair and sticky, blood-stained clothes, the sportswear team captain roared!

In fact, there was no need for the sportswear captain to shout. The other three teammates were already riled up! It was wrong of them to ambush the other team but using dog blood… where was their humanity!

Just ahead, there were two turns—one left and one right. The sportswear team captain hesitated for two seconds, then took a gamble and went left!

After running madly for a minute, they didn’t catch up with the culprits but ran into another team.

The team, happily running, was terrified by the sight of the four blood-covered people, mistaking them for some new horror NPC, and immediately launched a double attack with offense and illusory stationeries!

The sportswear team captain, not to be outdone, quickly led his team in a counterattack.

However, the heavy dog blood greatly hindered their performance, and after a struggle, the sportswear team was sent home.

On the other hand, Xu Wang’s team, which had chosen the path on the right, turned several corners, making sure no one was following, and then slowed down, breathing a sigh of relief.

Qian Ai finally got to say, “Thank god we used the [Fire, Theft, and Ambush Protection] beforehand.”

[(Defense) Fire, Theft, and Ambush Protection], when used, can protect against one fire attack, one theft, and one ambush (of any kind).

As soon as the entrance opened, Xu Wang had Qian Ai use this defensive stationery, anticipating encounters with teams that targeted weaker newcomers.

But Wu Sheng’s [Pouring Dog Blood Pour] wasn’t part of the plan, and it clearly appeared before [Picking Leaves and Flying Petals].

Xu Wang was about to discuss this when Kuang Jinxin beat him to it. “Sheng Ge, did you use the [Pouring Dog Blood] before [Picking Leaves and Flying Petals]?”

Wu Sheng admitted openly, “Yeah.”

Kuang Jinxin: “How did you know they would ambush us?”

Because that guy was smiling slyly at Xu Wang with eyes that were unappealingly greasy.

Replaying the scene in his mind, Wu Sheng affirmed, “I saw their ill intentions through their fake smiles.”

Xu Wang: “Is that your line…”

Kuang Jinxin: “Sheng Ge, if the captain ever says you can’t read people and only know tactics and theory in the future, I’ll be the first to disagree!”

Wu Sheng: “Good.”

Xu Wang: “……”

Another fork appeared ahead, and the group stopped.

To the left, a path continued deeper into the maze. To the right, at the end of the path and around a corner, stood a blond young man leaning against the wall. Initially whistling leisurely, he smiled and waved his hand when he saw them looking over. “Come here~~”

The voice of Captain Yue echoed in the ears of all four teammates—

[In the maze, NPCs are both obstacles and lucky stars. Encountering them means you’re on the right path. Defeat them to receive hints for the next part of the route. If you can defeat the NPCs all along the way, the endpoint is yours. But remember, they are both combat-capable and can use stationeries, so be very careful once you encounter them.]

The NPC was the real key to the maze.

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