Chapter 17: Labyrinth World (Please follow!!)

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After entering the labyrinth world, it felt like stepping into another dimension, a chill crept up from Zhou Yuan's ankles to his spine, making him shudder involuntarily.

He looked back, the door that had just closed had vanished into thin air, leaving only an expanse of profound darkness, like a voracious abyss ready to devour anyone.

Looking up, there was pitch darkness above, and nearly ten-meter-high walls flanked both sides. Torches hung at intervals on the walls, providing a faint glow in the gloomy space, while the ground was paved with stone bricks.

[The labyrinth world is the most interesting and dangerous attraction in Happy Castle. You will play the role of an adventurer, searching for the sole path to survival within a maze filled with imminent peril and complex twists and turns.

After the anomaly, the success rate of passing through the labyrinth world is 0%, and the death rate is as high as 99.9%!

Do you think you're a goner? Don't panic; I've got you covered.

The unscrupulous map will guide you throughout the journey.

Please proceed straight along the current road, turn right after 100 meters...]

Zhou Yuan followed the instructions from the Eyes of Identification and walked forward, puzzled. He and those three investigators had entered one after another, so why hadn't he seen them?

Also, wasn't this maze a bit too large?

From the outside, this building didn't look like it could be a hundred meters long, yet just this straight section was a hundred meters. With walls as high as ten meters on both sides, how large was the entire building?

Was it the anomaly that caused the internal space of the labyrinth world to expand?

[Twenty meters ahead, there's a pitfall trap; do not step on the middle stone brick, walk along the sides.]

[Turn left at the next intersection.]

[Keep going straight.]

[Prepare to make a U-turn at the upcoming intersection.]

[...]

Zhou Yuan sprinted through the maze, heeding the guidance of the Eyes of Identification. He hadn't forgotten what that investigator said—after midnight, the people who died in the amusement park would appear and enjoy various attractions. Chen Guangxi would buy him some time, but it was only a matter of minutes.

He had to clear the labyrinth world in these few minutes or return within the time limit, or else his fate would likely be quite miserable.

[Go straight for 10 meters, stop, then turn left. Use "Ghost Walker" to pass through this wall, it will save you 80% of the distance.]

Zhou Yuan activated the Ghost Walker skill without hesitation and crashed into the wall.

When he emerged from the wall, he found himself in a cozy little supermarket.

The lighting was bright, the floor was gleaming, and a familiar hit song played in the background.

The shelves were lined with snacks, plush toys, and amusement park souvenirs.

An appetizing aroma wafted through the air, stirring a deep hunger within him; the scent came from a hot dog cabinet on the counter, where more than a dozen glistening sausages rotated slowly.

Zhou Yuan approached the entrance of the small supermarket and looked out through the glass door.

The torches on the maze walls were all extinguished, and the corridor in front was completely dark.

The shop's light illuminated only a five or six-meter radius around him; beyond the reach of light lay an abyssal darkness, concealing everything from view.

This small store seemed like a lighthouse island in the midst of a dark ocean, standing alone in the limitless darkness, at risk of being consumed at any moment.

[As everyone knows, whether it's an aquarium, a zoo, or an amusement park, there's a common phenomenon: there's always a small supermarket near the exit.

Reaching here means you're about 20% of the way from the exit, but this last part is also the hardest to get through, so I suggest you wait for your teammates, they'll be here soon.

By the way, some of the food here is not meant for human consumption.]

"Hmm... if it's not for human consumption, then it must be for the ghosts; does that mean all these things are linked to the 'supernatural'?"

Excitement sparked in Zhou Yuan's eyes as he surveyed the entire small supermarket, jackpot!

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He quickly collected the supplies, only to have a figurative bucket of cold water thrown over his enthusiasm the next second, as he discovered that these snacks and toys couldn't be sold for money!

Just when he thought his happiness was in vain, the grilled sausages on the counter gave him a pleasant surprise.

[Name: Sizzling Grilled Sausage]

[Remark 1: Delicious grilled sausage, only 2 dollars to buy, but guess what kind of meat it's made from?]

[Remark 2: This is a snack very popular with the amusement park visitors.]

[Selling Price: 100 Star Coins]

"There are 11 in total, which can be sold for 1100 Star Coins, but this remark 'a popular food among park visitors'... Maybe it could come in handy when we're surrounded by ghosts."

Zhou Yuan decided to keep these sausages for now, thinking they might be useful. He then fiddled with the sausage machine but, disappointingly, it was an ordinary item.

Suddenly.

Three figures darted out of the darkness, almost simultaneously rushing into the light of the small shop. Each of them was more or less bruised and battered, looking quite disheveled.

Upon seeing Zhou Yuan in the shop, all three showed expressions of astonishment, seemingly unable to believe their eyes.

They ran over here without making any sound... Zhou Yuan was just as startled to see the three people appear.

As the three investigators stepped into the light, the thing that had been chasing them in the darkness also stopped in its tracks. With the help of the faint light, a tall and grotesque silhouette looming in the dark could be made out.

[Don't worry, this is a temporary safe zone, the bad things can't get in—I guess you must be wondering what the bad things are.

On the day the amusement park went mad, over a thousand visitors were trapped here. As days passed and food resources became scarcer, some people had to turn their gaze to their own kind... You know what happens next.

In the end, under the influence of the park's abnormal powers, those people merged with the ones they had consumed.]

Seeming to fear the light, the tall and deformed figure in the darkness didn't advance any further, only casting a resentful gaze filled with a starving intent to kill.

After a moment, it slowly retreated back into the deep darkness, and the profound darkness receded like the tide.

The previously extinguished torches on the maze walls reignited, illuminating the path.

The three investigators gasped for breath with lingering fear and pushed the door to enter the small supermarket.

"How did you get here?" The investigator, who earlier had a delicate appearance, asked Zhou Yuan with a puzzled face.

After all, they had explored the maze world for five full days, sacrificing several lives to roughly figure out the layout, yet Zhou Yuan had somehow reached this point ahead of them.

"It's all luck."

Zhou Yuan waved his hand dismissively and asked, "How much time is there left?"

"8 minutes and 49 seconds."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go."

"Hold on, we need to grab some supplies." The three quickly started filling their Storage Rings with food from the shelves.

Zhou Yuan didn't stop them; only the sausages were for the ghosts, the other food didn't pose a big problem, and besides, he couldn't stop them—the investigators might not believe his words.

The young man with the gentle demeanor started a conversation with him while stocking up: "You managed to get ahead of us; that means you've got some tricks. My name is Jiang Wuming, let's form a team."

"I'm Wang Zhen."

Zhou Yuan blurted out a fake name, then hesitated for a moment, "That name of yours..."

"Sounds a bit unlucky, right? Actually, it's my nickname. Everyone got used to calling me that, so I just changed it," Jiang Wuming said with a smile.

[He's an old unlucky fellow, even more so than you. As the saying goes, there are no wrong names, only nicknames that stick. He's been cursed by a mysterious and powerful force and has gained inconceivable abilities. You might soon discover what makes him special.]