Chapter 96: The Fourth Layer

As the Furnace Master's plan commenced seven days later, the Furnace Outpost became eerily empty, with hardly a soul in sight. 

Most people had been transported into the depths of the Emerald Isle Great Forest, leaving only a few behind to maintain surface operations.

Lynn returned to the forest's outskirts, his gaze deep and composed. 

He had missed the teleportation array set up by the Furnace Master earlier and now had no choice but to enter the Emerald Isle Great Forest on foot. 

"Something in the forest is watching me..."

Lynn furrowed his brows, his thoughts swirling. 

Though he had only passed through the third layer of the labyrinth before, the scattered information he had received from Colin made him realize that the strange space he had entered was the fourth layer. 

The deeper sections of the labyrinth still existed he had simply been forced out of the forest by Aestry before he could find a way further in.

He had thought the Emerald Isle Great Forest was a thing of the past for him, but unexpectedly, he had been cursed by some entity within the depths of the labyrinth. 

The curse wasn't fatal, and as long as he stayed near the Emerald Isle Great Forest, it remained dormant. But for Lynn, it was an invisible thorn, a silent burden. 

He had to rid himself of this hidden threat and break free from its unseen shackles. 

"I'll start from the first layer and push my way deeper..."

Lynn followed the path that had already been cleared around the forest's outskirts. 

He was no stranger to this road it was the same one he had taken last time to enter the depths of the forest, where the formation had automatically pulled him into the labyrinth. 

Towering trees loomed above him, their branches intertwining into a dense, impenetrable canopy. 

Sunlight barely pierced through the thick foliage, casting deep shadows over the path ahead. 

However, when he reached the spot where he had been drawn into the labyrinth last time, he found only the dense forest before him. The formation remained completely still. 

"What's going on…? Did something change inside the labyrinth?"

Standing at the end of the path, Lynn gazed into the depths of the forest, doubt flashing in his eyes. 

Unwilling to waste time, he bypassed the known route and ventured into the unexplored wilderness, continuing his journey forward. 

As he progressed, the forest air grew increasingly heavy, and the trees became more ancient and eerie, exuding an oppressive aura. 

Navigating through the mud and thorns, Lynn silently calculated his position. 

Just as he was wondering how much farther he had to go, a sudden wave of dizziness hit him. 

His vision darkened, and an irresistible force pulled him in. 

In the next instant, his figure vanished into the depths of the Emerald Isle Great Forest. 

"Finally, it's here..."

That was his last thought before he completely sank into the unknown of the labyrinth. 

The Fourth Layer of the Labyrinth

The scene had drastically changed from when Lynn had first arrived. 

The once vast battlefield where the Furnace and the Nightshadow Fortress armies clashed had undergone a profound transformation. 

At the center of the plains, a floating gateway hovered in the air, emanating an aura of mystery and power. 

A spectral staircase extended from beneath the portal, connecting it to the grass-covered ground. 

The vast plains were utterly silent. 

After the Furnace Master led his people inside, he had left not a single apprentice behind. 

"He wasted no manpower everyone followed him through that floating gate, delving even deeper..."

The landscape was eerily still, with only the rustling of grass in the wind breaking the silence. 

In the distant forest, the Lord of Nightshadow Fortress and the Master of the Bitter Heart Sect lay in ambush, their gazes locked onto the hovering gateway. 

"We've waited a long time, but no one from the Furnace has come out. It seems they're not setting a trap..."

The Nightshadow Fortress Lord spoke cautiously, his expression filled with wariness. 

Beside him, the Bitter Heart Sect Master frowned deeply and replied in a low voice: 

"Aestry and all the Furnace members went in. If it were a death trap, they wouldn't have all entered. Besides, this labyrinth has a built-in safety mechanism it's unlikely we'd face immediate death. Even if it's a trap, it shouldn't doom us outright."

The two fell silent for a moment. Then, the Bitter Heart Sect Master looked up at the floating portal, determination flashing in his eyes. 

"Staying here is a waste of time. If we want to find a way out, we might as well go in and see what lies beyond."

The Nightshadow Fortress Lord hesitated briefly before nodding. 

After a lengthy discussion, they finally agreed to take the risk and step into the mysterious portal. 

Led by the two Third-Level Wizards, the Nightshadow Fortress coalition had no choice but to obey, ascending the spectral staircase one by one until they all disappeared into the floating portal. 

Yet, despite their formidable status, both the Nightshadow Fortress Lord and the Bitter Heart Sect Master were only Third-Level Wizards. While they could rule over their territories, their knowledge and experience were still limited. 

Compared to the Furnace, which had a Morning Star Wizard at its helm, the portal was undoubtedly far more perilous for them. 

Even so, with no way out, they had no choice but to step into the unknown abyss. 

The moment the last person passed through, the floating gateway trembled slightly, emitting a faint, eerie glow before returning to its lifeless state silent and undisturbed, as if it had never been touched. 

A Mysterious Layer of the Labyrinth

The labyrinth extended layer upon layer into the unknown, its depths unfathomable. 

In one of its hidden layers, the scenery was both dreamlike and enigmatic.

The sky above was a boundless void, its end unseen. The land was flat and covered in endless maple trees, densely packed together, forming an infinite forest. 

A gentle breeze rustled through the trees, causing a cascade of red and gold leaves to drift to the ground, covering the forest floor in a dazzling, colorful carpet. 

A solitary path meandered through the maple woods, its edges buried under layers of fallen leaves. 

Suddenly, a soft gust of wind blew from the depths of the forest, carrying with it a golden maple leaf the size of a human face. 

But this leaf was no ordinary one it bore a faint, shrunken silhouette of a person. 

Had the Nightshadow Fortress Lord or the Bitter Heart Sect Master been present, they would have immediately recognized the figure none other than the Lionheart Knight, the very man who had once deceived them! 

The maple leaf floated gently before finally landing on the ground. 

The moment it touched down, a golden light flashed, and the towering figure of the Lionheart Knight materialized atop the leaf. 

He knelt on one knee, bowing respectfully toward the depths of the maple forest, his voice solemn and reverent: 

"As per your command, great Lord!"

His words echoed through the silent forest, carrying an air of solemnity. 

From within the depths of the maple woods, an unfathomable presence loomed, its gaze fixed upon the unfolding scene… 

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