84: Chapter 84 The Gilded Squad's Nightmare and the Seeds of Rumor

Six days after the Numerology Maze opened, just as the morning sun bathed the rooftops of Adventurers Town, a well-equipped, imposing five-man squad appeared before the light gate in the central plaza.

Leading them was a haughty blonde youth in luxurious clothing, looking to be in his early twenties, his fingers adorned with several rings shimmering with magical Aura. He was Aubrey van Cleef, the second young master of a major Western financial conglomerate Family. His Talent was [Wealth Resonance D-rank], an effect where his base stats and energy recovery speed increased with the number of high-value treasures he possessed or carried. His Dream Spirit was an exquisite golden Rock with a pair of tiny wings, which was flying happily around his fingertips, scattering fine golden specks of light.

The four burly men behind him were Host bodyguards hired by his Family for a high price, all rated at D-rank.

The front-row powerhouse, Rock: Talent [Heavy Strike Enhancement D-rank], which doubled the power of heavy weapons. His Dream Spirit was a miniature version of a giant Rock hammer hovering behind him, its head gleaming with an earthy yellow luster.

The left guard, Flameblade: Talent [Flame Enchantment D-rank], capable of temporarily adding fire damage to weapons. His Dream Spirit was a phantom of a broadsword burning with orange-red flames, hovering at his waist.

The right guard, Azure Vine: Talent [Vine Entanglement D-rank], which could summon magical vines to restrict enemies. His Dream Spirit was a shield woven from emerald vines, nimbly circling his arm.

The rear support, Torrent: Talent [Water Flow Manipulation D-rank], capable of condensing and firing high-pressure water arrows. His Dream Spirit was a uniquely shaped, toy-like high-pressure water gun that hovered over his shoulder, containing immense energy.

Such a well-configured squad, seemingly balanced in offense and defense, drew envious and wary gazes from the adventurers nearby.

"Remember our objective," Young Master Aubrey said in his characteristic, slightly nonchalant tone, "Just clear out the E-rank trash on the first floor; the priority is to find any hidden treasures or clues leading to unopened areas. This maze is said to be somewhat interesting, so I'm just treating this as a little outing."

His tone was relaxed, as if he weren't here to explore a dangerous maze, but rather to inspect his own back garden. The four bodyguards remained silent, but the vigilance in their eyes relaxed a bit due to their young master's attitude.

They stepped into the light gate.

On the first floor, thanks to their overwhelming strength and luxurious equipment, they were indeed touring. The E-rank monsters they encountered were almost instantly killed by Rock and Flameblade, while Azure Vine's vines and Torrent's water arrows were mostly used to clean up stragglers or trigger remote traps. Young Master Aubrey even had the leisure to critique the maze's construction, complaining that the "decor" in certain areas wasn't up to standard.

"It seems the rumors were exaggerated," Aubrey said in a cleared room, picking up an E-rank accessory, weighing it, and then discarding it with disdain, "Other than changing appearance a bit, it's nothing special."

Just then, he noticed a floor mirror standing in the corner of the room, decorated magnificently and inlaid with unknown runes along its frame. Under Zhang Hao's settings, the [mirror of fates crossroads] was currently emitting a faint, alluring magical fluctuation, blending perfectly with its surroundings, looking more like an art piece or a special interaction point worth investigating.

"Oh? This mirror is actually quite interesting; it doesn't look like an ordinary item." Aubrey walked up with interest, reaching out to touch the mirror frame, attempting to judge its material and value.

"Young Master, be careful!" Azure Vine reminded him out of duty, but he hadn't sensed any obvious dangerous energy reaction.

Aubrey didn't take it to heart, his fingers touching the cold mirror frame.

In that very instant—

The mirror surface didn't reflect his image; instead, it rippled violently like water, erupting with a blinding white light! A powerful, irresistible suction force instantly enveloped Aubrey, along with Rock and Flameblade, who were standing closest!

"What?!"

"What's going on?!"

"Young Master!"

Amidst the exclamations, the white light flashed and vanished. In the room, only Azure Vine and Torrent remained, stunned and not yet having reacted, along with the mirror that had returned to calm, as if nothing had happened.

Aubrey, Rock, and Flameblade only felt the world spinning, and the next moment, their feet landed on a cold, damp ground that emitted a thick, moldy smell and the Aura of powerful monsters.

The scene before them chilled their hearts.

This was no longer the relatively "gentle" environment of the first floor. The passage was wider and deeper, the Rock walls covered in moss emitting a sickly green glow, and the air was filled with a repressive energy field. Not far away, several [Shadow Claw Pangolins], significantly larger and with carapaces shimmering with a metallic luster, were staring at these intruders with scarlet eyes, emitting threatening low growls.

"Th-this... where is this?!" The relaxed and comfortable expression on Young Master Aubrey's Face vanished instantly, replaced by panic. He felt that the energy level of the surrounding environment was significantly higher than the first floor, and the golden Rock also nervously flew back into his collar to hide.

"The second floor! We were forcibly teleported to the second floor!" Rock quickly assessed the situation, roaring as he swung his weapon to stand before Aubrey. Flameblade also immediately caused his flame broadsword spirit to erupt with flames, standing in readiness.

The battle broke out instantly!

The D-rank monsters on the second floor were far from comparable to those on the first. The Shadow Claw Pangolins' elusive burrowing sneak attacks kept them exhausted, and the acid sprayed by the Acid-Etched Flying Ants that arrived shortly after made Rock's armor and Flameblade's flame shield sizzle, rapidly consuming their energy.

Danger was everywhere!

The original "relaxed tour" had turned into a life-or-death struggle. Young Master Aubrey's [Wealth Resonance] seemed so pale in the Face of the absolute strength gap and the sudden crisis. He watched in terror as his bodyguards struggled to hold on, watched those hideous monsters closing in, and a strong sense of fear, regret, and despair almost drowned him.

"No! I can't die here!" Aubrey suddenly remembered his trump card for survival—a [Return Scroll] that he had exchanged for an exorbitant price! This scroll could forcibly interrupt the mission process, teleporting the user and a small number of nearby teammates back to the mission starting point or a safe zone, but the cost was huge and it usually had a long cooldown time.

He no longer cared about any treasures or his Face!

"Rock! Flameblade! Get close to me!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, while trembling as he tore open the scroll inscribed with complex spatial runes.

A more dazzling white light, carrying the fluctuations of rules, shone once again, forcibly driving away the besieging monsters and wrapping around the three of them.

When Azure Vine and Torrent finally managed to find the regular path to the second floor based on their contract connection and rushed over anxiously, they only saw the empty battlefield after the white light dissipated, and a few monsters that had been injured by the spatial fluctuations roaring on the spot.

...

Adventurers Town, central plaza.

An abrupt flash of white light occurred, and Aubrey van Cleef and his two personal bodyguards were thrown out in a sorry state. Young Master Aubrey's luxurious robes were covered in dust and traces of acid corrosion, his Face pale, and his eyes filled with lingering terror. Rock and Flameblade were also panting, carrying injuries, looking utterly miserable.

Their sudden, disheveled appearance, clearly the result of using a precious life-saving item to escape, immediately caught the attention of all the adventurers in the plaza.

"Look! It's that young master from the Cleef Family!"

"Haven't they just gone in? How did they come out so fast?"

"It looks like they ran into big trouble; they even used a Return Scroll!"

"They went to the first floor, right? When did the first floor get such terrifying things?"

Facing the pointing fingers and discussions around them, Young Master Aubrey's Face was livid, and he said nothing. Under the protection of the remaining two bodyguards who had rushed back, he left the plaza in a disheveled manner.

But the news of his panicked escape, along with the fragmented keywords they revealed like "forced teleportation," "second floor," "all D-rank monsters," and "almost didn't make it back," spread like wildfire through Adventurers Town.

The [Numerology Maze] hid an entrance to a more dangerous deeper level—the second floor—and contained eerie traps that forcibly threw adventurers into the deeper level!

This news, like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, stirred up huge waves among all the Hosts. Fear, curiosity, the desire for a challenge... all kinds of emotions began to ferment. The Numerology Maze, in the hearts of many Hosts, became more mysterious, dangerous, and attractive.

And Zhang Hao, at the core of the maze, calmly received the extra points brought by the intense emotional fluctuations of Aubrey's squad and the rule conflict of the [Return Scroll], as well as the [Cumulative Number of Adventurers Entered] on the panel and the impending new wave of exploration.

His maze had once again become the center of conversation. The drama of fate never lacks actors or an audience.