86: Chapter 86 The Thread in a Desperate Situation: Beyond the Trajectory, Within Humanity

[Numerology Maze] Day 7, dawn. Stone Shield, Shadow Trace, and Spirit Guidance, this initial trio, stepped into the light gate again.

After seven days of tempering, they were well-deserved veterans of the first floor, moving with refined precision.

Cleaning, avoiding, scouting, all in one go, with a clear goal—the spiral stone stairs leading to the second underground floor.

"Last day, goal is the edge of the second floor, safety first." Stone Shield's voice was steady as he stood before the cold entrance.

Stepping into the second floor, a feeling of oppression wrapped around them like a physical substance.

It was dim, filthy, and the magic was sticky.

They hadn't moved cautiously for long before being ambushed by three [Shadow Claw Pangolins].

The battle instantly turned white-hot; the monsters were cunning, using burrowing sneak attacks that were impossible to guard against.

After a bitter victory, the three were panting, their energy consumption far exceeding expectations.

Relying on the rock wall to move slowly, Shadow Trace discovered a hidden cave under some glowing moss.

"There is pure energy inside." They decided to investigate.

At the end of the cave, an ancient treasure chest sat quietly. Stone Shield stepped forward, his fingertips touching the chest—

"Click!" A slight sound of a mechanism, and a ghastly green light suddenly lit up under their feet!

Complex magic arrays rotated, and countless shadow tentacles burst out! [Shadow Binding Trap]! D-Rank elite!

"Trap!" Stone Shield roared, but he was tightly bound by the tentacles, his body constricted by immense force, his shield knocked from his hand, and his stamina and energy drained rapidly!

Shadow Trace executed a limit dodge, but was still dragged down by the ankle, his dagger unable to harm the tentacles in the slightest! Spirit Guidance's Spell had little effect!

Worse, the commotion attracted predators! Heavy footsteps and dense wing-flapping sounds approached from both ends of the passage—[Grotto Golems] and [Corrosive Flying Ant Swarms]!

A lethal trap in front, life-taking monsters behind! Desperation!

"The chest! Open the chest!" Stone Shield screamed hoarsely.

Spirit Guidance gritted his teeth and rushed in, ignoring the entangling tentacles, and fiercely flipped open the lid!

A gray [Designated Coordinate Teleport Stone (One-time)] and a [Simple Map Fragment]. A glimmer of hope!

Spirit Guidance poured his Mental Energy in frantically, locking onto the first-floor stair entrance! "Grab me!"

Silver-gray light erupted, swallowing the three of them!

Just a split second before the golem's giant fist smashed down and the flying ants' acid was about to arrive, the light converged, leaving only the monsters' angry Roar in the stone chamber.

At the first-floor stair entrance, the three tumbled out accompanied by spatial ripples, the tentacles dissipated, and they collapsed to the ground, gasping violently, covered in cold sweat, feeling like a lifetime had passed.

On the first underground floor, the relatively safe air was inhaled into their lungs, bringing a cold sense of reality.

Stone Shield propped himself up with his shield, his whole body aching; Shadow Trace had a bruised ankle and leaned against the wall panting; Spirit Guidance was mentally exhausted, lying on the ground unable to move.

"Leave immediately." Stone Shield's voice was hoarse.

Supporting each other, they stumbled toward the exit, the seven-day time limit like a blade hanging over their necks.

Returning to the town square, the afternoon sun was blinding, and the noise reached their ears, yet it couldn't dispel the chill in their bones. The three were in a sorry state, completely out of place with their surroundings.

"Return." The command was issued without lingering.

Three beams of ending white light descended. Before their figures dissipated, they took one last look at the maze's light gate, their eyes complex—fear, awe, unwillingness, relief, finally settling into silence.

At the maze core, Zhang Hao "watched" all this.

His eyes, with golden starlight and chaotic darkness slowly rotating, were no longer just observing; it was more like analyzing and absorbing.

"Karma..." He whispered, chewing on the word, the Silver Star on his shoulder vibrating slightly.

"Greed (touching the chest) is the cause, desperation (trap + monster) is the result. Despair (the commotion) is the cause, attracting destruction (monsters) is the result. One link after another."

His fingertips unconsciously traced through the Void Realm, as if combing through invisible veins.

"And the 'Seed of Hope' (Teleport Stone) I planted, at the right moment, connected by the Host's own decision (Spirit Guidance's action), became the key to turning the fate trajectory. It allowed the 'line' that should have ended to continue."

This time, what he felt was different from the past. It wasn't just understanding, but a kind of... closeness.

Those invisible fate trajectory and causal threads became increasingly clear in his perception, as if he could reach out and pluck them.

The existence of the maze was like a huge reactor, violently catalyzing and amplifying the potential regarding [Fate] and [Karma] within his Talent.

A detached, almost cold perspective quietly sprouted in his consciousness. Watching the Host struggle in despair and rejoice in hope, his heart was unexpectedly calm, like observing an ant colony in a glass box.

This sense of detachment allowed him to grasp the veins of those trajectories and threads more clearly.

"Is this... the coldness brought by the Dominators Gaze? Or the transcendence brought by a god's blessing?"

He frowned slightly, noticing his own changes. Humanity seemed to be fading, and some kind of "divinity" belonging to a higher-level existence—or rather, inhuman rationality and a desire for control—was quietly mixing in.

This feeling was strange and dangerous, as if opening Pandora's box.

Being overly immersed in this sense of power to weave fate might eventually cause him to lose certain essences as a "human."

But at the same time, this state caused his control over his Talent to soar, and previously obscure methods of use now became clearly visible.

Hidden dangers and Opportunity are two sides of the same coin.

He was no longer just passively observing fate, but began to actively and more powerfully weave and guide it.

To him, the maze was no longer just a mission scenario, but a sandbox for experimenting with his power and exploring his own limits.

"Not enough..." Zhang Hao closed his eyes, feeling the surging, increasingly handy power within him, as well as the brand-new vision brought by that coldness and detachment.

"This maze can still unearth more... about fate, about Karma, and also about... the secrets of myself."

Submit the mission? No. He needed to immerse himself deeper to see where the end of this power lay, and to see where this transformation, where humanity and divinity intertwined, would ultimately point.

[maze builder panel - Real-time update]

[Maze Rank]: D-Rank

[Maze Entrance]: Opened

[maze construction points]: 68, 559

[Cumulative number of adventurers]: 317

[Adventurer Talent upgrade count]: 11

[Adventurer mission failure count]: 3

[Maze floors]: Underground 1st floor, Underground 2nd floor

[Maze size]: Underground 1st floor: 100/100 grids; Underground 2nd floor: 185/200 grids

[Maze monsters]: Underground 1st floor: 38 grids (Mainly E-Rank); Underground 2nd floor: 68 grids (All D-Rank)

[Maze treasures]: Underground 1st floor: 26 grids (Mainly E-Rank); Underground 2nd floor: 55 grids (All D-Rank)

[Maze traps]: Underground 1st floor: 30 grids (Mainly E-Rank); Underground 2nd floor: 52 grids (All D-Rank)

[Others]: Underground 1st floor: 6 grids; Underground 2nd floor: 35 grids