Following the clues provided by the adventurers they rescued, Gauss and Aaliyah continued on their way.
"I wonder if the location of the entrance has changed..."
Aaliyah was worried.
Gauss’s gaze locked onto an unusual, downward-extending cave on the distant rock face.
Beside the rock wall, a crooked tree cast twisted shadows in the dim light.
"The rock wall, the crooked tree... Yes, that’s it."
Gauss patted Aaliyah beside him and pointed to the target.
"Aaliyah, we’ve found it."
The two of them quickly arrived at the cave.
Before them was a pitch-black, deep passageway, along with a series of downward-extending stone steps.
Just gazing at it, an inexplicable attraction emanated from within, as if silently summoning explorers.
This matched the description in the "Labyrinth Guide" perfectly.
According to the guide, the labyrinth had many levels, and often only one passage connected different "floors."
In Gauss’s understanding.
It’s like many independent spaces stacked together, connected by specific tunnels, where the exit at the lower end of the passage is fixed while the entrance at the upper end periodically moves around the upper labyrinth like a "space worm" tethered at one end.
Hence, each level of the labyrinth has two "mouths," one for descending, which moves constantly, and one for returning to the upper level, fixed in place, though each return to the upper level might appear at a different location.
"We need to hurry inside," Gauss said.
The entrance to the next level will remain hidden for a time before disappearing and reappearing elsewhere, and no one knows when it will shift.
The two exchanged glances, hesitated no more, and, with Gray Wolf Ulfen and Raven Aik, stepped onto the staircase leading to the unknown lower level.
As soon as they entered the passage, the environment around them changed in an indescribable way.
The air seemed to ripple like water, and the sense of space became subtle and blurred.
A cool energy, like an invisible scanning wave, instantly pierced through Gauss’s entire body, then vanished just as swiftly, as if it were an illusion.
Gauss calmed his mind and focused on what lay ahead.
The inside of the passage was entirely different from the first level of the labyrinth, lacking strong natural light sources, only the rock walls themselves emitted a very faint glow, making the entire environment dark and oppressive.
He cast a Light Spell to dispel the darkness.
"The guide mentioned that these passages use some sort of spatial power to truly lead people to the next spatial level," Gauss recalled as they descended.
Words alone only give a shallow understanding, only by combining them with the present scene can one truly appreciate the wonder of the labyrinth.
"So, in theory, even if someone dug downward frantically from above, they could never reach the next level; the only path is through these special passages."
He reached out and tapped on the nearby stone wall, finding it exceptionally hard, as if wrapped in an invisible, tough membrane.
It’s said that these passages are "indestructible," at least for low tier professionals like them.
The passage was long.
After walking for a long time, a faint light finally appeared ahead.
The moment they stepped out of the passage, a strange sensation, akin to crossing temporal bounds, swept over them again.
Gauss dispersed the Light Spell.
He and Aaliyah looked up and were immediately captivated by the sight of the second level of the labyrinth.
The first level was desolate overall, with only the occasional ruins and crumbling walls, along with some trees and vines, but not too dense.
But the second level before them was a vibrant, lush world.
The ground, rocks, and even the remnants of architectural ruins were covered in clusters of uniquely shaped spherical shrubs or algae.
Dark red spiky vines wound around like blood vessels.
In the air, countless firefly-like insects emitting gentle light danced in the sky, their soft glow making the verdant land dreamlike.
"How... beautiful!" Aaliyah exclaimed in awe.
"No wonder the labyrinth guide said that the first level is too influenced by the surface, appearing barren. The true wonder of the labyrinth world only begins from the second level... Here is where you truly enter the labyrinth world..."
Gray Wolf Ulfen seemed to sense the richer essence of nature, letting out an excited low growl, while Raven Aik curiously turned its small head on Aaliyah’s shoulder.
"Indeed," Gauss nodded in agreement.
He looked up at the dancing light bugs, and with a thought, one of them was grasped by an invisible Mage’s Hand.
With a slight force, "pop," a light sound was heard.
The bug, with its swollen bulbous tail constantly emitting light, burst in the Mage’s Hand.
Unfortunately, his Monster Atlas showed no reaction.
These were just ordinary luminescent creatures, not monsters.
Gauss wasn’t surprised, just habitually testing it.
Perhaps because the lower-level exit was fixed, there were obvious signs of human activity around, scattered footprints, a few extinguished campfire ashes, and leftover trash.
Not far away, there were several rustic stone benches.
Beside the benches, a signpost stood, filled with ancient, hard-to-decipher inscriptions.
Neither of them could understand it.
Gauss silently memorized the shapes of the complex characters, then spoke.
"Which way should we go next?"
The second underground level felt a bit more oppressive than the first, with the ceiling lower and large swathes of plants dangling often.
"You decide," Aaliyah, just like before, handed the decision-making power to Gauss.
"Alright then..." Gauss surveyed the surroundings.
Constantly making decisions was occasionally a bit of a headache.
In an unfamiliar environment, they didn’t dare let Raven Aik fly far to scout, fearing accidents.
He squinted, and soon the dim light in his vision became clear again.
The messy footprints, tread marks were distinctly visible within his sight.
"Let’s choose a path with the fewest people then."
Neither of them wanted to encounter too many strangers in the labyrinth, and more people could mean fewer gains.
"How about we go this way?"
Gauss chose a direction with the fewest footprints.
"Watch your step." This path was flanked by dense spherical shrubs and algae, with little insects crawling in the crevices, greatly increasing the difficulty of spotting hidden traps.
So he dared not move too fast and especially cautioned Aaliyah to stay close to his steps.
Meanwhile, Gauss, wearing the Lingxi Bracelet, scanned the way ahead vigilantly.
Suddenly.
A gust of wind came from overhead, without warning!
Fortunately, he was very cautious, his body like a taut string.
Upon catching the sound of the wind, his leg muscles, augmented by Enhanced Jump, suddenly burst with power, like a spring compressed to its limit, released in an instant.
He quickly turned back, grabbing Aaliyah by the arm, the two retreating backwards several meters in haste.
Once they stabilized, they could see the true face of their attacker.
It was a strangely-shaped, mobile plant. Its thick vine was deeply rooted in the overhead rock face, connected at the other end to a threatening flower bud the size of a human head.
At this moment, the bud was widely open, revealing a mouth full of tiny spikes, with crystal-clear viscous saliva dripping continuously from its "lips," dropping to the ground with a slight "pop" sound.
"What is this? A man-eating flower?" Gauss was a bit surprised.