As Shade packed his things, Luvia did not say a word the entire time. Only when Shade entrusted the cat to her care did she open her arms and hug him.
Shade found it rather inexplicable:
"I'm only going to scout the way ahead. There won't be any danger. Luvia, you can read at home or prepare some late night snack. I promise I won't be delayed over there for long."
"I just want you to know that there are still people and a cat at home waiting for you to return. Go and come back quickly. I hope everything goes smoothly."
After bidding farewell to Luvia and the cat, Shade touched the Old Gods Statue and formally entered that white fog world with its little path.
[Outlander, you have entered the "Space Labyrinth."]
[A message from the Ancient God "Primal Rift":]
[Existing spatial markers: 13.]
Thirteen worn wooden signposts stood along the path. Shade did not touch any of them. Instead, he used [Body of Courage] to enlarge himself, then directly tossed the apple into his mouth.
After chewing a few times, Shade struggled to swallow the entire apple. As "she" cheerfully reminded him that his luck had risen dramatically, Shade returned to his original form, rubbing his throat with his left hand while raising the white crystal in his right:
"Sacrifice one White Stone Crystal. Locate direction—southeast."
As the crystal in his hand merged into the dense fog, the path was swallowed by white fog. Then, the fog immediately dispersed, returning Shade to the circular hidden area.
Although the Old Gods Statue was still beside him, the supplies he had stored there had all vanished. That proved this was no longer his home's basement. There was nothing at all in this space, so Shade had no need to