Only after their feet touched solid ground did their taut nerves finally relax a little.
Behind them, the maze's enormous, irregular entrance looked even more sinister and mysterious in the darkness, with the approaching Rejection Period looming over it. It was like the maw of a gigantic beast lying in wait.
At that moment, a muffled rumble seemed to come from deep within the entrance, like the pulse of the earth. The three of them could even feel faint tremors through the soles of their boots.
"Phew, we finally made it out!"
Alya let out a long breath, brushing moss and dust from her clothes as she looked back at the maze entrance, still shaken.
Even Ulfhen, Ike, and the Land Bird made uneasy sounds. As wild animals, they were more sensitive to changes in their environment. It was like how dogs barked strangely before an earthquake, bees left their hives, and fish leaped from ponds.
Gauss looked toward the entrance and even felt that the space inside the maze seemed different.
And the Rejection Period hadn't even officially begun yet, but there were already such strange signs.
Once the Rejection Period truly began, the maze's danger level would probably skyrocket.
No wonder the Maze Guide said that all adventurers were forbidden from entering during this period. Anyone caught inside would be almost certain to die.
"I wonder how long it'll last?" Alya sighed.
"A few weeks if it's short. It could last years if it's long," Gauss replied, looking at the Maze Guide in his hands.
"It can last that long?" A flicker of surprise crossed Theron's face.
"A few years is a long time for humans, but for a maze—especially one with a long lifespan—it's probably just a brief moment, right?" Gauss shook his head.
"Besides, it might