After reading the information on the Horrific Maze, Jiang Yu and Stelle gained some understanding of its appearance and abilities, as well as the equipment needed to retrieve this Curio.
The two stood up, and Jiang Yu pushed open the records room door again. Two little heads, one gray-haired and one white-haired, peeked out from behind it.
"Sir!" Jiang Yu called.
"Yeah!" The balding staff member, who had only just sat down, immediately stood up and turned around, responding eagerly, "What is it?"
"Where's the designated Imaginary Overflow Storage Container?" Jiang Yu asked.
"And the Imaginary Overflow Interference Field!" Stelle quickly added.
Neither mentioned the Mental Interference Suppressant.
Having personally looked upon an Aeon and even spoken with one, the two arrogantly dismissed the Horrific Maze's mental interference.
"Those are both tools needed to retrieve the Horrific Maze. We don't have them here in the records room," the balding man answered. "They already organized several retrieval attempts before you arrived. They all failed, but they should have taken everything to the second floor of the Storage Zone. You can go check the site.
"Not every staff member would enter the maze for something that dangerous. Someone has to stay lucid outside to support them."
"Got it. Thanks!"
Jiang Yu waved goodbye to the balding man and headed to the second floor of the Storage Zone with Stelle.
Once Jiang Yu and Stelle had left, the balding man took out his phone, snapped a photo of Jiang Yu's autograph, and sent it to a newly created group chat called the "Little Fish Fan Support Club," tagging Wen Shiling.
"President, I got Little Fish's autograph."
"Awesome! Bring it over soon!" Wen Shiling replied almost immediately, while several other people in the group expressed their envy.
"President, I remember you used to like Young Master Bo, right?" the balding man asked.
"Young Master Bo? Who's that? Is he as good-looking as Little Fish?"
"Uh... there's no comparison."
"Then that settles it! Little Fish is so gorgeous! Snow-white hair, eyelashes like ice crystals, eyes as clear as a lake, a fair, delicate face, and a smile like sunshine!"
Wen Shiling openly showered him with praise in the group chat.
"No, I have to see whether the space station has any information on the Knights of Beauty. I need to see how they praise the Aeon of Beauty. I have to learn from them, so I won't be at a loss for even a single compliment the next time I see Little Fish!"
"Uh..."
The balding man scratched his head.
"Young people these days... sure, he really is good-looking, but isn't this a bit much...?"
Grumbling quietly, the balding man returned to his seat. He set his phone aside, opened the database on his computer, and silently searched for the keyword "Beauty"...
"Still, I really should take a look. Wen Shiling has a point. How can I not even know how to compliment someone?"
Jiang Yu and Stelle took the elevator upstairs, then went around the circular platform, activated the Repulsion Bridge, and followed the route Wen Shiling had indicated.
Soon, they reached the outermost edge of the circular platform. An empty corridor lay ahead.
Just as they were about to enter, they suddenly heard a jumble of footsteps coming from inside.
The footsteps were erratic, as though someone were fleeing in panic. Then came a muffled crash; someone might have fallen.
"Aaaah!!!"
A hoarse, piercing scream echoed down the corridor, growing louder and louder.
The screams came one after another, each drowning out the last, and the things being shouted varied.
Some yelled that a corpse had come back to life, others said they had seen ghosts, and someone even claimed a meteorite had crushed them into a lump of mangled flesh!
As the screams and footsteps drew closer, Stelle and Jiang Yu, standing at the corridor entrance, finally saw several figures run out!
They screamed as tears and snot streamed down their faces. Some could no longer keep their footing and began crawling grotesquely along the floor.
They were indeed fleeing, and some had even lost their minds.
Judging by their uniforms, they were all likely staff members from the Security Department. They screamed, oblivious to Jiang Yu and Stelle standing at the corridor entrance.
One after another, they rushed past the two, charged down off the circular platform, and frantically jabbed at the elevator's touch terminal.
The space station's elevator ascended quite quickly, but at that moment, it still seemed far too slow for these Security Department staff members.
They huddled in on themselves as though some monster were chasing them. The wait for the elevator felt interminable, and they trembled like leaves, hopping up and down in desperation.
Their eyes bulged, their cheeks flushed red, and every muscle strained, as though they desperately needed to pee only to find every toilet occupied.
At last, the elevator arrived and its doors opened. The staff members surged inside like a school of sardines, as though diving beneath a warm blanket.
Jiang Yu and Stelle simply watched them leave.
"Looks like they just attempted containment and failed," Jiang Yu said.
"Maybe the Horrific Maze is a little more dangerous than we thought?" Stelle suggested.
"Let's go in and take a look first," Jiang Yu said directly.
Skill bred confidence. Even after witnessing the horrifying state of the Security Department staff, Jiang Yu and Stelle did not hesitate in the slightest. They quickly entered the corridor.
After walking for a while, they found that the corridor ahead was blocked.
The walls on either side abruptly pressed inward, leaving only a narrow passage wide enough for one person.
Some unfamiliar objects had been placed outside the narrow passage, and a female staff member stood there as well. Her face was clouded with worry, and she seemed to be on a call. Her voice was loud enough that Jiang Yu and Stelle could clearly hear what she was saying from a distance.
"We just made another retrieval attempt, and it failed. The Security Department staff carrying it out were frightened out of their minds!
"What? You found someone who can retrieve the Horrific Maze? Who?
"The heroes who saved the space station?!!! Really? That's wonderful!
"They weren't even afraid of the Doomsday Beast. They definitely won't be scared of the things the Horrific Maze creates!
"And they're so strong, they're sure to escape the Horrific Maze's attacks unscathed! We can finally retrieve this blasted thing!"
While the female staff member was on the call, Jiang Yu and Stelle had already reached the entrance.
Jiang Yu nudged Stelle with his elbow. "Sounds like she's talking about us!"
Stelle planted her hands on her hips and proudly lifted her chin.
Of course she means me, the Galaxy Bat Hero!
Just then, the female staff member ended the call. Looking up, she saw Jiang Yu and Stelle. Much of the worry immediately vanished from her face, and excitement shone in her eyes.
She hurried over and excitedly clasped their hands. "It really is you! Lead Researcher Asta just told me you'd be coming to help retrieve the Horrific Maze!"
The female staff member gripped their hands tightly, as though clutching at her last lifeline.
But before any of the three could speak, a fourth voice rang out from every direction.
"Heeheeheeheehee! Have two more fools come to overestimate themselves?"
Before you continue