Once inside the cave, Rudeus discovered that the labyrinth was far larger than he had imagined.
The surrounding rock walls stretched deeper and deeper, like a giant beast sleeping underground baring its fangs.
Countless sharp stalactites hung from the cave ceiling, their tips shimmering with a scarlet glow and exuding an eerie aura as if tainted by abnormal energy.
"This maze... is a little big."
Rudeus looked around and sighed softly.
"Looks like we need to finish this quickly."
As he spoke, he opened his Magic Pocket and took out a magnificently designed wand.
[ The Arrogant Water Dragon King ].
Whenever he takes out this wand, it doesn't mean the situation is in trouble.
On the contrary.
This means he's about to start showing off.
The moment the wand touched his hand, Rudeus's Perception expanded instantly, spreading outwards like an invisible tide.
The next second, the entire cave's layout came into his mind.
The swarm of bats hidden atop the rock face is crystal clear.
The quantity is... several hundred.
We've found you.
Magic was quietly infused into the staff.
The next moment, Rudeus casually swung his hand forward.
Countless ice crystals instantly condensed in mid-air, and then poured out like a torrential rain.
Puff! Puff! Puff!
Each ice crystal struck a bat precisely, without damaging the surrounding rock walls in the slightest.
A moment later, only the sound of bat carcasses falling remained in the cave.
Clatter
Clatter
Snap...
Magia, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but widen her eyes in disbelief at the scene.
This level of magical control can no longer be described as precise.
It's almost like sewing a work of art with needle and thread.
"This is way too exaggerated..."
Rudeus simply waved his hand dismissively.
"Just an appetizer."
He looked into the depths of the maze, anticipation rising in his eyes.
"This is an ancient labyrinth; it might hold many treasures."
"You're in charge of searching, I'll take care of the fighting."
"I'll protect you, and the two of us will definitely eat our fill."
Magia paused for a moment.
"Huh?"
"Aren't we here to solve the lake pollution problem?"
"How did it suddenly turn into a maze search and retreat?"
Rudeus waved his hand dismissively.
"Purifying the lake is a benchmark task, so of course it should be left until last."
"Now that we've entered the maze, we can't leave empty-handed, can we?"
After saying that, he pointed to the bat carcass on the ground.
"These are all good materials; if we collect them all, they should fetch a good price."
Magia looked down at the corpse, then at her own hands.
"But..."
What should I use to pack it?
Rudeus was taken aback.
He then slapped his head.
"Oh, I forgot! You didn't bring your insurance."
As he spoke, he took out an exquisite brocade pouch from his system inventory and handed it to Magia.
"Here you go."
"This is a spatial pouch, 900x900 pixels."
"By infusing it with magic, anything within its field of vision can be captured."
"Don't worry, I have more if it's not enough."
Magia took the pouch and fell silent.
900×900?
Is it still "not enough"?
Such a spatial artifact, which has never been heard of before, would probably be fought over by countless nobles in the outside world.
But with Rudeus...
It's only used to store monster corpses.
A moment later, she silently began collecting the bat carcasses.
But the doubts in my heart grew deeper and deeper.
This is an extremely dangerous ancient labyrinth.
You could encounter deadly monsters at any moment.
But why...?
The atmosphere now feels more like a picnic?
"Have you finished collecting them?"
Rudeus glanced at the time.
"We should continue."
Before Magia could answer, Rudeus suddenly lifted her up with magic.
The next second, the two transformed into streaks of light and flew deeper into the maze.
" Primordial God, please slow down!"
Magia called out nervously.
What if we're surrounded by monsters?
"Surrounded?"
Rudeus paused for a moment, then burst into laughter.
"Ha ha ha ha!"
" Magia, are you sure you're not mistaken about something?"
It should be --
"The two of us will surround them."
Soon, the two arrived at the entrance of a deep cave.
Rudeus stopped and waited quietly.
" Primordial God Impact, why are you stopping here?"
"Don't rush."
"It'll be out soon..."
The words had barely left his mouth.
boom!!!
The entire cave shook violently.
Immediately afterwards, a ferocious giant worm emerged from the darkness.
Its head is a full ten meters wide, and its sharp mandibles make a teeth-grinding sound when they open and close.
The next second.
The giant worm slammed into Rudeus.
However, a transparent barrier appeared instantly, blocking it completely.
The jaws rubbed against the protective shield, making a piercing sound.
This extreme close-range attack nearly broke even Rudeus.
"Heh~ You think you can take my first collapse with this level of skill?" Rudeu smiled indifferently.
Magia, who was behind him, had already turned pale and quickly hid behind him.
"What succulent protein!"
Rudeus stared at the giant worm, his eyes gradually brightening.
Braised!
"It must be braised!"
Magia: "..."
The next moment.
Rudeus raised his wand.
Crimson magic power converged wildly.
boom!
A giant fire dragon roared out and instantly engulfed the giant insect.
Accompanied by the monster's painful screams, a rich, burnt aroma filled the entire cave.
Then, Rudeus casually unleashed several wind blades, slicing the giant worm in two.
"Hurry, hurry, hurry!"
Pack them all up!
"They're all good stuff."
Magia paused for a moment, then nodded repeatedly.
"Oh oh!"
Rudeus continued deeper into the cave, where a faint, shimmering light appeared at the end.
"Withdrawal successful! Withdrawal successful!"
Wow! So many magic stones! Magia, hurry, hurry, pack them all up!
We ventured deeper into the area.
The two continued to plunder the resources within the maze.
It truly lives up to its reputation as an ancient labyrinth.
It's really dangerous.
But the rewards were truly plentiful.
Giant lizards, giant spiders, giant toads, giant bears, and skeleton archers...
Various monsters are constantly appearing.
However, in Rudeus's presence, there was no difference; they were all instantly killed.
Along the way, I twirled some wands, ingested some potions, peeked through some cover, leaped through the air, beat up some monsters, and released a few drops of magic...
Soon, the two arrived at the deepest part of the maze.
A heavy stone door blocked their way.
Rudeus didn't even bother looking for the mechanism.
He raised his hand and shattered it with a single blow.
After the smoke cleared, the final boss finally appeared.
It was a giant demonic flower.
Thick branches shot straight up to the top of the cave, and countless dark vines danced wildly in the air, creating a bizarre and terrifying scene.
Magia only glanced at it, but felt a huge mental shock and her sanity plummeted.
She quickly hid behind Rudeus, clinging tightly to the hem of his clothes.
"A vine monster?"
Rudeus sized up the monster before him and couldn't help but chuckle.
"What a monster that easily evokes all sorts of associations."
"Pity..."
He glanced at the time.
"Only one minute left."
"I don't have time to play those tangling games with you."
The words had barely left his mouth.
Rudeus gripped his wand tightly.
A chilling aura instantly condensed at the tip of the staff.
A sharp ice blade slowly took shape.
"Listen to your funeral song..."
" Magic Sword Style Secret Technique - Final Form!"
"True Fruit Original Cut--!!!"
The next moment.
A flash of blade.
A violent wind pressure swept through the entire cave.
The holy blade of light sliced through the roots of the demonic flower as easily as cutting through thin paper.
In an instant.
A dazzling beam of light shot into the sky.
It completely swallowed up that enormous body, which was tens of meters tall.
The once pitch-black underground labyrinth was now illuminated as if it were daytime...