Hidden Scenarios were common in Alternate Dimensions.
They were roughly like dungeon difficulty levels in games from his previous life.
The first run was normal difficulty, followed by elite, nightmare, hell, and so on.
The more one explored, the more high-difficulty scenarios one unlocked.
Usually, this was good news for treasure hunters as well.
Because triggering a Hidden Scenario usually meant better settlement rewards and possibly the discovery of hidden treasures.
Ji Xun had experienced it once before in Space 407.
But this time was clearly different.
According to the hunters' intel, this had only been a low-level Alternate Dimension for farming skeletons.
But now, it seemed the monsters were not limited to skeletons.
"Keeper of Secrets, immortal and indestructible?"
Ji Xun caught the keyword and pondered it.
Since the planner believed raising the space's difficulty could threaten Governor Cao's life, it was naturally no simple matter.
"They chose a maze no one could escape from, then used monsters to kill people. That really does solve everything at once."
Ji Xun quickly understood.
He glanced over the maze walls again, then headed deeper into the maze without wasting any time.
Whatever the causes and consequences were, all he needed to do now was stay far away from the governor.
If this had been outside, Ji Xun knew that a Card Master Apprentice like him would most likely be dead if he got caught up in it.
But this was an Alternate Dimension.
The will of the space would not change according to any individual.
Even the planner had merely used the Spatial Rules to make some arrangements.
This assassination would certainly be incredibly dangerous.
But it was not aimed at him.
As long as he stayed far away from the governor, the danger would drop by ninety-nine percent.
Ji Xun saw the situation clearly at a glance and decisively chose to run.
After only a few steps, the sounds of battle echoed through the maze.
"Boom, boom, boom."
Gunfire and artillery mixed with all sorts of exaggerated sounds like a thunderstorm, reverberating through the maze.
Because the maze was a sealed corridor, the sounds carried very far.
Hearing how fiercely the battle had erupted in an instant, Ji Xun identified the direction and thought, I need to find somewhere safe to hide first.
For now, escaping the maze through an exit was out of the question.
Not only did he have no idea which route led out, but even if he did, he absolutely could not go there now.
Anyone could guess that the exit would certainly be guarded by ambushers.
They would be waiting to pick off the lucky stragglers who had managed to escape.
The farther away he hid, the safer he would be.
With that in mind, Ji Xun avoided the corridors where the sounds of battle came from and took another pitch-black passage in the opposite direction.
As it turned out, things were exactly as Ji Xun had expected.
At that moment, outside the maze, a mysterious man and woman in cloaks were hiding in the darkness.
Ambushing Cao Sihai, lord of Sinless City and a great noble of the Federation, was already a crime worthy of exterminating an entire family.
Yet neither of them showed the slightest fear. As they waited for their prey, they chatted with great interest.
"Cao Sihai, that dead fatso, actually hid on a freight train to flee back to the Upper City. Tsk, tsk. He really has no regard for the dignity of a High Noble. Once he dies, Sinless City will become truly lively."
The cloaked woman's tone was clearly gleeful at his misfortune.
In contrast, the cloaked man beside her, who was half a head shorter, was taciturn.
Seeing that her companion said nothing, the woman continued on her own. "I heard through the grapevine that the Cao Family recently acquired an Ancient Relic with an extremely high Cataclysm rank. He probably brought it with him when he fled back to the royal capital this time. They say it was the one that the wanted criminal, Lone Wolf Baron, brought back from Demon Cross. I'm also curious what rank that relic really is."
Only then did the cloaked man show a little interest. He chuckled. "I was the one who spread that rumor. I also posted the bounty on the Black Market."
The cloaked woman turned to look at him, pursed her lips, and instantly lost most of her interest. "Ah, so it was fake?"
The cloaked man shrugged and added, "Not entirely. Otherwise, Cao Sihai would not have been so eager to leave Sinless City. But what he has is not the Ancient Relic Baron brought out. It is an uncontainable 'Cataclysmic Object.'"
The cloaked woman's eyes froze at those words, and her interest surged. "A Cataclysmic Object?"
The cloaked man continued, "The Cao clan of Dragon City inherited some ancient records from before the Great Cataclysm, but they had never managed to decipher them. Then, over half a month ago, pioneering hunters discovered the temple ruins recorded in those materials on the Old Continent. They found many Ancient Relics, including that uncontainable relic. Its effects are unknown, and its Cataclysm rank has yet to be assessed. Governor Cao left in such a hurry this time not only to flee for his life, but also to bring that Cataclysmic Object to Dragon City."
Hearing that, the cloaked woman's eyes shifted. She looked at the utterly calm man beside her and changed the subject. "You're not interested in that thing?"
It was a Cataclysmic Object, after all.
Anything that could be called a "Cataclysmic Object" possessed uses beyond imagination.
No matter its rank, once one appeared, it would inevitably draw countless powerhouses into a frantic scramble and might even start a war.
"It's not that I'm uninterested. I simply don't cling to futile obsessions."
The cloaked man gave a calm, breezy laugh.
He explained his reasoning. "Ancient Relics from before the Great Cataclysm all involve unique laws of fate. They are gifts from ancient demon gods, but not everyone can bear them. No matter what path they take, they will ultimately fall into the hands of someone compatible with them. That is fate. If it is mine, I will not miss it. If it is not destined to be mine, I cannot force it. Otherwise, even if I obtain it, I would only be holding it in safekeeping for destiny, adding needless troubles to myself."
"Isn't that fatalism of yours a little too far-fetched?"
The cloaked woman rolled her eyes as she listened.
As she spoke, she did not forget to mock him gloomily. "If that's the case, everyone is destined to die anyway. We might as well die early. Come on, since your ability is so impressive, calculate my romantic fate for me, big sister. See whether I can meet a peerless hero. Hmm, and he has to be handsome too."
"I can't tell fortunes."
"Deduction is the same thing. Come on, deduce it for me, big sister. Will I meet a peerless hero? And he has to be handsome."
"You really want me to?"
"Yes."
"Then you may be disappointed. I think you will most likely die alone."
"Pah! Pah! Pah! You're really asking for a beating. Can't you say something nice? What kind of lousy ability is that? It's not accurate at all."
"..."
The two bantered about a few unrelated matters.
The cloaked man merely smiled without arguing, then returned to the main topic. "At least according to the information we have so far, whoever obtains that 'Cataclysmic Object' will suffer misfortune. The Thunder Hammer Mercenary Group found it first, and ninety percent of them died after leaving the ruins. As for those who came back alive, Cao Sihai had already silenced every one of them. Six more people came into contact with it afterward, but every one of them died violently for one reason or another. Governor Cao is no exception now. It is as though some bizarre fate is entangled with it. And what is even stranger is that no one has yet figured out what the thing actually is."
After saying that, he teasingly asked, "After hearing all that, do you still want to hold it in your hands?"
Though the cloaked woman claimed not to believe him, she had great faith in her companion's ability. Her brows rose. "That sinister?"
If he said there was a problem, then there was definitely a problem.
"Why else?"
The cloaked man smiled noncommittally.
He did not say much more about the subject and changed topics. "Compared with that, this maze interests me more. I took a look around earlier and discovered that the Great Cemetery Maze was a maze of resentment formed three thousand years ago when Augustus, the 'Mad King' of the Taren Dynasty, buried the tomb craftsmen alive. That was the last ancient dynasty with records before the Great Cataclysm. History from before the Great Cataclysm breaks off at that very point. Don't you think that is more valuable than any treasure?"
"..."
The cloaked woman rolled her eyes, clearly unconvinced.
The two fell silent for a moment.
She had no interest in discussing such matters and directly changed the subject. "The Cao Family actually wanted to control Sinless City and monopolize the Old Continent. Now that the Frost Knight Legion has been cleaned up as well, the Cao Family's plans in Sinless City are completely ruined. Hey, who do you think paid the bounty for our mission this time?"
The cloaked man replied indifferently, "Does it matter who it was? Aside from the Cao Family, which of the others in the council does not have the same idea? If the Cao Family continues to dominate alone, they will probably no longer be satisfied with just those few seats."
After a pause, his tone remained as lazy as ever, but a sharp glint hid in his eyes. "The major main cities have stayed in the rich ore layers for too long. Those pedantic old fools in the Federal Council are immersed in debauchery and luxury, and they have long since lost their spirit of adventure. They have also forgotten their ancestral teachings and no longer explore the depths of the Catacombs. But we are treasure hunters. Since the Old Continent has been discovered, let those bloated old fools get up and move around too."
Hearing that, the cloaked woman complained, "Heh. Politics really is boring as hell."
She had no interest in discussing it and asked again, "Cao Sihai is definitely dead now, so what happens next in Sinless City? The gangs in the Lower City are constantly fighting among themselves, but they are united against outsiders now. Even if the governor is no longer from the Cao Family, it would be useless no matter who became lord. Are they going to have the council send troops to force their way in?"
The cloaked man chuckled. "Can you kill all the rats in the sewers? Besides, Sinless City is not as simple as it looks. Whoever tries to force the issue will definitely suffer for it."
The cloaked woman asked in confusion, "Then what should they do? They can't let those gangs keep control of Gold Digging Dock, the route to the Old Continent, forever, can they?"
The cloaked man said meaningfully, "Strength often begins to crumble from within."
Hearing his cryptic tone, the cloaked woman rolled her eyes and lost all desire to continue the conversation. "Forget it. Schemes and intrigues are better suited to someone like you."
She asked again, "Right, weren't there some particularly unusual people among those raiders earlier?"
The cloaked man said, "Just Old Era Remnants. They had some connection to that side. Since we set up this situation, we killed a few extra people while we were at it."
"..."
The two chatted casually.
Meanwhile, inside the maze, the scene had already become utterly tragic.
Thanks to 'Redteam' for 1500, '1kose55' for 500, 'GT Wanlihong,' 'Blame Me for Not Being a Good Person,' 'Xi Shang,' and 'Memories Kept in Storage.' Thank you all for your donations and support.
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