Sanity Value

The light in the maze was dim.

The primary color, a dark cyan, was incredibly oppressive, and the air was filled with a suffocating sense of dread. The passageway was quiet, with only the occasional gust of cold wind carrying mournful cries, like the groans of wronged spirits, echoing in the ears.

It felt as if the dark passageway ahead led to the gates of hell, making every step a terrifying ordeal.

The details—rusty sword blades and axes, broken pottery, scattered human remains—all hinted at the presence of horrifying monsters.

Ji Xun observed his surroundings, confirming that the maze's atmosphere was likely intentional.

This was a clever form of psychological suggestion, subtly influencing the mindset of anyone who entered.

However, he didn't yet understand the purpose behind this setup.

As a seasoned puzzle enthusiast, Ji Xun knew that a crucial aspect of solving puzzles was identifying the designer's intent and discarding distractions.

It was like turning off the sound effects in a horror movie; the terrifying atmosphere immediately dropped by ninety percent.

The more the environment suggested fear, the calmer one should become.

Hmm.

He wasn't easily frightened in the first place.

Thinking this, Ji Xun remained even more composed, walking through the maze's passages at a steady pace.

As he walked, he left markings on the walls.

The underground maze was completely sealed. Without knowing the correct path, the only way was to use traditional marking methods to explore.

But Ji Xun knew that if he continued exploring like this, he would eventually encounter monsters, so he didn't dare to walk too quickly.

As he walked, he continuously pondered where the key to breaking out of this maze lay.

The thirty thousand laborers killed and turned into monsters meant there was a high probability of encountering them.

However, perhaps the fierce battle elsewhere had drawn the attention of most of the monsters. He had walked through several passages without encountering any danger.

Instead, he frequently saw piles of bones in the corners of the walls.

He couldn't make sense of them.

Ji Xun had a vague feeling that he was close to grasping something crucial.

But he wasn't the only one who had thought of avoiding the Governor's Mansion group.

Just as he was thinking, he suddenly heard hurried footsteps behind him.

"Captain, there are more and more skeletons..."

"Ignore these skeletons, hurry! If the Keeper of Secrets spots us, we're dead!"

"This is too terrifying. That [Keeper of Secrets] killed the Frost Knight in one move! Damn it, what happened? Isn't this a D-class space?"

"..."

As the voices reached him, in the blink of an eye, he saw three people running towards him in a panic, as if being chased by some monster.

Behind them, in the empty passageway, there was a dense sound of bones grinding against each other.

Unable to avoid them, they collided head-on.

Ji Xun looked closely and saw that it was Captain Dong Jiu and two other Corpse Collector colleagues.

However, he wasn't particularly concerned about who these three people were.

Instead, he was drawn to another bizarre sight.

As the three arrived, the bones scattered in the passageway, which had been in disarray moments before, suddenly seemed to be awakened by some mysterious force. With a clatter, they stood up, transforming into skeletal monsters?

Ji Xun's eyes narrowed slightly, and he let out a soft "Oh?" in his mind: "These withered bones are actually monsters?"

As if activating a chain reaction, the skeletal frames that were already in the passageway all stood up, becoming [Skeleton Artisans].

With the appearance of these undead creatures, the entire passageway was instantly filled with a chilling aura.

Seeing this, Ji Xun didn't feel scared at all. Instead, a flash of inspiration struck him.

He seemed to have grasped something, pondering in his mind: "If that's the case, I think I'm starting to understand..."

The three fleeing figures looked slightly surprised to run into Ji Xun in the passage.

Isn't that the rookie?

Sometimes, a mere glance was enough to know that someone had malicious intent.

As these three ran towards him, the one named Bucktooth had already unholily reached for the dagger at his waist.

Ji Xun was originally contemplating the awakening of the skeletons when his peripheral vision caught the subtle movement. He muttered, "Isn't it better to be alive..."

He also understood perfectly why the three were doing this.

These guys weren't stupid. With skeleton monsters coming from all directions, being entangled meant almost certain death. Clearly, they felt that a bait that could attract the monsters' aggro would increase their chances of survival.

Ideally, a bait that would draw blood.

Hunters often used this kind of monster-luring tactic in the wild.

Bucktooth confidently drew his blade, probably thinking that his strength as a Card Disciple at the second stage could easily cut Ji Xun's leg?

However, at this very moment, something he hadn't expected occurred.

Ji Xun's unfocused gaze suddenly sharpened, and he drew his gun with lightning speed.

Almost at the same instant Bucktooth's dagger flashed with cold light, a dark gun barrel was like lightning against the man's head.

With a gun to his head, Bucktooth's expression instantly shifted from contempt to boundless terror. His pupils dilated infinitely, filled with shock.

But this was the last image of his life.

With a "bang."

A muffled, thunderous gunshot exploded in the corridor.

Without any hesitation, Ji Xun pulled the trigger the moment he drew his gun.

He didn't spare a glance at the man whose head had just exploded. He quickly adjusted the muzzle, aiming at Captain Dong Jiu a few meters ahead, and decisively pulled the trigger again.

He hadn't intended to kill, but when it came to killing, he wouldn't hesitate.

These three were a group.

Since he was taking action, he had to kill quickly.

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

Two shots fired in rapid succession.

In an instant, the bullets cut through the air, creating two currents.

Dong Jiu had been glancing this way, and when he saw Bucktooth's head explode from a single shot, he was startled. Then, seeing the gun barrel aimed at him, his hair stood on end, and he instinctively stopped and dodged. His footwork allowed him to execute an extreme evasion.

He was a Card Disciple of Curse Power level six, specializing in the "Fighter" path. His neural reaction speed and muscle explosiveness were several times that of an ordinary person.

This extreme evasion caused one of the two shots, originally aimed at his chest, to miss, and the other to hit his shoulder.

The bullet grazed his shoulder.

Moreover, the physical resilience of a Transcendent was far greater than that of an ordinary person, so this shot didn't cause much damage.

"You!"

Dong Jiu looked at Ji Xun, who was holding his gun and coldly aiming at him, his expression filled with disbelief.

Was this really the timid newcomer in his team, the one who wouldn't dare to utter a word even when his salary was docked?

With no time to think, Dong Jiu endured the sharp pain in his shoulder and forcefully flipped himself, pushing off the ground. His thigh muscles bulged with explosive power, and the soles of his shoes screeched against the ground as he charged at Ji Xun like a leopard.

His speed was incredible!

What good was a gun?

At such close range, firearms weren't necessarily faster than fighting techniques.

Ji Xun watched as Dong Jiu wasn't killed by the two shots, his expression unchanged from beginning to end.

He had to admit that Dong Jiu was quite skilled.

He had bought a large number of supply potions by exploiting newcomers, making his physical condition far superior to that of ordinary people, and his fighting skills were also not bad.

Ji Xun believed that if it were him, he wouldn't have been able to dodge those two shots.

Having great strength didn't mean knowing how to use it.

This was the gap in fighting techniques.

However, even though the shots had missed, his expression showed no fluctuation.

His gaze remained locked on Dong Jiu, and after stabilizing his arm from the recoil of the previous shots, he decisively pulled the trigger again.

However, the third shot also missed.

At this distance, using a gun was no longer suitable.

During the brief interval of firing, Dong Jiu lowered his stance and charged directly at Ji Xun's waist, thinking smugly, "This guy is dead!"

Now that they were in close combat, this was the ideal posture for a "hip throw" in close-quarters fighting. As long as he could lock onto the opponent's waist with momentum, he could immediately flip backward and slam them to the ground. The target's skull or vertebrae would shatter instantly.

This was a fatal finishing move.

However, Dong Jiu's smugness lasted only for a moment.

The next second, his expression changed drastically!

Instead of lifting the person as expected, Dong Jiu felt as if he had run into a strong bull, and was inwardly shocked: This guy didn't even budge?

How was that possible!

He was already at Curse Power level six, definitely considered an expert among Card Disciple apprentices, with good strength and explosiveness, and specializing in intermediate combat techniques. Yet he couldn't throw this newcomer?

Dong Jiu immediately realized: This newcomer was also a close-combat Card Disciple! And his strength was even greater than his own!

But he couldn't understand why such a strong person, who could definitely earn more as a Hunter or in other professions, would choose to be a Corpse Collector and pretend to be a weakling.

However, Ji Xun didn't give his enemy time to figure things out.

Seeing himself being grabbed at the waist, he took a step back to stabilize his body, pressed the gun barrel against Dong Jiu's waist, and decisively fired two shots.

This distance is lethal for a body slam.

But firearms are more lethal.

At least for these Card Master Apprentices without Curse Power protection, bullets can easily penetrate muscle and bone.

The gunshots rang out, and blood gushed like a fountain.

The bullet pierced his organs, and Dong Jiu's face rapidly lost all color.

Ji Xun watched Dong Jiu, who was still breathing as he slowly fell at his feet, and fired another shot into his head.

This time, he was completely dead.

The corpse lay in a pool of blood.

Ji Xun had killed two people, not even glancing at the bodies on the ground. He turned the muzzle of his gun again, aiming at the last living person ahead.

Baldy Liu was completely stunned, his eyes filled only with fear and disbelief: Captain Dong Jiu was dead?

He never imagined that the usually meek newcomer would be so ruthless, killing two people without even a tremor in his hands?

Baldy Liu stared at the gun aimed at him, trembling uncontrollably from fear: "Brother... no, Big Brother, please don't kill me!"

Ji Xun tilted his head and looked, but didn't pull the trigger, just stared coldly.

Pulling the trigger would only waste a bullet, but he didn't do it.

He wanted to leave one alive, to verify his judgment from earlier.

Killing had taken mere moments, and by this time, the skeleton monsters in the maze were gradually closing in.

These skeleton monsters weren't fast, nor were their attacks strong. It took three to five small skeletons attacking together to pose a fatal threat to an ordinary person.

But while their combat power was insufficient, their numbers were vast.

In the blink of an eye, hundreds of clattering white bone skeletons had flooded the passageway where the two stood.

And more were coming from behind.

What's more, some of these monsters were holding tattered axes, swords, and shields.

Though these weapons were dilapidated, they were equally deadly.

Seeing more and more bone-chilling skeleton monsters surging forward, Baldy Liu was utterly terrified.

He wanted to escape.

But he was being pointed at by a dark gun, so he didn't dare to flee.

What Baldy Liu couldn't understand was why the newcomer pointing the gun at him wasn't running away either?

You just want to use me as bait, so why aren't you running?

Ji Xun didn't say a word, just held his gun and quietly retreated near another fork in the road.

His past experience at the [407 Abnormal Biology Research Institute] had given him a lot of experience and inspiration.

He now knew that obeying the spatial rules was the only reasonable way to clear the level.

Although the information he'd gained from Enlightenment wasn't much, it was already very clear.

The keyword was: puzzle-solving.

This maze had killed three hundred thousand laborers, meaning there were three hundred thousand skeleton monsters.

For a Spell Card Master, these low-level skeleton monsters were indeed easy to defeat with a single punch.

But with three hundred thousand skeletons in this Great Cemetery Maze, could you throw thirty thousand punches?

Moreover, there was the [Keeper of Secrets], which sounded capable of instantly killing a Frost Knight.

Ji Xun didn't believe that killing monsters was the correct way to clear the level.

Therefore, at this moment, he needed to clarify a few things first.

For example, the monsters' aggro mechanism.

Ji Xun's gaze was constantly focused on observing the various limb details of the skeleton monsters.

Standing at the fork in the road meant he could retreat calmly if his judgment was wrong.

Having two plans allowed him to advance or retreat.

Ji Xun, naturally, had nothing to panic about.

But Baldy Liu, with the gun pointed at him, was already terrified out of his wits. Fear had made his face as pale as paper.

He also couldn't understand why the other person wasn't running yet, with the monsters already approaching?

In that brief moment, the skeleton monsters had already closed to within ten meters, the creaking and grinding of bones making one's hair stand on end.

Baldy Liu could no longer endure the fear of approaching death.

He would die either way!

It was better to run than to wait for death!

The guy let out a strange cry of "Ah!" and, ignoring the gun pointed at him, turned and bolted towards another passage.

Immediately, a large number of skeletal monsters gave chase.

Seeing the skeletal monsters surge like a tide, Ji Xun remained motionless.

He didn't fire, didn't run, and tried to suppress his breathing as much as possible, hiding in a dark corner.

Because a bizarre scene was unfolding.

The skeletal monsters acted as if they couldn't see the living person right in front of them in the passage, all of them chasing after the fleeing Baldy Liu.

Watching countless skeletons run past him, Ji Xun's eyes lit up: "So that's how it is."

At this moment, he finally reached an accurate conclusion: the skeletal monsters targeted their prey based on fluctuations in their sanity. Or, in the terms of his past life, their Sanity Value!

When Ji Xun had heard Dong Jiu and the other two talking about the maze's skeletal monsters in the car earlier, he'd had a question: these skeletons were just bone structures, how exactly did they perceive and lock onto targets?

Normal creatures relied on various sensory organs for target perception, such as smell, temperature, sight, and sound.

But skeletons had no organs.

They didn't even have brains.

This was a magical world, but that didn't mean it lacked basic logic.

Since the skeletons could sense living people, there must be some objective factors at play.

When he was alone earlier, he couldn't figure it out, but he hadn't expected to encounter Dong Jiu and the other two.

His luck was good; he now had the conditions to test his theory.

There were two corpses on the ground, their flesh still fresh.

They had warmth and scent.

But the skeletal monsters showed no interest.

This directly proved that flesh, scent, and temperature were not factors that attracted the skeletons' hostility.

The scope of possibilities immediately narrowed.

Ji Xun had deliberately left someone alive to eliminate the last few possibilities.

In fact, when the trio first broke in, Ji Xun had carefully observed the skeletal monsters' limb movements and noticed something unusual.

The moment the skeletal monsters appeared from the corner of the passageway, almost all of their skulls turned as if to "look" at the targets.

This didn't mean their empty eye sockets could actually see anything; it was most likely an instinct left over from their lives.

But it allowed him to determine the monsters' targets of hostility.

Clearly, their attention was focused on Dong Jiu and the other two, and they hadn't seen Ji Xun at all.

Only a few of the larger-framed [Elite Skeletons] seemed to notice, turning their heads to look over. But once he put on the Clown Mask and suppressed his emotional fluctuations, the monsters instantly lost their target.

This allowed Ji Xun to eliminate two more potential sensory pathways for the skeletons: soul and breath.

Not many possibilities remained.

There were two living people, and the biggest difference between them was that one was filled with fear, while Ji Xun had controlled his fear.

The facts were clear: the skeletons were all chasing after Baldy Liu, who was terrified and disoriented.

Therefore, the final conclusion was: a decrease in Sanity Value caused by fear was the most crucial trigger for the skeletal monsters!

And thinking back to when he was alone in the passageway and the withered bones hadn't awakened, Ji Xun hadn't understood why at the time.

Now it made sense; from the moment he entered the maze, his Sanity Value fluctuations had been very small, not reaching the critical threshold to provoke the monsters' hostility.

The maze's environment, with its constant terrifying implications, was also designed to affect the intruders' Sanity Value.

However, for Ji Xun, who had already noticed the anomaly, the impact was minimal.

With this realization, The danger within the maze was immediately reduced by more than half.

This was the true difficulty that the original [Great Cemetery Maze] should have had as a D-class space.

Ji Xun now saw hope for a way out.

Of course, this did not include the unseen [Keeper of Secrets].