The Adventurer's Diary

After the skeleton legion left, Ji Xun collected the cash from the two corpses on the ground, totaling over two thousand.

It was about the salary that had been withheld earlier.

So, they were even.

He didn't dare to linger, wondering if the gunshots would attract trouble, and followed the tracks left by the skeletons.

He walked through several passages and saw hundreds of skeleton monsters piled up in the corridors, with a bloody and mangled corpse lying on the ground.

It was Baldy Liu.

The body had been found, and the witnesses were all dead, so there were no more worries.

At this point, the sounds of battle in the corridor were already very intense.

Ji Xun's brow twitched as he listened.

Identifying the battle sounds as coming from the nine o'clock direction, he decisively chose the passage at three o'clock and plunged in, heading towards the depths of the maze.

Previously, Ji Xun had worried about running into monsters if he moved too quickly, but now, without the threat of the skeleton monsters, the path ahead was clear.

He didn't have to walk fearfully like before and could even jog along.

Moreover, he deliberately chose passages with many skeletons.

Skeleton monsters that hadn't been provoked by humans were, most of the time, just piles of broken bones on the ground.

Only a small number of intact ones roamed the maze.

Ji Xun completely suppressed his fear fluctuations and calmly stepped on the skeleton bones without any accidents.

Occasionally, when encountering a [Skeleton Commander] or an [Elite Skeleton], they would sense something unusual and turn their heads to look.

Upon activating the Clown Mask, the Skeleton Commander would immediately lose its target and stand there blankly.

If it were just skeletons and the maze, Ji Xun felt that the difficulty of this Alternate Dimension was far too low compared to 407.

Furthermore, the group from the Governor's Mansion had attracted most of the dangers within the maze.

Even regarding the mysterious [Keeper of Secrets], Ji Xun was gradually forming some ideas.

His choice to walk through passages with many skeletons wasn't a whim but based on a hypothesis.

The maze's hint was: this is an Alternate Dimension generated by the resentment of thirty thousand laborers who were killed.

So, the question arises.

Who killed those thirty thousand laborers?

Coincidentally, the hint from the [Keeper of Secrets] was that it would guard the secrets of the tomb and kill all living beings.

Could it be that the Keeper of Secrets killed the laborers?

If that were the case, after being killed, would the lingering resentment forget the killer?

Therefore, he believed that the probability of the Keeper of Secrets appearing should be lower in places with more skeleton monsters.

Of course, this deduction was still supported by another judgment from Ji Xun: the essence of an Alternate Dimension is not to kill people.

He had now learned that there were many modes for Alternate Dimensions in this world.

Pure monster killing, puzzle-solving, survival, battle royale, bloody slaughter, story-driven, solo challenge, team competition, hell...

Different modes have different methods of breaking through.

If encountering the [Keeper of Secrets] was certain death, then this Great Cemetery Maze wouldn't be a "puzzle-solving mode" but purely a matter of luck.

Since it was a puzzle, there must be a way for those who encountered the monster to survive.

Ji Xun didn't know what that "method" was for now.

But as it stood, staying in passages with many skeletons was definitely not wrong.

While Ji Xun could think of these things, some people could probably think of them too.

But even if others thought of it, they might not be able to accomplish it.

At least the group from the Governor's Mansion couldn't.

There were definitely many capable individuals in the Frost Knight Legion, and perhaps some could maintain their Sanity Value without drastic fluctuations like Ji Xun.

However, Governor Cao had too many guards, and it was impossible for every one of them to maintain such absolute calmness.

With more people, there were more targets to attract hatred, but they had to stick together to protect their Governor.

Therefore, their method of clearing the maze could only be to kill monsters and push through.

Ji Xun could already see their end.

Attracting monsters all the way, killing them as they went.

Finally, fighting to the last soldier.

Moreover, Ji Xun suspected that the trigger for the skeleton monsters' hatred might not just be a decrease in Sanity Value.

Even other intense emotional fluctuations like "bravery" or "inspiration" could also draw hatred.

Just like how Hunters coming to the maze to farm monsters would inevitably provoke them.

Whenever combat occurred, these fluctuations in Sanity Value were unavoidable.

So.

Regardless of the situation, the Governor and his group were definitely doomed.

However, reasoning was reasoning.

Ji Xun didn't really care whether the people from the Governor's Mansion lived or died; ultimately, he still had to get out of the maze to survive.

He walked along, carefully searching for clues.

Just like that, Ji Xun strolled leisurely through the maze.

Solving mazes was one of his favorite recreational games from his past life, so he didn't feel any panic from being trapped.

Without a sense of crisis, his Sanity Value fluctuated less, which in turn didn't trigger the skeletons' aggression.

A virtuous cycle.

He explored the passages where skeletons were densely packed, occasionally finding some glowing bones among the piles of skeletons.

These bones, when ground into powder, were called Bone Dust, a type of extraordinary material.

It was used in the crafting of many undead and dark-element Cards, and the demand was high.

It was also the most abundant material produced by this maze.

But Ji Xun's storage ring had limited space, and filling it wouldn't fetch much money. He picked up some and then stopped bothering.

As for killing monsters, he hadn't considered it at all.

Even when he saw some Elite Skeletons that clearly might drop good materials or Cards, he had no such thoughts.

The best option now was to do nothing.

He'd wait until the Governor's Mansion people were all dead.

And so, he walked for over half an hour.

Whether it was his guess that was correct or just good luck, by choosing to walk through the passages with more skeletons, he hadn't encountered a single Keeper of Secrets.

Ji Xun possessed the ability of photographic memory. As he walked through the maze, a maze model resembling a QR code was gradually forming in his mind.

But even so, he still took out his notebook to write and draw at any time.

He wasn't sure if this maze was on a physical level or a metaphysical level, like a ghost hitting a wall.

He was afraid that some mysterious factors might interfere with his perception.

So he marked his path as he went.

Physical notes offered a greater margin for error.

Gradually, he also discovered that this maze was indeed outrageously large.

He continued walking, picking up materials along the way, wandering in this dim maze for a long time without finding any signs of an exit.

But this maze typically took three to five days to escape.

He wasn't in a hurry.

Besides skeletons, he occasionally encountered some special items.

But as he walked, Ji Xun's gaze suddenly stopped. He noticed a skeleton in a corner carrying an adventurer's backpack.

"Another one."

Seeing this monster, Ji Xun raised an eyebrow slightly.

This distinctive skeleton belonged to a treasure hunter who had died trapped in the maze.

Although the Alternate Dimension refreshed every time someone entered, if a hunter who died in the maze had left behind anything valuable, there was a chance it would remain in the maze.

It was like an "Easter egg."

The path Ji Xun chose was rarely traveled, and his harvest was a bit greater.

He had encountered two previous skeletons and found some relatively valuable undead materials.

Now he encountered a third one.

Ji Xun walked over and was just reaching out to pick up the backpack when, suddenly, the skeleton's bony claw shot out and grabbed his arm.

This was a small trap for obtaining the Easter egg.

Normally, being startled like this would cause Sanity Value fluctuations, attracting nearby monsters.

Ji Xun had been startled the first time, but now, for the third time, he was completely unfazed.

Seeing the skeleton awaken, he didn't even spare it a second glance. He flipped his hand and plunged a dagger into its white skull.

The skeleton instantly fell silent.

The attack caused a few wandering skeletons nearby to seem to sense something. They turned their heads and looked over with their hollow eye sockets, but their aggression vanished instantly.

Ji Xun had already become quite adept at handling this.

He pulled out his dagger and opened the package next to the remains.

Inside were some exploration tools like ropes and grappling hooks, with a strong sense of age, looking like they were from decades ago.

There was also a yellowed notebook.

It seemed the items weren't very valuable, which was a bit disappointing.

But as Ji Xun casually flipped through the notebook, his gaze was drawn in.

He then realized this was something more valuable than treasure.

It was an adventurer's diary.

Looking at the contents of the notebook, Ji Xun immediately guessed the person's identity.

This wasn't just a treasure hunter, but an adventurer.

"My name is 'Yuri', an adventurer who loves solving puzzles. I hope whoever finds my notebook will know that I was here and almost cracked this maze."

"March 11th: I entered the legendary Great Cemetery Maze. I discovered that suppressing the fear in my heart reduces the chance of attracting skeleton monsters. This is good news for me, as it allows me to explore deeper into the maze."

"March 25th: I reached the depths of the maze, but the bad news is, I found myself trapped."

"."

Ji Xun's interest was immediately piqued at this point.

To figure out the monster aggro mechanism on his own, this guy was a master puzzle solver.

But as he read the next part of the notebook, he was even more surprised: "This Yuri actually triggered the hidden event too?"

So it wasn't the first time.

Someone else had triggered it before.

"28th: I finally deciphered the meaning of those Taren scripts on the mural and triggered a hidden event. Hahaha, I finally discovered an area no one has ever been to. Oh, it's marvelous, the maze is designed like this. Please allow me not to leave the cracking method in the notebook; if I wrote down the answer, then no one would be able to appreciate its ingenious design anymore. If you're reading my notebook, here's a hint: Run."

Ji Xun raised an eyebrow at this, chuckling softly.

He gave a hint, but didn't fully reveal it.

It seemed useless.

Anyone else would probably curse him for leaving it unfinished.

But Ji Xun seemed to see the deeper meaning behind the dried bones writing this line.

It was like reading a novel; once the suspense is spoiled, the whole story loses its luster. That's why authors, even when facing criticism, will often write some content that seems like filler, laying down a few foreshadowing hints.

This notebook was meant for fellow adventurers, not for those who couldn't understand the spirit of adventure.

And if even with a hint, they still couldn't reach the place he had been, then Yuri felt the person who found the notebook didn't deserve to see his discoveries.

Of course.

It was probably because no spoilers were given that this notebook was left here by the will of the space.

This was also a "clue" left by the space.

Ji Xun mused again, "But what does 'run' refer to?"

Actually, when he was navigating the maze earlier, he had already made a rough assessment of its difficulty.

No matter how complex a purely two-dimensional maze layout was, it definitely wouldn't have gone unsolved for so many years.

Therefore, the ultimate solution to the Great Cemetery Maze must involve some special mechanisms or unexpected designs.

Judging by the contents of the notebook, this was indeed the case.

Of course.

Even without this notebook, Ji Xun was confident that he could find the correct way with a little time.

And for him, the most important clue in this notebook was the part recording Yuri's cause of death.

As he read, his expression gradually became serious.

"April 2nd: I didn't choose to return because I knew I couldn't achieve a perfect clear. But I was close. I discovered another hidden passage in the maze. I avoided the monsters and encountered a stone door with a crescent moon symbol. I guessed that behind that door lay the final hidden event in the maze. But the Taren scripts on the stone carvings were too profound and contained encrypted information; I couldn't open it no matter what I tried. Moreover, there were too many wandering elite and commander skeletons nearby. Even though I tried my best to suppress my fear, I was still discovered."

"Damn it, the Keeper of Secrets' strength is truly terrifying. They are immortal, never tire. The monsters have a wide perception range and are numerous; one wrong step and you'll run into them. The only weakness the monsters have is probably their dynamic vision, similar to snakes, making them slow to perceive non-moving objects, but this isn't enough to keep me alive."

"April 5th: My injuries are getting worse, and my supplies are exhausted. I probably won't make it out. What a shame, I was so close to the end."

"I have been to this world. My name is Yuri, the adventurer Yuri!"

"."

The notebook ended abruptly.

After reading the entire notebook, Ji Xun finally found the most crucial piece of information.

That was the key description of the [Keeper of Secrets]: dynamic vision!

This was the correct way to open puzzle-type Alternate Dimensions.

Providing necessary clues within a dead end.

"Can the Keeper of Secrets really not be killed?"

Ji Xun pondered the contents of the notebook.

When he first saw the "Enlightenment" prefix, he thought it was an exaggerated adjective for the monster, but it turned out to be a literal description.

This should fall under "Spatial Rules."

Just like the walls here, the Keeper of Secrets wouldn't die, regardless of its Calamity rank.

This eliminated the possibility of high-level Hunters steamrolling the monsters.

So, this was the true puzzle-solving mode.

Ji Xun suddenly understood: "No wonder the architect wanted to make their move here."

Who would have thought that a beginner Alternate Dimension would hide a danger capable of wiping out an entire elite legion of the Governor's Mansion?

This was indeed the perfect place for murder.

The monsters could even eliminate everyone trapped in the maze without the need for an assassin.

And there was a "" mark?

Seeing the symbol on the note, Ji Xun suddenly remembered seeing a similar symbol on the cellar wall in Tailor Street.

Perhaps there was a connection between them?

But the most useful piece of information was the description of "Dynamic Vision."

Knowing this at least gave Ji Xun some way to deal with the [Keeper of Secrets] if he actually encountered it.

Thanks to '20221009215637694' for the tip.