Ronald's labyrinth cracking plan is very effective.
He constantly searches for the road ahead, while Nicole confirms their direction to ensure there are no mistakes. Their progress is thus carried out in an orderly manner.
Half an hour passed like this.
They have completely left the place where they entered the labyrinth, thoroughly subrged in the heart of the frosty maze.
"Ronald, I'm feeling a bit bored!"
Another ten minutes passed.
This monotonous way of progressing finally got to Nicole.
As an investigator, she tried her best to maintain her position without deviating, then loudly complained to Ronald beside her:
"How long are we going to keep moving like this?"
"I recall you said earlier that this maze shouldn't be this dull, right? Where are the monsters? The challenges? The speaking statues?"
Those things.
Can only be seen in Springs.
Hearing Nicole's complaints, Ronald imdiately stopped his attempts to find the road.
It was predictable for soone like Nicole to have such issues.
Ronald, having anticipated this, directly proposed the plan he had prepared beforehand:
"Since you're feeling bored, let's switch tasks."
"From now on, I'll ensure our direction, and you can search for the path forward, okay?"
"That's a great idea!"
Nicole accepted the task without hesitation.
When Ronald stood still to ensure their direction, without needing Ronald to say anything further, the investigator eagerly began searching and planning their route in the maze.
She was very pleased with this flexible task allocation thod!
...
Though they swapped tasks, their actual progression speed did not change much.
After all, under such limited capability conditions,
if one's spatial awareness is strong, route tracking becos quite a similar job.
The differences between individuals won't be that significant…
Boom!
Suddenly, a violent explosion echoed from far behind them.
Originally progressing cooperatively, Ronald and Nicole imdiately had their attention drawn to the sound.
Turning their heads back along the direction they ca.
A column of orange fire tore through every obstacle from beneath the cold ice cap continent, piercing straight through the heavens.
With a cartoonish art style interference, this originally awe-inspiring scene unexpectedly appeared sowhat… cute?
It must be a volcanic eruption!
Within the maze, Ronald took a few seconds to grasp the aning of this image and then gazed at the phenonon, his previously bewildered expression turning serious:
"Nicole, can you see those things?"
"Are you talking about the white stones next to this fire pillar..."
Nicole instinctively answered Ronald's question.
But soon enough, realizing the situation, both their voices grew softer, and their conversation abruptly ceased.
Around the volcano erupting beneath the Arctic Extre, so small white things erged following the impact.
These things are exactly the predatory entities birthed by Bai Chuan!
If not for Ronald and Nicole's prior swift actions, creating a significant distance between them, they might have been captured by these falling entities directly!
"..."
"This thod seems quite thrilling, doesn't it?"
At this mont, Nicole murmured sowhat enviously.
Ronald gave her a hard stare, and only then did Nicole quell her desire for the scene.
This kind of thing is incredibly dangerous.
Rushing through the air with the power of the volcanic eruption, and then descending freely.
Such a dangerous approach, only Bai Chuan's predatory entities would dare to choose — after all, they are nurous.
Even if a few die from the fall, it doesn't matter.
But if such a thing happened to Ronald and Nicole, a single mistake could lead to their doom together.
At that point, there truly would be no talking about escaping the Arctic continent.
"But truth be told,"
"Ronald, isn't their way of traveling considered cheating?"
It was at this ti that Nicole asked again.
Her tone displayed dissatisfaction for the first ti during their escape.
As far as one can estimate, a few of those predatory entities falling from above might have already crashed into the maze where they were.
In the worst cases,
they might catch up with the fleeing duo in about a quarter of an hour.
Facing such an unfair situation, Nicole's mindset changing is understandable.
But unlike Nicole, Ronald quickly stabilized his ntal state after witnessing and realizing the crisis they were facing, and consoled the sowhat dissatisfied investigator:
"Nicole, let's continue to speed up."
"Right now, it's critical not to panic. Losing a calm mindset is the worst possible thing."
"..."
"Don't panic, stay calm and composed." Nicole quickly absorbed Ronald's advice, and with just a few reminders, she quietly muttered to herself to calm her emotions, then promptly returned her focus to finding the path forward.
In the following journey,
Ronald could clearly feel an undeniable change.
Nicole's speed and accuracy in confirming the path now surpassed significantly from when they first started, clearly, after accepting his advice, she was swiftly adapting to the current urgent situation.
Ronald couldn't help but recall the evaluations others had about Nicole before.
A genius caster.
It seems that even beyond discussing her mystical spellcasting mastery, just her mindset alone proves that Nicole is indeed soone entrusted with significant responsibilities.
And the misfortune of being pursued,
did not persist on Ronald and Nicole for too long, either.
Just as the predatory entities behind them rapidly tracked their scent, closing the gap between them.
At a place closer to the center of the maze,
a creature, having the upper body of a beautiful woman and the lower body of a lion, stood in the path of Ronald and Nicole.
Faced with the sudden monster appearing before them,
Nicole's tension rose, squeezing her small round eyes.
Beside her, Ronald, originally ensuring their direction, let out a sigh of relief.
Then, with a smile, Ronald quickly passed by Nicole, stepping forward to et the eternal classic of any maze — the Sphinx.
"Brave adventurers, I have a riddle challenge here, care to try?"
As Ronald anticipated, the Sphinx spoke:
"If you can pass this challenge, I'll clear the path for you, but if you answer incorrectly..."
The Sphinx presented the question with a beguiling smile.
However, just as it opened its mouth, Ronald interrupted directly:
"Okay, I know what you want to ask."
"The answer is 'human beings,' and if you have additional questions, the answer is 'day and night.'"
"Huh?"
The Sphinx, caught off guard by Ronald's quick response, tilted its beautiful head, imdiately dumbfounded:
"What the heck? I haven't even asked the question yet!"
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