"Is it because of Little Green?"
Lynn's gaze froze slightly, but he couldn't completely confirm his suspicion.
Even if Little Green was indeed the problem, he couldn't abandon it in the first three layers of the labyrinth.
Without Little Green's help, he wasn't even sure if he could pass the first few trials smoothly.
The darkness, like a relentless predator, closed in again, leaving Lynn no time to think further.
Gritting his teeth, he gripped his notebook tightly and charged forward, while Little Green kept clearing the path ahead.
However, the later entries in the notebook were of little help to Lynn mostly filled with despairing last words.
Lynn knew he had already lingered in the first layer of the labyrinth for too long. Right now, the most important thing was to escape the all-devouring darkness.
Boom!
Little Green suddenly smashed open a passageway, revealing a door glowing with a soft light.
That was the exit of the first labyrinth!
Lynn took a glance at the encroaching black mist behind him. Without hesitation, he rushed through the radiant doorway with Little Green, entering the second layer of the labyrinth.
Meanwhile, in a distant green-hued space, an entirely different scene unfolded.
Looking up from the ground, the space seemed to be supported by a colossal, sky-reaching pea sprout.
On either side of the pea sprout grew massive symmetrical leaves, connected by thirteen ascending staircases.
To step onto these staircases, one had to undergo rigorous trials.
The moment someone set foot on a staircase, they would be pulled into a labyrinth.
Only by passing the labyrinth's test could they ascend to the next level and unlock new trials.
This time, the Furnace had sent out nearly all its members, leading a large group of apprentices and wizards to climb the towering pea sprout.
However, just to step onto the first leaf, they had to pass through thirteen labyrinth trials.
This was already a formidable challenge. Even though the labyrinth's difficulty had been slightly reduced compared to previous trials, it was still not something ordinary people could easily overcome.
Those who failed the trials would linger briefly on the steps, their expressions turning grim before they vanished in the next second instantly transported out of the space.
On the other hand, those who successfully passed would see a green light gate appear before them, and they would step into it joyfully, continuing their ascent.
This trial wasn't about reaching the highest point of the pea sprout it varied for each individual.
Some might only need to pass a single labyrinth to move on to the next stage.
Others could climb to great heights yet remain stuck in the same phase, unable to advance.
A unique aspect of this trial was that although all participants could see one another, they couldn't interact or interfere in any way.
Thus, even though members of Nightshadow Fortress and the Bitterheart Sect were present in the space, those from the Furnace faction could only watch them without being able to take any action.
From the ground up, around the seventh labyrinth level, a striking figure stood out.
It was Aestry. She was stuck at this height.
Her breathtaking face was clouded with gloom, and her violet eyes were filled with resentment and killing intent. Her heart was raging with emotions she couldn't suppress.
Earlier, the Lord of the Furnace had explained to her why she couldn't leave this space like the other apprentices or wizards.
It was because she had already been "claimed" by the labyrinth she had become part of its "harvest."
For this reason, she was trapped here, unable to escape unless someone passed this stage and chose her as a reward to take her out of the labyrinth.
In other words, only if someone "claimed" her could she break free from this prison.
However, how could Aestry, with her unparalleled pride, accept such humiliation?
The moment she learned that she might become someone else's pet, trophy, or prize, her flawless face darkened, and her entire body trembled with fury and shame.
She swore to herself: If anyone dared to claim her as a "pet," she would stop at nothing to kill that person and wash away the disgrace with blood!
Fortunately, the Lord of the Furnace had told her there was still a way to save herself.
Previously, the Lord of the Furnace had invoked the world rules of the Wizarding Realm, disrupting the balance of this "landscape" considerably.
As a result, figures like Aestry and the Lord of Nightshadow Fortress had been partially freed.
While they still couldn't leave the labyrinth at will, they now had the right to participate in the trials.
If Aestry could complete the labyrinth trials before anyone else and select herself as a reward, she would be able to break free from this predicament.
At first, Aestry hadn't taken these so-called labyrinth trials seriously.
She had assumed they were mere trivial game challenges she could easily overcome with her abilities.
But the moment she stepped onto the first staircase, she experienced firsthand the horror and difficulty of these trials.
On her very first attempt, she failed instantly.
However, due to her "half-harvest" status, she wasn't immediately expelled from the labyrinth. Instead, she was allowed to try again.
Now, Aestry had been stuck at this trial for quite some time.
The Lord of the Furnace, the Whiteheart Tower Master, and even some Third-Level Grand Wizards had long since passed the fourth stage and moved on.
But she the most gifted student of the Lord of the Furnace, the Black Dragon Witch, Aestry, one of the greatest talents in the Furnace was still stuck on the seventh staircase, unable to advance.
For someone as proud as her, this was utter humiliation.
She could accept that she was weaker than figures like the Lord of the Furnace or the Whiteheart Tower Master.
But seeing even Second-Level Wizards, formal Wizards, and even Third-Level Apprentices surpass her while she remained trapped was a devastating blow to her pride.
Aestry's flawless face was now twisted with darkness and frustration.
She was unwilling to accept failure.
She refused to become a "trophy" in this labyrinth.
She would never allow someone to take her away as a reward!
But at that moment, a figure suddenly appeared within her violet eyes.
It was a tall and slender wizard apprentice, his face obscured by the shadow of a hood.
Behind him followed a towering, formidable green treant, its leaves shimmering with strange radiance.
The rules of the labyrinth dictated that each staircase represented an independent trial, and passing each labyrinth required immense time and effort.
Yet this apprentice moved through the trials with unbelievable familiarity.
He barely paused as he ascended from one step to the next, moving effortlessly.
Even the Lord of the Furnace and the Whiteheart Tower Master, both Tier 4 Morning Star Wizards, had not progressed with such speed.
Aestry's eyes locked onto the figure.
She watched as he rapidly scaled six steps, soon surpassing her level.
At that moment, her violet eyes suddenly contracted.
A memory fragment surfaced in her mind like a lightning bolt.
"It's you!" Aestry gasped, her voice trembling with rage. "That apprentice who escaped!"
She remembered now that apprentice!
She had once personally hunted him down, but he had barely escaped from her grasp.
Back then, she had suspected that he might possess the same labyrinth-walking ability as the Lionheart Knights.
And now, it was confirmed!
Yet when Aestry locked eyes with him, she saw nothing in return.
His gaze swept past her as if she were mere air as if she were completely irrelevant.
But this indifference hurt far more than open hostility.
As the top-tier figure in the Furnace, as the Black Dragon Witch, Aestry had never been ignored like this!
Even the Whiteheart Tower Master, a Morning Star Wizard, had acknowledged her.
Aestry's chest heaved with fury, her heart seething with hatred.
Had she captured him that day, it would have been her effortlessly passing through the labyrinth right now!
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