## Chapter 158: When the Maze Killer Meets the Maze Killer
Jail Level 2...
"Baal, be careful..."
With an angry shout, the Amazon drew a Javelin from her body and threw it with all her might.
"Woo~~"
With a whistling sound tearing through the air, the Javelin accurately pierced the back of a Monster. The immense Strength drove the entire Javelin through its chest. This was a hideous, exceptionally ugly dark brown Corrupted Monster (a Tier 3 second evolution of a Crippled Fiend). It let out a foul cry of Pain, its bull-horned, elephant-headed, crocodile-mouthed head lifted high, and then it fell to the Ground with a thud, silent.
"Phew, saved. Nicole Yadi, you saved my Life again."
The Assassin, Baal, who was almost bitten from behind by that Corrupted Monster just now, looked at his dwindling Life and wiped the Cold Sweat from his forehead.
"Good that you know. From now on, you'll have to risk your little Life to protect me, okay?"
The tall Amazon watched her thrown Javelin slowly disappear into the Air, narrowing her eyes and saying with a pained expression. Javelins were precious Items, one less every time you threw one. Normally, Nicole Yadi couldn't bear to even use them as melee Weapons. However, if it could save a Companion's Life, it was worth the price.
"Haha, Baal, you should calculate properly when you get back. How many times do you owe everyone now? You might be counting until tomorrow!"
Two Figures slowly walked over from the side. The one who spoke was a Sorceress.
"Perhaps you need a good healer. How about it? Have you decided to sign a Contract with a Mercenary yet?"
The Paladin next to him also chuckled.
"Bastards, I don't need you to tell me. Just watch, one day, you will shed tears of gratitude for me, the great Lord Baal!" The Assassin said, flushing with anger.
"Oh, we're really looking forward to it! Our eyes are already brimming with tears. We're just waiting for your performance."
The other three looked at Baal with smiles.
This was a standard Squad composed of four people: an Assassin, a Sorceress, a Paladin, and an Amazon. If they could add a Necromancer or a Barbarian later, they might become a very Powerful combination.
"But, there were too many this time. If I hadn't run fast, they would have had me for Dinner already."
Seeing that the three had formed a united front and the situation was unfavorable, Baal quickly changed the subject, casting his Gaze upon the eight Corrupted Monsters, four Bone Archers, and two Bone Mages on the Ground.
"There's nothing we can do, sometimes you just have bad Luck."
The other three also sighed in unison. Ever since they arrived at the Jail, no, ever since they stepped into the Barracks, they felt their Pace forward had become much more difficult. The most obvious Difference was that the Monsters had become smarter. Their Attack Methods were more insidious. Fortunately, the Quantity they encountered each time was far less than outside, otherwise, even ten Lives wouldn't be enough.
And after entering the Jail, this feeling of difficulty intensified. Not to mention the Death Clan, Bone Mages, and Bone Archers they encountered in the Barracks, just the few new Enemies in the Jail were already causing headaches.
The High-Level species of the Fallen Ones - the Dark Ones. Their Attack Patterns had become even more bizarre; the Corrupted Monsters that spit Lightning, suitable for both ranged and melee combat, with High HP and high defense; the Evolved Form of the Ghost that could drain Mana and had some immunity to Physical and Magic - Wrath. When fighting them, perhaps by the time you realize it, your Mana has already been drained, and your Life is not far behind; and the Winged Demon Trap, which at first glance looks like a Stone Pillar carving or an Accessory, but is actually a terrifying killer. As you cautiously advance, it might be right beside you, and then shoot out a huge Fire Ball to roast you.
"The road ahead is tough!" The four exclaimed in unison.
"Alright. Let's continue on our way. Baal, we're counting on your performance again this time."
After a short Rest, the Paladin was the first to stand up and say to the Assassin.
"Leave it to me."
Hearing this, the Assassin Baal swept away his previous gloom, narcissistically flipped his Hair, and his whole person seemed to sparkle.
"Started playing Maze games at 4 years old, was invincible in the Village by 8, transformed the Assassin Training Camp's obstacle course into a Maze at 16, which no one could break (afterwards, Kashya hung me upside down from a Tree for three days and three nights), after [age], the world is so big, yet it's hard to find a worthy opponent. Is it truly the loneliness of an Expert? Alas... From now on, please call me the lonely Maze Killer - Lord Baal!"
"Oh, long live Lord Baal..." The crowd booed and cheered like they were trying to provoke him.
"Go for it, just a little bit more, and I'll be captivated by your Charm." The bold and enthusiastic Amazon threw a flirtatious Gaze at Baal.
"Haha..."
Baal, who couldn't handle praise, immediately revealed a foolish smile.
...Being able to have so much fun in a place like the Jail, perhaps this is also a skill of Adventurers to find joy in hardship. After some laughter, the group's previous low Emotion had vanished without a trace.
"Okay, let's Depart. Stay close."
Baal, who was walking in front, completely changed from his previous foolish Appearance. He calmly waved to everyone. As the Scout, his responsibility was now great. A slight mistake could lead to the entire Party being wiped out. There was absolutely no room for Jokes.
"This way... hmm... here..."
After turning who knows how many Corners, passing through how many doors and Corridors, everyone's Brains were dizzy, but Baal still maintained a confident expression, looking completely in control. Sometimes he would make a Marker on the Wall, sometimes he would close his eyes and ponder. His serious and confident Gaze gave the others a sense of firmness. As long as he was there, Mazes would definitely not be a problem.
"..."
Just as the three behind him were thinking this, Baal, who was walking in front, suddenly stopped, a strange expression on his face.
Enemy?
The three immediately gripped the Weapons in their hands and rushed forward.
"..."
When the three rushed to Baal's side and looked in the direction of his Gaze, they were also stunned. It wasn't an Enemy; on the contrary, there wasn't even a Figure.
Appearing In Front of them was a broken Wall. To be precise, it was a Wall with a large hole broken through it. Judging from the sharp fracture surface exposed on it, the time it was broken should not have been long.
"What kind of Monster is this..."
The Assassin let out a low Question, an Incredulous look on his face. Monsters in Hell have always been known for cherishing their "Homeland," which is probably their only virtue recognized by Sanctuary.
"Boom..."
Just as the four were staring blankly at the hole in the Wall, a sudden violent banging sound came through. It was as if the entire Ground trembled a few times.
"Behind us."
The sharp Amazon quickly turned around and spoke alertly to the Wall behind them. The sound source was on the other side of the Wall.
"Boom... Boom..."
Continuous, explosion-like vibrations became clearer and clearer. The painful groans coming from the Walls and floor made one involuntarily imagine the enormous body and violent Strength of the unknown Monster in their minds.
"Hey... let's retreat..."
The Paladin was the first to regain his senses. He pulled the other three to hide around a nearby Corner. Just as they had hidden themselves, the Wall they had just been facing was blasted open with a crash. Countless Stone Fragments and broken walls shot out, raising a huge cloud of Dust. A giant hole, about two meters in diameter, appeared on the Wall that had just been intact.
The Atmosphere was quiet for a moment. Then, like a Crocodile quietly surfacing, a ferocious head covered in Mane silently emerged from the dark Wall. Then its neck appeared, followed by its Upper Body... From its posture, it was clear that this Monster was half-crouching to pass through this giant hole over two meters high, indicating the enormous size of its body.
What kind of Monster is this?! Why have I never heard of it?!
The four hiding around the Corner stared blankly at the scene before them. It wasn't until the Monster in their Gaze had completely emerged that they were astonished to realize that the creature before them was a Giant Bear over three meters tall.
Before their Brains could process this, after the Giant Bear came out, a snow-white Giant Wolf, also over two meters tall, emerged from the broken hole.
My God, what is going on!! A Circus? A Boss Party? In their astonished Gaze, four gray Giant Wolves, slightly smaller than the snow-white Giant Wolf, also emerged from the broken hole. Although they were said to be smaller, they were still about as tall as an ordinary adult. Standing In Front of you, they could scare you to Death...
The first Giant Bear that appeared examined the broken hole opposite it, making a thoughtful Appearance. Since when did Bosses have intelligence? This scene, completely subverting common sense, left the four in a daze.
"Sigh, how did we end up back at the starting point? So unlucky..."
A moment later, the Giant Bear suddenly performed an Incredulous action. It actually started speaking, and its pronunciation was so clear and standard.
"Ah..."
The Amazon let out a soft exclamation as if she had discovered something. With a slight movement, as if a chain reaction, the four stunned people lost their footing and fell down together.
"Alright, let's aim here this time."
I chose another Wall and was about to swing my arm to start working, when I unexpectedly heard an exclamation from the Corner behind me, followed by Little Snow's alert roar.
I turned back in surprise and saw four Class Changers piled up on the Ground. One of them, a female warrior dressed as an Amazon, avoided my Gaze with a pretty face slightly flushed, looking very embarrassed.
"Yo, hello everyone, what a coincidence..."
I awkwardly waved my bear paw, giving a stiff greeting. Although I didn't understand why I was awkward, seeing them witness that scene just now made me feel very embarrassed.
"..."
The other three finally reacted. They stared blankly at me, then looked at the Oak Sage, Lazy Crow, and Poison Creeper that had emerged last from the broken hole, and suddenly had a look of realization.
Hey, hey, I say, what did you guys think I was just now? Seeing them look at me with eyes of sudden realization, Cold Sweat immediately poured down.
Compared to the other few who reacted unusually, the Adventurer dressed as an Assassin lowered his head, muttering something, while his Companion next to him heard it clearly.
"How could he, how could he destroy the Holy Maze? This is cheating, completely cheating behavior..."
His own specialty, his Domain, was so easily broken by someone using cheating behavior. Baal felt extremely unbalanced mentally.
"Duel... Duel! After we return to the Rogue Encampment, I want to duel you in the Arena to punish this kind of... woo woo..."
Baal's words were not finished before the Paladin and Amazon on either side covered his mouth together, then the three dragged him to the Corner behind them. Then came a series of cracking sounds. When the four came out, Baal, who was walking at the back, had a face that was swollen by a whole circle. At this moment, he wore an expression like a sun-dried pickled vegetable, completely devoid of his previous sharp and imposing Presence.
"It is our Honor to meet Lord Wu Fan here."
The Paladin, who seemed to be the Leader of the four, stepped forward, bent slightly at the waist, and gave a solemn Knight's Courtesy.
"You know me?"
I returned the courtesy in kind. The Paladin's etiquette was a bit cumbersome.
"In Vita Village, we were fortunate to fight alongside Lord Wu Fan."
"Oh, so you are the Warriors from Vita Village. That was truly rude of me, I apologize. There were too many people at the time, and I am quite forgetful."
We chatted for a while, and then coincidentally suggested finding a place to have a good Rest for the night. What a coincidence indeed.
"Everyone, please don't be shy, drink up..."
The four gathered around the Campfire. After filling their bellies, I dripped a few drops of the Concentrated Spirit Refreshing Water that Akara had given me into each of their Water Bags, and then they each diluted it with the boiling hot water heated over the Campfire. Although it wasn't as refreshing and pleasant as the one Akara made personally, being able to drink it while adventuring was already a form of enjoyment.
"Then we won't be polite."
The Paladin was the first to pour the hot water into it, then eagerly took a sip. For ordinary Adventurers like them, Akara's Spirit-Clearing Water was still very tempting.
"As expected of Spirit-Clearing Water made by Lady Akara, it's an indescribably delicious taste."
The bold and enthusiastic Amazon also took a big gulp and did not spare her Words of Praise. After a short period of interaction, they had mostly dropped their politeness and revealed their true nature to me, which I was happy to see. Only the Assassin remained silent with a straight face, until he drank the Spirit-Clearing Water. He seemed to be captivated by its Charm as well, and his complexion gradually softened.
"Lord Wu Fan, are you planning to look for the Entrance to the third level?"
Nicole Yadi opposite me looked at me curiously.
"That's right, I just couldn't find the Exit, so I could only..."
I replied awkwardly. Actually, it wasn't that I couldn't find it for a long time. Not long after arriving at Jail Level 1, I completely gave up on trying to find the Exit by navigating the Maze. Thanks to quickly making up my mind, I quickly found the Entrance to Jail Level 2 using the method just now, without even passing through the Waypoint on Level 1...
"Lord Wu Fan is truly a Maze Killer in another sense..."