Volume 1 Chapter 489

Chapter 489: A Stranger in the Maze

Elite Level and Superlative Level are very subtle ranks.

Below them are the Professional Level and Apprentice Level, where people usually either lack talent or are just starting out. They know they don’t have the strength and never do anything dangerous.

Above them are the Epic Level and Legend Level, where individuals are capable of standing on their own, becoming central figures in various groups, and actually being able to accomplish things that others cannot.

Only Elite Level and Superlative Level exist. As a Superoperator, they are much stronger than ordinary people, but they really cannot achieve anything great; they are stuck here.

Moreover, the number of Elites and Superlatives is still less than the number of Apprentice Level and Formal Level Superoperators.

However, if we exclude those Superoperators who only learn a little self-defense or are just starting out…

These two levels actually have the highest number of people.

From Elite Beginner to Superlative Beginner, it seems like they have blocked all the Superoperators who lack talent, do not work hard enough, or have very little luck.

"Mediocre yet unwilling to be mediocre" describes most of the beginner Elite Level and Superlative Level individuals.

Most of them will go through the desire to climb higher, but in the end, they get hurt or have to retire because they are too old. They must come to terms with the fact that they are stuck here for their whole life.

Some people might even die while pursuing power.

Very few Superoperators truly waste time figuring out how to maximize their strength at the Elite Level.

But Lolth will do this.

The range of Magic Perception for a first elite level mage is about fifteen meters.

But… is this really the theoretical limit?

The average magic strength of a first elite level mage, which is their output power and the concentration of magic they can create, can barely support a level four spell.

If we mark the magic cost of a Fireball as 1, the natural magic recovery speed is about 0.02 per minute, and meditating can increase it by three to five times.

The strength of the mind and soul is about thirty times that of a person with a strong will.

But if the magic output of the elite is compressed to the absolute limit and released instantly for detection…

The conclusion Lolth reached for the limit range of precise detection is…

Seventy-five meters.

Within seventy-five meters, the flow of all magical energy could not escape Lolth’s perception.

Life, spells, extraordinary items, magic devices, magical circles…

Everything clearly and vividly appeared in Lolth’s mind.

Although the walls blocked exploration, Lolth’s sensing bypassed them, sketching the shape of a corner of the maze like threads.

In her mind, a picture formed like a 3D modeled map.

Then, Lolth confirmed two things.

"Hmm… This maze is bigger and more complicated than I imagined!"

Even within a seventy-five-meter range, she had not detected the boundary or any direction that might be near it.

She also did not sense the presence of her teammates.

And even though there were no boundaries and no teammates’ movements, this maze was not dull.

Besides the walls, Lolth could sense the presence of "hidden doors," "spiral staircases," "turning mechanisms," "traps," and even "secret rooms."

This was not just a simple maze surrounded by walls.

The maze itself had a very complicated structure!

The reason she only saw walls now was that… it was too big!

This meant that following the right wall, the golden rule for solving mazes, would not work.

Moreover, besides these lifeless mechanisms, there were also some lively presences.

This was the second thing Lolth discovered.

"There are… monsters inside here."

She did not sense the direct presence of the monsters, but she felt the lingering magic essence left by their activities.

She still did not understand what the "Final Trial" was testing.

Was it to find her way out of the maze, to discover something inside, or to defeat enough monsters in the maze?

Or was it simply to survive for a long time?

The five colors did not provide any information at all.

But perhaps not revealing the purpose in advance is also part of this trial’s mechanism.

Lolth thought to herself and decided to move forward.

"No matter what, I need to find my teammates first!"

She believed that if it was the Final Trial, there shouldn’t be one maze for each person.

Instead, everyone is in this maze together!

Lolth looked to the left and then to the right, and finally decided to move to the right.

With her seventy-five-meter-wide area of awareness, she moved along with it.

Soon, Lolth moved, watching the changing patterns on the walls around her and feeling the new things appearing in her perception.

At the same time, she was paying close attention to the traps she noticed.

She gently stepped on the hidden trap beneath the white sand on the ground, then calmly stood still, watching the magical arrows drawn by light strike her face, and she stepped over the real danger of the magical cutting line.

She pushed open a secret door in the wall with no gaps and took a brass key from it, not knowing what it was for.

Watching the wall suddenly spin without any change in her expression, she entered the new path that appeared after it finished spinning.

She walked down the staircase, arriving in a lower place with taller walls, then jumped over the staircase exit, where the floor suddenly collapsed to reveal sharp spikes.

Then, she moved forward.

Until…

Within her senses, a "lively" breath appeared.

Lolth stopped.

Because this breath was not from a creature.

It felt more like a human.

But…

It was not any of Ann, Julie, Lalea, or Qiong.

"The magic is a bit chaotic, it seems very tired…"

"Just come from a battle?"

"And moving… um, running away?"

"Strength… epic level."

Lolth frowned, unsure if this was the maze’s mechanism.

After all, if one’s strength is suppressed to Elite Level, it could truly create an illusion that is hard to distinguish from reality.

But if this maze can also generate NPCs…

Then that’s really strange, right?

But thinking about it, since this is a trial created by the Ailuo race, it strangely makes some sense.

Lolth decided not to overthink it; she chose to see for herself.

Just then, it seemed the other person was moving in her direction.

Lolth quickened her pace and soon found the person she was looking for!

That was definitely not someone she recognized.

Dressed in standard mercenary clothes, holding a shield taller than herself and an axe, stood a rather tall woman.

She moved quickly and paused for a moment when she saw Lolth approaching.

Then, she immediately raised her axe.

"Damn… After the bearded demon flower, there’s a succubus too!"

"This maze is getting worse and worse!"