by Zhuang Bifan
During the collision of brutal forces, Titans would be plucked up into the sky from time to time and get besieged by Ancient Wyrms from all around. There would also be sudden explosions of thunderbolts from time to time, shooting down the Ancient Wyrms flying in the air. It was battle of pure power, destined not to have any winners. Every Titan would fall together with an Ancient Wyrm, and the two were definitely going all out in the battle.
Lin Li slowly descended from the sky and landed on the ground, after which he was greeted with the sight of a boundless yellow desert that formed blurry and unclear borders when juxtaposed against the gray sky. He chose and took a step in a direction because he noticed that there seemed to be some unusual shadows there when he landed.
Despite having great mental strength, Lin Li could not tell if this place was just an illusion or he had been sent to the far-flung prehistoric times by a strong spell. He only knew that everything around him seemed so real. The hot air that he was inhaling and the feeling of sinking into yellow sand under his feet did not seem fake at all.
Lin Li didn't know how long he had been in the desert for, but the once-blurry shadow gradually became clearer. He finally realized that the shadow he was aiming at was not a mountain, but a massive shrine.
Looking at the long staircase in front, Lin Li suddenly felt amused because every step was taller than himself. Standing under the steps, he felt as if he were facing a cliff, and could only see the top of the cliff by looking up. Lin Li could not help but secretly rejoice that he was a Mage. If he were a Warrior, he would have probably died of exhaustion if he were to try climbing the stairs.
Lin Li had already lost count of how many steps he had taken, and simply knew that he actually felt a trace of fatigue when he finally stood in front of the door of the shrine that was left wide open. However, he believed that even if the door was closed, he would be able to enter through the crack, and might not even have his forehead touch it.
To be honest, he rarely felt as tiny as an ant. After entering the shrine, Lin Li felt extremely small, and the gaps between the paved stones were like wide gullies to him. In the shrine, the stone pillars on both sides seemed to be supporting the sky, and what he reckoned to be the top of the shrine seemed like a deep night sky to him.
In fact, Lin Li could already vaguely guess that this might be the pantheon of the Titan race. However, Lin Li did not feel any strong aura in this pantheon. There were no Titan guardians nor the legendary Titan Spirits in sight.
However, as Lin Li stepped into the gate of the Pantheon, the empty shrine seemed to have suddenly transformed into an endless labyrinth. Taking the huge stone pillar in front of him as a target, Lin Li displayed his flying techniques and flew straight towards the target, but the stone pillar that should have remained in place too seemed to have started moving in order to maintain a distance between itself and Lin Li.
"This is the most commonly used trick in the labyrinth." Lin Li shook his head and suddenly rushed forward, but the target sped up to collide with him.
Lin Li made a sharp turn and flew towards the side. However, the stone pillar also changed its direction and rushed at him even more rapidly. When Lin Li stopped, the stone pillar would stop. When Lin Li turned, it would turn too. When Lin Li flew away, it would do the same…
There would always be a certain pattern in the maze, but Lin Li was getting increasingly confused at the moment. Everything around him would freeze at times, and no matter which direction he went in, he would feel like he wasn't moving at all. Sometimes, it would fly backwards, and even if he stood still, he would feel like he was flying forward. Sometimes, it would fly around in all directions, making it hard for him to pinpoint a direction.
It was an active labyrinth where everything was changing irregularly and continuously. One after another, fatal traps appeared beside Lin Li without any warning, and sometimes they would even appear directly in front of him. More terribly, the traps did not adhere to any Laws at all. They were not Alchemy Arrays or magic gears. Instead, they were traps composed of intangible rules of space and time. They might not be as difficult to deal with as the space trap in that corridor, but each one was deadly, and they never failed to make Lin Li panic.
The horror of this labyrinth had far exceeded Lin Li's imagination, and he did not have any method to tackle it at all. The Warlock's Eyes, which he usually used to solve labyrinths, could not be used here, because what was detected by Warlock's Eyes would change every moment. The so-called labyrinth had no walls at all, and was simply an open space with no borders.
No matter how Lin Li spurred his flying techniques, the front seemed to be a straight never ending road, and he was like a rat running continuously on a running wheel. Regardless of which direction he turned in, the road in front of him seemed to have been trapped in a ball. No matter which direction he flew in, he would never find the end.
Outside the shrine, the blood-like sun in the sky fell and rose again for seven times, meaning that seven days had passed in the world. In these seven days, Lin Li had been trapped in the labyrinth, but still hadn't found the clue to solve the labyrinth. Finally, on the seventh day, he stopped and scratched his head in frustration. The seemingly unsolvable maze somehow felt familiar to him.
Chapter 678 - Endless Labyrinth
When this familiar feeling first appeared, Lin Li thought it was a misconception. After all, in this labyrinth where space and time were completely blurred and misplaced, it would be difficult for one not to have a false impression of something. However, when he stopped to think, the familiar feeling did not disappear, and instead became much clearer and more intense.
Could it be that this labyrinth that I'm in really is the one that I remember? But that's impossible, and there is absolutely no reason to explain it! Lin Li thought as he shook his head helplessly. In any case, he decided that he had no choice but to verify his speculation, since he really couldn't think of a way to solve this maze.
Lin Li raised the Helios' Scepter in his hand and quickly chanted a spell in the language of the High Elves. As the spell ended, the gem on top of the Helios' Scepter radiated a soft light that enveloped his body in the blink of an eye. It was not a defensive spell, but Legendary-level magic that would cause time to speed up.
As a Legendary-level spell, the Time Accelerator was not very popular, because this magic could only act on the caster himself and cause time to accelerate in his own body. For most people, this magic was simply a self-mutilating one because the consequence of the accelerated passage of time would be an accelerated passing of life.
However, in order to verify his guess, Lin Li had no choice but to use this self-mutilating magic. If he guessed right, he might be able to leave this place, but if he didn't, he might have to be trapped there forever, and that would be worse than dying.
As the time accelerated over him, Lin Li discovered that the passage of time in his body did not speed up, and instead slowed down a lot. Although Lin Li had prepared himself mentally, the results of this verification surprised him because it proved that the labyrinth was really the one in his memory—the Endless Labyrinth.
Damn it, how is this possible? Why would the labyrinth appear here!? If it weren't for the verification, Lin Li wouldn't have believed that the labyrinth that he was stuck in for seven whole days and nights turned out to be the Endless Labyrinth that shouldn't have existed in this world.
In fact, Lin Li had always thought that the Endless Labyrinth only existed in his imagination. Lin Li was not spouting nonsense; no one knew the Endless Labyrinth better than he did, because the concept of the Endless Labyrinth was one that he came up with in the first place.
The idea of the Endless Labyrinth came up when Lin Li was interacting with some of his friends in the Endless World who were keen on exploring the labyrinth. Not all gamers liked slaying monsters to level up. Some liked concocting potions, some liked to forge equipment, and some even liked to dig and excavate mines. His friends who were keen on explo
ring the labyrinth were also enthusiastic about creating a variety of traumatic labyrinths. They believed in going about their own paths and driving others to a dead end.
At that time, Lin Li and those friends had a long discussion about how they should create the most insidious and harrowing labyrinth. Lin Li suggested the idea of the Endless Labyrinth, while his friends put forward various ideas to continuously improve the basic concept of the Endless Labyrinth that Lin Li brought up.
Since they were just discussing and exchanging opinions, everyone spoke their minds aimlessly. The labyrinth enthusiasts came up with all the conceivable methods while adhering to the Laws of the Endless World. They suggested for there to be countless insidious traps, countless misleading instructions that seemed legitimate, and the unrestrained incorporation of the two major Labyrinth Laws into the Endless Labyrinth. As a result, the Endless Labyrinth seemed rather crazy.
Of course, that crazy idea only remained in their imagination because no one could create such a labyrinth. Lin Li couldn't, the labyrinth enthusiasts couldn't, and even the gods of the Endless World couldn't.
Since it wasn't feasible at all, Lin Li simply kept the crazy concept of the Endless Labyrinth in his memory after perfecting it. However, he did not expect to see the Endless Labyrinth that he had imagined to appear in this world of Anril. The horror that this caused him was definitely no less than what happened in Andoine's cabin.
The idea of the Endless Labyrinth was only known to a very limited number of people. Even if they were all blabbermouths and spread the word around, it was impossible for anyone in Anril to know. If it were a coincidence, that would be too ridiculous.
Lin Li could not help but be reminded of the Immortal King's appearance. Why does he look so similar to me?
However, it was not the time to think about these issues now. Lin Li immediately stopped exploring the maze after knowing that he was very likely to be in the Endless Labyrinth. He slowly got a grip on his feelings of irritation, and the frown on his face seemed to ease up as well. Lin Li put on a calm expression and took a seat on the ground before closing his eyes and allowing his mind to turn blank.
Lin Li remained seated for an entire day and night, turning as motionless as a sculpture. His breathing had become so slow that it was almost hard to detect. When the sun rose again, Lin Li finally opened his eyes, which no longer contained any confusion or doubt. Instead, he looked firm and enlightened. After an entire day and night of pondering, Lin Li knew that he was not that far from the truth.
The Endless Labyrinth was indeed inexplicable. As the main brainstormer, Lin Li knew that very well. However, he also knew that the labyrinth was only unsolvable to others. If he were in the Endless Labyrinth that was similar to the concept he imagined, the near-perfect labyrinth should have a tiny loophole.
Although it was called a loophole, it was not a flaw of the Endless Labyrinth, but a back door that Lin Li had reserved for himself in his conception, for Lin Li wanted to use the Endless Labyrinth his own private territory at the beginning. Hence, he naturally had to leave an alternative path for himself, which was now going to come in handy.
It now seemed to be the time to verify what the Endless Labyrinth had to do with him and why the Immortal King resembled him that greatly. Lin Li got up from the ground and took a step back without hesitation, although he was staring at the path in front that would never change.
One step, two steps, three steps… In Lin Li's field of vision, the constant road in front suddenly rushed towards the front as if every step he took backwards was extremely long. Everything in front of him seemed to be becoming blurry.
All of a sudden, everything around him came to an abrupt halt. There were no longer any flying scenes, and everything came to a standstill once again. Lin Li could clearly see that he was standing at the gate of the Pantheon with one foot outside the door. He looked in to see that it was still the scene of the world of the giants. Everything was surprisingly and ridiculously large, and even the oil lamps on the walls seemed like hills. Looking behind him, he noticed that the skies were gray and the sun was crimson like blood. The countless footprints extended into the distance and towards the desert.
Seeing this, Lin Li knew that he was right. However, he was still feeling increasingly doubtful and puzzled. A coincidence could no longer be used to explain everything. Otherwise, why would the back door left by him still exist in this Endless Labyrinth of another world?
Lin Li turned around and stepped out of the door of the Pantheon. At this moment, the surrounding scene also changed again. The boundless desert and the majestic Pantheon disappeared at this moment, leaving behind only a straight road that led directly to the clouds in the sky.
And at the end of the straight road, a huge figure stood on the cloud, which was the shadow of the Immortal King that had sent Lin Li into this world. However, the Immortal King's shadow was staring at Lin Li who was on the other end with an unfathomable smile on his face. It seemed to be personable yet full of relief and other emotions.
Lin Li took a deep breath, and decided to address his own doubts after leaving this place. When it was time for him to know, he would definitely find out. Hence, there was no point in wasting his energy on speculating aimlessly. At the thought of this, Lin Li moved away and quickly walked along the path towards the clouds.
Endless Labyrinth? Those labyrinth enthusiasts will probably never know that the so-called unsolvable labyrinth only seemed like one because their eyes were playing tricks on them. Lin Li went straight along the road and recalled the scene of him discussing the concept of the Endless Labyrinth with his friends. He then muttered something while feeling amused.
When he finally reached the end of the road, Lin Li stepped on the cloud, and the huge figure that stood on it had already disappeared. Everything returned to the state that it was in when he'd first arrived. Standing on top of the cloud, Lin Li looked down at the world beneath him to see that the Titans and the Wyrms were continuously engaging in battles again and again. Every battle would end with both parties severely injured. However, none of them wanted to stop. In the cracks of the war between the two major races, countless prehistoric magical beasts continued to wreak havoc in every corner of the mainland.
A massive yet refreshing aura of life attracted Lin Li's attention, for it reminded him of the Tree of Eternity that had begun growing some new branches after hibernating for countless years. With the awakening of the Tree of Eternity, a new race was born in the world of Anril, but compared to the Titans and the Wyrms, the so-called High Elves were really weak and vulnerable.
Chapter 679 - The Vast Sea
Time passed quickly, and thousands of years passed in the blink of an eye. Lin Li witnessed the intense wars between the Titans and the Wyrms that took place one after another. He then witnessed the world of Anril being torn apart by their incredible power. He even witnessed with his own eyes the extinction of the prehistoric magical beasts and the growth of the Tree of Eternity. He witnessed how the High Elves, who used to be underdogs, slowly made their way to the top to become the domineering dictator of Anril. They announced the end of the prehistoric times and the beginning of the Dark Age.
Lin Li watched as Anril entered the Dark Age, ruled by the High Elves. The elegant yet brutal High Elves exerted dominance over various races through ruthless means, suppressing and stopping them from retaliating again and again. The magic tides surrounded the Tree of Eternity and enveloped the entire Supreme Throne. The seven huge Sky Castles slowly rose in the air while the High Elves worshiped it. However, the rebellion forces then destroyed the Sky Castles and caused them to fall onto the ground one by one.
In the end, when the shadow of Geresco, the God of Mages, appeared on the Tree of Eternity and faced the High Elven Queen, everything came to a halt. However, the shock within Lin Li did not vanish.
When Lin Li heard a noise, he suddenly recovered from the shock and turned to look at the Immortal King's shadow, which had appe
ared again out of nowhere.
"Now, you've seen what I have," the Immortal King's shadow said in a low voice.
"You actually…" Lin Li felt a strong urge to clear all his doubts, but before he could even speak, the Immortal King's shadow had already gradually faded. As it disappeared, everything around Lin Li vanished like a bubble that just burst.
When everything disappeared, Lin Li discovered that he had already returned to reality, but he was still on the sixth floor of the central tower. However, he was at the other end of the corridor that contained deadly dangers. He could clearly see Elder Randy and Cheyenne appearing dumbfounded while standing at a spot that was not too far away from him. There was a corridor that was not too long in between them, but the space trap in the corridor made the distance seem like an uncrossable path.
"Isn't that Mage Felic? How did he get there!?" Both Cheyenne and Elder Randy had also discovered Lin Li who was looking in their direction.
After Lin Li disappeared just now, Elder Randy and Cheyenne both tried to use their mental strength to stimulate and activate the oil lamp. However, to their disappointment, regardless of how much mental strength they infused into the lamp, it did not give any reaction, as if it could only be used once. Of course, they still had no idea how lucky they were. If the Immortal King's shadow were to really bring them to that world, none of them would be able to leave the Endless Labyrinth.
However, now that they were facing the space traps in the corridor and staring at Lin Li who was on the other end of the corridor, Elder Randy and Cheyenne could no longer stay calm. Based on the powerful and unsolvable space trap in the corridor, no one would be able to imagine the huge benefits at the other end of it.
Since no one could obtain it, there was nothing else to say and they could only feel regretful. However, Lin Li who was right in front of them, seemed to have been granted the great opportunity without expending any effort at all. Cheyenne and Elder Randy could not help but stomp their feet in disp.l.e.a.s.u.r.e, with no regard for their poise.
