The fifteen-man party led by Scott cautiously traversed the path, the eldritch knight drawing close attention from the burly woman and her companions. Incessant howls emanated from concealed creatures, echoing beneath the torrent of fresh leaves and sharp rocks. Despite the eerie sounds, the group pressed on without any impediment.
“How much farther do we need to go?” inquired a champion, shooting a glance at Scott. The Eldritch knight spared him a brief look before resuming his slow trek.
“I'm talking to you, asshole,” the man growled, advancing toward Scott. However, four champions swiftly blocked his path.
“Cool your shit, Finman,” the muscular woman admonished him.
“But Maddy, who knows where that fucker is leading us to,” Finman protested.
“I don’t want to hear it. You can piss off if you’re that offended; he doesn’t have to answer your braindead question.” Maddy pointed her spike mace threateningly. “I won’t be so nice if you try something funny again. Now, fuck off to the back.”
Gritting his teeth, the champion swallowed his grievances, moving to the rear of the group. In silence, the procession continued its movement. Roars intensified, yet no creatures came into view. They had walked for over ten minutes, navigating various turns along the winding path, encountering no difficulties.
“Slim, how are things on your end?” Scott inquired mentally.
“So far, so good, buddy,” Slim responded with a labored sigh. “It’s strange, though. The roars are getting louder, but we haven’t encountered any beasts yet.”
“Yeah, it's kind of odd. I was hoping a few would have appeared by now. It's easier to run away during the mayhem,” Scott mentioned before steering the conversation in a different direction. “Has your elemental shard reacted?”
“Not yet,” Slim replied. “I have a feeling the maze has been modified a little bit. Normally, we should be approaching the first exit by now.”
“I think so too. Anyways, keep your guard up. We'll continue with the plan, okay?”
“I hear you. Zara must be wondering what's taking us so long. It's best we join her before she gives us some new titles,” Slim chuckled softly. The necromancer paused for a moment, then continued, “Buddy, there's a reaction. I think we're getting close.”
Scott focused on the path ahead, but nothing looked out of the ordinary. “Good, keep moving. Nothing here yet. Keep me updated.”
He focused on the path again, and like before, nothing stood out. The group silently walked for another ten minutes, the roars louder than ever, but the procession had grown accustomed to the howls. Scott and Slim exchanged multiple messages, yet none of the oddities they experienced during the first maze had presented itself.
“It has been over twenty minutes since we started walking, yet we haven’t seen any creatures or returned to the safe zone. Don’t you guys think something weird is going on?” A champion asked as he scanned the surrounding bushes.
“Isn’t that a good thing?” Scott chuckled, glancing at the man. “It’s almost as if you’re disappointed nothing has happened.”
“Hey, don’t put words in my mouth. That’s not what I meant,” the man glared at Scott.
However, the eldritch knight only chuckled while shaking his head. At that same moment, Maddy moved closer to the half-human. “Are you sure you know what you’re doing? In case you need me to remind you, things will turn sour for you if you’re leading us on a wild goose chase.”
Scott glanced at the woman, his limpid eyes meeting those of the middle-aged champion. Maddy instinctively averted her gaze, a crippling sense of paralysis overwhelming her being. The tall champion took deep breaths, trying to regain her composure as her hands trembled. The surrounding champions stopped in their tracks, noticing the woman’s condition.
“What the heck did you do?” a champion roared, moving toward Scott; however, Maddy’s outstretched arm blocked the man.
“Go back to your position,” she said in a labored voice.
“Buddy, the elemental shard is reacting like crazy now. I think we’re close,” Slim’s message echoed in Scott’s mind.
“I can see something over here,” the eldritch knight responded, his gaze fixed on seemingly ordinary rain puddles ahead. To his eyes, some of these puddles emitted an intense suction force, while others generated a counteracting energy.
Scott shifted his focus from the peculiar puddles to the assembled champions around him. “So, have you all figured out who gets to use the exit?” Folding his arms across his chest, he surveyed the group with a curious gaze.
The champions' eyes sparkled with interest, their attention instinctively drawn to the path ahead, though all they saw were mud puddles. None of them dismissed Scott's words as a casual remark.
“Are we close to the exit?” Maddy inquired, regaining her composure.
Scott nodded, gesturing towards a tree roughly three hundred meters away. “The exit is on the first branch of that tree. No mistaking it.”
Upon Scott's declaration, the champions erupted into a sprint, driven by the urgency of claiming the exit.
“Get out of our way! That spot belongs to us!” a champion shouted, charging at another with a spear. “Maddy, go!” he commanded.
Maddy, accompanied by eight members of the fifteen-strong party, formed a barrier against the oncoming champions, creating a clear path for the determined middle-aged warrior.
Explosions resonated along with curses and shrieks. Despite being outnumbered, the other champions showed no intention of relinquishing the exit without a fight. However, they could only watch helplessly as the warrior closed the gap with swift, powerful strides.
Only a few meters away now, Maddy wore a smile as she approached the first puddle. I’m surprised that the freak didn’t contend with us, but then again, he doesn’t stand a chance against all of us. There’s no way he would…
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The warrior treaded upon the puddle, her hulking figure sinking into the muddy pool. Onlookers stood frozen, eyes widened, mouths agape.
“What the hell just happened?” a champion muttered, staring at the now placid puddle. He turned his head, his expression souring. Glancing anxiously around, he gritted his teeth. “Where did he go?” The search for the masked guide intensified.
As the shock wore off, the champions noticed Scott's absence, but no one had witnessed his departure.
“Find that guy! We can't let him escape!” a champion bellowed.
Meanwhile, Scott moved stealthily through the bushes, stifling a rising urge to laugh. Who would have thought they'd engage in combat after discovering the exit? Those fools made things much easier than I anticipated.
“Buddy, are you on your way?” Slim’s voice echoed in the masked man's mind.
“I'll be there shortly. How did things go on your end?” Scott inquired.
“They erupted into a brawl as soon as I revealed the exit,” the necromancer chuckled. “I left Marrow with them and slipped away. I should be there soon.”
“Good.” Scott’s tone turned serious. “What about those guys?”
“They're waiting for us,” Slim affirmed. “Almost out, what about you?”
“I can see you; turn to your left,” Scott directed, waving at the necromancer. The duo burst from the bushes, converging on the second path.
Scott and Slim exchanged high-fives, their laughter bubbling up uncontrollably. They cackled freely for a few moments, struggling to regain their composure.
“Those idiots should be searching for us. Let's move before they catch on to our location,” Slim suggested, and without further words, the duo sprinted along the path. Ten minutes later, they spotted three figures clad in blackened armor standing near a long strip of yellow sand.
“You're finally here,” the trio's leader remarked, glancing beyond Scott and Slim but failing to notice the pursuing pack. “It doesn't seem like you needed our help after all.”
“Their desperation played right into our hands,” Slim chuckled, advancing towards the trio. “As promised, we'll guide you to the exits. However, we need to use them simultaneously to prevent any further reshuffling.”
The berserkers nodded, their focus unwaveringly fixed on Scott since his arrival, much like the eldritch knight.
Slim turned around, scanning the area before clearing his throat. “Do you have elemental shards?”
“Hmm… we should,” the man replied. “But of what use are those worthless things?”
“Please take them out. Those useless things are going to save you from a world of trouble,” Slim sighed, retrieving a crimson elemental shard from his inventory. An obsidian elemental shard appeared in Scott’s hand, while the berserkers exchanged confused glances. They suppressed their curiosity and mimicked the actions of the duo.
Scott suddenly asked, “Quick question, why did you decide to stop here?”
“Your companion told us to halt at the first sight of something strange, and that's what we did,” one of the berserkers replied.
Scott nodded slowly before approaching the trio. “What if he was deceiving you all along? I'm surprised how easily you believed him. It could have been an elaborate ploy to prevent you guys from working with us.”
Slim shot a glance at Scott. “Buddy, what are you doing?” the necromancer asked mentally.
Scott chuckled, stopping a few feet away from the berserkers. Then, he pointed toward the path ahead. “I guess you're lucky you didn't cross the sand.”
The berserkers looked at the seemingly ordinary path, but nothing stood out. They still hadn't figured out why they needed an elemental shard. Scott spoke again before they could. “Let's not waste any more time,” he said, reaching for a small branch lying on the ground. Then, he drew a straight line along the ground, marking five points with an X.
“Strangely, there are more than five exits along the beach road. The furthest I can see is over one kilometer away, while the closest is just a hundred meters from here,” Scott explained slowly. “To make things fair for you, my friend will escort you toward your assigned exits while making his way to an exit beyond yours.”
“What about you?” the berserker leader asked.
“I'll wait here,” Scott stated, stealing a quick glance at the man. “I suggested this order to ensure you won't suspect us of foul play.”
“What if we decide to betray you?” the leader retorted, direct and unflinching.
Scott chuckled, his confidence unwavering. “Good luck with that. We might be scheming the same.”
“Fine, we'll go along with your plans. But how do we know where the exit is?” the leader inquired.
“You'll find out when the time comes. By the way, I hope you and your companions are reliable. Desperation tends to lead people down unexpected paths.”
The berserkers emanated a palpable, murderous aura, but Scott remained unfazed, meeting their bloodlust with a steady gaze. “We won't back out on our agreement,” the berserker affirmed.
“Then we're settled.” Scott rose, casually tossing the stick onto the sandy road.
The dried stick arced through the air before the earth beneath it suddenly parted, swallowing the stick and sealing shut seconds later. The berserkers, witnessing the astonishing phenomenon, turned their gaze back to Scott, who chuckled nonchalantly.
“We should get going. Remember to keep those useless things close to you, unless you want to end up like the stick,” Slim chortled while approaching the sandy road.
The berserkers remained in the same position; their skepticism evident in their trembling eyes. The skeleton arrived in front of the barren patch, and without hesitation, he took a step forward. The elemental shard vibrated, crumbling into tiny dust particles that scattered across the ground. At that same moment, tremors rocked the road, and the earth parted again, devouring all the sand. However, a portion had mixed with the shattered dust particles, creating a unique path leading to an area big enough to accommodate one person.
Slim turned toward the stunned berserkers, saying, “Guys, I’m going to need you to stop staring and start moving.”
The trio snapped out from their momentary daze, and they arrived in front of the massive gorge. The elemental shard snapped on its own accord, releasing a new set of dust particles which sank into the abyss. In a flash, sand particles shot out from the darkness, forming a series of walkways toward three sandy islands like Slim’s. Scott then approached the gorge, and the same phenomenon repeated itself. The champions stared at the five paths, each leading to their own island above the bottomless gorge.
“I’m sure you don’t need me to remind you, but the moment you step on those islands, you’ll trigger the exits. So, it’s best to wait until we’re all in position,” Scott said.
The berserkers agreed with a silent nod.
“All right then, you should start moving,” the eldritch knight added.
Slim stepped on the path leading to the furthest island, while the berserkers chose their paths, leaving the closest path to Scott. In silence, the champions approached their own respective islands, with Scott arriving first.
"Move as fast as you can, Slim. We can’t be certain if these guys will betray us," Scott reminded through the party channel. The necromancer subtly increased his walking speed without alerting the berserkers.
The leader of the murderous group arrived in front of the second island, pausing as he watched his companions move toward the third and fourth islands. He turned toward Scott, and the eldritch knight acknowledged him with a nod, receiving a reciprocal one. The other berserkers reached their destinations before Slim, the trio exchanging glances. However, they remained in the same position, waiting for Slim to reach the last island.
Unlike before, the necromancer power-walked while maintaining constant communication with the berserkers via the temporary party channel. A few minutes later, all five champions stood at the periphery of their respective islands.
“Tell them we’ll jump on the count of three,” Scott instructed Slim.
The necromancer nodded and relayed the message. The berserkers raised their thumbs in acknowledgment, their gaze fixed on the floating sandpile.
However, a scream suddenly reached the champions' ears. “I have found him! That bastard is over here!”
Scott turned to the side, spotting Maddy’s companions sprinting over. However, the eldritch knight's attention focused on a blackened cloud hovering several feet away from the onrushing champions.
“What the heck is that thing?” Scott thought to himself, staring at the ominous cloud.
“Jump now!” he screamed, propelling himself to the island. Simultaneously, Slim and the berserkers also leapt to their respective islands. Five clicks followed, and the floating land flipped upside down. The buried earth resurfaced, but the champions had all disappeared.