Even though he knew this was a dream, the grandeur of the tower was beyond what Ebner had imagined! Its sheer height surpassed all other architectural marvels—no modern skyscraper from his previous life, even those standing hundreds of meters tall, could compare to its colossal presence.
"This is incredibly tall!" Resting her head as far back as possible, the 1.5-meter-tall Xio couldn't even see the tower's base, only the black fog spiraling around its middle. As for the top, that part was indeed clear, seeing as the tower was inverted.
Even the relatively narrow tower top had a diameter of at least ten miles. With his far-reaching gaze, Ebner could vaguely see other entrances, but each entrance region remained isolated from the others, separated by some mysterious force.
"Every dream gate leads to a corresponding entrance, so we won't encounter Beyonders who entered through other doors in the maze mysteries. At least that's the case for the first three levels," Mr. Gaston explained while standing before the entrance.
So, could later levels involve 'player-versus-player' challenges? Ebner was now more convinced that the 'Dream Labyrinth Tower' was indeed the handiwork of Emperor Roselle.
Once through the entrance and after confirming their team configuration, Ebner felt his vision blur, and then he found himself inside a house.
After taking a quick look around, he observed that they were in a large four-room suite with a living room, two bathrooms, a kitchen, and a storage room. No need to guess the layout—there was a floor plan of the entire room hung on the wall. The decor, although somewhat aged, was heavily inspired by an Intis style.
A line of Hermes-script text floated before Ebner's eyes: "Unlock the combination lock and exit through the front door."
Simultaneously, the fireplaces in every corner of the room suddenly came alight, casting a dim glow.
"This seems to be a scene where we have to find certain clues within the house to deduce the combination and unlock the door. These fireplaces are likely the additional difficulty for team configurations; as time goes on, the temperature will rise, and we'll gradually become dehydrated." Mr. Gaston, having already passed the ninth floor a few times, quickly analyzed the challenge.
So this layer's mystery is a timed version of a 'locked room escape'... Ebner too quickly assessed the situation and, frowning, asked, "Is brute-forcing the lock an option?" For Beyonders, this wouldn't be too difficult.
"If you're a master locksmith, perhaps... but brute force won't work. The first three levels of this tower severely suppress Beyonder's abilities, and the ninth level practically seals them entirely. Extraordinary items are no exception!" Mr. Gaston answered helplessly. If Beyonder items worked, he wouldn't need to pay a detective—no matter how trustworthy.
Xio also frowned. Born with half an Arbitrator's power, she wasn't used to being without abilities. Nevertheless, she moved to the door, inspected the combination lock formed by countless gears and bearings, and then shook her head toward Ebner. "It's a complicated mechanical lock. If my Arbitrator's power were active, I could try forcibly disassembling it. But right now, no way." She felt the powerlessness in her body and made no further attempt.
"Well, let's see the detective in action, shall we?" Mr. Gaston now turned to Ebner expectantly, hoping to see if his money had been well spent.
Ebner didn't answer, instead activating the Pure White Eye to examine the combination lock. Having digested more of the Student of Ratiocination potion, he had improved control over the Pure White Eye, so he could specifically designate a target for analysis. Otherwise, he would never risk using the Eye in such a mysterious dream labyrinth, uncertain of what he might inadvertently interpret.
After about three seconds, the analysis completed. Ebner closed his eyes and relayed to Xio, "Try these numbers." He then recited a fifteen-digit combination.
"Looks like the 'Pure White Eye' has a higher 'rank' than this 'Dream Labyrinth Tower'—the tower can't seal its abilities!"
While Ebner pondered this golden finger of his, Mr. Gaston, who had been waiting for Ebner's investigation, simply gaped in confusion, unable to comprehend what had just happened.
Meanwhile, Xio, well-versed in Ebner's mysterious knowledge, followed his instructions without hesitation and entered the code.
As the lock's gears clicked and turned, the room's front door slowly opened.
Mr. Gaston stared, dumbfounded, before finally stammering, "How… did you do that?"
Ebner adjusted his glasses, imagining how the Fool, or rather Sherlock, might handle this room. He would likely excuse himself to the washroom, reverse four steps onto the gray fog, and divine the lock's combination. Upon opening the door, he would undoubtedly announce, "This is simply a deduction."
With this picture in mind, Ebner couldn't resist a playful smile. Looking at Mr. Gaston, he said, "This is simply a deduction!"
"Deduction?" Mr. Gaston felt as if he suddenly didn't know this word.
Xio, however, couldn't help but chuckle, thinking: Ebner's once again 'seriously' bluffing someone.
After this lighthearted moment, the three of them stepped through the door and entered a vast, sprawling library, where rows upon rows of bookshelves stretched into the distance, exuding an overwhelming aura of knowledge.
"This is the Reward Room. The books on the shelves are all protected by a mysterious force, so we can't take them. We can only claim what's given as a reward," Mr. Gaston said, his usually serious face shifting between fervor and regret.
"How do we receive the reward?" Ebner asked after a brief survey.
"Take a seat at one of those desks, and the reward will appear in your hands," Mr. Gaston explained, gesturing toward the chairs prepared for reading.
Ebner nodded, took a seat, and soon an old, tattered book appeared in his hands. Out of curiosity, he checked the cover title: The Adventures of Gwen in the Cavern.
"What's this? A novel? Even if Mr. Gaston did say the ninth-floor rewards are usually basic, this is rather disappointing…" Still confused, Ebner skimmed the book, realizing it told of a heroine named Gwen who explored a strange cavern, encountered various monsters, and narrowly escaped the maw of a Dragon-Eye Python to return to the 'Sword and Fire' Tavern.
"Dragon-Eye Python?" Ebner squinted at this mention. Since 'the Dragon-Eye Python's Eyeball' was one of the primary ingredients for the 'Seer of Secrets' potion, there was no way this detail was arbitrary.
"So this reward provides intelligence on ingredient sources… If passing these levels too frequently only rewards redundant or trivial information, then perhaps entering for the first time ensures I receive precisely the knowledge I need or highly valuable intelligence."
Holding back his excitement, Ebner asked Mr. Gaston, "Do you know the 'Sword and Fire' Tavern?"
"Seems you've received some valuable clues!" Mr. Gaston gave Ebner an intrigued look before replying, "Of course. I'm actually the owner of that tavern, and I host the local Beyonder gathering there periodically."
You're also a Beyonder gathering host? No wonder you and my teacher are friends… Ebner thought to himself. "So the tavern hasn't been established for long?"
"That's correct. After discovering the gateway beneath the school three years ago, I organized the gatherings while continuing to explore the maze and sell some of the knowledge I gained here," Mr. Gaston confirmed.
Which meant that the intelligence in this novel wasn't outdated… Though the Dream Labyrinth Tower had existed for at least a century, it seemed capable of continuously obtaining new information and knowledge.
Ebner analyzed silently for a while, then turned to Xio. "What valuable information did you receive?"
Xio, looking slightly bewildered, replied, "It's… just a romance novel. I read it several times but couldn't find anything useful."
"What was the story about?" Since only the recipient could see their own book, Ebner had to ask.
"It's about a beautiful young woman named Sherman and her romance with an aristocratic gentleman. It ends on a cliffhanger, with Sherman becoming his mistress. I don't think her future looks too promising…" Xio described the book, watching Ebner expectantly—sure that he would 'know something.'
Ebner indeed knew what it was about, but with the involvement of so many archangels and angel kings, he dared not say too much now. He simply asked, "What was the noble's name?"
Oddly, Xio shook her head, saying, "There wasn't one. It's written in the first person, so Sherman always refers to him as 'my dear.'"
If his name had been revealed, the reward would likely exceed the ninth-floor limit…
Choosing his words carefully, Ebner responded, "Perhaps you'll meet Ms. Sherman someday, and then you'll know more."
Xio nodded thoughtfully, choosing not to press the issue.
After a short rest, the three of them went to the other side of the Reward Room, where the passage to the next floor lay.
As for Mr. Gaston's reward, he didn't mention it, and Ebner didn't ask.
After another shift in the scenery, the three of them suddenly found themselves before a large, secluded mountain villa.