Hidden plots are common in dimensional spaces.
It's somewhat like the difficulty levels in video games from a previous life.
The first time you enter, it's at a normal difficulty, then there's elite, nightmare, hell, and so on.
Constant exploration unlocks higher difficulty plots.
Usually, this is good news for treasure hunters.
Triggering a hidden plot often means better rewards and possibly hidden treasures.
Ji Xun had experienced this once before in the 407 space.
But this time, it was clearly different.
According to the hunters' intel, this was just a low-level dimensional space for farming skeletons.
But now, it seemed that the monsters were more than just skeletons.
"Secret Keepers, undying and immortal?"
Ji Xun caught the keywords and pondered them.
If the planner believed that raising the space's difficulty could threaten Governor Cao's life, it must be something significant.
"Trapping someone in an inescapable maze and then using monsters to kill them—this is quite the thorough plan."
Ji Xun quickly understood.
His personality never inclined him to complain about unexpected events.
When they come, he just deals with them.
He observed the maze walls briefly and then proceeded deeper into the maze.
What he needed to do now was to stay far away from the governor.
...
Outside, Ji Xun thought that as a novice card master, if he got caught up in this situation, he would likely be dead.
But inside the dimensional space, the will of the space wouldn't change based on an individual's presence.
Even the planner could only make some arrangements using the space's rules.
This assassination plot was undoubtedly extremely dangerous.
But it wasn't targeted at him.
As long as he kept his distance from the governor, the danger would be reduced by ninety-nine percent.
Seeing the situation clearly, Ji Xun decisively chose to slip away.
After only a few steps, the sounds of battle echoed through the maze.
"Boom, boom, boom..."
Gunfire mixed with what sounded like thunder reverberated through the maze.
Since the maze was a closed corridor, the sounds traveled far.
Listening to the intense battle, Ji Xun determined the direction and thought, "I need to find a safe place to hide first."
Finding an exit and escaping the maze was out of the question for now.
Not only did he not know the way out, but even if he did, it was definitely not the right time to go.
Common sense dictated that the exit would be heavily guarded.
Laying in ambush for any survivors who might manage to escape.
Staying away from the fight was the safest bet.
With that in mind, Ji Xun avoided the corridors where he heard battle noises and chose a dark passage in the opposite direction.
...
As Ji Xun expected.
Outside the maze, a man and a woman, both wearing cloaks, were hiding in the darkness.
Ambushing Cao Sihai, the governor of Sinless City and a noble of the federation, was a crime that could lead to family extermination.
Yet, the two showed no fear. Instead, they waited eagerly while chatting.
"That fat Cao Sihai actually tried to escape back to the capital in a cargo train. Tsk tsk, he really has no shame as a high noble. Once he's dead, Sinless City will be in chaos."
The cloaked woman's tone was clearly gloating.
In contrast, the cloaked man next to her, shorter by half a head, remained silent.
Seeing her companion not respond, the woman continued talking to herself:
"I heard some rumors that the Cao family recently obtained a high-level catastrophe relic. He probably took it with him while escaping to the capital. It's said to be the one that the wanted criminal 'Lone Wolf' Baron brought back from the Demon Cross... I'm curious to know what level of relic it is."
Hearing this, the cloaked man finally showed some interest, chuckling, "I was the one who leaked that information. I also posted the bounty on the black market."
The cloaked woman turned her head, pouting, her interest waning significantly. "Ah... so it's fake news?"
The cloaked man shrugged and continued, "Not entirely false, otherwise Cao Sihai wouldn't be so anxious to leave Sinless City. But what he has isn't some ancient relic brought out by Baron, it's an uncontainable 'Catastrophe Object.'"
Hearing this, the cloaked woman's eyes lit up with interest. "Catastrophe Object?"
The cloaked man elaborated, "The Cao family of Dragon City inherited some ancient pre-catastrophe documents, which they haven't been able to decipher. However, half a month ago, some pioneering hunters discovered a temple ruin recorded in those documents in the Old Continent and found many ancient relics, including that uncontainable object. Its effects are unknown, and its catastrophe level hasn't been rated. Governor Cao hurriedly left to not only save his life but also to take the Catastrophe Object to Dragon City."
The cloaked woman, eyes gleaming, looked at her calm companion and asked, "Aren't you interested in that object?"
After all, a Catastrophe Object is an item of unimaginable power.
"Not uninterested, but not foolishly persistent," the cloaked man replied with a light laugh.
He explained his reasoning, "Ancient relics from before the great catastrophe are entangled with extraordinary rules of fate. They are gifts from ancient demons, but not everyone can bear them. No matter what happens, it will end up in the hands of someone it's destined for—that's fate. If it's mine, I won't miss it. If it's not, there's no point in forcing it. Even if I got it, I'd just be temporarily keeping it for fate, adding unnecessary trouble."
"Ah... Your view on fate is a bit far-fetched," the cloaked woman rolled her eyes.
She added with a wry smile, "If that's the case, then everyone is destined to die. Might as well die sooner. Come on, since your ability is so great, tell me my love fate."
"I don't do divination."
"Prediction works too. Come on, tell me if I'll meet a hero... and he has to be handsome... riding a cloud to meet me..."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"You... will probably die alone."
"Ugh! You jerk! Can't you say something nice? What a useless ability, so inaccurate."
"..."
The two bantered a bit more.
The cloaked man smiled but didn't argue, returning to the main topic, "Based on the current information, whoever holds that 'Catastrophe Object' faces misfortune. The first to find it was the Thunder Hammer Mercenary Group; nine-tenths died after leaving the ruins. The survivors were all silenced by Cao Sihai. Subsequently, six others have come into contact with the object, and all died under mysterious circumstances. Now, Governor Cao is no exception. It seems there's a strange fate at play. And what's even stranger is that no one knows what that object is."
After finishing his explanation, he teasingly asked, "After hearing all this, do you still want to hold it in your hands?"
Although the cloaked woman outwardly expressed disbelief, she highly respected her companion's abilities. She raised an eyebrow, "Is it that sinister?"
"If it weren't, why else?" The cloaked man responded noncommittally with a smile.
He didn't dwell on the topic, instead shifting the conversation, "In comparison, I find this maze more intriguing. When I explored it earlier, I realized this Grand Cemetery Maze was created by the resentment of the tomb artisans killed by the 'Mad King' Augustus of the Talon Dynasty three thousand years ago. That was the last recorded ancient dynasty before the Great Catastrophe. The history before the Great Catastrophe ended at this point. Don't you think that's more valuable than any treasure?"
The cloaked woman rolled her eyes, clearly uninterested.
After a brief silence, she changed the subject, "The Cao family's attempt to control Sin City and monopolize the Old Continent is foiled. Clearing out the Frost Knight regiment means their plans here are entirely ruined. By the way, who exactly funded our mission this time?"
The cloaked man, indifferent, replied, "Does it matter? Do you think any of the other council factions don't have similar ambitions? If the Cao family continues to dominate, they won't be satisfied with just a few seats."
He paused, his voice as lazy as ever but his eyes sharp, "The major cities have been in the affluent layer for too long. The Federation Council's old geezers are lost in luxury, forgetting the ancestral mandate to explore the depths. But we are treasure hunters. Now that we've found the Old Continent, it's time to shake up those complacent fools."
The cloaked woman sarcastically commented, "Politics is truly boring."
Uninterested in the topic, she asked, "Cao Sihai is doomed. What happens next in Sinless City? Even though the gangs in the Lower City are constantly fighting, they are united against outsiders. It won't matter who the new governor is. Will the council send troops to force their way?"
The cloaked man cryptically replied, "Can you kill all the rats in the sewer? Sinless City is far more complicated than it appears. Anyone who tries to force their way in will surely fail."
The cloaked woman was puzzled, "So what's the plan? We can't let these gangs control the gold rush port to the Old Continent forever, can we?"
The cloaked man meaningfully said, "Powerful entities often fracture from within."
Hearing this mysterious tone, the cloaked woman rolled her eyes again, giving up on pressing further. "Forget it. This scheming stuff suits you better."
She then asked, "By the way, weren't there some particularly unusual characters among those raiders earlier?"
The cloaked man responded, "Just remnants of the old era with some connections. We set them up, so we killed a few more people."
They continued their conversation nonchalantly.
Meanwhile, the maze had turned into a scene of carnage.