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After the skeleton army left, Ji Xun collected the cash from the two corpses on the ground, totaling over two thousand.
This was roughly the amount of his previously withheld wages.
It seemed the debt was settled.
Unsure if the gunfire would attract trouble, he didn't linger. He followed the path the skeletons had left.
He walked through several passages and saw hundreds of skeleton monsters piled up in the corridor, with a mutilated corpse on the ground.
It was Laitou Liu.
With the corpse found and witnesses dead, he had no more concerns.
At this moment, the sounds of battle in the corridor were intense.
Ji Xun raised an eyebrow as he listened.
Identifying the direction of the battle as nine o'clock, he decisively chose the path at three o'clock, heading deeper into the labyrinth.
...
Previously, Ji Xun worried about encountering monsters if he moved too quickly. Now, without the threat of skeleton monsters, the path was clear.
He no longer had to walk cautiously; he could even jog.
Moreover, he deliberately chose passages with more skeletons.
Most of the time, skeleton monsters not aggroed by humans were just piles of bones on the ground.
Only a few complete skeletons wandered the labyrinth.
Ji Xun completely suppressed his fear fluctuations, calmly stepping on the skeleton bones without incident.
Occasionally, encountering [Skeleton Leaders] or [Elite Skeletons], they would notice something unusual and look over.
Activating the clown mask, the skeleton leaders would immediately lose their target, standing confused in place.
If it were just skeletons and the labyrinth, Ji Xun felt this other-dimensional space was far less challenging than 407.
Moreover, the governor's party attracted most of the dangers in the labyrinth.
Even regarding the mysterious [Secrecy Keeper], Ji Xun gradually had some ideas.
Choosing paths with more skeletons was not a whim but based on a hypothesis.
The labyrinth's hint was: this was an other-dimensional space born from the resentment of 300,000 laborers who were pit killed.
So, the question arose.
Who killed these 300,000 laborers?
Coincidentally, the [Secrecy Keeper]'s hint was that it would protect the tomb's secrets by killing all living beings.
Could it be that the Secrecy Keeper was the one who killed the laborers?
If so, would the resentment left behind by the killed laborers forget the killer?
Therefore, he believed that where there were more skeletons, the Secrecy Keeper was less likely to appear.
Of course, this hypothesis was also supported by another of Ji Xun's judgments: the essence of other-dimensional spaces was not solely to kill people.
He now understood that this world's other-dimensional spaces had many modes.
Pure monster killing, puzzle-solving, survival, battle royale, bloody combat, plot, solo challenge, team competition, hell...
Each mode had different ways to break through.
If encountering the [Secrecy Keeper] meant certain death, then this grand cemetery labyrinth wouldn't be a "puzzle-solving mode" but purely based on luck.
Since it was puzzle-solving, there must be a way to survive an encounter with the monster.
Ji Xun didn't know what that "method" was yet.
But for now, staying in passages with more skeletons seemed the right choice.
...
Some others might also have thought of these things, but even if they did, it didn't mean they could achieve it.
At least the governor's party couldn't.
There were many capable people in the Frost Knight Corps, and perhaps some could maintain stable Sanity Value like Ji Xun.
But Governor Cao's guards were too numerous; not every one of them could maintain absolute calm.
The more people, the more targets for aggro, but they had to stay together to protect the governor.
Thus, their way to clear the labyrinth was to kill monsters and push through.
Ji Xun could already foresee their end.
Attracting monsters all the way and fighting all the way.
Fighting until the last man standing.
Moreover, Ji Xun suspected that the aggro trigger for skeleton monsters might not only be Sanity Value.
Even emotions like "bravery" and "excitement" could pull aggro.
Just like hunters triggering monsters in a labyrinth.
Once in combat, such rational fluctuations were inevitable.
So.
In any case, the governor's party was doomed.
But speculation aside, the life or death of the governor's party had nothing to do with Ji Xun; ultimately, he had to find a way out of the labyrinth to survive.
He walked along, carefully looking for clues.
...
Thus, Ji Xun leisurely walked through the labyrinth.
Solving labyrinths was one of his favorite pastimes in his previous life, so he didn't feel any panic being trapped.
Without a sense of crisis, his sanity fluctuations remained low, preventing the skeletons from aggroing.
A positive feedback loop.
Ji Xun continued exploring the corridors dense with skeletons, occasionally finding some glowing bones among the piles.
These bones, ground into powder, are known as [Bone Dust], a rare material.
It's widely used in the creation of undead and dark-type cards and is in high demand.
It's also the most abundant material produced in this labyrinth.
However, Ji Xun's storage ring had limited space, and even if filled, it wouldn't be worth much, so he only picked up a few and moved on.
As for fighting monsters, he hadn't considered it at all.
Even when he saw some elite skeletons that might drop good materials or cards, he didn't entertain the idea.
The best choice now was to do nothing.
He would wait until the governor's party had perished before taking action.
Thus, after walking for over half an hour.
It was unclear whether he was right or just lucky, but he chose the passages with more skeletons and did not encounter a single [Secrecy Keeper].
...
Ji Xun had an eidetic memory, and as he walked through the labyrinth, a QR code-like map gradually formed in his mind.
Despite this, he frequently took out his notebook to write and draw.
He couldn't be sure if this labyrinth was a physical one or if it had supernatural elements like a ghostly maze.
Fearing that some mysterious factor might interfere with his perception, he marked his path as he went.
Physical notes provided an additional margin for error.
Gradually, he also noticed how absurdly large this labyrinth was.
He wandered, collecting materials here and there, but found no signs of an exit.
However, this labyrinth typically required three to five days to exit.
He wasn't in a hurry.
Besides skeletons, he occasionally encountered other peculiar things.
While walking, Ji Xun's gaze suddenly stopped on a skeleton in the corner, carrying an adventurer's backpack.
"Another one..."
Seeing this unique skeleton, Ji Xun raised an eyebrow.
This distinct skeleton was once a treasure hunter trapped in the labyrinth.
Other-dimensional spaces refresh with each new entry, but if previous hunters died with valuable items, there's a chance their remains would stay as "easter eggs."
The path Ji Xun chose was seldom traveled, yielding better rewards.
He had already encountered two such skeletons, finding some valuable undead materials.
Now he found a third.
Ji Xun approached and reached out to grab the backpack when suddenly, the skeleton's bone claw sprang up and grabbed his arm.
This was a little trap for those finding the easter egg.
Usually, this scare would cause a Sanity fluctuation, attracting nearby monsters.
Ji Xun was startled the first time, but by now, the third encounter didn't faze him.
As the skeleton awakened, Ji Xun didn't even glance at it, simply stabbing it in the skull with his dagger.
The skeleton instantly went quiet.
His actions attracted the attention of a few nearby wandering skeletons, which turned their heads, black eye sockets peering over, but the aggro quickly vanished.
Ji Xun handled this expertly.
He pulled out his dagger and opened the package next to the skeleton.
Inside were some ropes, grappling hooks, and other exploration tools, all looking quite old, as if from decades ago.
There was also a yellowed notebook.
While the items seemed not very valuable, slightly disappointing, Ji Xun's interest was piqued upon flipping through the notebook.
He realized this was more valuable than treasure.
...
It was an adventurer's diary.
Reading the notes, Ji Xun quickly deduced the person's identity.
This wasn't just a treasure hunter but an adventurer.
"I am 'Yuri,' an adventurer who loves solving puzzles. I hope whoever finds my notebook knows that I was here and almost cracked this labyrinth."
"March 11: I entered this legendary Grand Cemetery Labyrinth. I found that suppressing fear reduced the chance of attracting skeleton monsters. This is good news for me; now I can explore the labyrinth's depths..."
"March 25: I reached the depths of the labyrinth, but unfortunately, I realized I was trapped..."
"…"
Ji Xun's interest grew as he read.
To figure out the monster's aggro mechanism alone, this guy was a puzzle-solving expert.
However, what came next in the diary surprised him even more: "Yuri also triggered a hidden storyline?"
It wasn't the first time.
Someone had triggered it before.
"March 28: I finally deciphered the meaning of those Talunian inscriptions on the murals and triggered a hidden storyline. Haha… I finally discovered an area no one had ever reached. Oh, how marvelous, the labyrinth's design is incredible. Please forgive me for not leaving the solution in my notes. If I wrote the answer, no one would appreciate the labyrinth's brilliant design. If you find my notebook, here's a hint: Run."
Ji Xun raised an eyebrow and chuckled softly to himself.
A hint was given but not fully explained.
To most, this would seem utterly useless, likely inciting curses at the "cliffhanger."
However, Ji Xun could see the deeper meaning behind the words left by the skeleton.
It was like reading a novel—if the suspense was spoiled, the entire story would lose its charm. So authors often, even at the risk of criticism, leave seemingly trivial hints to foreshadow future events.
This notebook was meant for fellow adventurers, not for those who couldn't grasp the spirit of adventure.
If someone couldn't reach the place Yuri had, even with the hint, then Yuri probably thought they didn't deserve to see his discoveries.
Also, the notebook might have been left behind by the space's will precisely because it didn't spoil everything.
This was the "clue" left by the space.
As Ji Xun pondered, he thought, "But what does 'run' mean?"
He had already assessed the labyrinth's difficulty while exploring.
A purely two-dimensional labyrinth layout, no matter how complex, wouldn't remain unsolved for years.
So, the Grand Cemetery Labyrinth must have some special mechanisms or unexpected designs.
The notebook's contents confirmed this.
Even without the notebook, Ji Xun was confident he would eventually find the right path.
For him, the most crucial information was about Yuri's cause of death.
As he read, his expression grew more serious.
"April 2: I chose not to return because I knew I couldn't get a perfect clearance. But I was close. I discovered another hidden passage. I avoided the monsters and found a stone door with a crescent moon symbol ☾. I suspected it led to the labyrinth's final hidden storyline. But the Talunian inscriptions on the stone were too complex, with hidden encrypted information. I couldn't open it. Plus, there were too many wandering elite and leader skeletons nearby. Even if I suppressed my fear, I was still discovered...
"Damn, those Secret Keepers are terrifyingly powerful. They are immortal, tireless. The monsters have a wide perception range, and there are many of them. One careless move, and you'll run into them. The only possible weakness is their snake-like dynamic vision, which makes them slower to sense non-moving objects. But that's not enough to keep me alive...
"April 5: My injuries are worsening, and my supplies are exhausted. I probably won't make it out. What a pity, I was so close...
"I was here. My name is Yuri, adventurer Yuri!"
"…"
The diary ended abruptly.
Ji Xun finished reading the notebook and finally found the most crucial piece of information.
It was the key description of the [Secret Keeper]: dynamic vision!
This was the proper way to approach a puzzle-solving other-dimensional space.
...
"Secrecy Keepers really can't be killed?"
Ji Xun pondered the diary's contents.
Initially, he thought the monster's prefix was an exaggeration, but it turned out to be literal.
It was likely part of the "space rules."
Just like the walls here, the Secrecy Keeper, regardless of its calamity rank, wouldn't die.
This eliminated the possibility of high-ranking hunters slaughtering their way through.
Thus, this was a legitimate puzzle-solving mode.
Ji Xun realized, "No wonder the plotter chose to act here..."
Who would have thought that a beginner-level other-dimensional space would hide dangers capable of annihilating the governor's elite regiment?
This was indeed the perfect murder site.
No assassins needed to intervene; the monsters alone could wipe out everyone trapped in the labyrinth.
And the "☾" symbol?
Seeing the symbol in the diary, Ji Xun recalled a similar symbol on the walls of the tailor's basement.
Perhaps there was a connection?
But the most useful information was the "dynamic vision" description.
Knowing this, Ji Xun now had a way to handle the [Secret Keeper] if he ever encountered it.