Originally, the difficulty of the [Grand Cemetery] labyrinth wasn't this absurd.
The normal puzzle-solving procedure was for hunters to first deal with the skeleton monsters in the labyrinth, either by brute force, managing Sanity values, or other methods, until they found clues like the adventurer's diary in the monster pile.
Then, they would proceed to trigger the hidden storyline.
This was a long and meticulous exploration process.
With clues, even encountering the [Secrecy Keeper] wouldn't be a death sentence.
But now, someone had directly triggered the hidden storyline, causing everyone to face a dead end upon entering.
Ji Xun, who had managed to stabilize his Sanity value right after entering, was relatively lucky to find some clues.
But the threat of death still loomed.
...
The amazing thing about a labyrinth is that it's a maze.
Before you traverse it, you have no idea where the passageways lead.
Even if you deliberately avoid a path, after wandering in circles, you might find yourself back at the starting point.
Moreover, some paths that seem to lead in different directions might eventually converge.
Ji Xun carefully avoided the direction from which battle noises were coming.
But as he walked, he started to feel something was wrong.
In his mind, he had been drawing a map of the labyrinth, similar to a QR code, and although he only covered a corner of it, it prevented him from retracing his steps.
However, some paths in his mental map began to converge, veering towards the same direction.
Despite his efforts to avoid it, he couldn't control others from rampaging through the maze.
After taking a few turns, despite the apparent distance, Ji Xun suddenly heard battle noises again from the passageways.
"Boom," "Boom," "Boom"...
Those thunderous battle sounds came from all directions.
Only the main forces of the governor's group could create such commotion.
Ji Xun immediately felt uneasy and tried to avoid the noise.
But whether he retreated or took other passageways, the sounds only grew closer.
Ji Xun frowned as he listened, thinking, "It seems unavoidable..."
Judging the direction of the sounds, he realized the nearby passages formed interconnected corridors.
In other words, whichever path he took, he might end up near the source of the battle noises.
Those guys moved quickly; the sounds of battle grew louder, and it seemed they were already in the adjacent passageway.
Ji Xun calculated in his mind, knowing that whichever route he chose, he might encounter them, so he simply stopped choosing.
He remembered the description of the [Secret Keeper] from the notebook and decided not to flee. Instead, he made a quick decision and lay down in a dead-end corner, choosing a spot where he was less likely to be trampled.
Then, he played dead.
This was the only way he could think of to avoid danger.
Precisely because he didn't recklessly run, Ji Xun narrowly avoided this deadly crisis.
After he had just put on the clown mask and lay down, there was a sudden "boom" at the end of the passageway.
Countless skeletons were blown to pieces, raining down like a storm.
A few bones hit Ji Xun on the ground, like shrapnel, causing him to gasp in pain.
Fortunately, he had chosen a corner to crouch in, minimizing the impact.
Otherwise, if he had been in the main passageway, the shockwave from the battle alone could have killed him.
After the explosion, Ji Xun saw three blue cards wrapped in a whirlwind fly out from the corner. The vortex grew larger, forming saw-blade-like wind blades the size of wheels.
The three wind blade vortices sliced through everything in their path, instantly cutting the skeletons in half.
Only three high-level wind blade cards were enough to clear out an entire maze passageway spanning dozens of meters.
Following the sounds of steam boiler pressure hissing and a loud "boom," countless skeletons in the passage were crushed to dust.
The high-pressure explosion's shockwave hit Ji Xun, leaving him dizzy and almost coughing up blood. He internally complained, "The governor's guys really pack a punch..."
Their combat power was indeed enough to sweep through the maze of skeleton monsters.
However, the skeletons' greatest advantage was their numbers. Once aggro was drawn, it would trigger a chain reaction.
Although Ji Xun didn't see how many people there were, the dense sound of footsteps suggested a considerable number.
Moreover, the footsteps were frantic, indicating a chaotic retreat.
The only thing that could drive them into such a frenzy was the [Secrecy Keeper].
...
"Protect the Governor!"
"Damn it, have we found the maze's exit yet?"
"Not yet. The exit mentioned in the Hunter's Guild intel is blocked by a stone door."
"..."
The loud voices of those people in battle carried far in the maze.
They probably didn't expect a D-level space to trap them here.
Hearing the noise getting closer, Ji Xun tried to calm his breathing.
A few breaths later, a gust of wind swept past his head. With half-closed eyes, he saw a group of Frost Knights escorting the corpulent Governor in a hasty retreat, numbering over a hundred.
Their sheer momentum was like a torrent of steel.
The Frost Knights' reputation was well-earned.
Yet, as soon as they passed, the temperature in the passage dropped sharply, accompanied by a strong, fishy wind. The stench, like that of corpses rising from graves, was all too familiar to the corpse collector.
Even without looking, Ji Xun knew the [Secrecy Keeper] had arrived.
What kind of terrifying creature could chase the governor's elite knights into a panic?
Ji Xun minimized his breathing, playing dead silently, while his curiosity grew.
A quick glance out of the corner of his eye revealed a cloud of black mist.
Through the thick fog, he saw tall figures on decaying horses rushing past. Their skin had rotted beyond recognition, leaving only bones connected to flesh. Their dried mouths were stitched shut, giving off an eerie vibe. As the creature approached, the air around it grew heavy and distorted, instilling an inexplicable fear.
**[Secrecy Keeper]**
**Details:** Tier 2 S-Class Calamity; they are the guardians of the catacombs, loyal secrecy keepers of the royal family; they are necromantic knights wielding destruction, feeding on the flesh and fear of the living, immortal.
...
"So, it's an S-Class Calamity..."
Ji Xun recalled hearing from hunters that any calamity above A-Class possessed some special abilities.
S-Class Calamities, in particular, were granted "special rules" by the interdimensional space.
These were usually invincible rules.
This was why hunters dreaded them.
From what he observed, the rule bestowed upon the Secrecy Keeper was—immortality.
Unless the space itself was destroyed, they couldn't die.
Regardless of their rank or abilities, this immortality alone meant even the strongest curse card masters would avoid them.
But their terror was not just their immortality.
Even a brief glance at them seemed to reveal a terror beyond comprehension.
Even Ji Xun, who faced death without flinching, felt a sudden jolt, as if pricked by a needle.
This was not a fear that could be controlled by conscious effort.
It was an instinctual shudder, like seeing an indescribable demon.
Then, Enlightenment displayed:
**"Affected by unknown corruption, Clown Mask reduces 70%, you received Fear +2, Stun +1, Soul Pollution +1"**
Just that one glance.
It felt like his soul was ensnared by a nightmare, with a more terrifying corruption seeping in.
A series of negative status effects appeared on his status panel.
**"Visual corruption?"**
Ji Xun was shocked and quickly closed his eyes.
With his vision cut off, the corruption ceased.
If not for the Clown Mask, that one glance could have caused serious trouble.
Luckily, the Governor's men were attracting the attention.
Both the pursuers and the pursued moved incredibly fast, and in a flash, both groups had passed.
As the terror dissipated, the bone-chilling cold also vanished.
The Secrecy Keeper seemed not to notice the "corpse" in the corner and continued pursuing the Governor's group.
...
It felt like the Grim Reaper's scythe had grazed his scalp, and Ji Xun experienced the sensation of a venomous snake sliding up his spine and then slipping away.
His scalp tingled.
But surviving that ordeal left a lingering, somewhat addictive feeling.
Once the sense of impending death faded completely, he stood up, squinting at the chaotic passageway, and muttered, "That creature is truly terrifying..."
Seeing the warning was one thing.
Witnessing the horror of the corruption firsthand was another.
Reflecting on that moment, he still felt a lingering fear.
But he was also grateful for that glance.
If he hadn't taken that look while others attracted its attention, he might see this calamity next time only to realize it was his death sentence.
Ji Xun's eyes trembled slightly.
But it wasn't all bad.
Ji Xun's mind raced as he analyzed, "The adventurer's note about 'the creature's slow perception of non-moving objects' was accurate. And not just non-moving objects; part of the corruption spreads through visual contact. Closing my eyes reduced the aggro..."
Playing dead had indeed escaped the creature's notice.
He also confirmed new information about the Secrecy Keeper's corruption spread.
This was crucial.
"But the Secrecy Keeper isn't blind to static objects. And I can't just play dead with my eyes closed every time it appears. Without someone attracting its attention, I'd eventually be discovered..."
The thought of dealing with this bug-like creature gave Ji Xun a headache.
Thus, the only way out was still—solving the puzzle.
Having witnessed the full extent of the schemer's methods, he was certain the Governor's group was doomed.
Well...so was he, probably.
...
Ji Xun mocked himself internally, not dwelling on the unchangeable reality.
What he needed to do now was stay away.
Looking on the bright side, at least he wasn't the target. The situation wasn't entirely hopeless.
The advantage of having those people around was that their rampage through the maze would draw all the attention away.
Ji Xun listened carefully to the direction of the battle sounds in the passage.
This time, he didn't choose an opposite path but instead decided to backtrack along the path the Governor's group had taken.
Typically, if they wanted to leave the maze, they wouldn't retrace their steps.
Avoiding them meant avoiding the greatest danger.
And...there was one more thing.
Every path was dangerous anyway.
He might as well backtrack; perhaps there would be unexpected surprises.