Chapter 75: Labyrinth Exploration
As soon as the next day arrived, marking the fifth day since his arrival in the Shadow Realm, Klaus equipped with his backpack, moved close to the edges of the structure and looked outward toward the hill that the demoness, Briar, had described using his binoculars.
According to Briar, there had been a sudden flare of light from that hill, perhaps seven kilometers away. Many ideas came to his mind as he reviewed the situation more thoroughly.
After a bit of thinking, two important questions arose.
To begin with — would they be able to navigate the labyrinth and cover that distance before nightfall? Furthermore, should they even attempt to do so? All things considered, there was no indication that the source of the mysterious light was something beneficial rather than horrifying and deadly.
Given their circumstances and the nature of this strange, sunless void, they couldn’t afford to waste time on any fruitless journey. If they encountered other humans, Briar would have to use her [Disguise] trait to alter her appearance. Unlike her Mysticism Ability [Mind Control], which consumed energy, [Disguise] allowed her to maintain a human form indefinitely. However, the real concern wasn’t her ability to blend in, but the intentions of those so-called humans residing there.
Contrary to popular belief, not all humans in the Shadow Realm could be trusted. Some were driven by selfish desires and insatiable greed. In desperate situations, they wouldn’t hesitate to sacrifice their own teammates to save themselves. People like that were called ’Geckos.’
As the old saying goes, a gecko wouldn’t hesitate to cut off its own tail to preserve its life.
Of course, this was just the possibility that the source of the mysterious light was human. What if it was a trap set by an unknown abomination? In a situation where they couldn’t determine the rank of such a dwelling Creature, rushing in without careful thought would be nothing short of foolish. How could they explore the sunless void when they’re dead?
Whatever the case, they didn’t have the necessary information to make a choice. Reaching this conclusion, Klaus sighed and lowered his binoculars. Seizing the opportunity, he made sure to use the binoculars to examine the surrounding terrain.
Truth be told, there was no real reason for them to leave this mountain-like structure. They were safe here, and the Blackmane Stalker that Briar had tamed could easily hunt down one or two Chitinous Scavengers, which they could then dissect and use as food.
So why would they want to head somewhere else?