"Right there—under that slanted slope." Aiden didn't even have to think. He recognized the entrance to the maze at a glance. His previous ordeal here was burned into his memory, far too vivid to forget. "Alright." Merrick gave Aiden an odd look before waving his hand to adjust their course. Unlike their reckless sprint earlier, their pace slowed significantly. Merrick might have been a top-ranked powerhouse, but neither of them could ignore the rumor of a Tier-5 dragon nesting somewhere in the Dragon Mountain Range. Better safe than sorry. Merrick led the way with extreme caution, doing everything he could to mask their presence. Lady Luck seemed to favor them. Maybe the Dragon Mountain Range was simply too sprawling compared to Wyrm's Lair, or maybe the dragon here didn't have the razor-sharp awareness of the Radiant Dragon. Whatever the reason, they made it to the entrance without incident. A massive portal array stretched out before them—a hexagram nearly seven feet across. "What an impressive portal array." Merrick sounded genuinely surprised. He was no expert on portal arrays, but even he could tell this was something special. "It's a shame it's inactive. Could it be damaged?" He crouched down, running a finger along the inscribed lines. An active portal array usually thrummed with residual mana, but this one sat cold and lifeless, like nothing more than a child's drawing. "Are you sure you can get this thing working?" Merrick asked, doubt creeping into his voice. "Fair warning—portal arrays aren't my strong suit. I'm useless here." "Don't worry about it." Aiden smiled faintly. He bit down on his finger and let a single drop of blood fall onto the intricate engravings. Hum! Crimson light surged through the lines, engulfing the portal array in an eerie blood-red glow. Merrick's eye twitched. It actually worked? With such a simple method? "Kid, how did you know that would work?" he asked, unable to hold back the question. Aiden just smiled, saying nothing as he waited for the maze to open. "You've got to be kidding me," Merrick muttered. The longer he spent with Aiden, the more enigmatic the kid became. He was like a fortune teller who knew everything before it happened. Boom! A deep rumble shook the ground as the portal array roared to life. The blinding red light faded, leaving only a gateway. Merrick felt the mana density in the air spike. He shot a wary glance toward the highest peak. Dragons hated mana, which made them incredibly sensitive to it. Even though this surge wasn't massive, it was distinct enough to potentially draw attention. "Let's go." Aiden, apparently unconcerned, stepped into the portal array without a second thought. To him, the dragon was actually the lesser threat compared to the Corrupted-level boss lurking inside the maze. A direct confrontation with either meant death, but at least if the dragon killed him, he'd respawn. Worst case, he'd lose some attributes. "You're awfully casual about walking into danger." Watching Aiden's relaxed stride, Merrick felt a spike of irritation. D*mn it, I'm supposed to be the top-ranked powerhouse here! Why does it feel like I'm the sidekick? Ever heard of respecting your elders? Merrick grumbled under his breath, but he didn't dare fall behind and quickly stepped into the portal array. A flash of light flared, and both figures vanished. When they reappeared, darkness swallowed them whole. 'Ding! You have entered a high-danger zone.' 'Ding! You have entered the Labyrinth Cave. There is only one exit. You must locate it within the time limit, or you will be trapped here forever.''Warning: This maze has been overrun by eerie creatures. Proceed with caution.' 'Countdown: 180 Minutes' "Overrun by eerie creatures? And we only have three hours?" Merrick's expression went pale in an instant. Even with his vast experience, he found this situation thorny. Eerie creatures weren't just a nightmare for players—they were a headache for NPCs too. Countless techniques and spells that worked perfectly on other beasts were completely useless against them. Put simply, at the same level, dealing with a mutated eerie boss was far more troublesome than handling an enraged boss, especially inside a timed labyrinth like this. Given how frenzied eerie creatures were—attacking anything that moved—they were nearly impossible to shake once they locked on. To be fair, as a top-ranked powerhouse, Merrick's strength was beyond question. He could survive an encounter with even a Tier-5 Holy Judgment Dragon. Even a Level 100 Monarch-level boss would have a hard time putting him down.But the problem wasn't just fighting a boss. He also had to retrieve the target item and find the exit before the timeframe ran out. All those pressures stacked together pushed the difficulty through the roof. "I knew something was off," Aiden muttered. "The time limit's been cut way down."