Aiden's eyes narrowed. In his previous life, the Labyrinth Cave had a time limit too. But back then, it was three days, not three hours. If he'd only been given three hours the first time around, he wouldn't have made it out alive even with ten years of preparation. In fact, it would've been impossible for any player. Even someone like Merrick looked visibly stressed by the restriction. Yet, despite the surprise, Aiden remained calm. It had taken him three days to escape before. If he was reborn and still needed three days, what was even the point of coming back? That made no sense. With a second chance at life, even an idiot should be able to do better than their first attempt. And Aiden was no idiot. His understanding of the game mechanics was top-tier. Even with the three-day window in his past life, escaping this maze hadn't been something a random scrub could pull off. "Nighthale, I need to be straight with you," Merrick said, weighing his words carefully. "This operation might be even more dangerous than facing a Tier-5 Dragon. Are you sure you still want to go after those items?" Aiden smiled faintly. "Are you scared?" "Scared?" Merrick froze for a moment before scoffing. What kind of joke was that? He was a top-ranked powerhouse, an elder of the Hall of Supremes, a pinnacle existence among sorcerers. Scared of a tiny Aberrant Labyrinth? Well… Honestly, he was a little worried. But in this world, reputation was everything. Besides, if a Level 12 runt like Aiden wasn't flinching, how could he? A top-ranked powerhouse like him would never lose his nerve in front of a novice."Bwahahaha!" Merrick let out a booming laugh. "I'm only asking because you're young. It'd be a shame if something happened to you here. But if you think I'm afraid, you are sorely mistaken. These eerie creatures aren't even close to being a threat to me." "Then let's go," Aiden said, expression unchanged. "Don't ask questions. Just follow me." With that, he turned and walked toward a dark corner of the cave. His movements were so decisive that Merrick didn't even have time to react. For a long moment, he just stared at Aiden's retreating back, utterly speechless. Wait a minute. Was Aiden seriously treating him like some kind of servant? Who was he to say, "Don't ask questions, just follow me"? Who exactly was the top-ranked powerhouse here?If anyone else had shown this level of arrogance, Merrick wouldn't have hesitated to lob a fireball at their face just to remind them why blood is red. But Merrick swallowed his pride. He had no choice. He was the one asking for a favor, after all. The crucial thing was that he needed information about the Fountain of Holy Spirits. And putting that aside, the commission fee alone was a hundred million. "Forget it. These days, whoever has the gold makes the rules." Merrick sighed, hurrying to catch up. "Merrick, do you know any stealth spells?" The moment he caught up, Aiden tossed the question over his shoulder with nonchalance. "Excuse me? What kind of question is that?" Merrick's beard bristled with indignation. "Stealth is a low-level spell! I don't waste time with such things. That question is frankly insulting!" "Anything will work. As long as it hides our presence and aura. The higher the grade, the better," Aiden said evenly, completely ignoring the outburst. "Child's play." Merrick snapped his fingers. 'Ding! You have received the buff: Shadow Walk. You have merged with the darkness.' Instantly, Aiden watched his body turn translucent. He couldn't help but offer a compliment. "As expected of a top-ranked powerhouse. This is impressive." "Naturally. Do you know who you are talking to?" Merrick smiled with satisfaction, finally hearing something that resembled respect from the kid. "Now, what's the plan? Your level's too low to sense the beasts, so let me warn you—there are eerie creatures right around that corner. Don't throw your life away. If you die, you can't lead me to the Fountain of Holy Spirits." Aiden paused, recalling. "There are five eerie creatures up ahead. Three Level 60 reptilians, one Level 60 Elite Boss, and one Level 80 common eerie creature. Am I right?" Merrick's smile froze. It took him a moment to recover.He was shocked. "How… how did you know that?" "So I'm right." Aiden nodded, relief washing over him. Good. The distribution of eerie creatures hadn't changed from his previous life. "No, wait—seriously? You even know that?" Merrick was completely baffled. "Are you some kind of fortune teller?" "Put it that way, I suppose I am." Aiden nodded with a slight smile. "I know a few things. My knowledge has limits, though." Merrick didn't respond. He just stared at Aiden in utter bewilderment. Uncanny. Absolutely uncanny. He was certain someone at Aiden's level couldn't possibly scout beasts from this distance. A Level 12 player shouldn't be able to do it—even a Level 80 player would struggle. Had he been here before? That didn't make sense either. Even in the same zone, monster patrols were randomized.