48 Hours a Day

Even though the old man did not enter the maze with Zhang Heng, he could still hear the constant rumbling from the outside. He knew that it was the sound of the red mud walls changing their positions.

Not long after, the interval between the rumbling became shorter. The old man had been a receptionist here for more than 50 years. Of course, he knew what this meant. He just did not expect Zhang Heng to finish half of the maze in only three and a half minutes. At least for the first half of the journey, his speed was unparalleled, even faster than the one who completed the maze in 10 minutes.

In the past, this kind of situation usually meant that the people in the maze had a very close spiritual connection with Jemengard. However, the old man was a little confused this time because the flying machine was still hovering above the maze. He didn’t know whether Zhang Heng’s current success was due to the spiritual connection with Jemengard or the strange machine.

On the other hand, Zhang Heng’s footsteps didn’t slow. Although the changes in the labyrinth were accelerating, the number of calculations he needed to do as he continued advancing was also decreasing. After half the journey, he only needed to consider the changes in the second half of the route. Thus, he was still able to cope until now.

However, after he walked another 400 meters, the changes in the maze accelerated again. This time, the changes on the red mud wall were shortened to 15 seconds. Zhang Heng did not have time to think.

Zhang Heng did not know whether this was the rule of the maze itself or the chain reaction caused by the use of the drone. He could also feel the repulsion of the maze.

However, Zhang Heng was now less than 50 meters away from the center of the maze. Putting aside if he could leave the maze safely if he turned around, he wouldn’t give up on such a short distance.

As a result, not only did Zhang Heng not retreat, he even quickened his pace. At this point, he no longer needed to figure out how to get to the center of the maze because time didn’t allow it. By the time he was done, it was almost time for the next change. Therefore, he used the drone above his head to determine the direction of the center before he ran straight in that direction.

His reckless move quickly brought about its consequences. Not long after, Zhang Heng ran into a dead end. A red mud wall appeared in front of him, and there was no other path on either side. Other than turning back, there seemed to be nowhere else to go.

However, Zhang Heng did not seem to have any intention of turning back. Not stopping, he pulled out the Hidden Scabbard from his waist, took a deep breath, and directly hacked at the red mud wall in front of him.

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At the last moment, Zhang Heng abandoned all his calculations and predictions and chose to use the simplest and most violent method to crack the maze in front of him!

In front of the Hidden Scabbard, not to mention a mere mud wall, even a steel bar like Zhang Heng could cut through it.

However, just as Zhang Heng forcefully cut down a door that could allow access, there was another red mud wall behind the door.

Zhang Heng did not feel discouraged or surprised by this scene. From the looks of it, the center of this ever-changing maze should be the lair of Jemengard. Even though it might not know the existence of drones, it shouldn’t be unprepared for such a destructive attack.

This was also why Zhang Heng didn’t attack the labyrinth directly in the first place. Even though the labyrinth didn’t take up much space, the distance between the entrance and the center was about a kilometer. If this distance were covered in red mud walls, Zhang Heng would be worn out, even if the Hidden Scabbard could withstand it.

But now… Zhang Heng had already swung the Hidden Scabbard in his hand once more. He slashed at the second red mud wall in front of him, revealing the third wall behind him, then the fourth wall… and just like that, Zhang Heng cut through fifteen red mud walls, forcibly traversing the last twenty meters, before finally arriving at the center of the maze.

Unlike the barren and lifeless island, the Maze’s center was actually a garden full of flowers.

…..

Fan Meinan looked at the white kitten in front of her, and her whole body tensed. Although she tried her best to control her expression and show no signs of fear, her trembling bones betrayed her true thoughts.

At that moment, Fan Meinan heard another set of footsteps. The footsteps did not come from Ma Lu on the second floor but still came from the tunnel behind her.

Fan Meinan did not know if she should continue staring at the little white cat in front of her or turn around to face the new uninvited guest.

Unexpectedly, the owner of the footsteps spoke first. She let out a soft laugh. “Why? Does senior sister not want to see me?”

Fan Meinan was stunned when she heard that. Then, she turned her head and saw the figure walking out of the tunnel.

It was a pure and sweet-looking girl she had never seen before. When she smiled, two dimples appeared. Her eyes, however, were especially cunning.

Seeing Fan Meinan’s surprise, she added, “Senior sister, you and I were friends for a night. Have you forgotten me so quickly?”

“It’s you!”

Fan Meinan finally realized who this girl who suddenly appeared in front of him was. Previously, she had come to the subway station with Cheng Sihan. She was Loki’s third representative and also Loki’s chosen representative—Beta.

“If you’re here, then where’s my sister?” Fan Meinan frowned.

“Ah, I know what you’re thinking with that expression, but strictly speaking, you were the ones who lied to me first. In order to find my teacher in the hospital, you worked together to put on a show of faking your death. But I have to admit that it was quite wonderful. At that time, I was really deceived by you. It seems that I underestimated you before. After losing the strength that teacher gave you, you were still able to deceive me. That alone is enough to make you proud.”

“Did Loki choose you because you’re narcissistic enough for him?” Fan Meinan asked coldly.

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“Hmm. Interesting. Has anyone ever told you that although you and your sister look like two different types of people on the surface, there are actually quite a few similarities between the two of you? Both of your mouths are quite vicious. They’re practically the same.”

After saying that, she bent down and half-squatted, letting the white kitten with the bell jump onto her lap. The kitten then jumped onto her arm and was finally carried in front of her.

“Are you afraid of it? Don’t worry. It’s not that python.”

“Huh?” Fan Meinan raised her eyebrows.

“You and your sister joined hands to deceive me just to see teacher again. Not only did I forget about the past, but I also fulfilled your wish. Now, don’t you owe me a thank you?” Beta blinked and said.