When Alex and Sherry entered the ancient ruin, they initially thought they were simply inside a cave.
As they walked through the large cavern, the rough stone walls and faint light made the place look deceptively ordinary. However, the farther they went, the more something began to feel wrong.
The passage gradually widened until they emerged into a vast open space.
Alex stopped and looked around.
There were no visible walls marking the boundaries of the area. The ceiling seemed impossibly high, disappearing into the distance above, while the edges of the space stretched far beyond what his eyes could perceive.
Yet despite its enormous size, the entire area was strangely well-lit. There were no obvious sources of light, but a soft illumination filled the surroundings evenly, allowing them to see quite far ahead.
Sherry slowed down as well, carefully observing their surroundings.
"How large is this place...?"
Alex didn't answer immediately. Without the System Map, he probably would have had the same reaction. He might have simply assumed they had entered an enormous underground cavern and continued walking forward.
But he knew better.
His gaze shifted toward the map floating before him.
'This isn't an open area.'
According to the map, the seemingly endless space before them was actually the first section of the ancient ruin.
It was a maze, except it wasn't a conventional one. There were no walls dividing the paths, nor were there countless rooms connected by narrow corridors. Instead, the maze had been created through the manipulation of space itself.
The paths visible before them were deceptive.
Some appeared to lead straight ahead but would eventually curve back toward an area they had already passed. Others seemed to connect two distant locations when, in reality, they were separated by distorted spatial boundaries.
It was almost like walking through an enormous optical illusion.
'So that's how they made the maze.'
Alex studied the map carefully.
The System's complete map allowed him to see the actual structure hidden beneath the illusion. What looked like a single open space to his eyes was, in reality, a complicated network of spatial passages.
If he hadn't purchased the map, he probably wouldn't have even realized they were inside a maze.
He might have simply kept walking toward what appeared to be the exit, only to eventually find himself back where he started.
And then he would do it again—and again.
'It's not meant to kill or trap anyone.'
The more Alex studied the structure, the more obvious its purpose became.
There were no obvious traps designed to slaughter intruders. No deadly monsters waited around every corner, nor were there pits or mechanisms intended to instantly kill anyone who made a mistake.
The maze was simply designed to prevent people from progressing.
It seemed to be testing a person's observation and spatial awareness. More importantly, it tested whether they could understand the rules governing the space around them.
'If you don't realize what's happening, you'll just keep wandering forever.'
Without realizing the nature of the maze or paying close attention to their surroundings, they could wander endlessly without ever reaching the exit—the massive sealed gate leading to the next section.
"Wait." Alex immediately stopped Sherry before she could take another step.
Sherry paused and looked at him curiously. "What's wrong?"
"Don't move around on your own yet." Alex glanced across the vast space before them. "If you wander around without understanding how this place works, you could easily lose your way."
Sherry's expression became slightly more serious as she looked around.
"Is this place really that complicated?"
"Probably more than it looks."
To the naked eye, there was nothing particularly unusual about the vast open space. But according to the System's map, none of it was as simple as it appeared.
'If she follows one of those paths by herself, she could end up somewhere completely different.'
Alex wasn't worried about Sherry being unable to handle the maze. The problem was that the maze itself had been designed to deceive anyone who didn't understand its spatial structure.
He glanced toward Aurora, who had been silently observing the surroundings with an unusually thoughtful expression.
"What do you think?"
Aurora floated closer and looked across the enormous space.
"Your guess is correct. This entire area is being controlled by a massive spatial formation."
Alex's expression changed slightly.
Aurora then pointed toward one of the seemingly ordinary paths.
"If you move in that direction, it may appear to lead straight ahead, but its actual destination could be completely different."
Alex nodded. That matched exactly what he had seen on the System's map.
He turned back toward Sherry.
"There's a large illusion and spatial formation controlling this area."
Sherry immediately became attentive.
"So that's why everything feels so strange."
"Probably. The paths here aren't as straightforward as they appear."
Alex skipped the part about the System map. Instead, he combined what Aurora had discovered with what he already knew, giving Sherry enough information to understand the danger without revealing his advantage.
"If we're not careful, we could wander around indefinitely without even realizing we're going in circles."
Sherry's expression became serious.
"Then how are we supposed to get through?"
"I have a general idea."
It wasn't exactly a lie.
Alex opened the System Map again. A waypoint line immediately appeared, stretching from their current position through the maze and toward the massive gate. The System had already calculated a safe and direct route for him.
"Just stay close to me and follow my lead."
"Alright." Sherry nodded.
"And don't suddenly wander off. What you see isn't necessarily what's actually there."
Alex gestured toward the surrounding paths.
"This place is designed to confuse people. A path that looks like it's leading straight toward the gate might actually take you somewhere completely different."
Sherry carefully observed the surroundings before nodding.
"I understand. I'll follow you."
"Good."
Alex took the first step forward.
He didn't move quickly. Instead, he carefully followed the waypoint displayed on the System Map, occasionally checking his surroundings for any changes.
Sherry stayed close behind him, matching his pace and carefully following his footsteps.
The farther they went, the more deceptive the maze became.
Paths seemed to shift depending on their position, while distances that appeared short from one angle seemed to stretch endlessly from another. Without the System's guidance, even determining whether they were moving in the correct direction would have been difficult.
But Alex didn't hesitate. He simply followed the waypoint line, taking one turn after another as the safest route gradually led them deeper into the maze.
For anyone else, this place could easily become an endless labyrinth.
Fortunately, Alex had something the ancient ruin's creator probably never expected.
A very convenient map.
◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆
For what felt like an unknown amount of time, Alex and Sherry continued through the strange, illusionary spatial maze.
They followed the route displayed on the System Map, carefully navigating one deceptive passage after another. At times, they seemed to be moving in a straight line, only for the surroundings to subtly shift whenever they crossed an invisible spatial boundary.
Eventually, after taking one final step forward, the strange sensation surrounding them suddenly disappeared, and the endless maze came to an end.
The seemingly endless maze was gone. In its place, the two found themselves standing before a massive sealed gate.
Sherry stared at the structure in front of them.
"It really is enormous..."
The gate stood roughly five meters tall, its entire surface covered in intricate runes. Countless patterns were engraved across the massive structure, each one interlocking with another like pieces of an enormous puzzle.
Sherry slowly approached it, her eyes moving across the various formations. "These runes..." Her expression gradually changed from awe to fascination.
She had spent years studying ancient magic and the remnants of civilizations from the past. Yet even for someone like her, the complexity of the formation before her was extraordinary.
Aurora floated beside Alex, carefully examining the gate and the countless runes covering its surface.
"Don't bother trying to break it."
Alex glanced toward her. "Can't it be opened by force?"
Aurora shook her head.
"Not unless you can overpower the formation controlling this entire independent space."
She pointed toward several of the runes.
"This gate is directly connected to the main formation. Destroying it would be like trying to break a single piece of a much larger structure without knowing what the consequences will be."
Alex frowned slightly.
Aurora's expression became more interested as she continued examining the runes.
"This isn't simply a lock, either. It's a complex magical puzzle."
"A puzzle?"
"Yes. The formation is designed so that the correct sequence has to be deciphered before the gate will respond."
Alex nodded thoughtfully.
That explained why the gate looked more like an enormous collection of interlocking runes than a conventional door.
He turned toward Sherry and explained what Aurora had discovered about the gate.
Sherry's eyes immediately lit up. She stepped closer to the gate, her attention completely absorbed by the intricate runes.
Alex watched her for a moment.
This was exactly the sort of thing Sherry had spent years studying.
Her parents had been renowned researchers and explorers, and Sherry herself had inherited much of their talent. She had spent years studying ancient ruins, magical formations, and forgotten knowledge.
More importantly, there was another reason Alex remained optimistic.
"If your parents' expedition reached this place..."
Sherry's movements stopped.
Alex continued, "Then there's a good chance they managed to open this gate."
Sherry stared at the enormous formation. A faint determination appeared in her eyes.
"You're right."
If her parents and the rest of the expedition had reached the other side, then they had already solved this puzzle.
That meant the solution wasn't impossible.
And with the knowledge she had accumulated over years of research, Sherry had a genuine chance of figuring it out herself.
Alex stepped aside, giving her a clear view of the gate.
"Take your time. See if you can figure it out."
"I'll try." Sherry nodded. Her eyes began moving across the countless runes, carefully examining each pattern and connection.
For the first time since entering the ancient ruin, Sherry looked completely at home.
Solving this kind of puzzle was exactly the sort of challenge she had spent years preparing for.