Chapter 229: The Man-Eating Labyrinth

The three defining characteristics of sound are pitch, volume, and timbre. It is precisely because of these three elements that we can distinguish different people or objects by their voices.

Recalling the voice on the phone and analyzing it through these three characteristics, despite the slight distortion in audio quality, I was absolutely certain it belonged to Tie Ningxiang herself.

'Not only do they look and dress exactly like her, but they can even mimic her voice perfectly. Just who is this person?'

Although hex sorcery could control a person's mind, the victim would become dull and deranged, struggling to even speak a complete sentence and forced to rely on drawing to express themselves. Ghost possession followed the same principle. Besides, Tie Ningxiang had a destiny carrying the general star. Ordinary evil spirits wouldn't dare approach her; an exceptional talent like her was an existence that even ghosts feared.

Ruling out those two scenarios, the third possibility I could think of was that someone was impersonating Tie Ningxiang.

This would also explain why Tie Ningxiang only occasionally appeared in the surveillance footage instead of taking the initiative to contact me. They needed time to adapt, afraid I would spot flaws in their peculiar little habits.

'Li Manman never entered the labyrinth, yet she rushed over to tell me she had found Tie Ningxiang, and Tie Ningxiang really did appear on the monitors. If they are putting on an act for me, what is their goal?'

'The Tie Ningxiang on the screen already left the labyrinth. Is this their way of telling me that this place has already been searched and I can safely move on?'

The other party seemed to be trying to convey this exact message, wanting me to avoid the labyrinth and head to the other attractions.

"There is one more suspicious point: the time. Both Li Manman and Xiaobei were particularly sensitive to the stroke of midnight. It seems something far more terrifying will happen after midnight," I murmured, seemingly talking to myself. In reality, the livestream viewers in the Super Thriller Live Broadcast Room could hear my entire analysis.

Socrates Paradox: "What actually happens after midnight isn't important. Information gleaned from a liar isn't necessarily true. In my opinion, Li Manman might be saying this on purpose to stall for time. Once midnight arrives, they will achieve their goal. So, you don't have much time left."

Master Tieling Biao tipped the Super Thriller Live Broadcast Room 99 Underworld Coins: "Honestly, even though I haven't quite understood what's going on in this stream, it feels incredibly high-tier!"

Socrates Paradox: "The time limit is before midnight, and the location is this labyrinth right in front of you. I wonder if you've noticed, Streamer, but this labyrinth is very unusual. The surveillance footage showed your friend appearing at the exit, but it never caught her moving through the labyrinth itself, which means we have no idea what actually happened inside. Li Manman also went into the labyrinth, but the cameras never recorded how she got out. What did she encounter in there?"

"This labyrinth is like a monster capable of reshaping a person's personality and mind. The secret you are looking for is likely hidden in its center."

"In ancient Greece, labyrinths symbolized the unreliability of tools, the absoluteness and relativity of time, the illusions and truths of existence, and so on. Once you go in, you had better maintain total mental clarity at all times. Getting lost in a labyrinth isn't terrifying; what's terrifying is losing yourself."

I was drawn in by Socrates Paradox's comments. Although his messages were purely deductive, they held immense reference value. "If I may ask, what do you do for a living in the real world? Your insights are extraordinary. I'm truly impressed."

Socrates Paradox: "Let's not discuss this in the live stream. If it's ever possible, I would love to meet you in the real world. I've watched your streams three times now, and every time it ends, I get that urge."

"You're welcome anytime," I replied with a smile. The Super Thriller Live Broadcast Room was filled with clueless onlookers, random passersby who occasionally tuned in, malicious lunatics, and absolute masters from all kinds of different fields.

Master Hypnotist Fantasy and Socrates Paradox were prime examples of the latter. They might not be ghost-catching Daoist priests or Celestial Masters, but there were times when they could provide me with far greater help.

"As for what exactly is inside this labyrinth, I'm going in right now to find out! To all the livestream viewers out there, please keep your eyes peeled. If I encounter anything bizarre, or if my mind starts to blur, please warn me immediately so I don't lose myself."

I looked up at the labyrinth's introduction posted on the wall. It was the Largest Artificial Labyrinth in Central-South China. It was designed by the owner of the Century Amusement Park from five years ago—an amiable middle-aged man who loved dressing up as a clown to entertain children.

The interior of the labyrinth was entirely constructed of mirrors, forming a complex and intricate layout. To increase the entertainment value, hidden treasures and map fragments meant to reduce the difficulty were scattered inside, giving it a great deal of replay value.

"Made entirely of mirrors... With no reference points, it'll be hard to leave marks." I glanced at the surveillance monitors. Li Manman's figure still hadn't appeared in the labyrinth. By the time I stepped back outside, the Amusement Park was completely desolate. Without me realizing it, not a single living soul was left in sight.

"Just how long has the park been closed?" I frowned. With Li Manman's whereabouts unknown, the only person I could rely on now was myself.

"Are the answers I want really inside this labyrinth?" I casually tore the labyrinth's miniature map off the wall and stepped into the maze, gripping my Underworld Live Show Phone.

Pushing open the main doors, it felt as though I had plunged straight into a world of prisms. Single-sided mirrors filled my vision. With just one glance, I could see my own reflection cast across countless glass surfaces.

"The Magic Mirror Maze..."

Standing completely alone in the pitch-black night, being stared at by countless versions of myself... it was a deeply unsettling feeling.

The lights inside the Magic Mirror Maze hadn't been turned on, so I had to rely on the glow of my flashlight and my phone. Anyone who has ever shined a flashlight into a mirror late at night knows that in total darkness, casting a single light source against a reflective surface is a genuinely terrifying experience.

If you stare long enough, you'll start to notice that your reflection looks different from your actual self. In reality, it's just a visual discrepancy caused by the single light's reflection, but at night, it looks absolutely horrifying.

My current situation was much the same. As I was watched by slightly distorted versions of myself in the mirrors, I couldn't shake the feeling that a particular gaze was mixed in among them. It wasn't a gaze formed by reflection, but the feeling that someone was hiding behind the glass, locking their eyes directly onto me.

Circulating the Profound Truth Mental Method, I swept my eyes across all the mirrors. After taking two steps forward, that sensation of being watched grew even stronger.

"This labyrinth is too bizarre." Looking up, I suddenly noticed that my reflection in the mirror to my left seemed to twitch.

"It's just a trick of the light," I muttered, walking up to the glass and shining my flashlight onto the reflection. The appearance was identical, and the movements were perfectly synced. The person in the mirror had to be me.

"I'll probably go insane if I stay in here too long." I wasn't an indecisive person; pulling out my iron pliers, I smashed a small divot into the floor to serve as a marker.

The mirrors couldn't be marked unless I shattered them entirely. But doing that would be far too much work, and I was also worried that the noise would alert whatever was hiding inside and cause it to flee.

Map in hand, I committed the general route to memory before walking deeper into the labyrinth with my iron pliers.

According to the miniature map I had torn down, the Magic Mirror Maze contained three designated treasure locations. These three spots were fixed and clearly marked on the layout. As for the hints leading to map fragments, the staff simply tossed those around the maze at random—some were real, and some were fake. Those clues weren't nearly as detailed as the miniature map in my hand.

Once I truly ventured into the labyrinth, I maintained intense focus. A mirror maze was significantly harder than an ordinary one, primarily because it was nearly impossible to distinguish one section from another. The corners, the straightaways, the forks in the road... it was incredibly difficult to find any distinguishing features in the surroundings.

That meant I had to be extremely cautious with every step I took and every choice I made. I had to perfectly memorize the path I had just walked; that was the only way to avoid losing my bearings.

Moving forward slowly, my mental model of the labyrinth's layout continuously expanded. Checking it against the map, I quickly found the location of the first hidden treasure.

Guarded by the surrounding panes of glass, a mirror framed in gold appeared before my eyes.

I pressed my hand against the gold-framed glass, and the entire mirror swung open like a door. Beyond it was a pitch-black room about three or four square meters in size. A massive treasure chest sat right in the center.

"This is the so-called treasure?" I walked toward the wooden chest, but before I could reach it, the floor beneath my feet suddenly felt wet and slippery.

"What is this?"

I looked down, only to see bright red blood steadily seeping out from the wooden chest.