The giant eagle rescued the two people from the sky.

Then it flew eastward all the way, eventually placing them in a bird's nest atop a towering tree.

Many things in the picture book world differ in size from reality.

The bird's nest where Ronald and his companions found themselves now demonstrated a scale that defied reality; even with two people inside, it still seemed quite spacious.

"I never thought I'd experience being grabbed and flown down by a bird."

Sitting in the bird's nest, Catherine looked around at the nest and the giant eagle that had just released her with an inexplicable expression.

Ronald, who was well aware of the maze picture book world's rules,

turned his head to look at the flock that had rescued them as soon as they landed.

"Thank you very much..."

Just as Ronald was preparing to express his gratitude,

the giant eagle had no intention to communicate with them, flapped its wings, and soared back into the sky.

Then, just as quickly as it had brought Ronald and Catherine down,

these mighty figures soaring in the sky soon vanished without a trace.

"Ha—"

Seeing Ronald left behind by the giant eagle, Catherine laughed, then stood up from the bird's nest.

"Ronald, what do we do now?"

"You mentioned you had some previous experience, so I'll just follow your lead this time."

Ronald wasn't bothered by the giant eagle's cold attitude.

Responding to Catherine's inquiry, he began to survey the surroundings and realized the first challenge they needed to face.

—Getting down from the tree.

The spot where the giant eagle had placed them wasn't a safe stronghold.

The tree canopy was quite lush, with branches closely interwoven, forming a whole stretch of verdant greenery. The smaller branches and leaves on the canopy not only blocked passage but also softly nudged people outward. Only sufficiently thick branches could serve as footpaths.

The first maze was of notably challenging construction.

Walking on trees is simple, but distinguishing pathways among closely knit canopies is certainly not an easy task.

With a plan in mind, Ronald immediately took action:

"Catherine, let's leave this tree first."

The girl followed Ronald's lead:

"Leave? Are we going to jump off the tree?"

Catherine was somewhat eager to try.

She was curious whether if they jumped directly from the tree, the branches and leaves would still catch them.

"This is a genuinely high-difficulty maze, and small tricks are unlikely to work."

Ronald immediately dispelled Catherine's curiosity.

This time, the sealed salon is a powerful dust beast in its active period, and the difficulty of sealing it is unlike the previously dormant creatures.

According to the rules of "Maze Picture Book,"

with the extremely high sealing difficulty and a notably long sealing duration,

this maze quest is undeniably the hardest Ronald has experienced, except for the one modified by Gwendolin!

For such a maze, maintaining a cautious and careful attitude is essential:

"Let's first find the highest point, observe the maze's structure, and then plan our escape route."

Ronald shared his thoughts and plan.

The two stepped out of their landing spot, the bird's nest.

And then—

[After experiencing the crisis of free-falling from the sky, adventurer Ronald and his assistant were caught by the giant eagle and placed in the nest where these terrifying predatory birds store their food.]

[Before these powerful creatures return, can the adventurer and his assistant escape the crisis and enter the primordial forest, which hides secrets of ancient times, and seize the ultimate treasure?!]

The long-unheard yet familiar narration abruptly appeared.

The content informed Ronald and Catherine of their current peril.

—Ronald had no doubt about the narration's warning.

Or rather, this timely warning confirmed his assessment of the maze game's danger level.

If they cracked this maze too slowly,

they might not even have to wait for the game to fail after twenty-four hours; the giant eagle that had just rescued them might claim their lives first!

Still somewhat unclear about the situation, Catherine asked:

"Ronald, is this the same kind of voice that previously instilled rules in us?"

Ronald promptly explained:

"Pretty much; this narration is like the commentary in a theatrical performance, and the information given is generally trustworthy."

"This is getting interesting," Catherine's eyes widened, perfectly embodying surprise and delight, "If we slow down, we become food for those large birds?"

Ronald nodded affirmatively: "If all goes as expected, that's the case."

Having clarified the situation, the two began seeking a path to higher ground.

They walked back and forth along the canopy for a while, sometimes moving atop trees, sometimes exploring directions under a deep green cover.

Although still surrounded by dense greenery,

they could see through forest gaps that their position was gradually rising.

Then Ronald suddenly asked curiously:

"Catherine, aren't you surprised?"

"When I and others first entered the 'Maze Picture Book' world, we always marveled at the environment where spells couldn't be used."

As Catherine jumped over a branch, she boldly and confidently replied:

"What's there to marvel about?"

"Does losing the ability to use spells mean I'm no longer myself?"

"Solving problems using spells is certainly convenient and easy, but if losing spells leads to panic—that kind of person, in essence, is just a child holding a weapon, pitiful in many ways!"

Hearing Catherine's response, Ronald was taken aback and couldn't help but admire:

"Honestly—"

"How did Barrier Mountain cultivate someone like you?"

Catherine replied:

"The method is simple: learn more, think more, and don't let your brain become a dumpster for others' thoughts. Persist for a long time, and you'll eventually gain something."

During the conversation, the pathfinding journey seemed much lighter.

After a few more minutes, Ronald and Catherine bypassed a trunk, and a sequence of stair-like branches appeared before them, leading straight to the top of the towering tree!

—A perfect lookout point!

"Great, it's right here!"

Ronald shouted, quickened his pace, and rushed up.

Then the height of his viewpoint surpassed the forest, and the scene unfurled before his eyes.

The maze's overall structure matched their previous assumptions, but it was much larger in scale. Interestingly, the bird's nests like the one Ronald and Catherine had landed on were not uncommon here.

They were scattered throughout the maze, resembling transit points along city roads.

Where is the exit path of the maze?

Ronald observed the maze's structure all around, but before he reached a conclusion, Catherine's voice sounded beside him:

"Ronald, look behind you."

"I think you'll be quite 'surprised'!"