"Ha—"

Yet the attitudes of Ronald and Catherine were completely different.

Even lost in direction and completely engulfed in darkness, he laughed disdainfully.

Catherine grabbed Ronald's hand with one hand, while the other reached directly towards his head:

"Ronald, you can still laugh at a time like this?"

"Did you get scared silly just now?"

Ronald gently slapped Catherine's hand away.

He walked ahead with determined steps, showing no hesitation in actions or tone.

Catherine noticed Ronald had some hidden confidence, so she stopped questioning.

They hadn't walked far when Ronald started explaining proactively:

"Catherine, breaking through the labyrinth can't be done without detailed observation."

"Entering a place as dark as this, and also making sure not to lose direction—I've long prepared for this!"

Catherine curiously looked around.

Apart from the distant light beams, all the information her body perceived was the same as before, and Ronald didn't seem intending to get close to the light beams for observation.

——How did this guy determine the direction?

Undoubtedly.

Both of them were currently restricted in acquiring information from the environment.

In the depths of this pitch-black forest, Catherine couldn't figure out the method Ronald was using.

"Detailed observation requires sight too."

"Ronald, what exactly are you relying on to orient us?"

Amid Catherine's bewildered tone, Ronald pointed towards the only visible thing in their view:

"Here, the only thing visible is these light rays."

"…"

Catherine fell silent.

She held onto Ronald as they traveled forward, her gaze locked onto the distant light.

Under the dense forest, the number of light beams penetrating the woods became fewer, shooting diagonally towards the ground…

"Aha, so that's it!"

Catherine finally realized:

"Ronald, you're using the direction of these light rays to pinpoint our position!"

Ronald nodded affirmatively:

"That's right, it's that simple."

Ronald's understanding of "Labyrinth Picture Book" was deeply ingrained.

He knew this was definitely not a fatal trap with no chance of survival.

So in this labyrinth challenge, what element would allow them to escape smoothly?

The answer is light rays.

In the dark forest, the only reference points were the rays, so the way to decode this labyrinth could only be through them.

Carefully observing along this train of thought, one can find these rays have a unified characteristic—they shoot towards the ground at a consistent angle. In the real world, forest light exposure might have deviations due to various factors.

But the world of "Labyrinth Picture Book" is different.

Here, when the rays fall towards the ground, the angle of inclination is uniform and stable.

Once you align the direction of movement with the angle of the rays at the beginning, then as long as the rays can still be seen, a person engulfed in darkness can immediately determine which way to go!

"Ronald, truly meticulous."

After realizing, Catherine praised without hesitation:

"I didn't even notice this, yet you discovered it right from the start?"

"I'm just a bit more experienced." Ronald modestly said, "With your capabilities, reaching this level is only a matter of time."

Catherine smiled slightly, her mood visibly good from the compliment.

But soon, she started questioning Ronald:

"But next time, if you make a discovery like this, make sure to tell me in advance."

"If we accidentally separate here, knowing more information ensures everyone can find their way out."

In the darkness, Ronald's old face flushed.

In the end, he honestly admitted his actual process of discovery:

"Actually, it's not that I didn't want to inform you immediately."

"It's just that this discovery, I only suddenly realized it right before we fled."

"…"

"Aren't you afraid of remembering wrong?" Catherine asked.

"I have a good memory, won't get it wrong." Ronald replied.

The conversation gradually quieted down.

Having determined their direction, the two continued holding hands as they moved forward in the darkness.

Thanks to the method of using the rays for orientation, they acted without reservation, sprinting at full speed in the dark.

Though occasionally they bumped into tree trunks hidden in darkness.

But in the illustrative world, this impact wasn't severe enough to cause injuries, aside from their eyes swirling like mosquito coils, they quickly resumed their journey.

And perhaps due to their heightened speed.

On the subsequent path, whatever approached them in the darkness previously did not appear again, seemingly left far behind by Ronald and Catherine.

About half an hour passed.

Their surroundings finally brightened with real illumination.

Ronald and Catherine hadn't yet emerged from the forest, but the endless obscurity of the dark forest maze ended here.

At the edge of darkness, a village inhabited by humans lay ahead.

This was originally a gathering place outside Hamono, where some lived outside the city, similar to the previous migrators' camp.

But after the influence of "Labyrinth Picture Book."

This camp turned into a new maze, becoming the final obstacle for Ronald and Catherine in reaching their target location.

However, this wasn't the most striking sight.

Leaving the dark forest, as soon as they raised their eyes to gaze into the distance, the massive white form of Salon stood in the village.

Naturally, Ronald and Catherine could not fly.

With a commoner's perspective, they looked up at this mountain-like giant beast, its immense size immediately instilling a sense of insignificance.

Think of the caster who previously attacked this creature.

Just daring to turn and attack the dust giant beast was already a courageous choice worthy of respect!

After observing the creature for a while, Catherine asked:

"Ronald, where do you think the legendary treasure might be?"

Ronald answered concisely:

"The game hinted from the start—during this treasure hunt adventure, the blockers will find ways to prevent us from obtaining the treasure."

Catherine quickly responded, continuing to outline the situation:

"If this creature is trying to block us, then surely it is nearby." 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

As if affirming Ronald and Catherine's speculation.

As soon as their words fell, a voiceover echoed in the air:

[Having escaped the hunter in darkness, the brave and clever adventurer and his assistant finally emerged from the pitch-black forest.]

[But look at that!]

[Oh oh oh! The treasure is guarded by a dust giant beast!]

[Oh my, such a terrifying monster exists in the forest. Can our adventurers really approach it and obtain the treasure from its guard?]