Before long, Ronald heard the sound of something crashing from behind.

The sounds coming from afar were mixed with curses and roars, and Catherine's voice was indistinctly mingled in, but it was indeed there.

Yet upon hearing this,

Ronald didn't look back, he just kept running forward, unwilling to waste this hard-earned opportunity.

Fortunately — the two had already gained quite a bit of time and distance.

The subsequent traps further hindered the enemy's mobility and speed.

So after Catherine faced the enemy head-on, it wasn't long before.

Ronald saw ahead, that hint of black belonging to the Dust Beast's core.

Right in front of him!

The ultimate goal of this maze challenge was right in front of him!

[Let's congratulate him!]

[The great adventurer has finally reached the site of the treasure after overcoming numerous obstacles, this thrilling adventure...]

At the same time, a voice off-screen began to celebrate Ronald like a master of ceremonies.

However, at this moment, he had no time to listen carefully to the meaning of the voice, he just kept running forward.

Thus, the black core of the Dust Beast was getting closer and closer.

When Ronald finally reached in front of it, the pitch-black surface of the core automatically cracked open, revealing an entrance large enough for a person to pass through.

Seeing this, without hesitation, Ronald rushed inside.

The core's interior was pitch black on both sides, and the staircase underfoot extended straight to the center of the core. And there, a beautifully crafted ancient key, green tinged with blue, floated atop the circular platform in the center.

"Human, wait a moment!"

Ronald quickly walked toward the key, but at this moment a strange voice suddenly echoed around him, sounding tense and repressed:

"There's no need for us to fight to the death!"

"If you give up your intention to seal me, I can promise you – once out, I'll immediately leave the land and return to the deep sea to continue my slumber. I will only reappear if humanity as a species disappears."

"This is a promise from the Elder of Time!"

Upon hearing this voice, Ronald of course knew it was the Dust Beast speaking to him.

Such a clear-minded Dust Beast capable of normal dialogue.

It was undoubtedly a cherished existence.

Unfortunately, Ronald was unmoved. At this moment, his steps continued uninterrupted, and in just a few breaths he stood before the key.

"At other times, I might have exchanged a few more words with you." Ronald gazed calmly at the key before him, then reached out and grasped it, "But today, unfortunately, is not one of those times."

"..."

"Human, don't think you can defeat me like this! You'll regret it..."

Ronald grasped the key.

And within the black core, the Dust Beast's voice gradually lowered, finally fading away.

At the same time, Ronald, who had obtained the key, finally sensed the feedback from the "Maze Illustrated Book."

——The game was over.

——He had won.

The next second, the illustrated world before him also began to dissolve.

The real appearance of the world reemerged.

Ronald looked around, finding himself standing at the forest's edge, facing the ocean—the ocean corrupted by the Dust Beast.

Meanwhile, the Dust Beast, just recently sealed, was moving.

Deprived of its mobility, it slowly subsided, its body beginning to sink into the water.

Just like the last Dust Beast Ronald had sealed, this behemoth's massive body couldn't save its consciousness under the spell. The white figure gradually slid downward towards the direction of the seabed, the scene resembling a giant mountain being swallowed by the endless depths of the ocean.

Such an astonishing sight naturally left one momentarily dazed.

But Ronald had more important things to focus on, so he quickly snapped out of this reverie, then chanted a spell:

"From the relationship of the entire Earth and sky, we begin to construct our understanding!"

The Flying Spell activated, and Ronald's figure shot straight into the air like a sharp sword.

He then began to scour the surrounding ground with his excellent vision.

Ronald was searching for Catherine.

Probably because when the Maze Illustrated Book's game ended, the two weren't in the same location, so Ronald emerged alone, and now, of course, he needed to find his companion.

However, Ronald found nothing.

In the original location of Hamono, there was only forest and seawater, both of which severely obstructed the visual observation of objects; just using his eyes wouldn't achieve much.

So Ronald utilized other spells, switching methods to search for her presence.

Among them, the ability of [Greed's Original Sin] discovered Catherine first.

Having located the target, Ronald descended rapidly, traversing a great distance in mere seconds to arrive in the southeastern forest.

Then, he saw Catherine — who looked extremely disheveled now.

The once graceful girl was now left with only her left leg and right hand intact, the other limbs scattered among the surrounding forest.

When Ronald arrived there.

Catherine was just grabbing her left hand from a tree branch.

Then she pressed the severed stump of her arm to the wound on her shoulder, and with magic power, the arm reconnected to her body, appearing perfectly fine!

"Oh! Ronald, you're here?"

At this point, Catherine also noticed Ronald's arrival.

She lifted her newly repaired left hand and waved it at Ronald as if testing the arm's integrity, then said with a sigh:

"To be honest, without the support of spells, my close combat skills are too weak. I should find a teacher to learn boxing or combat techniques someday so I won't end up like this in similar situations."

"..."

Seeing Catherine still greeted him as usual, Ronald felt quite emotional.

Yet he didn't rush over to embrace her fervently.

Because knowing her personality, he understood such an action wouldn't yield great results.

So Ronald stepped forward, asking in a tone identical to usual:

"Catherine, sorry for the trouble this time. Is there anything I can help you with now?"

"There actually is!" Catherine smiled back at Ronald, then pointed to the forest ground nearby, "Could you bring my leg over from there?"

Upon saying this, Catherine pointed to her empty right leg spot:

"After all, as you see, hopping all the way there on one foot would be quite uncomfortable for me."

"So, would you be willing to do me this service?"

For a moment, Ronald was speechless. Then he bowed to Catherine and walked where she indicated:

"My lady, Ronald is at your service."