Unlike what many believed, the [Flower Labyrinth] wasn't just a giant maze.

People always imagined tall walls, endless twists, tight corners, and nothing else, but the truth was much bigger than that.

The place was massive, almost overwhelming in its scope.

It was more akin to the [Ruined City] in its length and in the way it worked.

Meaning that yes, it was a maze, but it wasn't only a maze.

It was a maze filled with zones, areas, paths, and all sorts of opportunities along the way.

And another thing made it different: the layout didn't change.

It remained the same, fixed in place.

Because of that, some people even sold maps of the place.

They made money by drawing out the paths and sketching every turn for players who didn't want to get lost.

For many, that was the only way they could confidently enter it.

'Still,' Karl thought, 'If I want to find anything of importance, a map won't give me anything.'

He knew it.

If his goal was something valuable, something hidden deep within, something tied to the keys he needed… then no map someone scribbled together would help.

The things he was looking for weren't the kind of items you found by following a path on paper.

He'd have to explore everything on his own.

He'd have to walk every corridor and make sure he didn't miss anything.

Only that would guarantee success.

Karl drew in a deep, steady breath, the kind he took before big challenges.

He adjusted his grip on his staff, feeling the weight of it against his palm, and then stepped forward.

'The [Key of the Witch] and [Key of Maze],' Karl reminded himself as he entered the [Flower Labyrinth], 'They must be inside.'

Ding!

---

[You have entered the "Flower Labyrinth"]

[A giant labyrinth filled with many monsters, zones and traps, finding your way out may be difficult.]

---

Karl didn't react. This was exactly what he expected.

In his past life, when he had gone through the [Flower Labyrinth], he had been in a giant group of people.

Dozens. Maybe more.

They stuck together, talked constantly, and handled most threats.

And back then, it felt chaotic yet manageable. But now, things were different.

The reason why there weren't any [Guilds] where Karl was yet was simple: they were only unlocked at level 50.

Only the strongest individuals could create [Guilds] and invite others inside.

[Guilds] were powerful as they could conquer zones, split tasks, run operations, and help each other survive.

Having a [Guild] was extremely useful.

But Karl hadn't really been in one in his past life. Not seriously, anyway.

He preferred creating parties with people he trusted, small teams who knew how to fight and didn't get in each other's way.

But since Karl was alone now, just like he was before, he would, and could, rely only on himself.

The idea of creating a [Guild] didn't appeal to him.

Not in his past life, and not now. Especially since he wanted to stay alone.

Being alone meant things were simple. He didn't owe anything to anyone.

And he didn't have to protect or babysit anyone either.

Regardless, the exact moment he stepped further into the [Flower Labyrinth]…

Fwish! BAM!

His entire surroundings warped, almost like the area had been corrupted and twisted around him.

The floor beneath him pulsed for a moment, and suddenly he appeared in a completely different place.

The path he initially stepped on was gone. Replaced instantly.

That was one of the reasons why maps were so important.

Upon every entry inside the [Flower Labyrinth], you were teleported to a random corner.

And without any map or direction or knowledge of the place, it became extremely difficult to navigate.

Still, Karl tightened his grip on his staff and started moving forward.

'I mean,' he looked down at the [Moon Crystal Staff] in his hand, shifting his fingers slightly, 'I guess this one should be able to tank a few hits… right?'

He didn't know for sure.

But inside such an enclosed space, surrounded by walls on all sides, Karl knew he would definitely have to deflect some physical attacks sooner or later.

There was no avoiding it.

If he bumped into something fast or something that jumped, he'd need a staff that could endure the impact.

If he could get a staff strong enough to endure that, then he'd be fine.

Still…

"AAGGHH…"

"Holy shit, it smashed Robert!"

Right away, hearing the screams of other players echoing through the maze, Karl grinned slightly.

He moved forward quickly, following the voices, turning into one corridor, then another.

Having [Moonless] with him would have been useful right now, but Karl knew he wouldn't always have her with him anyway.

It didn't matter. He could handle this.

He took several turns, turning left and right, following the direction of the shouts.

But each time, he ended up in a dead end.

"Of course…" Karl muttered under his breath, 'That's why I don't like mazes.'

He groaned internally as he turned back and retraced his steps, focusing harder on the sound of the battle.

He had to find the exact path, not just an approximate direction.

It took nearly two minutes of circling the area where the fight was happening before Karl finally found the correct path.

Fwish!

He stepped into a small clearing in the maze where some players were fighting a boss.

The boss was enormous, standing three meters tall, a solid golem made of stone but covered in vines and flowers.

Its fists were massive, shaped for smashing.

SNAP!

It used one of those fists to crush a player instantly, killing them on the spot.

Still, even though the players looked shocked each time someone died, they kept attacking the golem.

They kept shouting at each other, scrambling, trying to push forward.

'Hm.'

---

[Flower Golem (Level 28)]

[Rank: Rare Boss (Evolving…)]

[HP: 310,000]

---

Karl immediately noticed the "evolving…" next to its name.

This was the second enemy in this life that had such a tag.

It meant that if they didn't deal with it fast enough, it would transform into something much stronger.

"Push forward, we can do it!"

"It's body is too sturdy!" another player yelled. "We need better equipment!"

"ARGH!"

BOOM!

The [Flower Golem] smashed the ground, sending a shockwave that threw several players backward.

Right now, the average player could deal maybe 500–1000 damage per hit.

More if they had a good skill. Even more if they had a good class or talent.

But still… even then, it would take hundreds of hits to kill this thing.

That was why some battles in [Gods Ascension] lasted minutes… even hours.

Karl had been in several hour-long fights in his past life.

Some ended in victory. Others ended in total failure.

But here, now, Karl didn't plan on dragging anything out.

He raised his staff and pointed it at the golem.

Fire Meteor.

Fwish! BOOM!

-302,100!

Even though the golem was made of stone, and even though it had plants on it, the fire affinity didn't give him any special advantage.

It didn't weaken it. It didn't burn the vines away.

But Karl's attack was strong enough anyway.

The impact sent cracks spreading across the golem's entire body.

"What the fuck was that?!"

"It's hot!"

"DAMN!"

All the players looked shocked. It was the highest number they had ever seen.

Even top players couldn't produce damage like that constantly.

Karl spun his staff in his hand and got ready to cast another spell.

But the golem moved first.

Fwish! BOOM!

It jumped into the air and slammed its fist down, producing another shockwave.

Players were hit and thrown back. Some barely dodged. Others didn't.

Then the golem turned toward Karl specifically. And it charged.

Karl lifted his staff.

Invincible Magic Barrier!

SLAM!

The golem's punch crashed into the barrier, but it didn't even crack it.

Karl didn't hesitate.

Storm of Lightning.

Zap!

-161,120!

The [Flower Golem] froze on the spot before its body shattered completely.

"Phew," Karl grinned. "Thought it was going on its second phase or something."

A single punch from that thing would definitely kill anyone unprepared.

Karl turned toward the group of players, expecting reactions.

Maybe thanks. Maybe insults.

At least something. Instead, they all ran away.

"Huh."

Not a single one of them looked back. They ran like their lives depended on it.

"What are you doing?!" someone shouted near Karl. "The [Gardener] is coming after all that noise, you idiot!"

It seemed like the man that shouted at Karl had simply wanted to warn him as he immediately rushed away afterward.

Which meant that even though he just saw Karl deal all this damage to the [Flower Garden], he still didn't believe he could defeat the [Gardener].

And indeed ,because the moment Karl heard that name, he froze for a fraction of a second.

Then the memory hit him.

'Oh shit,' Karl muttered, 'I actually need to get out of here.'

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