[Key of the Maze: Can be used to unlock one of the seals of the "Death" flower.]

Karl closed the panel and lowered his hand.

The key he had extracted from the deepest part of the [Flower Behemoth]'s body rested quietly in his grasp for a brief moment.

It was heavier than it looked, cold to the touch, and faintly pulsing with an energy that felt both sealed and restrained.

Without hesitation, Karl stored it in his inventory.

Immediately after, he decided to take a look at his current inventory status.

Beep!

[Inventory Space: 47/50]

"Hm."

Karl glanced at the number for a second longer than usual.

He only had space for three more items. Under normal circumstances, that would be a problem, especially in a zone where loot dropped frequently. But honestly, Karl didn't care at this point.

He was planning to sell almost everything anyway.

Doing it here wouldn't make much sense. Most of the players still stuck in the [Blooming Lands] were low to mid level, and even if they pooled their lives, they wouldn't be able to afford half of what Karl was carrying.

It would also take a lot of time.

The next city, however, was different.

Players there ranged between level 50 and 75. Many of them had tens of thousands of lives saved up, either from grinding, trading, or clearing higher-level zones. Their equipment was also much better overall.

Sure, they'd probably already have strong gear, but Karl knew how players thought.

Even if they didn't need something, they'd still buy it if it was good enough.

And Karl had plenty of items that were more than "good enough."

After settling that thought, Karl turned his gaze toward the exit of the [Flower Labyrinth].

The open path leading downward toward the next region was still there, calm and inviting. It promised progress. Levels. New zones. New rewards.

But right beside that path, something else had appeared.

A portal.

It shimmered faintly, its surface rippling like water, and above it floated a familiar system panel.

[If you somehow want to go back to the start of the "Flower Labyrinth"]

"Perfect," Karl grinned.

Yes, going back meant he'd have to pass through the [Flower Labyrinth] all over again.

But Karl genuinely didn't care.

He still had three uses left on the [Flower Compass]. With that item, navigating the maze was effortless. What took other players days—or weeks—would take him minutes.

More importantly, Karl didn't want to move forward yet.

He wanted to reach level 50 first.

If he continued advancing while under-leveled, he wouldn't even be able to equip some of the items he wanted to use later. That would just slow him down.

So the decision was easy.

Fwish!

Karl stepped into the portal.

The world twisted for an instant, space folding in on itself, and then—

He was back.

The familiar entrance of the [Flower Labyrinth] stretched out in front of him. Thick vines crawled along stone walls, and the air was filled with faint pollen drifting lazily around.

Dozens of players stood around the starting area.

Some were arguing. Some were resting. Others were staring at the maze entrance with exhausted expressions, clearly unsure which path to take next.

And then Karl emerged from the portal. The moment they saw him, the chatter died down.

Several players stared openly.

"Did that guy just come out of the maze?"

"No way… isn't that the exit portal?"

"Who the hell reaches the end and decides to go back? I can't even find the right path…"

A few confused murmurs spread through the group.

But then someone noticed the ID displayed above Karl's head: [Oblivion]

The reaction was immediate. Expressions stiffened. Eyes widened.

Conversations cut off mid-sentence. They all realized it at the same time.

This wasn't just any player.

The one responsible for all those system announcements. The one who kept clearing zones that nobody else could. The one who was clearly far stronger than anyone standing here.

"Haha…"

"Damn… so I guess there must be a reason he's doing that."

"Yeah, Oblivion's probably busy with something important."

Karl almost laughed.

He found it genuinely hilarious how quickly they rationalized everything he did. The moment they recognized him, all confusion vanished, replaced by blind acceptance.

Of course, Karl couldn't completely blame them. In his past life, he had done the exact same thing.

Whenever he saw powerful players doing something strange, he'd assume they knew something he didn't. After all, they were strong—so they must be doing something right.

Talent and class played a massive role, sure.

But people always wanted to believe there were hidden secrets. Special paths. Knowledge that only the elite possessed.

Karl ignored all of them.

Without slowing down, he moved forward and rushed into the [Blooming Hands].

Nobody followed him. Not because they didn't want to, but because they literally couldn't.

Karl's equipment boosted his agility to absurd levels. Even if someone tried to chase him, they wouldn't last more than a few seconds before losing sight of him completely.

Once he was far enough away from the entrance, Karl stopped and opened his system panel.

He pulled out the [Mount Bell].

Ding!

The clear ringing sound echoed through the maze.

A silver glow spread outward, wrapping around Karl as space distorted slightly in front of him. Slowly, a figure began to take shape.

[Moonless] emerged. Her form solidified gracefully, her massive body fully restored. All her previous injuries were gone, healed after resting long enough inside her space.

She looked even more majestic than before.

The moment she fully appeared—

Ding!

[Moonless' Loyalty toward you has increased by 10%.]

Ding!

[Moonless has gained two new skills: "Ghost Steps" and "Empowering Roar".]

"Damn."

Karl blinked in surprise.

He hadn't expected that.

He wasn't entirely sure why Moonless' loyalty suddenly increased, but he had a guess. As her master grew stronger, the bond between them deepened. Their levels and stats were linked, after all.

When Karl advanced, Moonless advanced with him.

Karl climbed onto her back, briefly running his hand through her fur before opening her status panel.

---

[Moonless, The Lunar Beast (Level 46)]

[Rank: Legendary]

[Loyalty: 65%]

[Sprint (Passive): Runs at very fast speed to reach a destination.]

[Jagged Bite (Active): Moonless lungs toward her opponents and bites them.]

[Claws Strike (Active): Moonless focuses her power on her paws then strikes repeatedly, may cause bleeding.]

[Ghost Steps (Active): Moonless' form and whoever is riding her become almost invisible and completely silent.]

[Empowering Roar: Moonless roars, boosting her master's strength in battle, as well as her own.]

---

"Nice."

Karl nodded in satisfaction.

He couldn't see Moonless' raw stats directly, but he didn't need to. Just based on her level, loyalty, and new skills, it was obvious she was far stronger than before.

Especially [Ghost Steps].

That skill alone was terrifying.

Karl patted her head lightly.

"Alright," he said, smiling. "Let's head toward the [Death] flower."

He grinned wider.

"We still need the third and final key."

The good thing was that he didn't need to search blindly this time.

Unlike the first two keys, Karl already knew exactly where the last one was.

He lifted his gaze toward the distance.

Far beyond the maze, towering over the [Blooming Lands], the massive crimson flower rose into the sky. Its petals were stained a deep red, and thick vines extended downward like enormous roots.

Karl felt a strange excitement stir inside him.

"Guess I really am climbing that thing."

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