The Rich Cultivator
Chapter 167 - 166. Inside the Labyrinth

Chapter 167: 166. Inside the Labyrinth

Tyler stood inside the labyrinth, the towering walls surrounding him like a massive sand castle, though they were anything but fragile. He pressed his hand against the sandy surface, then punched it with all his strength. To his surprise, not even a speck of dust fell. It was solid, an unnatural structure, despite its delicate appearance.

Taking a deep breath, he recalled the chaotic moments before the labyrinth had surfaced. The tremors had started without warning, shaking the very foundations of the castle and the surrounding island. The ground had split open, and massive stone walls erupted from beneath the earth, forming an enormous maze that engulfed the entire capital, trapping everyone within. Tyler had barely had time to react.

He recalled the instruction he gave to Mana.

As the tremors grew worse, Tyler had shouted to Mana, "Mana, I think the Labyrinth is going to surface. You take care of Silvia. I’ll be back." His voice had been urgent, full of concern.

Mana nodded as she disappeared.

Tyler looked around and murmuring under his breath, "Hope she didn’t get trapped in this"

He scanned his surroundings, observing the labyrinth’s eerie stillness. It felt like a desert—hot, silent, and stretching endlessly in all directions. Far ahead, he could see figures moving, though it was hard to tell if they were real or just mirages created by the heat. "Are those citizens of Rosefall?" he wondered aloud, watching the distant shapes stumble through the sand. They looked lost, disoriented.

He knew immediately what had happened: the labyrinth hadn’t just trapped him and the pirates. It had pulled in everyone from the capital—innocent civilians who had no idea how dangerous this place was.

He started walking, his boots sinking slightly into the soft sand as he navigated the narrow passageways. The maze was designed to confuse, to disorient, but Tyler’s mind remained sharp.

Even though Tyler’s boots sank into the soft sand, it wasn’t deep enough to hinder him completely. He could still feel solid ground beneath his feet, but the constant resistance made it difficult to walk at his usual speed. Every step felt like a struggle against the shifting terrain.

Suddenly, he saw the sand nearby begin to rise and shift, swirling into a massive form. A sand monster began to take shape, towering and menacing. Thankfully, it wasn’t near him—yet.

Tyler paused, assessing the situation. Fighting the creature would only waste time, and he couldn’t afford that right now. Instead, he reached into his bag and pulled out a small, hand-sized boat. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed it into the air, watching as it expanded into a full-sized vessel. Tyler wasted no time in activating the boat’s flight mechanism, hoping to escape the dragging sands.

The boat lifted off the ground and began to hover, but after only a few moments, it stopped abruptly. Tyler frowned and checked the fuel compartment. The aura stones, which were typically long-lasting, had been consumed at an alarming rate. He replaced them with a fresh one, but it too burned out almost instantly.

"This place drains energy faster than normal," he muttered to himself, realizing the labyrinth was designed to hinder progress, not just through its physical structure but by draining magical resources.

His eyes drifted toward a nearby area where the citizens of Rosefall Kingdom were gathered. They appeared to be safe, huddled within a zone surrounded by a faint shimmering barrier. There was a small water source, and some were rationing food. It seemed the labyrinth had spared them from the harsher elements, even from the sand monsters.

"Looks like they’re in a protected area," Tyler murmured, watching them from a distance. "Either they got lucky, or the labyrinth itself doesn’t want them involved in the trials."

Regardless of the reason, it wasn’t his concern. His mission was to find Astrid, not to babysit a bunch of terrified civilians. He refocused his attention on the task at hand, examining the boat. The small vessel wasn’t going to cut it. Not in this draining environment.

Switching gears, Tyler retrieved a larger boat from his storage ring, this one capable of holding more power. He filled the fuel compartment with both Aura Stones and Prana Stones, resources he had in limited supply but necessary for the situation.

Then, as an extra precaution, he pulled out his trusty copper pot. This artifact had proven invaluable to him countless times, allowing him to copy materials. He quickly duplicated more Aura Stones and Prana Stones, ensuring he had enough fuel for the journey ahead.

"That should do it," Tyler said to himself, stepping onto the boat and activating the controls. The larger vessel hummed with power, lifting off the ground and soaring into the air. This time, the energy consumption seemed more stable.

---

In a dimly lit cave, shadows flickered across the jagged walls. Isadora Nightkiss, the infamous ’Manhunter,’ was sprawled out on the ground, her long legs spread seductively, though the situation was far from romantic. Between her legs a figure adjusted her hair and moved her head between them.

"Aan..." Isadora moaned, her sultry voice echoing in the enclosed space.

"Stop making weird noises," Lily muttered, her voice filled with irritation. She was focused on the task at hand, and Isadora’s dramatics weren’t helping.

Lily, still under the effects of her Phantom Mask, had altered her appearance slightly to ensure that Isadora wouldn’t recognize her. After their earlier skirmish with the Federation soldiers, the two had found themselves in this cave, searching the temple for answers. But before they could delve deeper, they were ambushed by a horde of snake monsters.

The creatures had attacked in overwhelming numbers, slithering from every crevice. Despite their best efforts, both women were bitten—Isadora on her thigh and Lily on her hand. The poison coursing through their bodies was rapidly depleting their strength, forcing them to rely on an old, crude method of extraction.

Lily had managed to suck the poison from the back of her hand, spitting it out to the side. The bite hadn’t been deep, and she had dealt with it quickly. Isadora’s wound, however, was far more problematic.

"Stop squirming," Lily snapped as she knelt between Isadora’s legs, her mouth hovering over the bite on Isadora’s thigh.

Isadora’s eyes fluttered, but this time she stayed quiet, understanding the gravity of the situation. The poison had spread dangerously close to a major artery, and if Lily didn’t extract it, Isadora’s life would be in danger.

Lily’s lips pressed against the wound, and she began to suck out the venom, her concentration unbroken. Isadora bit her lip, trying not to make another sound, though her body involuntarily reacted to the sensation.

After several tense moments, Lily pulled away, spitting the last of the poison onto the ground. "There," she said, wiping her mouth. "That should hold off the worst of it."

Isadora sat up, her usual confident smirk returning as she gingerly touched her thigh. "You’re better at that than I expected, ’Temptress.’" She winked.

"Don’t push your luck," Lily retorted, rolling her eyes. Despite the tension, the two women had formed an unspoken truce, at least for now.

But even as the immediate danger passed, the labyrinth’s atmosphere weighed heavily on them. The walls seemed to shift, and the air felt thick with malice.

"Let’s not stick around any longer," Lily said, standing up. "We need to keep moving."

Isadora nodded, her playful demeanor fading as the seriousness of their situation set in. "Agreed. The labyrinth is far from finished with us."

---

"Kill the men and capture the women," one pirate had shouted earlier, but their bravado quickly dissipated when they crossed the barrier. Those who dared to enter immediately collapsed, their weapons clattering uselessly to the ground. A few of the kingdom’s citizens cautiously approached, inspecting the fallen pirates.

"Looks like they lost their energy the moment they entered," one man inside the barrier said, his voice low but filled with authority. "Tie them up."

The remaining pirates outside the barrier hesitated, unsure of what to do. One of them, desperate to assert dominance, notched an arrow in his bow and aimed at the citizens within. The moment the arrow passed through the barrier, however, it dropped harmlessly to the ground, losing all its momentum.

Frustration and irritation were written across the pirates’ faces, but before they could turn back, their attention was drawn upwards. Their eyes lit up with greed and hunger as they spotted a flying boat hovering above them.

As Tyler navigated his flying boat through the twisting paths of the labyrinth, his gaze fell upon a group of pirates standing outside a shimmering barrier. Inside, citizens of the Rosefall Kingdom huddled in fear, their faces pale as they watched the pirates debate their next move. The pirates seemed frustrated, their attempts to breach the barrier having failed miserably.

Tyler, observing the scene below, couldn’t help but smirk. "Ah, I need some slaves," he muttered to himself, his tone casual despite the chaotic scene. "It’s tiring to fill the fuel and also concentrate on riding the boat."

As he assessed the situation, an idea struck him. His eyes gleamed as he realized the pirates could be of use.

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