Du Lai blinked. “Why?”

Bai Youwei said, “First, placing it nearby can signal where the teleport point is when we’re fleeing in a panic.

Second, placing it close to the teleport points means we won’t have to hunt all over the maze to collect the keys later — we can just pass through the teleport points and gather them all.”

Everyone looked at each other. No objections.

“Then… let’s go back.”

…

No matter how you looked at it, every stone chamber looked exactly the same. They could only move based on Bai Youwei’s calculations.

They retreated one room east, then advanced one room north. The teleport point was just to the right — and then they heard the minotaur.

Close. It had to be only a few chambers away. The sound was coming from the north.

The minotaur had last been to their west. How had it suddenly appeared to the north?

“It used a teleport point…” Bai Youwei marked the map and thought aloud. “We covered six rooms today. If the minotaur went to the nearest teleport point, it would have moved two rooms. That means after teleporting, it walked four more…”

Ashalina asked, “Can we avoid it?”

“We could retreat one room east into a teleport point, or head west to the first teleport point we found.” Bai Youwei looked around at everyone. “What do you think? East or west?”

Du Lai asked, “Where does the eastern teleport point lead?”

Bai Youwei shook her head. “Unknown.”

“The western one?”

Bai Youwei considered for a moment. “The minotaur made it to our north, which means that original teleport point can reach somewhere to the north of the maze… probably the northeastern corner.”

“Let’s go west then — at least we can predict where the next teleport point leads,” Du Lai said.

Bai Youwei looked to the others.

Everyone agreed.

They moved one room to the west — and immediately, the adjacent chamber erupted with heavy footsteps.

The minotaur had followed.

It was far closer than they had imagined.

Everyone’s expression shifted slightly. They kept walking. The minotaur kept pace.

The scrape of horns against hard stone, the labored breathing pushing through iron doors, the footsteps landing with such weight that even the floor on their side seemed to shake.

This close — it felt as though at any moment it could smash through the door.

A tight, scalding anxiety settled over the group. Skin crawling, teeth clenched, they forced themselves to keep moving.

Every door they passed through, they heard the adjacent door open in turn. It was right on their heels — there was no shaking it.

After six rooms, Bai Youwei checked her map and counted, then told everyone, “Two more chambers and we’ll reach the teleport point.”

“I can’t… I can’t go on…” Mark staggered along behind them, his voice breaking. “My legs won’t hold me…”

Dylan’s reaction was even more extreme — he simply fainted.

Bai Youwei looked at the others. Shen Mo, Leonid, and Du Lai all wore strained expressions. Ashalina was pressing a hand to her stomach, her face pale.

It seemed that being this close to the minotaur was having some kind of effect on them.

For now, only she and Chen Hui appeared least affected.

“Damn this…” Leonid muttered, frowning and pressing a hand to his stomach. “I just ate bread and I’m starving again. How can anyone get hungry this fast…”

Bai Youwei thought for a moment. “Everyone hold on just a little longer. Once we’re through the teleport point and put some distance between us and the minotaur, it should ease up.”

Everyone nodded and followed her forward. Dylan couldn’t walk, so Mark carried him.

They pushed through two more rooms, and finally entered the teleport point. Though the chamber looked identical to all the others, the minotaur’s sounds vanished instantly.

Everyone exhaled with relief.

Chen Hui, still shaken, asked Bai Youwei, “Can it follow us through the teleport?”

“I’m not sure…” Bai Youwei looked around, and sighed quietly. “But as long as we stay still, it probably can’t move either… Let’s rest here for now.”