Same as last time—clearly everyone came out together, yet only she was alone in the surroundings.

Bai Youwei sat in her wheelchair facing the familiar vast white mist, her mood calm.

After waiting briefly, the system’s voice came from the air:

“Congratulations to the player for clearing Maze No. 7.”

“Now beginning to calculate rewards for this round of the game.”

“Player is the third to clear Maze No. 7. This round’s game clearance ranking is three. Player may receive zero puzzle pieces.”

What? Zero pieces?

Bai Youwei frowned.

Just for coming out a bit faster, they weren’t even willing to give rewards?

“Now upgrading player data… Ding, this upgrade is complete.”

“Reward calculation complete. Please continue playing and work hard to clear the game—”

As the voice ended, the white mist dissipated.

Shen Mo, Tan Xiao, Teacher Cheng, and Pan Xiaoxin—everyone appeared beside her.

They all stared in shock at what was behind them.

The mist was gone.

The fog that had shrouded the city center had disappeared!

Pan Xiaoxin looked at the familiar streets and buildings, unable to believe his eyes. “It’s Hangzhou… Hangzhou is back!”

He ran forward a few steps, spreading his arms and waving vigorously. No chunks of flesh—the blue sky was clear, the air fresh, buildings neatly arranged in rows, greenery along the streets lush and verdant. Everything, everything had returned!

Pan Xiaoxin looked at Shen Mo and Bai Youwei with surprise and hope in his eyes. “If we clear the maze, will the maze disappear?!”

Shen Mo and Bai Youwei exchanged glances, both feeling puzzled.

Last time when they cleared Maze No. 2, the fog didn’t disappear and the maze was still there.

Why?

Tan Xiao scratched the back of his head, looking at the clean streets, muttering, “So strange—the fog’s gone and there’s no reward either.”

“Didn’t it calculate a reward for you?” Bai Youwei asked.

“It calculated, but didn’t give me a puzzle piece.” Tan Xiao couldn’t understand. “We got three pieces last time.”

Last time, Shen Mo, Bai Youwei, Tan Xiao, Zhang Tianyang, and Chen Hui each received one puzzle piece, totaling five.

But this time…

“I… I have one piece here.” Pan Xiaoxin opened his small palm, revealing a silver-gray puzzle piece.

“Only one piece?” Tan Xiao looked at Cheng Weicai. “Old Cheng, did you get a puzzle?”

Teacher Cheng shook his head. “No.”

“Wow, this maze is so stingy.” Tan Xiao was very disappointed. “We all worked so hard to finally get out of the maze, and it only gives one puzzle piece.”

Shen Mo asked Pan Xiaoxin, “When the system was calculating just now, do you remember what it said?”

Pan Xiaoxin thought, slowly recalling, “…Player is the third to clear Maze No. 7. This round’s game clearance ranking is one. Player may receive one puzzle piece. Something like that.”

Bai Youwei: “Last time in Yangzhou, the system calculation said it was the first clearance.”

Her tone emphasized the word “first.”

Shen Mo pondered, “First clearance rewards five puzzle pieces, third time only rewards one, and the maze disappears… Following this reasoning, does it mean each maze produces a limited number of puzzle pieces? When the puzzles are exhausted, the maze disappears too?”

“It must disappear.” Bai Youwei continued. “Puzzle pieces definitely aren’t infinite. If the puzzles run out and new players pass through the maze next time but can’t receive puzzle rewards, that would be very unfair to the entire game system.”

Shen Mo looked thoughtful, gazing at her. “How many puzzle pieces do you think one maze can produce at most?”

“Nine pieces.” Bai Youwei answered. “First time rewards five, second time three, third time one.”