Travelling deeper into the depths of the Grand Labyrinth, Felix and his group continued their search for the Upgrade Crystal.
The deeper they went, the more Monsters they began to encounter, leaving the rest of the group with little choice but to join the fighting as well, as the increasing number of Monsters exceeded what Hans and the Vice-Leader could handle at once.
With most of the Monsters being around Grade-9 and Grade-8, roughly comparable to the pack of Thorn Howlers, the group had initially been wary of facing them.
However, unlike the Howlers, which had been far more coordinated due to the presence of an Alpha, significantly increasing their threat level, these Monsters lacked the command of a higher-Grade leader and were therefore much less organized.
Not to mention, after spending roughly two months together, the group had developed a sort of tactical understanding of one another, enabling them to efficiently work together when dealing with Monsters slightly stronger than themselves.
As such, they were able to dispatch the Monsters with relative ease.
Though Felix was still unable to handle higher-Grade Monsters on his own, as the damage he dealt was too insignificant to kill a Grade-9 Monster, much less a Grade-8 one, he was still able to provide support to those fighting while using a certain Attribute to distract the Monsters long enough for the others to land the finishing blow.
[Hallow Pods has been activated]
After confirming from his encounter with the Howlers that it was effective against Monsters of a similar Grade, Felix wasn’t surprised to discover that the Attribute worked against these creatures as well.
This allowed him to use it whenever someone found themselves in a tight spot, or when another had underestimated a Monster and suffered the consequences.
In those situations, he would simply divert a portion of the Pods toward the Monster’s eyes, or force it to recoil upon seeing them, giving the group member enough time to either escape or finish it off while it was distracted.
All this while remaining in a single location, as he could mentally command the Attribute from any direction so long as it remained within view.
Not to mention, it required very little Mana to maintain, making it ideal for prolonged battles.
Which was perfect for situations like these.
After all, Grand Labyrinths tended to stretch incredibly deep underground while also spanning vast distances horizontally.
As a result, expeditions such as these often took weeks or even months before explorers reached the deepest sections.
Worse still, the paths frequently intersected, with many eventually leading to dead ends after weeks of travelling.
This often caused Adventurers to become lost, fall into traps, or accidentally stumble upon areas inhabited by multiple dangerous Monsters, some of which far exceeded what they could handle.
The higher the Tier of the Labyrinth, the deeper its depths tended to be.
However, with a navigator present in the group, they were able to avoid most traps, dead ends, and locations occupied by more Monsters than they could handle.
Yet despite all this, the group had still been wandering through the Labyrinth for several days now, barely finding enough time to rest.
They couldn’t afford to remain in one place for long due to the tendency of Monsters to constantly roam the tunnels.
Meaning that if they stayed for too long in a place, they would eventually be overrun.
As a result, most of them had become partially exhausted and sleep-deprived from travelling for so long.
However, things weren’t entirely bad for the group.
Thanks to Felix’s Attribute, they had also managed to acquire a considerable amount of wealth.
Using Flora Echo, they were able to locate Treasure Chests hidden throughout the Labyrinth, many of which contained gold coins, rare ingredients, herbs, and other valuable items.
More importantly, Felix was able to distinguish actual Treasure Chests from Mimics, a concern that had always plagued Adventurers when exploring Labyrinths.
As such, they didn’t have to experience the unpleasant feeling of being swallowed alive by a sharp-toothed fake Treasure Chest while their legs helplessly dangled in the air.
Because of this, everyone now carried at least a small amount of gold and valuables, enough wealth to live comfortably in this world for a very long time.
“Too bad only Streamers are able to bring back items to our world. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have to worry about working back home for a long time as well.”
Sighing in resignation, one of the members muttered while looking at the wealth they had accumulated, knowing none of it could be brought back with them.
The others couldn’t help but sigh as well on hearing his words.
However, while most had chosen to take only a modest amount of valuables, others, driven by greed, had stuffed their bags as full as possible.
A decision many now regretted.
After all, they had been trekking through the Labyrinth for days with barely any rest while carrying bags that felt as heavy as mountains.
Being one of the few who had only taken a handful of valuable items and coins, Felix smiled as he rested a hand against the moss-covered ground.
“Found ya!”
Opening his slightly baggy eyes from fatigue, he deactivated his Attribute.
[Flora Echo has been Deactivated]
Standing up while suppressing a yawn, he addressed the group.
“Do I have a surprise for you guys.”
Most barely heard him due to how quietly he spoke.
Yet it didn’t take long before they were greeted by a cool, soothing breeze unlike anything they had felt before.
Feeling the refreshing air brush against their skin and rejuvenate them in the process, the group immediately hastened their pace, already having an idea of what might lie ahead.
Yet when they arrived, they couldn’t help but marvel at the sight before them.
Stretching far and wide, with nearly as much space as a football stadium, was a vast open chamber.
Stacks of lustrous ores covered portions of the walls and ground, glittering beneath the soft light.
Multiple tunnel entrances were scattered throughout the ore-covered walls, all seemingly leading into this location from different sections of the Labyrinth.
The ores emitted a subtle bluish glow, bathing the entire area in warm blue light.
Scattered across the chamber were several pools of crystal-clear water, each releasing a soothing mist into the air.
The ground itself resembled smooth stone flooring, with barely any moss or vegetation present.
Together, it created a breathtaking scene that left the group completely awestruck.
Staring at the sight, one of the members subconsciously muttered.
“A Safe Zone!?”
To which another immediately added.
“With a Mana Spring!”
Realizing what they had found, the group excitedly dropped their bags and rushed forward for a closer look.
Upon approaching, the sight became even more breathtaking.
The density of Mana flowing from the Spring was greater than anything they had ever experienced.
Yet rather than feeling suffocated by it, the Mana felt soothing and refreshing.
Gently smacking Felix on the back, one of the group members praised him.
“Good job, kid. Nice work!”
Soon, others joined in.
“Yeah! You sure are always full of surprises.”
“Ahhh...! Water. It feels like forever since I last had a proper bath. I can practically feel my balls itching by the second.”
“We didn’t need to know that piece of information!”
Chuckling at the exchange, the group quickly decided to take advantage of the opportunity and wash away the fatigue weighing on them.
Each of them praised Felix for discovering the Mana Spring.
A Safe Zone was a location within a Grand Labyrinth where most Monsters were unable to enter.
This made it an ideal place for Adventurers to rest, relax, and recover without worrying about being cornered or eaten in their sleep.
Meanwhile, a Mana Spring was believed to form in locations where Mana density became extremely high.
Over time, a portion of that Mana would liquefy, creating a spring filled with a significant amount of Mana.
A major reason the group had been so shocked was because Safe Zones were notoriously difficult to find.
In fact, many believed they were merely rumours created to give explorers a faint glimmer of hope that they might eventually discover a place to rest within this endless maze of hell.
As such, they had never expected the rumours to be true.
Much less stumble upon one that also possessed a Mana Spring. It was a pleasant surprise, to say the least.
A while later, the group had separated into different sections of the Safe Zone.
The men occupied one side while the women settled on another, using the massive ore formations protruding from the ground, each over twice the height of an average adult, as natural barriers to provide privacy.
Despite the women being fewer in number and somewhat less feminine than the average woman, the group still chose to give them their privacy.
After all, they all came from a modern world where such considerations were customary.
Of course, there were still a few individuals who briefly entertained the idea of sneaking a peek at the women’s naked bodies, thirsty to satiate their desires with a glimpse of their figures, even if most of them could be mistaken for males at this point.
However, upon noticing Hans resting against one of the ore formations directly beside the women’s section, they immediately abandoned the idea.
Everyone else simply relaxed within the soothing waters of the Mana Spring, feeling the Mana in their reserves gradually recover.
The process was a bit faster than normal due to both the Spring itself and the dense amount of Mana in the surrounding area.
The Vice-Leader, however, remained by himself as usual, occupying an entire section away from everyone else.
And so, for the first time in days, the group was finally able to enjoy some well-deserved rest before resuming their journey.