Chapter 1229: The Fruits of Evolution
After making several attempts in succession, Xu Huo had accumulated a pile of object fragments at his feet. Among them, the easiest to destroy was ordinary paper, which could be torn directly into tiny fragments millimeters in length and width. Other objects, such as tree branches or common furniture, could at most be broken down to the size of a fingernail.
Based on this, there were also limitations in size and material, so he couldn't destroy objects at will. However, a slight improvement was that his Space Ray control range had expanded to about five hundred meters. Within that five-hundred-meter range, besides being able to move freely, the area he could finely control had also increased. Yet, he was still affected by obstacles, though the impact was now smaller than before.
For instance, previously he could sense whether someone was behind a wall and track their movement trajectory, but he couldn't fully perceive their subtle actions as he could without obstructions. Now, his perception had become more sensitive. He tested it with a prop, and under a sealed obstruction like a wall, a single layer no longer had much effect on his Space power. It would take at least two or three layers of barriers to blur his perception.
Of course, this was still not as convenient as using the Cube Space, since within the Cube Space's coverage, even the slightest changes in the air were as if seen directly, and the influence of obstacles was also much smaller.
Similarly, he could control objects remotely like Bai Kou, though his strength was inferior to hers, and there were weight limitations.
From the current situation, his second Spatial Super Evolution had resulted in two improvements: first, he could remotely control objects through Space Rays; second, he could use Space Rays to destroy the rays within objects, thereby destroying the objects themselves.
These two directions were different from Xue Lang's. Although the Space Blade created by Space Rays also had lethality, it wasn't as effective as using the rays directly... Xu Huo tried to use the rays in the same mode, but the maximum he could achieve was moving objects through the rays, not using the rays themselves to inflict damage on objects, let alone using a single ray.
The blade created by Space Rays actually achieved a qualitative change by altering the density of rays within the same area, which didn't mean the rays themselves possessed lethality—from this perspective, Xue Lang's Super Evolution was also very formidable.
Suddenly, the maze let out a dull rumble. Xu Huo turned around and saw that the damaged maze walls were moving. The broken walls and collapsed plants were all removed. As the surrounding maze walls changed, new plant walls gradually closed in, replacing the original ones one by one. At the same time, the layout of the maze passages also shifted.
Without lingering, Xu Huo quickly passed through the space and left.
With a single step covering nearly five hundred meters, he quickly traversed over a dozen passages and found the place where he had previously stopped.
Mu Yan had already woken up. Seeing no one around, she waited for a while in place before moving to a different spot to hide. This time, she was more cautious, placing surveillance props at both turns of the passage to provide early warning.
Although the passage was filled with thick fog, special props could still capture figures. That was how she spotted Xu Huo first.
Of course, the image returned by the prop was just a silhouette. When she saw that figure seemingly strolling across two passages in just two steps, she stood up in shock!
A single passage was at least a hundred meters long. Even using props or traits required a transition time—at least using props would cause a delay—but this person seemed to have the middle section of the journey cut out, almost like something out of a horror movie!
Without even time to think, Mu Yan immediately prepared to flee, but just as she turned around, a cold hand landed on her shoulder, making her tremble uncontrollably.
"Are you alright?" Xu Huo asked.
Mu Yan let out a huge sigh of relief and turned back with gratitude, "It's you! I thought the maze was really haunted!"
Xu Huo looked around, "The atmosphere here is indeed suitable for a horror film."
"No," Mu Yan pointed in the direction she had come from, "You came from over there?"
After receiving an affirmative answer, she added, "I placed a prop over there and happened to see you, but I couldn't make out your face."
Xu Huo roughly understood and smiled slightly without saying anything.
"When I opened my eyes, both you and Xue Lang were gone," Mu Yan said. "The maze was making a lot of noise earlier..."
"Xue Lang is the player who was following me, but he's already left," Xu Huo said, stretching his arms and neck. "Some players might be attracted by the commotion. Let's go first."
Seeing that he only had minor injuries, Mu Yan assumed Xue Lang hadn't gained any advantage, so she packed up her props and followed him.
The forced demolition of the maze walls had indeed caught the attention of many players. Several times, the two saw figures flash by at intersections, all heading in the direction they had come from.
The maze was very unsettled that night. Every so often, the maze passages would shift, and not just in small areas. It was unclear whether this was due to the fight between Xu Huo and Xue Lang earlier or the instance's original design.
"The passages have changed," Mu Yan observed the maze walls. "Several of the passages we just walked through haven't had their plants replaced recently. If we haven't gone the wrong way, then the entire maze layout has changed."
This was not a good sign.
"The direction is fine," Xu Huo said. "As long as the maze's endpoint remains unchanged, everything else is trivial."
Seeing his calm demeanor, Mu Yan's tense expression relaxed slightly.
Xu Huo led the way without deliberately speeding up, occasionally triggering the maze walls on both sides of the passage. Although he didn't obtain any useful cards, the ubiquitous traps and ambiguous information proved that this path was indeed correct.
They didn't stop to rest until dawn, when the thick fog dissipated.
Xu Huo hadn't slept all night, and the evolution had drained his energy. After stopping, he entered the shelter to sleep, telling Mu Yan to call him if anything came up.
Thanks to Xue Lang, Mu Yan had actually slept well the night before. So she stood guard outside, organizing her props. But before long, three players walked into this passage.
Mu Yan concealed her nervousness, glanced at the three, and then lowered her head to mind her own business.
The three simply looked at her and then passed by without incident.
The closer they got to the endpoint, the more players they encountered—this was normal. Since nothing happened, Mu Yan didn't wake Xu Huo.
But twenty minutes later, another group entered the passage, coming from a different direction than the previous three.
These people, like the three before them, showed no interest in Mu Yan by the roadside and quickly walked through the passage.
After they left, Mu Yan had just put away the props she had taken out when the maze wall opposite her suddenly split open, forming a new passage.