Fenix let his fingers brush against the prickly leaves of the hedges as he navigated the twisting corridors of the maze. His pace was quick, his eyes constantly scanning for any sign of another treasure chest or lurking danger. He had already come across two—each in a surprising pce.

  The first location had been entirely unexpected. He remembered his shock when he stumbled into another biome and found himself in what appeared to be a desert.

  Sand stretched out in every direction, the hot sun beating down from a too-bright sky that shouldn’t have existed in a maze. Off to the side, half-buried in the sand, a treasure chest glinted faintly, its bronze exterior almost camoufged by the dunes.

  But standing between him and the chest was a Kodok—a bizarre creature with the body of a woodpecker but the gleaming limbs and red-glowing eyes of a robot. Its clunky wings cnked as it moved, and its sharp metal beak gleamed in the sunlight, making it look dangerous.

  The Kodok’s head swiveled unnaturally as it spotted him, releasing a mechanical screech before charging.

  Fenix had been ready, though. He raised his staff and called out, “Ice Bolt!” A swirling icicle shot from his staff, striking one of the Kodok’s metal legs. The skill not only dealt damage but also slowed the creature down.

  After hitting it two more times, Fenix seized the chance. He dashed to the chest, touching it before the creature could recover. As soon as he did, the system’s voice rang in his head.

  [System: You have gained an Uncommon treasure chest! It has been sent to your inventory!]

  The second chest had been trickier. Deep within another part of the maze, where the hedges twisted tighter and the shadows stretched longer, Fenix heard a low, rumbling growl. He slowed his pace, gripping his staff tightly as he turned a corner. There, in a small alcove, a chest sat beneath a crumbling statue, its wooden frame looking worn but sturdy.

  Guarding it was a massive horned lion. Its fiery orange eyes locked onto him immediately, its cws scraping against the ground as it let out a roar that boomed through the maze walls. The creature prowled closer, the tips of its horns glowing faintly, making miniature fmes flicker in the air.

  Fenix debated whether the chest was worth the risk. It looked like a common one, not worth the risk of battling this rge monster over. But as he tried to sneak past the lion, it spotted him.

  As the lion rushed at him, he shouted, “Freezing Wind!” A wave of icy wind surged toward the beast. The lion tried to dodge, but the spell clipped its shoulder, freezing part of its mane in a yer of frost. It roared again, shaking its head violently to break the ice, but the momentary distraction was all Fenix needed.

  With a quick sprint, he reached for the chest and tapped it. When he touched it, it shone, dissolving into sparkling particles, then vanished.

  [System: You have gained a Common treasure chest! It has been sent to your inventory!]

  Once the treasure was in his inventory, Fenix quickly sprinted away before the lion could attack again.

  Fenix was thrilled. He had already gained three treasure chests. However, he wasn’t done yet. With 20 minutes left on the clock, he had time to find at least one more. If it was rare, even better, but he’d be happy with another uncommon.

  He was moving quickly through the maze when, suddenly, the hedges around him began to shift. The walls groaned and creaked as they slid, rearranging the paths. Fenix could hear startled cries from other participants—he wasn’t the only one thrown off by this change.

  He was just relieved that he wasn’t near a biome or in the middle of grabbing a chest. By the sounds of frustration echoing through the maze, not everyone was so lucky.

  "I hope Maya was not in the middle of finding something when this happened," Fenix muttered under his breath. But there wasn’t time to dwell on others—the clock was ticking, and he needed to get a move on it.

  He pressed on, but just two minutes into his new path, a clicking sound echoed beneath him. Instantly, a metallic whoosh sliced through the air overhead—he barely registered the swinging bde trap before it arced toward him, its sharp, gleaming steel glinting menacingly in the light.

  Fenix’s heart jumped, but his reflexes kicked in. He dove to the side, narrowly avoiding the trap. The bde smmed into the wall where he’d been standing, sending sparks flying.

  "Whoa!" He pressed a hand to his chest, catching his breath. "That scared the hell out of me." He gnced over his shoulder at the bde. "Good thing I dodged that."

  He stood there for a moment, staring at it. That was the first trap he’d encountered, and he hoped it would be the st. But if the rumors were true—and based on his past knowledge—they were only going to get worse the closer he got to the center. At least he knew he was on the right track.

  He dusted himself off and pressed on until, unexpectedly, the atmosphere changed. The air turned crisp, and the temperature dropped sharply. Ahead of him, the hedges gave way to an ice-covered biome. Jagged gciers rose up like towering walls, and frost-covered trees stood stark against the pale blue sky. A light mist curled around the icy ground, shimmering in the light.

  "There’s gotta be a chest here," he muttered, eyes scanning the area.

  Checking the clock, he saw 16 minutes remaining. He had time. But as he cautiously entered the biome, something felt off. There was no sign of any monsters. Fenix furrowed his brow, his steps cautious as he scanned the area. The usual beasts that guarded the treasure were nowhere to be found.

  "Strange... Did someone already clear this pce?" he wondered aloud, gncing around. There was no sign of anyone else, but it was odd. Something was off.

  Just as he was about to give up and move on, a flicker of silver caught his eye. There, nestled at the base of one of the ice mountains, half-hidden by frost, was a silver treasure chest. It wasn’t just any chest either. It looked more ornate than the others, its surface engraved with intricate patterns and lined with sparkling gems.

  “Maybe this chest is a rare one,” Fenix whispered. But if that was so why was there no monster guarding it?

  Author Note:

  Want to read 50 chapters ahead? You can do that here: ko-fi.com/momocatt If you’re happy reading at the current pace, that’s totally fine too—I appreciate every single reader.

  But if you feel like sending a little support my way (maybe for a coffee or some extra motivation), you can also do that here: ko-fi.com/momocatt

  No matter what, thank you for being here and enjoying the story! (????)