Samsara Paradise: Dream Weaver of Connections.

Lin Yi understood Anna's unspoken words and the purpose of her special reminder.

The value of the Shadow Stone in the House of the Dead probably far exceeds his initial expectations.

It's not just about currency and passes; it may involve something deeper, such as the "special areas" Anna mentioned, or even some kind of privilege or opportunity related to the rules of the House of the Dead itself.

Otherwise, given Anna's status and personality, there would be no need for her to point it out so specifically.

Su Xiao and Shang Yue, who were standing nearby, had obviously also caught this information.

The two exchanged a glance, without exchanging a word, but their actions were remarkably synchronized.

They walked back to the round table and picked up the cursed gold coin that was still lying there quietly.

Given the current situation, while the negative effects of the cursed gold coins are indeed terrifying, as long as we don't leave the banquet hall, which is currently a safe zone, the pursuit is merely an unresolved threat.

In comparison, acquiring more Shadow Stones to increase one's bargaining power and survival resources in this eerie house is clearly more important.

And so, once again, the subtle sounds of gold coins being tossed, spinning, and landing echoed through the banquet hall.

This time, Lin Yi also participated in the throwing.

Front, back, then front again, back again...

The buffs and debuffs alternately refresh in their respective imprints.

Su Xiao's luck seems to be in a delicate balance.

He received another boost to his luck attribute and acquired two more Shadow Stones, but this also increased the number of Gluttonous Beasts outside the door by dozens, extending the chase time by several hours.

Shangyue continued her journey of being an "unlucky person".

Six throws yielded only one Shadow Stone; the other five were all negative effects of being "hunted by a Gluttonous Beast," with the time limits stacking up to a terrifying degree.

When the two stopped to catch their breath, Lin Yi took stock of their spoils.

The number of Shadow Stones in his hand had exceeded ten; a total of twelve pitch-black stones emanated a dark luster in his palm.

Su Xiao has six, while Shang Yue only has a pitiful four.

Outside the golden gate of the banquet hall, the scene had become horrifying.

The once spacious corridor was now completely blocked by a dense swarm of gluttonous beasts of various shapes and sizes.

The axe-wielding and knife-wielding guys were the first to appear, standing at the very front, followed closely by those wielding chain hammers, giant clubs, and even those with empty, ferocious claws... Their bulky, enormous bodies pressed against each other, and their rusty chains tangled and collided, making a clanging, metallic scraping sound.

The rift in the center of its torso opened and closed, roaring silently and spewing out damp air with a putrid stench.

Lin Yi roughly estimated the number of Axe Brothers outside the door; there were probably forty or fifty of them.

They are like a living wall made of flesh, chains, and gluttonous desires, filling the space outside the door completely.

Light could barely penetrate the barrier they formed; only countless bloodthirsty "gazes" pierced through the door frame, locking onto Su Xiao and Shang Yue inside the banquet hall.

The time limit for the manhunt has already exceeded forty hours for Su Xiao, while Shang Yue's is heading straight for forty-eight hours.

This means that once they step out of the banquet hall, they will be relentlessly pursued by nearly a hundred tireless, hunting monsters for almost two days and two nights.

In the bizarrely structured environment of the House of Death, this is practically tantamount to a death sentence.

The atmosphere in the banquet hall thus became somewhat stagnant.

Shangyue's face was paler than usual. Su Xiao was calculating the probability of breaking through under extreme circumstances, and he could clearly feel the heavy pressure from Brother Axe outside.

In the midst of this oppressive silence, Lin Yi suddenly noticed that the corner of Su Xiao's mouth twitched upwards very slightly.

Lin Yi's heart stirred, and he was about to ask a question.

Just then—

Hey! You inside! Are you still alive?

A familiar shout, tinged with recklessness and uncertainty, suddenly came from behind the "monster wall" outside the Golden Gate, piercing through the deep hisses of the Gluttonous Beasts and the scraping of chains.

It's Mondstadt!
Lin Yi, Su Xiao, Shang Yue, and even Anna all turned their gazes toward the doorway.

Behind the dense horde of gluttonous beasts, a figure with a white buzz cut was standing on tiptoe, trying to get a better look at the banquet hall.

It's Mondstadt, the clumsy devil.

He looked somewhat disheveled, with several fresh tears on his sturdy leather armor and numerous abrasions and bruises on his exposed skin, but his spirits were exceptionally high, and his eyes even carried an excitement of "I've finally found the way."

He actually managed to fight his way out of that "labyrinth of the dead" that sounded extremely dangerous!
Anna and Lin Yi vaguely revealed some of the rules of the Maze of the Dead, stating that it was not a conventional maze that could be broken through by brute force.

It is filled with deceptive illusions, seductive whispers, and logical traps. The environment itself constantly distorts cognition, inducing intruders to make wrong choices, thus being captured or assimilated by the wandering "dead."

The more meticulous one's thinking and the more accustomed one is to rational analysis, the more likely one is to fall into confusion in such a situation.

But Mondl... he's an exception.

His thought process was so straightforward, it was as sharp as the blade of a dragon-slaying sword.

The labyrinth of the dead, with its intricate hints, puns full of traps, and paths requiring complex puzzle-solving to pass through, was essentially like casting pearls before swine for Mondstadt.

When the maze tries to deceive him with illusions, he might just punch the wall to test its feel; when the dead try to lure him with tempting or threatening words, he will most likely respond with a heartfelt "Can't you be more direct?" or "I think you're lying to me."

Later, when Lin Yi went to the demon race, he specifically asked Mond.

Based on Lin Yi's description, Lin Yi successfully recreated Mondstadt's experience in the Labyrinth of the Dead.

While Mondstadt was "communicating" with the dead who were trying to lure him in the labyrinth, he nearly angered several ancient spirits who had existed for countless years and were skilled in deception, causing their spirits to become unstable and their energy to dissipate.

Those dead who were used to manipulating people's hearts and hunting with their wisdom, had never seen such an unyielding and straightforward "brute".
Tricks and rhetoric are much less effective in the face of absolute "straightforwardness".

Of course, the Maze of the Dead is not entirely about intelligence.

It is also full of physical dangers and rule-based threats.

Mondl was able to break through because of his unparalleled physique, his fighting style that became more ferocious the more he was hit, and his "intuition" that sometimes inadvertently solved certain traps.

Even so, it took him more than twenty hours to finally find the exit of the maze.

This is not only because the maze itself is as complex as an infinite corridor, but also because Mondstadt's style of "going down a single path to the end, tearing down the wall when he hits it and continuing on" led him to take many detours.

In contrast, the female mage Dillin of the Arcane Eternal Star is probably still struggling deep within the labyrinth.

Her wisdom and magic might help her avoid some traps, but the maze's corrosive influences targeting her weaknesses and inner desires are likely a more deadly poison for her proud and arrogant nature. If not for her formidable strength, she would probably have already been consumed by it.

At that moment, Mond pushed aside several smaller Gluttons blocking his way and squeezed his way to the vicinity of the Golden Gate.

He first glanced at the terrifying army of Axe Brothers outside the door, his scarlet eyes sweeping over their ferocious "faces," and his neck instinctively shrank back.

He could sense that none of these headless monsters were easy to deal with. If he were surrounded by such a group, even he would be chopped into mincemeat without a doubt.

Then, his gaze passed over the monsters and fell on the three people in the banquet hall who were unharmed, especially Lin Yi, who was sitting on the sofa with the scary spider lying at his feet, and then he looked at Anna, who seemed to be in better condition, by the round table.

Mondl's not-so-complex but stubbornly persistent mind began to work at breakneck speed.

A conclusion quickly formed in his mind: these terrifying axe-wielding monsters at the entrance were some kind of test! A "test of courage" that had to be faced before entering this seemingly safe and comfortable banquet hall!
The more he thought about it, the more sense it made.

Otherwise, how do you explain that Lin Yi and the others were able to stay inside comfortably, while these monsters just blocked the entrance and wouldn't go in?

Only by breaking through the blockade of these monsters can one gain the right to enter!
“I see,” Mond murmured to himself, his voice so loud that everyone present could hear, “Before entering the banquet hall, one needs to be tested for courage.”

He took a deep breath, puffed out his chest, and faced the nearest axe-wielding monster, trying to display the "spirit" and "negotiation skills" of the demon race.

“Hey, big guy,” Mond said to the rift in the center of Axe Bro’s torso, his tone “sincere,” “Let’s make a deal, let me through. I’m in a hurry, my friend is waiting for me inside.”

He even pointed to Lin Yi inside the banquet hall.

Axe Bro: "...?"

The crack opened and closed slightly, releasing a burst of damp air with a bloody smell, as a response.

However, its attention remained firmly fixed on Su Xiao and Shang Yue in the banquet hall, showing no interest in Mondstadt's sudden "negotiation".

Mond waited a few seconds, and seeing that the other party didn't react, he frowned and changed his approach: "How about we have a fight? If you win, I'll pass?"

He assumed a fighting stance, with demonic flames subtly swirling around his body.

At this moment, several Gluttonous Beasts nearby seemed to be attracted by his energy fluctuations, and they turned their bodies slightly to "look" at him.

But there is still no sign of an attack; it seems that some rule is restricting them, making them prioritize targets marked with a "hunt tag".

Mond was getting a little impatient.

He looked at the banquet hall entrance that was so close, and then at the group of monsters blocking the way and not properly "testing" him. A surge of recklessness rose within him.

"Tsk, so slow and indecisive."

He muttered something, then suddenly leaned forward, his muscles bulging, and with a low growl, he rammed his shoulder into the densest group of Gluttonous Beasts blocking the doorway!
This collision was powerful and heavy, carrying the savagery unique to the demon race.

boom!
A muffled thud.

Several gluttonous beasts, caught off guard, were knocked off balance and staggered to the sides, their chains rattling.

Although they quickly regained their footing and let out angry hiss, the doorway was indeed briefly breached by Mond's sudden ramming.

Mond's eyes lit up, and he seized the opportunity to rush in.

However, an accident occurred.

Perhaps he lost his balance from the impact, perhaps he was angered by Mondl's reckless behavior, or perhaps the chaos triggered some incomprehensible chain reaction.

The axe-wielding beast that was closest to Mondstadt and the first to appear accidentally grazed another Glutton wielding a chain mace while trying to steady itself.

The chain-hammer glutton was grazed and instinctively swung its weapon to retaliate, the heavy chain hammer slamming into the back of another unarmed glutton.

The empty-handed Gluttonous Beast cried out in pain, its body splitting open in fury, and it slammed sideways, crashing into a smaller Gluttonous Beast that was wielding a bone club...

Chaos, like dominoes, instantly ignited in the narrow corridor teeming with raging monsters.

At first, it was just a few gluttonous beasts pushing and shoving each other and accidentally hitting each other, but soon, the chaos spread like a virus.

The roars grew sharper, chains swung, and weapons clashed.

They seemed to have temporarily "forgotten" their target in the banquet hall and vented their anger on their "companions" beside them.

Even more astonishingly, in the center of the chaos, some gluttonous beast started it all, its chain-bound body beginning to spin in place...

It resembles an out-of-control, spiked iron top.

This action seems to have a certain contagious quality.

Soon, a second, a third... more and more Gluttonous Beasts joined this meaningless spinning.

They brandished their weapons and dragged their chains, like giant humanoid whirlwinds rampaging through the corridor.

The axe blades cleaved deep grooves into the walls; the chain hammers pounded the floor, sending stones flying; the bone clubs struck their companions' chains, producing a piercing metallic clang.

The entire corridor instantly transformed into a chaotic demolition site.

Large cracks were torn in the wooden walls, revealing a darker structure behind them, and the floor was smashed into holes, crashing into the distant wall and breaking into pieces.

Boom! Crash! Bang!

The deafening sounds of destruction were incessant.

The people in the banquet hall stared in disbelief.

Lin Yi glanced at Anna subconsciously and found that the Queen of Pain had also widened her eyes slightly, seemingly taken aback by the sudden chaos, which then turned into a helpless sigh.

The rules of the Death House restrict Gluttonous Beasts from directly entering the banquet hall and also maintain the stability of the building structure to a certain extent; otherwise, with such destructive power, this corridor would have collapsed completely long ago.

Mond was also startled by the sudden and violent scene. He nimbly dodged several spinning "tops" that crashed into him, and in the chaos, he took a step forward and finally rushed into the banquet hall through the gap he had smashed open and which was now being widened by the chaos.

"Phew! That was close!" Mond patted his chest, glancing back at the hellish scene outside the door with lingering fear. He then turned to Lin Yi and the others, a smile mixed with smugness and lingering fear on his face. "This 'test of courage' was too intense. I almost didn't make it."

Lin Yi, Su Xiao, and Shang Yue: "..."

Anna put her hand to her forehead and sighed softly.

The chaos outside the door continued, and even intensified.

The Gluttons seemed to have fallen into some kind of collective unconscious frenzy, destroying everything in sight.

Sparks flew as the golden doorframe was hacked away, and the door trembled violently. (End of Chapter)