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Page 219
Fortunately, the "saint" is here.
After an unknown amount of time, the boat stopped. The river ahead was still obscured from view, but a large entrance was visible on the side.
Fies knew that going through this gate would lead to the third level: the maze.
Once through the maze, one can reach the entrance to the otherworldly ruins. The members of the Holy Maiden's Cult couldn't enter, and neither could the purple-clad man initially. Neither pure brute force nor mere spatial magic could break through the barrier.
However, if there are any people in this world who can enter it in the right way, it should be Ronan and Dinia.
Upon reaching the shore, we were greeted by a massive, mud-yellow stone gate covered in Egyptian-style carvings.
The "birdman" among the three of them, Villa, spoke up and asked, "Sister, you said there's a maze inside. I'd like to ask if this maze is just a simple maze?"
For a magician, a simple maze is not difficult at all.
Fies replied, "I can't explain it, because once you go in, you'll soon get separated. Each person is in their own maze, and you, me, and everyone else will encounter different people."
"So, beautiful nun, what will happen if you can't get out of the maze?" Giovanni asked.
“There will be no punishment, and you won’t be trapped inside forever. After a certain period of time, you will be able to return to the outside.” Fies answered with a very certain tone, but in reality, she was not sure, because this was no longer the place she had experienced before.
It's possible that the maze from before no longer exists, or that if we fail to get out of the maze this time, it won't just be a simple matter of being sent out.
Who knows?
Anyway, she didn't care. She was just a puppet now; the real her wasn't here.
As for Ronan and Dinia, being immortal beings, she didn't need to worry about them at all.
What does it matter to her what others do?
"Let's go," Dinia said, uttering only one word.
Just like Ronan's perception, once they arrived here, the aura that resembled that of the heavens became increasingly pronounced.
The gate had no mechanisms; it was simply a heavy stone door, posing no difficulty whatsoever to the magicians present.
Soon, the group pushed open the door and entered; it was indeed a maze with ten-meter-high walls.
At a height of ten meters, even these high-level mages could easily climb up without casting spells.
Although Fez didn't say anything to warn people not to go up, no one dared to climb the wall; everyone walked obediently.
There are no fools here; everyone understands one thing: in such a strange place, it's crucial to avoid being overly clever.
Soon, Ronan realized that he had unknowingly walked to the front, and when he looked back, there was no one behind him.
Just as Fies had said, once you enter this maze, you will get separated and become alone.
However, even though the people had separated, the maze in front of them didn't seem to have changed.
"that is it?"
Ronan muttered something to himself and continued on his way.
Finally, after Ronan silently counted more than two hundred numbers, the scene ahead changed, and he saw a stone tablet.
There were no words on the stone tablet, only pictures.
The pictures are divided into three sets vertically from top to bottom. The meaning of each set of pictures is very easy to understand. The one on the far right means to climb up and stand on top of the maze wall. The entire structure of the maze is clearly visible. You can move directly between the walls and quickly pass through the maze.
In the middle, walk steadily, make marks along the way, turn back when you encounter a dead end, and then choose another path. You will eventually find the right path and the only exit.
On the far left, use brute force, go straight forward. The wall? Just smash it down. It's a straight line, the fastest way to reach the exit.
These three are all considered standard approaches to mazes.
"This is probably not about letting people choose how to navigate the maze, but about letting them choose an actual maze."
Ronan pondered to himself.
If this maze can be solved using these three methods, then what's the point? Is it just for kids?
After a moment's thought, Ronan chose the right. After all, he was a right-winger who was good at thinking. If he didn't choose the right, should he choose the left, which was to stubbornly refuse to turn back? As for honestly using the inefficient method to get through the maze, that was a route that even a dog wouldn't choose.
There was no magic ban inside the maze, so Ronan stepped onto the levitation shield and went straight into the sky.
The next moment, the maze disappeared, and everything around him, including himself, changed.
Sure enough, just as he expected, the stone tablet didn't tell him how to get through the maze, but rather asked him to choose a corresponding maze. The place he was in at this moment was the real maze.
in the office.
"Xiao Luo, this is quite well written. I didn't realize it," the middle-aged man said to Ronan. "Some of the viewpoints and opinions in it have a youthful vigor."
“Thank you, Director,” Ronan replied.
This was the first time in his previous life that he had faced his superiors.
"What are you thanking me for? Young people talk like old men." The director chuckled and criticized, then suddenly added, "By the way, have you ever tried the hot pot at the company cafeteria on Wednesdays? It's really good. It's limited, so go early, before you leave work at noon, or you won't get any."
Ronan once answered no. When he first entered the system, like most young people, he wanted to make a name for himself and make a name for himself. To put it bluntly, his efforts were no less than those who were working in private companies and wasting their youth.
Chapter 499 Making a Change, Cafeteria Ghost Stories, Fell for the Beast?
As a hardworking person, instead of thinking about how to get things done properly, why would I leave work early to rush to the cafeteria for some hot pot? That's impossible.
At the time, he held this unit leader in utter contempt. What a jerk he was, not focused on doing his job well, but on what he wanted to eat.
Three months later, Ronan became a bird enthusiast, because he went to a rural town, a town filled with birdsong and fragrant flowers.
For some, going to the countryside is a form of training; for others, it's called being sent down to the countryside.
One meaning? Several meanings? Anyway, it's the same meaning.
Ronan initially thought there was something special about the mini hot pot, but later he realized there wasn't.
Because not all leaders are smart people; they may just be lucky fools.
Ronan's situation was not complicated, just two points. First, no one spoke up for him, so he was not one of the two people who stayed in the county. Second, the leaders appreciated him quite a bit and sent him to a town with great potential.
But as the saying goes, minor fame comes from being promoted, while major fame comes from fate.
Three years later, a very high-ranking official came down to inspect the area, and Ronan ran into him.
Then he went back and became a section chief, a section chief at the age of twenty-eight.
Following the normal career path, he should be a deputy section chief when he goes back. The difference between a deputy section chief and a section chief is huge. Those who know, know; those who don't, don't ask.
"Ha, now that I, Luohan San, am back, I'll skip the farm-style food this time and have the limited-edition hot pot from the cafeteria instead."
Ronan thought to himself.
For example, the organization decided that there were still three months left, and Ronan believed that he was still able to move around.
And so, three months later, Ronan stayed.
The reason Ronan went through all this trouble to stay wasn't because he wanted to change the past, but because he knew he was now trapped in a maze, and since that was the case, he had to do something different.
It was indeed different. Inside the cafeteria, he saw a new set of dining instructions on a sign right at the entrance.
There are no safety issues with the canteen of this organization, and there is no possibility of any abnormalities in the food provided.
Please be sure to follow the dining rules.
1. Please collect your meals using your meal card at the designated times. If cafeteria staff do not hear a card swipe notification, they have the right to refuse your meal. Other payment methods are not permitted; please do not violate this rule.
二、早餐为早晨7：30—8：30，中午11：30—12：30，值班人员晚餐5：30—6：30。早到不予打饭，严禁超过用餐时间。
3. Diners must queue in an orderly manner and are strictly prohibited from cutting in line. No outsiders may be brought to the canteen. If any violation is observed, please immediately notify staff. Do not engage in verbal or physical altercations; simply notify staff.
4. Consciously maintain public hygiene and strictly prohibit damage to any facilities. If you find any dirty or damaged facilities such as dining tables, please notify the staff immediately.
5. Please help yourself to rice and soup, and be mindful of conservation to avoid waste.
6. Please keep your meal card safe and do not lose it.
7. This cafeteria does not have a third floor. If you have already reached the third floor, please leave immediately.
8. The only staff members of this canteen are the food servers wearing sanitary caps and blue armbands, the sanitation workers wearing black aprons and black rubber boots, and those wearing red armbands. Please ignore any remarks made by non-staff members.
9. All tables in this canteen are for six people. Reserving seats and crowding are prohibited.
10. This cafeteria does not offer any special services, including hot pot, pickled fish, etc. Be wary of anyone trying to persuade you to try hot pot or pickled fish.
Please follow the rules and enjoy your meal.
"Good heavens, a strange rule? I almost fell for it. No, not necessarily."
Ronan realized that he could no longer determine whether he was completely without problems.
The only thing he was clear about was that this was a maze, and he needed to finish a meal intact before he could be considered to have cleared it.
It's possible, not certain.
Ronan took a deep breath, pulled out his wallet from his pocket, and thankfully, his meal card was still there.
"Xiao Luo, can I borrow your meal card for a moment?" Director Wang's voice suddenly came from behind.
Ronan turned halfway around, then suddenly stopped, grabbed his own neck to stop himself, and instantly broke out in a cold sweat.
Damn it, I almost got infected.
He had subconsciously tried to politely refuse Director Wang's request to borrow his card, but if he had actually done so, he might have been finished.
Article 10: Be wary of anyone who tries to persuade you to try hot pot. Director Wang is a treacherous person who has already fallen victim to this. He's no longer human. Talking to him will have serious consequences.
Ronan quickly moved forward to join the queue, pretending he was deaf and hadn't heard anything.
As the queue began, Ronan, clutching his meal card, went into "playing dead" mode.
But then something bad happened: someone cut in line. It was one thing to cut in line, but there were only so many people in the unit, and it was only 11:40. Even if Ronan was last in line, he would finish eating at the latest at 12:00, and he wouldn't be breaking the rules.
However, some people who weren't from the company cut in line.
Why was Ronan so certain that the person cutting in line was an outsider?
Because they're all kids, it's impossible for a ten-year-old to already have a position in an agency, right? Uh, no, that's true, as long as the kid... no, no, that's not how it works, the country doesn't work that way.
Ronan punched himself hard on the forehead to stop thinking; his mind was going awry, and this was bad.
"Now, I need to find a staff member," Ronan told himself.
After leaving the group, Ronan found a sanitation worker wiping a table. The sanitation worker said that this was not his responsibility and told Ronan to go to the second floor to find someone wearing a red armband.
Damn, even the sanitation workers in the government canteen are passing the buck now.
Not wanting to waste time, Ronan went straight to the second floor.
The same queue-jumping happened on the second floor, and there were outsiders there too. But it was even worse than on the first floor. On the first floor, the person in front of you would get their food, leave the queue, and hand their meal card to the person at the end of the line. On the second floor, adults and children were together, not separated. Adults would get their food, then immediately hand their card to the child, who would then get their food.
That's outrageous, it's practically a den of demons.
Not long after, Ronan spotted the red armband-wearing figure standing dumbfounded to the side.
That damn red armband guy completely ignored the situation on the second floor, but Ronan was too lazy to care. He wasn't eating on the second floor anyway, so the red armband guy just needed to take care of the problems on the first floor.
After hearing Ronan's account, the red-armbanded man followed Ronan to the first floor.
Upon arriving on the first floor, the man in red armbands seemed to transform, launching a fierce attack on those who cut in line.
Soon, normal order was restored, and Ronan was able to queue normally. At 12:05, he received his hot meal.
However, new problems have arisen.
After this honest man got his food, the clean and intact table was already occupied, leaving only the broken and dirty ones.
Since I couldn't squeeze in with the others, I had to call the sanitation worker.
Carrying his tray, Ronan found the sanitation worker, carefully checked his uniform, and, finding nothing amiss, explained the situation. The sanitation worker understood and cleared a table, finally giving Ronan a place to sit and eat.
Chapter 500: Eating Habits – Who's Gone Mad? The Original Intention is the Exit
The food in the government canteen was quite good, and for Ronan, it was even better than that.
More than 20 years have passed, and he finally tasted the flavors of his hometown.
At this moment, Ronan was no longer the vice-king, marquis, or first secretary. He was like a mountain villager who had never left his village in his life, who had walked for most of the day from the countryside to the county town, eating only a steamed bun and drinking half a bottle of water, and then plopped down in a luxurious hotel.
The way they ate was so impressive, even a mad dog would have to admit they were experts.
The plates were polished; even the plastic plates were made to look like they had the metallic sheen of old-fashioned fast food plates by Ronan.
Looking at the time, it wasn't even 12:10 yet, and Ronan finished his meal in less than five minutes.
Ronan placed the plate in the designated spot and left.
Everything went smoothly, without any obstacles.