The fifth floor of the labyrinth, a barren wilderness covered in yellow soil.

Two skeletons of differing heights passed through thickets and the Mushroom Forest, skirted around a chaotic stretch of jagged rocks, and ultimately stopped behind a protruding boulder, setting down the wooden staff they were carrying next to the rock.

"...This should be the place."

Both were players.

The reason they were here was, naturally, to complete a task assigned by Lord Demon King.

Yiye Zhiqu, draped in a silk robe, unfurled a scroll in his hands, on which a circular magic formation was drawn on parched, yellowed paper.

The pattern of the magic formation was extremely complex, woven from countless delicate lines and symbols, each stroke meticulously designed—each curve's radius and the spacing of intersection points were carefully calculated, such that even a slight error could render it ineffective.

However, great rewards inspire great deeds.

Enticed by the staggering reward of 500 contribution points and 100,000 Joss Paper, Yiye Zhiqu didn't hesitate to accept the quest with Hu Wan.

Although neither had the ability to draw a perfect circle by hand, having received nine years of compulsory education, they understood the principles of geometry well.

Any complex shape could be broken down into multiple simple geometric figures, and this rule-traced magic formation was no exception.

For instance, a second diagram in Yiye Zhiqu's hand now displayed the magic formation initially shown as a whole, deconstructed into a series of straight lines and assisting circles' centers.

All he needed to do was calculate the distances between points, mark them sequentially on the ground, and then use ropes and wooden sticks as aids—to connect lines and draw circles... finally, filling the grooves carved into the ground with sharp rocks with Demon Crystal powder.

But theory is just theory, and despite mastering the techniques, it still took the two several hours to barely replicate the magic formation.

"Done!"

Having successfully completed the task, Yiye Zhiqu clapped his hands, placed the Demon Crystals at various vital points of the magic formation, and then recited a spell to activate the magical connection between them.

Thanks to his practice over time, his proficiency with magic had improved significantly. The intricacies of this spellcasting would have been beyond him when the server first launched.

Soon, the neatly arranged Demon Crystals emitted an inky green light, which then transformed into verdant luminescent dots. These floated up and down in the air, interweaving into a magnificent and three-dimensional image.

Nether Energy in a verdant hue continuously surged from the formation's nexus points. After reaching a certain threshold, there was a sudden snap and the swirling lights vanished along with it.

Only the pattern of intersecting trenches remained on the ground, exuding an eerie and ominous aura under the flickering illumination of the Netherworld.

"That's it?" Hu Wan glanced at the quest tab, noting the reward credits were already issued, seemingly concluding their involvement.

"It seems so... I can feel something left a mark in this area, possibly the so-called portal," Yiye Zhiqu said while intently observing the magic formation's focal points, rubbing his chin with his index finger as if pondering something.

Watching his actions, Hu Wan curiously inquired.

"What are you thinking about?"

Yiye Zhiqu didn't hide his thoughts, replying honestly.

"I'm wondering... whether there's a distance limit to this kind of transport formation, and what exactly influences the energy consumption."

Moreover, assuming this game world encompasses other planets or realms, could civilizations on this planet, with such incredible teleportation technology, potentially engage in interstellar adventures more easily than those who have never encountered magic?

This is actually a rather interesting question.

Because theoretically, if that were feasible, the forces of Hell wouldn't need to fight to the death over scant living space with surface-dwelling humans; they could focus on astrology and teleportation technology, and use advanced portals to conquer distant worlds.

Of course.

Despite all these thoughts, he was well aware that these were merely his own speculations. Even if the game developers were ambitious, they wouldn't realistically reach that extent.

After all, if that were the case, this game wouldn't be called "Cataclysm Online"; it would more appropriately be named "Stellar Online."

After hearing his thoughts, Hu Wan paused for a long time before he couldn't resist making a sarcastic remark.

"Why do you care about that stuff?"

With a smile, Yiye Zhiqu replied.

"Just curious, don't mind me."

As they were speaking, the teleportation formation suddenly flickered with light.

In the blink of an eye, it seemed as if something pierced through the air, tearing open a palm-sized rift, from which a translucent bird soared into the sky.

Like a ghost, the bird headed straight for the skies above the Crush Skull Tribe.

Sensing something significant was about to happen, Yiye Zhiqu and Hu Wan hastily retreated, maintaining a safe distance.

...

Meanwhile, in the grandest and most luxurious arena of Demon City, the circular stands were abuzz with a throng of spectators!

In the center of the open-air arena, two half-human height conical crystals stood tall, projecting magnified images onto four screens above.

At this moment, one set of these screens displayed an overhead view of the fifth layer of the labyrinth in Rayming County—the Ghost Bird, soaring at the edge of the skies over the Crush Skull Tribe, viewed the entire expanse of the tribe below like a surveillance drone!

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