Because that offshoot wasn’t on the ground but on the wall.
It was very similar to the small hole on the wall from before, or rather, except for the fact that there was light here, it was exactly the same.
If the Black Earl hadn’t left a mark beside the small hole, they might have always thought that hole in the wall was the road to an unknown destination. Who would have thought that the hole on the wall could close on its own and actively open when it sensed a living person?
Although they didn’t know whether this hole was the same as the previous one, they didn’t want to take that path.
Moreover, the light was too much like bait.
As if it was deliberately luring people in.
Anyone else coming here, seeing nothing but darkness, might be drawn to the light, but with Earl Mi and Angel’s assistance, their vision wasn’t impaired. Naturally, they were unwilling to venture blindly into a potentially high-risk narrow path.
They promptly ignored the small path and walked past it quickly.
Until they turned a corner ahead and couldn’t see the light anymore, Dox finally spoke: "Lord Black Earl, did you leave any scent marking nearby that hole? Is it closed now?"
The Black Earl remained silent.
Angel, on the other hand, sighed and said: "You could’ve left a Wizard’s Eye to observe it yourself. You didn’t leave one, so do you think Lord Black Earl would?"
Dox: "..." It seemed that was the case.
Angel: "However, if you want to know whether that entrance has closed, it’s quite simple."
As Angel spoke, he displayed a Light Screen in front of everyone.
At the edge of the Light Screen, there was initially a light spot. But gradually, this light spot faded away.
"I discreetly placed a purely mechanical creation without any fluctuations—a Puppet Eye—at a distance from that light spot."
"Through the Puppet Eye, you can see the light spot has gone out, which means... it closed."
The other side used light in the darkness to attract their attention, but Angel could also use the same method to determine if it closed.
Now that the answer was clear, everyone felt more horrified by that offshoot.
Even though they didn’t know whether that hole was a mechanism or some other ’thing’, it was unmistakable that choosing the illuminated path would surely result in a dire cost.
"That entrance, could it be the same as the previous entrance?" Kaier swallowed hard and asked.
After a moment of silence, the Black Earl replied: "I don’t know. The previous entrance is already closed and cannot be determined. But I feel, probably not."
"However, there’s no need to worry too much about the entrance. Whether it’s alive or dead, as long as you don’t go in, there will be no trouble."
Kaier still looked anxious: "That’s easy to say, but if that hole were magnified several times and established on the ground, looking like a normal-sized offshoot, then it would be hard to judge."
Kaier’s concern was not unfounded.
If such a situation really happened, it would indeed be hard to guard against.
Originally, the people rejoicing over avoiding a disaster now found their hearts once again tinged with a slight shadow.