MAZE - The Endless Quest

Without Nimbus, Livy or Lurize, they had to rely on the [Wasp Guards] created by Helena to carry them through the sandstorm. Unfortunately, Vulcan, Crimson, or Viper wouldn't be of much help in a situation like this. They were not big or strong enough to protect the group from the heavy winds. It took them a couple of hours to cover the distance between the pillar where they found the dungeon and the pillar where the doorway was located. They might have made better time, but it was very confusing to travel while being assailed by a relentless sandstorm.

The main problem was the lack of any sort of landmarks and the poor vision, making it near impossible to know when they were changing their course. Hera tried to guide them using her treasure map, but even then, it took time for her to realize they were heading in the wrong direction. Eventually, despite all the issues, they arrived at the pillar where the doorway was located. The entrance was halfway covered in sand, but after crossing the threshold, the effects of the storm were considerably lessened.

"Finally. Ready to get out of here?" Hera turned to Helena, already pulling the Breakthrough Talisman from her pocket.

"I am. But let me be the one to use the talisman, or at least, take mine." The mage replied.

"What? Why?" Hera frowned, not understanding why that mattered.

"We only came here because of me. If you are alone, you’ll be able to take a different route. And I know you got some rewards that were good and all, but let me at least give you this."

"Lena, that’s silly. You don’t need to give me something for this."

"I know, I know. But I feel like you’d have more use for it than I will. If I’m facing a storm, I’d just stay home. You might be out in the open or dealing with another storm-based monster. The talisman can help," Helena insisted.

"Fine, fine. You can use yours. Want to do the honors?"

Helena nodded and took the talisman. The way to trigger it was simple: she had to put some mana into the paper for it to activate, as with most rewards given by the MAZE. The moment she did that, the yellow talisman with red writing turned into sand, or at least particles that looked just like sand. That small cloud of dust started swirling and flew outside at a staggering speed. In less than 10 seconds, the storm suddenly stopped, and the skies became clear again. At the opposite end of the cave, the pure white doorway started to emanate a soft light, showing that it had once again been activated.

"We have 10 minutes. Let’s go," Hera said as she walked over and touched the frame.

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Would you like to be transported to:

Twin Shores - 10th Layer

[Yes] [No]

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Hera noticed that the option to enter her private room wasn’t even available, likely because of the temporary effect of the talisman. It begged the question: if she were to try to enter her private room when she was about to get stuck, would the MAZE allow it? That was a topic for a different time. The Empress waited until Helena started to disappear before touching "yes." A familiar feeling of being submerged in warm water covered her body, followed by a stronger heat, one that came without the sensation of being surrounded by liquid.

Emerging in the Twin Shores, they were met by a clear sky and blazing sunlight. The gray sand beach was so warm they could feel the heat even through their shoes. Hera instinctively summoned Eira and Daskka. Calling the herald was already something like a reflex. The Ophidianite could barely remember the last time she didn’t have her snake accompanying her. Eira, on the other hand, was summoned for a simple reason, she was cold. Not personality-wise, but physically cold. She didn’t just look like she was made of ice, she was made of ice. Some sort of magical ice that behaved like steel, meaning she radiated a cold aura.

'Master Hera, I’m not sure if this is the best use of my abilities,' Eira protested once she realized there was no fighting going on.

'If this makes you uncomfortable, that’s okay. I can send you back. But it’s really hot, and I’d appreciate the help. It’ll also be a good chance for you to understand how we travel. Being part of the Court isn’t just about fighting and facing strong enemies, it involves a lot of walking around,' Hera explained.

'I see… I shall consider this part of my training then, to fend off the heat coming from above and below.'

'That’s a good idea. We generally try to keep ourselves busy somehow. Some of us talk, some come up with new spells, or we make up games as we walk. But if you feel uncomfortable or too bored, let me know, and I can send you back to the Palace,' Hera added.

'I will. Thank you, Master!' Eira announced proudly.

"Everything okay?" Helena asked.

"Yeah, just making sure Eira’s okay being here," Hera gestured to the glaive on her back, the cold emanating from it spreading to the mage.

"Is she?"

"For now, yes. It’s the first time she’s going to be outside while we travel, so there’s a chance she might just find it boring and go back inside the legacy."

"Fair enough. How long will we be here?"

"With Nimbus, it should have taken us three hours to reach the doorway. Without him, it’ll probably take the whole day."

Helena nodded. "Do you have any idea how long it’ll take for them to recover?"

Hera turned to Daskka, who just shook her head. "I don’t know, Mum. I can tell the Blades will take around two more days, but the Titled Blades have their own time, and it’s not something I can predict."

"But I remember that you had an idea of how long it would take for them to come back after they broke," Hera said.

"Yeah. I can have an idea if they are far or close to getting back to full health, but not an exact time frame," Daskka explained.

"Got it," Hera nodded. It had been a very long time since one of her titled blades had broken. She always made sure to be careful not to let them harm themselves too much.

As the small group continued walking, Hera summoned the rest of her remaining blades: Viper, Crimson, Vulcan, Twiggy, and Robin. Even with nine of them in total, it felt lonely. Too many were missing. Still, this should be a much safer place than the one they had just left. Monsters here would be level 28 at most.

Not long after, they reached an area that explained the name of the room. Out in the ocean, there was a line where the waters changed colors. The effect wasn't necessarily caused by magic, but the stark difference between the clear blue ocean and a dark, almost black sea made for an incredible sight. Viper even insisted on taking a look at the line from underwater. However, just like outside, the water had an abrupt change. But unlike what one might expect from magic, if you traveled into the darkness of the black ocean, small pieces of light would still filter through the water for a few meters before vanishing completely.

Satisfied with his discoveries, the Spymaster returned, and the group continued walking.

"Empress, should I activate my Daemonic Form before we get to the next room?" Vulcan asked as they turned towards the grassland beyond the beach.

"It might be a good call. We should be arriving at your old home tomorrow, so resetting the Daemonic Influence could be better," Hera nodded.

"Do you have an idea when we should be arriving? I'd prefer to be there when we meet the Strength Spirits," Forge explained.

"Are you sure? Don't you want us to talk to them first and prepare you for whatever might come?" Hera turned to Vulcan.

The kangaroo shook his head. "No. I want to be there when everything happens, if you allow me."

"This is not about allowing you. I'm just worried. But if you want, you'll be there. Should we look for a few monsters so you can fight and not feel as bad?"

"I would appreciate that, as long as it doesn't mess with our time frame."

Hera shook her head, "Don't worry, it won't. We're going to end the day either in this room or near the doorway of the next one. Which means we'll spend the night in my private room," the Ophidianite explained.

It didn't take long for them to find a monster, but unfortunately, it wasn't one Hera or Helena could attack without hesitation. The creature was called 'Red Spore Cap,' a giant walking mushroom. Its body was mostly beige, and the cap was red with cute little flower-shaped pink dots. Its face had tiny, beady black eyes above a small mouth that seemed frozen in an eternal smile. Adding that to the stubby arms and legs and it truly looked like a plushie.

"Those are really cute," Helena frowned and looked at Vulcan, "Do you really have to fight them?"

"It would help, but if the two of you are against it, I can hold off. We just need to find a place where I can lash out," Forge explained, his ears drooping a bit. Even without the high Daemonic influence affecting his body, Vulcan enjoyed fighting. But with it, he felt even better. There was something liberating about turning off his mind and going berserk.

"Maybe there's something less cute around? Look over there, there's a weird mix of a squirrel with a boar," Hera gestured to the side. A chubby orange squirrel with the nose of a pig and large tusks coming out of its mouth lumbered along. The creature could be considered cute, but it was also terrifying. Its bulging stomach seemed to wriggle like something inside was trying to get out, but it wasn’t simply pregnant. Whatever was inside moved not just around its stomach but along its back, almost wrapping around its spine. Adding to the eeriness was its name: Grease Climber.

The group watched as the Grease Climber slowly approached a Red Spore Cap, expecting it to attack. But as soon as it got close, the mushroom opened a mouth beneath its face, looking like a tree branch had burst through, leaving a large jagged hole. The Red Spore Cap clamped its mouth down on the Grease Climber’s head with a sickening crunch. From the squirrel’s belly, something emerged, a long millipede with wriggling tentacles all over its carapace. According to [Observe], that was still the Grease Climber, and perhaps its true form.

The strange insect rushed towards Hera's group, but before anyone could react, a small glowing projectile connected with the monster exploding in a fiery blaze. Everyone turned to the side, seeing Viper with both hands out as if he had just cast a spell.

"Did you just cast a fireball?" Hera asked.

"Yep. I was testing a few ideas, and when that thing started moving, I didn't want it getting near me," Viper admitted.

Everyone looked at the charred remains of the monster and nodded. "Yeah, you did good," Hera said.

They took advantage of the moment and split up. Hera gave a [Royal Quest] to Crimson and Viper so they could stay close to Helena, while the Ophidianite walked away to let Vulcan enter his [Daemonic Form]. Unfortunately, the skill that would allow him to revive right away was on cooldown. He had used it the day before they arrived at the Dunes of Isolation.

By the end of the day, they arrived at the next doorway, but instead of crossing over, they stayed in Hera's private room. One more day, just one more, before they would arrive at the home of the Strength Spirits. But first, both of them were in desperate need of a shower to wash out all the sand from their clothes.