### Chapter 4: My Maze (5)
The demon army marched into the Sky Tower, making their way to the 19th floor.
Aside from the caves growing darker and the air becoming more damp, the warriors had yet to find an opportunity to show off their skills.
This undoubtedly made everyone a bit restless.
For soldiers, there’s no better way to level up than to drink bl**d on the battlefield and face d*ath without hesitation.
Thus, they craved battle, hungered for it.
As soon as the warriors set foot on the 20th floor of the maze, they suddenly heard the distant sounds of “clash, clang,” metal weapons crashing against each other.
Their bodies ignited with excitement, and without waiting for Prince Eric’s clear orders, they couldn’t resist racing towards the fighting location, claiming it was “scouting.”
The maze remained as dark as ever.
The soldiers, brandishing flickering torches, charged ahead, but just then, they heard the whooshing sound of arrows slicing through the air, getting closer.
Seasoned warriors instinctively rolled to the ground, hiding behind nearby jutting rocks.
“Thud thud thud…”
That was the dull thump of arrows hitting the ground.
Some arrows even ricocheted off the hard rock, making a crisp clink sound.
“Enemy attack! Enemy attack!” shouted the scouts, their voices ringing through the darkness.
Captain Freeman immediately leapt from the middle of the ranks, dropping at least fifty meters. Just before hitting the ground, he did a somersault, dispersing the force of his fall before landing heavily.
“Follow my lead! Anyone daring to lay a hand on the great demon race must pay the price!”
Under Freeman’s command, as the rain of arrows ceased, the soldiers quickly regrouped to hunt down the archers hidden in the dark.
At that moment, amidst the shadowy glow of the torches, a beautiful woman dressed in white suddenly appeared.
Holding a four-stringed harp in her left hand and a sword in her right, she played a short tune of “ding ding dang dang” with one hand, while her sword danced through the air, fiercely blocking the incoming attacks.
It was the Harpist!
A profession unique to the demon race, a title and status that nearly every noblewoman desired.
As members of Prince Eric’s elite guard, how could they not recognize the fighting form of a Harpist?
The four-stringed harp she held and the wounds on her body that healed with the music confirmed her identity.
d*mn it, how dare they attack the empire’s most precious Harpist right in front of their faces!
What an unforgivable sin!
Freeman’s eyes blazed as he charged forward alongside the soldiers to rescue the pitiful woman.
But when the flames lit up their sight, they were shocked to see the attackers surrounding the Harpist were a bunch of skeleton warriors.
Undead!
It was undead creatures!
And those sniping at them from the shadows were none other than the damned skeletons!
Harpists were never good at close combat.
Yet this one, appearing in the maze, had managed to hold out against dozens of skeletons, which was nothing short of a miracle.
Freeman and his men immediately engaged the seemingly powerful skeletons in battle.
Some agile demon warriors even targeted the hiding skeleton archers, squishing their skulls into puddles like squashed grapes before moving on to their next k*ll.
Meanwhile, as the fighting unfolded ahead, Prince Eric arrived swiftly at the combat scene, accompanied by Morris and Adeline.
“Trissa?”
Seeing a familiar figure leaning against a massive rock, bloodied and battered, Eric was taken aback.
Adeline hurried over to support the wobbling Trissa, who, due to excessive bl**d loss, would have long fainted if not for her healing skills keeping her barely conscious.
Morris, too distraught to speak, could only watch on with wide eyes in a state of panic.
Eric immediately commanded the two Harpists to come forward and heal Trissa.
When the two women rushed over and saw Trissa, their eyes filled with surprise and fear.
Despite their reluctance, they acknowledged that Trissa was one of the few geniuses the Harpist Academy had seen in decades.
During their years in the academy, these girls, who were already considered exceptional by ordinary standards, had always been overshadowed by Trissa.
Fear and respect had almost become their instinctive reactions in her presence.
“Fo…forebear, are you okay?” one of them stammered.
Trissa glanced at the two, recognizing they were her younger classmates, and coldly ordered, “What are you waiting for? You two, ‘Shepherd’s Song’ duet.”
“Yes, Forebear.”
Instinctively complying, it took the two a moment to realize they were no longer in the academy and didn’t have to show her that much respect.
But ever since they met, Trissa’s weak presence continued to dominate their energy. Though a bit unwilling, out of respect for Prince Eric, they retrieved their harps and began to play the “Shepherd’s Song.”
As the soothing melody flowed, not only did the injured Trissa bask in the warm glow of healing, but even the soldiers fighting the skeletons were rejuvenated.
In less than a minute, the skeletons were utterly wiped out by Freeman and his team, leaving nothing but broken bones on the ground, with almost no chance of revival.
At that moment, all eyes were on her.
They had countless questions.
Eric turned to Morris, “I think it’s best if you ask.”
Morris flailed his arms at Adeline, repeatedly shaking his head.
“Your Highness, Morris says he wouldn’t want to waste everyone’s time like this, so he asks you to think twice.”
“… Fine, I suppose it should be me then.”
Eric patted his belly, studied Trissa before stating, “If the Minister of Foreign Affairs knew you were unharmed, he’d be over the moon.
Now, tell us what happened after you entered the maze. What did you go through? What did you see…”
With her injuries healed, Trissa gracefully kneeled before the Prince, and then slowly recounted, “Dear Prince.
This is a long story, so I’ll make it short.
After we separated from Morris, we sneaked into the city, trying all means to get close to the Sky Tower.
Once we successfully entered the maze, we followed the enemy and quickly discovered a hidden passage.
In a bid to uncover the secrets of the maze before they did, we took a risk and entered the secret passage, ultimately charging into the 60th floor of the maze before them.
But… we were too reckless.
The 60th floor was swarming with undead monsters. To avoid a confrontation, we quickly retreated to the 59th floor, but even then, we attracted a considerable number of their undead in hot pursuit.
In the chaos, I unfortunately got separated.
In a panic, I climbed up this path, hoping to shake them off, only to end up cornered here…
If not for your timely rescue, I… I might have ended up a corpse by now.”
Trissa couldn’t help but choke up.
