### Chapter 7: My Maze (8)
Just a few minutes passed, and what was once an expansive cave, faintly illuminated by torches and with discernible edges, was soon engulfed by a thick, heavy mist.
Even the two hundred-person teams, standing pretty close, felt like they were seeing flowers through fog—confused and dazed.
“Whoosh whoosh whoosh!”
The sharp-eared team leaders immediately caught the sound of projectiles slicing through the air from all directions.
“Defend yourselves!” they shouted.
The demon warriors, brandishing their iron shields, quickly positioned themselves in a protective circle, leaving the rest of their comrades huddled behind like scared little kittens.
By this point, the demon warriors were a bit more prepared than the opposing team—thanks to their earlier encounters with those pesky undead creatures known for their long-range antics.
“Clink clank clink…”
The arrows clashed against the iron shields with a melodic chime; it was probably the best concert of the year, and the demon formation stood tall and steady.
Unfortunately, the Ji Shen team wasn’t so lucky.
Faced with the sudden assault of arrows, they lacked the same level of armor and equipment as the demon team. They flailed their swords, trying to bat away the incoming projectiles.
While it looked quite heroic, there’s always a loose thread, and in a volley of arrows, three members of Ji Shen met their unfortunate end, while ten others limped away with minor injuries.
Freeman, the demon captain, tossed them a derisive glance and ordered, “March forward steadily!”
Although the rain of arrows had temporarily ceased, no one dared to breathe easy.
The demon team maintained their iron shield wall, ready to fend off any further surprises from afar.
But, lo and behold! From the dense fog emerged dozens of wobbly, ghostly green specters, flickering in and out like bad television reception. They opened their gaping maws and screamed in unison.
A wave of primal fear washed over everyone, instantly paralyzing some, reducing them to puddles of tears on the floor.
The demon warriors, though formidable in combat, faltered against this form of psychological warfare—about a quarter of them were rendered temporarily useless by the chilling wails.
Meanwhile, most of Ji Shen’s crew were monsters and, unlike their opponents, had zero fear of weirdly shaped ghouls. When the enemies screamed, they joined in with their melodic chaos, seeing their demon counterparts break down, erupting into laughter as if they had just watched a comedic sketch.
Freeman’s face turned as dark as a storm cloud, but he held his tongue.
On the contrary, the Great King of the Split Land, with a friendly gesture, said to Freeman, “Hey buddy, since we both brought a hundred down here, it’d be best if we could all go home safe and sound, right? Exploring doesn’t mean we’re signing up for a d*ath march! Why don’t we join forces, mix it up a bit? No matter what tricks the enemy might pull, we’ll figure something out!”
Freeman, recognizing the sincerity in the Bull Head’s tone, decided that whatever grudges he had were not worth holding onto.
Since the two leaders had struck a deal, why should their teams keep grumbling at each other?
After a moment’s thought, Freeman agreed to the Bull Head’s proposal for strategic cooperation.
Quickly, both hundred-person teams merged into one.
Thanks to the monster race’s resilience, the demon warriors soon felt better.
Freeman’s mood lifted significantly as he positioned shield bearers on the flanks, sharing the love.
But this duet of teams caused Tom and Jerry, who were discreetly observing from the sidelines, to furrow their brows in concern.
It seemed like it was high time for a full-on extermination strategy.
If they couldn’t take down a combined total of two hundred enemies, how on earth would they show their faces in front of the lady and Lord Lin?
Amidst the shrouded fog, the two strategized, and in no time, a battalion of around fifteen hundred skeletons and zombies, along with a few undead mages and liches, stood at the ready. As for the bone dragon, it was still waiting in the wings for its big debut.
“Go get ’em, boys!”
As the hundred-person team was marching and marking their maps, they were suddenly ambushed by the sound of chaotic footsteps up close.
Along with a fresh volley of arrows, a horde of skeletons and zombies brandishing rusty weapons surged from all directions, surrounding them tighter than a pair of skinny jeans after a buffet.
While these bony foes and the stinky zombies moved about slowly, the dreadful weight of their presence felt like being stuck in an elevator with an overzealous perfume saleslady.
As everyone gnashed their teeth and readied for battle, a sudden blast of red mist appeared right above them.
The mist drifted down, enveloping most of those daring enough to enter the maze.
Soon, the meaning of the red mist became crystal clear.
Any exposed skin instantly itched like a hundred mosquitoes had declared war; scratching became an unstoppable reflex, even if it left their skin a bloody mess. It was as if the itchiest joke had been played on them, and they were going to scratch their way into oblivion.
This sudden turn of events stripped the team of nearly fifty percent of their fighting spirit.
Troops not caught in the red mist panicked, watching the enemy press in while their comrades succumbed to self-destructive scratching madness. They quickly found themselves trapped with no way out.
The skeleton army flooded in like a wave at a beach party, but filled with far less fun.
To survive, the remaining soldiers fought like lions, yet they were vastly outnumbered and severely outmatched. Ji Shen and the demon team were on the brink of extinction.
Fortunately, Freeman and the Great King of the Split Land held their ground, drawing heavy fire away from their subordinates, otherwise, doom would’ve already knocked at their doors.
“Clink clang boom…”
Suddenly, sweet music echoed through the enclosed, oppressive cave.
The melody flowed like a cool stream, and those affected by the red mist felt their itching wounds begin to heal.
As they stood up, they were horrified to realize what they had done to themselves in their crazed scratching.
But soon, under the soothing strains of the music, their wounds healed completely.
“Truly, a talented harpist from the Imperial Capital!” Eric exclaimed in genuine admiration.
Trissa smiled modestly, “Oh, it’s nothing. I just wanted to lend a hand.”
Meanwhile, Fu Yetian couldn’t help but reminisce, “I’ve heard the harpist profession is the best support role in the world, and now I see it’s all true.”
Lady Rong Ji giggled, “Looks like the union of our two forces is the only way to conquer this maze!”
As soon as she finished her sentence, she extended her hands, and two little beetles flew out from her sleeves. Something miraculous happened next.
The fog that had suffocated the cave instantly vanished, as if it had packed its bags and left. The two beetles, noticeably plump from their feast, wobbled back to Rong Ji’s hands.
She carefully tucked them back into her embrace with a charming smile aimed at Eric.
“Dear Prince, don’t you think cooperating with us is a deal you can’t refuse?”
Eric patted his belly, which looked ready to burst like he was nine months pregnant, and laughed heartily, “Of course! With the two great protectors of Ji Shen here, what do I have to worry about?”
It turned out… those two hundred-person teams were just a distraction while a much larger force gradually advanced behind the scenes! The fog, which had camouflaged their power, was sucked up by the enemy like a bad smoothie.
Now, what to do next left Tom and Jerry soaked in cold sweat.
