MAZE - The Endless Quest

Once the Heavenly Demon was killed, one of the Masters walked over to Hera and Helena. Introducing himself as the Ghostly Doctor, he quickly started to heal the pair. Despite being in a dungeon and being healed by someone on level 86, the recovery wasn’t instant. Instead, he only patched them up enough to ensure they were out of danger. Following that, Yulan’s master created a portal for them to reach the outside. This time, he didn’t send them directly to the dungeon's entrance but to the inn they were staying at. Master Yu came along, and started using her Qi to communicate with Yuwei.

"I’m glad you’re okay. Master Hera and Master Helena are back in your room. It’s better if you come here too. The Ghostly Doctor will heal them properly later, and I want him to make sure you’re also okay," Yu Bingqing dropped her Master persona as she spoke with her daughter. Once that conversation was over, she turned back to the two women who had fought against the generals of the Demonic Cult. "Thank you for everything, and above all, for protecting my Yuwei."

"We just did what we had to do," Helena groaned. Even though she had received some healing, the mage was still struggling to move and talk.

"Yeah. It’s a shame the tournament didn’t happen," Hera groaned as Daskka continuously tried to heal her. Her magic was working, but it was just a slow process.

"I don’t think anyone will be itching for a fight after today," Yu Bingqing looked out into the city, noticing how the summit was completely intact, "But it is only fair to repay those who defended this city. I’ll talk to the other Masters and make sure that the two of you receive rewards that will be even better than the first prize of the tournament."

Hera frowned, "Just like that? No one is going to complain that we got first place without fighting?"

Yu Bingqing chuckled, "They won’t. Trust me. All I have to do is explain how you were able to slow down the Heavenly Demon Blade. The man was in the Divine Manifestation Realm, two full realms above your own. I can’t think of anyone who could block an attack like that, even in a group. Once that fact comes to light, no one will complain about giving you two first place," Hera opened her mouth to say something, but Yu Bingqing signaled her to stop. "Don’t worry about anything. I was supposed to be here when this happened. They tricked me, and I wasn’t. If it weren’t for the two of you, I’m sure I would have lost my daughter, and this time, I wouldn’t have had a chance to get her back. Let me handle the politics. You two just rest. You deserve it."

"What about the rewards?" Helena asked.

"We can talk about that tomorrow. Today, there’s still a lot to do, people to help, and remnants of the Demonic Cult to turn into snow," her face became cold again as the Orc woman assumed the mask of Master Yu. Without another word, she jumped out of the window and vanished into the city.

Helena dragged herself to the bed before turning to Hera, who was still staring at the window, thinking about Master Yu "Sweetie, are you okay?"

"Not really, but I will be."

"Is it because of your court?"

"Yeah. When one of them breaks, I feel pain. And it’s not the kind of pain you can numb or heal. It’s something deep. It feels like my soul is hurting."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"No. It will just take time for them to come back. And it’s the first time so many of them… broke," she refused to say they were killed or destroyed. That felt too final, as if she would never see them again. But the Ophidianite pushed those thoughts away, forcing herself to remember that this was only temporary. After some time, her court members would be back, good as new.

Helena nodded. "Tell me if there’s anything I can do to help. Okay?"

"I will. Thank you."

"And Hera?"

The Empress frowned. It was very rare for Helena to call her by her name. "Yeah?"

"Thank you for protecting me. I don’t think I would have survived even the first attack on my own."

Hera rolled her eyes. "Really? You’re thanking me for that? C’mon, I was ready to go after you when the Wendigos first appeared, and I wasn’t even level 10 back then. Do you really think I wouldn’t have your back now?"

"I never doubted that, but it doesn’t change the fact that you saved me. So thank you."

"And you saved me when you forced me to get that lottery ticket, which, for the record, was the wrong name for the game. That was more of a raffle or a gacha, not a lottery. So, we’re even."

"No, we’re not!" Helena protested. "You saved me when you got rid of the parasites in my body. I still owe you."

"No, you saved me when I got that overdose of mana because of the oranges. So, we’re even."

"What about the rampage on Brinnefront? You didn’t have to come back."

"And you didn’t have to protect me from Ash when he found me in the Three Heroes Chamber. But you did!" Hera huffed.

The two continued arguing, recounting all the times one had saved the other. Daskka knew this conversation would go nowhere. Even if Hera wasn’t normally stubborn, she wouldn’t let any of her friends feel indebted to her. And Helena was just the same. Still, their talk distracted them enough so that the snake could continue healing them.

Not long after, Yulan and Yuwei arrived in the room. Both of them looked pretty beat up, but they were happy. Not just because they survived the ordeal, but also because they had defeated one of the generals.

The four of them basked in the glory of their victory, sharing moments of the fight they thought was impressive or interesting. Hera didn’t let the strangeness of being this close to beings from a dungeon escape her, but at the same time, she had done several things with Chika, Darni, and in a sense, her court. Eventually, the people from the inn prepared a few baths for them, which the group gratefully accepted. It was only near sunset, when their afternoon tea was ending, that the Ghostly Doctor showed up.

He was grumbling the entire time, complaining about how Master Yu was abusing her power by sending him here. Still, he did his job to perfection. Yulan and Yuwei were healed, left without a single scratch on their bodies. However, Hera and Helena weren’t as lucky. He was able to fix all the big wounds and injuries, but some of the more delicate ones were beyond him, or at least, beyond him now. The man was also very tired, having spent most of the day running back and forth healing those in critical condition.

He left the pair with a single pill called Immortal Path First Step, which, despite the name, didn’t actually bring immortality, though it was a very powerful healing concoction. They had to take it within the dungeon according to Hera’s [Inspect].

Eventually, they went to bed, too tired to stay up late. It was around 10 a.m. when Master Yu appeared in their room once more. She told them to get ready and follow her downstairs. A couple of minutes later, the four women were heading out, only to be met with something unexpected. The streets were packed, filled with people who started clapping the moment they emerged from the building. There were cheers for all their names, people tossing flowers and chanting their titles: Sun Flower for Yuwei, Vanishing Lake for Yulan, Scientist of Shadows for Helena, and Bladed Hydra for Hera.

"Why Bladed Hydra?" Hera frowned. The people of the dungeon didn’t know about her legacy—not really.

"Sweetie, I don’t think you’re going to like the answer."

"Do you know?"

"I have a hunch."

"Then tell me," Hera asked.

"Those names are probably what they call us outside of the dungeon," Helena explained.

"What? Since when are you the Scientist of Shadows?"

"Since the people in the lab that worked to make the Wendigo detector system saw me working with my Shadow Grabbers to prepare some things."

Hera paused. "So… people call me the Bladed Hydra? I know I’m half-snake, but that feels really on the nose."

"Well, yeah. I mean, Khan the Wall Breaker broke a wall. Undine the Fire Bringer could summon fire. Do I need to tell you what color Cyrus the Golden’s aura buff was?"

Hera rolled her eyes. "Fine, I guess. But I honestly thought 'Ophidianite Empress' had a better ring to it."

They continued walking, hearing cheers and praises not just from the cultivators but also from the mortals who lived in the city. Master Yu made a point of guiding them all the way around the city until they reached the staircase to the summit. Reaching the arena, they were greeted by an even larger crowd, everybody clapping as they arrived.

The four Masters who had killed the Heavenly Demon were already waiting in the center, with an empty space in the middle for Master Yu. Once she was in place, a man with white and gold robes came from the side. He was the mayor of Heaven’s Edge Summit, and he carried a pillow with two boxes resting on top.

"Master Hera, Master Helena, Yu Yuwei, and Qing Yulan. For your bravery, power, and sound judgment, we, the Grandmasters of the Spiral Hills, thank you for all your effort and for protecting the city." The five Masters bowed, followed by the entire arena. There was a pause of about a minute before they stood back up.

Yulan’s master was the next to speak. "Yulan, you have made your master proud. And for that, I will give you this." He pulled a small book from his robes. On the cover was written. Yulan’s smile was so wide that Hera became worried her tusks might fall out.

Master Yu was the next to speak. "Yu Yuwei, you have made not just me, your mother, proud, but also the entire Serene Lotus Temple. Your bravery and courage will forever be remembered." She pulled a small box from her pocket and passed it to Yuwei. Inside was an ember gem that radiated heat. Hera had no idea what it was, and her [Observe] wasn’t able to give any information, but from Yuwei’s face, it was something truly incredible.

"Master Hera, Master Helena," the mayor spoke up, "I would like to express my most sincere gratitude for all your help. Without you, I have no idea how much damage could have been done. For that, Heaven’s Edge Summit offers you two of our most valuable treasures."

He opened the box, revealing a notification inside.

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You have completed a dungeon quest.

The Sky Sword Meeting.

You have survived the attack of the Demonic Cult and stopped their nefarious plans.

First-time rewards:

Sky Sword Meeting first prize

Breakthrough talisman

+1 level

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You have leveled up.

Current level: 58

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They had still not been teleported out of the dungeon, which probably meant they had a few moments to test things out here. It was exactly the kind of thing Hera really wanted. After all, she had gotten the first prize in a hard mode. How could she not want to know more about it?