NOVPUBTwo figures walked in the corridors of the Maze of Negative Fifth Layer, the air quickly rippled again, the Deep Blue Barrier Magic on the ground was triggered, the phantom of the Great Love Poet appeared somewhere again, but there was no sign of it at the end of the corridor within sight.
The warden Female Knight strode forward with certainty, each step full of the self-confidence of a strong person.
There might be Fifth-order or Sixth-order phantoms along the way, but she wasn’t scared at all.
The Great Love Poet followed behind her, like a secretary hovering nearby.
Once they left the warden’s office close to the entrance transport hall, the negative fifth layer showed its complexity as they walked deeper into the maze. Fortunately, Warden Melisa was well acquainted with the ever-changing area. With her leading the way, they were moving much faster than Lanci had been when he was studying the map alone.
As they passed, figures appeared every now and then around the corner - these were the phantoms of the patrol prison guards of this layer. Broadly similar to their real counterparts, but slight transparency gave away their illusory nature.
The Female Knight didn’t hesitate at all when she saw the phantoms.
She drew her longsword from her waist, the blade gleaming coldly under the lights.
Before the Phantom Prison Guards could attack her, she had already predicted their every move. Her body moved nimbly in space, and each of her sword swings was incredibly accurate. With each swipe of her sword, phantoms dissipated like smoke.
Her movements were fluid and vigorous, and her turns and sidesteps were full of power and grace.
Under her sword, the Phantom Prison Guards couldn’t get close and were defeated one by one.
The Great Love Poet observed all this from behind, without a chance to intervene.
Not only was the Female Knight highly skilled in combat, but she also possessed a strong intent to fight. Her calm actions showed a clear determination, as if she urgently sought combat and improvement every second.
Originally, as long as they carefully avoided these phantoms, the phantoms would not launch an attack on their own initiative.
As a result, the phantoms, which should have been cleared by their prison guards, were all taken care of by Warden Melisa.
As one Phantom Prison Guard after another dissipated, the corridor once again returned to peace.
However, because of the intense action, the bandages on Warden Melisa were stained a noticeable red, and her arm showed a slight tremor. Her condition had clearly worsened once again.
"Are you alright?"
The Great Love Poet walked up, staring at the back of the Female Knight and asked.
This warden’s fanaticism for martial arts was no different from that of the crazy Martial Fanatic of Demon Clan, pushing their life to extreme limits every minute.
Despite the extreme martial path that she chose, Lanci didn’t want such a valuable talent of the Protoss Empire to die prematurely.
Upon hearing his question, Warden Melisa seemed to falter, half collapsing onto the ground as though her earlier injuries were flaring up.
"..."
With her head bowed, she took a few deep breaths.
"I’m fine, don’t worry."
The Female Knight sheathed her sword, struggling to stand up, her side-glance filled with her usual icy determination.
She signaled the Great Love Poet to proceed.
Looking somewhat puzzled, the Great Love Poet followed her.
He thought that as a Seventh-order physical profession, Warden Melisa should have strong self-healing abilities.
Like Sigrid, who could quickly recover from injuries of this level on her own.
Unless Warden Melisa’s physical attribute was exceptionally low, she didn’t carry any self-healing or recovery type spells and equipment, but why would she gear up like this?
The two continued to proceed in the maze-like corridor. Melisa showed signs of battle every time she discovered a phantom. Her style of fighting was even crazier compared to her calm exterior, showing complete disregard for her own safety, often choosing to finish off the opposition instantly even if it meant taking a few more hits herself.
Under this dangerous method of combat, Warden Melisa’s body began to accumulate more scars. Her breathing started to become rapid, and she often had to stop, leaning against the wall to rest.
No matter how often the Great Love Poet asked her if she needed to rest and recuperate more, she would refuse, then continue on, dragging her pain-riddled body forward.
It wasn’t long before the female knight took down another powerful Sixth Order Phantom up ahead. She, too, had taken a few hits and looked somewhat shaky, seemingly standing through sheer gritted teeth determination.
"If we continue to go forward, we won’t be able to call for medical assistance. You could just leave me here, and I would be truly grateful."
The Great Love Poet glanced at the map on his wristband and spoke to Warden Melisa.
Even Herram’s special rescue medical staff have their limits on how far they can go. Especially from negative fourth to negative sixth layers, they would prioritize their own safety, and their operating scope is extremely limited.
They were now a fair distance away from safe locations such as Warden Melisa’s office and the entrance transport hall.
Lanci had left all his Magic Cards with the Great Love Poet today, and while he could utilize his own Magic Cards through the Poet’s body, the healing effect was extremely minimal. It could hardly relieve the Warden’s injuries, and might instead worsen her pain.
Lanci had never seen such a Living Bodhisattva before. He really didn’t want to end up causing harm to the Warden.
He had never done anything to lose virtue in his life, but if he were to harm such a good person, he was afraid he would indeed forfeit his virtues.
"No…"
Upon hearing the Poet’s words, Warden Melisa suddenly collapsed.
She gasped for breath several times on the ground before finally managing to compose herself.
"..."
Just when the Great Love Poet thought that Warden Melisa couldn’t hold on any longer, she struggled to her feet once again, like some immortal being.
"Let’s keep going, I won’t die."
The female knight steadied her trembling voice and stepped forward.
"?"
At first, the Great Love Poet was surprised by Warden Melisa’s tenacity and fighting spirit, but gradually, he began to feel slightly puzzled.
He didn’t quite understand the state of the Warden’s vitality.
It seemed that Warden Melisa didn’t care if she tormented herself to death or tortured herself to the point of near death. She appeared to be more than a martial fanatic.
Yet, her upright and aloof expression didn’t look at all like she harbored any strange fetishes.
Suddenly, a speculation arose in the heart of the man with black hair and green eyes.
"Hey."
The Great Love Poet suddenly yelled at Warden Melisa’s retreating figure.
Thud!
Accompanied by a loud noise, Warden Melisa, in her skirt armor, lost her footing and fell to the ground. She trembled and was unable to stand up.
"...are you sure you are okay?"
The Great Love Poet looked at Warden Melisa and quietly asked.
"I...am...not..."
Lying on the ground, Warden Melisa’s voice trembled even more upon hearing the Great Love Poet’s question. This time, no matter how hard she tried to get up, it was as if all strength had been drained from her body. But she was still stubbornly and determinedly trying to finish her sentence.
