The maze announced that the second wave would start. Both of them are exhausted from digging a trap for the next wave.
The ground shook beneath them as a horde of monsters advanced—fifty mischievous grade-three imps, their eyes dancing with wild delight.
Yuri, her focus unwavering, stepped forward. "I've studied these creatures well," she said, her voice steady amidst the chaos. "They might not be formidable fighters, but they're crafty, and their claws can do some serious damage."
Sensing the challenge ahead, the swarm of imps charged forward, their screeches echoing in the air. Yuri and Shina exchanged a determined glance, an unspoken agreement passing between them.
The hole was hidden so the imps wouldn't notice, and every imp started to fall into the massive hole using Yuri's illusions.
Few escaped, but Yuri and Shina eliminated the rest. Shina's overwhelming strength amazed Yuri as she took down four imps at once, revealing the power of royal blood. The hole was filled with imps, and the Maze announced the next wave would start in 30 minutes.
Shina asked, "what's next?"
Yuri replied, "I don't know, What to do, another trap in 30 min is impossible".
As they waited the next wave was announced, the maze spoke this wave have 20 Night flyers.
Yuri spoke, "they are flying creatures so trap don't work."
Shina nodded
The air grew cold as the Maze's voice faded.
Above them, shadows moved.
Twenty shapes peeled away from the darkness of the ceiling—thin wings, sharp beaks, eyes glowing pale blue. The Night Flyers circled silently, their wings cutting the air without a sound.
Yuri clenched her fists.
"They hunt from above," she said. "Fast. Silent. They aim for the eyes and throat."
Shina looked up, calm but alert.
"Then I'll draw them down."
Before Yuri could stop her, Shina stepped into the open.
The Night Flyers reacted instantly.
They dove.
Yuri slammed into the ground. Illusions bloomed into the air—false bodies, shifting lights, mirrors of Shina scattering in every direction. The flyers shrieked in confusion, slamming into illusions, tearing through empty air.
But some adapted.
Five broke through, their claws grazing Shina's shoulder.
She didn't flinch.
Shina jumped.
The ground cracked beneath her feet as she launched upward, grabbing one Night Flyer mid-air and crushing its neck in a single motion. She landed, spun, and hurled the body like a weapon—taking two more down.
The remaining flyers grew cautious, circling higher.
"Yuri!" Shina shouted. "Now!"
Yuri closed her eyes.
The illusions changed.
The sky darkened. The ceiling vanished. To the Night Flyers, the world looked endless—no ground, no walls. Panic spread through the swarm. Their formation broke.
That was enough.
Shina moved like a storm—jump, strike, land. One by one, the flyers fell, their bodies hitting the stone floor until the echoes stopped.
Silence returned.
Yuri dropped to her knees, exhausted.
"That was... too close."
Shina wiped the blood from her arm, her expression serious.
"The next wave will be worse."
The Maze did not argue.
Yuri looked at Shina.
"...We won't survive like this forever."
Shina met her gaze, eyes steady.
"Then we adapt. Or we die."
And somewhere deep within the Maze, something began to awaken.
The next wave will start on 10 min: the monster is 10 Grade 2 walkers
Yuri spoke, "they are lowest grade2 monsters but they are very fierce creatures and have high intelligent."
Suddenly, both of them failed to stand.
Their legs gave way, and they collapsed onto the cold stone floor. Strength drained from their bodies as if something invisible had wrapped around their nerves and squeezed.
Then—
The Maze appeared.
It stood before them in human form, tall and still, its presence bending the air around it. Its face was almost normal. Almost.
A smile slowly spread across its lips—too wide, too patient, too knowing.
"You think you are winning," the Maze said softly, its voice smooth and unsettling, "because you are killing them."
The smile grew.
"But you forgot the difference between a beast... and a human."
Yuri tried to move. Her fingers twitched. Pain shot through her arms, sharp and sudden, making her gasp.
"Beasts feel pain," the Maze continued, stepping closer. "And they stop when they die."
It tilted its head.
"Humans remember pain."
The Maze raised a hand and pointed.
"Your wounds are healing," it said calmly. "But the pain remains. And pain, when it has nowhere to go... turns inward."
Yuri followed its gaze.
Her hands.
Deep claw marks ran across her palms and wrists. The skin was torn, raw, and bleeding.
"I—" Her voice cracked.
"You think a monster did this," the Maze whispered.
"But look closer."
The smile sharpened.
"These are your own nails."
Yuri's breath became uneven.
"When the pain became too much," the Maze said, almost gently, "you clawed at yourself. Not to escape. Not to fight."
It leaned closer, its eyes dark and endless.
"To feel something different."
Shina tried to rise, but her body betrayed her. Her vision blurred. A dull ache pulsed inside her skull, slow and rhythmic—like something knocking from the inside.
"You are becoming numb," the Maze continued. "And numbness is the first step."
Its voice dropped to a whisper.
"Soon, you will claw at your mind the same way."
The Maze straightened.
Its smile never faded.
"Welcome to the real trial."
The air grew heavier.
And somewhere deep within the Maze, something laughed—quietly.
As they saw each other, they were bleeding everywhere as they were really clawing their brains out.