The Immortal Calamity

Now that I knew the maze was an illusion, how do I crack it?

Knowing how the ninth division does things, the proper method was likely to start from the beginning of the maze. Taking the proper combination of turns would get you past the illusion quickly, but one mistake and you could wander aimlessly for an eternity.

That was why the Corvus Empire never used this base against me four hundred years ago. I would have just flooded the tunnels with an endless army of undead. Each one taking a different path, I would have broken the illusion in minutes.

Unfortunately, I no longer had millions of undead at my command.

Another method to break the illusion would be sheer numbers. If I could get Otto to send enough soldiers, even if we did not find the correct path, we would eventually drain the illusion of its energy. Then, we could walk in without a problem.

That method had its own problems though. I could not force Otto to move his troops in a timely manner, and having thousands of troops missing from the city for the days required would likely cause riots. Using civilians would just be sending them to their deaths when the bandits noticed.

What methods did I have left?

Trial and error would be pointless. That was the method Otto chose. I had no doubt he could see through the secret of the maze, but could not break the illusion with his talent. Instead, he just sends his soldier every couple of weeks. He was hoping they stumble across the correct path.

If only I knew someone who excelled in illusions. They could find a weak point and break the maze easily, but I did not know anyone like that outside the Divisions.

If I could find one of the bandits, I could have Nox or Sylvie follow them in. The problem was I had no way of knowing where the bandits were coming in and out of the maze since they did not use the main entrance.

I pondered quietly. I contemplated the best methods of overcoming the illusion, but nothing seemed ideal. Most options were just fantasy with my current resources, and the rest were too time-consuming for my taste.

“Let’s head back,” I said with a sigh of defeat, “We will not be able to accomplish anything by ourselves.”

“Understood,” Kadmos replied with a salute.

The trek out of the maze was completely uneventful. The illusion did not seem designed to trap people forever. I kept its same configuration, allowing someone to trace their step and escape. Noticing this, I came to a realization.

The maze is not controlled by anyone right now.

If the bandits had control of the illusion, they could force any intruder to stay here till they died of dehydration. Then they could simply go and collect loot from the corpses of their would-be invaders. No bandit would pass up that opportunity. Which would suggest the maze is operating on automatic functions.

Without someone to control it, the maze would have a much harder time covering flaws. Under enough strain, I might be able to expose those flaws. I grinned remembering one of the favorite approaches of Azreal, leader of the five calamities.

“When all else fails, raze everything to the ground.”

I connected my mind with Nox. While we had been walking towards the entrance, he had only gone deeper into the maze. With a thought, I released the restrictions of his collar.

A mighty roar echoed through the tunnels. The soldiers around me looked like they were about to wet themselves as they stumbled backwards.

“What- what was that?” One of the soldiers stuttered.

The roars continued, followed by the booms of exploding stone. Nox was ecstatic, and happily destroying everything he could. It had been far too long since he had been allowed to rampage without limits.

“Did one of the bandits take too much spark powder and become a Demonkin?” Kadmos asked.

“Keep moving to the exit,” I replied, drawing my dagger. With every step I took, I stabbed it into the wall. “While you are at it, draw your weapon and do as much damage to the walls as you can. I want to test a theory.”

The soldier seemed confused and scared by the monster in the depths of the maze, but they followed my orders after a glare from Kadmos.

We made our way to the exit of the maze, where a large group had gathered. My Mom, Dad, and Charly, as well as all of their soldiers, stood in orderly lines. The soldiers kept giving the maze furtive glances as the roars continued to echo into the open field.

“Perfect timing,” I said with a smile, seeing my family had arrived, “I need help with a little experiment.”

“Wren, what is going on? Why did you come out here to hunt bandits? And is that roar… Nox?” my father asked, trying to understand the situation.

“Yep, he is having fun,” I replied with a grin, "I came out here because I think the bandits in this maze are linked to the manufacturing of the drug plaguing the city.”

“I considered Dead Men’s Maze when we first got our assignment, but I could not figure out a way in,” My mother said, looking at the entrance in contemplation, “Did you figure something out?”

“Maybe, but it will be easier if I have some help.”

“What do you need?” My father asked.

“The maze is an illusion technique. I have an idea.  It might not work, but it is worth a try. For now, I would like all the soldiers we have here to enter the maze. Once inside, they need to spread out, each soldier taking a different path. After that have them start attacking the walls of the maze with everything they have.”

“Inside is an illusion? Is it made using Glyphs?  That is amazing!” Charly replied excitedly.

“Will this help destroy the illusion?” My father asked curiously.

“Maybe if we did it for a few days straight,” I said shaking my head, “I am not trying to break the illusion right now. I simply want to create disturbances in it. I am hoping to find a specific flaw and exploit it.”

“Ok.” My father nodded, then turned towards his men. He shouted his commands and all of the soldiers we had hurried into the tunnels. While they were concerned about the roars, they would not disobey a direct command.

“Not you dad,” I said, grabbing his arm, “I need you at the entrance. If this works, having you and Charly here will make things easier.”

My mom and Donte also decided to stay at the entrance, leaving only us. we stared into the empty tunnel, as shouts and clangs of steel hitting stone echoed between Nox’s roars.

Time ticked by slowly. I was patient, knowing this might take time, but Donte was less so.

“What’re we looking for?” He asked, pacing back and forth.

“Anything out of place,” I replied simply.

Donte grumbled a bit but watched the mouth of the maze quietly with the rest of us. A bit more time passed, and I was starting to wonder if my plan would work, but then I saw it. A faint shimmer on one of the walls.

I smiled. The Corvus empire was always so predictable.

“Charly, shoot your crossbow at that point. The biggest explosion you can manage.”

Charly nodded and raised his crossbow. A bright red bolt appeared, loaded and ready to fire. Before pulling the trigger, the bracer on his arm began to glow. The tip of the bolt began to shine. It was as if a small sun rested on his crossbow.

Sweat appeared on his brow as the toll of using that much energy affected his body. Not able to handle it anymore, Charly took and deep breath and fired.

The crossbow slammed into the wall with an explosion that nearly knocked me off my feet. The boom was deafening. Despite the massive destructive force behind the explosion, the wall did not crumble like it would have if he shot anywhere else.

Instead, there was a purple shimmer that spread like a curtain parting. As the illusion collapsed in that small section of wall, a door appeared.

“Mom, gather the troops. We have our way in,” I spoke, unable to suppress my smile.

Dad and Charly operated the crystal to open the door before the illusion could recover. My mother gathered everyone scattered through the maze, and I commanded Nox to return.

“Why is this here?” My father asked curiously. He examined the crystal that operated the door, before cursing its complexity.

“Emperor Cylon of the Corvus Empire was an extremely cynical person. He believed that any of his officers could betray him at any moment. Due to his distrust, almost every base built in the Empire had a secret entrance that only he knew how to reveal,” I explained, “The idea was simple. If one of his officers ever mutinied, or the base fell into enemy hands, he could bypass the defenses and retake the base using one of these secret passages.”

“This crystal is amazing!” My father exclaimed, “It seems like a specific seal that uses blood as the medium. It would be impossible to crack without the blood required.”

“Luckily brute force works just as well if you know where to look,” I replied, drawing my dagger.  The Purple crystal shinned as it sliced through the stone like butter.  Cut free from its hinges, the heavy stone slab collapsed to the ground with a thud that echoed through the maze. Delighted at the newly open entrance, I felt excitement well up within me as I shouted, “Let’s raid some bandits!”

“Absolutely not!” My mother replied when she returned, a contingent of soldiers behind her. “You, Charly, and Donte are to stay here. Your father and I will deal with the bandits.”

“Seriously mom! This is the first bit of fun I have had in nearly a week. It is just a group of bandits. They are no threat to us.”

“The fact that you think this is fun is why you are staying behind.” My mother replied with a scowl. “Just because they are bandits does not mean they are not a threat. If they see you children, you will be the first target they attack. Them taking any of you hostage is a chance we cannot take. Stay here. that is an order.”

I shot a pleading look towards my father, but he just shook his head. “Listen to your mother Wren.”

I crossed my arms and fumed as my mother and father led their troops into the tunnel. I waited patiently while making sure they were far enough in. Once I could no longer hear their footsteps, I turned to Charly and Donte with a mischievous grin. “Alright, let’s go after them.”