Hera walked into her room and locked the door behind her, placing a chair on the handle to prevent anyone from entering. She stepped inside the bathroom and turned on the shower and the sink. She took a moment to consider if that was a good idea. As far as Hera knew, there was no water shortage in the MAZE, or at least, not in this room.

She would try to be careful later. Right now, her main concern was not to be heard by anyone. Hera even turned the TV on to have more noise coming from the room. Feeling safe enough, she sat on the toilet and opened the skill.

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Local Guide

It allows you to summon the guide of the room you are in. The guide will stay for five minutes and answer any questions you have about the room. You can summon the guide only once per room.

Information about this skill can only be discussed with explorers who have the skill.

Information about a specific guide can only be discussed with explorers who have met said guide.

If these rules are broken three times, the skill will be removed.

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Thinking back to how Peaches told her to activate the skill, Hera took a deep breath.

"I call upon the Guide of Brinefront. As an explorer, I have proven that my motives are pure."

A notification appeared in front of Hera.

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Do you wish to summon the room's guide?

[Yes] [No]

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Hera pressed the yes button. Almost instantly, a small crack in the air appeared in front of her. It was almost as if reality itself had opened. From the opening, Hera heard something moving.

A few moments later, something fell from the hole. It was white with several small black dots, two fin-like protrusions in a dark brown color. There was a clump of similar fin-looking parts on its back in a way that it made it look like a bunny tail. This clearly wasn't like the monsters that appeared after the wall was broken, but Hera wanted to make sure of it.

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?????????? - Brinefront Guide

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Letting out a breath of relief, Hera adjusted herself and looked at the guide. Just now realizing why she thought the appearance was familiar. It was just like a bunny slug, aside from being the size of a cantaloupe.

As she stared at it, two black beady eyes appeared in front of its face.

"Forgive me, miss. I was not expecting to be called. It has been quite a while since I was summoned," the guide spoke without showing its mouth. Its voice was surprisingly deep, and it had a noble quality to it.

"Don't worry. I'm sorry for disturbing you."

"There is no need for you to apologize. It is my duty, and I will perform it with all my heart."

Hera smiled at the creature, "Thank you. Is there a way to how much time I still have? I don't want to be rude, but I need to know to think about the questions."

"Of course, miss, when the questions start, the clock shall appear above my head. However, I am of the belief that we should introduce each other before starting the procedures, even if not all my brethren would feel the same," the bunny slug raised its body then lowered its head doing what looked like a bow, "My name is Grand Duke Berthellemy, but you may call me Berthellemy, or Duke if you wish to save time."

"Thank you, Berthellemy. My name is Hera, no title for now. Would it be ok if I call you Bert? Calling you, Duke seems weird."

"You may do as you wish, miss," Berthellemy went back to his resting position.

"Thanks, Berty!"

The guide flinched when it heard the name, "If you must, please just call me Bert."

Hera nodded, worried she might have offended the creature.

"Shall we begin?" the guide asked as a timer appeared 30 centimeters above its head.

"Please. What is the quickest way to get stronger in this room?"

As Hera started to make a question, the five minutes above Berthellemy's head began to count down.

"That is a rather basic question, miss. You can complete quests, finish dungeons, fight against other creatures. Successfully completing tasks that are above your current level is a quick way to increase your strength. Procuring better equipment is also a good way to do so, and since you are an explorer, you can learn a new role skill. That usually gives a sizeable boost to your overall strength."

Hera's eyes kept going between Berthellemy and the timer. That one question shaved off almost 30 seconds of total time. She needed to be more specific.

"Where are the strongest monsters in this room?"

"If you had asked that question before, I would say in the dungeon at the cave's entrance. However, now a more powerful beast roams the west wall of the room."

"When did that change?"

The guide shook its head, "I am unable to tell you that, miss. I can only say what is currently happening."

Hera nodded. She would think about what that all meant later, "Is there an item that could boost my power considerably that I can get in this room?"

"All dungeons have items that can increase your power. However, none of them would be relevant in other layers. Not to say they are weak, but you could easily find better items, the deeper you go inside the MAZE."

It was a reply that Hera was expecting, but not exactly what she had in mind.

"If I get a Legacy, can I get stronger quickly?"

Berthellemy's fin-like ears moved a bit. Hera saw his eyes going to the ground for a moment before meeting her gaze.

"It is hard to say. Legacies come in various shapes and forms. Some can give you an incredible boost right away, while others take a considerable amount of time to show it's true value. Some can even make you weaker for a long time."

"Is there any way to gain levels faster, aside from what you told me?"

Berthellemy shook its head, "I am unable to answer that question."

"Why?"

"You don't have enough time remaining."

Hera nodded, looking at the time she saw that less than 2 and a half minutes remained. She needed to make more close-ended questions.

"Please answer with yes or no unless I ask to elaborate," Berthellemy nodded, agreeing with Hera's request, "Is there a place in this room that no one ever went to?"

"Yes."

"Can people go there?"

"No."

"Is the creature in the west wall dangerous?"

"Yes, very."

"Would killing it boost my level?"

"Yes."

Two minutes remaining, Hera could go after a role skill, but which one?

"Wich role skill would be the best one to fight enemies much stronger than myself? You can elaborate,"

"That would be a matter of opinion and synergy. Every role skill can help you fight stronger enemies. It is about what you do with the skill."

Hera nodded, "I understand. But I'm asking for your opinion."

Berthellemy stared at Hera for a while. Hera looked him in the eye, but his stare started to linger for too long. Hera looked at the timer, worried, but it had stopped at 1:39.

"That is a delightful surprise. I do not remember the last time an explorer asked my opinion. I believe that the best options are Synch, Assassinate, and Control. Mages are incredibly versatile and can exploit the weakness of their enemies. Assassins can move around undetected and deal more damage if they are hidden Controllers are incredibly proficient in messing with their enemies' attacks and movement, or the surrounding terrain."

Hera considered his suggestion for a moment. She was considering [Synch] and [Assassinate] for a while, the second one more for the ability to improve her [hide].

"Shall we continue, miss?" Berthellemy gave her a moment. But he still had to complete his job.

"Yes, sure. I have a few other questions, but I'm not sure if the time will allow me."

"Then, we keep going until the time stops."

"Ok, back to the yes or no then. Can you tell me things about other layers?"

"Yes."

"Could you tell me if a mage is alive?"

"No."

"Is there an element that most creatures are weak against?"

"No."

"Is there an element that most creatures are not resistant to?"

"Yes."

"Please, tell me what they are."

Berthellemy closed its eyes for a moment while Hera watched the time go down. When only 30 seconds were remaining on the timer, the guide opened its eyes, "It is rare to see a monster with some sort of resistance to mental attacks. Wind is also something difficult to create a resistance to. And, as it is expected in nature, pathogens can easily wipe out a species. Of course, you need a particularly wicked pathogen to do so. But a single creature can easily die if infected by a potent virus."

"So poison?"

"Actually, it would be disease, miss."

With that, the timer reached 0. It disappeared after a moment. However, Berthellemy was still on the bathroom floor in front of her.

"I guess that is it. Thanks for answering my questions, and sorry if I was being rude Berthellemy."

The guide shook its head, "No need to apologize, miss. I understand that you were in a time-sensitive situation. But if you allow me to be so bold. Could I ask you some questions? It has been some time since someone called me."

"Sure, you helped me so much."

Hera smiled at the guide. He asked questions about the world and the current situations of the MAZE. Hera explained what she could, telling him about the wall and the creatures that came after it. Sadly, Berthellemy didn't know anything about the monsters.

"Do you mind if I ask you a personal question?" Hera asked, worried about offending the guide.

"You may, but I am not able to answer anything that is related to the MAZE. For such is the agreement that the skill forces upon us."

Hera nodded, "Do all the guides know each other? Like, can you interact with other guides, or are you all alone?"

"We have our homes, yes. But if we so wish we can gather, be it in our own houses or a common space. Nothing that is connected to the same places you can reach, so we are safe."

"Right, that's good. It would be kind of sad if you were all alone. With no one around to help you if you need," Hera started to think about Helena. Was she safe? Could she be in danger and all alone? Feeling her eyes water, she cleaned them with her arm and turned back to Berthellemy.

"I must say it would be, some of the guides are very interesting. I would miss talking to then, even though some might be a bit too crass for my taste."

"I see, and do you know Peaches?"

Berthellemy nodded, "I do, although I can't tell you anything about the other guiders."

"I see. I just wanted to know if he was doing ok. You can't even tell me that?"

"My apologies, miss. I am unable to share any information about other guides. Even something as simple as their well being."

Hera gave Berthellemy a sad smile, "I understand. If you can, just tell him I said hey. And that the kid is doing fine, despite everything."

The guide nodded, "I will do miss. Peaches has a tendency to be too chatty when everything is going well, and it's been a while since I saw him quiet," Berthellemy winked at Hera.

"It seems like him," Hera smiled.

Berthellemy said it was time for him to go, and a second crack in reality appeared at its side. The guide said its farewells and walked into the opening.

Hera sat there for a few moments, still considering what she had learned. Turning down the faucet, she took a shower, trying to relax.

During the next few days, Hera and her group hunted a bit in the afternoon, although not as much as they used to, and focused on training. Hera would check up on the thread about Helena almost every hour. The only update was about how the rescue team had already reached the Qeeroni Wilds.

Hera focused on learning the spells to start her solo hunting. In just three days, she had managed to get the 3 she wanted.

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Poison Spray

Rank: Beginner

Creates a line of poisonous mana. Creatures struck by that line can become poisoned. The more mana used, the stronger the poison effect.

Range: 15 meters

Base mana cost: 25 mana

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Mend

Rank: Beginner

Improves the recovery of wounds. The bigger the injury, the more mana the skill needs for a full recovery.

Base mana cost: 50 mana

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Bark Skin

Rank: Beginner

Strengthen your skin, making it harder to be pierced and more resistant to damage.

Base mana cost: 30 per minute

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Having all three spells and a small stock of mana and health potions, Hera sneaked out of her room at night towards the city's exit. It was time for her to hunt.