Chapter 86: Princess Hilda ǁ P R I N C E S S H I L D A ǁ Lawful, Good Princess Hilda, the fourth daughter of King Druagnar, possessed a presence that seemed paradoxical yet intriguing. Her frame was short and stout, befitting of her dwarven heritage, but her long, unkempt orange hair cascaded around her like a vibrant waterfall. Despite her rugged appearance, her eyes shimmered with naivety, hinting at a deeper kindness than her appearance suggests. Her features bore a paradoxical combination of ruggedness and refinement. She bore a strong jawline, slightly obscured by her wild orange beard, a feature common among dwarves. Her face, however, was dotted with freckles and marred by scars, a testament to her past struggles. Princess Hilda’s tale was one of both strength and betrayal. Born into royalty as the fourth princess of King Druagnar’s lineage, she had always been a prodigy. Her natural strength surpassed even that of her father, causing concern among those in the royal court. The king’s fear of her potentially usurping his throne led him down a dark path. Conspiring with those loyal to him, King Druagnar hatched a plan to eliminate the threat posed by his own daughter. A failed assassination attempt ended with Princess Hilda’s escape into the wilderness. Fleeing for her life, she ventured into unknown territories, finding herself somehow drawn into the labyrinthine depths of the mines. Her story took an unexpected twist as she stumbled upon a chasm within the mine, leading her to her current predicament. Alone and trapped, she had fought to survive in the darkness, driven by a determination to one day return to the surface. ǁ E N D ǁ As Xin read her description, a sense of respect and admiration grew within him. Princess Hilda’s resilience in the face of adversity was nothing short of inspiring. Despite her rugged appearance and the grim situation she was in, she still smiled and remained optimistic. That in itself was remarkable. What was even more astonishing was Princess Hilda’s stats. Her STR had reached an awe-inspiring one hundred thousand, while her DEF was an impressive half of that. Xin had never laid eyes on an NPC with such astronomical numbers before. It was a level of power that he could hardly fathom. However, he was grateful that he wouldn’t have to face her in battle. Her stats were on an entirely different scale, and Xin was uncertain if even his most formidable Golems could make a dent in her defenses. "I’m sorry, Lord Schrodinger. I fear I won’t be of much help to you," Princess Hilda’s voice held a mix of self-deprecation. "If you’d allow it, perhaps I could throw you out of here, back onto that crevice?" Xin’s immediate response was a resounding "No." The thought of being thrown by someone with her strength sent shivers down his spine. The fall alone might prove lethal. "There must be another way, one where both of us can escape this place." Princess Hilda was taken aback by his response. "Y-you . . . you’d consider taking me out of here?" Xin was puzzled by her reaction. He studied her for a moment, taking in her appearance. Dressed in practical earth-toned attire, her vest and skirt showed the wear and tear of countless adventures. Her fingers, caked with dirt, gripped the hilt of an enormous hammer, a weapon that had clearly seen its share of battles. Despite her rugged appearance, there was something endearing about her bright and kind nature that drew Xin in. "Yes, you want to leave this place, right?" 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢 For a moment, Princess Hilda was rendered speechless. She didn’t respond, seemingly lost in her thoughts. "There must be a way out," Xin muttered to himself, his gaze shifting upward to the towering ceiling. An idea formed in his mind, a daring plan that involved stacking his Golems on top of each other to create a makeshift ladder. It might just be crazy enough to work. Xin’s mind raced as he considered the unexpected presence of Princess Hilda in this underground abyss. He couldn’t help but wonder if her appearance was somehow linked to a quest or a hidden storyline within the game. It occurred to him that assisting her might be the key to completing whatever questline or objective she was associated with. The pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place in Xin’s mind. Perhaps the reason he hadn’t received any rare item from Princess Hilda despite his MAX relationship with her was that his task was far from over. He had a hunch that freeing her from this confinement might be the missing piece to the puzzle, the step required to trigger the reward he was seeking. Xin began to command his Golems. He signaled them to position themselves one on top of the other, creating a makeshift tower that he hoped would reach the cavern’s ceiling. The Golems obediently followed his instructions, arranging themselves in a column as they supported each other’s weight. However, despite their efforts, Xin couldn’t help but feel a sense of disappointment as he saw the tower of Golems grow. Their numbers were far from sufficient to reach even half the height of the towering ceiling. Even if Xin had created fifty of them, the maximum limit for the day, the tower they formed, was still woefully short. As he watched the Golems stack upon each other, their stone bodies fitting together like a puzzle, Xin’s hopes began to dwindle. The realization slowly sunk in that this plan might not be the solution he had been seeking. Even if he had an unlimited number of Golems at his disposal, it seemed unlikely that they could bridge the vast gap between the floor and the cavern’s ceiling. Xin’s gaze swept across the towering cavern, his mind racing as he searched for another solution. The glowing crystals that adorned the walls seemed to mock him with their unreachable brilliance. He knew that time was of the essence; the Golems he had created wouldn’t hold their formation forever. The reality of the situation became painfully clear –– even with the assistance of his Golems, he couldn’t overcome the sheer height of the cavern. The disappointment was palpable, but Xin refused to give up. He had come this far, and he was determined to find a way out, even if it meant thinking outside the box and coming up with an entirely new plan. Maybe if he had accepted the quest, there might be a heads-up about falling, and he might have brought a rope with him.