As soon as Mirage escaped, the last remnants of the unnatural energy fluctuation in the valley had finally subsided.
The survivors slowly opened their eyes and removed their hands from their ears. They looked at the real yet desolate scenery around them. Recalling everything they had just been through, everyone felt as if they were in another world.
Several injured guards collapsed to the ground. They gasped for breath, and their faces were etched with lingering fear. Grace walked up to Dustin. Seeing his somewhat pale complexion, she asked with concern, “Are you alright?”
Shaking his head, he looked toward the direction Mirage had fled.
“I’m fine. Just drained from the mental battle,” he replied. “Her core was damaged, so she probably won’t dare show herself again anytime soon.”
Judith pressed a hand to her chest, still shaken. “That was terrifying. Those illusions were practically impossible to fight. If Mr. Rhys hadn’t figured out her weakness, none of us would have made it.”
Dustin nodded slightly. “Elysium Isle is full of danger. The most seemingly serene places often hide the deadliest traps. Everyone needs to stay extra vigilant and not be swayed by outside influences.”
Everyone nodded in agreement. Their near -fatal encounter in the Vale of the Mirror of Illusions had forged a healthy fear of the island, a respect born not from wonder but from survival.
After a short rest, the group resumed their journey toward the far end of the valley and whatever lay beyond.
Mirage’s escape brought no comfort. The air still carried traces of that seductive, deathly presence. It was a constant reminder of the danger they had just encountered.
A weary, post-calamity exhaustion hung over the group. Beneath it, a deeper, more unsettling current of uncertainty and dread about the road ahead.
Several guards had been injured or mentally shaken by the illusion. They needed help to move, which significantly slowed the group’s pace.
As they pressed forward, the canyon walls rose steeper on both sides. The rock face took on a disturbing, dark crimson hue, as if it had been scorched by intense heat or stained with dried blood. The sulfurous reek in the air intensified, becoming almost unbearable.
“Ms. Linsor, this smell… It’s making my head spin,” Judith said, covering her nose and mouth as she frowned.
Grace also felt waves of nausea and discomfort. She channeled her internal energy to fight it off, only to discover that her energy was depleting even faster than when they were in the fog zone.
“Everyone, be careful. This air is poisonous. Hold your breath as much as possible and use your internal energy circulation to resist it,” she warned.
However, their reserves were far from limitless. After consecutive fierce battles, crossing the fog zone, and resisting the illusions, the guards’ true energy was nearly depleted. The constant erosion of the poisonous gas only made matters worse.
One severely injured guard finally couldn’t hold on any longer. His legs buckled, and he collapsed to the ground, his face a sickly green, lips darkening to purple.
“Captain! Arvo is dying,” a guard shouted anxiously. The guard captain stepped forward to check, then shook his head with a grave expression.
“The toxin has entered his body, and his internal energy is exhausted. It’s already too late,” he stated. They could only watch helplessly as their comrade succumbed to the poison. A creeping sense of despair settled over the group.
It wasn’t long since they set foot on Elysium Isle, and they had already lost nearly half their number. Yet the so-called elixir of immortality was still nowhere to be found.
“It’s all because of that elixir of immortality…” someone muttered. “Who knows how many have already died looking for it?”
The bitter words echoed through the crowd. Although it quickly faded, it was like a seed falling into the already wavering hearts of certain individuals.
Grace’s delicate frame trembled slightly, but she didn’t turn and reprimand the man.
After all, these guards had followed her through life and death. Since they were trapped in such a desperate situation, she knew it was only natural for them to harbor resentment. But thinking of her father’s critical condition, she could only forcibly suppress that bitterness.
Dustin naturally noticed the change in the group’s morale, but he said nothing. Some wounds just couldn’t be healed with words alone.
His keen eyes swept over the jagged path ahead, and his divine sense stretched outward, ready to detect any threat that might emerge.
After advancing several more miles, a fork in the road appeared ahead. One path continued along the valley inward, while the other led to a narrow rock crevice. A faint breeze drifted from the crevice, carrying moisture that cut through the sulfur stench.
“This way,” Dustin said almost without hesitation, pointing to the narrow crevice.
He sensed that within that moisture was an extremely faint yet exceptionally pure trace of spiritual energy. It was unlike the malevolent corruption that saturated the rest of the island.
The crevice was dark and damp, the ground covered in slippery moss. The group formed a single line and carefully went in one after another.
After walking for roughly 15 minutes, the passage suddenly opened up. Hidden behind the rock wall was a small, tranquil pool.
Crystal-clear water revealed a bottom of pristine white sand, where several small silver fish swam leisurely. At its center, a spring bubbled up, gurgling with clear water. It emitted a faint, heart-refreshing spiritual energy.
Compared to the polluted, toxic air outside, this place was practically a sanctuary.
“Thank god! It’s water!” one desperately parched guard cried out in delight, about to rush forward.
“Hold on!” Dustin barked. “Something’s off about this place. Don’t let your guard down.”
He walked to the edge of the pool and crouched down, carefully observing the water. Then he cupped a handful and carefully probed it with his senses.
The spring water felt ice-cold in his hands. It contained a faint trace of vitality and was non-toxic.
“The water should be fine, but don’t drink too much. Though the spiritual energy here is pure, it’s far too thin to replenish what we’ve expended,” he warned.
He had everyone take turns drinking small amounts and cleaning their wounds. The clear, cold spring water revitalized everyone’s spirits, and the exhaustion from the past several days seemed to ease somewhat.
After the injured guards cleaned and bandaged their wounds, they looked considerably better as well. That pool was like an oasis in the desert, giving this team on the verge of collapse a brief moment of respite.
But just as everyone began to relax, something strange happened again.
