The Rift Valley of the Demon Realm.
Ailian sat cross-legged in the core magic array, where eighty-eight black gold star-moon arrays floated and rotated, drawing invisible starlight threads, some of which spread like a spider web into the depths of the continent, capturing the "star trails" scattered in various places.
The other part, like cautious tentacles, stubbornly reached out towards the enormous spatial rift that stretched across the heavens and earth and surged with chaotic magical energy not far away.
Mark, Monica, Anna, and Enzo, the four of them and one slime, were like four nails, firmly fixed in the four directions of the valley.
In the beginning, just as Ellen had predicted, the agitation of the abyss magic outside the valley intensified.
But initially, only low-level monsters attracted by the abnormal energy fluctuations arrived.
Twisted undead, packs of rotting hyenas, small lava worms reeking of sulfur, and only a few Shadowclaws that might have fled from the direction of Emerald Stone.
Although they are numerous, they are not very intelligent and only rely on instinct to charge into the valley entrance.
"Ha! That's it?" Enzo smashed a Shadowclaw Beast that tried to pounce into an ink-like smear with his hammer. Lava patterns flowed merrily beneath its skin, and the scorching heat wave evaporated the stench of decay that approached. "Not even enough to warm me up! The commotion that Ellen attracted wasn't much either!"
Mark easily pierced the core of a lesser demon with his cross-shaped spear, while Little M, like a streak of rainbow light, easily smashed several rock wall lurkers with sharp limbs that were trying to climb the rock wall to pieces.
He frowned slightly and said in a low voice, "Enzo, don't be careless. Ellen said this is just the beginning."
Anna's figure flickered between shadow and form, and the Demon-Slaying Arrow silently reaped the stragglers.
Monica stood on a slightly higher position, her wine-red pupils flashing with the light of her Appraisal Technique, monitoring the subtle changes in the energy across the entire battlefield and the surrounding area. She would only make her move if anyone in her squad had managed to escape.
Her voice was calm: "Currently, the monsters are no stronger than the third tier, and their sources are scattered, which matches the characteristics of a cluster of low-tier monsters attracted by abnormal energy. The fluctuations of the star and moon power at the core of the magic circle are stable, and the spread range is within expectations."
However, as time went on, this expectation was quickly shattered.
The first day passed, and low-level monsters continued to surge in like a tide, but their numbers had increased several times over, almost blocking the entrance to the valley.
Enzo swung his lava warhammer with relentless force, spewing lava and creating a small, scorched patch at the mouth of the valley.
The next day, mid-level monsters began to appear sporadically among the monsters.
The Mighty Demon, covered in bone armor and wielding a heavy stone club; the Abyssal Hydralisk, capable of spewing corrosive acid; and the Shadow Hunter, incredibly fast with claws and fangs infused with paralyzing toxins.
The intensity of the battle naturally increased dramatically.
Anna's natural magic was almost unable to keep up with the supply of the Demon-Slaying Arrows, and Enzo's lava patterns were no longer just decorations, but began to erupt with substantial high-temperature flames.
Little Mu's seven-colored light also became more aggressive. As the purifying power swept over, the abyssal aura on the mid-level monster was significantly weakened.
Mark didn't dare to be overconfident any longer and started to apply the Holy Light Healing passive effect to everyone in the team.
"Damn it! Where did all this stuff come from in this godforsaken place?" Enzo wiped the foul-smelling slime splattered on his face, staring at the endless horde of dark, seemingly inexhaustible demons outside the valley, and couldn't help but curse, "Didn't they say that the Holy Light Church and the dragon's magic array had diverted most of the demonic energy to the Misty Forest? It feels like all the trash from the entire border of the Demon Realm has come here to have a party?!"
Monica's voice came from above, carrying an unprecedented solemnity: "The abnormality Enzo mentioned... is because the disturbance of the abyssal magic is intensifying. It's not just Ellen's star trails that are attracting them... I feel... a larger, more obscure aura seems to be moving and spreading along the trajectory of the star and moon power."
"The trajectory of the stars in the sky... the analysis shows a barely perceptible shift, as if it was gently tugged by some force."
She looked up at the dim sky above the Demon Realm Rift, where the stars were almost invisible due to the chaotic magical energy, and her brows furrowed.
Mark sensed it too.
His passive perception as the Soul Harmonizer became unusually active. In addition to the violent whispers of the abyss, there was an indescribable sense of being watched, cold and vast, as if it came from beyond the heavens, or as if it originated from that deep rift.
This feeling put him under double pressure, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.
Little Mu nuzzled against his shoulder nervously, making soft "mumu" sounds.
On the third day, the fourth day... the battle turned into an endless war of attrition.
Mid-level monsters became the main force, and some even began to be mixed in with those approaching high-level monsters.
A colossal abomination capable of briefly resisting Little M's purifying power;
A banshee capable of casting simple curse spells and disrupting the mind;
And the elite hunters of the Abyssal Gnolls, who work in large groups and cooperate seamlessly.
With such intense combat, Mark's team naturally entered a state of extreme mutation very early on.
Moreover, with a constant supply of monsters, they weren't even worried about exiting the Ultimate Mutation due to the passage of time.
The ground at the entrance to the valley was already covered with the filth and limbs of monsters, and was repeatedly scorched by Enzo's lava, solidifying into a strange, dark red scorched earth.
Anna's quiver was empty, and she could only rely on her own magic to conjure arrows to keep going.
Mark doesn't need to worry about mana consumption. The Cross Necklace is like a treasure trove with an unlimited supply of mana. As soon as his mana is depleted, the Cross Necklace can quickly replenish it for him.
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