Hallucinations
--when!
At the critical moment, a sharp sound of breaking through the air was heard quickly, and the flying short knife hit the blade, making a crisp sound, and at the same time, it deflected the long knife's blade a little!
The next moment, a figure suddenly appeared and caught the short knife that was bounced away. The cold light entangled along the long knife like a snake and bit the throat of the person holding the knife!
"Ximu!"
Ruixia's warning cry followed closely, awakening the silver-haired girl's reason in time.
In critical moments, her actions are always faster than her brain - but with a big battle imminent, if she kills her companions without saying a word, the entire team will likely suffer a serious crisis of trust.
The sharp dagger was immediately turned around, and the handle changed from stabbing to smashing, landing fiercely on Zhui'en's neck, causing the face that had been expressionless for some reason to reveal a hint of pain.
Seeing that he did not fall down after being hit by one blow, Ximu turned around and jumped behind him, using himself as a lock and strangulation to directly restrict his movements and fix him in place.
"Morina!"
Knowing that her companion must have fallen into some kind of spiritual ambush, Ruixia quickly called on the priest to rescue them.
While raising her staff, Morina observed the state of the other people around her and found that Vicia and Sorens were also in a trance to varying degrees. Knowing that it would be too late to break the spell alone, she immediately changed to a large-scale spell.
"'Pure spirit wandering between heaven and earth, please use your breath to draw out the branches of your will, your mouth to reveal the leaves of your heart, your voice to blossom the flowers of your knowledge, and your tears to bear the fruits of goodness...'"
The ethereal and sacred chanting sound turned into a magical power full of vitality that lingered around her body. A green holy tree mark lit up between Morina's eyebrows. Countless runes took shape under her feet, and finally gathered into a holy tree magic circle with similar patterns, covering everyone in it.
"'God of Life, Reinremus, please cast the shadow of the sacred tree, away from my confusion, and grant me the shade of clarity!'"
The power contained in the god's "true name" was extremely astonishing. Just by borrowing a few, it almost instantly drained all of Morina's magic power.
But the power of this move was also very strong. The moment the shadow of the holy tree fell, everyone's mind became clear, and they felt as refreshed as waking up in the sunshine in the early morning after a good rest.
After this period of devilish training, Morina has finally made it. Not only did she immediately replenish two scrolls of magic power recovery, she even had the energy to complain about this shabby place.
"From the dense forest to here, they never give up this kind of mental attack that likes to drive people crazy... The mastermind behind this place really hasn't forgotten their original intention."
"Fuck, why does my neck hurt so much... Wait, why are you locking me up? Ouch, it hurts, it hurts, don't push harder, what the hell is going on?!"
This exaggerated complaint and the loud voice that ignores others...it seems that Zhui Nin has returned to normal.
Ximu carefully observed Zhui's expression and the muscles in his arms - although the other hand was fake - and after confirming that he had no intention of attacking, he reluctantly let him go.
After listening to everyone's explanation, he was stunned for a moment, and then pressed his forehead as if he had a headache.
"Goodness, so this is the mental magic that causes hallucinations? Brother Ruixia, I'm sorry, I must have mistaken you for some damned bastard..."
You can see it.
And the hatred between you two must be quite deep, otherwise your first reaction when you meet would not be to draw your sword and attack someone...
Ruixia didn't seem to mind. She patted his shoulder and reached out to pull him up.
And with the help of Morina's large-scale mind-clearing spell, Ximu calmed down and reflected on himself to some extent.
Although her relationship with Zhuiren was not very good, they had fought side by side for so long, and she really shouldn't have given up on him as soon as he got into trouble... It seemed that she was somewhat disturbed. The moment she saw Ruixia in danger, her instinct directly overcame her reason, and she subconsciously prepared to solve the problem with a knife.
Everyone has a dark side. If magic affects their judgment and they regard the people around them as the most hated, they will start fighting and the entire team will soon die in the fight... What a sinister calculation.
If Ruixia had not stopped him in time, the situation might have gotten out of control after she slit her companion's throat with a knife.
"Let's get out of here quickly while the blessing's effects are still there."
Morina's reminder was not without reason. Everyone quickened their pace, avoiding those who were hiding in the vortex of time and space and appearing and disappearing mysteriously, and rushed to the second floor.
"But then again..."
Perhaps to ease the tense atmosphere, Molina dodged left and right behind Ximu while diligently digging out all kinds of strange details.
"I suddenly thought of something—creating illusions, mind control, and the like—aren't these things within the realm of moon magic? It made sense when I thought the dean might be the mastermind, but since the real culprit is Vice-Dean Mia Rhodes, how could he use moon magic to harm us?"
This question may seem strange at first glance, but it is not difficult to understand if you think about it carefully.
Perhaps... in this twisted world, the distinction between the two of them is no longer so clear.
After the explosion, it’s hard to say whether these two people still have physical bodies left... The reason why some people are still able to stir up trouble is probably because the great magician’s spiritual consciousness is not so easy to be destroyed.
That mirror magic weapon was created by the combined efforts of the two of them, and its magical fluctuations may be very compatible with theirs.
Maybe--
"During that incident, both of them merged with the mirror?!"
Ximu and Ruixia said in unison, and then looked at each other at the same time. The surprise in their eyes was unexpected, yet so reasonable.
The mirror was a double-sided mirror. When the two people died, they escaped their souls into it, each occupying one side of the mirror. They competed with each other, but they were also the inside and outside of each other. You are within me, and it is difficult to tell the one from the other.
No wonder they couldn't determine the winner... In such a tangled and fused state, even the slightest abnormality would be immediately detected and interfered with by the other party.
One person sets a tight net to replenish their strength, while the other secretly leaves a place for the lost to breathe; one person guides outsiders to the truth, while the other tries to make them die in the dangerous academy...
No one can gain the upper hand, no one can break the deadlock, until -
This group of young people came here.
An assassin girl who'd kill anything if she wanted to; a meticulous young mechanic with an untold amount of stuff in his bag; and a life priest who, despite his many complaints, was incredibly adaptable and unbeatable...
No one expected that it was this group of young people who could move forward safely, expand the team, and finally stumble open the door to the place of decisive battle.
And this journey beyond time is about to reach its final destination at this moment.
"Thankfully, the two of them were able to restrain each other. If the great magician who controlled the power of space had been free to deal with us, I'm afraid we would have been dead long ago..."
What Ruixia said was true, but it also proved the danger of this trip.
As they were talking, the stairs in front of them finally came to an end. Everyone tensed up and looked around carefully, trying to let the light from the lantern cover everything around them as much as possible.
As for the location of the magic weapon, there is no need to search everywhere with a lantern, it is quite clear at a glance -
Because in the entire building where there is no light, there is a two-sided mirror with its own light that everyone can see at a glance the moment they enter the second floor.
“…That should be it.”
Magical instruments are different from ordinary magic props. The energy contained in them is incomparable to ordinary objects, and they are particularly conspicuous against a dilapidated background.
But—isn’t it too quiet?
Ximu originally thought that they would be attacked immediately the moment they discovered the mirror, but after a while, apart from Ruixia analyzing something with her monocle, not only was there no abnormal aura around them, but even under the soft glow of the magic weapon like a full moon, it seemed very peaceful and tranquil.
"Confirmed... This object is the starting point of all the formations I can observe. All arrangements, whether good or bad, are derived from here. There is no doubt about it."
Although everyone felt that it couldn't be so simple and there must be something fishy hidden in it - but the target was right in front of them, and it was lying there so defenselessly, it was impossible to just stand there and watch.
After Morina confirmed that what they saw was not some kind of collective hallucination, everyone exchanged glances and then took their positions. Without letting down their guard, they each used their own long-range means to attack the dimly glowing mirror artifact!
At the moment when all the sword energy, gun wind and magic hit the mirror, the faint light on the mirror suddenly burst into bloom as if it had exploded. It was so bright that it almost enveloped the entire space on the second floor, making it impossible to see anything!
For Ximu, who was used to walking in the dark, such strong light was like a natural enemy - she had to close her eyes to avoid the strong light from damaging her eyesight, and at the same time quickly approached the place where Ruixia and the others were in her memory.
But the screams and noises in her ears only lasted for a moment. The next second, all the sounds disappeared instantly, as if there had never been anyone around her.
Terror suddenly surged in his heart. Ximu called out the names of Ruixia, Molina and the others, while using his other hand to frantically reach into the empty space, hoping to feel something tangible as soon as possible.
After a while, she felt a soft touch from her palm. The unfamiliar breath made her wake up instantly and she sat up from the bed.
——On the bed?
She patted the soft bed beneath her in a daze, squeezed the pillow in her hand, and looked at the soft and expensive silk pajamas on her body.
What's going on?
Did she just... have a nightmare?
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