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Chapter 200 The Howling Corridor
Chapter 200 The Howling Corridor
Moments later, the trailing dead were cleared away.
The passage was in a mess, with broken bones, extinguished soul fire, and purified ashes scattered everywhere.
The air was filled with a foul odor of burnt, rotten, and sulfurous substances.
The group gathered together, and apart from being quite exhausted, no one was seriously injured.
The Forge Guard's armor had more scratches and dents, and a small patch of corrosion had appeared on the edge of Blake's tower shield. Lehman's breathing was slightly rapid; the continuous high-intensity bursts and dodges had taken a toll on him.
Liana's face was a little pale; the "Spear of Judgment" had just consumed a lot of her mental energy and holy flame power.
Rolin checked himself and found that he had consumed about a quarter of his star power, mainly due to two instances of [Order Collapse] and one instance of [Stardust Turbulence].
With the restorative boost from [Quiet Dust Star], his mental strength is in good condition.
"They've retreated deeper," Blake said in a muffled voice, wiping the blood splattered on his visor.
"What else was activated—the Howling Corridor?"
"This doesn't sound like a good place." Ella put away her longbow and stretched her slightly sore arms.
"These guys have indeed been operating here for a while, and they've even built fortifications."
Lehman walked to the spot where the skeleton wizard had last stood, picked up the cracked, broken-topped bone staff, glanced at it, and casually tossed it to Rowling: "Take a look, maybe there's a clue."
Rowling caught the staff.
The staff was icy to the touch, lingering with a strong aura of death and the resentment of souls.
He channeled his star power to protect his palm and carefully sensed the surroundings. The staff's internal structure was quite intricate. In addition to the basic necromantic energy amplification and several solidified spell slots, it also concealed a faint, directional spiritual imprint, seemingly connected to some being or location deep within the rift.
"This staff resonates with a core deep within the rift," Roland stated his assessment.
"Following this feeling, we might be able to find their hideout, or what they truly care about."
"Then what are we waiting for?" a furnace guard said in a deep voice.
"Chase after them and smash these bone fragments to pieces!"
Blake shook his head, looking at the grayish-white mist surging deep within the rift, which seemed to come alive.
"They deliberately led us deep into the area and even activated the so-called Wailing Corridor."
"There are definitely more troublesome traps or ambushes inside."
"We're not in top form, it would be too risky to rush in."
He paused, then looked at everyone: "Rest here for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, treat your injuries, and recover your strength."
"Then, we move on, but we must be more careful."
"Rolin, try your best to sense the direction and distance of that core."
"Ella, Rayman, keep an eye out for anything unusual ahead and to both sides."
"Liana, conserve your power; you may need your purification ability in a critical moment."
The order was clear and reasonable, and no one objected.
Everyone immediately sat down on the spot, some taking medicine, some bandaging their wounds, and some meditating.
Holding the broken staff, Rolin guided the power of [Quiet Dust Star] to restore its spirit while carefully tracking the faint spiritual imprint.
The mark points to the depths of the rift valley. The distance doesn't seem particularly far, but there's a complex energy field in between, making the perception very vague.
That so-called "Wailing Corridor" is probably more than just a physical passageway.
The time it takes for an incense stick to burn quickly passed.
Everyone stood up again, having recovered most of their strength.
With Blake leading the way, the group regrouped and cautiously continued their advance into the depths of the gray-white mist-shrouded ravine.
The further you go, the wider the passage becomes, but the darker it gets.
The fog was so thick that visibility was less than twenty meters. The wailing sounds from the rock walls on both sides became unusually clear, no longer just the chaotic sound of the wind, but as if countless people were really crying, wailing, and cursing in my ears, the sounds penetrating directly into my mind, trying to disturb my peace of mind.
Luo Lin felt the [Quiet Dust Star] spontaneously begin to operate, filtering and settling the chaotic wails, keeping his mind clear.
He glanced at the others; Ella's brows were furrowed, and she shook her head occasionally.
Lehman's expression grew even colder, and tiny arcs of electricity flickered uncontrollably around him.
Liana whispered a purification prayer, a faint golden light emanating from her.
The furnace guards gritted their teeth, their breathing heavy beneath their helmets.
Only Blake, seemingly thanks to his strong will and faith, was least affected and his pace remained steady.
"It's mental interference, mixed with resentment towards death," Rowling warned.
"Concentrate and don't get distracted."
After walking about 100 meters further, a fork in the road suddenly appeared in the fog ahead.
No, it's not just the forks in the road.
Under the scanning of the detector and the perception of the insight ring, the spatial structure ahead became extremely chaotic, with several overlapping, intertwined, and even slightly distorted phantom passages appearing.
In the thick fog, one could vaguely see pale arms, distorted faces, or tattered hems of clothing flashing by, like phantom images of ghosts.
"Spatial Lock, in conjunction with Soul Echoes—" Roland stopped in his tracks, looking at the completely chaotic readings on the detector.
"The Howling Corridor, this must be it."
"Forcing your way in might cause you to lose your way, or even be pulled into a spatial rift, or have your mind attacked by those soul illusions."
"Can it be cracked?" Blake asked in a deep voice.
Rowling did not answer immediately.
He closed his eyes, fully activating the Insight Ring and Echo Unit, while extending his mental energy along the markings on the broken staff.
In the chaotic space and soul energy field, that faint yet persistent mark, like a thin thread, points in a fixed direction, located deep below this labyrinthine region.
"There is a clear direction." Roland opened his eyes and pointed to a misty passage to his left that seemed no different from the other passages, but whose imprints were the clearest in his perception.
"Follow the marks, and perhaps we can break through this maze."
"But the process may be disrupted; those hallucinations of the soul—may become real."
"It's better than being stuck here." Ella tightened the bowstring.
"I'll clear the way, Rowling, you point the way."
Lehman silently walked to the side and behind Rollin, his fingertips poised to unleash an electric arc.
Liana condensed the purifying flames at the tip of her staff, making it resemble a lantern.
Blake and the Forge Guards shielded Rolin in the middle.
Taking a deep breath, Roland stepped forward and entered the marked misty passage.
The moment I stepped inside, the surrounding scenery changed abruptly!
The thick fog seemed to come alive, churning and forming all sorts of distorted and terrifying images:
Burning villages, mountains of corpses, struggling and wailing souls—the heart-wrenching cries were amplified a thousandfold, crashing against eardrums and brains like a tidal wave!
At the same time, countless pale, translucent arms suddenly emerged from the mist and reached out to grab the crowd!
"Get out of my way!" Blake roared, and a burst of red light flashed on the tower shield. A scorching wave swept across, shattering most of the arm that was reaching for him.
The furnace guards swung their weapons, their battle aura slicing through the approaching arms.
But those arms seemed endless, breaking apart and coming back together.
Even more troublesome is that some fragmented images seem to solidify into physical forms, turning into skeleton soldiers wielding rusted weapons, or elusive, shrieking vengeful spirits that leap out of the mist and launch attacks!
The undead that appeared this time were more solid than those in the previous passage, and their attacks were more frenzied, as if they carried the endless resentment accumulated on this land.
"Follow me! Don't stop!" Roland shouted, forcibly ignoring the wails and illusions that pierced his soul, focusing all his attention on the thin line of the spiritual imprint, which guided him forward.
With his right hand, he continuously unleashed the [Spiral Star Arrow], the silver-white arrows accurately piercing the core of the attacking vengeful spirits or shattering the skulls of skeletons.
With her left hand, she maintained a small area of "Starflow Water Field," gently but firmly pushing away the overly thick fog that was trying to hinder her steps.
Ella's arrows never missed, and Rayman's lightning was even more powerful in the narrow labyrinthine passage, clearing out an area with each strike.
Liana's Purifying Flame became the most effective scavenger; wherever the golden flames passed, the wailing of vengeful spirits dissipated, and skeletons turned to ashes.
But the undead here seem to be inexhaustible, and as you go deeper, the attacks of those ghostly illusions become increasingly bizarre.
Sometimes it would suddenly appear as a teammate and attack from behind; other times it would whisper seductive words directly in one's mind, trying to make one give up resistance and merge into this eternal wailing.
Luo Lin felt the burden on [Quiet Dust Star] increasing. It was like the strongest dam, resisting the erosion of the tide of resentment, but the dam itself was also under pressure.
We must get through here as soon as possible!
"Turn left! Down!" Roland shouted, following the markings.