Chapter 278: The Door

Chapter 278: The Door

This was not a good place to recover from injuries, especially for foreign Wizards like them. The source of a Wizard’s power was Mana, and Mana was also needed for rest and recuperation. If they were back home, such injuries wouldn’t be such a big deal; the dense Mana would be enough for a Wizard to recover in a short time.

But this was the Desolate Continent, a strange land with thin, hostile Mana. They could only watch, after treating the many large and small wounds on Jose’s body, as he struggled like a fish out of water, his mouth opening and closing with difficulty.

The most severe wound was on his right shoulder, which was now a hole that went straight through. They were somewhat puzzled. How could Jose, who had turned into a flowing stream, receive such a serious injury? But Jose remained unconscious, unable to provide any answers.

The sudden incident shattered the relaxed atmosphere in the camp. They returned to the tension and unease they felt when they first arrived, now mixed with a fear of this unfamiliar land.

The construction of the camp had stopped. Some of the supplies unloaded from the ship were being carried back on board. They began preparing to abandon this place.

While they were on high alert, Zoya, despite Eileen’s urging her to stay, brought Xialuo along the coastline, following faint traces and heading in this direction.

Xialuo couldn’t hide her excitement, chattering nonstop along the way. She hadn’t expected Zoya to be so powerful, able to defeat her opponent so easily.

“How did you do it? Was that person strong?”

“Luck, and the opponent was a bit careless. His ability was related to water, and I actively moved closer to the waterline. That made him think he had the advantage, so he let his guard down.”

“Wasn’t that very dangerous for you?” Xialuo showed a worried expression again.

Looking at Xialuo, Zoya couldn’t help but laugh. “In a fight, when is there ever no risk?”

Xialuo reminded her, “Before we left, I remember the Great Wizard told you to just observe from a distance, not to get close.”

“Some things, you have to try to know. And in the end, I won.” Zoya glanced towards the direction of Northland City. “Spending a long time with Bran, Huahua, and the Ancient Tree has made me afraid of fewer things. Frequently facing their mischief and seeing the destruction they cause has changed my understanding of power. Facing others, I often feel they are nothing special.”

Xialuo’s expression changed. “You’re not thinking of taking on that person’s camp alone, are you?”

“Aren’t you with me?”

Xialuo’s face turned a little pale, but she gritted her teeth and said, “I will definitely stay with you, fighting to the death.”

“Don’t look so serious,” Zoya patted Xialuo’s shoulder. “In such a vast area, I can’t find people who are determined to hide. We are just following the coastline to confirm if there are any monsters Bran mentioned.

Moving along the coastline from here, we will encounter the estuary of the Eternal River. According to Bran’s description, if that monster wants revenge, going upstream along the Eternal River is its best option.”

“Wait, didn’t you say the Dragon Riders were lying?”

Hearing Xialuo mention the Dragon Riders, Zoya thought of Eileen. She sighed deeply. “Since we are already here, it won’t take much effort to take a look along the way. And precisely because the Dragon Riders are untrustworthy, we should be more careful. I’m afraid they exaggerate small matters, but turn a blind eye to things that truly threaten us.”

“They dare?” Xialuo gritted her teeth.

“It’s not about daring or not daring, but about being ignorant and fearless. They deceive us Wizards in a worldly way, and they have been quite successful. They made Bran nervous, so he sent us out. But they don’t understand the changes in Mana, making up lies on assumption, which is why we saw through them.

They are indeed not worth mentioning, but the more that’s true, the more careful we should be. Because these mere mortals, driven by fear, might do something crazy.

That foreign Wizard didn’t have much ill will towards the Dragon Riders; his target was us. But the Dragon Riders, thinking themselves clever, didn’t realize they would offend both sides. That foreign Wizard won’t let this go; the Dragon Riders will pay the price sooner or later. And when that happens, who will they turn to for help? Us?

The small, confined island limited the Dragon Riders’ development and made them too scheming, fostering a character unwilling to suffer losses. But in this World, how could they gain advantages everywhere? If the Dragon Riders were more open-minded, perhaps they would have already seized the Green Kingdom.

If they were more open-minded and a bit more honest when facing external threats, Bran would surely have repaid them, but they chose deceit. They actually tried to get help through deception. Even if they succeeded temporarily, what then?

They still don’t understand who they have provoked, or what kind of trouble those people will bring them.”

“They deserve to die!”

“But, there is still our friend among them—Eileen.”

…

Several days after Zoya left, Huahua finally reached her critical moment. With Lily’s and his own experience beforehand, Bran shouldn’t have been worried, but he still felt a bit tense.

Huahua slowly closed her eyes in front of Bran. At that moment, Bran felt as if something was missing from her small body. At the same time, their mental connection let him feel joy.

Bran carefully observed the body Huahua left behind in the Mortal World, trying to see the changes within. This body seemed to have transformed into a node, a foreign object stuck in the door to prevent it from suddenly closing. And the tide of Mana gradually seeped out through the crack in the door, like light, like mist.

After observing for a while, Bran slipped in through that crack in the door.