Alka had experimented before. By immersing his physical body in reality and then sinking into dreams, he was able to open a channel between the two.
The cost was enormous, but at least there was a chance.
Using only one type of energy would be one-way, but mixing the two would be bidirectional.
Looking at the energy, Alka said with some emotion, "I should have thought of it earlier. That island must have this type of energy, especially the silver one."
Now that he thought about it, the reason it could absorb so much silver energy was probably because someone on the island had used this energy to smooth the gap between reality and dreams.
Otherwise, when Alka unfolded his dream, he should have been able to increase both types of energy, not just one.
This meant that the island's problem wasn't a natural occurrence, but rather a deliberate act.
"If only we knew how to open a channel from dreams to reality," Lucelia said with some emotion.
They wouldn't be in as much danger as they had just been. Running on the edge of a knife, teetering on the brink of death, was not a pleasant experience.
Alka had considered this idea, but ultimately, unable to find a definitive solution, he let it go.
"You said we could guarantee our safety this way, but what about Baraz and the others?" Lucelia asked, suddenly realizing something.
Hearing this, Alka remembered that there weren't just them outside; there were others.
They had just been preoccupied with escaping.
"I don't know. That general seems to have some connection to the dream. I wonder if he has any solution."
After a slight pause, he added, "Death would be best," Alka thought maliciously.
After all, they were enemies.
As for Baraz, there was nothing he could do.
After all, they couldn't protect themselves.
Hearing this, Lucelia nodded, showing no sympathy at all, wishing them dead.
Since arriving on the island, all the dangers they'd encountered could be attributed to General Kriel.
…
Where the general was at the moment.
They were running frantically across the island, completely unconcerned about where the path ahead led.
Because behind them were countless blood-red tentacles, rapidly spreading toward them.
The speed at which these tentacles spread was clearly much faster than the ones Alka and his companions had encountered.
If the tentacles Alka and his companions had encountered were jogging, these pursuing them could be described as running at full speed.
The stark speed difference made it difficult for the fleeing forces to formulate a response.
Baraz was also among the running group.
But how could their speed possibly match that of the general and the soldiers around him?
They were far more powerful.
"Ah!"
Followed by screams from behind.
Baraz's face showed reluctance, but he could only quicken his pace.
He had no other options.
The screaming members of the Chamber of Commerce behind him were already engulfed in blood-red tentacles.
His complexion began to turn pale.
Only one tentacle enveloped him, while the others continued to spread forward.
As the tentacles completely enveloped him, his body transformed into a dusty shadow, sucked into the tentacles.
Only his clothes remained, discarded to the ground by the tentacles.
Not even a scrap of remains remained.
The fleeing group had already witnessed this scene. Behind Baraz lay only his deputy and one other member.
Faba, who had previously betrayed him, was left last.
Because Faba's strength was not strong.
"Ah, Captain! Help me, Captain!"
Hearing the shouts from behind, Balazs turned and looked at Faba, who was reaching out his hands for help.
He could only shake his head helplessly.
Faba looked at his entangled legs, knowing he couldn't escape.
Feeling his life slipping away, even his soul was being pulled at.
He had completely given up on escaping.
Watching the backs of Balazs and the others fleeing,
He shouted at the top of his lungs, "He's holding my family captive. I don't intend to betray you. After all these years, if you escape, help them."
Balas and the others didn't even turn back, wondering if he'd heard the traitor's final words.
Faba had also given up on escaping and stood there, waiting for the tentacles to completely envelop him.
Feeling the ebb of life, he stretched out his hands, placed them at his temples, and slid them down to his heart.
He muttered to himself, "May the white snake of the soul bless them, may..."
Before he could finish his words, he was completely enveloped.
Only his clothes fell to the ground.
"Forget it, don't wait for us, Captain. You're capable, so go on your own." His deputy, watching the tentacles approaching from behind, suddenly spoke.
The long, desperate charge had drained his strength. The strange dreamscape had affected both his magic power and his physical fitness.
He knew he was running out of steam.
"Stop talking! Run!" Balazs turned and roared.
After enduring so many betrayals, he cherished these two people behind him, who had fought alongside him for over a decade.
He shook his head. "You'll make the best choice, you always do."
Then he glanced at his companion.
The man sighed, took off his ring, and tossed it to him.
He took it and removed his own ring as well. He took a few quick steps and placed it on Balazs's hand. Then, he and his companion stopped where they were.
"This is the right choice. Let's go. If you feel guilty, take care of my son."
"I'm not a burden. Remember to bring me some wine for the Soul Wave Festival. And red sand crabs... marinated in matt fine wine if possible."
Seeing the two men suddenly stop, Balazs couldn't help but stop too.
Then he was pushed out.
Seeing the two men standing there, waving, Balaz gritted his teeth and turned away.
His limbs were already ablaze, spewing flames backward like spouts.
His speed instantly increased dramatically, and with a few leaps, he swiftly rushed towards the general's location.
The two people standing still were also engulfed by the red tentacles.
"Damn it, damn the royal family, damn Kriel."
Baraz roared through gritted teeth as he ran.
This damned general had destroyed everything he had, all the fruits of his years of hard work.
He had also killed all his friends who had followed him, all those who had proven their loyalty.
And those who betrayed him were simply because he was unable to protect them.
He had lost everything.
In the midst of such devastation, his ship, docked on the shore, was likely also lost.
Even a Stage 4 warrior like Klia was fleeing. He doubted the men on his ship would survive, and his own ship might be destroyed along with them.
Rage, sorrow, and despair reverberated endlessly in his mind.
Hatred, rage, guilt, regret—every emotion erupted within him.
He now considered charging forward and perishing alongside the general. Ideally, he could hold him off, so they could both die together.
But he knew that with his strength, he could only hold him off for a few seconds at most, meaningless.
If it weren't for Kriel, he wouldn't be in this situation now. It was entirely that damned fellow's fault.
The flames gushing from his body increased his speed even further.
He quickly caught up.
Kriel, sprinting furiously, turned to glance at him, seeing the sadness in Baraz's eyes.
He buried his hatred and anger deep within his heart. He didn't have the energy to do so now.
They rushed to the edge of a cliff. There was no way forward, and they could see the sea before them.
The water simply floated in this space, surrounding the island.
A soldier peered down the cliff.
The moment he looked, he collapsed to the ground, a tiny red tentacle piercing his head.
"Are we, without escape?" Baraz asked, slowly retreating.
However, the tentacles behind him were rapidly spreading toward him, surrounding him completely.
A crimson mist had already dyed the surroundings red.
The soldiers surrounded the general, while Baraz stood there, observing the situation.
It looked like he was doomed.
He felt a strange sense of relief, and turning to look at Kriel's frowning face, he felt a strange sense of joy.
Hatred had been vented.
Having this person die with him seemed worth it, or perhaps a huge win.
A red tentacle pierced through the air.
Faced with the fear of death, the soldier blocking the way finally tried to dodge.
However, an invisible force suppressed him, and the tentacle pierced through and wrapped around him.
One could see the look of disbelief in his eyes.
"Attack! Destroy these tentacles!"
Kriel roared, but it was pointless. Even though the surrounding soldiers launched continuous attacks, it was useless.
These tentacles were the same as the dream creatures; they only slightly slowed the tentacles' spread. Their attacks were useless.
He himself had cut his palms, blood dripping continuously, and his hands kept waving.
Invisible blades mixed with blood spiraled around, destroying the tentacles that approached.
However, such an attack could only destroy the tiny tentacles thrusting forward, leaving the massive tentacles slowly spreading in the distance unaffected.
His invisible attack had no effect against the massive tentacles, like a drop of water falling on a lake, only creating a few ripples.
Two more soldiers were killed and dragged in.
Kriel's expression fell silent. His long tenure in high office and noble status prevented him from showing even the despair he felt.
A pair of gloves appeared in his palms; this was one of his treasures.
He waved the gloves, as if trying to break through the space and escape, but it was useless.
This was already a dream, vastly different from reality.
His treasure that could break through space had lost its effect.
A whistle-shaped artifact flew from his throat, sending invisible waves that began to spread outward.
However, this spreading wave had no effect on the approaching tentacles, and it was impossible to stop them.
"I never thought I, Kriel, would die in a place like this." After exhausting all his efforts, he stood there and said quietly.
Hearing this, Balazs, standing nearby, asked with a scornful smile, "Do you regret it? If you had kept your promise, you wouldn't be in this situation now."
"Hmph, perhaps." He maintained his composure until the very last moment.
He stared at the approaching tentacles and said, "I didn't die at his hands, but at Kilian's. Is that why the news was leaked?"
He seemed to understand something, but it was meaningless.
What was the point of understanding at the last moment?
The soldiers surrounding him perished one by one, leaving only him and Balazs beside him.
The feeling of death approaching was truly unbearable.
Balazs looked at the tentacle that had already wrapped around his hand. As this one wound upward, the others passed over him.
He felt his soul being pulled, his life force gradually draining away.
Even then, Balazs turned his head and stared intently at Kriel beside him.
"A general who possessed two treasures and effectively controlled the target island, I never thought he would die in a place like this, alongside his own 'pawns.'"
Hearing Balazs's voice, Kriel, whose legs were already entangled by vines, turned and looked at him.
Looking at Balazs, who was gradually being engulfed by the vines, his entire body.
"Are you happy now?"
"Hmph, perhaps," Balazs said with a smile.
Kriel muttered to herself, "Kriel, a trap set for death... You won."
Just as the two were about to die, a ball of mist condensed from white clouds crashed in their direction.
The red tentacles that had enveloped them immediately dissipated, transforming into a faint mist that drifted in the surrounding air.
Their souls were being pulled, and the feeling of life slipping away suddenly vanished.
Baraz opened his eyes in confusion. He had already prepared himself for death.
Or perhaps he had already seen the other side of death.
As the tentacles that had enveloped him vanished, his soul, which had been about to be completely pulled away, returned completely to its place.
He was once again pushed back by the waves of the sea of souls.
The general before him experienced the same fate, but now his chest was faintly gleaming with light.
The reason for this phenomenon seemed to be related to the glow on his chest.
Kriel quickly lifted his clothes, revealing a white tattoo of a crisscrossing, spiraling snake on his chest.
"A vigilante snake?" Baraz asked, puzzled, as he gazed at the tattoo.
"Hahaha, as expected, the Guardian Serpent does exist. It protects our family."
The euphoria of surviving a catastrophe made Kriel no longer able to maintain a serious expression, and she roared in ecstasy.
She also felt a sense of pride in her bloodline and family.
Baraz looked at the metal pendant on his necklace, engraved with a tattoo-like pattern.
"I didn't expect this thing to be real."
He suddenly regretted converting to the Reverend Mother.
"I'm here because of a contract, a descendant of Vasa."
An ethereal, majestic voice echoed in their minds, and the moment they heard it, their hearts raced.
They both looked up at the sky.
It was a gigantic white snake, even larger than the tentacle that had descended earlier, far larger than the entire island and the surrounding sea, nearly obscuring the entire sky.
Its body coiled high in the air, its massive serpent head drooping.
Its eyes, as bright as the sun, stared intently at the two.
The voice in their minds came from this great white mist serpent.
Its enormous size brought immense physical and mental oppression.
The two men were completely stunned.
With two thuds, they knelt on the ground, making a special prayer gesture.
"God... God, please come and save me," Creel said.
He spoke tremblingly.
‐‐What manners? They were nothing in the face of the faith he once held.
‐‐Baraz bowed his head in silent prayer, not even daring to raise his head to gaze upon the divine presence.
‐‐"Descendant of Vasa, state your request."
‐‐The white snake simply gazed at the two men, its attention fixed on Kriel.
‐‐The voice echoed once again in their minds.
‐‐"Vasa... So that's how it is, so that's the legend," Kriel muttered, as if a thought had struck him.
‐‐His earliest ancestor was called Vasa, a pioneer of the Southern Cross Island.
‐‐He looked at his uncovered clothes, at the tattoo of a great white snake on his chest.
‐‐His family had actually signed a pact with the gods.
‐‐The two men's attention was completely focused on the great white snake in the sky, not noticing the red tentacles rapidly approaching them.
The attacks here seemed to infuriate him, and the tentacles spread much faster than before.
Watching these tentacles spread, Kriel seemed to finally wake up, recovering from the shock of his god's arrival.
He quickly raised his head to the white serpent above him, maintaining a prayer gesture, and respectfully asked, "Respected Guardian Serpent, could you please help your believer destroy that red monster?"
Hearing this, Balazs, who had been praying, opened his eyes and looked at him with a strange look.
Shouldn't he have wished to escape?
Though shocked by the sudden arrival of the god he had worshipped since childhood, Kriel's thoughts had returned to normal by the time he regained consciousness.
He had already mentally sorted out the current situation.
And requesting the destruction of the blood-red monster was absolutely the best option.
He had already noticed that the red mist-like monster was unusually targeting him, or rather, his bloodline. Neither Baraz nor any of the other soldiers had ever been deliberately attacked.
Except him.
All the tentacles that had attacked before had been aimed at him; he had simply controlled the soldiers to block them.
The strange sensation emanating from his blood, coupled with the reason he had come to this island—to search for the treasure—
All of this combined made him understand.
This was a trap set by the exiles, risking their lives. It wasn't just him alone, but his entire race, his entire royal family, that was destined for hell.
As Kriel made her request,
The white snake stared at him silently without answering.
This made Kriel panic. Could it be...
Just as his thoughts were wandering,
a voice echoed in their minds.
"The eternal contract ends at this moment."
A faint white mist descended from above in a single line, pouring into Kriel's body.
He could sense the power within the mist, but he dared not move, and naturally, he dared not resist.
He even felt it was a gift from the gods, a recognition of his bloodline and ancestors.
He was too excited to even begin to feel it.
As the mist poured in, Kriel felt his body, like the mist, grow indifferent, transparent, and unpredictable.
It felt as if his body had completely vanished, as if it had ceased to exist.
And his mind felt extremely groggy, and he felt a little dizzy.
This feeling grew increasingly intense.
He forced himself to ask, "God, what is this?"
"When you awaken, the contract will end, the request will be fulfilled. And you... the descendant of Vasa will return to reality intact."
As the voice echoed in his mind, he could no longer withstand the dizziness.
He collapsed to the ground as if he had fallen asleep.