Leo’s expression slowly became serious.

Unlike him, Yin Li was the type that spent most of his time reading instead of fighting people or causing trouble. If he sounded uncertain, then the situation itself was probably abnormal.

"So this was a result of the war that Queen Elara started?" he asked, looking around with a grim expression.

"Yes. Not exactly, this illusion was meant to follow how the battle occurred, not how it ended. If I remember correctly, this was not technically part of the war but a... misinformed raid."

A deep scowl appeared on Leo’s face after hearing Yin Li’s statement.

"Misinformed raid?"

Yin Li nodded. "Eldrath and Primoria had been at war even before Queen Elara brought the Aura System. The war is meaningless as it’s just a battle for power, just like Asgard and Gehenna battle each other."

Of course, the battle for power was already in play even before the new era of awakening began. But back then, it was mediocre compared to the other two high realms’ wars. Elara had escalated it into something more meaningful and somewhat... interesting.

"After Aurafall, during the war, one of humanity’s strongest generals ended up here in Morva and a rescue team was sent here to save him. But no one actually survived except for..."

"Miss Krystal." Leo completed Yin Li’s statement with a frown.

"From the information I read, Miss Krystal never saw the general and they were only ambushed, so it was declared that the general had died and the raid was set up to kill the team."

Leo’s frown deepened. "It doesn’t make any sense. Why would Eldrath waste their time allowing a meaningless team to enter their realm so they could just kill them? It’s a war, I know, but still—why waste their time?"

"No, no." Yin Li shook his head. "Eldrath didn’t send just any team but humanity’s strongest cohort at that time."

Yin Li hesitated for a moment, then exhaled as if forcing the name out.

"The cohort was called The Seven Radiant Blades."

Leo swallowed. He had heard of them. They were legends to him. The Seven Radiant Blades was a team of Aura Farmers before Elara brought the Aura System. Thus, they were made up of Outsiders—people who signed contracts with beings from other realms to be able to use Aura.

He had heard, during the era of awakening, the team went missing and now he was learning the original truth.

"Well, at least it’s just for three hours." Leo sighed.

Yin Li coughed. "Actually, the time difference in Eldrath is different. We will be here for exactly three weeks."

Leo’s eyes widened. "What?! Is something wrong with Miss Krystal? Does she want to kill us? Not me, I can’t die. But you guys surely can’t survive?!"

Yin Li rolled his eyes. "Okay, Mr. Undying. Let’s get moving before she changes her mind because you just asked if something was wrong with her."

Leo paused for a moment, then slowly exhaled through his nose while looking around the forest again.

"Three weeks," he repeated quietly.

Yin Li adjusted his grip on the odachi. "Yes. Three full weeks inside a reconstructed memory field tied to Eldrath. That’s what I think it is."

Leo glanced at him. "You think again."

Yin Li clicked his tongue. "I didn’t build the thing, Leo."

Leo slowly turned his head toward the direction he had been moving earlier.

"If this is really tied to that raid," he said, voice calmer now, "then there should be movement points, I think."

Yin Li frowned slightly. "You’re thinking like this is a training ground."

"It behaves like one," Leo replied. "Even the monsters earlier followed patterns. Nothing here feels random from what I can see."

Yin Li hesitated, then looked around with less confidence than before. "That’s... not something I want to agree with."

Leo ignored him and began walking forward again, his steps slow but deliberate. Yin Li followed quickly behind him, clearly unwilling to be left alone in the forest after everything they had discussed.

Yin Li broke the silence again. "There’s something else you should know."

Leo didn’t look back. "Say it."

"If this really is Morva during the raid period... then the Seven Radiant Blades weren’t the only strong presence here."

Leo finally glanced at him.

Yin Li continued carefully. "There were probably also something worse. Eldrath beings capable of dismantling the Primoria’s strongest cohort."

Leo scoffed. "Define worse."

"They don’t care about our lives and will end it right away if we ever cross paths with them," Yin Li said, already shivering.

"I don’t think we will truly die. Worst case, we will just get sent back to reality after being ’killed.’ Miss Krystal won’t make the death real, right?" Yin Li said, expecting some assurance.

"I don’t know. You’ve been here before me and you’ve probably survived this type of test once."

Yin Li nodded. "Yes, I have, but not in an Eldrath region. Who knows what goes on in that demonic woman’s head."

He paused as if expecting to get slapped by someone for abusing his teacher, but nothing of sort happened.

A short silence followed Yin Li’s last words, stretching between them. Leo continued walking without replying, his attention already shifting away from the discussion and back to the environment around them. The earlier confidence he had after killing the abomination was still there, but now it carried a more measured edge, like he was constantly testing what the forest would try next.

Yin Li, on the other hand, kept glancing around nervously while tightening his grip on the odachi. He clearly didn’t like the idea of being in a place that was both a memory field and a possible reconstruction of an ancient raid. Every step he took felt like he expected the ground itself to change its mind and attack him.

Leo suddenly slowed down.

Yin Li noticed immediately. "What is it?"

Leo didn’t answer right away. His eyes narrowed slightly as he looked toward a break in the trees ahead. There was a faint glow there, uneven and unstable, like firelight that didn’t fully belong to anything natural. More importantly, there were voices.

Except the voices were rough and scattered and were almost incoherent.

Leo raised a hand slightly, signaling Yin Li to stop. Yin Li froze instantly, his expression tightening as he followed Leo’s gaze. The odachi lifted halfway without him even noticing, his body reacting before his mind could fully process what was happening.

They moved forward carefully, staying behind the thicker trees as they approached the light source. The voices became clearer with each step, and soon enough, shapes began to form between the gaps in the forest.

Sitting around a fire were dwarfed creatures with rough green skin wielding crude weapons and wearing fur as armor. They dined on the flesh of an unfamiliar creature roasting on the fire.

Yin Li’s eyes widened slightly. "Those are..."

Leo stared without blinking.

One of the creatures struck a rock with its weapon while another dragged something across the ground. Their movements were chaotic, uncoordinated, and aggressive in a simple way that lacked intelligence refinement.

Yin Li lowered his voice. "Goblins..."