"A provocation? How could I possibly use something so childish? I'm merely speaking the truth. On the other hand, your claws haven't been maintained in years. You should tend to them when you have the chance."
Dainsleif dodged with speed, each evasion precisely avoiding the attacks. This slightly angered Fanan, who increased his speed.
Yet, even so, he could not deal with Dainsleif. After all, the man was slippery as an eel, smooth and ungraspable.
"If you have the guts, don't dodge. What kind of hero dodges like this?"
A vein bulged on Fanan's face, but it was hidden by the mask.
"You can't hit me, so you tell me not to dodge? Are all you Yakshas like this? It's truly disappointing. I thought the legendary Yaksha Warriors were supposed to be strong."
As soon as he spoke, several water spouts descended from the sky. The immense suction power made even Dainsleif sweat, and he could only quickly steady himself.
"Speak, why aren't you saying anything now? I want to see how eloquent you are!"
If he didn't resolve this quickly, the water spouts might tear his body apart. However, his objective had been achieved. Fanan was now filled with rage.
The more enraged he became, the more openings he revealed. In a fit of anger, one wouldn't pay much attention to such things, and it was the same for other creatures.
"Don't you realize? You're already full of openings?"
Upon hearing this, Fanan was slightly stunned. The next second.
A black sword pierced through his body. Then, under his disbelieving gaze, he slowly turned into starlight, vanishing from the spot.
"Finally dealt with... Let's rest here for a bit. I'm truly... exhausted."
Dainsleif slumped to the ground, panting heavily. If it had dragged on any longer, the outcome might not have been so certain.
The red door gradually turned blue. Passing through that door should lead to the next stage. Based on prior experience, it was likely another guardian.
Meanwhile, a group of people sat in an open space, discussing countermeasures, but they couldn't come up with a solid plan. To leave, they needed to find the Taiwei Yi Pan, but its whereabouts were unknown.
The final stage of the trial, and the entrance to it, was nowhere to be found. The group fell into temporary difficulty.
"Excuse me, what is that?"
A new path suddenly appeared on the original road. It felt as though the entire place was rapidly changing.
Everyone's gaze followed, and Yelan was the first to stand up and run over.
The others followed closely, soon reaching the end. It was a regular rhomboid shape, like a room, which confused them.
There was also a switch nearby. As they pondered,
Kuki Shinobu was the first to activate the switch. As expected, the regular, square rhombus rapidly contracted, revealing a room.
Inside the room, the exquisite decorations resembled Inazuma. Kuki Shinobu's shadow appeared, as if she were discussing with her family about becoming a shrine maiden at the Grand Narukami Shrine.
In that place, such a position was supreme, equivalent to attending a top-tier university, making it incredibly desirable.
But Kuki Shinobu refused. She didn't want to be a shrine maiden for her entire life.
"Is this memory about being a shrine maiden? Speaking of which, I haven't seen my parents in a long time. The last time I went to the Grand Narukami Shrine, I coincidentally met my elder sister, and haven't seen my family since."
Kuki Shinobu had no regrets. At least she was doing what she wanted now. Even if it was just a small gang, as long as it was freedom, everything was fine. Moreover, this group wasn't bad.
Then, one by one, they tried it. Most of them faced their deepest fears. As for Lumine, she disappeared from her spot, saw vast expanses of starry sky, and then returned.
Fortunately, nothing went wrong. If it had, Xiao would have charged in directly.
"It seems the things behind this door are everyone's fears. Lu Ze... what are you afraid of? I'm quite curious."
Paimon looked at him with amusement. After all, what a powerful person feared was indeed intriguing.
"Things I'm afraid of? But what about you, Paimon! Why don't you try it yourself? I'm also very curious about what you're afraid of!"
Hearing herself mentioned, Paimon's eyes flickered slightly, and she backed away a little, appearing somewhat fearful.
"I'll pass, shall I? I don't want to see my fears. No delicious food to eat, no fun things to do – that's the most terrifying thing."
Paimon's words sounded somewhat perfunctory. How could anyone be afraid of that? Besides, her identity was a mystery. Many players speculated about her origins, with some saying she was the Heavenly Principles, others a sustainer of heavenly principles, and some even suggesting she was the God of Time.
The various theories were endless, making it difficult to guess her true nature.
"Alright, alright, if you don't want to, we won't force you. But since you're curious about what I fear, then I'll show you."
Nahida watched him with some curiosity. What was the object of his fear?
As he walked step by step, Lu Ze placed his large hand directly on the switch. After a moment, the door slowly opened, followed by...
Endless darkness, not a hint of light. The previously curious crowd was incredulous. Had this thing malfunctioned?
However, soon, scene after scene slowly ascended. There was the year 2000, where Lu Ze watched Sirin, with whom he had spent years, die before his eyes.
There was the "Last Lesson," the courageous charge of Himeko, and the sky filled with flames, while he could only watch helplessly as Himeko fell into the Sea of Quanta.
There was also a world bubble, where he watched Liliya sacrifice her life to save Rosaria, merging into one and becoming so cold.
There was even watching his student, powerless, holding her corpse and silently shedding tears. Her name was Anna.
There was also Guanshan, with a smile, watching the slowly rising sky lantern and sweetly saying:
"Assassin... you've arrived."
Despite such beauty, she still died before his eyes.
And then there were the Thirteen Flame-Chasers. Each of them was a legendary hero, yet they could not escape the fate of death. Eleven out of thirteen died, a truly regrettable outcome.
As the Captain, they could only watch, unable to do anything. In this history, there was no trace of the Captain. Even if you knew all the characters intimately, they didn't know you. Was this not a form of fear in itself?