Chapter 186: Roots of Obsession!
The heavy, grave silence that followed their departure from the Skill Book Hall was very different from the earlier, vibrant energy of the Silvershade Realm.
The vast chamber, once alive with the promise of limitless combat knowledge, now felt like a tomb, losing teammates not to monsters, but to the flawless temptations of this deceptive realm.
Daniel moved with calm, deliberate steps, his S-Grade [Twilight Phantom Step] barely a whisper on the polished stone floor.
Beside him, Selene moved with her usual cold, arrogant grace, though even her perfect composure seemed slightly frayed, a hint of unease in her eyes.
They had been a team of five, bound by a pact of shared survival.
Now, they were three. Gideon, the Divine Shield, was lost in a sea of useless gold, his mind broken by a treasure he could never possess.
Nicklaus, the brilliant warrior and student union vice president, was now a prisoner of his own ambition, obsessively trying to master every martial art in a library of infinite knowledge, a task that would take a thousand lifetimes.
The team was fracturing, not from external threats, but from within, undone by their own deepest desires.
"He’s a fool," Selene stated, her voice as sharp and brittle as breaking ice, finally cutting through the oppressive quiet.
"Nicklaus. Wasting his time on those dusty old books. Power isn’t found in theory, it’s found in application. In a real weapon."
"Everyone has their own path," Daniel replied, his voice calm, though a heavy understanding settled in his gut.
The Silvershade Realm offered more than treasures, it created perfect illusions, irresistible traps designed to ensnare the unwary.