After waking up and preparing themselves, the team donned their armor. This time, they were determined to be ready. Morpheus spoke with conviction:
"Before we enter the next challenge, we need to buy some healing potions. Once we're inside, we won't be able to purchase anything."
Isaac and Rosemar nodded in agreement. They quickly bought their supplies, ensuring they had what they needed for survival.
The Enigmatic Portal
The moment had come. As they stood before the mysterious portal, their resolve was tested. With a step forward, the world around them shifted.
They found themselves in a desolate wasteland shrouded in thick fog. The air itself felt toxic, heavy with the stench of decay. The ground was covered in patches of pulsating green mold, spreading like a disease.
The familiar voice echoed once more:
"Welcome to the second challenge: Zaharos the Corrupted . Find Castle Karmoth and slay the beast responsible for this plague."
The voice faded into the oppressive silence, leaving the team alone in the suffocating fog.
Rosemar's Vision
"Rosemar, use your ability to locate anything that might help us," Morpheus instructed.
Closing her eyes, Rosemar extended her ethereal sense. Vines sprouted from the ground, crawling forward as if seeking something beyond the visible. Her brow furrowed in frustration.
"All I see is a dense fog and a massive castle covered in decay," she said.
"Can you at least pinpoint the direction?" Morpheus asked.
"North," Rosemar replied confidently.
"Then let's move."
The Corrupted Beasts Appear
As they trudged north through the mist, the ground beneath them trembled. Out of the earth emerged grotesque creatures, humanoid in shape but covered entirely in oozing mold and rot.
"What the hell is that?!" Isaac exclaimed, drawing his weapon.
Morpheus studied the monstrosities. "It must have been human once. The mold has transformed it into… this."
Before he could finish, dozens more creatures crawled out from the shadows, their distorted moans echoing through the fog.
"Get ready!" Morpheus shouted.
A Losing Battle with Weapons
The team engaged the creatures, but their weapons proved ineffective. Every slash and strike caused the mold to spread across their blades, threatening to consume them.
Isaac cursed loudly. "Weapons are useless against these things!"
"Abilities only! Use your ethereal powers!" Morpheus commanded.
Unleashing Their Powers
The battlefield became a showcase of the team's true strength:
Isaac unleashed fiery tornadoes, incinerating the creatures and burning the mold to ash. He conjured phoenix-like flames that exploded among the beasts, creating waves of destruction.
Rosemar summoned thick, thorny vines that pierced and entangled the creatures. Her plants secreted a potent toxin that dissolved the mold, neutralizing it entirely.
Morpheus wielded his shadow blade with precision, delivering devastating strikes. He also hurled shadow bombs that detonated with concussive force, obliterating groups of enemies.
"Don't let the mold touch you!" Morpheus warned, slashing through a creature with a burst of dark energy.
After a grueling battle that felt like an eternity, the last of the corrupted beasts fell.
A Moment of Reflection
"Is everyone okay?" Morpheus asked, scanning his companions.
Isaac groaned. "No, I'm not okay. I hate this cursed place!"
"There's no time for complaints," Rosemar replied coldly. "If we waste time, we'll end up like them."
Isaac shuddered at the thought. "Fine, you're right. Let's keep moving."
The Endless Circle
The group resumed their trek north, but after several minutes, Morpheus and Rosemar began to feel uneasy.
"Wait…" Morpheus said, stopping abruptly. "Something's wrong."
Rosemar nodded. "It feels like we're walking in circles."
"That's impossible," Isaac said, frustrated. "Rosemar's ability pointed us this way."
"Check again," Morpheus urged.
Rosemar focused her vision once more. "We're still heading toward the castle," she confirmed.
Yet, the unsettling feeling of repetition grew stronger. After walking for a few more minutes, Morpheus clenched his fists.
"We're trapped in an illusion," he declared.
He observed the unnaturally thick fog surrounding them, realizing its true nature.
"This fog isn't just obscuring our path—it's manipulating us, keeping us trapped. Someone, or something, is controlling it."
"What do we do?" Rosemar asked, her voice steady despite the tension.
Morpheus's eyes narrowed. "We find the source of the fog. If we don't, we'll never reach the castle."
With renewed determination, the team pressed forward, ready to confront the unseen force behind the deadly mist.