Chapter 196 The Illusion

Xivier suddenly seemed to lose her mind and rushed to the stone table, taking several steps.

She picked up the wine and drank it all.

My instinct told me something was wrong.

How could a woman as ruthless and cautious as Xivier suddenly have her intelligence plummet and drink this liquid of unknown origin?

As I expected, after drinking the liquid, Xivier suddenly clutched her throat, struggling violently.

I watched as Xivier's skin rotted away, oozing green pus. She turned around, her eyeballs falling from their sockets.

"Save... me!"

She extended a hand, wailing, and slowly shuffled towards me, seemingly wanting me to save her.

I took a few steps back and pulled out my alloy knife.

Putting aside the fact that I wanted Xivier dead anyway, even if she were my companion, I wouldn't dare touch her in this bizarre situation.

I watched Xivier struggle and scream, and a thought suddenly flashed through my mind.

Xivier is dead, and Qu Xiangyun and I will be free!

Realizing this, I instinctively turned to pull Qu Xiangyun and escape this hellhole. But as I turned, I was shocked to find no way out behind me!

The bronze door had reappeared behind me, perfectly intact. The hole we had made had vanished without a trace!

Even more chilling was that Qu Xiangyun and the others had also disappeared along with it.

Everyone was gone!

What on earth was happening?

Behind me, Xivier's increasingly tragic wails grew closer. I desperately pounded on the bronze door in front of me, but it wouldn't budge!

I turned back again, seeing Xivier's rotting face drawing nearer. I raised my knife, ready to strike.

But just as I was about to swing, I suddenly remembered the sound of an axe I had heard while on watch.

Could everything I was seeing be an illusion?!

Were we still standing before the bronze door?

When I realized this, I fiercely bit my tongue.

In an instant, Xivier, who had been right in front of me, dissolved into the air like sand.

What I saw before me made my heart clench.

Qu Xiangyun stood frozen before me, her eyes tightly shut, cold sweat streaming down her face.

If I had really swung my knife, I would have struck Qu Xiangyun, who was also caught in the illusion!

Fortunately, I reacted in time!

I quickly sheathed my alloy knife and shook her vigorously. Under my efforts, Qu Xiangyun finally broke free from the hallucination.

During this time, Xivier and the others, who had also been trapped in the illusion, gradually woke up.

They were indeed professionals, as expected.

My vigilance increased by another layer.

After Professor Gukef woke up, the first thing he did was solemnly pull out a small instrument and inform us that there was a hallucinogenic gas inside the bronze door.

The illusions we had experienced were caused by inhaling this gas.

We were currently in the first chamber of the divine palace behind the bronze door.

This chamber was similar to what I had seen in my hallucination: a not-too-large stone room with a stone table. However, there were no wine cups.

"There should be something placed here, but it seems to have already been taken."

Xivier consulted a notebook and shook her head with a hint of regret.

Was everything I saw real?

Was there indeed a wine vessel containing an unknown liquid placed here?

"Alright, there's nothing else to see here. Let's move on quickly."

At the deepest part of the room, against the wall, was a stone door, much plainer than the bronze one.

Pushing open the stone door, we found ourselves in another spacious passageway.

Unlike the first passageway, this one had flagstones on the ground, and the ice on the sides was not as thick. We could even see the outside through the transparent ice.

On either side of the passageway were spacious caverns!

These caverns bore clear marks of human intervention, not natural. They were furnished with stone tables and chairs, and even contained bioluminescent plants, indicating they were artificially cultivated!

Had someone lived here?!

I was perplexed. The divine palace was above the temple, so there shouldn't be any inhabitants. Yet, underground, there were traces of human life everywhere.

I carefully observed the surroundings on both sides as I followed the group through the passageway.

The passageway was not long. Within two minutes, we reached a three-way intersection.

Each path led to a different direction, disappearing into the distance.

This meant we had to make another choice.

We all stopped.

I looked at Xivier and found her staring intently at Qu Xiangyun.

Damn it, you brought us to this hellhole, and now you're staring at Qu Xiangyun!

"What are you looking at her for? Does Xiangyun know the way?"

Xivier shot me a cold glare and said, "Qu Xiangyun, I have always trusted you. We've come this far, and there's no turning back. I believe you know the consequences of betraying the company. Now, tell me, which way should we go?"

Qu Xiangyun remained silent under Xivier's gaze.