The deep sea before dawn was still shrouded in an inky blue veil, and Fa was awakened by a cheerful knocking at the door. From outside came Yuyuer's distinctive clear voice: "Fa! Everyone! Get up quickly, we're heading to the Shadow Island!"
Fa pushed open the shell door, and Yuyuer, dressed in brand-new coral armor, stood at the entrance. The gem on his crown was still dotted with a few drops of seawater, shimmering faintly in the morning light. His fishtail restlessly slapped the ground, flinging water droplets into a string of crystalline beads: "I went to the seaside before dawn to pick up glowing shells, planning to give them to you all on the way!"
The teammates gradually got up and freshened themselves. As Arya slung the Storm Bow over her back, she saw Yuyuer squatting at the door showing Tisk his freshly picked "treasures"—six spiral shells that changed colors with movement, with faint wave-like shadows emerging inside. "These are 'Tide Pattern Shells,'" Yuyuer explained excitedly, "Write your wishes inside the shells, and one day they'll come true!"
Once everyone was ready, the group followed Yuyuer into the newly formed magical bubble. This time, the bubble was even more translucent, as if wrapped in a clump of solidified moonlight. When Yuyuer waved his staff, strands of silver light threads drifted from his fingertips, gently linking the bubble to his fishtail, like tying an invisible safety rope to the team.
On the way from the deep sea to the Shadow Island, "Look over there!" Yuyuer suddenly pointed to a distant coral cluster, where several palm-sized glowing squids were circling around a clump of opening and closing "light tassel seaweed," their tentacles flinging out fine fluorescent dots, drawing circles of glowing rings in the darkness. "That's the 'Fluorescent Ball,'" he leaned close to Fa's ear, the water current stirred by his fishtail bringing a hint of coolness, "Only squids in a good mood dance like that."
Tisk suddenly pointed upward: "Look at that fish! It looks like a warship hung with lanterns!" A deep-sea fish several zhang long slowly swam by, with dozens of glowing tentacles hanging from its fins, each tip blooming like a small light bulb, resembling a moving underwater palace lantern.
Yuyuer's laughter rippled through the bubble: "That's the 'Lantern Navigator,' we follow them to find our way—their heads have a piece of magnetic shark bone that acts as a compass!" As he spoke, he suddenly put away his smile, his fishtail gently tapping the bubble's edge, "Fa... Do people on land really treat their companions like family?"
Fa chuckled softly: "I don't have blood-related siblings, but these companions are my family. We've gone through countless adventures together, trusting each other—this bond is deeper than blood."
Yuyuer listened quietly, thoughtful: "I see. My siblings respect me too, because I'm the eldest son, destined to become king one day. But... every day I have to learn three sea clan languages, read various military strategy books, practice water-based magic for eight hours, and memorize the names of thousands of magical herbs..." He paused, a hint of loneliness flashing in his eyes, "I actually don't want to be king. I want to adventure everywhere like you all, exploring the unknown world."
Fa said gently: "Your dream is wonderful. Perhaps one day, you can make it come true."
After hearing this, Yuyuer's face lit up with a brilliant smile. He turned to Tisk and Rex, jokingly asking: "Hey, Tisk, Rex, do you want to marry my sisters? They're all very beautiful and gentle, and most importantly, they know water-based magic!"
Tisk laughed heartily: "Kid, I prefer swinging my war hammer; marriage is off the table for me."
Rex said calmly: "I am a robot, without emotions or the concept of marriage."
Yuyuer blinked, then burst into laughter: "Just kidding! You guys are so fun!" The group joined in the laughter, the atmosphere light and joyful, even the oppressive feeling of the deep sea seemed to lighten considerably.
Arrival at the Shadow Island: The Royal Escort's Safe Passage
Several hours later, the three layers of magical bubbles surrounding the group suddenly trembled—ahead, countless black vortices surged in the sea, like the devouring maws of deep-sea behemoths, the cutting sounds of water currents piercing through the bubbles like grating metal. Rex's mechanical eyes scanned the external data: "Warning, the water pressure in the vortex cluster exceeds the defense limit of ordinary bubbles by three times."
Tisk gripped his war hammer tightly, peering through the bubble at the churning undercurrents: "This damned place could even shred bubbles, right?"
Yuyuer, however, smiled calmly and waved his scepter to draw a complex magic array on the bubble's outer edge. The three layers of bubbles suddenly surged with glistening blue patterns, as if donning a layer of crystal armor: "The periphery of the Shadow Island is the sea clan's 'Chaotic Tides' defense line, but the royal 'Sea God's Oath' bubbles can tame these undercurrents." With that, he pressed the tip of the scepter against the bubble, emitting stable blue waves, as if sending a secret signal to the deep sea.
Miraculously, as the bubble cluster approached the vortices, the rolling water currents parted like an orchestra hearing a conductor, opening a path shimmering with phosphorescence. Even more thrilling was passing through the canyon filled with "cutting currents," where Yuyuer took out a shell-shaped tidal coordinator from his waist and gently blew a sound like a conch. The water currents on both sides of the canyon immediately condensed into ice-blue arches, allowing the bubble cluster to pass safely.
"Strange creatures are coming!" Kayla exclaimed, pointing to distant shadows—hundreds of enormous bizarre fish, with corrosive mucus seeping between their scales. Yuyuer quickly waved his staff, sprinkling a sheet of silver light powder outside the bubble. The silver powder condensed into repelling spores, and the bizarre fish panicked and fled upon contact, emitting shrill screams.
In this way, under Yuyuer's magical manipulation, the group passed through layers of dangers and finally arrived at the Shadow Island. The island's periphery was shrouded in purple-green mist, and only through the bubble's magical filtering could they vaguely see the ancient altar standing on the island—a triangular metal pedestal covered in wriggling magical moss, with a dark red crystal pulsing at the top, subtly resonating with the group's magical frequencies.
Yuyuer stopped at the edge of the mist, lightly waving his scepter to build a hemispherical guardian platform outside the bubble cluster: "This is the Shadow Island. The outer mist is the 'Mind Labyrinth,' which amplifies fears; the vortices and shadow creatures are physical defenses." He flicked his fingertip, and three crystal orbs appeared inside the bubble, each projecting images of different areas on the island, "This is the 'Sea God's Eye' projection technique. I'll monitor your magical fluctuations here and reinforce the bubble protection at any time."
Fa nodded, determination flashing in her eyes: "Thank you, Yuyuer. We'll give it our all."
Yuyuer sat cross-legged on the ground, inserting his scepter into the sand to form a magical charging pillar, with small water bubbles weaving an "intelligence network" around him: "Don't worry, I'll use the 'Water Flow Transmission' technique to communicate at any time. Tisk, when you all come back, remember to teach me the tricks of swinging a war hammer—it looks way more exciting than waving a scepter!"
Tisk laughed heartily: "Remember to watch our spectacular performance!"
The group waved to Yuyuer and stepped into the thick mist. Through the bubble's rear-view magical refraction, Fa saw Yuyuer sitting cross-legged with eyes closed, the crystal at the top of his scepter flashing rhythmic light spots, clearly maintaining the magical channels connecting inside and outside the island. This prince, who should be enjoying honors in the palace, chose to stay at the edge of danger, weaving a protective net with dense magical threads—this bond across races was more reassuring than any sturdy shield.
The thick mist surged and rolled outside the bubble, the altar's outline becoming clearer. Fa felt the stable magical flow inside the bubble and exchanged firm glances with her teammates. They knew that in this perilous deep-sea mist, Yuyuer's magical bubble was not just a protective shield but a beacon illuminating the path ahead—and they must not betray this warm guardianship across races.
First Trial: Water Magic and the Wisdom of the Ocean
The thick mist dispersed, and Fa and her companions stood before the altar. Suddenly, a massive magic array emerged in the center of the altar, with water currents and runes surging within, emitting a ghostly blue glow. A deep voice rang out: "Welcome to the first trial of the Shadow Island: Wisdom. You must decipher water magic and the wisdom of the ocean to find the path to the next stage."
The magic array activated, instantly teleporting everyone into a labyrinth filled with magical runes and flowing seawater. The labyrinth's walls were made of transparent crystal, with seawater flowing inside, runes flickering in the currents, emitting mysterious light. The paths of the labyrinth constantly changed with the water flows, and the air was filled with a damp magical aura.
Division of Labor and Observation
Arya narrowed her eyes, carefully observing the runes on the walls, and whispered: "These runes resemble ancient water-based magical script, recording the secrets of the ocean. We need to interpret them to find the way out." She gently stroked the Storm Bow on her back, its five-element crystal emitting a faint glow, showing her keen perception of magic.
Rex's mechanical eyes scanned the labyrinth structure, calmly analyzing: "The changes in water flow follow a pattern. According to my calculations, the paths rearrange at regular intervals; we need to grasp the timing." His nano-drones circled around him, collecting data, attempting to predict the next round of water flow changes.
Salsa's soul form floated up, her amber eyes shimmering. "I can pass through the walls and scout the situation ahead," she said, "but the magical fluctuations in the labyrinth are strong; I need to be careful." Her figure turned into a wisp of shadow, ready to delve into the labyrinth's depths.
Tisk rubbed his war hammer "Burning Vine," excitedly saying: "This labyrinth looks pretty fun! How about I just smash open a path?" The hammer flowed with ice-blue and crimson light, exuding powerful momentum.
Kayla shook her head, her thunder claws flickering with lightning and frost power, seriously saying: "No, that might destroy the labyrinth's structure and cause danger. We must follow the rules." Her beast ears trembled slightly, vigilantly sensing the surroundings.
Fa took a deep breath, gentle yet firm: "Everyone, stay calm; we need to cooperate. Arya and Rex are in charge of interpreting the runes and analyzing the water flow patterns, Salsa scouts the paths ahead, Tisk and Kayla protect our safety. I'll use my Star Eye to observe the magical flows and look for clues."
Solving the Puzzle
The group began acting according to Fa's arrangement. Arya and Rex stood before a massive rune slab, carefully studying the text and patterns on it. Arya whispered: "These runes mention the cycles of tides and the flow of water magic, seeming to hint that the paths are related to the natural laws of the ocean."
Rex nodded, adding: "Based on the data, the water flow changes every fifteen minutes, forming new passages. We need to pass quickly during the next change." His mechanical arm emitted a faint hum, and the nano-drones drew a partial structure map of the labyrinth.
Salsa returned, reporting: "There are three paths ahead; one leads to the exit but is blocked by a powerful water flow. We need to find the mechanism controlling the water flow." Her soul form trembled slightly in the air, showing the toll of the scouting process.
Fa closed her left eye, her right Star Eye blooming with silver light, piercing through the labyrinth's surface. She saw magical energy converging into several weak points in the labyrinth, controlling the strength and direction of the water flows. "I've found the control weak points," she said, "Activating them will open the path to the exit."
The team quickly moved into action. Tisk and Kayla cleared the way ahead, repelling the occasional magical water tentacles appearing in the labyrinth. Arya used wind-based magic to stabilize the airflow around the team, while Rex directed the drones to precisely locate the weak points. Fa led everyone to the first weak point, using earth-based magic to summon a stone spear and thrust it into the core. The magical fluctuation weakened instantly, and the water flow became calm.
After some effort, they successfully activated all the weak points. The powerful water flow blocking the exit disappeared, and a clear path appeared before them. The group smoothly passed through the labyrinth and arrived at a wide platform. In the center of the platform, a huge crystal orb floated in the air, emitting dazzling light.
The voice rang out again: "Congratulations on passing the wisdom test. Next is the courage test; prepare to face your inner fears."
Second Trial: Battles in the Illusion
Fa's Battle: The Dark Forest
The crystal orb suddenly burst with blinding golden light, pulling the six into different illusions amid a strong sense of spatial distortion. Fa felt her feet sink into soft mud, and looking up, she saw a forest shrouded in blood mist, the smell of rotting leaves mixed with rust assaulting her nostrils. Red gaseous ribbons floated between the tree shadows, and in the instant she sensed danger, a blood-red stream of light had already pierced the wind—Blood Elf Xister's right hand waved, condensing several blood whips in the air, their tips bearing serrated barbs, emitting shrieks like tearing flesh.
"Long time no see, Star Eye girl." Xister's lips curled into a cruel smile, and he extended his left hand, blood droplets from his fingertips condensing into diamond-shaped blood crystals in the air, "This time, your blood will become nourishment for my magic."
Fa turned to dodge the incoming blood whips, waving her short blade to summon stone walls to block the assault. However, she was shocked to find that Xister's blood magic was no longer simple energy projection; upon touching the stone walls, the blood whips began corroding the rock, emitting "sizzling" sounds. Worse still, eerie low chants surged from all directions, and the soul entity clan Cthulhu's figure manifested through the tree trunks, his ethereal body surrounded by ghostly green light spots. As he waved his hands, the ground cracked open, and countless skeletons crawled from the graves—among them, several skeletons wore gem-inlaid crowns and held rotting staves, clearly newly summoned skeleton mages by Cthulhu.
"Tremble before the undead legion, insignificant living one." Cthulhu's voice seemed to come from the abyss, accompanied by his incantations, the skeleton mages raised their staves, green poisonous mist and black shadow arrows breaking through the air.
Fa instantly dodged the attacks, while noticing the sound of giant trees snapping in the distance. Turning her head, it was the orc general Grum, who instantly beastified into a massive bear, covered in blue-black fur, his sharp claws sparking against tree trunks. The giant bear Grum roared to the sky, the sound waves scattering surrounding fallen leaves, revealing dagger-like fangs in his mouth—this was Grum's berserk form, more oppressive than before.
"Roar—!" The giant bear Grum charged on all fours, the earth trembling under his feet. Fa hurriedly summoned stone walls again, only to see the giant bear Grum easily shatter them with a swipe of his forepaw, his sharp claws grazing her cheek, leaving a blood mark.
"And don't forget me, little girl." A sinister laugh came from behind, the dwarf clan Dark Axe Rock appearing on a tree branch at some point, his dark axe emitting eerie purple light, the axe blade cleaving down and instantly cracking the ground.
Surrounded on all sides, Fa felt her magic rapidly depleting. She waved her short blade to shatter several skeleton soldiers, while using her Star Eye to scan the enemies' weak points—Xister's blood magic relied on hand seals, Cthulhu's undead legion needed the skeleton mages' staves to maintain, the giant bear Grum's abdomen had sparser fur, and Rock's dark axe left brief openings in the air with each swing.
"Take out the most dangerous one first." Fa muttered, activating time stop. In the frozen time, she circled behind Xister, her short blade condensing earth magic to stab at his back heart. However, this time Xister seemed prepared; with a wave of his right hand, a blood-red shield surged behind him to block the attack, while his left hand condensed several blood crystals shooting toward her—those blood crystals split into bee-swarm-like blood needles in the air, assaulting like a storm when time resumed.
Fa barely waved her short blade in a defensive arc, but felt several blood needles graze her arm, her skin instantly swelling and blackening—the blood was mixed with corrosive toxins. The giant bear Grum charged again, and with no time to dodge, she could only raise her short blade to protect her vitals. The intense impact felt like being hit by a boulder; she flew several meters and crashed into a tree trunk, a metallic taste surging in her throat. At that moment, Rock's dark axe swung, the blade grazing her shoulder and leaving a deep dent in her armor.
"Is that all you've got?" Xister chuckled lightly, waving both hands as blood mist condensed into a massive blood hand in his palms, five fingers spreading to grab at Fa's head. Fa had no magic left to summon defenses and could only close her eyes awaiting the impact—but the expected pain didn't come. When she opened her eyes, she found herself back on the platform, unharmed, still gripping her short blade tightly.
Arya's Battle: The Flame Battlefield
The moment Arya stepped into the burning wasteland, the Storm Bow in her hand glowed with cyan-blue light. She looked up at the surging lava lake, where the soul entity clan Cthulhu floated in the center, waving his hands to summon three layers of undead legion: the front row was skeleton soldiers wielding iron swords, the middle row skeleton knights riding bone horses, and the rear row skeleton mages holding gem staves. The three types of undead slowly advanced across the scorching magma, green flames rising under their feet.
"How many undead can your light illuminate, I wonder?" Cthulhu's low chuckle mixed with the skeleton mages' incantations, instantly filling the air with corrosive green mist. Arya held her breath and drew her bow, the bow body surging with light and wind elements, forming a small tornado at the arrow tip—this was her first successful fusion of two elements. "Roar, Gale of Light!" she whispered fiercely, the arrow turning into a cyan-blue tornado spinning toward the undead legion, scattering skeleton soldiers into bone dust where it passed, and flipping skeleton knights' bone horses into the lava.
However, with a wave of Cthulhu's hand, more skeletons surged from the lake bottom to fill the gaps. Arya gritted her teeth and turned to the aerial threat—Blood Elf Xister formed hand seals, blood surging from his palms condensing into dozens of blood whips in the low sky, each whip tip splitting into sucking mouths of flesh, emitting bone-chilling slurping sounds. "Your blood will make my magic more vibrant." Xister smirked evilly, waving his arms as the blood whip swarm slithered toward Arya like living creatures.
Arya advanced instead of retreating, continuously shooting three flame arrows from the Storm Bow. The arrows exploded in the air, forming a fan-shaped flame barrier, the scorching air waves burning the blood whips with "sizzling" sounds. Seizing the opportunity, she summoned wood-based magic, thick vines surging from rock crevices to entangle several skeleton mages' ankles. "Dark element, devour!" She drew the bow again, the arrow wrapped in dark element energy shooting toward Cthulhu—this was forbidden magic she learned from Salsa, the collision of light and dark triggering a violent explosion in the undead domain, dissipating several skeleton mages along with Cthulhu's illusory body.
"My turn, elf!" The giant bear Grum's roar came from the left. This colossal beast charged across the magma, his sharp claws bringing scorching air waves. Arya activated wind-based acceleration to dodge, simultaneously shooting a wood arrow—the arrowhead pierced Grum's shoulder, vines instantly bursting and temporarily binding him to the volcanic rock. However, Grum's strength in berserk mode was beyond imagination; he roared and broke free from the vines, the beast bone necklace on his chest bursting with red light, rapidly healing his wounds.
"Quick on your feet, little elf!" Dwarf clan general Rock's figure manifested from the volcanic ash, gripping his dark axe with both hands, the purple light on the blade reflecting the lava. He swung the dark axe in direct chops, each strike carrying powerful pressure, cleaving half-meter-deep cracks in the ground. Arya used wind-based magic to leap into the air and dodge, but felt the axe's energy graze her boot sole, nearly tripping her.
Cthulhu's undead legion reformed, this time the skeleton mages learning to spread out, preventing Arya's tornado from wiping them out in one hit. Xister's blood whips changed strategy, no longer attacking head-on but burrowing into the lava for rear assaults; several blood whips suddenly surged from under Arya's feet, entangling her legs. She struggled to shoot light arrows to sever the blood whips, only to see Xister clasp his hands, the blood whip fragments condensing into a massive blood hand in the air, five fingers spreading to grab at her head.
Arya barely summoned a wind shield to block, but the Storm Bow snapped into two under the intense impact. In the instant she lost her weapon, the giant bear Grum pounced, his sharp claws slashing her back, the severe pain bringing her to her knees by the lava. Rock's dark axe followed closely, the blade grazing her ear and embedding into the ground, splashing debris into her eyes and temporarily blinding her.
"I haven't... lost yet!" Arya groped for the broken bow, injecting all her remaining magic into her body. Her hands swept through the air, forcibly condensing wind and fire elements—this was magic beyond her limits, her body bleeding from the energy backlash. "Burn, Wind of the End!" she roared, swinging the broken bow as a tornado laced with flames swept the battlefield, obliterating Cthulhu's undead legion and burning Xister's blood hand to ash.
However, this was a desperate struggle. The giant bear Grum took advantage of her magical emptiness to pounce, his sharp claws heavily striking her chest. Arya flew backward, her back crashing into scorching volcanic rock, sliding down as she saw Rock raising his dark axe approaching, Cthulhu's ghostly green figure reforming, and Xister's blood whips recoiling in the air—the four enemies closing in, while her Storm Bow was broken in two, her hands unable to condense elements anymore.
Before the illusion dissipated, Arya gazed at the falling volcanic ash in the sky, blood seeping from her lips yet still wearing a smile. She lost the battle but won against herself—never giving up in desperation, swinging the broken bow until the last moment; this was the courage of a hunter.