The sand around them rapidly condensed into featureless sand men, each wielding a sand sword.
‘My goodness, sand men! Wait, is their boss that “Sandman” from some movie or something…’ Elia continued to mentally complain.
Kiz swung her scythe, cleaving three sand men standing side by side in half.
But physical attacks couldn’t destroy them at all.
“Little Princess, you’re so adorably naive. How could physical attacks possibly damage something made of condensed sand?”
Elia shook her head helplessly.
Then Lisa released a large patch of Black Mist that enveloped several sand men. They struggled under the mist’s assault, but it still couldn’t destroy them.
However, while Elia was still figuring out how to eliminate these guys, Kiz suddenly said, “Look closely—every time we destroy them, they reform, but during the reformation, a point always glows. That point is their core! So we need to destroy them first, then strike the core when they reform. That should finish them off!”
Hearing this, everyone observed the sand men closely and indeed saw a faint light on their chests. So that was the core?
“Alright, alright, I’m impressed! Seems you can be smart sometimes~” Elia smiled and gave Kiz a thumbs-up.
“What are you joking about? This princess has always been smart! So hurry up and kill these monsters so we can move on! I can’t stand this damn desert anymore!” After saying that, Kiz charged forward with her scythe raised, instantly obliterating the seven sand men closest to her.
As they began to reform, Kiz’s eyes turned cold. She spun her scythe in her hand and slashed again, this time targeting the core on their chests.
Lisa and Vian used the same method to eliminate a large number of sand men.
As for Elia, the walking cheat code of stats and abilities, she simply used a single Holy Light to blast dozens of sand men apart, then pierced their cores in less than two seconds as they started reforming.
With the method found, these four abnormal beings entered god-mode mowing. In just one minute, they annihilated hundreds of sand men.
Afterward, the four passed through the ruins and arrived before the pyramid. This door, like the many before it, was carved with complex runes.
“Hmm… I’m guessing we need to solve this puzzle to get in.” Elia carefully examined the door and the four rune patterns carved on it: the sun, moon, star, and hourglass.
“Solve what puzzle? Watch me!” Vian took a deep breath, then closed her eyes and placed her hand on the door. Her small hand slowly released a blood-colored glow.
What happened next shocked Elia. The sturdy-looking door slowly melted into… sand?
What? What just happened? What is this? Did she skip the level?
“The thing I hate the most is being forced to solve puzzles!” Vian said loudly, hands on her hips. “So I used magic to revert this door to its original form!”
Before Elia could吐槽, Lisa spoke up first: “Vian, I recall that this spell of yours can only be used once every seven days. It’s a top-tier magic that can rewind anything to its initial state… and you used it to skip a level? We came here to get stronger, and mental effort counts too…”
“Oh, whatever! As long as we got through! Let’s go, let’s go!”
“I really can’t do anything with this girl…” Kiz smiled helplessly.
‘Forget it, I’m out of energy to吐槽.’
Elia took up the rear as they entered.
After entering, the group made their way to the central Yellow Crystal Pillar. But to their surprise, no guardians blocked their path.
“Why aren’t there any guards this time? Are there traps nearby?”
No sooner had Elia spoken than the ground suddenly collapsed, and all four fell into a deep pit.
“Elia, you really have a bit of a crow’s mouth…” Kiz covered her face.
“Hmm… There are also enchants prohibiting flight and Teleportation Magic nearby. Looks like we’re trapped indeed~” Lisa spread her hands.
As she said, the surrounding walls were covered in runes.
Elia stepped forward to study the runes. They were indeed complex, but not unsolvable.
They formed a large Magic Circle… and the core of the Magic Circle…
Hmm… was right on the stone platform at the center of the pit. But what’s this? A yellow gem was placed on it, identical to the one inside the Crystal Pillar above.
“Huh? What’s going on?” Vian was confused.
“Maybe… the one above is fake, and the one below is real. Or of course, this could be a double trap.”
As she spoke, Elia walked to the stone platform and picked up the gem.
The moment the gem left the platform, the surrounding runes suddenly emitted a blinding light, and countless beams shot at them from the walls.
“Careful!” Kiz quickly spun her scythe to block in front of everyone, while her free right hand released a Blood Shield for double protection.
But Elia was still staring intently at the gem in her hand.
‘Ah! I get it!’
After thinking for a moment, she had a sudden epiphany. She placed the gem back on the stone platform, and the beams stopped instantly. The surroundings returned to calm.
“Indeed. Picking up the gem triggers an attack, but putting it down does nothing… And the real way to clear this isn’t to pick up the gem.”
Elia reached out and pressed on the stone platform.
The platform began to glow and slowly sink downward, revealing a descending staircase in its place.
Elia smiled. “This is the real path~”
“Uh… So how did you figure that out?” Kiz asked.
But Elia playfully stuck out her tongue. “Guess~”
“Elia!”
For the next while, the four descended the stairs and arrived at the chamber at the end.
There stood a genuine Yellow Crystal Pillar, with a Yellow Gem inside it. No traps this time.
Elia quickly removed the gem, and a white light flashed. They heard an ethereal voice: “Congratulations, challengers, on passing the Trial of Earth. The next trial is the Trial of Wind. Please prepare yourselves.”
Vian let out a long breath. “Finally passed! This trial was so vicious—more vicious than that Wolf and that cult!”
Lisa was about to speak, but Vian continued, “No, no, the Wolf and the cult are still more vicious! Yes, that’s right!”
Seeing Vian like this, Lisa couldn’t hold it in anymore.
“Let’s go, stop talking.” Lisa patted Vian on the head.
When they opened the door, an extremely strong gale hit them, making it hard to stand, let alone move forward.
In the end, Kiz used magic to forcefully nullify that ridiculous effect.
But the sky remained dark with clouds, thunder, and lightning.
“I remember the wind here turns into wind blades… Here they come!” Lisa quickly dodged a wind blade that struck from the side.
The wind blade cut a deep gash into the rock.
The four moved forward slowly, with wind blades constantly flying through the gale. Sometimes just one, sometimes dozens.
They had to stay alert and dodge those invisible attacks.
After walking for an unknown distance, Kiz suddenly stopped. “Wait! Look north! What is that?”
Everyone followed her gaze and saw a massive tornado that had appeared there, slowly moving toward them.
And inside the eye of the tornado, a huge silhouette could be faintly seen.
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