Marvel: The other side of the double-passing door is Devouring the Stars

Chapter 414 A Frenzied Battle!
“It seems we need to choose a direction,” Silvermoon analyzed, “but how do we know which path is the right one?”

“Perhaps there is no single right path,” Rowan mused. “Each path may lead to a different trial or treasure. The Storm King may have designed this place so that the explorers could make their own choices.”

Just as the two were discussing, the teleportation point behind them suddenly lit up again. More people had been teleported there.

“Be careful,” Rowan immediately became alert, “they might be from another team.”

Soon, three figures emerged from the light. Surprisingly, all three were familiar faces—Amy, Thomas, and Martin, another member of the Wings of Liberty exploration team.

“Ron?” Amy was very surprised to see Rowan. “What are you doing here?”

“I don’t know either,” Rowan feigned confusion. “The teleportation process was too chaotic; I don’t remember anything.”

“And who is this?” Thomas noticed Silvermoon. “I’ve seen her before in the Treasure Hunters’ Alliance.”

"My name is Silver Moon," Silver Moon introduced herself. "We happened to be teleported to the same place during the teleportation process."

Amy scrutinized Silvermoon. "I remember you. You're a reconnaissance specialist from the Treasure Hunters' Alliance. But I'm curious, how did you two end up together during such a chaotic teleportation process?"

This question made Rowan and Silvermoon feel a little nervous. They had to come up with a reasonable explanation, otherwise their identities might be exposed.

“It’s strange,” Rowan fabricated a story, “when the teleportation started, I felt someone pulling me. When I opened my eyes, it was this Lady Silvermoon. Perhaps we accidentally grabbed each other in the chaos.”

“Yes,” Silver Moon replied, “the situation was too chaotic at the time, I don’t know how I managed to grab him. It was probably a survival instinct.”

Although Amy still had some doubts, the current situation didn't allow her to delve into the matter. More importantly, they needed to figure out where they were and how to rejoin the other team members.

“Now we have five people,” Thomas said, “which should be safer than going it alone.”

“I agree,” Martin said in support. “In this unknown environment, it is definitely safer to have more people.”

But Silvermoon hesitated. She worried that traveling with the Wings of Freedom expedition would affect her and Rowan's freedom of movement. After all, their real mission was to mediate the conflict between the two empires, not simply to hunt for treasure.

“Ms. Silvermoon, if you don’t mind, we can work together,” Amy offered. “In a place like this, it’s always good to have another companion.”

“Of course, I’d love to,” Silvermoon reluctantly agreed. She knew that refusing the invitation would seem suspicious.

So, this hastily assembled five-person team began exploring the underground labyrinth. They chose the passage marked with a storm symbol, hoping it would guide them to an important area related to the Storm King.

The passageway was longer than they had expected, taking almost half an hour to reach the next room. It was a relatively small space, but more exquisitely decorated. In the center of the room stood a huge crystal ball, and something seemed to be flowing inside it.

"What is this?" Martin asked curiously as he approached the crystal ball.

“Be careful,” Rowan warned immediately, “Don’t touch anything you don’t know.”

But just as Martin approached the crystal ball, an alarm suddenly went off throughout the room. The runes on the walls began to flash red, and the ground began to tremble slightly.

“Oh no, we’ve triggered some kind of mechanism,” Amy said nervously.

Soon, the four walls of the room began to slowly move, and the space was gradually shrinking. If a solution wasn't found in time, they would likely be crushed into mincemeat.

“This is a compression trap,” Thomas analyzed. “We must find a way to shut it down.”

The five immediately began searching for possible solutions. Rowan used his mental power to carefully scan every corner of the room, looking for hidden mechanisms. Silver Moon focused on studying the runes on the walls, hoping to find a way to shut it down.

“Wait a minute,” Silvermoon suddenly noticed something, “these runes seem to be some kind of code; their arrangement is regular.”

"What pattern?" Amy asked eagerly.

“If I’m not mistaken, this should be the basic rune arrangement of the Storm Laws,” Silvermoon explained. “We need to activate them in the correct order.”

“Are you sure?” Thomas questioned. “If we’re wrong, we might die even faster.”

The wall continued to close in; time was running out. Silvermoon took a deep breath and began activating the runes according to her understanding. The first, the second, the third.
When she activated the fifth rune, the shaking in the room suddenly stopped. The walls also stopped moving, and the entire trap was successfully disarmed.

“That’s great,” Martin breathed a sigh of relief, “you saved us all.”

“Lady Silvermoon’s knowledge is truly vast,” Amy said admiringly, “such a deep understanding of ancient runes.”

Yin Yue smiled modestly, but inwardly she was a little nervous. The level of knowledge she had just displayed might have exceeded the expectations of an ordinary detective. She hoped it wouldn't arouse too much suspicion.

After successfully disarming the trap, the crystal ball in the center of the room began to change. The fluid within the ball gradually became clearer, eventually forming the shape of a map.

"What kind of map is this?" Thomas asked, leaning closer to examine it.

"It looks like a layout map of this underground area," Rowan analyzed. "It might be guidance left by the Storm King for those who come after him."

Indeed, the map displayed inside the crystal ball clearly marked the locations of all the passages and rooms, and even indicated the functions of some special areas. The most eye-catching of these was a huge room marked in the center of the map, with the words "Chamber of Heritage" written on it.

"The Chamber of Legacy?" Amy exclaimed excitedly. "This must be where the Storm King left his legacy."

“If this is true, then we’ve really hit the jackpot,” Martin said excitedly.

But Rowan noticed that the map also marked many dangerous areas, including the "Trial Chamber" and the "Guardian's Hall." Clearly, the path to the Chamber of Inheritance was not smooth.

“We need to be careful,” Rowan cautioned. “According to the map, getting to the Chamber of Inheritance involves navigating many dangerous areas.”

“Risk and reward are always proportional,” Thomas said. “Now that we’re here, we can’t miss this opportunity.” The five-person team followed the map and chose the route to the Chamber of Inheritance.

Guided by the map provided by the crystal ball, the five-person team continued deeper into the underground labyrinth along the marked route. The passages widened, and the runes on the walls became more complex and intricate. A faint energy fluctuation permeated the air, causing everyone to feel a strange pressure.

“The energy concentration here is much higher than before,” Silvermoon said, observing her surroundings as she walked. “It feels like we’re approaching some important energy source.”

“It’s probably because we’re approaching the Chamber of Inheritance,” Amy analyzed. “Inheritances from powerful individuals usually emit strong energy fluctuations.”

Thomas nodded in agreement, "Moreover, this energy gives off a very special feeling, both majestic and mysterious, truly like the trace left by a powerful being at the King-level Immortal realm."

Although Rowan maintained a calm demeanor on the surface, he felt uneasy inside. With his strength and perception, he could sense that there was some kind of danger hidden within these energy fluctuations. This feeling was hard to describe; it was like a wild beast smelling blood, instinctively sensing a threat.

“Everyone be careful,” Rowan warned. “I have a feeling something’s not right here.”

"What's wrong?" Martin asked curiously. "I feel perfectly normal."

“I can’t quite put my finger on it, it’s just an intuition,” Rowan couldn’t explain his feelings specifically, “but it’s always good to stay alert.”

After walking for about ten more minutes, the passageway ahead suddenly opened up, and they arrived at a huge circular hall. This hall was larger than any space they had seen before, with a diameter of at least two hundred meters and a height of an astonishing eighty meters.

But what shocked everyone was not the size of the hall, but the fierce battle taking place in the center of it.

The two teams were locked in a frenzied battle, each with a mad red light flashing in their eyes. Their attacks were completely chaotic, unlike those of experienced martial artists; they resembled mad beasts. Law-based attacks flew erratically through the air, blood splattered, and the scene was utterly gruesome.

"Those are... the Blazing Flame Legion and the Tide Exploration Team?" Amy recognized the identities of those warriors in shock.

Indeed, the two teams locked in combat were the Flame Legion and the Tide Exploration Team, who had previously clashed within the alliance over the distribution of spoils. However, their current state was clearly abnormal; each of them wore an extremely ferocious expression, and their attacks were relentless, as if the other were an irreconcilable enemy.

“Captain Brad, Captain Maurice,” Thomas shouted, trying to get their attention, “what are you doing?”

But the warriors who were fighting did not respond at all; they seemed to be completely oblivious to the sounds from the outside world, utterly absorbed in the frenzied battle.

“Their condition is very abnormal,” Silver Moon observed the warriors in battle carefully. “Their eyes, movements, and attack methods don’t resemble those of rational humans.”

"Could it be that their previous argument led them to decide to duel?" Martin guessed.

"Impossible," Rowan shook his head in denial. "Even a duel wouldn't be this kind of chaotic fighting. Besides, look at their eyes; they're completely devoid of reason."

Indeed, those martial artists' eyes were filled only with a frenzied killing intent, devoid of any rational thought. Their attacks were completely reckless, with many fighting to the death, unlike any normal combat.

“We have to stop them,” Amy decided. “We can’t let them keep killing each other like this.”

“Wait,” Rowan tried to stop him, “the situation is still unclear, and it could be dangerous to intervene rashly.”

But Amy had already rushed out; her sense of justice wouldn't allow her to stand by and watch her companions kill each other. Thomas and Martin followed closely behind, trying to stop the frenzied battle.

"Stop! Everyone stop!" Amy shouted, rushing to the edge of the battlefield. "Are you all crazy? Why are you attacking each other?"

Upon hearing Amy's voice, several warriors who were engaged in battle turned around, but their eyes remained filled with madness. One of the members of the Flame Legion suddenly attacked Amy, completely disregarding the fact that she had come to dissuade them.

"Watch out!" Thomas immediately rushed forward and used his weapon to block the attack.

But something terrifying happened. The moment Thomas made contact with the crazed warrior, his eyes began to change. His once clear eyes gradually became cloudy, and the same crazed red light began to flicker within them.

"Thomas?" Amy sensed something was wrong. "What's wrong?"

Thomas didn't answer. He suddenly turned and swung his sword at Amy. The killing intent in that strike was extremely strong; it didn't seem like a joke or a test at all, but rather a genuine attempt to kill Amy.

"Thomas, are you crazy?" Amy hurriedly dodged, but her eyes were full of confusion and fear.

Not only Thomas, but Martin also began to show the same symptoms. His eyes gradually became crazed, and he began to show hostility towards everyone around him.

Upon witnessing this, Rowan immediately realized the gravity of the situation. This was definitely not an ordinary fight or a loss of control; something far more dangerous was at work.

"Silver Moon, retreat immediately," Rowan made a decisive decision, grabbing Silver Moon's hand and starting to retreat towards the edge of the hall.

"What's wrong?" Although Silver Moon was puzzled, she immediately cooperated with Rowan's actions.

“There’s a problem here, a huge problem,” Rowan explained as they retreated. “Have you noticed? Anyone who comes into contact with those crazed warriors gets infected with the same condition.”

Silvermoon glanced back and, sure enough, noticed that Amy was also beginning to exhibit unusual symptoms. Her eyes became unfocused, and the weapon in her hand began to tremble, as if she were struggling against some kind of influence.

"What's the principle behind this?" Silvermoon asked. "Illusion? Poison? Or some kind of curse?"

“I’m not sure either,” Rowan answered honestly, “but whatever it is, we can’t let it affect us.”

As the two retreated, Amy finally lost all her senses. She let out a frenzied scream and began attacking everyone around her, including her former teammates Thomas and Martin.

What began as a battle between two sides has now devolved into a chaotic free-for-all. Everyone is attacking everyone else, with no strategy or reason whatsoever. The stench of blood grows stronger in the air, and screams and the clash of weapons echo throughout the hall.

“We have to get out of here,” Rowan said, pulling Silvermoon back. “There’s definitely some kind of mechanism in this hall influencing everyone.”

“But our teammates…” Silvermoon looked at Amy and the others who were fighting fiercely, her eyes filled with worry.

(End of this chapter)