Death Wizard Diary.

Chapter 361 Not an Illusion

Without saying a word, Mark pushed Saul away, warning him that he could stop if he didn't want to live.

Thor didn't stubbornly refuse to leave. Before he knew the strength of the enemy and his own forces, he wasn't going to end up like cannon fodder in a horror movie, left to neither run nor stay.

Of course, Mark in front of him wasn't quite normal either, but the energy emanating from him was that of a genuine Level 3 Apprentice.

Thor believed that beating up a level three apprentice would be a piece of cake for him now.

Moreover, there are four other consciousness entities around him.

So, although Thor was running in a sorry state—because his flying technique could only get him three to five meters off the ground, while the towering ancient trees around him were dozens or even hundreds of meters tall, with jagged branches and tangled vines, so he could fly faster than he could run—he remained calm.

The several consciousness containers, which could store even less magic, all followed Thor frantically, their faces expressionless.

Moreover, while running, Mark specifically instructed Thor not to use his mental energy lightly here.

Saul understood what Mark meant.

He had only briefly probed the energy fluctuations on Mark's body when he discovered that his mental body was beginning to vibrate.

This slight oscillation did not subside over time, but instead maintained its original frequency.

While it doesn't currently prevent Thor from casting spells, if the tremors intensify and fail to heal, Thor will eventually lose his greatest reliance—soul fishing and the consciousness platform.

The group ran for a long time, almost an hour, before finally stopping to rest in an empty meadow.

Even with their modified bodies, the two level-three wizard apprentices were still panting heavily from exhaustion.

The containers, on the other hand, remained calm; they ran using energy, not lungs.

Running around too much will also consume magic crystals.

"When did you advance to level three, Senior Mark? I haven't congratulated you yet." Thor paused for a few seconds, then straightened up and asked.

Mark looked over, his expression still vivid. "There's nothing to congratulate you on. If you stay in Elf Valley for ten days or half a month, you'll also see a significant improvement."

Thor admitted that after experiencing weightlessness, he discovered that the concentration of elemental particles in the new world was terrifyingly high and incredibly active.

Even when he wasn't meditating, the elemental particles that suited him were jumping into his body one after another.

After running for just a short while, he felt his magic power increase slightly.

But Saul believes that every gift comes with a hidden price. Such an easy way to upgrade must harbor enormous hidden dangers.

When Mark stopped in a clearing in the grass where the sun shone directly, he asked, somewhat puzzled, "Have we shaken off the enemy? Isn't this place too conspicuous?"

Mark shook his head and smiled. "This is our safe zone. Only in such an open space will you not suddenly get tapped on the shoulder by someone."

Saul began to look around at the small clearing, which was less than 5 meters in diameter.

Mark reminded him, "Don't think about cutting down trees. If you're creating open space, what you're cutting down might not be trees at all."

Thor turned around in surprise; he had indeed had that thought just now.

"You mean what I saw in the Elf Valley might have been an illusion?"

"No, it's not an illusion. Those plants, even the grass you're stepping on, could be sleeping spirits."

"Huh?" Thor looked down in surprise, lifted his foot and saw a broken tree branch under his foot.

Are elves so worthless?

"Minor disruptions are fine; the plants here follow the laws of nature, constantly growing, aging, and decaying. But too much movement will wake them up. You see, when I was clearing the path, I never used a knife to cut down the trees and vines blocking the way, did I?"

"Is that so?" Thor crouched down and gently picked up the branch he had broken off.

The broken ends of the branches are the same as normal ones. The color in the middle of the broken end is the freshest, and it gradually darkens and ages towards the outside, turning into bark.

Thor squinted cautiously, but saw nothing unusual on the branches.

He slowly stood up, walked to the edge of the open space, and reached out his hand to a towering tree that was as thick as a person's embrace.

"Be careful!" Mark warned him from behind.

But Saul couldn't just listen to everything Mark said; he had to use his own eyes and senses to observe this new world.

Otherwise, you'll be led by the nose by others.

Mark seemed to understand Saul's concerns, so he simply reminded Saul without stopping him.

Thor placed his hand on the trunk, examining the tree's texture and branches once more.

Still nothing was discovered.

But Mark couldn't possibly use such a lame excuse to tease him.

This is the Elf Valley, a place rumored to be a place from which there is no return.

"Senior Mark," Thor said, his hand still pressed against the tree trunk, turning to Mark, "now that we're safe for the time being, could you tell me about...?"

Thor's voice suddenly stopped halfway through his sentence, because he suddenly felt the rough bark under his palm turn into soft and delicate skin in an instant.

The change in texture lasted too short a time, and it had already turned back into a hard tree trunk before Thor could even turn around in astonishment.

Thor jerked his hand back, his fingers still remembering the warmth and softness of that skin.

His heart pounded wildly, and he took two steps back.

"You felt it, didn't you?" Mark didn't mean to mock him; when he first came in, he wasn't much better than Thor.

"Sometimes I wonder if I'm hallucinating. Are these trees, flowers, and vines in front of me actually spirits standing there in different poses? Maybe they've just closed their eyes, and when they open them, they'll see us who have entered the valley."

Mark's voice betrayed a hint of fear.

Clearly, spending so much time in this place had put him under considerable stress.

Agu walked over and carefully examined the tree trunk, but he didn't find anything.

"Master?" Agu asked, his voice filled with doubt despite his expressionless face.

Saul calmed down.

Here, you need to learn to relax, accept everything unusual you see, and treat them as ordinary everyday things.

This will prevent excessive mental fluctuations and avoid causing mental-body tremors.

In the Elf Valley, tremors are irreversible.

After calming down, Saul suddenly realized that Penny was gone.

He had no way of asking anyone else if they had seen Penny.

Because the four consciousnesses are in a semi-independent state after leaving the consciousness platform, they are unable to see the Nightmare Butterfly that only exists in Thor's field of vision.

"Little Algae?" Thor called out to Little Algae, but Little Algae looked around but found nothing.

Thor opened the diary in his mind's body again.

The silver bookmark was gone, but he felt that he could force it back by calling Penny's name. However, Thor blinked and did not do so.

Penny probably knew that it hadn't escaped the diary's control, so its absence now must mean something had happened.

This might not be a bad thing for Saul.

Saul decided to wait quietly; if Penny cried out for help through her diary, it wouldn't be too late to bring Butterfly back.

He let out a long sigh, making himself look as if he had just recovered from the shock.

"Senior Mark, let's continue our previous topic."

Mark understood what Saul meant. He nodded, sat cross-legged, and tried to relax his limbs as much as possible.

Thor followed suit and sat down. The four consciousnesses remained standing around him, as if on guard.

Mark looked up and glanced at the four of them, then exclaimed, "No wonder he's the Tower Master's personal apprentice; he can even bring bodyguards when he goes out."

Saul offered no explanation, and Mark simply sighed.

"I've been through so much these past few months, where do I even begin?"

Saul stared at Mark.

"Let's start with your strange state outside Elf Valley and the reason why you returned to normal after entering the valley."

(End of this chapter)