From the moment I was chosen by the holy relic

Chapter 33 Arena Match

The Phantom Demon's final, piercing scream echoed through the air, causing it to tremble.

Its half-real, half-illusory body disintegrated inch by inch in a cloud of black mist, eventually turning into nothingness.

"It's over," Eric whispered.

"Look there." Leah suddenly pointed to the spot where the Phantom Demon had disappeared, her tone hesitant.

Eileen crouched down, her fingertips gently brushing through the ashes until she touched a warm piece of metal.

"It's an amulet." She picked up the amulet, which was covered in gray marks. The silver chain links swayed gently, emitting a faint spatial fluctuation.

"There's more than one." Eric walked closer and saw several teleportation amulets of different styles scattered on the ground.

Some are inlaid with rubies, a testament to dwarf craftsmanship; others are engraved with vine patterns, exuding an elven aura.

"It has eliminated quite a few teams," Leah said in a deep voice. "These should all be left behind by people who were trapped in its illusion."

Eileen stood up, dusted off the hem of her skirt, and remained calm.

"The Phantom Demon is adept at manipulating people's minds, trapping them in illusions and fear. It doesn't eliminate people by brute force, but by despair."

She gave the amulet to the two of them.

"These teleportation charms will allow us to reunite quickly within the illusion. The upcoming levels will only get harder, and with these, we can avoid a lot of unexpected situations."

The subsequent layers of illusion became increasingly bizarre and unpredictable.

Sometimes it is a floating realm where gravity is out of control, with boulders suspended in mid-air and lightning streaking across the sky.

Sometimes it is a dark forest filled with poisonous fog, where shadowy figures always lurk in the shadows;

Even more extreme, the illusion is like the inside of a giant beast, with the surrounding walls slowly writhing as if they were alive.

But thanks to the amulet, the three of them were always able to reunite in times of crisis.

Their teamwork became increasingly seamless, allowing them to carve out a path to survival amidst the chaos time and time again.

They were like walking on a trial ground left by ancient gods, each step supported by faith and tacit understanding.

Finally, after breaking through the seventh illusion and slaying the mud monster "Roaring Giant Leech" that could devour memories, a blinding white light suddenly shone from Eric's chest.

It was as if light was being re-infused into his soul.

"It's done," he said softly, standing in a pale mist. "I think we've passed the final hurdle."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a burst of white light erupted.

A powerful spatial pulling force instantly dragged the three of them away from their original spot, as if they had been directly pulled out of the illusion.

The next moment, they were standing on a huge floating platform.

The platform resembled a battle arena before a throne, surrounded by towering stone pillars, with runic draperies flowing between them.

The sky above seemed illusory, the stars slowly rotating, and in the very center hung a blue-gold magical eye, silently watching them.

"They're back!"

A tsunami of cheers erupted from the audience, the sound almost lifting the entire sky.

"I knew they could beat the game!" an elf girl shouted excitedly.

"You even bet they'd be eliminated on the second floor!" The dwarf next to him laughed, beer foam dripping down his beard.

Eric squinted slightly, somewhat unaccustomed to the sudden bright light and noise.

At that moment, a loudspeaker spell resounded throughout the entire venue.

A middle-aged monk dressed in formal attire stood by the platform, holding a staff with a crystal tip that emitted a blue light.

The sound stones he wore around his neck carried sound to every corner.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" His voice was loud and powerful, "The last team has successfully passed the final trial of the Thousand-Faced Illusion!"

"The gate to the illusion is now closed!"

The crowd erupted in cheers once again, with thunderous applause.

"Brave ones! They're the most reliable team!"

"That female mage is amazing! Her ice barrier is as beautiful as a poem!"

"That swordsman, he's practically dancing on the battlefield, it's amazing!"

Amid cheers, the host raised his staff once more.

Four phantoms appeared behind him, each leaving a golden mark on one of the four teams that successfully completed the challenge.

"According to the Kingdom's rules, four teams have emerged victorious in this year's Thousand Faces Illusion."

But ultimately, there can only be one champion!

The entire venue fell silent for a moment, then erupted into even more frenzied shouts.

"Next, the winner will be decided by attacking and defending the title!"

Each team can only send one player per round to either challenge or defend their title!

The team is eliminated when all members of one team are eliminated!

Eric gripped the hilt of his sword, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit.

Eileen stood beside him and asked softly, "Do you want to go first?"

"I can," Eric said with a smile, turning back, "but I want to see who they send first."

But as soon as he finished speaking, the once noisy floating arena suddenly fell into a deathly silence.

The next moment, four huge light screens rose up simultaneously, spreading out in the air like ripples of water, and were translucent silver-white.

The light curtain, like an inverted giant bowl, completely separated the four teams.

"It's a spirit-sealing, vision-blocking barrier." Eileen narrowed her eyes, staring intently at the patterns on the light screen. "High-level magic."

"We can't even see who our opponent is," Eric said slowly, a hint of unease flashing in his eyes.

He walked to the edge of the barrier and gently touched it.

The icy magic rebounded instantly, and a rune lit up.

His hand was gently pushed away, without violence, yet without any flaws.

The host's voice descended from above once again.

"Fifteen-minute break! After fifteen minutes, the first round of the attack and defense tournament will officially begin! The four teams will be divided into two groups of two, with each group playing the first round of elimination matches! The winners will advance to the semifinals!"

As soon as he finished speaking, four enormous hourglasses rose up in the center of the arena.

The golden sand grains flowed slowly.

The three retreated to the rest area that had been prepared beforehand.

It was a circular platform made of pure white magic crystals, with stone chairs and a magic replenishment array.

Eric sat down to stretch his limbs, but his gaze never left the light screen.

"There are only three of us," he suddenly said, his voice low. "Most of the other teams have a full complement of five, which is a big disadvantage for us."

Eileen nodded gently.

"Judging from the battle traces in the previous layers of the illusion, some of the trials were not something the three of them could easily handle."

"In other words," Leah said gravely, "each of our opponents could be a five-man team."

"And we only have two truly capable fighters."

Eric looked at her, his gaze gentle yet firm.

"Lia, you are a healing mage. You don't need to take risks in this arena."

Leah opened her mouth, but in the end, she nodded gently.

Although there was resentment in his eyes, he was also aware of reality.

"I'll go first." Eric stood up, his gaze clear and calm. "I don't expect to win everything by myself."

But I'll test the waters first, at least that way I can find out what the other party is like for you.

Eileen was silent for a moment, then nodded gently.

"careful."