"Damn it! I can’t hold on any longer!"
"Captain, think of sothing, quickly! Otherwise, we’re all going to die here!"
"Arlem has already been parasitized. Soon, we’ll follow in his footsteps, our bodies controlled by these disgusting worms!"
"No, I don’t want this!"
Based on their frantic dialogue, Caelan could easily deduce the situation. These awakeners must be the teammates of that burly man from earlier.
Compared to them, the burly man, who belonged to the guardian class, ironically turned out to be the weakest among his group.
anwhile, the [Plague Wall] seed to sense the presence of outsiders.
Countless fleshworms imdiately turned their attention toward Caelan. Their wriggling bodies trembled as if anticipating the attack.
"Watch out!" Audrey shouted, but it was already too late.
A massive wave of fleshworms surged forward, resembling the overwhelming swarm that had engulfed the burly man’s teammates.
The sheer density of the worms was terrifying, falling like rain, a living torrent rushing directly at Caelan and Audrey.
Audrey’s eyes filled with deep despair, the hopelessness of the mont weighing down her heart.
At that precise instant, a thick energy shield enveloped both her and Caelan.
The fleshworms collided with the barrier and could not advance even a single step further.
As Audrey prepared to exhale in relief, her gaze fell upon the worms before her. They were writhing in an unnaturally twisted manner, moving as though they had a will of their own.
Confusion spread across her face. The sight before her shifted dramatically.
It was as if Audrey had been transported back to the night she most dreaded facing.
On the other side, Caelan felt the influence of the worms as well.
A luminous tunnel appeared before his eyes, flickering and vibrating.
When the light dissipated, the surroundings had vanished entirely.
In their place stood a modern cityscape that Caelan knew all too well.
Skyscrapers towered above, subway trains coursed beneath the streets, and countless cars crawled along the roads like slow-moving beetles.
He even caught sight of his own school, seated in the back row of the classroom, where the most thrilling part of the day had been dragging his academically brilliant deskmate into gas like King’s Valley or Battlefield Royale.
It was a period of ti that brought a nostalgic warmth to his heart.
Caelan could not help but let out a quiet sigh. The mory was bittersweet yet comforting.
After about ten seconds, his eyes suddenly sharpened with a piercing clarity.
"The days of nostalgia are over. Now it’s ti to awaken."
In the next mont, a bright light flickered in his gaze.
The illusion before him shattered like a mirror smashed to the ground, fragnts scattering in all directions.
In that instant, Caelan felt like a tyrant capable of destroying worlds, tearing the familiar scene into countless pieces with his own hands.
Monts later, his consciousness returned fully to the reality of the [Dark Maze].
With his return, the awakeners who had been trapped in the hallucination regained their senses as well.
Even Audrey blinked and ca back to reality.
However, upon seeing the mass of wriggling fleshworms before her, terror replaced relief.
"Ahhh! So many worms!" she scread, panic lacing her voice.
"Caelan, help! Please save !"
Under the imnse influence of Caelan’s mind power, the fleshworms seed to lose all vitality.
One by one, they collapsed onto the ground with soft "plop" sounds, lifeless and powerless.
The burly man’s teammates seized this opportunity, escaping the densely packed swarm of worms that had surrounded them.
The survivors experienced a mixture of shock and relief. Their faces reflected pure, unguarded smiles, grateful for their narrow escape.
"Unbelievable... these fleshworms are terrifying!" one of the awakeners muttered.
"We were this close to being completely devoured."
"The [Dark Maze] is far more horrifying than what it seems on the surface," another added grimly.
"Damn these worms! From now on, I swear, I will annihilate every worm I see. Starting today, worms are officially the creatures I hate most!"
The awakeners were still catching their breath, overwheld by their brush with death.
Yet in the next mont, an endless wave of sword light enveloped the entire [Plague Wall] and countless fleshworms.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
The sharp glint of the blades cut through the swarm, instantly killing large numbers of the creatures.
"Who is it?"
Only then did the awakeners realize soone else was present in the area.
Quickly, they understood that their escape from the hallucination had been entirely due to the intervention of this mysterious figure.
Caelan casually swung his longsword with one hand.
Faced with such weak enemies, he didn’t even bother activating any special skills.
"Wow... this master’s strength is simply beyond comprehension!" one awestruck awakener exclaid.
"This is a true powerhouse. Soone we could never hope to match in our lifetis!"
anwhile, the [Plague Wall] suffered from the sword strikes as well.
Although Caelan did not target it deliberately, the sharp edges of his blade inflicted significant damage.
The following scene stunned everyone present.
The massive [Plague Wall] began to move, relying on the wriggling of the fleshworms at its base, attempting to escape in the direction opposite Caelan.
Wait... what?
It had beco a wall, and yet it was trying to flee?
In truth, this was not entirely the fault of the [Plague Wall]. Survival instincts compelled every living thing to seek benefit and avoid harm.
The fleshworms had never expected to encounter soone as ruthless as Caelan.
Yet, as the creature attempted to flee, it inadvertently caught Caelan’s attention.
He slowly turned, directing his gaze at the [Plague Wall], raising his longsword once again.
Elsewhere, the awakeners gathered around Audrey.
They did so not for any other reason, but because only the area around her had not been affected by the sword light.
All other regions had been enveloped by Caelan’s lethal strikes.
At that mont, one awakener looked toward Audrey and asked,
"Friend, who exactly is your companion? His strength... it’s unbelievable!"
Audrey paused for a mont, then a faint blush appeared on her cheeks, an expression of pride mingled with charm.
She cleared her throat lightly and began to explain,
"Listen carefully. My companion is the youngest vice commander of the Ironclad Legion."
"Ironclad Legion, you’ve heard of them, right?"
The awakeners were initially stunned, then their expressions shifted to shock.
The Ironclad Legion was one of the human race’s top-tier combat units. Of course, they had heard of it.
Yet they could not have imagined that such a young vice commander existed within such a prestigious legion.
The strength he displayed was simply overwhelming.
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