Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix
Chapter 1202 - 1202: Trapped

However, much to everyone's surprise, the atmosphere shifted abruptly. The creature suddenly exploded in a burst of dark energy. The room was instantly engulfed in darkness as thick smoke spread rapidly around the group, obscuring their vision and plunging them into a disorienting void.

The unexpected turn of events left the team on edge, their senses heightened as they grappled with the uncertainty of the situation. The swirling darkness added a layer of tension to the already intense atmosphere, leaving the group bracing themselves for whatever challenges lay concealed within the enigmatic prison.

"Dude, this is the oldest trick in the book…" Rain said as the dark smoke tried to cross his domain and reach them. "At least try to make it less obvious that you want us touching the smoke and falling for some sort of illusion."

"... That seems like the most obvious choice, but the smoke also completely blinded us from the surroundings," Seadrei said. "We can't see the enemy either."

"He will have plenty of time to plan whatever he wants since there is no wind here," Danny added.

Danny had a point… the dark smoke could be used as a disguise, too, and it wasn't dissipating thanks to its corrupting nature… it was also hard to think of a way to get rid of it.

Rain couldn't expand his domain all that much because it might give the king in the shadows the chance to study it either… Although he was an asshole with anger issues, he had fought long enough to think of that kind of strategy.

"Can't let him control the flow of the battle much more than this," Rain thought.

As Rain thought over the problem presented by the enveloping darkness, he strained his brain to find a solution to it as fast as possible. His mind raced through various strategies, but nothing surfaced that could provide a clear advantage in this situation.

The urgency to devise a plan intensified, knowing that as a leader, he needed to set an example for the others, especially as they prepared to lead additional groups in the future.

Team battles held a distinct importance in the prison. Not only did they demand coordination and synergy, but the consequences of defeat were amplified, with the enemy potentially gaining access to the weapons of multiple individuals simultaneously. The gravity of the situation urged Rain to think fast and act decisively.

Ultimately, Rain made a suspicious decision. He chose to undo his domain, opting for a different approach. With a swift motion, he conjured an icy wind barrier, surprising everyone with this unexpected maneuver. The dark smoke, once an impenetrable shroud, succumbed to the frigid winds, freezing into ice shards that fell gracefully to the ground.

The icy wind began to expand, and the area got clearer, as well as the wind also pushed away the dark ice shards… Eventually, they finally were able to see what the enemy had been planning… the fourth challenge had already been summoned.

It was a single person, a single cloaked mage that, while the group was busy, summoned several dark crystals around the pillars in the room… his job hadn't been completed, but he still turned to face Rain and the others with seven of those crystals.

"Keep your guard up… this is something that he didn't do before," Rain said.

The king in the shadows was already standing, so he was already ready to face them when he had the chance… Rain quickly realized that those crystals would benefit him as well… it wasn't insane to think that he would use two of the five challenges to increase his chances of winning.

Asche and Sealyn immediately began to charge another arrow with their combined power while the others waited for it. Rain didn't know why the king in the shadows only summoned a single mage like that, but he should have a good reason. He always had one…

Nothing happened for a while, and then eventually, Asche fired her ice-enhanced arrow… as soon as the projectile crossed the domain, the dark crystals fired dark energy toward it, making it lose speed and power… when it was five meters away from the mage, it fell on the ground making the area tremble… it was probably weighing over one thousand tons…

"Gravity magic?" Rain furrowed his eyebrows. "How can this be..."

"He sure has a lot of cards," Elisabetha said.

As Rain looked at the ice arrow fired by Asche, a disconcerting possibility dawned upon him. The ice, which should have been pristine and translucent, was now entirely dark, bearing the unmistakable mark of corruption from the shadow magic. The revelation altered Rain's understanding of the situation, and he now questioned the nature of the threat before them.

Contrary to his initial assumptions, it wasn't gravity magic at play. Instead, a more dangerous possibility emerged. The king in the shadows might have manipulated the appearance of the falling arrow, creating an illusion to deceive them. The tremors felt when the arrow hit the ground were not a result of increased weight but likely a ruse designed to divert their attention.

Rain's suspicions heightened. The dark crystals fired their energy toward the arrow, disrupting its trajectory and diminishing its power. It became evident that the king in the shadows aimed not to crush them with a colossal arrow but rather to use the distraction to unleash dark bolts and potentially corrupt and control them.

"Whatever you do, don't get hit by those dark blasts of energy," Rain used Telepathy to talk with everyone. "They won't hurt you, but they might give the enemy the chance to control you."

When they heard that… everyone flinched… that would be a problem. Until now, they hadn't heard anything about losing and being forced to join the enemy side, so perhaps that wasn't permanent, but they didn't want to wait and confirm that… Moreover, attacking and wounding their friends and causing their deaths would be more than a little problem…