Zakoff’s heart gave an unbidden thump, but he still managed a nod! “Then keep your eyes wide open!” Zhong Shenxiu said.

Zakoff hadn't expected Zhong Shenxiu to answer him that way and froze, unsure of what to say. At that moment, the lightning in the sky grew more frequent, and the deafening thunder sounded as if the heavens themselves were about to collapse.

Everyone began craning their necks forward, mimicking the 'Ethereal Mercenary Group,' and a moment of silence fell as no one spoke. This quiet, however, didn't last long. Suddenly, the ground shuddered violently, throwing the crowd into immediate chaos. “Ah, what’s happening? Is it an earthquake?” “The earth is shaking so hard!” “Everyone, watch your horses and keep them from spooking!”

A cacophony of noise erupted, and panic set in; the oppressive feeling sent a chill deep into their bones.

None of the members of the 'Ethereal Mercenary Group' seemed affected by the clamor, still staring intently at the mountain. Finally, Charlotte couldn't hold back and asked, “Young Master, why would the 'Access Point' suddenly appear there?” “I suspect it’s due to the weather!” Zhong Shenxiu replied without turning around. From their vantage point, lightning was striking the mountain incessantly, making the scene appear deeply unsettling.

Charlotte asked no further questions. Having followed Zhong Shenxiu for so long, she had grasped some understanding of formations. Certain arrays were constrained by terrain, season, and celestial phenomena. This 'Access Point' could indeed be seen as an array connecting to an alternate dimension, finally manifesting under the stimulation of lightning, precise orientation, and opportune timing.

Zakoff only understood parts of the explanation, making him even more curious about what was truly happening on that mountain. If it were merely an earthquake, they wouldn't have been gathered here, nor would a magic array have been established. So, what was the real cause? Driven by the need to know, Zakoff focused his gaze on the scene ahead with even greater intensity! Yet, in the very next second, something happened that left him utterly dumbfounded. It wasn't just him; everyone watching was shocked into slack-jawed silence!

With a colossal boom that somehow drowned out the thunder, the sound originated directly ahead. In the next second, the mountain they had intended to traverse collapsed! In mere seconds, the peak vanished entirely from their sight—terrifying, utterly terrifying!

A cold sweat broke out across everyone's brow. If the 'Ethereal Mercenary Group' hadn't told them to stop, they might now be buried under rubble!

Zakoff stared at the silhouettes of the 'Ethereal Mercenary Group' with horror; the shock he felt defied description. Had they known the mountain was going to collapse all along? Did they possess the power of foresight? In that moment, the mysterious aura surrounding the 'Ethereal Mercenary Group' grew many times greater! “They’re coming!” Just as everyone began to breathe sighs of relief for escaping disaster, Charlotte’s voice cut through the air.

Surprise flashed across everyone’s faces, and they looked at Charlotte, wondering what on earth was coming.

Instantly, all breath was held, eyes wide, straining forward. Yet, they stared for a long time and saw nothing approaching! What in the world was going on? Were they joking?

But just then, every member of the 'Ethereal Mercenary Group' stepped out of the magic array.

Heavens, what were they doing?

Some assumed the 'Ethereal Mercenary Group' was abandoning them and tried to follow, but the moment they reached the array’s edge, they were instantly thrown back.

That realization struck greater fear into these people; some even wondered if the 'Ethereal Mercenary Group' intended to trap them all inside for an ambush!

Some stubbornly flung themselves against the edge, but no matter how hard they tried, they could not pass the invisible barrier!

Among them were several who had studied magic arrays, but upon close inspection of the one before them, they immediately froze! This array was impossibly bizarre; there wasn't a single element they could decipher! (My God, is this even a magic array?)

Humans possess a contrarian nature; the more they are told to go east, the more they head west. Some mercenaries, unwilling to be trapped, drew their weapons and channeled all their battle aura into slashing attacks against the invisible barrier. “Everyone, do not act rashly!” Zakoff ordered out of goodwill, but in the maddening atmosphere, everyone was losing their reason and wasn't listening to him.

Some even retorted, “Captain, we can’t be stuck here! We have to find a way out. Nobody can guarantee what the 'Ethereal Mercenary Group' is planning. We cannot hand our lives over to others!” With that, they resumed hacking furiously at the barrier!

Zakoff didn't want internal conflict at this juncture, so he ceased his attempts to stop their frantic actions. Fortunately, the barrier was obscenely solid; no matter how they struggled, not a ripple appeared. He conceded the point, but then Zhong Shenxiu’s voice drifted over: “Since you wish so much to leave, then go ahead and leave!” As Zhong Shenxiu spoke, those mercenaries frantically swinging their swords suddenly felt their bodies lighten and lose balance, pitching forward. By the time they realized what had happened, they were standing outside the array’s perimeter. Huh? What happened? How did I get out? Not only they felt confused; Zakoff himself looked utterly perplexed. Had the magic array vanished?

But when he saw the raindrops still being deflected by an invisible dome, he immediately dismissed that notion! Could a magic array be manipulated at will once it was activated? Recalling Zhong Shenxiu’s voice just now, Zakoff entertained this outlandish idea!

But that was scandalous—no one had ever heard of a magic array being controlled mid-operation, and he hadn't seen any member of the 'Ethereal Mercenary Group' make any unusual movements. So how had his comrades gotten out?

While he was still pondering this, Zhong Shenxiu’s voice sounded again: “Anyone else wish to leave?”

There was a hint of coldness in his tone! (It’s no wonder; he was clearly trying to protect these people out of kindness, yet they perceived him as having ulterior motives!)

After Zhong Shenxiu posed the question, no one answered. The mercenaries who had been considering leaving hesitated after seeing their brothers standing outside soaked to the bone by the rain!

Simultaneously, they noticed something incredibly strange: the members of the 'Ethereal Mercenary Group' were clearly outside the magic array, so why weren't they getting wet? (Due to the dim light and their limited eyesight, they couldn't see that the raindrops were being repelled by an invisible force the instant they touched the 'Ethereal Mercenary Group' members!)

As for those mercenaries who had exited the array, a washing of rain had slightly cooled their tempers. If the 'Ethereal Mercenary Group' truly intended them harm, they wouldn’t have needed such elaborate measures; with the strength to instantly dispatch Demon Bugs with a single sword strike, killing them would have been effortless. Realizing this, those mercenaries began to regret their actions and attempted to step back into the array.

But exiting was easy; re-entering was hard. An invisible barrier still blocked them, and no matter how they strained, they couldn't get back in!

Seeing their plight, Zakoff sighed internally. If only they had listened to my warning earlier, why did it come to this? Now, not only were they drenched, but they would also have to apologize profusely to the others!

At this point, he didn't want to dwell on blaming them; he would just settle that score later, after the mission was complete, to consider their punishment. With that thought, he turned to apologize to Zhong Shenxiu and the others, inviting them back in.

But when he turned around, he was startled to find that the members of the 'Ethereal Mercenary Group' were no longer near the formation; they were already heading toward the collapsed mountain, having walked over a hundred meters away! Huh? What were they going to do? Surely they weren't planning to leave them here? While he was momentarily distracted, a panicked voice suddenly called out from outside the array. “Th-that… what is that thing, it looks like it’s coming this way!” A mercenary pointed to a spot about a hundred meters to their left.

Everyone’s attention was instantly drawn to his words, and they all looked in that direction. Illuminated by the lightning, they could see a giant mound of earth rapidly approaching them! Everyone’s heart jumped into their throats—it was the first time they had ever seen an earth mound in motion! “It looks so strange. Is there something inside it?” one of them muttered, completely oblivious to the imminent danger.

His words snapped Zakoff out of his daze. Connecting that remark with the previous conversation and actions of the 'Ethereal Mercenary Group,' his heart began to pound erratically. He shouted fiercely, “Not good! Quickly, get out of the way!” The crowd was startled by his voice but finally registered the danger, descending into chaos! “Run! That thing is going to charge through!” “Oh god, are we going to be crushed?”

The mercenaries outside the array were slightly better off, as they had freedom of movement. But those inside the array darted everywhere like startled birds, only to be thrown back every time they hit the barrier! “What do we do? What do we do? We can’t get out, we’re going to die here!” “God, I wish I had gone outside just now!” “Help us!”

Watching the chaos erupt inside the array, the mercenaries outside felt a surge of smugness, inwardly congratulating themselves on their foresight; otherwise, they would be trapped inside waiting for death just like them!

As the saying goes, every man for himself when disaster strikes. Seeing the giant earth mound drawing nearer, these mercenaries hurriedly fled in all directions, completely disregarding the fate of their comrades!

However, what they never imagined was that the true nightmare was about to befall them! (To be continued. For subsequent events, please visit... Chapters and support the author by reading the legitimate version!)