"So, what do we do after we enter the secret realm? Move together or explore separately?"
Leilin leaned against a tree, took a bite of roasted meat, and asked at a leisurely pace.
Kasha was watching
"Of course, we each follow our own inclinations!" Robin answered without a moment's hesitation.
"I have a rough terrain map here — full of gaps, but take a look!"
Robin, well-prepared, produced two maps from inside his coat and handed one each to Kasha and Leilin.
"Of course, once we've obtained what we're after, I hope we can share information with one another, or trade. And should any party wish to sell the rare materials they've obtained, the other two parties will have the right of first refusal!"
Robin had thought things through in fine detail. Neither Kasha nor Leilin had any objections, so they both nodded.
……
A winding river flowed underground, its churning waters sending echoes reverberating through the hollow cavern until everything sounded deeper and more muffled.
At a particular location, not only had a powerful defense magical array been erected — with all manner of runes flickering with brilliance — but numerous alien races and wizards were also patrolling on guard.
Although these people looked quite ragged — some even had clothes full of wrinkles and patches — the aura emanating from them was incredibly powerful and manic.
Leilin's group had all entered a state of shadow concealment, sneaking their way in.
Not far ahead, several upright black bear-people stood at attention, each wearing half a beast hide or similar covering around their waists.
"Bear Barbarians!" This was Leilin's first time seeing this type of creature in person.
Unlike the half-beasts that had escaped from laboratories, Bear Barbarians were genuine extraterrestrial beings — highly intelligent, and possessed of incredibly powerful physical strength.
An adult Bear Barbarian could each match a first-level Imprint Swordsman, Enhanced Warrior, or similar ancient wizard lineage in combat. And after awakening their Totem power, Bear Barbarian elders and shamans could wield the forces of witchcraft, becoming terrifying spellcasters.
This single Bear Barbarian tribe alone would be a dominant force capable of ruling the entire Forgotten Land!
And standing before Leilin were at least a hundred elite Bear Barbarian warriors, with an unknown number of elders and shamans among them as well.
Moreover, the forces they would have to contend with were not limited to the Bear Barbarians alone.
Next to the Bear Barbarian patrol, several short green creatures walked past, each carrying a staff inlaid with various minerals and gems. Faint detection pulses radiated from the staffs, forcing Leilin and the others to take a few steps back.
These green creatures resembled gnomes, but their heads were far larger — round and bulbous like watermelons, with sickly green skin.
These were Green-skin Wise Ones — the spellcasting units of the Green-skin barbarians. Having forsaken their advantages in raw physical strength, their spiritual power and magical energy were all the more terrifying. Each one was equivalent to a second-level human wizard, and occasionally even third-level fluctuations could be detected among them.
"What do we do?" Kasha's voice reached Leilin's ears.
"Don't act rashly — look there!" Leilin pointed toward another direction.
By the riverbank, a brownish rock was completely covered with a type of vine. It looked perfectly ordinary at first glance, but it immediately drew Robin and Kasha's full attention.
"It's a warning formula — specifically designed to detect void-concealment fluctuations! What excellent concealment. If you hadn't spotted it, Leilin, we would have walked right into it!"
Robin gritted his teeth. "Let's pull back first!"
The group exchanged glances and withdrew from the underground, while the other Horalar Black Snake warlocks followed closely behind.
"Boom!"
Once they had reached a safe location some distance away, Robin's face immediately darkened. Cracks appeared in the ground where he stamped his feet.
"Those damned human traitors! The warning formula must have been set up by them. Otherwise, those Bear Barbarians and Green-skin barbarians couldn't have developed this kind of technology even in ten thousand years!"
Robin kept pacing in circles, his agitation clearly reaching a fever pitch.
In the Forgotten Land, besides the Bear Barbarians and the Green-skin barbarians, there was also a faction composed entirely of human fugitive wizards. The three forces had always maintained a delicate balance — a three-way standoff.
And now, to protect the secret realm as their shared asset, they had evidently joined forces.
"Haven't we already discussed this possibility? It may be the worst-case scenario, but we've already prepared contingency plans for it! Calm down — your mental state doesn't look right at all!"
Noticing that Robin's eyes were turning faintly red, Kasha quickly warned him. "Damn it, Leilin — Robin is having an episode!"
"Huh?" Leilin was startled, and then he saw that Robin's eerily handsome face had become twisted, with killing intent visibly coalescing around him.
This was clearly the effect of bloodline emotional instability, causing Robin to lose his rationality.
"Wake up! Robin — you might need this!" Leilin kept his gaze locked on Robin and produced a vial of Advanced Tranquility Potion.
Aside from Roya and Kasha, the other Horalar Black Snake warlocks had already moved some distance away.
This was not only to avoid accidentally being caught in the crossfire — due to the nature of the bloodline influence, if Robin's emotional instability fully erupted, it could trigger their own bloodlines as well, plunging them all into a berserk, chaotic state.
"No! I've had enough of that potion!" Robin's eyes were faintly reddening, and dense spiritual power particles had nearly solidified in the air before him.
"Has your uncle been in his episode phase recently?"
Leilin kept his eyes on Robin's movements while addressing Roya.
"No! It hasn't been long since his last bloodline eruption, and with the suppression from the potions and magical arrays, it shouldn't flare up this quickly..." Roya looked helpless and panicked.
"What do we do? If he goes berserk, he'll definitely get us killed!" Kasha moved to stand beside Leilin. At this moment, the two of them were clearly on the same side.
"What else can we do? Suppress him! Force him to calm down!"
Leilin's eyes turned amber, and from his pair of vertical pupils emanated a terrifying chill.
Having advanced several times, the bloodline within Leilin had grown even more potent, and along with it, the aura of the Komoin Giant Serpent had intensified considerably.
Robin felt this most acutely. He stumbled backward, his face alternating between madness and lucidity.
"Robin! We're trying to help you!" Kasha also stepped forward, releasing a vast wave of pressure from her body.
The combined force from the two of them bore down on Robin with overwhelming intensity.
At this point, although he was still gasping for breath, the rationality on his face finally held for longer stretches.
"You're right!" Robin's voice had become very rough and hoarse — entirely different from his previously gentle tone.
He retrieved an Advanced Tranquility Potion from his spatial equipment and downed it in one gulp.
At the same time, a bracelet strung from white crystals flickered with faint white light, subtly radiating a chill that spread outward into the surroundings.
"Phew..." Robin exhaled a long breath, and the tension on his face eased.
He looked around the group, his gaze clear and perceptive once more. "Thank you, everyone. I'm fine now!"
"Thank goodness!" Roya cheered, while Kasha and Leilin both showed expressions of profound relief.
If Robin had truly had a full episode right then, no matter how reluctant they were, they would have had no choice but to abandon this plan.
"Robin, what happened? Why did it flare up now?" Kasha voiced her displeasure directly to Robin.
"I'm sorry! The onset of emotional instability is too sudden — I simply can't control it..." Robin said with a bitter smile.
Bloodline emotional instability had always been a curse afflicting warlocks. Even with all manner of suppressive potions and magical arrays, they could only alleviate it, never eradicate it.
That was precisely why Leilin's Advanced Tranquility Potion was so widely sought after.
"With Robin's strength and composure, he shouldn't be so easily triggered. It seems there must be something critically important to him inside the secret realm, keeping him emotionally unsettled and vulnerable..."
Leilin's mind, still firmly rational, continued its calm analysis.
Unlike other high-ranking warlocks, he had treated his own bloodline with the Ice Jade Scorpion Emperor's breath while in the Dark Poles Region, and to this day had never experienced a single episode of bloodline emotional instability.
According to the Chip's projections and Leilin's own estimates, he would not need to worry about this problem until he reached the Morning Star realm. Other warlocks were not so fortunate.
Even a third-level liquefied warlock like Robin was regularly troubled by emotional instability.
As for Kasha? With just a glance, Leilin could detect at least three types of warning and suppressive formulae woven around her body.
"All right, what we need to focus on now is how to proceed with the plan!"
Leilin spoke up, drawing Robin and Kasha's attention.
"Although we're some distance from the secret realm now, and we set up concealment arrays earlier, the aura fluctuations from just now could still potentially have been detected by them."
"We need to decide on a course of action — immediately!"
Hearing this, Robin's face flushed with embarrassment.
This entire situation had been entirely his fault.
The clash of three high-ranking warlocks' auras alone could produce enormous fluctuations. Whether their previous concealment arrangements could fully mask it was truly questionable.
"There's no other choice! We infiltrate directly — and if that doesn't work, we force our way in!"
Robin gritted his teeth and made his decision.
"While they might still be preoccupied with the fluctuations here, we charge straight for the secret realm entrance! And since this delay and loss is entirely my fault, I'll take the rearguard position — I'll be the last to enter, after all of you have gone in!"
Robin bowed slightly.
Taking up the rearguard not only required immense strength but also meant facing the furious counterattack of other forces. Even for Robin, it would be no easy task. His sincerity was plain for all to see.
Leilin and Kasha immediately agreed to Robin's proposal.