<h4>Chapter 36: Paradise</h4>


    As they neared the end of the treacherous maze, a faint clicking noise caught Raven''s attention, sparking a sense of unease as if they were being pursued. He nced over his shoulder but found no one there, yet the subtle sound persisted.


    In a sudden motion, a shadow darted across Raven''s peripheral vision, prompting Elia to unsheathe her dagger, ready to defend him.


    "Wait, hold your attack!" Julian called out.


    The shadow stopped just short of Elia, finally revealing its true form. Neither human nor monster, it manifested as a peculiar entity devoid of a physical body.


    The frightening creature stood before Elia, emitting an eerie screech, yet refrained fromunching an actual assault.


    Regrettably, Elia functioned solely as a Puppet, obedient only to Raven''smands. She acted independently only when her Puppet Master''s life was at stake.


    Disregarding Julian''s instructions, sheunched an assault on the strange Illusory Creature. Her dagger passed through its chest. Unfortunately, it proved useless as the creaturecked a physical form, impervious to her physical attacks.


    Despite being unharmed, the creature screeched even louder, betraying signs of distress. Its visage featured nothing but pitch-ck eyes, which transformed into a blood-red hue upon being struck. Recoiling, it soared backward, its screeches growing more pronounced.


    The terrifying screams didn''te from the singr creature in the front. The chilling shrieks reverberated from all directions within thebyrinthine maze.


    "This is not good," Julianmented, his hand idly scratching the back of his head.


    "What is happening?" Raven inquired, his gaze fixed on the passageway slowly filling with these ghastly entities, as though they were converging upon their location.


    "As I said, this ce is an old Dungeon. The reason we live here is because it isn''t harmful, once you know its secrets. One such secret is about the creatures that live here..." Julian briefly elucidated, his head shaking slightly.


    "These entities are known as Nightmares, low-level beings that wander the maze and enjoy scaring people," Yui added while brandishing her twin knives, preparing for the imminent battle. "Nevertheless, they rarely cause harm unless attacked first."


    "Nightmares are the most bothersome creatures within this Dungeon. Despite their low level, they cannot be killed through ordinary means due to theirck of a physical form," Julian dered, unsheathing his sword. "This will get messy. Stay behind me. When they grow agitated, they be truly dangerous."


    The Nightmares surged forward, baring their dark fangs, while their bloodthirsty eyes could unsettle even the most resolute souls.


    "How can you kill creatures thatck a physical form?" Raven inquired, his voice betraying a hint of curiosity. Since Julien wasn''t scared, it made him feel that he had a way.


    Julian raised his sword, wreathed in a mystical me.


    "Skills that harness Mana..." he exined.


    With a decisive swing, his zing sword cleaved through one of the Spectres, evoking an ear-piercing shriek before the creature dissipated into nothingness.


    "That is the only method to kill them," Julian asserted confidently. "Unfortunately, given their numbers, we might deplete our Mana reserves before we can eliminate even half of them. We must keep moving!"


    Yui and Julien valiantly fought off the approaching Nightmares as they pressed forward toward the maze''s exit, albeit at a painstaking pace.


    Their task was made increasingly difficult due to their limited numbers. While they could have easily protected themselves and advanced if it were only the two of them, their attention was now divided, focusing on safeguarding Raven and Elia, who were still considered newbies ording to them.


    They didn''t expect Raven to have a good rank in the Bloodline Trials. At best, they assumed he possessed a Mid or Low Tier Bloodline, which typically conferred only ordinary skillscking the ability to harness magic power.


    In this regard, their assumptions were not entirely off base. Raven''s current avatarcked anybat skills that utilized Mana. Most of his abilities centered around the creation and control of Puppets, limited because of his status as a Level 1 yer in this particr avatar.


    Undeniably, he was the weakest member among them, not just within the maze but across the entire ind. However, there was one person who was capable of wielding Mana in an offensive manner... Elia.


    By using his [Puppet Control], Raven established a connection with Elia who could use his Mana and possessed a skill that could harness its power.


    After establishing a connection, Raven was able to see everything that Elia saw. Not only could he see everything, but he could also control her like he was controlling his own body.


    Elia kept back her dagger and raised her right hand, conjuring a small me above her palm.


    Condensing the flickering me into a small sphere, she hurled it toward the nearest specter.


    "You can use Mana already?" Julian eximed, surprised as he witnessed the me scorch the Nightmarish Creature.


    He had always regarded Elia as Raven''s silentpanion, assuming a subservient role. However, her newfound ability proved invaluable, as fire was highly effective against the Specters.


    Rather than reveling in the praise, Raven''s focus shifted elsewhere. A message appeared before him.


    [Congrattions: You have killed a Level One Nightmare Beast]


    [+Experience]


    He was taken aback by the revtion that he received Experience Points, despite Elia being the one to deliver the killing blow.


    His perception shifted. Instead of regarding these Nightmare Beasts as mere nuisances, he now saw them as opportunities, akin to Experience Potions tailored to aid a yer''s level.


    He controlled Elia to fight together with Julien and Yui. While the other two fought the higher-level Nightmare Beasts, he concentrated on killing the lower-level creatures.


    Their defeat gave him meager experience points. Yet, for a Level 1 yer like him, even modest gains proved significant.


    After eliminating a few more Nightmares, Raven noticed that he had already leveled up multiple times. However, his sess was apanied by dwindling Mana reserves.


    Elia possessed no personal Mana reserves and relied solely on Raven''s supply. Moreover, the Mana in this avatar was already really low.


    Fortunately, he had already bought quite a few items before leaving the Bloodline Trial. When no one was looking, he brought a small blue vial from his storage and gulped down, restoring his mana to the fullest.


    This experience was insignificant for his main Avatar, or for Julien and Yui. However, for his current Avatar, this ce was an unexpected gain! This treacherous terrain had transformed into an ideal hunting ground, a paradise for a low-level yer like him.