Leading Pororo and the others, Rickey sprinted madly forward.
Behind them was a thick cloud of smoke that obscured the sky. Within it, a massive skull, transformed from the smoke, roared at them.
Observing the speed at which the smoke was sweeping in from behind, and even with a brief calculation of their running speed, it was easy to conclude that they would be engulfed in the smoke in no time.
There was no way to escape. Faced with the current situation, Rickey frowned. He then threw his hammer onto the water ahead.
A large amount of machinery and steel flew out from his ring, then wrapped around the hammer he had dropped onto the water and began to construct frantically.
In just a few seconds, a steel speedboat was constructed directly on the water, the hammer's head forming its stern.
"Get on board! Hurry!"
Rickey roared, leaping aboard, followed closely by the other three.
The moment the men found their footing on the boat, Rick slammed his fist into the machine in front of him.
A large amount of magic power flowed into the speedboat, converging through the magic channels above and converging at the tail of the hammer.
A vertical top formed a spout along the mechanical structure.
"Bang!"
With a sharp sound, the hammer's head unleashed a massive burst of energy, instantly propelling the speedboat across the sea.
The sharp bow sliced through the water and the plants and vines blocking its path, sending foul water mixed with debris splattering in both directions.
"Pororo! Aren't you a believer of the sea god? Help me disperse the resistance of the seawater ahead."
Although their current speed was already far greater than the swirling black smoke behind them, they still had to go even faster.
This meant their movement was extremely loud, and would undoubtedly attract enemies.
If they were stopped at this point, they'd be doomed.
They had to move faster, faster than any enemy trying to stop them.
So fast that the enemies searching for them could only see them from afar.
Pororo nodded and leaped directly to the bow, his arms stretched out before him.
The sea's resistance suddenly decreased, and even the dark water began to propel them forward.
The speed of the entire speedboat steadily increased.
But Pororo's furrowed brow suggested it wouldn't be easy.
"This water is mingled with the power of death, even the breath of life. It's too chaotic. This is the limit of my ability!"
"Enough, this is enough!" Ricky said, satisfied with the situation.
Then he looked at the other two: "You, join me in infusing mana into it. This thing consumes mana at an insane rate."
The other two nodded. Each of them channeled their magic power into the hammer below.
With three of them channeling magic power and one clearing the way, the ship reached its maximum speed, quickly shaking off the black smoke that swirled behind them.
"Don't relax, we're not safe yet."
Pororo observed the situation, his mind racing with concern for the other two groups.
The reason they were able to travel so quickly and avoid being swept away by the black fog behind them was primarily because, upon arriving at their destination, they realized their target was the only one that could be a mistake.
In other words, their chosen target was the only one with uncertainty.
Precisely because they didn't have to destroy the energy transmission device, they were able to escape quickly when they noticed the black smoke coming.
But this also meant that the other two groups would definitely have to destroy the device.
He couldn't help but turn around and ask.
"Will they be okay?"
Hearing this, Rikai understood what Pororo was worried about and sighed.
"Don't worry, we've already anticipated the possibility of this black smoke. Worst case scenario, the captain will help the team resist it." Rickey's expression was also somewhat worried.
"What's the price?" asked a member of the Holy Mother Church, who was channeling magic power.
The black smoke just now had Rickey extremely anxious. If he really tried his best to resist it, there would definitely be a price to pay.
Rickey sighed and nodded. "Of course there will be a price. Even a fifth-level being will still be attacked by death if they help to block it.
Not just the captain, but also the team members who follow him."
"A death attack?" The Holy Mother Church member who asked frowned.
"Yes. At the very least, a portion of their life essence will be devoured, requiring recovery from the effects of multiple attacks, perhaps even a month.
In severe cases, their lifespans may even be shortened. Even more worryingly, within this black fog, the undead creatures will gain increased strength.
The living will correspondingly be weakened. Surviving until the black fog dissipates is paramount."
Hearing this, Pororo grew even more worried.
This was already a heavy price to pay.
…
"Why are you the only ones back, and so quickly?" the team meeting at the border asked upon seeing Chanaris's team break through the water.
While the other two teams were still fleeing, this team had already destroyed the power supply and returned to the border.
"We broke through directly underwater without encountering any resistance, so of course it was fast," Chanaris replied.
They were essentially the fastest team to reach the target. They destroyed the target on the spot and then returned directly the way they had come.
They encountered virtually no resistance along the way.
But they were the only ones who could do this.
This was also why Chanaris was appointed as the leader of one of the teams, and the route they were responsible for was the one most likely to hold the target.
Afterward, Chanaris frowned, speaking with some concern.
"As we were leaving, I sensed the aura of death in the distance. Perhaps the Black Mist of Death is approaching."
"What?" The nearby support member was surprised.
"It's over! With their speed, they'll have trouble escaping if they encounter the Black Mist of Death."
The nearby members were already losing hope and were even ready to rush to the Life-Death Crossroads after it had passed, quickly rescuing those left behind.
"Why did it have to happen at this moment? What bad luck!" one of the nearby members exclaimed angrily.
No one could have predicted the arrival of the Black Mist of Death. It was an environmental disaster at the intersection of life and death.
It was also the fundamental reason the Living Stone Intersection could persist. It expanded from its core, where the ancient undead dragon died, and continued to expand outward.
The edge of the Life and Death Intersection was the limit of the undead's sweep.
Each time the Black Mist of Death surged, it replenished the entire Life and Death Intersection with undead energy, then intertwined with the life energies from both sides.
This was precisely the reason for its creation.
Julia stood at the edge, observing the situation inside, her brow furrowed.
She clenched her hands, deeply worried.
After an unknown amount of time, they could already see the black smoke rising from the horizon.
Although it was extremely far away, it was enough to indicate the arrival of the Black Mist of Death.
"Look! A team's coming!"
The people who had been anxiously watching from the edge instantly noticed the speedboat hurtling toward them.
The splash of water created by the speedboat was so conspicuous that they could spot Rickey and the others from afar.
Then they realized it wasn't just Rickey and his team.
They were trailing a long line of undead monsters, chasing them.
"Prepare for support!"
Julia's worry reached a peak as she watched this unfold.
Whichever team it was, they had her companions.
Clearly, one team had remained inside.
...
Time rewound slightly.
Alka and the others, teleported through the mirror, quickly arrived at the mirror Alka had abandoned on the way back as a precaution.
It was to prevent any unforeseen events.
Clearly, it had come in handy. Fortunately, they found a location not too far from the nearest mirror, otherwise they wouldn't have been able to teleport there.
A large rectangular mirror was hung atop several twisted trees.
As the waves flowed,
The mirror reflected the sky, and the scene inside changed.
As the water rippled, Alka and the others leaped out.
They landed safely in the water.
As Alka breathed a sigh of relief upon landing, he saw the Silent Saint pat them on the back and sprint forward.
Seeing this, the three dared not stop and hurriedly followed.
"Is the smoke moving very fast?" Sofia asked.
The Silent Saint nodded.
Their speed had reached its maximum. Alka and Sofia exchanged glances, each seeing the worry in the other's eyes.
At their speed, using their treasures, they could definitely escape.
Both of their treasures had an advantage in speed, and they thought they could easily outrun the black fog.
The problem lay with the other two.
Alka maintained his pace and asked, "Do you have any means of rapid movement?"
The Silent Saint shook her head.
Clearly not.
Gilliana also shook her head; she didn't possess any means of rapid movement.
This was a difficult situation.
Alka frowned. Based on what they had just seen of the black smoke.
Seeing the speed at which the black fog was sweeping over them, even if he could quickly move over ten kilometers using the mirror, he still wouldn't be able to outrun it.
Not to mention that this method wasn't quite working.
Looking slightly behind him, he could see the billowing black smoke approaching from the horizon.
"Can we teleport further?" Sofia asked Alka.
Alka shook his head. "That last teleportation was already forced. The maximum distance I can currently handle is about 20 miles.
But this is the borderland between life and death, and the aura is too chaotic. When the black smoke arrived, the surrounding undead aura became even stronger, severely limiting the teleportation range."
Otherwise, even at great expense, they would surely be able to teleport everyone out one by one.
The Silent Saint turned to look at them, then pointed at herself and gestured.
The meaning was simple.
She would definitely protect them from harm.
Alka frowned.
That wasn't the outcome he wanted. If it was just about staying safe, he and Sofia wouldn't need it at all.
"I'm trying to find a way to get us all down safely. Just to ensure my own safety, Sofia and I have incredible speed."
He frowned as he spoke, maintaining his speed.
The black smoke behind him grew closer.
At this moment, Sofia had a map in his hand, and on it, a small x was drawn.
The location marked with the red cross was none other than the location of the Life Master's treasure, which they had learned from Julia last night.
"The safe area is too far away, not close enough!" Sofia said angrily, looking at the map.
Hearing this, Alka, looking at the map, instantly had a solution.
A pattern of mirrored components appeared on his face, and a pair of crystal-clear antlers sprouted from his head.
A large amount of mist emanated from him.
He threw a mirror directly at Sofia.
"Take it, and run as fast as you can!"
Hearing this, Sofia took the mirror without hesitation. A triangular yellow crystal appeared above her head, instantly draining away a vast amount of light.
The already dim area was instantly plunged into darkness.
Then Sofia transformed into a beam of light and flew away.
In a matter of seconds, she disappeared from their sight.
"Hurry, follow Sofia's direction!"
With that, the three of them broke into a sprint.
The commotion had apparently attracted some monsters, which attacked them.
Countless chains swung wildly around them, not slowing the Silent Saint's speed in the slightest.
These chains automatically shattered any nearby skeletons into pieces.
Alka constantly sensed Sofia's position, then, while running, observed the distance of the black smoke sweeping behind him.
Faster, faster.
Then he sensed that Sofia had reached their target.
Sure enough, Sofia's speed had reached an absurdly extreme level.
In less than half a minute, he had already reached a distance of more than ten or twenty kilometers.
The moment he sensed Sofia's pause, he quickly detected the connection point not far away.
12 kilometers away.
Just a little bit off.
Gazing at the distance ahead, Alka's antlers dissipated. Then, they transformed into a meteor, streaking over the two men's heads, arcing straight into the water not far away.
The moment they landed, the star effect vanished, and Alka's antlers grew again.
The water beneath their feet became clear, reflecting like a mirror.
A large amount of pink smoke filled the air, and the effects in the mirror began to change.
Thick black smoke in the distance threatened to envelop the two.
Alka frowned, waiting in the mirror.
Only a few steps away.
Seeing this unfold,
The chain on the Silent Saint instantly twisted in two and ricocheted above the mirror. Alka quickly reached out and grabbed the end of the chain.
The Silent Saint turned and hugged Gilliana from the side, then retracted the chain. Alka stepped hard, holding the chain firmly.
Billowing black smoke followed them.
A flood of golden light suddenly erupted.
Instantly, the surrounding black smoke blew away, creating a depression in the thick black smoke.
Plop!
A sound like someone falling into water echoed.
The two followed Alka into the water.
The mirror on the water's surface shattered into tiny dots, its light vanishing.
Instantly enveloped by black fog.
The inverted mirror world's special effects vanished.
Gilliana dove headfirst into the water, quickly emerging from the surface to survey her surroundings.
Around her, this place was completely different from the boundary between life and death.
It was as if she had entered another world.
The vegetation here was lush green, the air filled with a delicate fragrance, and it was teeming with life.
You could even see flowers, birds, and butterflies.
The water covering her was so clear that you could see beautiful fish swimming gently within.
This was the boundary between life and death, a complete
A completely unrelated area.
Here, death had been banished, leaving only the purest form of life.
Turning around, I saw a single, massive tree growing in the center of the area.
The tree was about ten meters tall, shaped like a mushroom.
Except for the branches at the very top, the trunk, over ten meters long, was perfectly smooth, without a single branch protruding.
Seeing this, Gilliana finally breathed a sigh of relief and emerged from the water, breathing heavily.
Sofia stood beneath the tree, gazing at it.
Alka and the Silent Saint also observed their surroundings.
"Where is this?" Gilliana asked.
From Alka and Sofia's actions just now, it was clear they knew where this place was.
Alka looked at her and said, "This is a safe zone at the border of life and death. It was created by a former Life Master, the Seed of Life, using his own treasures."
"The Seed of Life?"
"It's the church where the merpeople live," Alka explained briefly.
After hearing this explanation, Gilliana nodded in sudden realization.
"I didn't expect to be saved by the things they left behind," she said with a slightly bitter smile.
A emerald green barrier enveloped the area.
They could see through the barrier what was happening outside; it was already at the border of life and death.
They could already see the black smoke billowing in from the distance.
"Can this place hold back the smoke?"
Gilliana asked with a hint of concern.
Without waiting for Alka or the others to respond,
The Silent Saint gazed at the large tree before her, surveying the surroundings, and nodded.
Clearly, she felt this area could withstand the attack.
After everyone rested for a moment, they saw billowing black smoke suddenly rushing towards them.
It engulfed the entire area.