They continued deeper into Illusion Valley.
With every step, the valley seemed to grow darker.
The fog became thicker, heavier, almost tangible.
It surrounded them from every direction, swallowing the light from their lanterns until even the beams seemed weak and distorted.
The strange sounds continued.
Sometimes they came from far away.
Sometimes they sounded as though they were right beside them.
Yaman kept walking.
But his condition was getting worse.
Sweat covered his forehead and ran down the side of his face.
His breathing had become noticeably heavier.
His Ethernano was still unstable.
The enormous amount of magical energy within his vessel continued circulating chaotically, constantly struggling against the strange magical properties of the mist.
Damn it...
Yaman clenched his teeth.
Every breath felt heavier than the last.
He glanced behind him.
James wasn't doing much better.
His breathing was heavier now, and the light of his magic flickered slightly whenever he raised his hand.
Even Eyal, despite his considerable magical training, had begun to show signs of exhaustion.
Yaman studied them both.
So even they're feeling it.
That made sense.
The deeper they went, the stronger the magical pressure became.
Then Yaman looked toward Sam.
His expression immediately changed.
His eyes widened slightly.
Sam was walking normally.
No sweat.
No heavy breathing.
No trembling.
Nothing.
He simply walked behind them as if they were traveling through an ordinary forest.
Yaman's eyes narrowed.
How?
His suspicion returned.
He's supposed to be an ordinary civilian merchant.
Yaman continued watching him.
If he really were an ordinary human, could he even remain conscious under this kind of magical pressure?
He glanced at James and Eyal.
Both were trained mages.
Both were struggling.
And yet Sam looked perfectly fine.
Yaman's gaze hardened.
Something doesn't add up.
He turned his head slightly toward the merchant.
"Could it be...?"
Before he could finish—
"Wait!"
Eyal's voice suddenly echoed through the fog.
"The wagon!"
Everyone stopped.
Yaman immediately turned.
Eyal pointed ahead.
"There!"
Through the mist, the silhouette of the wagon could finally be seen.
It had crashed against the side of an ancient tree.
Sam's expression changed instantly.
"My wagon!"
He rushed forward.
"Where?! Where?!"
"There!"
Eyal pointed again.
Sam ran toward it almost like a madman.
The others followed.
When they finally reached the wagon, Sam dropped to his knees beside it.
"Thank God..."
He placed both hands against the side.
"It's still here..."
He looked around frantically.
"The goods!"
He began checking the cargo.
One by one.
Nothing appeared to be seriously damaged.
Sam let out a long sigh of relief.
"Thank God..."
Eyal crouched beside him.
"See? We told you we'd get it back."
James helped inspect the wagon.
"We should probably repair whatever was damaged before moving again."
Yaman remained nearby, silently observing.
After several minutes, the wagon was secured enough to continue later.
Everyone finally relaxed.
Sam stood and stretched his back.
"Well..."
He looked around.
"What do you say we camp here tonight?"
Eyal stared at him.
"Tonight?"
He looked toward the sky.
"It's still early."
Sam blinked.
"Early?"
"Yeah."
Eyal pointed upward.
"We haven't been walking for that long."
Sam stared at him.
Then slowly pulled out his pocket watch.
He checked it.
"It's eleven."
Silence.
Eyal's smile disappeared.
"...What?"
James immediately looked at the watch.
"Eleven at night?"
Sam nodded.
"Yes."
Eyal looked around in disbelief.
"No way."
Yaman's expression darkened.
He hadn't noticed the passage of time either.
Sam looked toward the fog.
"Time moves strangely in this valley."
"The deeper you go, the less you notice it."
He put the watch away.
"You can walk for hours and feel like you've only been here for a short while."
James frowned.
"That's another effect of the valley."
Yaman said nothing.
He simply looked into the fog.
Another effect...
The thought made him even more uneasy.
They searched for a relatively quiet place to camp.
Eventually, they found a small clearing surrounded by several large trees.
The fog was still present, but it wasn't quite as thick as it had been on the main path.
Eyal and James unpacked their camping equipment.
They had brought supplies from the Magic Council specifically for missions like this.
Sam opened several bags containing food.
After setting everything up, they finally sat around a small fire.
The flames crackled softly.
For the first time since entering the valley, there was a little warmth.
They ate in silence for a few minutes.
Then Eyal began complaining.
"I hate this place."
James glanced at him.
"You've said that about ten times."
"And I'll say it ten more."
Eyal took another bite.
"I've never been trapped in a valley where fog tries to mess with your head before."
He pointed toward Yaman.
"At least I managed to get rid of mine."
James looked at him.
"You were lucky."
Eyal grinned.
"So..."
He looked at Yaman.
"What was your illusion?"
Yaman continued eating.
He didn't answer.
James looked at him.
"I think you should leave him alone."
Eyal shrugged.
"I'm just curious."
Yaman finally spoke.
"He saw his mother."
Everyone became silent for a moment.
Then—
Eyal laughed.
Sam laughed too.
James smiled.
Yaman didn't.
His eyes slowly lifted toward them.
The laughter gradually died.
Eyal cleared his throat.
"...Sorry."
Yaman continued eating.
But his eyes moved toward Sam.
He stared at him.
Sam noticed.
He lowered his food.
"Yaman?"
Yaman didn't respond.
Sam tilted his head.
"Is something wrong?"
Yaman's gaze remained fixed on him.
"Yes."
Sam smiled awkwardly.
"What is it?"
Yaman finally asked:
"Who are you?"
The others looked at him.
Sam blinked.
Then laughed.
"What do you mean?"
"I'm Sam."
"The merchant."
Yaman's eyes narrowed.
"That's not what I asked."
Sam's smile faded slightly.
Yaman leaned forward.
"Why didn't anything happen to you?"
Everyone became quiet.
Yaman continued.
"When we went deeper into the valley, the fog became stronger."
He pointed toward James.
"Even he became tired."
Then Eyal.
"And him."
Yaman looked back at Sam.
"But you?"
He shook his head.
"Nothing."
Sam stared at him.
Yaman's voice became colder.
"You haven't been affected by the illusions."
"You haven't shown any signs of exhaustion."
"You've barely even struggled to breathe."
Eyal slowly lowered his food.
"...Wait."
James looked at Sam.
Yaman continued.
"How is that possible?"
James's expression changed.
He finally realized it too.
"He's right."
Eyal looked at Sam.
"How did we not notice?"
James frowned.
"A normal civilian shouldn't be able to remain completely unaffected in this environment."
Eyal nodded.
"Especially without magical training."
Yaman stared at Sam.
"Exactly."
"If the magical pressure is already affecting trained mages..."
He paused.
"How are you still perfectly fine?"
Sam became visibly nervous.
For a brief moment, his smile disappeared.
But he quickly recovered.
He laughed.
"Ah..."
He waved his hand dismissively.
"That?"
"It's nothing."
"I'm simply good at dealing with difficult situations."
He chuckled.
"This isn't my first time here."
Yaman's eyes narrowed.
"You've been here before?"
Sam nodded.
"Several times."
James frowned.
"What were you doing here?"
Sam leaned back slightly.
"I used to travel through this route to deliver goods to the cities on the other side."
He gestured vaguely toward the valley.
"My hometown is in that direction."
"So I've traveled through Illusion Valley before."
Yaman didn't look convinced.
He slowly turned his gaze toward the wagon.
Then toward the crates of fruit.
He looked back at Sam.
"So..."
His voice was calm.
"Is this fruit really worth risking your life for?"
Sam froze for half a second.
But quickly smiled.
"Of course."
"This is my livelihood."
He placed a hand against his chest.
"When you become a merchant, you'll understand."
"A merchant has principles."
"No matter what the goods are, you have to be honest with your customers."
"And behind every shipment..."
He smiled.
"There's a fortune waiting to be made."
Yaman stared at him.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
Then he sighed.
"You're a damn bastard."
Sam's smile twitched.
Eyal nearly choked on his food.
James covered his mouth, trying not to laugh.
Yaman ignored them.
He stood.
"I'm going to sleep."
He walked toward his sleeping area.
But even after lying down—
His eyes remained open.
The question wouldn't leave his mind.
How did Sam survive the mist?
Yaman slowly turned his head toward the merchant.
Sam was sitting beside the fire.
Calm.
Relaxed.
Almost completely unaffected.
Yaman narrowed his eyes.
There's something you're not telling us.
And for the first time since entering Illusion Valley—
Yaman became more suspicious of the merchant than of the valley itself.
Morning came slowly to Illusion Valley.
There was no warm sunrise.
No golden light spilling across the mountains.
Only a faint gray glow that barely managed to penetrate the endless canopy above them.
The fog still covered the valley, drifting lazily between the trees.
Yaman opened his eyes.
For a few seconds, he simply stared upward.
Then he remembered where they were.
Illusion Valley.
He sat up.
Around him, the others were already beginning to move.
Eyal yawned loudly as he crawled out of his tent.
"I hate camping."
James looked at him while folding one of the tents.
"You said that yesterday."
"I still mean it."
Sam ignored them and began checking his wagon.
Yaman watched him for a moment.
Sam looked completely normal.
Too normal.
Yaman's suspicion from the previous night hadn't disappeared.
If anything, it had grown.
But he said nothing.
They spent the next several minutes packing their equipment.
The tents were folded.
The remaining food was packed.
The fire was extinguished.
Eyal and James stored their Magic Council equipment while Sam secured the cargo inside the wagon.
Once everything was ready, they gathered around the large map.
Sam spread it across the ground and pointed toward their current location.
"We're here."
His finger moved toward the eastern side of the valley.
"Our destination is this way."
He traced the route with his finger.
"We'll continue east until we reach the other end of the valley."
James leaned closer.
"And after that?"
Sam pointed beyond the valley.
"Illusion City."
Eyal raised an eyebrow.
"That's the name?"
Sam nodded.
"That's the city."
"We'll deliver the shipment to the merchant there."
He folded the map.
"If we keep moving, we should reach the eastern exit by tonight."
Yaman stood.
"Then let's go."
They packed the map and began moving.
The horses pulled the wagon forward while the four walked alongside it.
Soon, the campsite disappeared behind them.
They entered the eastern section of the valley.
The fog swallowed them once again.
None of them noticed the shadow standing between the trees behind them.
A tall figure emerged from the mist.
A massive sword rested against his shoulder.
It was less like a conventional sword and more like an enormous cleaver.
The man watched the group disappear into the fog.
Then—
He followed.
---
The journey continued.
Eyal walked beside James, apparently determined to make conversation.
"You know what I want to know?"
James sighed.
"What?"
"What happens if our captain finds out about this mission?"
James glanced at him.
"He'll probably be furious."
Eyal laughed.
"Exactly!"
He imitated an angry voice.
"You went into Illusion Valley with a civilian merchant without proper authorization?!"
James laughed despite himself.
"He'd probably make us write reports for a month."
Yaman overheard them.
He briefly imagined Makarov's reaction.
The old guild master would probably be furious.
Yaman shrugged.
Not my problem.
They continued.
After several minutes, Eyal looked toward Sam.
"So, Sam."
The merchant looked back.
"Yes?"
"What does Illusion City actually look like?"
Sam thought for a moment.
"It's a normal city."
Eyal frowned.
"Normal?"
"Mostly."
Sam looked ahead.
"It's just..."
He paused.
"Dark."
James raised an eyebrow.
"Dark?"
"There isn't much sunlight."
Eyal stopped walking.
"Wait."
"No sunlight?"
Sam nodded.
"Very little."
James frowned.
"How can people live like that?"
Eyal looked genuinely confused.
"How can there even be a city there?"
Sam shrugged.
"They're used to it."
"It's been that way for thousands of years."
Yaman listened silently.
Eyal scratched his head.
"So..."
He looked toward the dark canopy above them.
"If they barely get sunlight..."
He smiled.
"Then they're basically lucky."
James looked at him.
"Why?"
"They can sleep all day."
James's expression went blank.
Then he shouted:
"IS THAT ALL YOU CARE ABOUT?!"
Eyal burst out laughing.
"Of course!"
James sighed.
Yaman shook his head.
"Idiots."
They continued walking.
Then—
Yaman stopped.
His foot made a strange sound.
Splash.
He looked down.
Water.
His boot was partially submerged.
He frowned.
He took another step.
Splash.
The water reached higher.
Yaman looked around.
"Are we walking through a river?"
Sam turned.
"No."
"There isn't a river here."
Yaman looked down again.
"My feet are in water."
James approached.
"Maybe it's another illusion."
Yaman shook his head.
"No."
He crouched.
He touched the surface.
Cold.
Real.
"This isn't an illusion."
He stood.
Something was wrong.
His feet felt...
stuck.
Yaman tried to pull one foot backward.
It didn't move.
He frowned.
"Wait."
One second passed.
Then another.
The water beneath them began changing.
The blue color slowly darkened.
Eyal's smile disappeared.
"What the..."
The water turned crimson.
Like blood.
Yaman's eyes widened.
He immediately understood.
"GET DOWN!"
He turned—
A massive shadow exploded from the fog behind him.
A gigantic cleaver descended toward his neck.
The blade was covered in a violent red magical aura.
Yaman's pupils contracted.
Too close.
There was no time to dodge.
He immediately activated his magic.
The water around his legs erupted into steam.
FWOOSH!
His feet were released.
Yaman threw himself forward.
The enormous blade crashed down behind him.
BOOOOM!
The ground shook.
Yaman rolled across the wet earth and immediately looked back.
The attack had been aimed directly at his neck.
If he hadn't moved—
The consequences would have been catastrophic.
Yaman gritted his teeth.
"Scheisse..."
The attacker raised the massive cleaver again.
But before he could strike—
KRAAANG!
A sword wrapped in lightning intercepted the blade.
Electricity exploded through the fog.
Eyal stood between Yaman and the attacker.
His sword crackled violently.
"Kaminari."
He gave the stranger a crooked smile.
"Looks like we have a visitor."
The attacker pushed against the lightning blade.
Eyal gritted his teeth.
James immediately joined him.
His sword ignited.
"You're not touching him again."
James swung.
Flames erupted from the blade.
The mysterious man reacted instantly.
He spun his enormous cleaver in a powerful circular motion.
WHOOSH!
The flames were deflected.
The lightning was pushed aside.
Eyal and James were forced backward.
Yaman immediately moved.
His fist began glowing.
Magma crawled across his arm.
He launched himself forward.
"Move!"
His magma-coated fist came straight toward the attacker.
For the first time—
The man's eyes widened beneath the covering over his face.
But before Yaman could reach him—
SHNK! SHNK! SHNK!
Several thin objects shot through the fog.
Yaman sensed them too late.
His body twisted.
But the projectiles changed direction.
They weren't ordinary needles.
They were magical needles.
Several struck his body at precise points.
THUD!
Pain shot through him.
Yaman's expression changed.
He staggered.
Blood appeared where the needles had pierced him.
He immediately grabbed one and pulled it out.
His eyes burned with anger.
"What the hell...?"
He looked upward.
A figure stood on a large tree branch.
A young boy.
He looked around their age.
His face was partially obscured, but his eyes were clearly visible through the mist.
He was calm.
Far too calm.
Yaman stared at him.
The boy stared back.
Neither spoke.
Then—
The older man with the enormous cleaver stepped forward.
He swung his weapon.
Eyal's eyes widened.
"Move!"
He and James jumped in opposite directions.
WHOOSH!
The massive blade cut through the space between them.
The man clicked his tongue.
"I didn't ask for your help."
The young boy remained on the branch above them.
He looked down at the older man.
"I didn't help you because I wanted to."
The older man looked up.
The boy continued.
"I want this mission finished quickly."
He glanced toward Yaman.
"And besides..."
His eyes narrowed.
"That attack was dangerous."
Yaman wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.
The boy continued.
"It could have seriously injured him."
The older man scoffed.
"He would've survived."
"Maybe."
The boy looked at Yaman again.
"But that's not the point."
Yaman's expression hardened.
He looked between them.
The older man with the enormous cleaver stood in front of them.
The young boy remained above them.
Two enemies.
Different fighting styles.
And clearly—
They weren't working together for the same reason.
Eyal raised Kaminari again.
Lightning crackled around him.
James positioned his flaming sword defensively.
Yaman lowered his stance.
His injured body was already beginning to ache.
But he didn't care.
His eyes remained fixed on the two strangers.
Behind them—
Sam was frozen.
His face had gone pale.
His hands trembled.
He stared at the two newcomers as if he knew exactly who they were.
Yaman noticed.
His eyes narrowed.
Why is he afraid of them?
The fog thickened around the group.
The fire in Eyal's sword flickered.
Lightning danced across his blade.
Yaman's magma glowed against the darkness.
The older man slowly raised his enormous cleaver.
The boy on the branch reached for another set of magical needles.
Nobody spoke.
Nobody moved.
Then Yaman took one step forward.
His voice was cold.
"Who the hell are you?"
The young boy smiled faintly.
But he didn't answer.
The older man tightened his grip on the cleaver.
And the silence of Illusion Valley was broken once again.