Resolve

The sheer force of the creature's screech came as a shockwave, almost knocking them out cold.

Zeris could sense a trickle of blood from his ears flowing down from his ears. However, he steeled himself, biting his lip to suppress any noises.

'The Fool's Paradise,' he thought, carefully crafting the image in his mind of their surroundings and the four of them as a mere rock before activating his uniqueness.

Contradictory as it seemed, given his earlier reluctance, Zeris knew the situation had changed.

The system had revealed the beast's name earlier – the 'Three-Headed Nightmare Bat.'

If he understood its behavior correctly, this bat had undoubtedly sensed them but was now confused that they were now just a rock.

Zeris could do nothing more than cling to a fervent prayer that his safeguard would hold strong.

After enduring an agonizing span that felt akin to an eternity, he finally saw the ethereal notification surface.

[You have fooled the Three-Headed Nightmare Bat!]

With that, the hulking monster flexed its colossal wings and took flight, searching for alternative prey.

Zeris lifted the illusions and directed his gaze toward Rey and Laia.

They were both unconscious from the earlier shriek from the Bat.

A weary smile crossed Zeris's face, and soon he too surrendered to his exhaustion.

The mental fatigue from having his illusions broken earlier, coupled with holding up another one while the beast scanned them, was too much for his mind.

The strain from sustaining his illusions earlier, along with the pressure of maintaining a new one while under the beast's scrutiny, had pushed his mental stamina to its limits.

And so, the four of them, encrusted with mud and leaning against each other, fell into a deep sleep.

Throughout their slumber, several creatures came and went. Most merely sniffed their muddy disguises a few times before resuming their hunt.

Luckily, no other creatures with extraordinary detection abilities, like the Bat, crossed their path during this time.

So, even in the absence of the illusion, the camouflage of mud proved sufficient to mask their scent from the curious noses of the wilderness.

…

A beam of sunlight warmed Zeris's sleep-laden face.

When his eyes blinked open, Laia was standing before him, her face crystal clean, devoid of any trace of mud.

From a waterskin now filled to its capacity, she poured a generous splash across his face.

Zeris bolted upright, greeted by Laia's playfully smug expression.

"Enjoy your beauty sleep?"

Before she could continue her playful taunting, Rey interjected and swiftly explained the situation to Zeris.

As it turned out, he'd been unconscious for a full day, and they'd been obliged to transport him during their journey. Thankfully, they'd encountered no further hostile creatures.

Nodding, Zeris reclined against the cool cave wall.

They were now nestled within a cave measuring six feet across and nine feet in height, with a cozy campfire flickering at its heart.

As he pondered the events of the previous night, he couldn't decipher whether his plan had succeeded. The Bat's behavior had struck him as peculiar.

One moment, it had been brashly stirring up a ruckus, and the next, it hadn't even bothered to test the integrity of the rock—his illusion.

'Were there something I overlooked?'

He sighed and shifted his thoughts to Rey and Laia.

'They're adapting more swiftly than I anticipated–Ah, of course, their training has prepared them for circumstances like these.'

Zeris heaved a sigh and rose to his feet, his gaze skimming over their surroundings before he realized Tricus was absent.

"Has Tricus woken up?"

"Oh, Tricus?" Rey replied, "He's out gathering more firewood, and Laia has gone to replenish our water supply."

Stretching, Zeris turned back to him, "What about our food supplies, how much do we have left?"

Rey hesitated.

He averted his eyes, murmuring almost inaudibly, "None…"

"Come again?" Zeris asked, incredulous.

"Our food supplies were lost during our confrontation with the centipede," Rey admitted, guilt etched on his face.

Zeris regarded Rey with a dangerously warm smile, "Rey, how about you join me for a hunting trip–"

Without a moment's hesitation, Rey tossed the last twig into the fire and sprang to his feet, "Actually, I just recalled spotting a patch of berries nearby!"

Soon, Zeris was left alone.

He turned around and face the darkness in the cave.

A chilly gust whistled through tousling his dark hair to reveal a pair of watchful brown eyes.

Navigating through the dark, Zeris soon arrived at what appeared to be a dead end.

He picked up a stone from the floor and hurled it at the solid-seeming wall, where it rebounded as expected.

However, when he extended a hand to touch the wall, it passed through effortlessly.

He squinted, slightly taken aback.

His suspicion was only based on a hunch, but it appeared he had stumbled upon an advanced form of illusion magic.

'Even the system recognizes it…'

[You have uncovered an ancient formation!]

[The Fool's Paradise has overridden the formation!]

Zeris had always known his unique ability was useful, but he hadn't anticipated just how potent it could be.

Venturing through the illusory wall, he was confronted by a weathered, twisted door.

The idea of exploring alone was daunting, as the risks certainly heightened when alone.

Yet, he felt he could trust Rey and Laia, despite their brief acquaintance. He was confident they held no ill intentions towards him.

Zeris sighed, mulling over his predicament.

His unique ability might allow him to elude danger a few more times, but what then?

If he were to lose its use, would he be left awaiting his inevitable end?

He detested such thoughts.

He was well aware he wasn't exceptionally cunning, nor did he possess outstanding skills in any particular area.

"I've already taken one gamble; why not another…" He managed a wry smile, fully aware that his recklessness might very well cost him his life.

However, after further consideration, Zeris found his decision wasn't entirely senseless.

After all, if he continued to face similar trials as he had since his arrival in this world, his demise was only a matter of time.

In his previous life, his existence had been insignificant, and here he was merely a potential meal for a predator.

"Who knows, perhaps this risk will benefit me…" With a self-deprecating chuckle, Zeris strode confidently through the ancient doors.