35. A Magical Garden Beneath the Mound

The young man instinctively spun around and watched as Prince Arkana moved his hand, controlling the movement of the fir tree roots with his Timber Defense technique. The roots quickly intertwined and knotted together, forming a sturdy barrier.

Outside, the hanging roots of the soul-draining banyan tree slammed repeatedly into the wall, unable to break through.

While Kairav was still mesmerized by the roots, an irritating voice suddenly broke his focus, making him scowl immediately. "Failed Product, do you still want these infrared goggles?"

"Why don't you just swallow them?" Kairav snapped when he saw Casildo holding his infrared goggles with a mocking grin.

"Relax, man. It's not like you lost anything. These things were useless anyway, especially in that magic fog," the burly youth said, tossing the goggles back to Kairav.

Kairav caught them, looking puzzled. "Magic fog?"

Arkana, who had finished his task, approached and joined the conversation. "The fog we saw earlier was a magical mist that created an illusionary barrier around us, distorting our senses. It tricked our eyes and ears, making it seem like we couldn't find each other, even though we were probably right next to each other," he explained.

Kairav furrowed his brow in confusion. "But why did the fog suddenly disappear?"

"It didn't disappear. You just broke free from its influence," Baron chimed in, leaning against the wall. "Check the red substance on the back of your hand."

Kairav immediately looked at his hand and was surprised to find a sticky red substance clinging to his skin. "What is this?" he asked, rubbing at it in an attempt to clean it off.

"Don't wipe it off," Gavin warned, lightly smacking Kairav's hand. "The nameless young man put that sap on you to protect you from the fog. He also saved me and the others the same way."

Kairav quickly glanced at the nameless young man, who had been silently watching from the corner of the room. He turned back to Gavin. "What kind of sap is this?"

"Sap from the soul-draining banyan tree," Gavin replied, making Kairav frown again.

Arkana patted Kairav's shoulder. "Did you notice the hanging roots chasing you earlier?" he asked. "Those were the roots of the banyan tree, which feeds on the souls of people lost in the mist."

Kairav suddenly remembered something horrifying he had almost forgotten. "Wait, I saw Trisha standing there like a lifeless corpse. Does that mean her soul was taken too?"

Casildo grinned wickedly. "What? Do you still care about that woman?" he teased. "Failed Product, don't tell me you've fallen in love with that bandit."

"Shut up!" Kairav growled. "I'm just curious—"

"The roots take a whole night to consume a soul. They release the empty bodies at dawn when the mist fades," the nameless young man said from where he stood.

His voice cut through the room, silencing everyone as they listened intently.

"After that, their fate is left to chance. If they're lucky, someone else might find them and help them return home, even though they'll be in an undead-like state. But if they're not so lucky..." He paused. "They'll wander around the mountain until they either die from exhaustion or starvation."

Kairav thought for a moment. His brow furrowed deeply. "If there are survivors, is there any way to restore their souls?" he asked.

"Maybe if the Banyan tree is destroyed, their souls could be freed," the nameless man replied, his face blank. "But that's easier said than done. Even my techniques only left minor damage, and that was only because I used my Phoenix spirit's power."

"What kind of creature do you think is hiding inside that tree?" Arkana mused, deep in thought.

"Could it be a Dwarapala?" Kairav suggested suddenly.

Gavin looked confused. "A Dwarapala?"

Kairav nodded. "Yeah. Remember the inscription at the blood pool? It mentioned a giant guardian, the Dwarapala, laughing because it had found new victims."

The room went silent as everyone pondered Kairav's words. But soon, Casildo spoke up with a serious expression. "It's possible, but... I think it's more likely that a Danyang lives in the tree."

"Danyang? You mean a tree spirit?" Kairav asked, frowning.

Casildo nodded. "Yeah."

He turned to Arkana and the nameless man for their opinions. "You two agree with me, right?" he asked, pointing at them in turn.

The nameless young man and Arkana both nodded in agreement.

Kairav protested. "But according to legend, Danyangs are benevolent spirits. They inhabit ancient trees and protect the environment around them."

"Follow me," the nameless young man said abruptly.

He slung his backpack over his shoulder and began walking deeper into the room, leading the others further inside.

As they ventured on, the room beneath the mound turned out to be much larger and more spacious than they had expected. It felt less like a room and more like a hidden cave beneath the Lushterra.

The air grew thicker, and the darkness deepened.

As they walked further, the sound of bat wings flapping erratically overhead disturbed their hearing. Their noses were assaulted by the smell of bat droppings and rotting fruit scattered along the path.

Kairav, preoccupied with shining his flashlight in random directions and observing his surroundings, suddenly realized that one by one, his companions had entered a narrow crevice in the wall. The gap was so tight that they had to squeeze through it one at a time.

As Kairav waited his turn, he clicked his tongue in irritation when he saw a ridiculous thing was happening in front of him.

"I'm stuck!" Casildo shouted, struggling to move his tall, muscular body through the gap.

"Move, idiot!" Kairav growled, finally releasing his pent-up frustration on the burly youth by delivering a hard kick to Casildo's rear, pushing him through.

"You bastard! Failed Product!" Casildo cursed.

"And you're a brainless moron!" Kairav shot back. "You could've destroyed the gap and made a bigger entrance! But instead, you let your useless bulk get stuck!"

"You're both useless!" Baron snapped, suddenly appearing and slapping both of them on the back of their heads.

"Why the hell are you slapping us?!" Kairav grumbled, rubbing the back of his head.

"Will you two stop arguing and look at what's ahead?" Baron said in frustration.

Still frowning, Kairav reluctantly turned his head in the direction Baron pointed, and in that moment, he fell silent, utterly mesmerized.

Before his eyes was a vast, breathtaking chamber filled with vibrant plants and flowers of all colors, like a beautiful garden hidden beneath the Lushterra.

"How is there a place like this underground?" Kairav whispered in awe, watching a swarm of colorful butterflies dancing through the air.

Without realizing it, Casildo had stepped up beside him and delivered another snide remark. "Aren't you a cryptozoologist? Shouldn't you believe in things beyond logic?" He mocked, quoting Kairav's own words as he walked ahead.

"Tsk!" Kairav scowled, but his attention was drawn to a massive forest pine tree in the center of the garden.

The tree seemed to possess a magnetic pull, and without realizing it, Kairav found himself walking toward it, as if hypnotized.

"Don't get too close. Stay back!" the nameless young man commanded sharply.