The Sorceress: Blossoming Power

Ming left Anghus men in Lifen's care. Nianshi flew out with Ming to search for Xinyi while Xionmao went back to the cave. Zhai and Anghus entered the Goding camp to check General Lofey's and the army's physical state. Each had their own task to complete.

Minutes earlier, Zang Wei arrived with his men outside the camp and saw the people had just woken up from sleep. Even the guard was stretching and yawning at the entrance. This amazed him. It seems the Goding army are lax after the war. Yet, kept the thoughts to himself.

Zang Wei initially planned to meet General Lofey but thought otherwise.  He then decided to walk around the vicinity to see any sign of the explosions. However, they couldn't find one because it was the trap's magic causing the explosive sounds. 

Fortunately, he did not ask because the man in charge at the gate was still in perplex with the illusion he experienced. In fact, not of all of them had woken up after Anghus removed the spell. Majority of the army were in a state of coming in and out of the dream. This could lead them to insanity if they couldn't grasp the difference between the dream and reality. 

This was what Anghus missed in his studies. He believed the illusion trap he learned was not lethal, but was utterly wrong. This state like dream progresses to a delusional life each person desired. In fact, most of them met the others inside the dream and went to a quest to get out from the illusion.

When the first explosion took place, their dream matched with the reality they wanted, making the army believed they were back in the camp and received a summon from the king to return to Flamefort City.

Most of the army went home to their loved ones and lived a peaceful life. A few became rich or received an award and reached their long time dreams, like General Lofey. 

In his dream, he fought and killed a giant five-eyed monster who admitted causing the illusion trap. Then he thought he had woken up from the illusion and went back to the capital city. Upon their arrival, the king and Mafan welcomed them and did not question him regarding his decision with the war. 

However, General Lofey questioned the genuineness of their situation for a time but forgot about it when he received the medal and title as a Grand General. The dream made him believe it was real.

After the second pair of stones was taken out, the illusion sent them to an endless dream of battles or wealth or joy, depending on their hearts' desires. This was the reason each person would end in a coma. 

What else could have happened if they dug more stones out? 

The god of death would visit them next and send them to an endless nightmare, leading them to become brain-dead and, lastly, to physical death. Fortunately, Anghus kept his promise and prevented to reach this point of no return.

Later, General Lofey and General Hester was up from sleep as well but was still in confusion after living a satisfied life in their dreams... because they couldn't let go of the illusional life. Yet, as men who witnessed deaths in countless battles understood the mess they were in.

General Lofey figured he was truly back in the real world when a guard announced Zhai's arrival.

---- o ----

Nianshi tried to contact Xinyi through telepathy but not getting any response. Her naivety and childish behaviors made him worried. He knew the fruit's essences side effects; Either it could help her or send her to disaster. This troubled him the most.

He also blamed himself for not fulfilling his task on guiding her and as her personal mount. If he was only with her, she could have used the side effects to her advantage. If she did, she might have communicated with them easily and brought herself to them in seconds. 

Since they hadn't heard from her, he could only think of two situations she was in right now: she got lost very far or in an accident. Nianshi hoped it was the former. But the possibility for both cases to happen was also high.

The lion dragon was also having an inner battle, his trauma with the Wag stones. If he was still that ferocious lion dragon who feared nothing, not even that measly stone, he could have realized his mistake when he unburied the stones. 

However, when he sensed the Wag stone earlier, he panicked and suddenly pulled the stones using his large claws from the ground instead of letting Xionmao do it for him. 

The result, the spell made a violent counterattack to his brain. Yet, despite the throbbing pain in his head and the weakening body, he insisted on searching the rest of which Xionmao opposed but had to abide with the great mount, because all guardians were under the Sorceress. Thus, they also respected the great Nianshi.

To make a long story short, he could not think properly after the backlash and ended overpowered by fear.