CHAPTER 267: CHAPTER267-A TEST OF COURAGE

Whoosh!

An arrow flew through the air, destroying all the trees in its path.

Owen’s gaze flashed, about to catch the arrow when Yashum stepped forward and smashed it with a single palm strike.

Yashum, directing his cold shout towards the direction from which the arrow came, demanded, "Show yourself now!"

Whoosh, whoosh! In response to Yashum’s call, more arrows flew their way, clearly intended to deplete their strength with a barrage.

"Let’s move!"

Yashum destroyed another volley of arrows and, without hesitation, led Owen and the others to quicken their pace towards the Ancient Ruins.

Owen nodded silently, agreeing that the best move was to quickly leave without knowing the exact location and number of their assailants.

It seemed Yashum’s capabilities were quite formidable.

He glanced at Norma and noticed she followed without complaint, her demeanor in the face of danger not detracting from her character.

Just as they moved out of the arrows’ range, a monkey-like mythical beast charged towards them.

Owen had heard that the area near the Ancient Ruins was teeming with mythical beasts, but he hadn’t expected it to be true.

"Norma!" Yashum, slightly too late to react, urgently called out to her.

"I know," Norma responded coolly, her long sword unsheathing behind her back to stab at the mythical beast.

The beast, evidently strong, only staggered back a few steps from her strike.

But then Yashum arrived, landing a palm strike directly on the mythical beast’s head.

Yashum killed the mythical beast with a single blow.

Owen was surprised; was the mythical beast here that weak?

Compared to the guardian beast of the Northern Mountain Empire, it was significantly less formidable.

Yashum shouted to Owen and the others, "Don’t stop; they’re catching up."

He continued forward without pause.

Owen and the others also didn’t stop, following Yashum.

With their speed, those who had shot the arrows likely couldn’t keep up.

Once in a safer location, Norma began to address Owen and Anderson, "Now you see why I said the distribution should be based on strength."

Owen and Anderson were internally speechless but chose not to respond, to avoid her persistent arguments which would be uncomfortable for everyone.

Seeing Owen and Anderson’s silence, a flicker of triumph crossed Norma’s eyes.

She didn’t care what they thought, as long as she believed she was right.

"Owen, Anderson, don’t mind what she says," came Yashum’s somewhat helpless voice to Owen and Anderson’s ears.

If possible, he would have preferred not to team up with Norma.

The attackers lurking in the forest weren’t particularly strong, and after repelling several more assaults, Owen and his companions finally arrived at the Ancient Ruins.

The Ruins, despite being referred to as such, were largely intact.

The damage seemed to have been caused by battles within.

"So this is the Ancient Ruins!" Norma couldn’t help but exclaim, visiting the Ruins for the first time.

Astonishment was evident in Owen’s eyes; the Ancient Ruins had weathered countless years.

"There are many traps inside, don’t touch anything recklessly once we’re in," Yashum warned, waiting for everyone to nod in acknowledgment before leading them towards the entrance of the Ruins.

Just past the entrance, the scenery before Owen and the others shifted, revealing a seemingly endless corridor.

"Be careful, it’s not just the traps here but also some bandits hidden in the shadows," Yashum cautioned with a serious look.

Everyone’s demeanor immediately became more solemn, understanding that the Ancient Ruins were not a place for the average person.

"Let’s go, remember to follow my steps."

After saying this, Yashum began to slowly move forward.

Whoosh!

A blood-red beam shot towards them, causing Yashum’s complexion to change as he hurriedly retreated.

A bloodstreak grazed Yashum’s face; he quickly stimulated his arcanergy to cleanse the wound and shouted to Owen and the others behind him, "Don’t move, these arrow feathers are incredibly fast and coated with poison!"

Owen and his companions immediately halted, their hearts skipping a beat.

The sudden red light had taken them by surprise, leaving them no time to react.

Fortunately, they were guided by the experienced Yashum; otherwise, even Owen and Anderson might have been injured.

"What do we do?" Norma asked, somewhat panicked, uncertain if any movement would trigger the traps.

"Don’t proceed forward," Yashum advised, starting to move sideways.

"These kinds of traps usually don’t block all paths to safety; follow me." Owen and the rest quickly mimicked Yashum’s actions, moving to the side.

Indeed, as long as they didn’t advance forward, no arrows were shot at them.

After reaching the wall, Yashum began patting the wall while telling Owen and the others, "Traps are often hidden along the walls; you all should look too."

Owen and his companions nodded and started slapping their section of the wall randomly.

After a while, every reachable spot on the wall had been hit, yet they still hadn’t found the mechanism.

Yashum’s expression gradually darkened.

"It seems we have no choice but to force our way through."

"Can’t we go back?"

Norma, still shaken by the arrow, was reluctant to move forward.

But when she turned around, her expression drastically changed.

"Where’s the exit?" Owen and Anderson turned to look and their expressions subtly shifted.

Behind them was an orange-red wall, with no exit in sight.

"It seems you’re here for the first time," Yashum sighed, explaining, "Once you enter the Ancient Ruins, you must pass at least one trial before the exit teleportation array appears."

Owen and his companions looked surprised.

Was this truly a ruin?

It felt more like a place for trials.

"What about the others?" Owen voiced his confusion.

Despite the vastness of the Ancient Ruins and the many who come, they hadn’t seen a soul since entering.

"The traps in the Ancient Ruins are numerous, and the scenario each time someone enters is random. No one knows their exact location within the Ancient Ruins," Yashum patiently clarified.

Owen’s gaze became focused as he stared down the endless corridor, his mind racing.

No mechanisms on the walls, and brute forcing through was clearly not an option...

So, were they doomed to fail?

Wait...

Owen suddenly looked back, shouting, "Run! This trial tests our courage!"

As soon as he spoke, Owen dashed forward under the astonished gazes of Anderson and the others.

To their amazement, Owen remained unscathed!

"Move!"

Yashum quickly grasped the situation, grabbing his sister and sprinting after Owen, with Anderson and Norma hurriedly following.

Half an hour later, Owen and the others curiously scanned behind them with their soul power, horrified to see their previous location riddled with holes.

It was clear that had Owen not reacted in time, even the strongest among them could have met a gruesome end!

Reflecting on this, Yashum promptly bowed to Owen, expressing, "Thank you for saving our lives; I will not forget this kindness."

Perini followed suit, offering her thanks as well.

Anderson, being close to Owen, saw no need for formalities, but his esteem for Owen rose even further.

"You’re not bad, to have figured out the solution to this challenge." Norma’s words caused everyone to frown.

Regardless of the situation, Owen had saved them all; her lack of gratitude and superior attitude was baffling.

"Norma?"

Even Yashum, who was typically patient, couldn’t help but utter her name in a stern tone, showing his disdain for those ungrateful for their salvation.

Realizing she had provoked everyone’s ire, Norma conceded, "Alright, thank you for saving me," she said to Owen.

"You..." Perini’s face showed a hint of anger, ready to retort, but she was stopped by Owen’s voice.

"We haven’t passed this challenge yet. Let’s discuss this later."

"But..." Perini attempted to speak again, but seeing Yashum shake his head, she reluctantly held back her words.

The journey became silent, with no one speaking further.

"Alright, I was wrong, okay? I shouldn’t have looked down on him," Norma finally gave in, feeling the oppressive atmosphere, her tone no longer unreasonable.

"Lacks sincerity," Anderson responded flatly.

"You!" Norma glared back, suspecting the man allied with Owen was deliberately provoking her.

She had already conceded; what more did they want?

Up front, Owen simply smiled, choosing not to comment.

He felt no need to humble himself over a disdainful woman’s words.

Had it not been for Yashum’s decision to team up with her, he might have even dealt with her directly.

In his view, there were only two types of people: those who warranted a verbal response and those who necessitated action.

Clearly, Norma belonged to the latter, as engaging in dialogue with her was pointless; she would only assume her views were correct, and everyone else’s wrong.

"We’ve arrived." Owen’s soul power detected an entrance, slowing his pace.

Surprisingly, he didn’t see the teleportation array Yashum mentioned.

"Trouble!" Yashum, too, spotted the entrance, his expression darkening instantly.

"What’s wrong?" Owen asked, puzzled.