CHAPTER 186: ROOTS OF OBSESSION!

The heavy, grave silence that followed their departure from the Skill Book Hall was very different from the earlier, vibrant energy of the Silvershade Realm.

The vast chamber, once alive with the promise of limitless combat knowledge, now felt like a tomb, losing teammates not to monsters, but to the flawless temptations of this deceptive realm.

Daniel moved with calm, deliberate steps, his S-Grade [Twilight Phantom Step] barely a whisper on the polished stone floor.

Beside him, Selene moved with her usual cold, arrogant grace, though even her perfect composure seemed slightly frayed, a hint of unease in her eyes.

They had been a team of five, bound by a pact of shared survival.

Now, they were three. Gideon, the Divine Shield, was lost in a sea of useless gold, his mind broken by a treasure he could never possess.

Nicklaus, the brilliant warrior and student union vice president, was now a prisoner of his own ambition, obsessively trying to master every martial art in a library of infinite knowledge, a task that would take a thousand lifetimes.

The team was fracturing, not from external threats, but from within, undone by their own deepest desires.

"He’s a fool," Selene stated, her voice as sharp and brittle as breaking ice, finally cutting through the oppressive quiet.

"Nicklaus. Wasting his time on those dusty old books. Power isn’t found in theory, it’s found in application. In a real weapon."

"Everyone has their own path," Daniel replied, his voice calm, though a heavy understanding settled in his gut.

The Silvershade Realm offered more than treasures, it created perfect illusions, irresistible traps designed to ensnare the unwary.

Gideon’s was wealth. Nicklaus’s was knowledge. He wondered, with a flicker of unease, what perfect trap awaited him, or the two women still by his side.

As if in answer to his thoughts, a new sensation drifted through the air, cutting through the sterile, dusty scent of the ancient halls.

It was a rich and complex fragrance, a blend of a thousand different blooming flowers, rare herbs, and the deep, life-giving scent of damp, fertile earth.

It was a scent that spoke of life, of healing, of profound, natural power.

Amara, who had been walking silently, her thoughts clearly troubled, suddenly stopped.

Her head lifted sharply, and the serene calm that usually masked her beautiful face was replaced by a look of raw, unfiltered awe.

"This scent..." she whispered, her voice filled with a reverence that verged on worship.

"I’ve only ever read about such concentrations of life essence in the oldest Academy archives. The descriptions of the mythical Celestial Gardens..."

Her pace quickened, her earlier solemn mood forgotten, replaced by a focused, almost desperate excitement.

She was no longer just walking, she was being pulled, drawn by an irresistible force that spoke directly to the core of her talent.

Daniel and Selene exchanged a look and followed, their own curiosity stirred.

They emerged from the cold stone corridor into another vast, circular hall, and this one was a world away from the dusty barn or the sterile library.

It was a stunning, self-contained ecosystem, a true paradise for any alchemist, herbalist, or healer.

The air was warm and moist, filled with the gentle hum of unseen, magical insects.

Shelves carved from living, glowing wood spiraled up the walls, reaching into the dim, soft light of the high ceiling.

Every shelf held pots, planters, and water-fed tubes filled with a wide variety of the rarest and most potent medicinal ingredients.

There were glowing Starlight Dewdrops, pulsing softly on the petals of a midnight-blue flower.

There were Sun-Kissed Petals that radiated a gentle, soothing warmth.

There were twisted, ancient roots that seemed to pulse with the earth’s vitality, their shapes faintly resembling a Whispering Root.

It was a healer’s dream, a pharmacist’s heaven, a treasure trove of healing potential that would make Vice-Principal Yara Fairley weep with unrestrained joy.

"It’s... it’s all here," Amara breathed, her eyes wide with a mixture of disbelief and profound wonder.

She moved as if in a trance, her fingers gently brushing against a shimmering, silver-leafed fern.

"The Silver-Vein Fern... its extract can cure even advanced stages of soul-rot!

And this... the Moonpetal Lotus... its pollen is a key ingredient in crafting S-grade mental clarity potions!

I’ve only ever seen these in textbooks!"

Her usual calm composure had completely shattered, replaced by the fervent, almost manic excitement of a scholar who had just stumbled upon a lost library of priceless, forbidden knowledge.

This was her mountain of gold, her hall of infinite skills. This was her perfect temptation.

"This is it," she declared, turning to Daniel and Selene, her eyes shining with a new, unshakeable purpose.

"This is my path. My opportunity. The knowledge I can gain here, the potions I can craft, the alchemical secrets I can unlock... I can become a true master of my craft, a healer capable of mending not just bodies, but souls!"

She gestured around the vast, glowing hall.

"I am staying here. With these resources, and the seven days we have, I can elevate my healing arts to a level I never dreamed possible.

This is a far more efficient use of my time than wandering deeper into this strange plane."

Daniel looked at her, at the fierce, burning determination in her eyes.

He knew, with a sinking feeling, that her mind was made up.

He had seen the same look in Nicklaus’s eyes, the same obsessive focus.

The Silvershade Realm had claimed another of his teammates.

He decided to make one last attempt, not to dissuade her, but to understand her true goal.

"Amara," he began, his voice quiet. "We still have a mission. The Everfrost Aetherium. It might be deeper in. We need your healing."

She looked at him, her expression soft with a genuine apology, but her resolve was unwavering.

"And I will be of far more use to you, and the entire team, if I can master the arts of this hall.

Imagine the elixirs I can create, the powerful healing spells I can learn.

When you return, I will be a healer a hundred times more powerful than I am now. I can mend any wound, cure any affliction.

This is the best way I can contribute."

Daniel knew it was useless to argue. He then turned his own attention to the hall, his A-Grade [Treasure Hunting] skill flaring to life.

The entire chamber was ablaze with golden light, a testament to the A-grade and S-grade quality of the herbs.

He scanned the shelves, his mind working like a silent, precise catalog, searching for one specific energy signature, one prized target.

The search was urgent, almost desperate. He checked glowing fungi, gleaming moss, and twisted ancient roots.

But after a careful, exhaustive search that left a cold weight in his stomach, the conclusion was clear.

It wasn’t here.

Despite the countless priceless, divine-grade ingredients, the one thing he needed above all else, the Everfrost Aetherium, was nowhere to be found in this paradise of healing.

His mission, the entire purpose of this perilous journey, seemed to be slipping through his fingers. He had to go deeper.

"I understand, Amara," he said finally, his voice heavy with a solemn resignation.

"Do what you must. Cultivate well. We will return for you before the timer runs out."

He then looked at Selene, who had been observing the entire scene with a cool, detached curiosity, her expression unreadable.

She had scoffed at Nicklaus’s obsession with dusty books.

She had shown no interest in Amara’s glorified gardening.

Her own perfect temptation, it seemed, had not yet been revealed.

"Well, Vance," Selene said, her voice a low, almost indifferent murmur as she turned away from the glowing herbs.

"It seems it’s just you and me now. I must admit, our team’s attrition rate is... impressive.

Let’s hope the next hall has something more interesting than dirt and leaves."

She walked towards the far exit of the Medicinal Ingredient Hall, her movements still graceful, but with a new, almost imperceptible tension in her shoulders.