Strange Fluctuations

Seeing Ganatica stagger toward the crystal, Pandora rushed over at full speed and hugged the delirious boy. The strange fluctuations left the bodies of all creatures within range weak and powerless, but Pandora was essentially a magic puppet, so this weakening effect aimed at "creatures" had only a limited impact on her.

Fortunately, while the gray crystal's strange fluctuations confused living souls, they also prevented the circulation of battle aura or magic power below Legendary Level. Unable to use battle aura, Ganatica could not break free from Pandora's embrace. Though he twisted and struggled desperately while letting out meaningless howls, the weak and powerless boy was barely kept outside the iron door.

After all, the "hero" was only a formal-level warrior. He had no way to resist the psychic fluctuations released by the gray crystal, while those strange fluctuations could almost indiscriminately control the minds of any creature below the Legendary Level. In fact, another person who was just as close to the crystal but had not been stopped by Pandora—Dice—had already walked uncontrollably into the gray mist emitted by the crystal.

Pandora held Ganatica tightly and fell to the ground. At the same time, the weakened girl strained to turn her head toward Dice, who had touched the gray mist. After temporarily ensuring Ganatica's safety, Pandora still wanted to see whether she had a chance to save Dice's life.

But... unfortunately, Dice was clearly beyond saving.

When Pandora turned her head, her severely contracted pupils saw a horrifying sight.

Dice's body rapidly decayed and withered in the gray mist as though it were melting. His flesh dissolved into a pool of grayish-red, writhing meat paste, from which strange tentacles and bone spurs grew irregularly. Yet only a few seconds later, the body that had once belonged to Dice had