Chapter 474

The farther they went, the more terrified Saruman became.

It was impossible to imagine just how evil and twisted the life sealed within this city truly was.

"Damn it! Maybe if we want to leave this place, we'll have to face that horrifying creature head-on!" Realizing something, Saruman's expression turned extremely grim.

In fact, even after reaching this point, he was already struggling. He had no choice but to continuously cast Mind Barrier, a mental shield woven from ancient runes and willpower.

"My mana is draining like crazy."

Saruman gripped his staff tightly with both hands, his knuckles turning white from the force, veins throbbing at his temples. Whenever a whisper struck, the shield shimmered with faint silver light and trembled like ripples across water. He knew that once his mana ran dry, even a moment's lapse would allow madness to flood in like a tide, completely devouring his sanity.

And then, Karg would not escape it either.

"Hold on! I'm sharing my warrior's heart with you!"

Karg did not look any better. He had no magic and no spells—only a body tempered by war and suffering, and a heart that refused to yield.

Fine beads of cold sweat covered both their foreheads.

Their lips bled from biting down too hard, and their eyes were fixed straight ahead—not to see the road clearly, but to keep their gazes from getting lost in those writhing shadows.

"Home! We have to get home!" Karg silently repeated the name of his homeland over and over. It was the only anchor he could grasp, the piece of driftwood that kept him from sinking beneath the tide of madness.

Yet even so, he began to hear the voice within his own heart answering those whispers.

"Maybe—we really should stop—this place is so quiet—so warm—" Whether