As time passed, the subtle spiritual influence began to intensify.
The team members became increasingly anxious, and their trust in each other gradually unraveled.
Ron observed the process calmly, feeling only pure academic interest.
"Interesting psychological tactics." He analyzed in his mind:
"Not forced control, but amplification of the negative emotions that already exist in the target. This method is more covert and harder to guard against."
Deep in the forest, a particularly massive flesh-rooted tree began to emanate stronger influences.
On its trunk, blurry human faces emerged, seemingly narrating some sorrowful stories.
A young explorer named Tom was deeply attracted by these faces.
He saw his deceased father, his childhood playmates, and all those he missed.
"Tom!" Martin’s voice seemed to come from far away: "Don’t look at those illusions!"
But Tom had already immersed himself entirely in memories.
The spiritual influence released by the flesh-rooted trees made him unable to distinguish between reality and illusion.
More terrifyingly, other team members also began to show similar symptoms.
The female Knight saw her lover lost during the first Abyss exploration, the male Apprentice saw his mentor killed by Abyssal Creatures.
"This... isn’t real!" The male Apprentice cried painfully while clutching his head: "They are all dead!"
Martin realized the danger and began to release Spiritual Protection Magic, attempting to disperse the effects of the illusions.
But it was too late; the forest’s spiritual attack had already penetrated deep into everyone’s consciousness.
What happened next surprised even Ron.
It wasn’t the illusions that killed the explorers, but rather they began to slaughter each other.
Under the twisted spiritual influence, they started seeing companions as threats and friends as enemies.
The female Knight was the first to lose control; her Sword Blade pierced through her companion’s chest.
"You’re not the real Tony!" She roared madly: "The real Tony wouldn’t look at me like that!"
The Apprentice, before dying, released an explosive spell that engulfed the female Knight and Martin.
Soon after, the situation rapidly collapsed under this mutual destruction spell, and the entire team was completely destroyed within minutes.
Tom was the last one to regain his senses.
When the illusions dissipated, what he saw were the shattered corpses of his companions, and the flesh-rooted trees greedily absorbing the spilled blood.
At this point, the memory abruptly stops.
Ron slowly opened his eyes, showing no emotional fluctuation on his face.
He merely calmly recorded his observations in his notebook:
"Spirit-induced traps, utilizing the target’s memories and emotions as weapons. Attack method is indirect but deadly, causing internal conflict by amplifying negative emotions."
He paused for a moment, then continued writing:
"This mechanism is of high value for training psychological resistance to simulation devices. If a similar environment can be recreated, it could provide targeted anti-illusion training for users."
[Historical Research (Proficient) Experience Points +1]
[Current Progress: Historical Research (Proficient 26/100)]
Ron was satisfied with the results of this analysis.
Though the memory itself was filled with tragedy, the technical information contained within it was extremely valuable.
As a researcher, his duty was to extract useful knowledge from all phenomena.
It was already late, but Ron’s spirit was still high.
Today’s gains exceeded expectations, whether it was inspiration for career development paths or technical insights gained from the Memory Crystal, all provided new direction for his research.
"Tomorrow, I will meet Eve again, perhaps also Cassandra."
He glanced at the time, nearly midnight: "Maintaining optimal condition is more important than forcing work."
Ron tidied up his desk, carefully storing all the materials.
Through the window, he could see the tall towers of the Central Lands standing quietly under the starlight.
Those ancient buildings had witnessed the rise and fall of countless Wizards, and tonight, they witnessed a young researcher striving towards a higher level.
"As long as the method is correct, everything is just a matter of time."
Ron turned off the Magic Crystal Lamp, quietly gazing into the distance in darkness.
The night wind brushed against the Crystal window lattice, emitting a slight wailing.
That sound seemed to mourn for certain things about to pass away, but it could also just be the accidental resonance of wind and building.
In this dangerous world, the only constant is change itself.