Xia Nan, just about to leave the place in haste, caught a glimpse of red light out of the corner of his eye.
The next second, blood-colored sound waves had already transcended the spatial barrier, resonating through his body.
At this moment, Xia Nan seemed to have suddenly returned to months ago, facing the gaze of the Petrified Lizard, that peculiar feeling of losing perception of the outside world for an instant, as his mind and focus were confined within his body.
However, unlike that time when only physical control was needed—using skin, muscles, and bones to resist the petrifying force from outside.
Now, as the sound waves invaded his flesh, they also seeped into his mind.
Attempting to disrupt his spirit and interfere with his will.
The Golden Dew from the Snake Cave Secret Realm had already brought his Constitution to an extraordinarily high "8" among low-level adventurers, well surpassing ordinary people.
He didn’t even need to exert precise control; his flesh blocked the encroaching sound waves, isolating the blood energy beyond his skin pores.
But at the same time, against the blood light invading his mind, Xia Nan struggled immensely.
A "5" in the Perception Attribute was insufficient to help him fend off the external intrusion.
Fortunately, recent practice targeting the [Gravity Compression] had slightly enhanced his Perception Ability.
He wasn’t completely besieged.
In an instant, he was back to his senses.
The previously quiet world was now filled with shouts, curses, and cries.
A short distance ahead, the first to flee, the archer Berg, had somehow stopped and turned to face Xia Nan.
On his anxious face, apart from the flush from agitated emotions and the vigorous movement of his legs, there was also a touch of desperate pallor.
"Why... How could this..."
"No, it’s impossible."
His lips trembled as he murmured.
He seemed to be using his will against his body, which had already been invaded by the blood light sound waves, yet was unable to move his legs.
Even the smallest inch couldn’t be moved away.
His hands trembled, like a puppet on strings, reaching behind him to draw his wooden longbow.
In just a few breaths.
He had transformed from initially fleeing in panic, to a stance ready for battle.
Xia Nan was surprised.
His brain raced, only managing to associate the bizarre actions of the other with the sound waves from the Bear Goblins’ roar.
More footsteps came to his ears.
The villagers, who should have fled the village under their warning, were now, led by Abi, swarming in from the village entrance.
They were wielding makeshift weapons like grass forks and iron pots.
As if to protect the village, ready to fight the Bear Goblins to the death.
Even Abi at the forefront of the crowd had an unnatural expression of battle intent on his face.
"Have they all gone mad?"
Xia Nan felt something very wrong.
"Weren’t they evacuating? Why have they all come back?"
Only Adeline, who had chosen to stay and fight from the start, seemed unaffected, alongside Xia Nan.
He was suddenly taken aback.
It was only then that Xia Nan finally noticed.
His perspective seemed to have not moved for a long time.
His gaze shifted downward unwillingly.
What entered his sight was a pair of legs, firmly planted on the ground, refusing to take even a single step forward despite all efforts.
He thought he had been affected by some kind of control spell similar to an "immobilization spell."
But when Xia Nan tried turning to face the direction of the Bear Goblins.
All restrictions seemed to dissipate into a mere illusion.
Attempting to draw the Beheading Longsword from behind, he slashed fiercely at the air in front—movable.
He raised his left hand, setting the Snake Scale Arm Shield before him, simulating a defensive stance—unaffected.
Left step, right move, stepping forward—his body was free, without any constraints.
Only retreating, that was impossible.
He recalled the blood-colored sound waves that attempted to siege his will and body and the abrupt change in attitude and bizarre actions of Berg and the others.
As if suddenly reminded of something, Xia Nan’s eyes focused, staring at the distant stout Bear Goblins still standing in place, with fiery red mane on its back.
In his ears was Adeline’s shout filled with rage and battle intent from the team’s forefront, who hadn’t moved an inch from the beginning to end:
"Prepare for battle!!!"