I Made Up Forbidden Spells, and They Actually Worked?

"Have you forgotten the saying, 'A watched pot never boils'?" Dean Bruce tapped Hannah Fields lightly on the head, chuckling as he added, "First, try mastering your magic. Focus on leveling up your skills before you worry about anything else."

"Biting off more than you can chew will only slow you down," he advised. "Learning too much at once is more of a burden than a benefit."

Dean Bruce glanced over at the stone lion, still in a fierce struggle with the group, and asked softly, "What do you think? How would you go about dealing with that stone lion?"

Hannah Fields tilted her head, studying the creature carefully for a moment before answering, "It's hard to say. It's not alive—it's all stone, can't feel pain, and seems almost impossible to restrain. Destroying it might be our best shot."

After a brief pause, she added thoughtfully, "I can sense that while it doesn't seem damaged from the outside, it's almost on the verge of breaking apart inside."

After all, this was a Secret Realm designed to train young adventurers. The golem's strength wasn't too high; brute force alone could get them through it.

Watching Prolo Hawthorne and the others relentlessly assault the stone lion, Dean Bruce shook his head and remarked, "Next time it shoots those ice pillars, pay close attention to what happens."

Hannah blinked, silent now, and fixed her gaze on the lion.

"When it spits out those ice pillars, it seems to be immobilized. Also, there's a chill around its head at that moment. Maybe…maybe if we attack its head with fire right then, it could work?"

As she shared her idea, Hannah's eyes sparkled with admiration toward Dean Bruce.

She didn't believe she had come up with a breakthrough solution on her own; Dean Bruce's hint had been too obvious.

Dean Bruce responded gently, "Not bad—you noticed that. And here's another point: have you realized that each time it attacks, the lion targets the nearest person standing on the ground?"

"Oddly enough, anyone who happens to jump, even if they're right next to it, won't get attacked." Dean Bruce smiled and added, "If you can figure out why, next time, I'll teach you how to understand the secrets of golem mastery."

Hearing this, Hannah's face lit up with excitement. She studied the lion more intently than before.

Bang—

But before she could make further observations, Prolo Howard and the others launched a powerful attack, shattering the stone lion until it disappeared into thin air.

Cheers erupted, but a slight twitch appeared on Hannah Fields' beautiful face.

Dean Bruce chuckled, shaking his head. "No need to worry. This is a fully-structured Secret Realm, and the golems are all set up the same way. You can still study them when we encounter the next one!"

"By the way," Dean Bruce said, his tone shifting to curiosity, "before we entered, I saw sand dunes outside. But now, I haven't seen a single grain of sand. Why is it called the Quicksand Secret Realm?"

Hannah laughed. "The Quicksand Secret Realm is huge, and we've only just started. You'll see why soon enough."

Nodding slightly, Dean Bruce's curiosity deepened as he looked ahead. Just below, he noticed a massive golden stone door looming in their path.

The door radiated no magic at all. After a moment of hesitation, one of the group stepped forward, pushing the door open cautiously.

Rumble!

As the door swung open, a surge of magic poured out, making Dean Bruce's eyes gleam with excitement.

Once the door was fully open, they saw a spiral staircase appearing before them.

Prolo Hawthorne and the others had heard tales from their elders about Secret Realms and understood that this staircase led to the next layer. Assured of its safety, they immediately stepped onto it.

Seeing someone lead the way, the rest of the group followed without hesitation.

Dean Bruce joined them, moving along the winding staircase until they reached the next level.

Buzz—

The instant they entered, Dean Bruce noticed the magical energy in this layer was at least twice as dense and potent as it had been in the initial space!

Beyond the change in magic, he heard a faint sound. Looking up, he saw yellow sand continuously streaming from the top of the chamber, flowing along the walls at a steady, balanced pace down to the ground below.

Hannah Fields spoke softly, "Starting from this second layer, a time limit begins. If people fail to defeat the guardian golem or solve the puzzles before the sand seals the passage, they'll be trapped on this floor until they die… or the time limit ends, ejecting them from the Secret Realm."

"With each layer higher, the sand will flow faster, and the golems and mechanisms will grow stronger! Over the years, it's said that only two people have ever led a team to the top."

At this, Hannah gave Dean Bruce a mischievous smile.

Dean Bruce, intrigued, asked, "And who were those two?"

"One of them was the High Priest from a thousand years ago, and the other was Emperor Coldmoon, who united the continent ten thousand years back!" Hannah Fields exclaimed excitedly. "Legend has it that both of them transcended Saint-level and ascended to the Divine Realm!"

"It's widely believed they must've found some advantage on the final level of the Quicksand Secret Realm, which led to their extraordinary achievements. After all, before their ascensions, they were both virtually unknown. So, despite being explored countless times, the Quicksand Secret Realm continues to open, and countless factions still send their people in."

"But, except for those two, no one else has ever reached the final level!"

Hearing this, Dean Bruce's eyes narrowed slightly, a spark of competitive spirit igniting within him.

No one had succeeded for centuries?

Well then, he'd test his strength against this so-called Quicksand Secret Realm!

Even with their powerful backgrounds, the young adventurers were given minimal guidance by their elders for training purposes. Yet, as sand continued to pour down, they began to look uneasy.

Prolo Hawthorne and his group remembered the previous hints and quickly located a passage adorned with two symbols, heading in that direction.

Seeing this, Dean Bruce couldn't help but ask, "Each level has so many passageways. If everyone keeps dispersing like this, there'll be only a handful in each area. How does that help with the training? Is the Quicksand Secret Realm really that vast?"

Hannah Fields explained, "The Quicksand Secret Realm is quite unique. The space inside is distorted. Right now, it seems like the entire hall consists of people who chose the same passage on the first level. But later, when they choose a new passage, they'll find themselves in the same space as others who took this passage on the second level."

"As we go further, there will be fewer passageways, and more people will end up in each space," she added.

After a brief pause, she continued, "I once found a book in the Church's library that said competition intensifies in the Quicksand Secret Realm the further you go!"

Her explanation was a bit convoluted, but Dean Bruce understood and felt a wave of relief.

Good thing he'd taken the Church of Light's Saintess as his disciple; otherwise, he would've been completely clueless about this Secret Realm. Even with power and a system on his side, he could easily have slipped up.

Knowing yourself and knowing your environment are the keys to a hundred victories, and "environment" here didn't just refer to people.

With that thought, Dean Bruce followed Prolo Hawthorne and the others into the passageway.

Buzz—

This time, Dean Bruce focused intently and could indeed sense the spatial fluctuations at the entrance!

It was clear that the spaces within the Quicksand Secret Realm were fragmented. They appeared close by, but in reality, they were separated by Space Teleportation.

He couldn't help but wonder, though… what would happen if one were to break through the passageway?

Just as Dean Bruce was lost in thought, Hannah Fields suddenly spoke up. "Are you planning to just keep following them?"

"With your strength, it's such a waste to come all this way into the Quicksand Secret Realm and just watch over the kids!"

Encouraging him, Hannah suggested, "How about we go exploring ourselves and see if we can make it to the final level?"

Hearing her words, Dean Bruce felt a tug of temptation. But he had promised Prolo Hawthorne and the others that he'd stay behind them.

Moreover, just before entering the Quicksand Secret Realm, he had sensed a deadly intent nearby, though he couldn't pinpoint its source. Clearly, whoever it was possessed immense strength.

Until he managed to draw out that hidden presence, Dean Bruce wasn't inclined to explore the Secret Realm on his own. If that unknown adversary was following him, he'd only be leading them right to the final level.

With this thought, Dean Bruce shook his head. "Splitting up isn't an option. I gave them my word that I'd stay with them, and if we explore the Secret Realm, it'll be together."

"A person is nothing without their word. I never go back on mine."

His words were resolute, and the look in Hannah's eyes grew brighter as she gazed at him.

After all, who could dislike someone who stands by their principles?

Just as Hannah had mentioned, the moment they entered the second level, both the hall and the corridors were filled with flowing sand.

Moving further, they soon emerged into a wide, circular chamber.

In the very center of the hall stood a stone platform that appeared to act as an elevator.

There was no need to guess—it was clearly the path leading to the third level!

Surrounding the stone platform were seventeen stone statues. Sixteen of these were soldiers, each twice the height of an average person. But the central statue towered over them, standing at six times the height of a regular human.

It didn't seem to be made of ordinary stone either, as it gleamed with a golden sheen. In its massive hands, it held a spear and a shield, radiating an intimidating presence.

"Hmm… something's off!" Hannah scanned the statues and suddenly looked alarmed. "The material of that golden statue—it's way too strong. Forget the other trial-takers; even I might struggle to break it!"

"This is only the second level, so why are we encountering such a powerful golem?"

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