With their destination set, Alex and Sherry began their journey into the wilderness.
Time was limited, so neither of them had any intention of lingering along the way. Guided by Sherry's map and the information left behind by her parents, they followed the shortest route toward the entrance of the ancient ruin.
Of course, taking the shortest route didn't mean charging forward recklessly.
Whenever Alex noticed signs of monster nests or areas densely populated by monsters, the two of them immediately altered their course and took a detour. Their goal was to reach the ancient ruin, not waste their strength on unnecessary battles.
Fortunately, the journey proved far more peaceful than either of them had expected.
Although they occasionally spotted wandering monsters in the distance or sensed dangerous presences lurking ahead, they managed to avoid every unnecessary encounter.
During the day, they stopped only for brief breaks before continuing onward.
Once the sun disappeared beneath the horizon, however, they immediately began searching for a suitable place to camp.
Traveling through the night offered little advantage. More importantly, the wilderness became significantly more dangerous after sunset, with many nocturnal monsters beginning to roam.
Rather than taking unnecessary risks, Alex and Sherry chose to make camp at night and continue their journey at first light.
As dawn broke, they packed away their campsite, carefully erased any traces of their presence, and resumed traveling.
The journey continued smoothly until the afternoon of the second day. Alex was driving the ATV while Sherry studied the map in her hands when she suddenly spoke. "Stop!"
Alex immediately brought the ATV to a halt. Sherry's expression grew noticeably more solemn.
"From here onward... it only gets more dangerous."
They were still within the wilderness. But everything beyond this point belonged to a region known as the Forbidden Zone.
Sherry looked ahead, her expression growing solemn.
"We're entering it now. From here onward... we have to be extremely careful."
Alex nodded, his expression becoming equally serious.
Unlike the wilderness they had traveled through over the past day and a half, the Forbidden Zone wasn't feared because of powerful monsters.
It was feared because of the mana itself—or, more specifically, mana radiation.
The natural mana permeating this region had become radiated. Although no one knew exactly how such places came into existence, one fact had long since been established.
Absorbing the mana here was extremely dangerous.
Once the radiated mana entered the body, it would gradually corrode one's mana circuits and even damage their mana core. In severe cases, the injuries were permanent, leaving the victim unable to use magic ever again.
For that reason alone, the area had long been designated a Forbidden Zone. Unless absolutely necessary, very few people would willingly set foot inside.
Fortunately, Sherry had anticipated this problem long before they left the academy.
She opened her backpack and retrieved a small bottle before pouring two pale blue pills into her hand.
"Take this."
Alex accepted one without hesitation.
"These are Mana Radiation Resistance Pills," Sherry explained. "They won't completely protect us from the radiation, but they'll greatly reduce its effects."
She paused before adding in a more serious tone.
"The important thing is that we mustn't absorb the surrounding mana."
Alex immediately understood what she meant.
For a mage, absorbing ambient mana was as natural as breathing. It happened subconsciously every moment of every day, making it an incredibly difficult instinct to suppress.
The pills merely reduced the damage caused by the surrounding environment.
If they accidentally absorbed the radiated mana itself, however, even the pills would offer only limited protection.
After swallowing the pills, the two spent a few more minutes making their final preparations before continuing onward.
Sherry stored the ATV back inside her storage space.
Mana radiation interfered with magical formations, making vehicles that relied on them unreliable inside the Forbidden Zone. Continuing to use the ATV wasn't feasible, as it could suddenly stop working midway through the journey or even suffer permanent damage.
From this point onward, they would have to continue on foot.
After exchanging one final glance, Alex and Sherry stepped across the invisible boundary.
After walking for several minutes, the atmosphere felt completely different. The air itself seemed unnaturally heavy, carrying a faint oppressive pressure that settled over their bodies.
Even the surrounding mana felt chaotic, as though countless violent currents were constantly colliding with one another.
Beside him, Sherry's breathing became slightly heavier.
"...The pills are working," she murmured, "but it still feels uncomfortable."
Alex instinctively examined his own condition.
To his surprise, aside from the strange heaviness lingering in the air, he didn't feel particularly uncomfortable.
Before he could think further, the phone in his pocket suddenly began vibrating repeatedly.
Pulling it out, he saw a bright warning symbol flashing across the display.
[Warning: High Mana Radiation Detected.]
[No Signal Available.]
Alex frowned slightly.
Before leaving Lunar City, he had modified his phone's location sharing.
Since Elena had insisted on tracking his live location, he had found a way to make it appear as though he had remained just outside the city rather than traveling thousands of kilometers away into the wilderness. It wasn't a perfect solution, but it was enough to avoid immediately arousing suspicion.
Now, however, the already weak signal rapidly deteriorated. Within seconds, the connection disappeared entirely.
Alex stared at the screen for a moment before quietly putting the phone away.
'I just hope the last location was transmitted.'
With no way to restore the signal inside the Forbidden Zone, there was little else he could do.
Taking a slow breath, Alex looked ahead into the distance as he and Sherry quietly continued deeper into the Forbidden Zone.
Alex glanced sideways at Sherry as they continued walking through the Forbidden Zone.
Although she tried not to show it, he could clearly tell she wasn't feeling well. Her complexion had grown noticeably paler, and her breathing had become slightly heavier than before.
Compared to her, however, he felt almost nothing.
Aside from the oppressive atmosphere weighing down the surroundings, his body showed no signs of discomfort. The difference was so obvious that it left him genuinely puzzled.
"Aurora."
"Hm?" Aurora floated beside him before turning her attention toward him.
"Why am I unaffected by the mana radiation?"
Aurora immediately understood what he was asking.
"To answer that, you first have to understand what mana radiation actually is."
Alex listened attentively as they continued walking.
"Under normal circumstances, every unit of mana contains a fixed amount of magical energy. It's stable, predictable, and perfectly safe to absorb."
She paused briefly before continuing. "Mana radiation is different. The mana itself becomes unstable and volatile. Instead of releasing its normal amount of energy, every unit of mana releases several times more energy than it should."
Alex thought about it for a moment before nodding. "So, the problem isn't that the mana becomes poisonous."
"Exactly." Aurora smiled approvingly. "The danger comes from the excessive energy contained within it. Once that unstable mana enters the body, it places tremendous strain on a mage's mana circuits and mana core. If the body can't withstand that burden, the mana circuits gradually become damaged. In severe cases, even the mana core can suffer irreversible injuries."
Hearing that, Alex finally understood why the Forbidden Zone was considered so dangerous.
Aurora suddenly narrowed her eyes, as though she had guessed exactly what Alex was thinking.
"And don't even think about deliberately absorbing the radiated mana just because you're curious," she warned sternly. "I know that look."
Alex gave an innocent smile.
"I wasn't planning to."
"Liar." Aurora rolled her eyes.
"You're exactly the kind of person who'd try it 'just to see what happens.' Don't. Even if your body can tolerate it better than most, there's no guarantee you'll be fine."
Alex scratched his cheek awkwardly.
"Then why doesn't it seem to affect me?"
Aurora looked at him as though the answer were obvious.
"Because you're strong."
She pointed toward his chest before continuing.
"Your mana core is far more powerful than that of an ordinary mage, and your mana circuits are considerably wider and tougher. The excess energy released by the surrounding mana simply isn't enough to place much strain on your body."
Her gaze then shifted toward Sherry, who continued walking quietly a few steps ahead.
"Sherry, on the other hand, is much weaker than you."
There wasn't the slightest hint of ridicule in Aurora's voice. She was merely stating a fact.
"Her mana core and mana circuits haven't developed nearly as much as yours. Even with the Mana Radiation Resistance Pills suppressing most of the harmful effects, the remaining burden is still enough to make her uncomfortable."
Alex looked toward Sherry once again.
Despite the obvious discomfort, she never once complained or suggested stopping. She simply continued walking forward with quiet determination, her eyes fixed on the path ahead.
A faint look of respect appeared on Alex's face.
She understood better than anyone how dangerous this place was, yet for the sake of finding her parents, she had willingly stepped into a region that almost everyone else avoided.
Without saying anything, Alex quietly matched his pace with hers as the two continued deeper into the silent Forbidden Zone.