I am the Holy Poisoner, the Empress advised me to calm down

Sure enough, the sound of rustling leaves and heavy footsteps echoed nearby. A massive black bear burst from the brush, roaring angrily as it raced toward the group. Genos quickly drew his bowstring and fired an arrow, catching the bear squarely in its front paw. But this didn't stop the bear from advancing. "Looks like we'll have to fight head-on!" he shouted.

"Let me handle it!" Lina raised her arms and gathered the power of frost, forming a huge sphere of ice and snow in the air and smashing it at the black bear. With a loud bang, the poor creature fell to the ground and could not move.

Seeing this, the squirrels hiding in the trees let out sharp cries, as if warning the others of the danger. Genos picked up his longbow from the ground, pointed it toward the sky, and said with a smile, "Don't be afraid, we're just friends passing by."

"I didn't expect there to be so many strange creatures in this pristine jungle," Lucy exclaimed. "Perhaps we can discover more information about the sacred objects here?"

"You're right," Ivan nodded. "It is said that some intelligent life forms may know the exact location of the ruins."

A few hours later, an open area appeared ahead. Just as everyone was preparing to rest, the ground suddenly began to shake. Then, a massive figure leaped from the ground—an earth elemental creature with a stone shell. "Wow, this thing is incredibly powerful!" exclaimed a young man who had been watching the battle from a distance.

"Don't be afraid!" Leon shouted loudly, waving his staff and casting a powerful fire wall spell. The flames surged like a raging sea, instantly plunging the earth element into chaos.

"Now's the time!" Zhao Yan shouted, leading the other heroes to attack the behemoth. After a fierce battle, the monster was finally unable to resist and collapsed to the ground, dissipating into dust.

"Huh~ It's finally solved..." Zhao Yan wiped the sweat from his forehead and turned to look in the direction of the ruins among the distant mountains.

It was already getting late, so the group decided to find a suitable place to set up camp. Beside the campfire, Alvin took out a map and studied it carefully. "According to my calculations, we should be near our target location by noon tomorrow."

"Well, that's settled then." Zhao Yan nodded in agreement, then turned to the others and asked, "Is everyone ready?"

"Ready!" Genos answered confidently.

"As long as we can find the holy relic, no difficulties will be a problem," Lina added.

"Let us work together to face all the challenges we may encounter tomorrow." Leon said firmly.

"I believe we can succeed," Lucy encouraged.

As night fell and the stars twinkled, a faint mystical atmosphere permeated the entire camp. And in a distant corner, a pair of eyes as black as ink watched intently as this scene unfolded...

"It seems that the plan has to be implemented ahead of schedule." A low voice echoed in the darkness, revealing an indescribable evil aura.

Meanwhile, inside the camp, Zhao Yan gazed at the flickering flames, silently praying, "May the gods bless us, and let light dispel all the forces of darkness." But what will happen next? What twists and turns will this adventurous journey take? All the answers await their own discovery...

The next morning, sunlight shone through the mist onto everyone's faces, a new day dawning with hope. The team was ready to go, each person's eyes filled with determination and anticipation.

"Let's go," Zhao Yan waved his hand. "We will reach our target location today. Everyone must remain vigilant."

As we walked through the last forest path, we heard a cry from the side: "Wow, they are so amazing!"

A young villager passing by had spotted the traces of yesterday's battle. He stared wide-eyed, astonished at the massive holes left behind by the black bear and the earth elemental. "What courage and strength must it take to defeat such an enemy? It's incredible!"

"Hey kid, we're just passing through." Genos waved at him. "The environment around here is really nice, with beautiful scenery, but it's also a bit more dangerous."

Hearing this, the young man said with even greater admiration, "It sounds like you've had a lot of adventures, right? Can you tell me a story?"

Lucy smiled gently and replied, "Perhaps after we return. But the most urgent thing now is to complete our mission as soon as possible, otherwise there will be more trouble waiting for us."

Ivan nodded in agreement. "Indeed, there may be more unknown risks in this area. But if it can be completed successfully..."

Before he could finish, Lina took over the topic and excitedly interrupted, "Not only will we make this place better, but we'll also bring you more unexpected benefits! So you must trust us~"

Encouraged by the words of several heroes, the young man regained his spirits, watched the group of brave men go away with admiration, and secretly made up his mind to become a warrior like them.

After walking a little further, they found themselves in a secluded area, gathered in a bush, and began discussing the situation. "According to the map, the entrance should be not far ahead," Ivan said, pointing to a specially marked location.

"It seems that there is a strange fog covering the place, and I can't see the specific situation clearly." Leon added with a frown. He tried to use detection magic to check the situation but failed to penetrate the barrier.

Just as everyone was about to discuss countermeasures, a sudden gust of wind blew through the woods, carrying some scattered small pieces of paper to their feet. Picking them up, they saw a simplified map of the path to the ruins!

"What is this?" Genos picked it up and examined it carefully. "It seems like someone left a hint for us!"

Zhao Yan pondered for a moment and said, "In that case, let's try following this map. It's at least much better than wasting time here."

As the exploration gradually approached the destination, a strange and eerie atmosphere began to fill the air. At this moment, a small spirit beast suddenly jumped out of the bushes and roared a warning to everyone.

"What's wrong?" Ivan leaned over to soothe it. It pointed its paw at the dark clouds ahead, looking anxious. "Oh... is there something wrong in that direction?"

At the same time, another group of people were talking not far away.

"I heard that an expedition team arrived here a few days ago, but there has been no news since then." A man in a gray robe and a hat whispered.

Another companion frowned upon hearing this. "Are they also going to look for ruins? Then shouldn't we act with caution?"