Rober and Kalis Marry pressed onward without hesitation, delving deeper into the dim, damp forest. The squelching sound of their footsteps in the water created a monotonous, dreary rhythm, mingling with the chirping of insects and the soft sigh of wind through the leaves.

Behind them, the butler Sebas, with the formidable strength of a former mercenary, still carried Viscount Calos on his shoulder, walking steadily despite the increasingly muddy and difficult terrain.

Viscount Calos, after a period of futile struggling and protesting, had finally resigned himself to his fate as "luggage" only occasionally letting out a sigh or murmuring fragmented prayers.

The soul thread, faint yet clear within the "Yin-Yang Eye" vision of Rober and Kalis, acted like a guide rope, pulling them onward into the dark, cold space.

After traveling a considerable distance further, past the flooded area, they reached a relatively large clearing nestled within the forest. And there, in the center of the clearing, a strange sight appeared, causing all four of them to halt.

It was a large, circular stone platform, constructed from some unknown type of stone. The platform was raised above the surrounding ground, completely separate from the waterlogged area below.

In the very center stood a large, upright stone, like a pillar or a giant tombstone. But what captured Rober's and Kalis's attention most was the soul of a young girl, bound fast to the stone by chains.

Rober focused his observation on the girl's soul. It was a hazy, translucent figure, yet the delicate lines of her face and her slender form were still discernible. Long hair cascaded down her shoulders, and her eyes were tightly closed, as if sunk in a profound slumber.

He looked more closely and noticed that, radiating from the girl's soul, were exactly twelve soul threads, identical to those he had seen connected to the children in the village, scattered around her.

Rober understood immediately. The souls of the twelve children had somehow been drawn here and arranged according to some rule, some pattern, around this girl's soul. And perhaps, they too were caught in her dream, just like Viscount Calos's son.

At the same time, Rober also realized that the "heat sources" he had detected earlier with his right eye were, in fact, the members of the search party. They, like him and Kalis, had followed the soul threads and had finally reached this place.

Noticing their arrival, Rober spoke, his voice not loud but echoing strangely, as if whispering directly into each person's ear: 

"So, you've arrived? Good. Carefully continue following the thread behind the soul and come here."

Kalis Marry had already stepped onto the circular stone platform. The hem of her white silk dress, though soaked and smeared with mud, did not detract from her noble elegance. She slowly approached the soul of the bound girl, her gaze fixed intently on the ethereal figure, as if trying to understand something.

Rober quickly climbed onto the platform as well, following Kalis. He needed to examine the girl's soul condition more closely and find out if there was any way to free her, and the children trapped in her dream.

The members of the search party, after looking around in bewilderment for a moment, also appeared one by one and stepped onto the platform. They gathered together, and one of them recognized Viscount Calos, rushing over to report: 

"My Lord Viscount, I... I found the soul of a child, on the other side of the forest. It... it led me here."

Hearing this, the others chimed in: 

"Me too, my Lord!" 

"The soul I found also led me here!" 

"A strange voice guided me to this location!"

Viscount Calos, his mind solely focused on his son, merely gave vague acknowledgments "Ah, yes" "Mm-hmm", paying little attention to their reports. He continued towards Rober, his voice laced with impatience: 

"Mr. Rober, what must we do now? We've reached this place, just as you said. Quickly... save my son!"

Rober pretended to be thinking, organizing the information he had just gathered from observation, while simultaneously "listening" to the information provided by the Sage System, prompted by the Viscount's question of "what to do."

After a moment of arranging, analyzing, and considering all possibilities, Rober finally replied: 

"My Lord, currently, based on my observations and analysis, we have two ways to resolve this situation."

"First" he said "we could ignore this girl's soul, use magic to decisively sever the soul threads connecting the children's souls to hers. Then, we could return the children's souls to their bodies. At that point, this girl's soul would likely have no other tethers and might simply dissipate into nothingness."

"Second" he continued "we could attempt to directly enter this girl's dream. We would investigate and find some way to end the dream. When the dream ends, the soul threads binding the children should automatically vanish, and we..."

At that moment, Rober's words were abruptly cut off by an astonished cry from one of the search party members: 

"Heavens! This girl... she's beautiful!"

Instantly, everyone, including Rober and Kalis, was drawn by the exclamation. Their eyes fixed on the bound soul of the girl. And they realized the man's words were not wrong.

The girl's soul, though ethereal and translucent, radiated a pure, holy beauty, utterly captivating. The lines of her face were perfect, as if sculpted from jade. Her long, shimmering platinum hair flowed like celestial silk. Her figure was slender and graceful, like a fairy from a tale.

"Hey, everyone..." Rober began, trying to regain their attention, but it was already too late.

Everyone except Rober and Kalis seemed mesmerized by the soul's beauty. They murmured in awe, astonished, and began to crowd closer to get a better look.

Kalis Marry, who had been standing near the girl's soul, frowned slightly as the crowd approached and stepped back towards Rober.

"Just now... were you trying to stop everyone from doing something, Rober?" she asked, a hint of curiosity in her voice.

Viscount Calos turned to Rober, asking a similar question, and Rober sighed, replying: 

"Yes, I was. But it's already too late."

Kalis tilted her head, looking confused. 

"Too late? What do you mean?"

Rober didn't answer immediately. He merely directed his gaze towards the edge of the circular stone platform. 

"Look towards the outer edge of the platform" he said.

Kalis Marry followed Rober's gaze. And she saw powerful, stable fluctuations of magical energy forming an invisible barrier enveloping the entire platform. This barrier had appeared at some point without her noticing.

"Are we... are we trapped?" Kalis asked, even though the reality was plain before her eyes.

Rober nodded in confirmation. "Yes" he said. 

"And there's something else about to happen. Please, Madam Marry, remain calm. We cannot resist it anyway. It's best to just go along with the situation for now and figure out a solution later."

Kalis looked flustered. 

"But... but didn't you just say we had two options? If we act quickly, sever all the connecting soul threads, perhaps we'll be alright?"

Viscount Calos, hearing this, quickly agreed: 

"Yes! Yes! Quickly... do it that way! Save my son and the other children first!"

Rober smiled sadly, nodding in agreement: 

"Indeed, the first option was a good choice. But..." He paused briefly, then continued "that could only have been done if we hadn't already inadvertently chosen the second path."

Kalis Marry still didn't grasp Rober's meaning. But she wouldn't have to wait long.

Instantly, from the surface of the circular stone platform, twenty-four large standing stones, identical to the one binding the girl's soul at the center, suddenly erupted, towering and menacing.

These stones shot up so abruptly that everyone screamed in panic. Viscount Calos, caught off guard, was thrown to the ground by the tremor. Others in the search party tried to flee the platform but were blocked by the invisible barrier, unable to escape.

Kalis Marry turned to look at Rober, her eyes questioning what he intended to do. But immediately after, from each newly emerged stone, two chains, like venomous snakes, shot out with terrifying speed, lunging towards each person standing on the platform.

Twenty-four stones targeted twenty-four distinct individuals, ignoring their panicked screams.

Rober, Kalis, the butler Sebas, and the members of the search party, simultaneously, their souls were ripped from their bodies and bound tightly by those chains to their corresponding stones. Their physical bodies, devoid of souls, collapsed instantly, unable to resist.

One by one, each soul was chained fast to a stone. Even Kalis Marry, despite attempting to resist with an energy-filled magical shield, could not escape her fate. Her soul was pulled out and bound tightly to a stone, at the same time as Rober and the others.

In just a fleeting moment, their souls began to sink into a deep, involuntary sleep. But perhaps because Rober and Kalis Marry were mages, possessing strong magical energy and unwavering wills, they were able to resist the encroaching slumber for a few precious seconds.

Kalis's soul, though chained fast, still struggled. She turned to look at Rober's soul, bound to the stone beside hers, and demanded, her voice filled with confusion and anger: 

"Rober! What is this? You definitely know something about this, don't you? Tell me now!"

Rober, although his soul was also bound tightly, remained calm and composed. He looked at Kalis, then said, his tone measured and gentle: 

"I will explain everything in detail at our next meeting. For now, however, pleasant dreams, Madam Marry!"