Frustrated, Drake paced, trying to come up with a plan. He didn't know what to do about taking down the barrier. They had tried single weapons and all of them at once. Nothing seemed to work.

"I'm missing something. I know I am," Drake hissed. He was getting frustrated. They needed to get past the barrier. If they couldn't get past it, then their quest was done. There had to be a way.

Out of frustration, Drake shot spell after spell, using everything he had learned so far. He used explosive whirlwind, fireballs, energy beams, plasma balls; everything he could think of. By the time he was done, he was sweating from exhaustion.

The spells had slammed against the barrier, vibrating its glassy surface. Constant bangs echoed through the area as each spell hit. The barrier remained undamaged with no sign of even a crack.

Drake walked up to the barrier and opened his hand wide. He gently placed his hand on the surface of the barrier. When his skin touched, the barrier pulsed, and then it threw him backward several feet. His back hit the ground with a thud as he groaned in pain. The impact was brutal. Blood poured from his mouth from the impact against the ground.

"Don't touch it," Drake groaned, whipping the blood from his mouth.

"Obviously," Mike laughed. He couldn't help it. It was a little funny.

His healing ring glowed. Energy flooded his body, repairing the damage that the barrier had made. Sighing in relief, Drake stood. "At least I know the ring works," he muttered.

Drake spoke to his system. "Analyze the barrier. How long does the barrier stretch across the terrain?" he asked.

There was a long pause while Drake swept his gaze along the barrier for the system to analyze it. The soft voice of the system floated through his mind.

{Barrier length is five miles}

{Road sits in the exact center of barrier placement}

"Is there a way to remove the barrier? If so, how do I do that?" Drake asked the system.

The system paused again before the soft voice floated through his mind.

{Removal of the barrier is possible}

{Use the previous method to remove the barrier}

Drake knew he had used a barrier before. He removed it using his instinct after he put it up. It appeared to need the same method he used before.

He knew they could walk around it, but he didn't want to leave it in place if someone else was trying to travel on the road. After being thrown to the ground, he knew he was lucky that he had the healing ring he received from the lion snake beast. The next person who encountered the barrier might not be as fortunate as he was in having a tool to heal his wounds.

Drake knew it would be best to remove the barrier to prevent anyone else from getting hurt.

Drake turned to his friends. "The barrier is five miles long. The road is in the center, which means there are two and a half miles on each side of the road. We could easily walk around it, but I don't want to leave the barrier here for it to harm someone trying to travel on this road."

"So, then what do we do?" Mike asked.

Chad remained quiet, listening to the conversation.

Drake stepped forward. Thinking back at all the other barriers he removed, he tapped his staff on the ground. The barrier faded before he walked down the road, passing the area where the barrier had been. The barrier was no longer there; it had vanished. It no longer blocked their path.

"Let's go," Drake said casually as he continued to make his way along the road and toward the river that was in front of them.

"How did you do that?" Mike asked his friend.

Drake shrugged. "I cheated. I asked the system how to remove it. It told me to use the previous method I used to remove my own barriers. I did that, and it worked."

"It sounds like the system is a cheat," Chad commented.

Drake chuckled. "It is, but without it, we would already be dead. We would have died before we even finished our first quest."

Renn rushed up to Drake, her large snout raised in the air. She could smell something floating in the breeze. Her fur bristled, her hackles went up, and she growled low. Clearly, she sensed danger.

Drake looked down at his familiar, wondering what she sensed. He looked over at Ruby. She looked uneasy. Her enormous head darted from side to side, trying to locate where the danger was coming from. She couldn't find anything either.

"Get ready for battle," Drake hissed, uncoiling his whip and unlatching the strap on his sword.

Mike and Chad did the same.

None of them saw anything yet. Using their glowing magical vision, they scanned the area trying to find the danger, but found nothing. Their bodies were tense, ready to defend themselves. They inched their way down the road, scanning the surrounding area with every step.

Renn continued to growl. Ruby shrieked loudly, warning of danger. They couldn't find anything. Not even with their magical vision. Something dangerous was out there stalking them. They could feel it. A dangerous pressure surrounded them, telling them that whatever was stalking them was powerful. They didn't know what it was or where it was coming from. It made them nervous.

"Whatever it is, it's getting closer. I can feel it," Drake whispered. It felt like it was closing in on them.

Mike gulped. "Yeah, I feel it."

Chad nodded, pulling his bow off his back, replacing the sword. He raised it high and conjured one of his arrows. If those who stalked them revealed themselves, he would at least get a shot or two in before they got too close and he had to use his sword.

Despite the feeling of danger, Drake and his friends continued to move forward, getting closer to their destination.

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