Dekan's Performance Art

Each level of the Demon Realm Prison is so high that the dome is invisible.

This fifth level always creates a misconception.

There's often a feeling that a blizzard might fall from the gloomy sky at any moment.

In reality, it doesn't snow on this floor; it's just unbearably cold, like an icebox, and from time to time, sudden gusts of wind from who-knows-where torment the prisoners' minds and bodies.

Even with a continuous supply of food, the quantity of resources is very delicate, just enough to keep people barely alive.

Over time, even prisoners with sixth-tier combat power will be unable to unleash their full potential.

Of course, in front of the Faceless Ignis Jailer Igner at this level, neither the sixth nor the seventh rank matters.

Once Jailer identifies a prisoner through negative emotions such as fear and anger and begins to hunt and kill them, there is no precedent for the prisoner surviving.

This level of open space is divided into several areas by high walls of cold iron, each area containing even more intricate barriers.

This makes this level look more like a maze made of cold iron.

The sturdy wall was encased in a protective barrier; anyone who touched it would have their skin permanently frozen in place.

Even the Jailer was unwilling to touch the wall that exuded a bone-chilling cold.

This prison level is located near the portal to the sixth level.

They were already on the verge of prison.

Frost had formed on the deathly still walls, extending down to the ground.

This area.

Every now and then, a low roar could be heard, as if it came from a mad and bloodthirsty troll.

Once caught by the owner of this voice, you will be torn to pieces in no time!

The prisoners on this floor knew it all too well.

He was a killing machine that no other prisoner on this floor could stop.

Faceless Ignis.

He was nearby.

We must avoid him.

And along a wall.

Three figures slowly ventured out and surveyed their surroundings.

Besides a tall woman, there was also a young man and a Red-haired Girl.

Clad in prison garb, enduring the cold, they confirmed that Faceless Ignis was not ahead.

They quickened their pace without hesitation, a puff of white mist rising from their mouths.

They rushed towards the supply crate in front.

Then the Red-haired Girl, who was in the best condition, carried the supplies, and the tall woman leading the group confirmed the route before they began a rapid evacuation.

"Alright, we've successfully obtained the supplement. The next supply will likely appear in about five and a half hours."

The woman in the lead estimated the time and muttered to herself.

It took them quite a while to find the box.

"Cornelia, you are really amazing, much stronger and more resilient than I imagined."

As they retreated, the leading woman looked at the Red-haired Girl beside her and said...

Although the woman in the lead looked tired, her eyes were full of relief.

"It's nothing, Elaine."

After Cornelia arrived on this floor, she soon spotted the Jailer, Faceless Ignis, in the distance.

Just as she was feeling somewhat lost, someone nearby spotted her.

Shout the message to her.

She was told not to be afraid, and that as long as she didn't have negative emotions, the Jailer wouldn't be able to find her.

Upon learning this information Cornelia quickly calmed down and successfully bypassed the Jailer.

Cornelia was often by Dekan's side.

She didn't find this eighth-tier demon particularly terrifying.

The reason she was slightly at a loss was not because of this eighth-tier demon, but because she didn't have the omnipotent Dekan by her side.

But it's not a big problem.

After returning from the Shadow World [The Secret Tale of the Withered Sacred Rite], Dekan meticulously compiled a handbook for her.

It listed various possible scenarios she might encounter after getting separated from Dekan, and how she should deal with them.

But.

Cornelia also believed that Dekan would come to find her soon.

It was the same last time during the Shadow World.

No one had to wait long before Dekan ran over and found her in the vast city-state.

Seeing Cornelia's calm demeanor, the leader, Elaine, couldn't help but say:

"I knew you had extraordinary courage the moment I saw you. Someone like you, to be able to survive on this level."

Beside them stood a young soldier who said somewhat apologetically to Cornelia:

"Collecting this batch of supplies was originally my task, thank you for your help."

Cornelia shook her head:

"Consider it repaying you; it's what I should do."

They chatted as they made their way quickly toward the human prisoner camp.

More than ten minutes later.

They bypassed layer after layer of iron walls.

We arrived at an empty campsite.

Two people were on guard at the camp.

A few people are still sleeping.

Not counting Cornelia just arrived.

Only ten people survived on this floor.

A well-established mechanism has now been formed.

The group is further divided into Scout Team, collection, and defense teams.

The Scout Team primarily focused on pinpointing its location near the Jailer, Faceless Ig.

Once the Jailer is within a certain warning distance of the camp.

One member of the Scout Team would then need to quickly return to camp to report and allow the camp to relocate rapidly.

The gathering team is responsible for collecting the regularly replenished supplies and bringing them back to the camp.

Because prisoners on this floor constantly need to evade the wandering, indiscriminately destructive Jailer, it's difficult for them to get a good night's sleep.

Their sleep is mostly fragmented.

Sometimes I'm lucky if I can get an hour of peaceful sleep.

The guard team needs to quickly wake up their resting comrades when the Scout Team notifies them of the approaching Faceless Ignis.

And they are ready at any time to move the remaining supplies to a safe location.

The greatest rule for the survivors on this level is to avoid arguments, not to get angry, and never to panic.

Otherwise, it would easily attract the Jailer.

Many of the prisoners who were sent to this floor early on had witnessed far too many scenes of despair.

Hundreds of people can die in a single night.

For example, two people might fight over supplies, leading to an argument, then be locked on by the Jailer, and finally be cruelly torn apart in despair.

Sometimes, even if you haven't done anything, you can still be affected by the sudden defeat of someone around you by fear.

It's also possible that they were too cold, too tired, and too hungry, so they fell into a deep sleep and were then indiscriminately attacked by the wandering Jailer.

Every second spent surviving on this level is torture.

If people remain disorganized and disorganized, it will be like hell.

Many people, after enduring several days, ultimately chose to commit suicide.

Because suicide is better than being caught by the Jailer and torn to pieces alive.

They lacked the confidence to overcome their fears and saw no hope whatsoever.

And now.

The survivors were able to coordinate and help each other.

It's a complete miracle.

Elaine was the one who orchestrated everything and brought peace of mind to all the survivors.

She had set out the rules and plans.

And they did everything in their power to encourage people to live on.

Or rather, Elaine actually did.

It gave these people, who were trapped in despair, hope to live.

Because of their faith and their hopes, they were able to persevere for so long.

And they also believed Elaine's words-

No matter how much they struggle, as long as they live and look forward to tomorrow, one day they will be able to wait for the demons to be defeated and leave this Demon Realm Prison.

Unbeknownst to them, Elaine had become a pillar of support in their hearts.

Cornelia was first encountered by the search party consisting of Elaine and the young warriors when she first arrived on this floor.

Cornelia's appearance was mistaken by the collection team as the arrival of supplies, and coincidentally, the Jailer was also in the area at the time.

Due to a lack of manpower and severe physical exhaustion, the two-person search team was extremely tired.

Cornelia's help undoubtedly gave them a huge sigh of relief.

After settling into the camp.

The middle-aged mage in the guard group asked Elaine about Cornelia's situation and quickly nodded.

This seemingly delicate Red-haired Girl possesses a resilience that belies her appearance, which undoubtedly inspires great confidence in others.

There were quite a few supply boxes at the camp.

Even empty boxes can be used as great materials for floor mats or stools.

Elaine quickly inventoried the new supplies, pinched the bridge of her nose, and seemed to be trying to plan an allocation scheme in her mind.

Soon, after the plan was completed, she began to direct the young soldiers who had just returned with them to distribute the food.

Then.

Elaine finally plopped down on the box.

She looked somewhat haggard.

"Sister Elaine, how long has it been since you had a rest?"

Cornelia asked, standing beside her.

"Let's send the supplies to the Scout Team first; their work is the most important."

Elaine's face was a little pale, but she still managed to force a smile as she answered.

"Elaine, you can't fall if anyone else falls. Don't do anything foolish."

At this moment, the middle-aged monk in the guard group solemnly gave instructions.

There are no paper or pens here; all the maps and plans are in Elaine's mind.

Without Elaine, their group would fall into chaos.

"Let me go. Cornelia and Elaine should both get some rest."

The young soldier who had just returned with them volunteered to deliver food supplies to the Scout Team.

"Okay, sure."

Elaine looked up at the middle-aged mage, then nodded seriously.

Then Elaine closed her eyes.

I silently repeated the approximate estimated time to myself.

As prisoners on this floor, they had gradually lost their sense of time.

Are you still keeping track of time?

The middle-aged monk asked.

He couldn't bear to see Elaine waste her mental energy any longer.

"Yes, Uncle Ryan, this is important. If we manage to escape someday, we need to know which year and which day."

Elaine said to the middle-aged mage.

The middle-aged mage named Ryan is one of only two seventh-tier powerhouses among the current survivors on this level.

The other one is Elaine.

Even with their combined efforts, they were no match for the eighth-tier demon Faceless Ignis.

Even stopping it is difficult.

"I never actually fantasized about escaping someday, but I believe in you, Elaine."

"That's what the mage Ryan said."

He quickly left and returned to his post.

Elaine, however, wore a gentle smile, a hint of sorrow in her brow, and looked at Cornelia, asking:

"Cornelia, I need to rest for a bit. If you have any energy left, could you please cover for me as a guard? Uncle Ryan is actually quite tired too."

"No problem."

"Thank you, Cornelia. Get some rest when I wake up. You've really gone through a lot."

After saying that, Elaine lowered her head and fell asleep.

She had clearly been working for far too long without a break.

Cornelia looked at everyone in the camp.

Regardless of age, everyone looked somewhat weathered.

Every day on this floor is a mental ordeal.

But they survived, just like seedlings in the cold winter.

Several tens of minutes later.

The young soldier finally returned to the camp and immediately went to Elaine's side, trying to wake her up.

Cornelia and the mage Ryan both noticed that something was wrong with the young warrior.

The young soldier's face was pale, and his hands were trembling uncontrollably.

Just as Cornelia was about to stop him.

Elaine seemed to sense the movement and slowly opened her eyes.

"Sister Elaine, I have something to tell you."

The young warrior seemed to have made up his mind, looking at Elaine.

Elaine nodded, telling the mages Ryan and Cornelia not to stop the young warrior.

The young soldier quickly approached Elaine and whispered in her ear:

"Philos and Ada are dead."

Elaine snapped awake, her eyes widening.

Philos and Ada are the names of the Scout Team on duty today.

"Wake everyone up and move to a new position immediately!"

Elaine made the decision immediately, as if it were instinct.

However, just as she was about to ask the young soldier for more details...

"They weren't killed by the Jailer, but poisoned. Purple blood flowed from their seven orifices before they died, and their bodies were..."

After whispering those words in Elaine's ear, the young soldier ran off without looking back, leaving the camp.

"No...!"

Elaine's eyes widened, wanting to say something, but she could only stretch out her hand, unable to stop the young warrior.

She now understood why the young soldier had only given her the information and why he had run away.

If the two scouts were killed by the Jailer, then it was merely an accidental tragedy.

But if...

They were poisoned.

Then the nature of the problem is different!

This means there is a traitor!

Besides the Jailer, there are other dangers lurking among the survivors on this level!

Why did the young soldier run away?

It's because he succumbed to fear.

When he suddenly witnessed the gruesome death of his companion.

And then he realized the truly Terror aspect—there was a traitor.

He had thought he could just eke out a living like this every day, but he eventually fell into despair and became uncontrollably gripped by fear.

At this level, fear is like a poison that only intensifies.

It would attract the Jailer, in addition to...

It will also sprout uncontrollably in people's hearts and grow wildly.

If you can't calm yourself down, you'll only become more and more panicked, creating a vicious cycle.

Realizing he was being targeted by the Jailer, and seeing the Jailer getting closer and closer, he could almost see his future being torn apart, and he had less and less hope of controlling his emotions.

The young soldier was unwilling to bring the Jailer to the camp.

So after giving Elaine the crucial information, he left without looking back.

If there were a traitor in this camp, then in the eyes of the young warriors, only Elaine was trustworthy.

He cannot tell the truth to everyone.

Because that would trigger collective panic and lead to the annihilation of the entire group.

In the end, he chose to leave the decision to Elaine alone.

"Why... what's going on...?"

Elaine covered her head, feeling somewhat overwhelmed.

"No!"

But she gritted her teeth and forced herself to muster her strength.

Elaine quickly looked at the middle-aged mage Ryan and Cornelia beside her.

"Uncle Ryan, Cornelia, go and find him! Tell him not to be afraid, I'm here! I'll lead the camp to evacuate. Then, Uncle Ryan, you take Cornelia to area 335, and if she's not there, go to area 523 to look for her."

These numbers were Elena's designations for specific areas within this level of the prison.

Over time, Elaine not only became quite familiar with the terrain of this floor, but also roughly figured out the Jailer's patterns of movement.

While not necessarily accurate, it can at least give us some idea of Jailer's location.

Of everyone present, only Cornelia had just arrived today, was in a state of full energy.

Furthermore, Cornelia followed Elaine as soon as she appeared.

There will be no opportunity to commit such a heinous act.

She can be ruled out as a suspect.

And the mage Ryan was also a respected elder she trusted.

Most importantly, the steady Ryan is the second most important person in the camp after her, and he is not easily swayed by fear.

Soon, they split up and began to act separately.

Elaine personally led the campers to the new camp.

Elaine didn't have to wait long.

The middle-aged mage Ryan and Cornelia found their way here.

"Did he fail?"

Elaine bit her lip tightly and asked with a pained expression.

Ryan looked at Elaine with a gloomy expression and shook his head.

"... He still couldn't overcome his fear and was caught and killed by the Jailer."

Ryan and Cornelia both witnessed the horrific, bloody scene.

"Well..."

It was hard to tell whether Elaine's voice was more filled with sadness or helplessness.

Ironically, even sadness is not permitted on this level.

Because that would attract the Jailer.

Elaine forced herself to stay calm and touched the corner of her mouth with her finger.

"You must not succumb to your weakness at times like these..."

Elaine voice choked with emotion.

Her smile looked more like a grimace.

But this sight made both the mage Ryan and Cornelia feel heartbroken.

"What happened?"

The mage Ryan asked in a serious tone in a low voice.

He also realized that something was wrong.

"..."

Elaine remained silent for a moment.

She finally decided to tell the truth to these two mentally strong people.

"Philos and Ada were poisoned, not killed by the Jailer."

Elaine read out the names of the two fallen members of the Scout Team with great anguish.

"..."

This time, the other two fell silent.

"I need to find the bodies of Philos and Ada. I must find information first; the killer must be hiding among them."

Elaine said firmly.

Seeing that the mage Ryan and Cornelia had returned, she could set off with peace of mind.

"Then I'll go with you."

Ryan said.

"No, Uncle Ryan, we need someone to give orders while I'm gone. Cornelia, come with me."

In a sense, the Elaine trusted most at this moment was actually the girl who had just been sent there that day.

Because this girl had been with her ever since she appeared.

Ryan naturally understood this principle, and without saying much, he nodded.

"Go ahead and investigate."

After Elaine quickly assigned new guard duties, she took Cornelia and left the camp.

Two figures swept through the dim light, their reflections shimmering on the gray walls of the Cold Iron Prison.

The thick iron walls, imbued with magical incantations, resembled livestock kept in captivity, a heavy sense of oppression enveloping every corner.

Cornelia followed Elaine, who knew the way well, and sped towards their target area.

Do you know where their bodies are?

Cornelia asked.

"Yes, and if the intelligence is correct, their bodies would be poisoned. The Jailer wouldn't eat a poisoned corpse, so it's very likely that the body hasn't been destroyed yet."

The young soldier eventually told Elaine which area the body was in.

"Cornelia, their corpses might be gruesome in a moment, so don't get scared. We don't have any Scout Team support right now, so if anything happens, please follow my instructions and don't panic."

"Okay, okay."

Cornelia replied.

Upon hearing Cornelia's reply, Elaine, who was running ahead, narrowed her eyes and a faint smile appeared on her lips.

The murderous intent in her eyes flickered intermittently, as if she was about to lose control of her killing intent.

Without a doubt, she was the jailer who had come to this floor from the fourth floor long ago.

She had been on the fifth floor for quite some time.

Through her long-term planning and superb acting skills, she finally managed to win over the hearts of all the prisoners in this layer.

It even became their belief.

Although Elaine, at the seventh rank, could toy with and hunt down the prisoners on this level one by one.

But this didn't bring her any joy.

What she loved most was seeing the utter despair on their faces after she had manipulated their hearts.

Now, she has found the way to see the most beautiful expressions on this floor.

Even if this level doesn't reward Demon Point.

She'll play this game too.

That is to become everyone's savior and pillar of support.

Then one day, it begins with the death of one or two of them.

This sparks a chilling game of killing based on mutual suspicion!

Then, she would pin all the blame on the seventh-tier mage, Ryan.

They guided the group to kill Ryan with their own hands, ensuring he died with his eyes wide open in disbelief.

Finally, just when everyone thought they had weathered the toughest test, that the crisis was over, and that they had seen hope again and placed even more trust in Elaine.

She will reveal her true identity!

Let everyone understand that everything she did before was just to manipulate these humans!

The only one who could possibly save them was the seventh-tier mage, Ryan.

They had already been killed by the hands of these foolish people.

The thought of her most perfect work being completed, and the despair on people's faces as their beliefs were utterly crushed and ravaged, sent shivers down her spine.

But.

This game was supposed to start today.

An uninvited guest barged in.

Everything changed with the appearance of this Red-haired Girl.

Elaine hadn't paid much attention to Cornelia's arrival at first.

Since this game, which she had planned to start today, would be quite nice to have another person to torment, it wouldn't be bad.

But just as Elaine's carefully prepared poison killed the two members of the Scout Team...

She discovered that she had only obtained 250 Demon Point from each person!

The original reward should have been 500 Demon Point per person!

This only proves one thing.

That is--

There's another jailer on this floor!

They split the Demon Point equally.

Clearly, the Red-haired Girl who suddenly appeared was the new jailer!

It's impossible that this Red-haired Girl was a prisoner, and then another jailer happened to arrive just before the two scouts died, right?

According to Elaine's judgment.

This Red-haired Girl's exceptional mental fortitude is also very fitting for the identity of a demon.

It wasn't hard to tell that she was the new jailer.

Although Elaine discovered that the Red-haired Girl's rank was lower than she had imagined.

But the Red-haired Girl possessed monstrous strength and stamina.

Its true form must be some kind of extremely high-ranking dragon demon.

Once she fully unleashes her power, Elaine isn't confident she can easily defeat her.

After all, Elaine wasn't a demon skilled in combat.

Rather, they are demons skilled in bewitching and deception, manipulating the minds of their enemies.

However, this Red-haired Girl looks rather dull.

It's unlikely they could guess Elaine's identity in such a short time.

It doesn't matter even if you guess it.

Just lead her near the Jailer.

That could kill her!

Because no one understands this better than Elaine.

Even the other prison guards wouldn't linger on the fifth floor for so long just to enjoy themselves like she did.

She can not only quickly locate the Jailer Faceless Ignis, but also use mental magic to disrupt the Red-haired Girl's mind.

Enrage the Red-haired Girl, causing the Jailer to target and attack her!

As long as Cornelia is defeated.

Next up is Elaine's own paradise.

Elaine was already mentally celebrating how she would torture this redhead later.

They dared to take away 500 of her Demon Point and ruin her good time.

Gradually.

As they moved forward, the roar of the Jailer, Faceless Ignis, echoed from ahead.

The two stopped and began to slow down, walking with extreme caution.

"Sister Elaine? An eighth-tier demon is just ahead. Should we take a detour?"

Cornelia asked.

"No need. The road here is difficult to navigate, and if we delay too long, the demon might destroy the corpse. Cornelia, are you afraid?"

Elaine answered firmly.

"I'm not afraid."

"Then let's go."

"Good."

Elaine glanced back at Cornelia.

Seeing Cornelia follow her without hesitation, she was already secretly delighted.

A few more seconds.

You will then witness the true nature of hell.

Hehehehe.

Elaine sneered inwardly.

Just keep moving forward slowly.

As we passed the next corner...

The Jailer Faceless Ignis, appeared before them.

Elaine had already prepared her spell, waiting for Cornelia to get a little closer before she would backstab her!

However.

Elaine had been channeling her Magic Power, suddenly stopped.

She stared in the direction of the Jailer, Faceless Ignis, as if frozen in place.

Her expression became very strange, and her pupils even began to tremble.

She did indeed see that familiar eighth-tier demon, Faceless Ignis.

It was enormous, its body wrapped in blood-stained black gauze, and the outline of its eyes was only faintly visible above its ferocious teeth. Its occasional roars exuded a bloodthirsty and violent aura.

But.

This eighth-tier demon is called Terror.

What she saw was eerie.

This eighth-tier demon was behaving in a very strange manner at the moment.

"This..."

Elaine even began to wonder if there was something wrong with her eyes.

She rubbed her eyes.

I'm finally sure I didn't see it wrong!

At this moment, she had no other thoughts, and even forgot about harming Cornelia.

Because she witnessed a bizarre scene she had never imagined in her entire life.

A long corridor stretched out ahead.

A gray-haired girl squatted on the ground, sobbing.

The Faceless Ignis sensed her intense helplessness, fear, and despair, and instantly located her.

He started running towards her!

Just as Igna was about to get close...

"Yahoo!"

She suddenly stood up, her expression changing from a stormy day to one of extraordinary joy, and she shouted happily to the opposite side:

"Morion, it's your turn!"

Then.

Across from the gray-haired girl, on the other side of the Faceless Ignis, the Pearwood- haired youth began to frown.

"Ugh, why did I have to work overtime to fight this level 8 demon?!"

Faceless Ignis sensed the irritability and anger of the Pearwood- haired youth again, and suddenly turned around and rushed towards the youth.

However, Faceless Ignis took a few steps, the young man's expression suddenly became nonchalant.

"Oh dear, oh dear, let your heart follow the path, and your heart's path will always be broad."

Then he shouted at the gray-haired girl:

Your turn!

Then the gray-haired girl clutched her chest again, her expression one of profound sorrow as she murmured to herself:

"It hurts! It hurts so much!"

Faceless Ignis: "???"

Faceless Ignis couldn't understand why the negative emotions around here were so abundant.

It's like there's a bunch of negative energy groups that keep appearing and disappearing suddenly, leaving him completely baffled!

It was as if a ghost was playing tricks on him!

And.

Faceless Ignis was completely unaware.

He could no longer feel the pain.

Because he was afflicted with the [Pain Shield] spell by Dekan.

The ground between Dekan and Morion was covered with sharp, poisonous spikes.

The Faceless Ignis's back-and-forth running is essentially like rolling a knife on this surface.

But Igner himself was completely unaware that his blood was already soaking the ground.

If this continues, even with his powerful self-healing abilities, he will eventually be worn down and die.

"What... are these two things?"

Elaine was completely stunned.

She never imagined that anyone would dare to treat an eighth-rank Jailer like a toy.

She felt like she was having a nightmare.

Those two guys in the distance were crying and laughing intermittently, like two lunatics.

Their masterful acting and morbid psychological state left Elaine speechless.

It turns out that you showed no fear whatsoever towards the Jailer.

You've even started self-hypnotizing, trying to control your emotions and have fun, haven't you?!

Although Elaine didn't know what those two great gods were.

But now she instinctively felt a chill run down her spine.

I just wanted to turn around and run away.

These two things, whether human, demon, other creature, or not even living beings...

They're all so cute!!