[Fear Illusion Demon]

Chapter 22: Fear Illusion Demon

The scene was truly bizarre.

Du Wei stood there just like that. The injuries on his body looked horrifying—a huge bloody hole in his chest that seemed to run clean through from front to back—yet blood streamed from it as though he felt nothing at all!

Just like that, Du Wei staggered forward a few steps. As everyone stared in dumbfounded disbelief, another griffin swooped down and knocked him to the ground. Its sharp claws raked across him, and crimson blood immediately sprayed out...

"Master!"

Robert's eyes went red. He charged forward without regard for anything else, but Du Wei's small body had already climbed back up on its own. He swayed once, and he seemed to be smiling... At a time like this, Du Wei actually wore a delighted smile on his face. The sheer strangeness of it sent an indescribable chill through everyone around him!

The young boy raised his head. Looking at the griffins wheeling through the sky, he suddenly burst into laughter. "If this is a dream you created, then I've dreamed more than enough. If possible, let the dream end!"

Robert rushed forward. The longsword in his hand turned into a streak of light and shot toward the griffin closest to Du Wei. This loyal knight unleashed every last bit of his battle aura without holding anything back. The violent aura even exceeded what his body could withstand. His tall frame swelled, every muscle bulging as though blood might seep through his skin!

The aura-wreathed sword tore through the air, actually piercing the griffin's hard feathers and knocking one griffin out of the sky!

Robert threw himself over Du Wei, hugging him tightly and exposing his own back to the sky...

"Robert." Du Wei panted in his arms. He smiled as blood flowed from his mouth. "Listen, we've been played. None of this is real." He pointed at the wounds on his body and smiled. "Look. With wounds like these, an ordinary person would have died long ago. But..."

Robert was no fool. He too had noticed that something was wrong. Du Wei had made him realize it... Such a frail boy had suffered fatal wounds, yet he had not died! Even a strong warrior would probably have become a corpse long ago with injuries like these.

"My mental strength is stronger than most people's, so the dream created by the other side can't completely deceive me." Du Wei caught his breath. "Unfortunately, I don't know how to break this dream... It may be a type of mental magic, or perhaps an illusion."

"An illusion..." Robert thought for a moment, then shouted, "Solskja! Mr. Solskja!"

The mage, protected at the very center by the soldiers, answered when he heard the call.

Robert hugged Du Wei tightly and rolled away, dodging a griffin's attack from above. Several more wounds appeared on his back; even his armor had been torn apart, leaving a mangled mess of flesh and blood.

"Think of something! Master says we've been hit by illusion magic!" Robert shouted.

Solskja was drenched in sweat. After all, he was not a real mage, and the magic he had opportunistically imitated through potion-making was limited to the fire element. He had little knowledge of mental magic.

Robert had already carried Du Wei back at a run. Solskja shouted, "I have no other way to break the illusion... I think that if we can kill all these things, it might work. Just like when we killed that rhinoceros and that magic wolf earlier."

Robert could not help cursing, "Nonsense! If we had that kind of ability, would we need you to say it?!"

Yet Du Wei suddenly smiled in his arms and said softly, "Robert, let me ask you something... I've heard that every knight in the Empire who cultivates battle aura has a weak point in his aura channels. Where is yours?"

"..." Robert froze. He had not expected his master to ask such a question at a time like this.

"Tell me quickly." Du Wei said quietly. "I have an idea."

Every knight who cultivated battle aura had a weak point in his aura channels. When a knight wielded battle aura, the power in his body could erupt to several times beyond the limits of flesh and blood, perhaps even more. But those weak points were the most precious secrets of every knight! How could they be revealed so easily?

But Robert lowered his head and looked at his master. At the sight of him covered in blood, Robert's heart trembled. Gritting his teeth, he said, "It's at my... right chest, beneath the fourth rib..."

The moment the words left his mouth, a strange light flashed in Du Wei's eyes! No one knew where this weakened boy found the strength, but he suddenly rolled away, struggling out of Robert's arms. He swiftly pulled out a dagger strapped to the knight's leg and thrust it straight into Robert's chest!

Robert could originally have dodged the blow, but as a loyal family knight, a loyal retainer of the Roland Family, he hesitated for an instant. After all, this attack had not come from an enemy—it had come from... his own master!

The armor over his chest had already been shredded in the earlier battle. The cold dagger stabbed in beside the third rib beneath Robert's right chest! Robert could even feel the strange sensation of the icy blade sinking into his muscles...

Everyone saw their master suddenly draw a dagger and plunge it into the knight's body, and all of them froze!

Robert was the most shocked of all. The knight stared in astonishment at his young master so close before him. He could not imagine that the one he had loyally protected would strike at him at such a moment! Yet Du Wei's gaze was calm, even carrying a trace of reassurance.

"Don't worry, Robert. I won't hurt you. It's only a nightmare."

At Du Wei's low words, Robert let out a muffled groan. His body went limp as he abandoned the resistance in his heart...

Robert closed his eyes and fell...

Just as everyone cried out in alarm, Du Wei slowly rose to his feet. The dagger in his hand seemed to still be dripping blood. While all the Roland guards stared at him in astonishment, Du Wei merely smiled. He tossed away the dagger and said with a faint smile:

"The dream is over!"

The griffins filling the sky suddenly all let out shrill howls the instant Du Wei's dagger pierced the knight's chest! Then, as though driven mad, countless griffins lunged at Du Wei from every direction at once!

Those sharp claws and fangs seemed poised to tear young Du Wei into pieces!

Everyone shut their eyes. They all believed that this time, every one of them was doomed!

But at that very moment, something strange happened.

The first griffin to pounce before Du Wei suddenly erupted with countless motes of light... Then every griffin froze stiff in midair! Their bodies seemed to instantly split open with countless cracks, and dazzling light burst from every one of them...

At last, with a whoosh...

Amid the boundless light, everyone could not help lowering their heads, seemingly afraid to look directly at it. Only Du Wei stood straight, head held high as he watched the strange sight in the sky, a cold smile still on his face...

One griffin after another gradually shattered and melted in the light, turning into countless specks of luminous dust that scattered away with the wind...

The evening sky seemed to turn into broad daylight within that blaze! Du Wei could even feel the space around him—yes, the entire space itself—twisting. The surrounding trees, the undergrowth, his companions, and the corpses and blood on the ground were all twisting...

Finally, with a bang, everything fell silent again...

The woods were still these woods.

The sky was still this sky.

The distant mountains were still these distant mountains.

The setting sun was still this setting sun.

But the blood covering the ground had vanished. The corpses that had been torn into countless pieces had vanished.

In their place lay people sprawled every which way across the ground: Knight Span and his subordinates, as well as the Rowling Family guards who had "died" in battle just moments ago. All of them had their eyes closed, but one thing was certain—they were alive.

They had merely all fallen unconscious.

Du Wei looked down at himself. Those bloody, mangled wounds had long since vanished without a trace.

Robert lay at his feet... What was surprising was that this knight did not have a single wound on him either!

Whether the injuries from the battle just now, or the wound from when Du Wei had stabbed him in the chest... all of them were gone!

His armor was completely intact. The only visible mark was a scratch on the right side of his chest, roughly at the third rib. That was exactly where Du Wei had stabbed him with the dagger earlier. But how could a frail youth with no martial skills possibly pierce armor? At most, he could only leave a slight mark on it.

Du Wei slapped Robert hard across the face, waking the sleeping knight.

Robert opened his eyes and saw his master looking at him. Then Du Wei smiled. "Sorry, I had no choice but to do that just now... because this was all an illusion, and you were the source of it. All those griffins were created from memories of the terrible things you had experienced; the enemy had used the fantasies in your heart to create them... So I could only knock you out in the dream first. Once you passed out, the enemy's illusion lost its source and naturally disappeared."

As for that stab Du Wei had given Robert just now... it had only wounded him within the dream.

The remaining Rowling Family guards who were still standing all stared in shock at their own bodies and at their companions around them. They could not understand what strange method their young master had used to make those terrifying Magic Beasts disappear... nor why the wounds on their own bodies had vanished as well.

Even those companions who had already died—even those who had been torn apart and killed miserably—lay on the ground completely unharmed.

The only person still injured was the female knight, Ruolin.

The wound on Ruolin's hand was real! What she had used just now was a secret art of the Muen Tribe... the Anti-Magic Domain.

Her secret art dispelled all magic. When she used it, she had in fact stepped outside the illusion, so her injury was "real."

There was no time for much explanation. The only person present who understood something of what had happened was Solskja, the mage. Though his magical abilities were nothing special, his grasp of magical theory was exceedingly broad. He immediately took out several potions and applied them to the unconscious female knight's hand.

Du Wei picked up the dagger from the ground and glanced at it. "Just as I thought—not even a drop of blood."

Holding the dagger, he walked forward. Only then did everyone notice that, in the grass ahead of them, something small seemed to be slowly wriggling.

It was a creature about the size of a large rat. Its fur was pale green, making it truly difficult to spot with the naked eye among the grass... unless one looked carefully.

Du Wei's approach made the little creature immediately let out a terrified cry, but it moved very slowly. When it rolled out of the grass and tried to flee, the dagger in Du Wei's hand shot out like lightning and embedded itself in the ground before it. Du Wei stepped forward and brought his foot down...

Only then did everyone see the creature clearly. It was round and plump all over; beneath its green fur was a body like a lump of flesh, yet it had an enormous tail... like a squirrel's.

In fact, it looked almost exactly like a squirrel—except that its fur was an eerie green!

There was one more difference: a tiny pointed horn protruded from its forehead. Unlike the bony horns of other animals, this one glittered brilliantly, as though it were some kind of crystal.

Du Wei had stepped on its tail. The little creature struggled a few times and let out shrill chirps. It bared its teeth at Du Wei and screeched, then suddenly a beam of light shot from the horn on its head and struck Du Wei...

The light hit Du Wei, yet caused him no physical harm. Instead, countless memories suddenly welled up within him, as if his mind were rapidly recalling many things...

Fear?

Yes. It was as though he had remembered the things he feared most in his life!

As though something were scanning his memories, sealed-away memories—terrifying memories that did not belong to this world—were being turned over one by one within his heart. Du Wei shook his head fiercely...

He was enraged!

Ever since arriving in this world, Du Wei had seemed to always wear a faint, indifferent smile. But now his face was savage, and fury flickered in his eyes!

Du Wei looked coldly at the little creature. Then he bent down and said in a chilling voice, "What, are you searching for the things I fear in my heart...? Then I'm afraid you'll be disappointed!"

Reaching out, Du Wei grabbed the little creature. His fingers clamped tightly around its neck as he lifted it up. Then Du Wei leaned close and whispered, "You can read the fear in people's hearts, so you should understand what I'm saying, right? Let me tell you... don't think you can use those tricks on me... I may have fears in my heart, but what I fear does not exist in this world! The dreams you can create should be limited to things governed by this world's rules, right...? Then I'm sorry, because I... do not belong to this world at all!"

The little creature struggled desperately. Beams of light kept shooting from the horn on its forehead and striking Du Wei, but terror and despair finally appeared in its tiny eyes... because that light was the magic it used to create illusions, yet it was completely ineffective against the person before it!

"Master..."

Just as Du Wei's anger flared, the mage's delighted voice came from behind him.

Solskja hurried to Du Wei's side. He stared intently at the little creature Du Wei held for a long while, then cried out joyfully, "My heavens! This is a Fear Illusion Demon!! According to the records, hadn't these things already gone extinct hundreds of years ago?! Heavens, look at the horn on its forehead—it's already a finger's length! This little thing is still a juvenile Illusion Demon. It should be less than a hundred years old!"

Du Wei's voice was cold. "What, is it a Magic Beast too? An Illusion Demon? Is it rare?"

A trace of greed appeared uncontrollably on Solskja's face. Licking his lips, he said, "These Fear Illusion Demons can use the fear in an enemy's heart to create illusions against them. They are Magic Beasts with extraordinary intelligence, nothing like ordinary magic wolves and the like! And besides, besides..."

"Besides what?"

The mage's eyes gleamed. "Hundreds of years ago, this thing was a treasure every mage dreamed of possessing! As long as you caught one, killed it, dug out the horn on its forehead, and carried it on you, you could become immune to most mind-affecting magic! Its horn is material for crafting top-tier magical defensive items!"

As though it understood the mage's words, the Fear Illusion Demon heard him say that they would kill it and take its horn. Its fat body immediately began trembling violently, and it struggled with greater and greater force. Its pair of tiny, bean-sized eyes were filled with terror.

At this point, most of the Rowling Family guards behind them had gathered around. The others were busy waking their companions scattered unconscious across the ground; even Knight Span had been shaken awake.

Du Wei looked at the little creature in his hand and sneered. "Immunity to most mind-affecting magic? It truly is something precious... How is this thing used? Just kill it and remove its horn?"

The mage was practically drooling. "Yes! That's right! Not only its horn—even its fur is precious magical material, and a valuable ingredient in potion-making! I can use its fur to create—"

Before Solskja could finish, a shrill whistle sounded from the distant mountain. Immediately afterward, a fireball streaked into the sky like a meteor and exploded. It was a signal from another search party, which seemed to have encountered something.

In the moment everyone froze, they saw a flash of light suddenly streak across the distant sky beyond the woods—the very location where the other search party had launched its fire signal!

That light flew through the air and landed directly before them! A mass of emerald-green flame materialized on the ground, and then a person stepped out from within the fire!

"Careful! That's the high-level spell Emerald Flame Teleport!" Solskja said nervously.

The person who emerged from the green flames wore a standard mage's robe and a tall, pointed hat. His robe was actually golden! Pinned to his chest was a golden three-leaf clover emblem!

Having become quite familiar with basic magical knowledge, Du Wei recognized it at once in astonishment. It was unmistakably an emblem signifying the status of a "Grand Mage"!

Mages on the continent were divided into ten ranks. Those below the fourth rank were low-level mages; ranks four through eight were generally called intermediate mages; and those above the eighth rank were known as "Grand Mages."

And this gold three-leaf mugwort badge indicated that this mage stood among the upper ranks of mages across the entire continent! This fellow was at least an eighth-level mage!

His somewhat short body was completely swathed in golden robes. Under the setting sun, he looked incomparably magnificent. The mage's face, too, was wholly hidden beneath a pointed hat, with even his high collar covering it. Not a sliver of skin was exposed anywhere on his body.

Though he could not see the other man's face, Du Wei clearly sensed that the man's gaze had fallen upon the little Fear Illusion Demon clutched in his hand!

The sudden appearance of a high-level mage startled both Du Wei and Solskja. Recalling what Solskja had said about the value of this tiny Fear Illusion Demon, Du Wei naturally wondered whether the other party had set his sights on it...

"Who goes there!" Du Wei demanded, his face dark.

Robert reacted swiftly. With a wave of his hand, the many Roland Family guards immediately surrounded Du Wei protectively.

Too much had already happened today! The sudden emergence of a powerful high-level mage put Robert on edge... whether this person was friend or foe, who could say!

"I am a knight of the Roland Family. Honored Mage, please state your purpose!" Robert stepped in front of Du Wei and spoke first.

He had first declared their identity before questioning the other party; this was the most thorough precaution he could take. Hopefully, the Roland Family name would make the other party somewhat wary as well.

The mage did not speak. He first raised a wide sleeve, then gently removed his pointed hat, revealing his appearance.

At once, everyone was dumbfounded!!

"Y-y-y-y-you're w-w-w-welcome..." The mage's voice was soft and sweet, even carrying a trace of nervousness and timidity... Most importantly, this mage had a terrible stutter!

"I-I-I came to f-f-f-find it..." A slender finger lifted, pointing directly at the Fear Illusion Demon in Du Wei's hand.

Not only was this mage's voice soft and gentle, her appearance was as well. After taking off her hat, this high-level mage wearing the continent's gold three-leaf mugwort badge turned out to be a young girl, her face still carrying a shy expression! A faint blush colored her round cheeks, as though she were embarrassed beneath everyone's watchful eyes. Her nose and mouth were both delicate and small, while her eyes were large and bright—yet within those beautiful eyes was a trace of pleading.

"S-s-s-sorry... i-i-it's my t-t-teacher's p-p-pet. I-I-I came to t-t-take it b-b-back..." The more nervous she became, the worse the female mage's stutter grew. She looked as though she were about to cry from anxiety. "C-c-could you r-r-return it to me? I-I-I... if I d-d-don't take it back, m-m-my teacher will p-p-punish me."