The Paladin in the Abyss-Chapter 641 - 665: Mirage

Chapter 641 -665: Mirage

“There’s no road ahead!”

“Turn back! There’s no way through!”

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Shouts rose up intermittently from a few hundred feet ahead, stirring the crowd. Lancelot knew with a tap of his toe that this must be the work of demons, and thanks to yesterday’s warning, many others had the same thought, instinctively gripping their weapons.

“What nonsense are you talking!” Sonam roared back, annoyed, “Everyone shut up and stay put! Make way!”

The mercenaries moved to the sides of the road, clearing a path for the Serpent Demon General, and as a member of the personal guard, Lancelot’s squad followed Sonam forward. They soon discovered what had blocked their path: the previously flat road had turned into a large, muddy swamp, and two Tiflin mercenaries were at the edge of the swamp, struggling to pull a comrade who had sunk into the mire, while behind them, four mercenaries were pinning a cloaked human man to the ground. A Berserk Demon that seemed to be the leader was trying to aim his axe at the captive’s continually struggling head.

“Damn it, Faleg!” the six-armed Serpent Demon strode forward and heavily hammered the top of the Berserk Demon’s head with the hilt of his sword, “What are you doing?”

“Which bastard dares to…” the Berserk Demon leader turned around furiously, but his expression quickly changed to fear, as a sharp sword tip stopped less than half an inch from his nose, and five other longswords were gleaming coldly nearby, “…General…sorry…I didn’t know…”

“Watch your tongue, it might say something that could get you killed,” the six-armed Serpent Demon coldly withdrew his longsword, “Why are you executing this human?”

“This swamp has already swallowed three of my men and they’re pulling out the fourth,” the Berserk Demon named Faleg answered sullenly, “And this guy was part of the scout team. He told me just half an hour ago there were no obstructions ahead, no traps at all!”

“There were none half an hour ago!” the restrained human man shouted, “This must be a demon’s trick!”

“Nonsense, do you think I’m an idiot? My ass knows it’s Bartez’s trick!” the toad roared back at the captive, “But we proceeded because we relied on your words, so you deserve to die!”

“Enough, Faleg, let him go! We have paid him, and if he is to die, let it be at the hands of an enemy, not as your venting tool!” Sonam again smashed the hilt of her sword on the Berserk Demon’s head, “Can’t you idiots see that it’s just an illusion?”

“An illusion?” The Berserk Demon gave a hurt look, “But General, the swamp…”

Sonam didn’t reply but simply continued walking forward. Strangely, although the swamp’s mud wrapped around her serpent body, it didn’t sink any further, and Sonam’s movement seemed completely unaffected. She walked merely five or six feet forward, then bent down and picked up three bodies from the mud, and then effortlessly walked back with them.

“See? The swamp doesn’t exist at all, it was just your hallucination!” the six-armed Serpent Demon threw the bodies towards the surrounding crowd, “Give them a good slap, these idiots thought their noses and mouths were stuffed with mud!”

Naturally, many were eager to help with that, and moments later, three bruised and swollen individuals walked up to Sonam, thanking her for saving their lives.

“…Hmph.”

The Six-Armed Serpent Demon emitted a short nasal sound, acknowledging the thanks he had heard, while a mercenary bravely started walking into the swamp. However, they had only taken a few steps into the swamp when an accident happened again; their feet began to sink, causing them to shout in terror. Fortunately, those who were watchful had their guards up and stretched out hands (or spear tips) to pull them back from the swamp.

“This is indeed an illusion,” commented Alamir, standing next to Lancelot. “Notice those who were pulled out—the mud on their bodies disappeared as soon as they left the swamp’s boundary.”

“What kind of illusion can achieve this extent?” Bruto stared intently at the muddy area ahead. “Even if you tell me it’s fake, I still can’t see any anomalies… and those people actually sank into it, just like a real swamp…”

“I can’t see it either,” admitted the Elf Priest generously. “That indicates it’s a very high-level illusion. I’ve heard that some mages who specialize in illusions can do this. For example, if there’s a river ahead, they can conjure an illusion of a bridge. As long as the spell lasts, people can cross the bridge to the opposite bank as if it were a real bridge.”

“Then why can the Six-Armed Serpent Demon walk in there just fine?”

“Because the Six-Armed Serpent Demon, like other High Rank Demons, possesses the True Sight that sees through magical disguises,” shrugged Alamir. “And for those who cannot do this, even if they clearly know it’s fake, any slight doubt will subconsciously make them look for evidence that it’s real, because we always tend to believe our eyes.”

“I see…” Bruto turned to look at Lancelot. “Big brother, can you tell it’s fake?”

Lancelot did not speak but simply nodded slightly. Although he could confirm it was an illusion by sensing the spiritual energy, he had no idea how to dispel it. Just then, two figures resembling Succubi, dressed in tight red and black robes, squeezed their way from the back, bowing simultaneously to Sonam, and said:

“General, did you summon us?”

“Kels, Anasema, it’s time for you to be of use,” the Six-Armed Serpent Demon pointed towards the swamp ahead. “Dispel the illusion that covers this area.”

“Illusion? I didn’t notice…” one of the Devilspawn began, but she was immediately interrupted by her companion’s surprised exclamation, “By the God of Disabilities, this is a Seventh Circle illusion—mirage!”

“I don’t care if it’s the Seventh Circle or Seventy Circles of spells,” the tail of the Six-Armed Serpent Demon slapped the ground impatiently, “My question is can you dispel it!”

“This is beyond our casting capabilities…” the first Devilspawn hesitated as she glanced at the swamp created by the illusion, “but we can try. You must understand, this won’t be easy, and it will require a bit of luck…”

“So what were you two up to, sleeping with five squads late into the night? Wasn’t that supposed to make your magic more powerful?” Sonam’s tone was bitter. “Dispel this damned illusion, or I will personally sew up that slit between your legs!!”