The scene was nothing short of uncanny.
Du Wei stood there, his wounds grotesque to behold. A gaping hole in his chest seemed to pierce straight through, yet blood flowed as if he felt no pain at all!
Staggering forward a few steps, he left the onlookers dumbfounded. Then, a griffin swooped down, its razor-sharp claws raking across him, sending him sprawling. Crimson blood sprayed outward…
"Master!"
Knight Robert's eyes blazed with fury. Throwing caution to the wind, he charged forward. But Du Wei, frail and small, clambered to his feet, swaying. And then—impossibly—he laughed. In such a dire moment, the eerie joy on his face sent chills through those around him.
The young noble raised his head, gazing at the griffins swarming the sky, and let out a booming laugh. "If this is your conjured dream, I've had my fill of it. Time to wake up!"
Robert surged to his side, his longsword flashing like a streak of light toward the nearest griffin. The loyal knight unleashed every ounce of his battle aura, pushing beyond his body's limits. His muscles bulged, veins pulsing as if blood might burst through his skin!
The sword, imbued with aura, sliced through the air, piercing the griffin's tough feathers and felling it from the sky!
Robert threw himself over Du Wei, shielding him with his body, his back exposed to the heavens…
"Robert," Du Wei gasped, still chuckling as blood trickled from his mouth. "Listen—we've been played. This is all fake." He pointed to his wounds, grinning. "Look at this. A normal man would've died long ago. But…"
Robert wasn't dim. He sensed the strangeness Du Wei pointed out. A frail boy like him, bearing such lethal wounds, yet still alive? Even a seasoned warrior would've been a corpse by now.
"My spirit is stronger than most," Du Wei said, catching his breath. "This dream can't fully cloud my mind. But I don't know how to break it… It's likely a mental spell—or an illusion technique."
"Illusion…" Robert pondered, then roared, "Solskjaer! Master Solskjaer!"
The magician, shielded by soldiers at the group's center, called back in response.
Robert rolled with Du Wei, dodging a griffin's dive. Claws tore into his back, shredding armor and leaving bloody gashes.
"Find a way!" Robert bellowed. "The master says we're caught in an illusion spell!"
Solskjaer, sweating profusely, was no true magician. His alchemical tricks mimicked magic, mostly fire-based. Mental spells? He barely knew the theory.
Robert scrambled back with Du Wei in his arms. Solskjaer shouted, "I've got nothing! To break an illusion… maybe if we kill these things, like we did the rhino and wolf earlier."
Robert cursed. "Useless! If we could do that, would we be here?!"
But Du Wei, cradled in his arms, gave a faint smile. "Robert, a question… I've heard every knight who cultivates battle aura has a vital weak point. Where's yours?"
Robert froze. Why would his master ask this now?
"Tell me," Du Wei urged softly. "I have an idea."
Every knight's vital point—their qimen—was a closely guarded secret. When channeling battle aura, a knight's strength could surge far beyond mortal limits, but that point remained their Achilles' heel. To reveal it was unthinkable!
Yet Robert glanced at his blood-soaked master and gritted his teeth. "It's… my chest, right side, below the fourth rib…"
Before he finished, a glint flashed in Du Wei's eyes. With sudden strength, the frail boy twisted free, snatching a dagger from Robert's thigh. In one swift motion, he plunged it toward Robert's chest!
Robert could've dodged, but as a loyal Rowling knight, he hesitated. This wasn't an enemy's strike—it was his master's!
His armor, already battered, offered no resistance. The cold blade sank into his flesh, just below the third rib on the right. Robert felt the icy steel bite into muscle…
The guards gaped as their master stabbed the knight!
Robert, stunned, stared at the boy inches away. How could the one he swore to protect turn on him? Yet Du Wei's eyes were calm, even reassuring.
"Trust me, Robert. I won't harm you. It's just a nightmare."
With a low murmur, Robert groaned, his resistance fading…
He closed his eyes and collapsed…
As cries of shock erupted, Du Wei rose slowly. The dagger in his hand seemed to drip with blood. The Rowling guards stared, aghast, but Du Wei only smiled, tossing the blade aside.
"The dream… is over."
The moment the dagger struck, the sky full of griffins let out a piercing wail! As if maddened, they dove toward Du Wei from all directions!
Their claws and beaks seemed poised to rip him apart!
Everyone shut their eyes, certain death had come.
But then, something strange happened.
The first griffin to reach Du Wei burst into countless motes of light… Then, every griffin froze midair! Their bodies cracked, radiant beams spilling from countless fissures…
With a whoosh…
The onlookers ducked, shielding their eyes from the blinding glow. Only Du Wei stood tall, head raised, sneering at the spectacle above.
One by one, the griffins dissolved into shimmering dust, scattering on the wind…
The evening sky turned to day under the dazzling light! Du Wei felt the very space around him twist—trees, grass, companions, the blood and bodies—all warping…
Then, with a bang, silence returned.
The forest was still the forest.
The sky, still the sky.
The distant mountains, unchanged.
The sunset, unmoved.
The blood-soaked ground was clean. The torn corpses were gone.
In their place lay men—Sir Spann and his soldiers, the "fallen" Rowling guards—all unconscious but alive.
Du Wei glanced at himself. The gruesome wounds had vanished.
Robert lay at his feet, unscathed. No battle wounds, no stab mark—nothing. His armor was intact, save for a faint scratch on the right, near the third rib, where Du Wei's dagger had struck. A frail boy with no martial skill couldn't pierce armor—just leave a mark.
Du Wei slapped Robert's face, rousing the knight.
Robert opened his eyes, seeing his master's gaze. Du Wei smiled. "Sorry, I had to do it. This was all an illusion, and you were its anchor. The griffins came from your memories, your fears. When I knocked you out in the dream, the illusion lost its source and collapsed."
The "stab" had only struck Robert in the dream.
The standing Rowling guards, bewildered, checked their bodies and comrades. They couldn't fathom how their young master had banished the beasts or healed their wounds. Even those torn apart were whole again, lying peacefully.
Only Rolynn bore real injuries.
Her hand wounds were true, from unleashing the Muen clan's secret art: the Demon-Breaking Domain. It shattered all magic, pulling her out of the illusion, so her wounds remained.
There was no time for explanations. Solskjaer, the only one with some grasp of what happened, wasn't much of a magician but knew theory well. He quickly applied potions to Rolynn's hands.
Du Wei retrieved the dagger, inspecting it. "Not a drop of blood, as expected."
He strode forward, and the others noticed a small shape wriggling in the grass ahead.
About the size of a large rat, it had pale green fur, blending seamlessly with the foliage—nearly invisible unless you looked closely.
As Du Wei approached, the creature squealed in panic. It tried to flee, rolling out of the grass, but Du Wei's dagger flew, pinning the ground before it. He stepped down hard…
Now they saw it clearly: a round, chubby thing, like a ball of green fur, with an oversized tail like a squirrel's. It was a squirrel, save for its eerie green coat!
And one more difference: a small, crystalline horn protruded from its forehead, not bone but sparkling like a gem.
Du Wei pinned its tail underfoot. The creature thrashed, squeaking "cheep-cheep!" It bared its teeth at him, and suddenly, its horn shot a beam of light, striking Du Wei…
The light hit, but caused no physical harm. Instead, Du Wei felt memories flood his mind, as if something rifled through his deepest thoughts…
Fear?
Yes, it dredged up his greatest terrors! Something was scanning his memories, unearthing fears from another world, sealed away. Du Wei shook his head fiercely…
He was enraged!
For the first time since arriving in this world, the cool smile vanished from his face. His expression twisted, eyes blazing with fury!
Glaring at the creature, he spoke in a chilling tone. "What, probing for my fears? You'll be disappointed."
He seized it, fingers clamping its neck, lifting it high. Leaning close, he whispered, "You read fears, so you understand me, don't you? Don't try your tricks on me. I do fear things, but what I fear isn't in this world! Your illusions are bound by this world's rules, aren't they? Too bad for you… I don't belong here!"
The creature writhed, its horn firing beam after beam, but its tiny, bean-like eyes filled with dread. Its magic—crafted to weave illusions—had no effect on him!
"Master!"
Solskjaer's excited voice broke through. The magician rushed to Du Wei's side, staring at the creature. Joy lit his face. "By the gods! A Terror Illusion Goblin! Records say they've been extinct for centuries! Look at that horn—a finger long! It's a juvenile, not even a hundred years old!"
Du Wei's voice was ice. "So, it's a magical beast? A 'goblin'? Rare, is it?"
Solskjaer's eyes gleamed with greed, his tongue darting over his lips. "The Terror Illusion Goblin weaves illusions from an enemy's fears. It's no mere beast like a Storm Demon Wolf—its intelligence is extraordinary! And… and…"
"And what?"
The magician's eyes shone. "Centuries ago, every magician coveted these. Kill one, take its horn, and carry it to ward off most mental spells! That horn's a prime material for top-tier magical defense artifacts!"
As if understanding, the goblin trembled harder at the talk of its death, struggling fiercely, its tiny eyes brimming with terror.
The Rowling guards gathered, while others roused the unconscious, including Sir Spann.
Du Wei eyed the creature, sneering. "Wards off mental spells? Quite the prize. How's it used? Just kill it and take the horn?"
Solskjaer practically drooled. "Yes! Exactly! Not just the horn—its fur's a rare alchemical ingredient, perfect for potions. I could use it to craft…"
Before he finished, a sharp whistle echoed from the distant hills. A fireball streaked into the sky, bursting—a signal from another search party, signaling trouble.
As the group turned, a light flashed from the direction of the signal. It soared toward them, landing with a blaze of emerald flames!
"Careful! That's advanced magic—Emerald Flame Shift!" Solskjaer warned, tense.
From the green fire stepped a figure, clad in a standard magician's robe, complete with a tall, pointed hat. The robe was golden, adorned with a gold clover badge at the chest!
Du Wei, well-versed in magical lore, recognized it instantly—a badge marking a grand magician!
In the continent, magicians were ranked from one to ten. Levels one to four were low-tier, four to eight mid-tier, and above eight were grand magicians. This gold clover badge placed its wearer among the elite—an eighth-level master, at least!
The figure, slight and shrouded in the golden robe, gleamed under the sunset. Their face was hidden by the hat's brim and a high collar, not a sliver of skin visible.
Though their face was concealed, Du Wei felt their gaze lock onto the Terror Illusion Goblin in his hand.
The sudden arrival of a high-level magician startled Du Wei and Solskjaer. Recalling the goblin's value, Du Wei wondered if this stranger coveted it…
"Who are you?!" Du Wei demanded, his voice steady.
Knight Robert, quick to react, signaled the Rowling guards to encircle Du Wei protectively.
After today's chaos, a powerful magician's appearance set Robert on edge. Friend or foe? Who could say?
"I am a knight of the Rowling House," Robert declared, stepping before Du Wei. "Honored Magician, state your purpose!"
He announced their allegiance first, hoping the Rowling name might give the stranger pause.
The magician remained silent, slowly raising a sleeve and removing the pointed hat, revealing their face.
Everyone froze in shock!
"S-s-sorry…" The voice was soft, almost timid, and heavily stuttered.
"I-I-I'm h-here f-for i-it…" A slender finger pointed at the goblin in Du Wei's hand.
This magician wasn't just soft-spoken—their appearance matched. Beneath the hat was a girl, her face flushed with shy embarrassment under the crowd's stares. Her delicate nose and small mouth contrasted with large, luminous eyes, brimming with a pleading look.
"S-s-sorry… I-it's m-my t-t-teacher's p-p-pet," she stammered, looking near tears. "I-I n-need t-to t-take it b-back. P-please, g-give it t-to m-me. I-if I d-don't, T-t-teacher w-will p-p-punish m-me."