[Chapter 7 Comment]
[SnowApathie: How much power upgrade are we talking about (the toon demon) because he is clearly weaker than you thus shouldn't make it that much more powerful or is it just linked to the origin of the toon demon's power which this doesn't rely that much on the demon's original power?]
[Xinhuan: This 2 way communication will be absurdly beneficial for Theo, since we can remember details from earlier Theo might have forgotten. This will put a higher burden on the author to not have loopholes.]
"Hmm? There are two comments?" Theo was startled. He had assumed there would only be one comment per chapter, but it seemed that wasn't the case. "Does the author have a rule or requirement for these comments? Or is there a limit to how many comments can be included?"
In response to SnowApathie's question, Theo replied, "Yes, my power in this reality is limited by the previous Theo's power. While I have superior control over the Toon Demon's illusion ability, I still rely on the demon to provide the source of that power. If I had a different demon, I wouldn't be able to use my illusion ability."
Regarding Xinhuan's comment, Theo agreed, "Indeed, that's why I said the author is going to regret giving me this power. Of course, since the author dares to attempt something like this, they must have some plans ready. So, we'll see which one of us is stronger."
"Still..." Theo looked down, feeling a bit disappointed. "Since no one mentioned the cliffhanger, it seems that I failed in my first attempt at controlling it. I don't know if you realized it, but I paused a moment before explaining how to choose the students. I thought it would be the end of the chapter, but apparently, it wasn't."
He grinned mischievously. "But fear not, I'm determined to master the art of cliffhangers, plot armor, and time skips. I want to show the author that I'm the one in control of these powers, not him. And for that, I'll need your help. Thank you in advance."
Theo had been experimenting with manipulating the flow of time within the novel. He had successfully executed a time skip to progress the story. He realized that it would be too boring if he repeated his lesson, so the author had no choice but to progress the story with a time skip.
He had tricked his students and deducted their points over the past week to select the four students for the mission. Even Li Wei, Serena, and Mia, who initially avoided being tricked, eventually succumbed to his plan and had their points deducted.
The chosen students were Mia Griffith, Lancelot Drakeheart, Aurora Faewillow, and Serena Nightshade. However, it seemed that the selection of Aurora and Lancelot was not solely based on their own efforts.
Theo had his own reasons for including Mia, as there was a possibility of another assassination attempt on her. He wanted her to stay close for protection. To make it fair for the other students, he planned to bring only Mia on the first trip, while other opportunities would rely on her own abilities.
"These four will accompany me on the mission. I have prepared materials for the rest of you to study over the next two days. You will be responsible for self-study, and you can ask me any questions when we return. I will select three students who have shown serious dedication to their studies and give them bonus points. Keep that in mind," Theo informed the class before preparing for the mission.…
The next day arrived, and they had reached the beach of Iluma Island, having traveled there by a local boat. Standing on the beach was a muscular man wearing a military uniform who seemed to have been waiting for a while. As soon as he spotted Theo, he approached and extended his hand.
"Mr. Theodore Griffith, it's a pleasure to have you with us," the man greeted.
"I apologize for keeping the military waiting. We can't skip the procedure, after all," Theo replied with a smile.
"It's not a problem. We're here to protect the civilians and consider the future. The students will be the next generation responsible for safeguarding the future. I am Sergeant Anderson, in charge of this operation. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to talk to me."
"In that case, can you provide information about the location, terrain, and the enemy?" Theo asked, motioning to the students. "Listen to him."
The four students immediately stopped and directed their attention to Anderson. Anderson was slightly surprised as he thought Theo was teaching them in the same way as the army. Nevertheless, since Theo requested information, he began to explain.
"There is a cliff on the other side of this island. Behind that cliff, you will find a cave where the spiders build their nest. According to our investigation, no civilians have been harmed, which is why we could wait this long. However, there have been sightings of multiple smaller spiders. We haven't determined their exact number, but you should expect more than thirty smaller spiders along with their queen."
"In the cave, there won't be any light, so we are prepared to lend you our night vision or heat trackers. The enemies are Earth Spiders, capable of covering their skin with a layer of rock, making them difficult to kill. If needed, we can also provide grenades and rocket launchers. Those should be enough to eliminate them."
"Thank you," Theo nodded before turning to his students. "That's the information. What are your plans?"
The students didn't answer immediately, as someone without experience might. They carefully contemplated before sharing their opinions.
"Teacher, I can ask the spirits to lend us their vision, allowing us to see in the dark. So, there's no need for equipment."
"How about your Essence Consumption?" Theo asked.
"I should be able to manage. Besides, since it's a cave, I will probably have trouble moving around. So, I'll mainly support the group from behind."
"In that case, I'll be the vanguard," Lancelot added.
"I am a witch who focuses on potions. I have a potion for increasing one's strength or even removing many types of poison. So, I'll remain in the middle, connecting Lancelot and Aurora," Serena smiled, understanding her role.
"I'll be the scout then!" Mia smirked.
"Will you be fine as a scout? You're an illusionist, right?"
"Don't worry about it. I've learned a lot from my dad. I can be a vanguard, an illusionist, a support, or whatever you name it." Mia waved her hand, treating it as nothing big.
"Are you sure they're going to be fine? I can understand these three young people, but isn't that girl a kid?" Anderson whispered to Theo.
"I'll be following them, so it should be fine." Theo pointed at Anderson's finger before the latter suddenly felt a sharp pain. "Ouch!"
Anderson was bewildered and hurriedly looked at his finger before the pain disappeared.
"That's just an illusion." Theo patted Anderson's shoulder. "One with body and mind. If you believe that you die in my illusion, then you might probably die in reality."
"..." Anderson understood why he was confident. He then said, "In that case, my squad will be supporting you. If you have any requests, please don't hesitate to ask."
"I want you to split your squad into two. The first squad will protect the villagers while the second squad will stand by on top of the cliff. Kill all the spiders that manage to escape."
"Understood." Anderson acknowledged the request. As a military person, he would probably do something a bit different due to their conduct, but he would surely fulfill Theo's request.
Theo then warned the students, "Remember. We are here on a mission, not a vacation. Since the sun is about to set, we'll rest for tonight and condition ourselves for the raid tomorrow morning."
"But teacher, can't we just do it now? I mean, you will be able to see in the dark with my help," Aurora asked while tilting her head. "And since they have survived for a few days, I'm pretty sure that the tide won't be a problem."
"Not at all. Earth Spider is more active during the night, so it's better to fight them during the day," Theo explained while adding inwardly, 'Yes, the tide shouldn't be a problem if we are not within a novel. I'm sure that the author is going to make trouble appear out of nowhere, and the tide is one of them. I'm not going to let the author create a problem as he likes.'
Theo had learned a lot about the clichés that would happen in web novels after all. He knew that an author would most likely create unnecessary problems just to create tension. He wouldn't allow it... or so he thought.
[Chapter 8 Comments.]