The scene was indeed eerie.
There stood Duwei, his injuries appearing gruesome; a gaping wound on his chest seemed almost to pierce through from front to back, yet the blood flowed as if he felt no pain at all.
Duwei staggered a few steps, much to the astonishment of those around him. Another griffin lunged towards him, knocking him to the ground, its sharp claws leaving a gash that sprayed crimson blood.
"Master!"
Robert's eyes reddened as he rushed forward, disregarding all else. But Duwei, despite his small frame, managed to rise to his feet. He seemed to be smiling... A smile in such a moment seemed incomprehensible, lending an eerie atmosphere to the scene.
The young boy lifted his head, watching the griffins swirling in the sky, and laughed. "If this is your creation, your dream, then I've had enough dreaming. If you can, let me wake up!"
Robert charged forward, his sword blazing towards the nearest griffin, his loyal heart pouring forth all of his strength. The intensity of his aura surpassed even the limits of his own body, every muscle on his sturdy frame bulging as if about to burst.
With a surge of energy, Robert's sword sliced through the air, piercing the griffin's sturdy feathers and bringing it crashing down from the sky.
Throwing himself over Duwei, Robert embraced him tightly, exposing his own back to the sky.
"Robert," Duwei gasped, blood trickling from his lips, a strange smile still on his face. "Listen, we've been deceived. None of this is real." He gestured to his wounds. "Look at these injuries. A normal person would have died long ago. But..."
Robert wasn't a fool; he sensed that something was amiss. The feeling Duwei conveyed to him... A frail boy like this, sustaining such fatal wounds, yet still alive! Even a strong warrior would have become a corpse under such injuries.
"My mental strength is stronger than average, so the illusions created by the enemy couldn't completely deceive me," Duwei explained, taking a breath. "Unfortunately, I don't know how to dispel this illusion... It might be a form of mental magic or an illusion spell."
"Illusion..." Robert pondered for a moment before shouting, "Solzkyar! Mr. Solzkyar!"
The magician, protected by soldiers at the innermost circle, responded to the call.
Robert rolled away with all his strength, shielding Duwei from the attack of a swooping griffin. His back now bore several more wounds, and even his armor was torn apart, flesh and blood mangled.
"Think of a way! Master says it's a kind of illusion magic!" Robert yelled.
Solzkyar, sweating profusely, was no true magician. His expertise lay primarily in fire-based spells, and he had limited knowledge of mental magic.
Robert hurried back with Duwei in his arms. Solzkyar exclaimed, "I don't have any other ideas to dispel the illusion... but maybe if we eliminate these creatures, it might work. Just like when we defeated that rhinoceros and that magic wolf earlier."
Robert couldn't hold back his frustration. "Nonsense! If we had that ability, would we still be in this mess?"
Duwei, in Robert's arms, suddenly smiled and whispered, "Robert, let me ask you a question... It's said that every knight who practices combat aura has a weak point in their aura gates. Where's yours?"
Robert was taken aback. He hadn't expected his master to ask such a question at this moment.
"Quickly, tell me," Duwei whispered. "I might have a solution."
Every combat aura practitioner had their own weak point in their aura gates. When a knight used combat aura, their body's strength could explode several times beyond its limits. But one's weak point was the most precious secret for every knight. How could it be easily revealed?
But when Robert glanced at his master, covered in blood, his heart trembled. With a grimace, he said, "It's on my... right side of the chest, below the fourth rib..."
Before he could finish, Duwei's eyes lit up with a strange gleam. Despite his weak appearance, the boy found a burst of strength, wriggling out of Robert's embrace. He swiftly drew a dagger strapped to his leg, then aimed it straight at Robert's chest!
Robert could have evaded this attack, but as a loyal knight of the Roland family, he hesitated for a moment. After all, this strike wasn't from an enemy, but from... his own master!
His chest armor had already been torn apart in the previous battle, and the cold blade of the dagger pierced into Robert's right side, just below the third rib. Robert could even feel the chilling sensation of the dagger piercing through his muscles...
Everyone, including Robert, was stunned. The knight stared in disbelief at his master, who was now so close. He never expected his faithfully protected charge to turn against him at such a moment. Yet Duwei's eyes were calm, even carrying a hint of reassurance.
"Don't worry, Robert. I won't harm you. It's just a nightmare," Duwei said in a deep, steady voice. Robert grunted as his body weakened, surrendering to the inner resistance...
Robert closed his eyes and fell backward...
As the crowd gasped in shock, Duwei rose slowly. The dagger in his hand seemed to still drip with blood. All the Roland family guards stared at him in astonishment, but Duwei smiled. He dropped the dagger and smiled faintly.
"The nightmare is over!"
As Duwei's dagger plunged into the knight's chest, all the griffins in the sky suddenly let out a piercing cry! Then, as if going mad, countless griffins from all directions lunged at Duwei simultaneously!
Their sharp claws seemed poised to tear the young Duwei into pieces!
Everyone closed their eyes, thinking that this time, they were all doomed!
But then, something strange happened.
The first griffin to reach Duwei suddenly exploded into countless points of light... Then, all the griffins froze in midair! Their bodies seemed to crack open with countless fissures, each emitting a dazzling light...
Finally, with a whoosh...
Amidst the countless points of light, everyone couldn't help but lower their heads, seemingly afraid to gaze upon those lights. Only Duwei stood tall, head held high, watching the phenomenon in the sky with a cold smirk on his face...
One by one, the bodies of the griffins gradually disintegrated and melted into countless fine particles, dispersing with the wind...
The evening sky seemed to turn into daylight within this radiant glow! Duwei could even sense the space around him, yes, the entire space, distorting. The surrounding trees, bushes, companions, and even the bodies and blood on the ground—all seemed to twist...
Finally, with a bang, everything fell silent...
The forest remained, as it was before.
The sky remained, unchanged.
The distant mountains were still there.
The sunset remained, unchanged.
But the blood on the ground had disappeared. The bodies torn into countless pieces had vanished.
In their place lay people sprawled all over the ground—Sir Span and his men, the Roland family guards who were believed to have "fallen in battle." They all lay there with closed eyes, but it was certain—they were all alive.
However, they were all unconscious.
Duwei looked at himself, finding that the bloody wounds on his body had vanished without a trace.
Robert lay at his feet... Surprisingly, the knight had no injuries either!
Neither the wounds from the battle nor the one Duwei inflicted by stabbing him in the chest remained!
His armor was intact, with only one visible mark—a scratch on the right side of his chest plate, around the third rib. That was where Duwei had stabbed him earlier. Yet how could a slender, unskilled young man penetrate the armor? At most, it left a mark on the surface.
Duwei gently slapped Robert's face, waking the sleeping knight.
Robert opened his eyes and saw his master looking at him. Duwei smiled and said, "I'm sorry, I had to do that... because all of this is just an illusion, and you are the source of this illusion. The griffins were created based on the memories of your past terrifying experiences. So, I had to knock you out in the dream first. Once you were unconscious, the illusion lost its source and naturally disappeared."
As for the stab Duwei made to Robert earlier... it was just a wound inflicted within the dream.
The remaining Roland family guards standing at the scene also looked at their bodies and their companions in astonishment. They couldn't understand what strange method their young master had used to make those terrifying monsters disappear... and how their own injuries had vanished.
Even the companions who had died, or those whose bodies had been torn apart, now lay perfectly unharmed on the ground.
The only one with injuries was the female knight, Rolin.
Rolin's injuries were real! She had used the secret technique of the Muen tribe... the Demonic Break domain.
In her technique, she could dispel all magic. When she used this technique, she had actually stepped out of the illusion, so her injuries were "real."
There was no time to explain much more. The only one who seemed to understand somewhat was Solzkyar, the magician. Although his magical abilities were not exceptional, his knowledge of magical theory was extensive. He immediately took out various potions to apply to the unconscious female knight's injuries.
Duwei picked up the dagger from the ground and examined it. "Indeed, not even a drop of blood," he remarked.
He then walked forward, and it was at this moment that everyone noticed something moving slowly in a nearby thicket.
It was a creature about the size of a large rat, with light green fur that made it difficult to spot in the bushes... unless you looked closely.
As Duwei approached, the small creature let out a frightened cry, but its movements were sluggish. When it tried to roll out of the thicket to escape, Duwei swiftly threw the dagger, pinning it to the ground. With one step, Duwei stomped on it.
The crowd finally saw clearly what this small creature was. It had a round, chubby body covered in green fur, resembling a meatball, but with a large tail like a squirrel.
In fact, its appearance was almost identical to that of a squirrel—except for its eerie green fur!
Additionally, protruding from its forehead was a small, pointed horn. Unlike the bony horns of other animals, this horn was shiny and crystalline.
Duwei stepped on its tail, causing the creature to struggle and emit squeaky cries. It bared its teeth at Duwei and suddenly, a beam of light shot from the horn on its head, aiming at Duwei...
Duwei was struck by the light but felt no harm. Instead, he suddenly felt countless memories flooding his mind, recalling his deepest fears.
Fear?
Yes, it was like remembering the most terrifying things in his life!
As if sensing something scanning his memories, the long-buried, otherworldly, terrifying memories were dredged up one by one. Duwei shook his head vigorously...
He was enraged!
Since coming to this world, Duwei, always wearing a faint smile on his face, now wore a fierce expression. His eyes burned with anger!
Duwei glared coldly at the small creature, then bent down, and in a deep voice said, "Are you searching for my inner fears? Well, you're going to be disappointed! You may be able to read others' inner fears, but listen to me... Don't even think about playing your tricks on me. Although I do have fears, they don't belong to this world! The dreams you create should be limited to the rules of this world... But I don't belong to this world at all!"
The creature struggled desperately, and the horn on its forehead continued to emit beams of light, but its tiny eyes finally showed fear and despair... because, for the person standing in front of it, those beams of light were completely ineffective!
"Master..."
Just as Duwei was consumed by rage, a voice of surprise came from behind him.
Solzkyar hurriedly ran up to Duwei's side, carefully examining the small creature Duwei had captured. His voice was filled with joy as he exclaimed, "My goodness! This is a 'Fear Illusion Beast'!! According to records, these creatures were supposed to have been extinct for hundreds of years!! Look at the horn on its forehead—it's already grown to about a finger's length! This little creature is still a young Illusion Beast, probably less than a hundred years old!"
Duwei's voice was icy cold, "So what? Is it also considered a magical beast? Is the Illusion Beast very rare?"
Solzkyar's face even showed a hint of greed as he licked his lips and said, "This 'Fear Illusion Beast' can create illusions based on the fears of its enemies. It's a magical beast with exceptional intelligence, far beyond ordinary creatures like wolves! And, moreover..."
"And what?"
The mage's eyes lit up, "And hundreds of years ago, this thing was a treasure coveted by every mage. Just capture one, kill it, extract its horn, and carry it with you, and you'll be immune to most mental magic! Its horn can be used to make top-tier magical defense items!"
As if understanding the mage's words, the Fear Illusion Beast trembled violently upon hearing that the mage wanted to kill it and take its horn. Its struggles grew more intense, and its tiny eyes were filled with fear.
Most of the Roland family guards had gathered behind at this point, while others were busy waking up their unconscious comrades, and even Sir Spann had been awakened.
Duwei looked at the small creature in his hand and sneered, "Immune to most mental magic? That's quite a precious thing... How is it used? Do we just kill it and take its horn?"
The mage practically drooled, "Yes! That's right! Not only its horn, even its fur is a precious magical material. In alchemy, it's a valuable ingredient! I can use its fur to create..."
Before Solzkyar could finish his sentence, a sharp whistle came from the distant mountains, followed by a fireball that exploded in midair like a meteor. It was a signal from another search party, indicating that they had encountered something.
As everyone was momentarily distracted, a flash of light streaked across the sky from the direction where the flame signal had been shot!
The light flew through the air and landed right in front of everyone, manifesting into a green flame that coalesced into the form of a person!
"Be careful! This is advanced magic, 'Emerald Flame Teleportation'!" Solzkyar was nervous.
The person who emerged from the green flames wore the standard robes of a mage, with a tall pointed hat. Surprisingly, the robe was golden! Adorning their chest was a golden clover badge!
Duwei, who was quite knowledgeable about magical matters, immediately recognized it. This was unmistakably a badge symbolizing the rank of "Archmage"!
On the continent, mage ranks were divided into ten levels. Mages below level four were considered low-level, while those from four to eight were commonly referred to as mid-level. Those above level eight were called "Archmages".
And this golden clover badge indicated that this mage stood at the upper echelons of the mage community on the entire continent! This individual was at least an eighth-level mage!
The slightly diminutive figure was completely shrouded in the golden robe, and under the setting sun, it looked exceptionally grand. However, the mage's face was concealed within the pointed hat, even the lower part of the face was hidden behind a high collar, not a sliver of skin exposed.
Though unable to see the mage's face, Duwei could sense the gaze directed at the small Fear Illusion Beast in his hand.
The sudden appearance of a high-level mage made both Duwei and Solzkyar somewhat surprised. Given Solzkyar's remarks about the preciousness of the little Fear Illusion Beast, Duwei couldn't help but wonder if this mage harbored some covetous intentions...
"Who goes there!" Duwei demanded sternly.
Immediately, the quick-witted Knight Robert gestured, and numerous Roland family guards encircled Duwei protectively.
So much had already happened today! The sudden appearance of a powerful high-level mage made Sir Robert a little nervous... Was this person friend or foe? Who knew!
"I am a knight of the Roland family. Respectable mage, please state your purpose!" Sir Robert spoke, positioning himself in front of Duwei.
By first asserting their own identity and then inquiring about the stranger's intentions, Sir Robert had made the most prudent move. Hopefully, the reputation of the Roland family would make the stranger think twice.
The mage remained silent at first. They then raised their broad sleeve and gently removed the pointed hat, revealing their face.
Instantly, everyone was stunned!
"I-I-I-I'm s-s-s-sorry..." The mage's voice was soft and tender, with a hint of nervousness and timidity... Most notably, the mage had a severe stutter!
"I-I-I'm here t-t-t-to f-f-f-find it-it-it-it..." The slender fingers pointed directly at the Fear Illusion Beast in Duwei's hand.
Not only was the mage's voice soft, but her appearance was also incredibly delicate. After removing the hat, the high-level mage adorned with the golden clover badge on the continent turned out to be a girl with a shy expression on her face! Her round cheeks were tinged with a hint of blush, seemingly embarrassed under everyone's gaze. She had a petite nose and mouth, but her eyes were large and bright. However, there was a plea in those beautiful eyes.
"I-I-I'm s-s-s-sorry... I-I-I-it's m-m-my t-t-t-teacher's pet... I-I-I'm here to f-f-find it-it-it and take it-it-it back..." As if her nervousness increased, the girl mage stuttered even more severely. It seemed like she was on the verge of tears. "C-C-Can you g-g-give it-it-it back to m-m-me? I-I-I... I-I-I'll be pun-pun-punished if I-I-I don't bring it back to my te-te-teacher."