NOVPUB
Chapter 389 - Some Unlucky Fellow Is About to Break In
That was certainly not a mere illusion. It was an illusion with Qi!
The Qi of a top-tier combat artist as the source for an illusion naturally resulted in unimaginable power, giving it the ability to directly interfere with the physical world.
This was because Qi was not merely spiritual; it could have a physical presence. The Will of the Fist could condense Qi into powerful moves, and the same applied to illusions. The illusions Cassius cast shouldn't be called mental illusions but physical illusions, since it could attack enemies on a physical level.
Such illusions couldn't be learned by others; they were unteachable. Essentially, Cassius's illusions were just an outlet, like a lever used to move his immense Qi. Thus, his Qi could exert power even without using his physical body as a medium.
This had its limits and couldn't match the combined strength of body and Qi. However, under certain constraints, illusions could help Cassius get through the initial period of his weak self. Moreover, it was quite handy!
"Don't just stand there. Keep up." Cassius walked toward the end of the ruins. Although it looked like he was merely walking, he moved faster than a normal person running as he subtly incorporated some techniques into his movements.
Behind him, Rose was momentarily stunned. Cassius was already a mere silhouette ahead.
"Hey, Master White Aster, wait for me..." She hurried to catch up. Rose had many questions in her heart and wanted answers.
Twenty seconds later, they found a straight, gray corridor, flanked by dilapidated buildings that gave off a sense of narrowness and oppression. At the end of the corridor was a small square, littered with rubble and weeds.
A dozen or so Ghost Knights were hiding amid waist-high weeds, waiting for the sunset to disappear completely. In the dark shadows, dozens of ghostly green or blue eyes floated in mid-air, like clusters of wandering will-o'-the-wisps. Hooves occasionally struck the ground, metal weapons clanged against armor, and strange panting sounds.
An invisible sense of oppression and evil permeated the surroundings. This caused the weeds to be even more blackened and yellowed; even the veins of the leaves were black.
At this moment, an ordinary person might instantly be scared to death. Even some battle-hardened veteran hunters of the Dark Hunter Organization wouldn't dare to enter head-on and would proceed cautiously.
Buzz...
The ground seemed to tremble slightly as sounds came from afar.
Rumble...
The sound grew louder. Gravel on the ground shook and bounced, and the weeds seemed to be fanned outward by gusts from the corridor. 𝒏𝒐𝙫𝙥𝙪𝙗.𝒄𝙤𝙢
The Ghost Knights turned collectively, projecting their ghostly fire-wreathed eyes toward the square's entrance. Their sturdy arms raised iron-scaled battle axes half the size of a person, and their bodies began emitting dangerous teal-colored smoke. The surrounding withered grass instantly died, and layers of blue-green mold that resembled frost rapidly spread.
Some unlucky fellow was about to break in and they would greet him warmly with dozens of battle axes!
Boom!!!
The guest arrived, and was unimaginably huge! It was clearly a purple-scaled giant python at least fifty meters long, but it blasted out of the tunnel like a high-speed train. Its steel-like scales scraped against the ground and walls, sending golden-red sparks flying.
There were two loud bangs as the giant python forcefully squeezed its way through the narrow walls of the corridor, causing the walls to collapse outward, stirring up dust.
A figure leisurely walked through the gray waves of dust.
He extended a hand and rested it against the giant python’s mouth. Its head was as large as a house.
His voice was as cold as the depths of hell as he said, "Kill them all. Leave none alive."
Hissss~
The Sonic Snake revealed its fangs as the scarlet forked tongue retracted. It crushed the ground as it brought its massive body entirely into the square, occupying a full third of the area. Then the giant python began hunting its prey.
Two figures quietly observed everything from the square's entrance. The scene resembled a greedy snake; the python's formidable body swept through the square, its ferocious and foul-smelling mouth seeking tasty and chewy morsels.
Nothing present was more satisfying to consume than the armored Ghost Knights. Their tough muscles and bones mixed with metal armor was crunchy to bite and delightful to eat.
In no time, half of the Ghost Knights had disappeared into its dark maw, leaving only large ring-shaped bloodstains on the ground. Occasionally, severed limbs and armor fragments flew about—it was a one-sided massacre.
The Ghost Knights didn't fail to think of resisting. With physiques akin to small tanks, they swung their giant axes at full force, yet they couldn't even break the python's scales. At best, they left white marks on its steel-like scales.
In contrast, the giant python had absolute dominance. A slight roll of its body could crush a group. It swallowed at least ten Ghost Knights at once, leaving no trace.
Half a minute later, the square was silent and empty. The weeds had been flattened, the ruins crushed, and the surface unusually smooth, except for some traces resembling serpent scales.
A dozen or so Ghost Knights had been wiped out. Only pools of blood at the scene proved they ever existed, and the air was filled with the scent of blood.
At the edge of the square, the girl's face had grown slack. She was deeply shaken by the illusions Cassius displayed.
This should be what you call an illusion! Simple, violent, and direct!
Tearing enemies to pieces, smashing them into meat patties, crushing them into twisted lumps; there were no fancy tricks, just pure brute force.
Rose rubbed her delicate cheeks and suddenly asked, "Master White Aster, why didn't I sense your illusionary space? Is it a master-level illusion technique? One that makes the illusionary space activation hidden and subtle, so enemies can't find its maximum coverage area and thus can't escape your illusions?"
Cassius turned to glance at Rose expressionlessly. He didn't understand what she was saying; what hidden and subtle master-level illusion technique? Didn't she notice the intense commotion just now?
The moment Qi burst from his body, it was like a bomb exploding, crazily escaping in all directions. Did Rose think the gales sweeping through the air just now were naturally formed? That was actually the manifestation of the illusion's activation. It was just so overwhelming that people mistook it for a natural phenomenon.
Moreover, Cassius hadn't concealed the maximum coverage of his illusionary space at all. When he cast the illusion, the illusionary space, amplified by his Qi, had enveloped Knights' Fortress and beyond, with energy to spare.
***
Three minutes later, in front of a spired church-like building.
Tap, tap, tap...
A figure emerged from the gloom, followed by a five-meter-tall Golem phantom. It was towering and robust, like a battle machine born for slaughter. It had a long tail with bony spikes, hooked barbs, sword-shaped scales, huge camel-like feet, and a terrifying physique piled with muscles and veins.
The Golem's hands dripped with blood and it had a ferocious grin on its face. It seemed satisfied from the slaughter it had just experienced.
It had left behind a hellish and gruesome scene inside the church. Bloody limbs were strewn about; pools of viscera flowed; some bodies were halved, while others were torn apart. There were all sorts of deaths that were rather artistic.
Cassius tried to flick off a drop of blood that had accidentally stained his collar, looking at the pale-faced Rose ahead. Just as he was about to speak, Rose suddenly turned and leaned against the wall.
"Ugh~" She began to vomit uncontrollably, her stomach churning. As a hunter, Rose had naturally seen bloody scenes, but never one this gruesome. This was just pure violence and killing. It brought endless torment and fear to both enemies and onlookers.
Rose looked at Cassius with a mix of reverence and fear. She swallowed all her questions immediately. Sometimes, curiosity and prying could bring disaster. Especially when the person you're dealing with didn't seem like a good person.
"What's wrong? Do you think my methods are too bloody? Heh... Sometimes, you have to be more vicious, brutal, bloody, and decisive than your enemies to make them feel fear deep in their bones. Evil people only fear those who are more evil... Let alone dark creatures that feed on humans. Only by being more monstrous than monsters can you hunt freely in the depths of shadows." Cassius stepped toward Rose, the red glow in his eyes gradually fading.
"Of course, this might cause some misunderstandings among companions, or even fear. It's a bit of a flaw..." He glanced sidelong at the girl, continuing to walk out of the church.
Behind him, the Golem followed, gradually shrinking from its towering five-meter form to that of an ordinary person. It then merged into Cassius's body completely.
It was now 5:16 p.m. Only five minutes from the moment the two entered the Knights' Fortress. Most areas of the castle had been swept through, with traces of destruction by massive creatures everywhere.
The Ghost Knight groups that had nearly wiped out White Aster's team last time had been almost completely annihilated. Although Cassius showed overwhelming strength, these Ghost Knights were not weak. This newly emerged dark creature group was comparable to Dead Blood of the same rank in strength.
They were only slightly weaker than the Blood Race. In other words, these were mid to high-level dark creatures. No one knew where they had emerged from. Before White Aster's last mission, the Dark Hunter Organization had never heard of such large dark creatures like Ghost Knights appearing or gathering. Sometimes, unknown dark creatures meant unknown abilities and information, making hunters' missions more dangerous.
Of course, Cassius didn't care. Stronger opponents were fine. After all, he was here to familiarize himself with the ability to invoke Qi through illusions. This was why Cassius had continuously switched between three Qi forms for slaughter. Among them, the Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist's Qi was the most useful. It had the best balance of cost-effectiveness and lethality.
Deep within the Knights' Fortress, behind a ruined courtyard, there was a path leading to the mountaintop forest. The sky was quite dark and tree shadows swayed as a gentle breeze passed through.
Cassius stood on the path, vaguely sensing something unusual in the forest. It felt like something dangerous.
He looked at Rose, who seemed quite interested, and said, "You head down the mountain now. Wait for me by the carriage and get the campfire ready."
Rose opened her mouth but eventually nodded. She obediently turned and left. Cassius strode toward the forest. Earlier, two or three defeated Ghost Knights had tried to flee that way. He started to walk along the path.
As it was a dense forest, the summer foliage was lush, blocking the already dim light overhead and causing shadows to accumulate in the clearings, making it hard to see.
Ahh! Roar!
Two screams echoed, lasting only a moment. The fleeing Ghost Knights had died, but not at Cassius's hand. Their killer was a mysterious figure in a heavy black robe.
He or she wore a pure white mask with twisted root-like patterns on the surface. The exposed eyes were not like a normal person's. Instead, the pupils were white, surrounded by black. It exuded a mysterious and sinister feel. The black robe enveloped the entire figure, with only a dark golden pattern inlaid at the end of the long robe, adding a touch of elegance.
A hand clothed in a pure black glove gripped a huge scythe with five fingers. Blood was slowly dripping from the scythe. The physically separated Ghost Knights lay beside him. Their human-like upper bodies had been severed, and their lower horse bodies toppled over with blood gushing out.
The black-robed figure slowly stabbed the scythe into the ground. A gigantic withered tree stood ahead. It was as thick as half a room. Its wrinkled bark twisted like the wrinkles on an old man's face.
At the center of the withered trunk, rings resembling tree growth rings spread out, forming an oval loop. At first glance, it looked like a vortex the size of two people.
As sunset arrived, the dim light shone on the vortex, revealing a thin layer of gray mist. Those tree markings seemed to have truly formed a vortex passage.
The black-robed figure awaited the full arrival of night for the unknown other end of the vortex to materialize.
Tap, tap, tap...
The black-robed figure heard footsteps gradually approach, as Cassius appeared just ten meters away.
Swoosh!
The black-robed figure vanished instantly, reappearing behind Cassius, swinging the scythe in a full moon arc. The blade tore through the air, emitting a sharp whistle. Just as the scythe was about to reach Cassius, a massive creature collided with the black-robed figure.
The Blood Vulture smashed through over a dozen trees in succession.
The black-robed figure grunted, disappearing and reappearing beside the withered tree, as if they hadn't just attacked. However, the glove on the right hand holding the scythe was torn, indicating that the collision just now was not an illusion.
Cassius slowly turned to look at the figure. He suddenly saw something on the exposed back of the black-robed figure's right hand.
The mark of Black Rain Manor was unmistakably clear...
