CHAPTER 71: ILLUSIONS [1]

Rion and his squad sat cross-legged on the ground as all of them ate the meat prepared by him.

Dora looked at him with questioning eyes and thought, ’Did he finish that medicine of his?’

However, she didn’t ask him, as the others didn’t know of the medicine.

She shifted her gaze towards Yuura, who had dark circles under his eyes. From the day of deliverance, he had begun to see nightmares, and they were taking a toll on him.

The others, though aware of his condition, couldn’t do anything about it.

Even Rion, who could use his aura to soothe the pain and clear the mind, couldn’t help him because they had already dug too deeply and were nearly reaching his soul.

They ate in silence while Rion stared at the blue screen before him.

————

Skill: Illusion Zone

Type: Active

Description: Twists the minds of those nearby, pulling them into an illusory realm shaped entirely by your will.

Blessing — Trial of Regrets: Force the target to confront an illusion born from their deepest fear.

————

He had already assimilated the skill while making his way back to the camp.

’Blessing, huh... so I was supposed to only receive this, but I also got the Illusion Zone, which allows me to create any illusion I want...’ he mumbled in thought and looked at the others.

He flashed a smile at Dora, who was staring at him. Seeing him look towards her, she shyly lowered her head, but didn’t let the shyness appear on her face.

His eyes shifted towards Kahrun and Tarun, who were covered in bruises and scars of their own doings as they had decided to do all-out spars with each other.

"It’s about time," he whispered under his breath, and Kahrun questioned, "Did you say something—"

Thud!

His words were cut short as he fell to the ground and began to snore.

Thud!

Yuura was the next, and finally,

Thud! Thud!

Dora and Tarun fell into the soft embrace of sleep.

Rion looked at all of them with silent eyes and mumbled, "Illusion Zone."

Just as those words left him, his soul groaned, and his aura rippled outward into circles.

Sweat glistened across his forehead, and veins swelled all over his body.

"Hah..." he let out a shaky breath and closed his eyes to focus only on keeping the skill active.

***

Dora and Rion sat at the edge of the cliff while staring at the resting sun just like how they usually did, but the contrasting difference was that instead of sitting beside him, she was sitting in his lap, and his arms were wrapped around her waist while he rested his head on her shoulder and let out soft and sweet whispers in her ears.

She let out soft chuckles as his hot breath brushed across her face and his fingers drew circles on her abdomen.

It was the life she desperately wanted, but knew she couldn’t force it into existence.

Tshhk... shhk...

The bushes behind them rustled, and Dora turned her head to look at them. Rion, however, continued to stare forward.

A few moments later, a twisted, corpse-like leg pushed through the bushes, followed by a vaguely humane figure with its dark-purple skin barely hanging onto the writhing flesh beneath.

Her eyes widened as the kareth dashed towards them, but before she could even let out a scream, the kareth slithered like a snake and appeared before them.

Her eyes widened even further, and the kareth’s grotesque hand descended to reap her life, but just as its squirming tentacle-like fingers were about to reach her, Rion threw her to the side and drove a punch into its abdomen.

The kareth slid a few meters back and locked its ghostly white eyes on him.

"RION!!" She yelled with dread and desperation, clear in her voice.

"Get your bow!" He screamed, and silver aura flames blazed around his fists.

The kareth let out a sharp shriek and rushed towards him. He also stepped forward and swung his aura-clad fists at him.

She tore her eyes away from them and rushed towards her bow, which was placed a few steps away from her.

She picked up the bow and quickly nocked an arrow on it.

At the same time, a heavy sound reached her ears.

THWACK!

A wide hole appeared at the centre of the kareth’s chest, but she couldn’t see any core.

Her heartbeat fastened, and her grip tightened at the bow as Rion continued to punch.

Each of his punches created a gaping hole, but they couldn’t find the core until Rion threw a punch to its left.

POW!

A big chunk of its flesh burst apart, and their eyes finally gazed at its bead-like core.

Her lips arched up in a smile as she saw the kareth reaching its end, but before Rion could even touch its core, a tentacle slithered out of its body and pierced him.

Shleek!

"NO!" She screamed in horror and let go of the string.

Pew!

The arrow flew towards it and dug into its flesh a bit before coming to a stop.

At the same time, the kareth pushed its appalling tentacle further in.

Rion gasped and groaned as its purple flesh began to squirm inside his wound, and another tentacle pierced him, then another, and another.

Despair began to cloud her mind, but before she could fall to it, Rion’s desperate voice reached her ears: "You can do it!"

He looked at her with flames burning in his eyes and said, "You have to do it!"

She clenched her fists and forced herself to move.

Pew! Pew! Pew!

Her arrows struck him near the core, but they were unable to pierce his hideous flesh.

Pew! Pew! Pew!

More arrows zipped towards it until she only had one arrow left.

Despair tried to force its way in, but she held her breath and focused all of her into the last arrow.

Suddenly, everything blurred from her vision, and a spark ignited at the core of her being.

Woosh!

Green aura flames appeared at the tip of her arrow, and she let it fly.

Tss!

The arrow flew towards the kareth like an eagle towards its prey and pierced right through its core.

The kareth’s body exploded into fine dust, and she fell onto her knees while tears rolled down her face.

"I... I did it..." she mumbled, and the world went dark.

***

Rion suddenly opened his eyes and quickly looked at Dora.

His lips rose into a joyous smile, and he remarked, "Success."