Chapter 1002 Intercept on the Path <TOC> Chapter 1004 Early Withdrawal
Translator: SumTLMan
The suggestion proffered by Samantha instilled a measure of hesitation among them all. However, faced with the impending pursuit of Mangonis, they weighed the pros and cons and ultimately nodded their agreement.
Although Dongola found the proposal somewhat unconventional, she reflected and realized her power had significantly diminished due to the energy torrent she encountered during the previous layer crossing, coupled with the consecutive use of forbidden spells. Her damage output would be limited if she were to directly engage Mangonis.
In the end, it’s highly plausible that Mangonis would chase after the wizard who inflicted the most damage on it, rather than her.
“What’s the matter? We’re shouldering the risks for you, trying to prevent the fortress from suffering catastrophic damage. Are you still hesitating?” Seeing Dongola’s reluctance, Samantha retorted coldly, “Or do you actually think there’s a benefit for you if the fortress is destroyed? I’ll tell you, we can also choose not to help and simply stand by idly.”
It was apparent Samantha was trying to provoke her, which Dongola was well aware of.
But her words held truth—if they didn’t assist, given her current condition, even if she were to escape from Mangonis’ pursuit, the loss she would suffer would be substantial!
With this in mind, Dongola conceded, “Alright, we proceed as planned. Weaken its power and drive it away as much as possible! If we can’t manage, whoever it chases should lead it away!”
Pausing, Dongola looked at everyone with a somber gaze, “And you’d better do as you’ve said and not hide your capabilities.”
If the others deliberately concealed their abilities, the brunt of Mangonis’ hatred would definitely fall on her. It might end up relentlessly pursuing her.
After Dongola finished speaking, Samantha sneered, “We certainly won’t be like certain individuals, unable to deal with a problem themselves, but willing to drag the entire fortress down with them.”
Having said her piece, Samantha looked at Sineva, “Let’s begin. Remember, keep it in check! If you can kill it, even better!”
As Samantha’s words fell, her entire being seemed to transmute into countless mirrors. These mirrors were not parallel but intertwined in complex patterns. If light were to penetrate them, it would instantly enter the infinitely twisted radiance of myriad reflections!
“Labyrinth of Mirrors!” Dongola exclaimed internally.
The Labyrinth of Mirrors was a spell Samantha had created when she first ascended to the ranks of a true knowledge wizard. As the spell was first completed, the skies over Frost Moon turned into mirrors for three days and three nights. This spectacle was a rare occurrence in the entire Southern Region.
It could be said that the Labyrinth of Mirrors was Samantha’s true trump card!
Seeing Samantha cast such a powerful spell right off the bat, it was clear to Dongola that the forthcoming battle would be nothing short of a struggle of life and death.
Now, Mangonis has been ensnared by the Labyrinth of Mirrors, a situation that not only amplifies all its capabilities but also reflects them, much like the way a glistening lake mirrors the moonlight. In an almost instantaneous reaction, Mangonis started to roar in a fit of rage, akin to a wounded beast. His target of ire had been abruptly shifted to Samantha.
As Samantha was dealing with the wrath of Mangonis, Canter closed his eyes, deliberately activating his Bloodline, much like a master painter dipping his brush in paint, he turned the dimly lit sky into a midnight canvas. At the same time, Canter transformed into a phantom within the veil of the night, daringly confronting Mangonis head-on!
Moreover, in a span of what seemed like mere moments, the combined efforts of Canter and Samantha inflicted significant damage on Mangonis, like relentless hammer blows pounding against a granite stone.
Under this relentless assault, Mangonis could do nothing but howl in response, much like a cornered animal left with no escape!
Sanders, who was like a seasoned conductor in this symphony of battle, combined his Nightmare Soul with Canter’s Nocturnal Illusion. The fusion of the two was extraordinarily effective, just like two tributaries merging to form a formidable river. Concurrently, numerous Black Flame Nightmares surged towards Mangonis, like a horde of locusts descending upon an unprotected crop.
Everyone in the group held nothing back, which evoked a tinge of remorse in Dongola’s heart. She had previously suspected that they might intentionally hold back, but it seemed she had been mistaken in her judgment.
However, Dongola also noted that Mangonis’ attack target had shifted away from her, instead, it fluctuated between Samantha, Canter, and Sanders, with the latter being the primary focus.
Sineva, on the other hand, although attacking, appeared to be exerting significant effort but to no notable effect, like a gust of wind against a fortified castle.
Upon witnessing this, Dongola sarcastically remarked over their mental connection: “So much for the reputed Wild Witch, losing a physical brawl to Lord Like the Night; it seems that the rumors aren’t as they seem.”
Sineva did not respond. Samantha shot back instead, “Take a good look at yourself before throwing stones. Your thunderous claims and minuscule actions are like a barking dog that seldom bites.”
Prompted by Samantha’s retort, Dongola also unleashed some of her power, and occasionally, Mangonis would divert his attention to her.
At this moment, Dongola looked at Sineva again, her eyes filled with undisguised contempt.
Canter then clarified, “Sineva had previously encountered a formidable opponent when she ventured into Ice Valley on the surface layer. She fell victim to the Ice Frost Chaos Curse.”
Canter’s words elicited responses from the group, and only then did Dongola understand. It wasn’t that Sineva wasn’t contributing, but rather, her power had been decimated by the curse to just a tenth of its original strength. Although she was meant to be just below Sanders in power, she could now only manifest the strength of an early second level at most.
Upon understanding the full situation, Dongola felt inappropriate to continue her mockery.
As their intense battle continued, their collective efforts were managing to corner Mangonis. Even when Mangonis launched a massive range attack, similar to a whirlwind in a desert, they were able to evade it through their well-coordinated efforts.
However, as hundreds of miles of forest were transformed into a lava pool, Mangonis basked in the fiery glow of the magma. Although his overall speed had decreased, the intensity of his attacks had risen.
With every clash, they found themselves even more astounded and shaken.
Presently, they were backed up to the edge of Downfallen Forest. The shadows of fortress wizards began to appear in the surrounding sky. Their strength was insufficient, and all they could do was to observe the center of the battle from a distance.
As things stood, if they continued on, they would pass through Downfallen Forest, and Watchtower Fortress would be exposed to the gaze of Mangonis.
“We can’t continue!” Samantha gasped, “I’ve almost exhausted half of my magic source, and this monster is growing stronger. If we continue like this, we will definitely step out of Downfallen Forest! Once it redirects to Watchtower Fortress, it’s all over!”
“I can’t hold on much longer either. Despite using all my trump cards and forcefully activating my Nocturne Bloodline, it’s all ineffective against this creature,” Canter was in dire straits now, a flicker of fear crossed his eyes, “He truly is worthy of being a former Demon Lord.”
Sanders seemed the same as before, but he was a single man against a formidable enemy, he alone was not enough to combat Mangonis.
“We are getting closer to Watchtower Fortress, Mangonis cannot be driven away, we must prepare for the worst,” Sineva turned to everyone.
Sanders suggested, “He’s exhausted a lot of energy now. I’ve also injured his leg earlier, significantly reducing his speed. If we can’t fight him, then we should prepare to lure him away from the fortress.”
Samantha agreed at that moment, “Hang on a bit more. I suspect he’s about to create another lava pool. When he does that, we use the blink spell to get away. Whoever Mangonis chases will lead him away from Watchtower Fortress!”
Pausing for a moment, Samantha added, “I trust that no one here will break their word, right?”
Samantha’s words were primarily aimed at Dongola. Dongola huffed coldly, given Mangonis’s reduced speed, it should be relatively easy to lead him on if he chose to pursue her. There was no longer any need to lure Mangonis to Watchtower Fortress and let him wreak havoc, not to mention that it would displease everyone else.
Moreover, Dongola didn’t believe that Mangonis would actually chase her. She may have seemed aggressive in the battle earlier, but she had still held back some strength. Given a demon’s nature, it would definitely target the person who inflicted the most damage.
Dongola cast a surreptitious glance towards Sanders, the famed War God of the Southern Region. His power was formidable enough to stoke the raging flames of envy within her heart.
Entertaining the probability that Mangonis was hot on Sanders’ trail, Dongola nodded affirmatively, “Alright, I have no objections.”
“In that case,” Samantha watched as Mangonis hoisted his hand once again, the ominous mushroom cloud of fire barely starting to manifest. “Prepare to disengage from the mental links,” she advised the group, “Good luck to us all!”
The very next instant, their mental connections were severed. Simultaneously, each of them deployed a blink spell, escaping from the zone enveloped in Mangonis’ crimson light.
In the blink of an eye, the surrounding forest dissolved into oblivion.
Within a radius of several dozen miles, a terror-inducing lava pool churned tumultuously!
At this point, Dongola found herself southeastward. Looking over her shoulder, she noticed that everyone had used their blink spells. Instantly, they had turned and bolted, clearly attempting to avoid catching Mangonis’ attention.
Without any hesitation, Dongola concealed her aura and sprinted headlong towards the direction before her.
Ten minutes later, a string of expletives ran through Dongola’s mind. Of all the people who had blinked away at the same time, why did Mangonis choose to pursue her? By what right?
Could the others have employed some sort of underhanded trickery? Doubt clouded Dongola’s mind, but it was swiftly swept away. If they had indeed cheated, it was highly unlikely that all four of them would possess such a method, especially since she hadn’t noticed any signs of collusion amongst them prior to this.
Perhaps she was simply unlucky.
Dongola couldn’t help but curse inwardly: Was today her unlucky day?
Regardless, having chosen the southeast direction, it would be difficult for Dongola to turn back towards Watchtower Fortress even if she wanted to. Besides, she had given her word earlier — if she went back on it now, she suspected that the Frost Moon folks wouldn’t let her off easily.
Thinking along these lines, Dongola had no choice but to continue her desperate dash. Luckily, Mangonis’ speed was indeed greatly reduced after their previous encounter, and up ahead was the howling plains — an ideal location for her escape…
…
Meanwhile, on the outskirts of Watchtower Fortress, Sineva and the others regrouped.
They all stood silently, their eyes locked onto the direction in which Dongola had fled, a silent prayer offered up.
“Indeed, one must not provoke the Harbinger of Doom. It’s fate, after all. Despite the multitude of directions available, Dongola inexplicably chose the Howling Plains,” Canter’s tone appeared to express sympathy, but it was primarily tinged with schadenfreude.
“I estimate, considering her current misfortune level, she won’t merely cross the Howling Plains. She might even detour to the Silent Shore,” Samantha retorted with a cold chuckle.
If that were the trajectory, everyone began pondering — what were Dongola’s chances of survival?
This route was the very one frequented by the Harbinger of Doom.
Along the way, an “unaware” Dongola would likely accumulate more misfortune. Once it piles up, even a second level true knowledge witch like Dongola could potentially meet her downfall.
“Regardless, Dongola and the demon have strayed from Watchtower Fortress. Mission accomplished,” Sineva exhaled in relief.
“I need to meditate. The previous drain was too severe,” Samantha declared, departing without a moment’s hesitation.
Sineva also excused herself, “I was injured earlier, I must leave as well.”
Before, they genuinely mustered all their strength to attack Mangonis. Their initial intention was to kill or drive Mangonis away, which would be ideal. If they couldn’t kill him, they believed that Dongola’s misfortune would deter Mangonis from chasing them.
Therefore, from the very beginning, due to information asymmetry, Dongola fell into a trap.
Even if everyone else exerted their full strength, sparing no effort, Mangonis would ultimately seek out Dongola due to the Descent of Doom.
Since they had no worries about the aftermath, they naturally wouldn’t hold back, which served to dispel Dongola’s doubts.
Chapter 1002 Intercept on the Path <TOC> Chapter 1004 Early Withdrawal