Translator: SumTLMan
A hunch dawned upon him that this Domain somehow pertained to “Emotional Manipulation.”
If that were the case, Angel had a method to ward off its influence temporarily.
“Here goes nothing,” Angel decided, regarding the surrounding Domain as an instrument of emotional control, meticulously constructing a trick model in his mind…
Once the trick model was ready, he couldn’t activate it immediately. At present, he was still a significant distance away from the giant serpent, hidden with Boundless Silence, and not having been noticed by the creature. Yet the moment he triggered the trick model, resulting in a surge of magic energy, the giant serpent would inevitably pinpoint his location. The surprise sprint he planned would then be impeded.
Angel continued to wait.
He awaited the moment when the giant serpent coiled around the peak, its head turned away from him.
The sound of scales grazing the stone echoed.
The scales of the giant serpent rustled against the rock as it gradually started to move. When it coiled itself and began to slowly turn its head towards the rear of the peak, Angel’s eyes brightened.
This was the moment!
Without hesitation, he began to mutter the secret soul mantra deep within his heart. As his soul companion disembodied, Angel wasted no time, promptly activating the Gravity Lines and darted towards the opposing mountain wall!
As soon as Angel entered the range of the giant serpent’s Domain, it promptly detected his presence. However, it seemed somewhat curious about the intruder and did not immediately launch an attack. Instead, it instantaneously amplified the power of its Domain, then peeked its head out from the other side of the peak to assess the situation.
The moment the Domain intensified, Angel experienced an immediate sensation of breathlessness.
It was suffocating, despairing, and carried a touch of sorrow.
Although the Domain was suppressing, the feedback it gave Angel was anything but mournful. He had gambled right!
His conjecture was indeed correct; this was truly a Domain affecting emotions!
In a mere blink, Angel activated the “Path of the Soul Realm”, deeply ingrained within his mind, and let loose a grand illusion that had already been meticulously assembled within the depths of his thoughts!
This illusion construct was no more than a basic fantastical landscape, yet rather than enveloping his opponent, it precisely enveloped Angel himself, acting as an illusion node, completely veiling him from view.
The Domain of the monstrous serpent was potent, yet in Angel’s personal repertoire of skills, he too possessed emotional mastery!
As his body was obscured by the illusion node, Angel, utilizing this foundational illusion, readjusted his emotional state. Virtually unscathed by the influence of the Domain, he swiftly found himself mid-way up the mountainside, at Toby’s side.
For other serpents, the gray aura around Toby was akin to a death sentence, yet for Angel, this power was as familiar as the back of his hand.
Without a moment’s hesitation, he reached out, plunging his hand into the gray aura. Grasping hold of Toby, he then recklessly sprinted towards the open expanse without a backward glance…
All of this occurred in the span of a single heartbeat.
By the time the colossal serpent sensed something amiss, the human who dared to invade its territory had already spirited away the “strange species” it had discovered, to the other side of the cliff!
“Hiss Hiss Hiss—”
An intense cacophony, laden with palpable anger, echoed from behind Angel. Simultaneously, a dense, oppressive power began to coalesce within the underground cavern.
It was a form of intimidation, and moreover, it was intimidation at the wizard level!
As he had suspected, this serpent, akin to Akeso, was indeed a magical beast of the wizard level!
Unwavering, Angel continued his wild sprint, one hand clutching Toby, the other swiftly scooping up his own body, darting along the planned route—
If only my speed is swift enough, your intimidating aura will not be able to catch up with me!
Holding fast to this belief, Angel activated his Gravity Lines with all his might!
In less time than it takes to blink, Angel had shattered the barriers of speed, frantically making his escape through the underground river from whence he had entered.
At this moment, the current of the river, in his perception, was akin to a harmonious symphony guiding his path.
Originally, Angel intended to smoothly glide downstream within the waters, however, a sense of impending peril emerged abruptly from the heart of the riverway.
Without delay, Angel promptly ascended, and within the next heartbeat, the entire river transformed into an icy fortress. Subsequently, with a booming resonance, a colossal serpent exploded through the embankments in hot pursuit…
Angel didn’t dare waste a second, under full throttle, even a fully-fledged wizard would find it challenging to overtake him! As long as he evaded the overwhelming pressure range of the gargantuan serpent, he was confident of escorting Toby to safety!
The monstrous serpent was taken aback. Angel, who appeared significantly frail compared to it, moved at such a rapid speed that even its shadow was elusive. The serpent had to rely on tracking the ripples of energy.
After trailing for a while and finding that the distance between them was increasing, the serpent, in a fit of frustration, let loose a chilling gale filled with frosty stars directly into the atmosphere.
Angel also detected the frigid wind behind him, potent enough to freeze everything in its path. Nonetheless, he remained steadfast in his conviction that if he was swift enough, he could outrun not only the pressure but all forms of attack!
Angel was brimming with confidence as he was nearing the entrance. Once he navigated a brief corridor, he would break free into the safety of the sky.
However, upon reaching the end of the riverway where he had previously slain the flying fish creature, Angel was taken aback to find the ground swept clean of its carcasses.
Simultaneously, a massive crab was barricading the previously open entrance.
This crab bore some resemblance to the one Angel had earlier discovered, slain by Toby, and was adorned with a “sea anemone”. Yet, this one was significantly larger, reminiscent of a mobile citadel of orange peels from a distance. The sea anemone on its back was fully matured, resembling numerous tentacles waving in the wind rather than petals.
This sea anemone crab was using its colossal pincers to feast on the remains of the flying fish creature he had previously slain on the riverbank.
What alarmed Angel most was the foreboding aura emanating from the crab.
It was either wizard-level or an entity close to it!
Its presence obstructed his escape route, and with the serpent bearing down from behind, Angel found himself caught between a rock and a hard place. To make matters worse, the gargantuan crab seemed to sense the anomaly and was raising its head to gaze at Angel…
In the face of the impending threat posed by the giant crab, Angel made a swift decision, plunging into the subterranean riverway that had not yet succumbed to ice.
Given that his point of entry was now obstructed, he had no intention of simply succumbing to his fate. His only recourse was to delve deeper into the riverways, in hopes of uncovering a glimmer of survival.
Surrendering to the water’s embrace, he allowed the currents to carry him downstream.
His surroundings were shrouded in darkness, the only audible sound was the echo of rushing water.
“Perhaps lurking in this darkness is a formidable creature,” such a thought momentarily flickered in Angel’s mind, possibly conjured up by the daunting underwater environment.
After some consideration, he tapped into the Path of the Soul Realm, reaching out to the mental space to craft a spell of illumination.
As the light spell was cast, Angel was startled by a looming shadow that suddenly rose from the water depths.
Lowering his gaze, he was met with a horrifying sight—a behemoth of a troll, listlessly drifting in the water! The troll lay spreadeagle, seemingly half-dead, floating serenely with its eyes shut tight.
Swallowing hard, Angel murmured under his breath, “Surely, this troll won’t awaken, right?”
Yet the very next moment, the troll’s eyes sprung open, resembling two copper bells, emitting an endless, eerie aura.
Angel was at a loss for words.
Talk about jinxing himself! He almost felt the urge to slap himself across the face.
Without a second’s hesitation, he accelerated his escape, soaring deeper into the water. As soon as the troll opened its eyes, it churned several underwater whirlpools, pursuing Angel in his direction of flight.
“As long as I’m fast enough,” Angel thought, no longer concerned about what lay ahead, as he pushed his Gravity Lines to their utmost capacity.
Along the way, Angel encountered countless underwater beasts. The moment these creatures spotted Angel, they lunged into an attack. However, not a single one was able to catch up with Angel’s fleeting shadow.
After some time, Angel could feel the unsettling ripples trailing behind him, a signal that the troll was still in pursuit.
Perhaps even the sea serpent and the anemone crab had not given up on their quarry.
In the eerily tranquil expanse of water, Angel was suddenly gripped by a sense of desolation, as if lost in a wilderness of uncertainty.
Could he truly escape?
And even if he could, where might he surface?
Angel had been tirelessly swimming in circles, anxious not to stray too far and lose his bearings.
But was there truly any merit in it? The more he fled, the more pursuers seemed to close in. This feeling of powerlessness led him to question the essence of existence.
Furthermore, his soul out-of-body experience was against the clock.
Angel, lost and adrift in the dark Abyss, had no choice but to keep on swimming.
In his moment of self-doubt, a troll appeared out of nowhere, throwing a punch towards Angel from a considerable distance.
The underwater turbulence formed a vortex, like a white dragon charging forward, generating a flurry of bubbles as it surged towards Angel.
In the nick of time, Angel barely managed to dodge the attack.
Surviving this brush with death, Angel’s prior confusion seemed to vanish. Whether it was a psychological reaction or some unknown entity influencing him, he couldn’t tell. But after narrowly avoiding becoming mince meat, he snapped back to reality.
He must continue to flee!
Halting here would be akin to pleading for mercy from the enemy who would undoubtedly turn a blind eye.
Once again, Angel found himself in flight. This time, however, he cast off his previous mental shackles. Instead of swimming in large circles, he planned to align himself with the current and swim forward.
Even if he ended up straying from Watchtower Fortress and found himself in unfamiliar territories, as long as he could survive, there was always a glimmer of hope.
Holding this thought, Angel’s gaze crystallized into an unyielding resolve.
However, as Angel steeled himself for what was to come, an unexpected circumstance arose.
The previous assault from the troll had dealt a significant blow to a nearby stone wall. With a booming “rumble,” the section of the wall was blasted into rubble.
By the time Angel registered what had occurred, water began to backflow from the shattered area.
…
Angel managed to escape from the subterranean waters.
Behind the stone wall destroyed by the troll, there was a narrow tunnel leading to the steam chamber under the previous tree hollow.
Even though he had escaped, it was too early for him to feel a sense of relief.
Just as Angel made his way out of the Shadowy Caverns, before he could even enjoy a hearty breath of the crisp outside air, a thunderous sound resonated from behind.
He turned around, only to see the ground heaving as if alive.
Chunks of rock splintered, the blanket of snow on the hill was sent flying, and even the tree hollow from which Angel had just escaped began to collapse.
As the dust settled, a giant triangular serpent skull slowly emerged from the sinkhole.