Chapter 1757 Crimson Radiance <TOC> Chapter 1759 Striking Back From The Brink
Translator: SumTLMan
“During the Alchemical Exchange Meeting a decade ago, if it weren’t for your persistent demand, wanting to procure a tribute from Sterling, how could I have traded away my magical materials that I had treasured for a century? Curse you!”
“It’s your decision that forced my younger sister to join the Execution Council. After numerous front-line executions, she now relies on the Demon Flower Fairy Magical Bloodstone to prevent herself from succumbing to madness. Do you even know? It’s all your fault!”
“You were well aware of Bogula’s presence, yet you still led me to that junction. Because of you, my most cherished magical puppet, Aisha, was taken by Bogula! You said it’s just a puppet! But that puppet’s golden hair and blue eyes are reminiscent of my dearly departed love!”
“You’re the root cause of all these calamities!”
“It’s all because of you! Only you!”
The words “because of you” incessantly echoed in Hayley’s ears. Had they been uttered by anyone else, perhaps it would have been different. But these shadows were her colleagues, senior wizards within the Profound Alchemy Association.
And every single incident was based on real events. Precisely because of this, Hayley’s anguish intensified.
Why did these illusions know of these events? Moreover, why did they remember them so vividly when there had been no objections at the time of their occurrence? Were these their genuine resentments towards her deep down?
The emotions she had barely managed to suppress suddenly surged again, breaking through in the relentless barrage of these seemingly cursed reproaches.
As Hayley was overwhelmed and at a loss, these dark figures suddenly ceased their murmuring. Their blood-red eyes formed crescent moons, exuding a sinister satisfaction; their mouths expanded into sinister smiles, stretching until their faces were almost entirely taken up by these gaping maws.
The next moment, these figures began to warp and elongate, as though something was… draining them.
And the source drawing them in was centered on Hayley’s forehead.
These figures transformed into a bizarre black ribbon, incessantly pouring into Hayley’s forehead. As the dark shade entered Hayley’s brow, the previous tumult arose once more. Whispers and hushed conversations filled her ears, filled with slurs, curses, insinuations, and incessant murmurs, driving Hayley to the brink of insanity.
With Hayley’s emotional defenses shattered, the dignity, confidence, and vision she had established over the years through her show of strength became like a mirage on the verge of collapse. It seemed to drift farther and farther away from her until it vanished without a trace.
It was only then that Hayley understood. These were not mere illusions; they were traps, meticulously designed to pry open her emotional defenses, filled with malicious emotional taunts and curses.
Hayley bowed, her entire body trembling.
She was in a state of panic and chaos. Her only recourse was to chant the name of the Profound Lord, seemingly seeking strength from her faith.
After all, Hayley was a favored devotee of the Profound Lord. Her call was answered by a mere fragment of the Profound Lord’s attention. However, facing Hayley’s rapidly crumbling confidence, the Profound Lord merely sighed in response.
Then, with a nonchalant tone, he said, “If you can’t obtain the sacrifice this time, past offerings will suffice so never mind.”
After that, the Profound Lord no longer responded to Hayley.
Upon hearing the Profound Lord’s reply, Hayley Collapsed in despair.
Had the Profound Lord urged Hayley to persevere and capture Toby, she might have held on for a while longer amidst her crumbling defenses. But instead, the Profound Lord essentially said… never mind?
Never mind? This implied that all of Hayley’s previous actions and sacrifices were in vain.
The lives lost, the grievances suffered, her relentless determination… were they all inconsequential? How could this realization not devastate Hayley.
Perhaps, the words of the Profound Lord were merely an attempt to prevent Hayley from meeting her downfall here. However, Hayley’s thoughts and emotions have already become trapped in a stubborn impasse. She resembles a frog that has fallen into a well, only able to see a sliver of the sky above the well’s mouth. She remains oblivious to the rare compassion and goodwill the Profound Lord holds for her, as she remains focused solely on the limited patch of sky above.
Hayley tilted her head back, letting out a scream filled with anguish, resentment, and despair.
The piercing scream resonated through the eerie world bathed in a crimson light, even reaching the ears of Angel and others in the distance.
A look of bewilderment crossed Gloria’s face, “What did Toby do? Why is Hayley screaming in such agony?”
Gloria couldn’t help but turn her gaze towards Angel, seeking his perspective on the matter. However, at that moment, Angel was quietly conversing with Sanders. Listening closely, they seemed to be discussing the composition of the red-lit world.
“It indeed possesses qualities reminiscent of illusions, yet there are no illusionary nodes present,” whispered Angel with uncertainty.
Sanders responded coolly, “You should be aware that illusionary nodes are the medium wizards use to cast illusions. Not every illusion necessarily requires such nodes for support.”
Angel understood that phenomena like optical illusions, visions, and various power extensions could create illusions. For example, the gourmet delights Gloria conjures might also be accompanied by illusions, a consequence of power extension.
“The tumorous crown seems to have replaced the illusionary nodes, serving as the medium for casting illusions,” said Angel. “However, what is the meaning behind this illusion?”
Angel didn’t believe that the illusion was meaningless. Toby’s Serpent-Bird form, apart from its colossal size, most prominently features a fleshy, tumor-like crown on its triangular skull.
Such a conspicuous feature, considering the typical anatomy of magical creatures, must undoubtedly bear significant importance.
In Angel’s perspective, the illusion generated by this tumorous crown is undoubtedly one of the primary abilities of the Serpent-Bird. As such, it’s inconceivable for it to manifest without any meaningful purpose.
Angel had been observing for a long time, but he didn’t feel that the illusion held any true significance.
What mildly puzzled him was: “It seems a bit different from the commonly encountered illusions, lacking a hint of aggression; yet, it isn’t quite like the peaceful illusions either, it possesses an additional element.”
What exactly was this additional element? Angel felt a sense of familiarity with it, as if it was…
“Has the illusion incorporated emotional manipulation?” Angel whispered. He himself could weave emotions into illusions, hence the familiarity. Yet, in this red-lit world, the mastery over emotions seemed superior because these emotions actually made Angel feel disoriented.
These emotions seemed groundless. They didn’t seem to emanate from Toby, but rather felt like a conglomeration of emotions from various individuals.
For all the emotions Angel had observed had different intensities. They didn’t seem like emotions one individual could express in a short span of time.
Angel shifted his gaze, curious to hear what Sanders had to say.
Sanders, looking at the distant illusion, had a gleam in his narrowed eyes——a gleam mirroring Angel’s, reflecting the brilliance of research.
After a long pause, Sanders finally said, “The illusion itself isn’t particularly sophisticated, but the underlying meaning is intriguing… it belongs to a very unique type of illusion. If we were to categorize it with known types of illusions, it might share some ties with mental illusions. However, there’s still a distinction because the essence of its illusion is negative emotion, and these negative emotions seem to stem from different individuals.”
While Angel was speculating, Sanders seemed to provide a more definitive analysis.
Chapter 1757 Crimson Radiance <TOC> Chapter 1759 Striking Back From The Brink