Chapter 28: Valley of Illusions

The temperature in the room plummeted in an instant.

Pure white breath escaped from his mouth like cigarette smoke, and thick ice formed along the walls. The cold seeped outward, freezing the river water and bringing the ferry to a sudden halt in the middle of the river.

Lucy glanced at the immobilized ship and thought to herself, Good thing I moved away . Then, her gaze shifted to the enemy before her.

Desmond.

A special summon that only a Level 100 necromancer could call forth.

How is this possible?

According to the game system she knew, a man with an estimated level far below 100 should never have been able to summon Desmond.

A bug? Or is the game system corrupted?

The man who had summoned Desmond steadied his breath and looked at Lucy, confidence settling into his features. He straightened his clothes with an air of certainty and spoke in a measured tone.

“Your defeat is now assured.”

Lucy smirked. “I recall you suffering a rather humiliating defeat last time.”

The man scoffed. “Fool. This Desmond possesses power surpassing even the Great Demon. Even you won’t be able to handle it.”

Lucy raised an eyebrow. Power rivalling the Great Demon? This was an opportunity—a chance to gauge the strength of the Seven Great Demons, whose abilities had always remained a mystery.

The man made an offer. “Wouldn’t it be wiser to surrender? I’d prefer to take you alive.”

Lucy held back a chuckle. Does he even have the power to arrest me?

“I’m sorry,” she said, shaking her head. “But that doesn’t add up.”

“What?”

“I’m stronger than you, to begin with.”

Her eyes flickered toward Desmond, and the man’s expression hardened. His gaze silently screamed, What kind of idiot is this?

“Foolish girl.”

Lucy remained unfazed. Desmond was a special summon—its level fluctuated depending on the summoner and conditions. Lowering her guard would be foolish.

First, she decided to test its strength.

Magic Skill: Hypnosis.

Tick!

The attempt was rejected. It made sense—undead creatures had high resistance to mind control.

Hypnosis won’t work unless I inflict fatal damage first.

Desmond suddenly let out a guttural roar, shaking the icy air. Lucy instinctively kept her distance. At the same time, she activated another skill.

Magic Skill: Dream.

Twenty identical clones of Lucy materialized, surrounding Desmond from all directions. This was a test—she needed to gauge its attack patterns.

Desmond spread his arms wide, exposing his ribcage. From within, sharp chains shot out like spears, piercing through the clones with deadly precision. One chain aimed for Lucy’s real body.

She swatted it away effortlessly.

“Desmond, that one’s the real one!” the man shouted.

Desmond lunged forward, dark purple energy radiating from his hands—his signature move.

Magic Skill: Illusionary Beast.

A book materialized above Lucy’s palm, flipping its pages on its own. From it emerged a massive, long white serpent—Titanoboa, a creature of her own creation.

The snake slithered through the air and coiled tightly around Desmond.

The man frowned. “A beast I’ve never seen before… What is that?”

“Strange words from someone who’s had a fox wrapped around them before,” Lucy retorted.

Desmond struggled violently, but his strength soon turned the serpent’s flesh to rot, leaving only bones behind.

Death Wyvern—a deadly touch that causes corrosion and decay, even at Level 100. A dangerous technique.

Lucy retreated and launched another spell.

Magic Skill: Hellfire.

Fierce flames engulfed Desmond. Yet, the moment he raised his hand, the fire was extinguished instantly.

His touch grants death even to inanimate things…

Undeterred, Lucy continued her assault, cycling through fire, lightning, and wind magic. The battle wreaked havoc on the ship—had the river not been frozen, it would have sunk long ago.

“A futile struggle,” the man sneered. “Desmond’s hands nullify magic.”

Despite his confidence, Desmond suddenly found himself inches away from Lucy.

“Go, Desmond!” The man was certain of his victory.

But Lucy remained composed.

“Hmm, is this it?”

Magic Skill: Teleport.

She vanished just as Desmond’s hand reached for her.

The man’s expression twisted in disbelief. “Teleport…? You can teleport?”

Lucy tilted her head. “You wouldn’t know if you saw it?”

“That can’t be! If you had teleportation, why didn’t you run away before?”

“Why would I need to run away?”

The man’s voice finally cracked. “You can’t possibly stand against him!”

Lucy sighed. Time to show him with actions, not words.

She pressed her fingertips together, gathering her magic.

“Illusion Valley.”

The world shifted. A misty haze enveloped everything as reality blurred. A purple sky stretched overhead, and crystalline waters reflected it. The man found himself standing alone in the vast expanse.

Lucy now sat atop a giant clock tower before him.

“Where is this?! Another illusion?!”

“More or less,” she replied lazily.

The man scoffed. “Illusions are meaningless. They have no substance.”

Lucy merely snapped her fingers.

BAM.

From the water, monsters began to rise—Kraken, Hydra, Sphinx, Cerberus, and more. Dozens, maybe hundreds, emerged, lurking beneath the waves.

The man’s face paled. “It’s just an illusion. There’s nothing to fear…”

Then, something rolled against his foot.

Desmond’s severed head.

“!?” His breath hitched. “When did that happen?!”

Surrounded by colossal beasts, he broke into a cold sweat.

“It’s an illusion! It must be fake! Desmond can’t be dead!”

Lucy watched him struggle with denial. “It’s an illusion, but not a lie.”

“What?!”

“This is the ultimate illusion. A spell that swaps reality with fiction.”

His body trembled. “No… No magic like that could exist.”

“It does.”

Illusion Valley—the illusionist’s ultimate skill. Whatever happened in this world would become real after five minutes. Including death.

There were only two ways to escape:

1. Kill the caster.
2. Survive for five minutes.

For the man, both were impossible.

“Keuhehe…” He let out a hollow laugh, kneeling in resignation.

Lucy rested her chin on her hand. “Now, tell me—who ordered you to kidnap me?”

“I can’t. The curse will kill me the moment I reveal anything.”

“Figures. Any last words?”

She pointed at him. The monsters advanced, jaws widening.

“Kids these days are terrifying…” he muttered before being swallowed whole.

After tidying up, Lucy headed toward the riverside to pick up Perry. But her mind buzzed with concerns.

How do I comfort Perry?

How do I explain my escape to Arasia?

How do I face Rubia, who knows everything?

Her head already ached.