Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 826 - 767: Delirious Youth

Thump!

Rosa felt a sharp pain in her left arm, and as the idea of pain formed in her mind, she realized her eyes were moist and her vision blurred. Her hair was caked with mud, and half of her face retained the red flush from the impact. Her head felt heavy, and her heart was enveloped in darkness. Enduring the pain, she used her uninjured right hand to pull herself out of the dirt. Her mind hadn’t recovered from the chaos, the piercing screams were tearing at her spirit, and the choking smell of dust made Rosa cough involuntarily. She didn’t want to open her eyes; she had already fallen into hell.

"Save me!"

"It hurts! It hurts so much!"

"Please don’t do this! I beg you!"

Rosa closed her eyes and the voices became clearer—those pain-laden, tortured voices delivered despair unscathed right into her ears. She cried softly along with those voices, her body kneeling could only pray in despair, her left hand completely numb, now she couldn’t even put her hands together.

The wind, hot with heat, felt like it was slicing through her skin. The misery reminded Rosa of the last time she accidentally ventured into Bloody Purgatory, the oppressive nightmare induced by a blood-soaked monster made her body tremble to the point where she couldn’t think of escaping. Now, things were much grimmer than before—the ladder had collapsed, and she, along with a small group of people, had fallen into the enclosure of the Demon People, being torn apart was only a matter of time, her back against the cliff with no way out.

The stabbing pain in her left arm intensified, the unimaginable agony made Rosa revert to a mere girl—she forgot to endure and lost her usual composure, any action now was futile.

It turns out I am just the same...

How terrifying, I don’t want to die here, impaled on a spear, my body torn apart, no, no, no...

Who will save me... It really hurts... it hurts so much...

Tiny scales moved along her spine, stirring Rosa slightly, anxiety forcing her eyes open, and the Great Illusion[Snake]was staring at her intently, with its half-burned head looking down at this pitiful Cinderella.

The body of [Snake]was mostly gone, the once beautiful green-blue scales were left only in small patches, flames still burning on its body, and embers twinkling from the deep crevices at its tail. Its body carried the bodies of its companions, who lay as if asleep, bound to its surface with vines and branches. The most beautiful garden had lost its former lushness, the new life it bore was now broken and fading, sorrow engraved on its human-like face alongside the scorch marks.

As [Snake] approached, Rosa unconsciously hung her head, her body leaned to the side and slowly receded, looking to bury herself in the shadows.

"Rosa, come with me quickly, there is still a chance." Without further explanation, the Great Illusion wrapped its tentacles around the girl’s waist and dragged her through the dust. Within the barricade made up of phantom corpses, most of the Exiles had climbed the cliff, but without the phantoms, they chose to fall, fulfilling their pledge to protect everyone, blocking the Demon People’s attack with their bodies. The bodies of the phantoms were much more resilient than ordinary human bodies, and they could also mimic rocks.

Though wanton violence far exceed stubborn rocks.

The body of [Snake] was warm, layers of entwined branches isolated the chaos outside, making Rosa feel drowsy, though she couldn’t tell if it was due to the warmth or excessive blood loss. After seeing other companions who had also suffered like her, the most distinguished Guide barely regained her spirit.

"Rosa!"

"Lady Rosa!"

They found their spiritual pillar, yet ironically, this pillar had long since broken, and Rosa revealed a self-mocking smile. The stabbing pain on her shoulder brought the girl back to her senses, and she found Phantom had already fashioned an emergency splint for her arm out of grass ropes; amidst the gunsmoke, these fragmented bodies of Phantoms still had clear eyes.

"I...", a sourness surged in her nose, Rosa was about to say something when [Snake] interrupted her directly.

"We’ve taken heavy damage, my dear. To send you up again, we need to give it our all, there’s only one chance, no time for talk now, Rosa, you must do as we say, squeeze in with the others."

It seems time was indeed pressing. Even before the words ended, [Snake] transformed again, her body forming a cradle that enclosed everyone inside, wrapping Rosa and the others tightly while the remaining Phantoms burrowed into her body, merging into that crack that was flickering with sparks. The cracking sounds filled the ears, and Rosa felt the cradle slowly climbing.

Are we safe now... Did we succeed?

Such thoughts suddenly popped up, and Rosa saw their graves; the scattered stones, the burning plants, the ruins made of Phantoms, enacted a tear-jerking tragedy.

A chill crept up her heart, and before Rosa’s eyes, a figure shrouded in black robes emerged. That Master of Illusions, like a malevolent god. No, no... this could be considered later, now, survive first!

As if mocking the naivety of her thoughts, the cradle began to shake vigorously, and the Phantoms started wailing as the transforming cradle’s outer layer began to peel off. Through a gap that appeared in front of her, Rosa saw the Demon People igniting the cradle’s roots.

Dark energy wound claws burned like flames; his right hand held a curved blade, burning while continuously slicing the roots. Although frantic and distorted, every wrinkle on that face felt familiar to Rosa, and it made her feel powerless.

"Uncle Bradley." Jeremiah’s father, the fallen pioneer, has come to embrace his children.

Rosa suddenly felt relieved, remembering many incidents from her childhood; her father focused on the entire Exiles troop, it was this man who played with her, her second father, always the man with the loudest laughter. Even now, in this sinister smile, Rosa could still see traces of that man.

"Perhaps this is not so bad...", Rosa silently thought, leaning forward, slowly climbing over the cradle’s fence. Someone must stop him, someone must block his attack. I, am the most suitable candidate, they are all scared, they... this is the Guide’s job...

The Phantoms were tired, their tentacles blocking my touch felt so frail, even I could break free easily. Losing balance, the center of gravity gradually slipping out of control, the Demon Person opened his arms, and Rosa smiled.

"Are you welcoming me, uncle?"

A dark shadow, falling from above, his face less than ten centimeters from Rosa’s nose tip, flashed by. Rosa remembered those eyes, always veiled with ocean-like colors, those blues that absorbed all tears. Like a swooping crow, he bellowed, tearing his hoarse throat.

"How could you do this! Father!"

"That’s the girl I like!!"

Father and son, the crisp clash of stark white blades in the air, murderous intent and resolve, two similar faces tangled with a sinister aura, crashed like wild beasts into the ruins.