Negotiation

[Chapter 67 Comment]

[Hunter_Keenan_2132: I know you're busy with battle so I'll skip clarifying responses. Focusing on the now, I wonder if Devian was the end of the betrayal. There…see more]

…

The high-ranking Marei realized that the previous Marei's report about Theo was wrong; they had never seen his true strength.

'This is an illusion.'

'This is an illusion.'

The high-ranking Marei kept repeating those words, desperately trying to convince himself that what he saw was not real. However, his efforts were futile, and the low-level Marei continued to fall into the illusory hole, unaware of whether they were alive or not.

The Marei let out a roar, attempting to alert everyone. Unfortunately for him, that roar coincided with the moment the Marei reached the bottom of the illusory pit.

In an instant, the illusion disappeared, revealing the real ground. There was no hole in the area, and everything had been a trick of illusion. Yet, over a hundred Marei were lying on the ground, their bodies convulsing uncontrollably.

Then, the sound of bones cracking filled the air as more than a hundred Marei suffered tragically. Their minds had registered the damage from the illusion, ultimately leading to their deaths.

When everyone witnessed how Theo had killed all those Marei in a single move, they couldn't help but be astonished, their jaws dropping to the ground. They wondered just how strong Theo truly was.

Lendrix, who was tasked to follow Theo's order, felt fortunate for a moment that he was working under Theo. After all, someone so powerful might be able to turn the situation around.

And everyone could now understand why Theo had been granted the opportunity to explore the ancient ruin where the greatest illusionist resided.

On the other hand, Haruka and Avalon were shocked for an entirely different reason. They had heard how impressive Theo's illusions were from Maya and the others, but witnessing it firsthand was a different experience.

Even though they knew that Theo could defeat his opponents or kill them brutally with his illusions, the description they had heard was slightly different from what they had just seen. This was the integration of Theo's unique illusion style and Lemin's.

"I heard that Teacher Theo has the lowest ranking among the Royyal Grade Demon possessors. I wonder how true that is? Is Teacher hiding his true power? Or does the Demon Realm exceed our current understanding?" Haruka felt chills down her spine.

Even Avalon felt fear for the first time. Theo had never been serious all this time. What would happen if he was genuinely angry? The consequences might be beyond their ability to handle.

After killing many Marei, Theo glared at the high-ranking Marei as if planning to hunt him down. Surprisingly, the Marei didn't rush to avenge their fallen comrades. Instead, it let out a roar that caused all the low-ranking Marei to retreat. They either wanted to focus on Baold or were likely planning to gather more forces to defeat Theo.

"We have to chase after them. We can't let them regroup with the main party," Lendrix unsheathed his sword, ready to lead the other elite soldiers.

But Theo landed in front of him and said, "No. Don't chase them."

"But, Sir… They…" Lendrix fell silent, still feeling intimidated by Theo's power.

"Either way, it's fine. There's another reason why I've chosen this approach." Theo sat down on the ground. "All of you are to protect me. I need to gather my power and use another ability to turn the situation around. If they come back, then buy me some time. If they don't, just send one or two people to scout the area. Alert me if the enemies are about to break through the main party's defense."

Lendrix considered the situation. After witnessing Theo's power and hearing him mention another ability that could turn things around, Lendrix believed that their plan might succeed. Although it was difficult to watch the main party suffer, he knew they had to follow Theo's arrangement if they wanted to survive.

"Understood." Lendrix nodded with a serious expression. "Albert, Hans, you two are to scout the area ahead and monitor the Marei's movements. We'll split the rest into two groups and spread our defenses. I'll be the last line of defense."

The elite soldiers swiftly received their commands and moved to their designated positions.

Haruka and Avalon exchanged looks, uncertain about their roles. Unfortunately, they could only remain by Theo's side and protect him.

Meanwhile, Theo gradually opened his eyes, finding himself entering another dimension - his consciousness. The surroundings were entirely black, evoking an eerie feeling. He sat on a chair, facing a clown-like figure that resembled the one Theo had summoned in a previous mission.

"Welcome, Host," the clown smirked. "It seems that you're in a pinch."

Theo hadn't really returned to this place or conversed with his demon since it wasn't necessary. However, this time, he needed the demon's power. His current assimilation rate, after eating the fruit, was 17%: five percent from the fruit and the remaining two percent from his daily assimilation. It was still not enough to reach the second authority, prompting Theo to return to this place.

"I think you know what I want," Theo said with a solemn tone.

"Of course. The last time you came here was when you reached a ten percent assimilation rate. But since you haven't reached twenty percent before returning now, you must need my power," the clown smirked.

"I need the second authority. Give me a brief description of it."

"It's a simple authority. The first one is a Toon World, which creates a place where the illusion of power can manifest easily. The second one is still related to it. The second authority allows you to manipulate the environment."

The clown snapped his fingers, and the surroundings instantly changed. The eerie darkness was replaced by a green plain with short grass. The sky turned blue, and the temperature became warm, as if for a picnic.

"Interesting," Theo remarked, looking down, lost in thought.

"Still, you don't expect me to give this to you without a price, right? Besides, our assimilation rate is still too low, so you can only forcefully use this ability for a while. You can have full control once you meet the required assimilation rate," the clown warned.

"Of course, I know. That's why I'm here to negotiate the price with you," Theo nodded.

The demon smirked. "How about making me an offer?"

"No. You state the price. If you don't give me a fair one, then I'll simply leave this place," Theo replied firmly.

"Even though you're in a pinch?"

"I can still escape if I want."

The demon observed him intensely. "The way you put it seems to suggest you're heartless enough to abandon everything just to save your own life. That makes you truly human indeed... Though, the way you abandon them is akin to a demon. Interesting."

"I don't have a lot of time. If you're stalling for time, I might get a bit angry."

"Oops." The demon playfully looked away, as if Theo had seen through his plan. In their past meetings, the demon knew how dangerous Theo could be. He had tried to entice him multiple times but had failed. However, Theo wasn't unreasonable. He might prefer a low price, but he wouldn't haggle if the price was slightly higher, as long as it fell within his expectations.

This made his current host unique, which intrigued the Toon Demon.

The Toon Demon proposed, "You've offered me all your memories in exchange for my power. While it's quite tempting, I don't think it's enough to speed up the process. So, I want your eye. I'd like to see what you see."

The Toon Demon couldn't deny that Theo's mastery in illusion was high, perhaps even surpassing his own. Offering his eyes in exchange would grant him the opportunity to learn from Theo's illusions and potentially replicate them in the future, making him less fearful of Theo's power.

However, Theo shook his head firmly. "Rejected. The price is too high for just a single use of your second authority. Besides, it's only a single use."

The demon inquired, "Then, how much do you plan to lower it down?"

Theo contemplated for a moment and suggested, "A month for sensing the flow of my essence, in exchange for a single use of your second authority."

The demon found the new price to be quite fair. He sensed that Theo had bumped it up slightly to demonstrate his desperation.

If he could sense the flow of essence in Theo's body, he could understand how Theo used his power. Although it wouldn't allow him to discern illusions from reality, it would still provide valuable insights. The contract would last for a month, granting a single use of the second authority.

After considering the offer, the demon smiled. "We have a deal. Please close your eyes, Host. I shall guide you on how to use my ability, as well as the chant you need to activate that power. Familiarize yourself with it before using it."

"I know." Theo closed his eyes and began to concentrate.

"Then, repeat after me..." The Toon Demon began guiding Theo through the process.

...

While Theo was focused on gaining the second authority, Lendrix and his group faced a new challenge.

"Sir, more than five hundred Marei are heading towards us. There are two high-ranking Marei leading the entire army," reported Albert, one of the scouts.

Lendrix didn't know what to do. The number of enemies was far higher than he had anticipated, but when he looked at Theo, he knew this was their only chance.

"We need to buy some time. Use the terrain to slow them down. We must hold them back for as long as we can. If we fail, all of us will die here," Lendrix said, glancing at Haruka and Avalon. "I'm afraid the number is too high, and I have to help my comrades. I'll have to leave both of you here, so please protect your teacher."

Avalon and Haruka could only agree, understanding that their strength was not yet enough to assist in this battle.