Mercenary Wars

Chapter 191 Illusion
Holding a tiny sprig of mistletoe in his hand, Colin closed his eyes and wandered aimlessly with his non-existent gaze, like a blind man.

Half a second later, his fingers tightened slightly, and at the same time, he assumed a throwing posture, with the tip of the mistletoe pointing directly at an empty spot.

Then he threw the mistletoe.

The slender shadows of green branches flashed by in an instant.

"Ah!" A scream rang out as Nils collapsed to the ground, clutching his bleeding chest, his body pierced by mistletoe.

The three Niels clones, who were originally attacking Gaucano, suddenly changed their expressions upon seeing this and hurriedly surrounded the main body to protect it closely.

They also took out a bottle of medicine from their storage ring and fed it to the main body.

But clearly, as in some scenes of Asgardian mythology, the seemingly insignificant mistletoe possesses extraordinary power.

It not only easily pierces through flesh and blood, but also prevents the flesh and blood from healing.

Therefore, the medicine did not improve Nils' injury at all.

The wound continued to bleed, and Nils grew increasingly weak.

Gaucano was overjoyed.

He wasn't quite sure what had happened, but as Nils's serious injury continued to heal, his unfavorable situation instantly reversed.

Now he only needs to deal with one Lohar, and that Lohar is injured and slowed down.

It goes without saying who is strong and who is weak.

Lohar clearly realized this as well, and his face immediately showed a hint of fear: "Niels, what's wrong with you?"

"I...cough cough..." Niels tried to say something, but he was too weak to make a clear sound, and blood began to spill from the corner of his mouth. He looked like he was dying.

Upon seeing this, the three clones all wore expressions of despair.

They are not simple illusions, but advanced avatars with a considerable degree of substance. However, once the original body dies, the avatars are like trees without roots, destined to be completely annihilated.

However, despair is obviously pointless.

After a brief emotional breakdown, the three clones of Niels had a brief exchange.

No one could understand their communication.

At least in Gao Jiano's view, they only made some vague gestures and occasionally uttered a few scattered, isolated words.

But for them, this seems to be a highly efficient way of communicating.

So, after only a few seconds, they seemed to have reached an agreement, glanced at Gaugano, and then silently stopped in place, as if waiting for something.

Gaucano glanced at them a few times, but ultimately didn't pay much attention to them, focusing instead on his fight with Lohar.

Gaucano has a strong physical defense, and so does Lohar.

Thus, without the interference of other factors, both of them displayed an increasingly open and aggressive fighting style. The Blood-Summoning Sword and the Mithril Gauntlets collided repeatedly in the confined space, sparking sparks and blood.

Every now and then, you can hear the sound of bones breaking.

The bloodstains belong to Lohar, while the sound of bones breaking belongs to Gaugano.

In a short period of time, both of them beat each other badly, as if they were fighting with the goal of dying together.

Lohar didn't want it to be like this.

Under the slowed effect of Thunderous Fury, launching an attack would not benefit him at all.

In fact, he wisely chose a conservative tactic at the beginning, defending as much as possible and giving up almost all opportunities to attack.

After all, the effects of the slowdown won't last forever. It's not too late to counterattack after getting through this period of inconvenience; otherwise, the reduced speed will undoubtedly greatly increase the likelihood of him suffering fatal injuries.

However, the initiative was not in Lohar's hands.

Lohar wanted to weather the effects of Thunderfury, while Gaugano wanted to make the most of this precious time.

Therefore, he chose an extremely aggressive offensive tactic, paying little attention to any injuries except for a few key vital points, and launching a full-scale attack.

Forced by such aggressive tactics, Lohar's tactics also had to become aggressive, eventually turning into a blood-pumping, straightforward bloodbath.

Both of them were covered in wounds.

Lohar attempted to alleviate his injuries by taking medication.

But taking medicine is still too slow.

Before he could even take the medicine, Gaucano had already recovered by absorbing the Blood-Summoning Sword, and then launched a fierce and rapid offensive.

This scene played out several times, and Lohar quickly became exhausted, retreating step by step under Gaugano's sharp blades, and soon retreating to a corner.

"Nils, why aren't you coming to help me!" Lohar's voice was filled with anger and fear as he glanced frequently at Niels' three clones and the main body surrounded in the middle.

Unexpectedly, one of the clones, Nils, said, "My original body is already dead."

Only then did the others notice that Niels' main body, which was surrounded by the three clones, was no longer moving, with only blood still slowly flowing out.

The seemingly insignificant mistletoe ultimately killed Nils!
“…” Lohar’s expression twitched. “So you want me to die with you?”

“No, I just want to leave my last words,” the clone Niels said calmly, then ignored Lohar and continued to guard the dead main body.

Just then, seeing that Lohar was at his wit's end, Colin began to kick him while he was down, frequently throwing knives, making Lohar's situation even more difficult.

Casca was not to be outdone.

Unable to fight Lohar head-on, she grabbed various odds and ends from the room and threw them at him. The damage was minimal, but the insult was considerable.

"Traitors! They're all traitors!" Lohar was furious.

Colin then said, "Betrayal presupposes the existence of loyalty. Lohar, who in the entire Brotherhood of Iron Fist do you think has ever truly been loyal to you?"

“I gave you so many chances! Without me, you would only be vagrants and thieves hiding in the shadows!” Lohar then looked at Casca. “And you, I saved you from becoming a prostitute. If I hadn’t bought you from Erza, you would have learned to flirt like those whores long ago!”

His defense, of course, was ineffective.

This only emboldens Colin and Casca to act even more ruthlessly.

Before long, Lohar was completely trapped in a desperate situation. His arm was even cut off by the Blood-Summoning Sword, and the massive blood loss left him powerless to resist.

Seeing that the situation was hopeless, a ruthless look finally flashed across Lohar's face.

Then, with a flick of his wrist, he produced a red sphere from seemingly nowhere. He then prepared to crush it.

But just then, one of Niels' clones suddenly shouted, "Lohar, look at the door!"

Lohar glanced instinctively toward the door, a glimmer of hope flashing in his eyes.

However, even though nothing had happened at the entrance, the heavy doors still kept this place tightly isolated from the noisy boxing ring.

Taking advantage of the opening, Gao Gano quickly snatched the red ball.

At the same time, the Blood-Summoning Sword thrust forward, piercing Lohar's neck.

Kill a Level 7 Human, Experience +350

After killing Lohar.

Gaucano looked at the red sphere in his hand.

[Item: Pyroblast Orb]

[Level: Level 8]

[Effect: Releases intense flames and shockwaves upon shattering, possessing astonishing destructive power]

……

Fireball!

Gao Jiano felt a lingering fear.

Fortunately, they managed to grab the Fireball in time; otherwise, if Lohar had crushed it, the situation would definitely not be like this now.

He speculated that at such close range, if the level eight fireball exploded, even with the Earth Skin, the person would most likely still die.

His ability to snatch the Fireball in time was partly due to his speed, but another reason was...

Gaucano turned to look at Nils.

To be precise, they were Niels's three clones.

He walked up to Niels's clone, his voice tinged with doubt: "Why did you help me just now?"

Niels' clone calmly replied, "If Lohar shatters the Fireball Orb, no one will be able to fulfill my last wish."

Gao Jiano sneered: "You mean, I'll help you fulfill your last wish?"

“Why not?” Niels’s clone said. “My last wish is very simple, you could even say it’s just a matter of lifting a finger.”

Gaucano: "Even so, what benefit would I get from helping you?"

Niels: "If you choose to help me, I will keep my body silent."

Gaucano: "I can destroy your and Lohar's bodies. You know I have some knowledge of magic and alchemy."

“But there is still a considerable risk. Who knows how far the Church is willing to investigate?” Niels smiled. “The Church doesn’t care about Lohar, but you should know that the Church cares about me a lot. There will definitely be high-ranking clergy investigating the cause of my death.”

Gaucano remained silent.

He had to admit that Nils was right.

The Church wouldn't care whether Lohar lived or died, after all, Lohar was a pure gang leader, and in the eyes of some clergy, gang leaders should have died long ago.

But Niels is different.

The church felt guilty towards Nils, and out of reparation and to express its faith, it consistently treated him with respect and indulgence.

After Nils' death, the church will inevitably conduct a thorough investigation, and it is not impossible that the investigation will lead back to Gaucano.

This world ultimately has laws.

Moreover, in some respects, the laws of this world are far more deterrent than those of the ordinary world.

After a moment of silence, Gaucano asked, "What is your last wish?"

Niels's clone hesitated for two seconds before saying, "Bury me with Reverend Enrique."

Colin, who was walking over, was taken aback: "Pastor Enrique...the pastor who violated you?"

Niels' clone remained expressionless: "It was not an act of aggression."

"What do you mean?" Gao Jiano, Colin, and Casca asked in unison, all puzzled.

Niels explained, “After the matter was discovered, our only option was to claim that Enrique had violated me. In that case, Enrique would certainly be executed, but at least I could live and receive generous compensation from the church.”

He paused for a moment, then continued, “If I admit it was voluntary, we’ll both be burned at the stake… Anyone knows which choice to make.”

Gao Jiano suddenly realized the truth and was greatly shocked.

Almost everyone in Southshore has heard the story of Nils being abused by Reverend Enrique during his childhood, and further believes that Nils's psychological distortion stems from this tragic experience.

The truth is so outrageous!
Niels was not violated, but rather acted voluntarily!
The priest Enrique, whom everyone regarded as a demon, was actually a victim in some way.

So... Niels's psychological distortion actually stemmed from Enrique's sacrifice?

Colin was also greatly shocked: "But weren't you a child back then?"

"So what?" Niels' clone said dismissively.

Gaucano did not comment.

"Alright, I promise you." He granted Nils's last wish, and also believed that Nils would not go back on his word.

After all, with this secret revealed, Nils's corpse had no choice but to remain silent.

With the corpse present, the truth could not be revealed through conversation between the deceased.

Gao Jiano then remembered something else: "By the way, where is your Behelight Oracle Chest?"

Niels was taken aback: "Beheilite's Oracle Chest?"

Gaucano: "Yes, didn't you buy a Beheilite Oracle Chest at South Muradin Fortress?"

Niels' clone looked completely bewildered: "Who told you that? I've never seen that thing before."

(End of this chapter)