Academic gathering with Lich colleagues

That hand was so similar to hers, as if they came from the same source.

Ferma stared blankly at the tall figure that emerged from behind the portal.

"Brother...brother?"

Gorgalan Black Abyss emerged from behind the portal, a smile on his face, clearly delighted to be greeted by his sister.

"I'm sorry to have shown you my brother's embarrassing defeat. But, to get angry and hurt Lord Lyle is not the proper etiquette of a demon."

Absurdity was on everyone's mind.

"But brother, weren't you killed by him? Along with the entire hellish plane..."

Gao Jialan looked enlightened and gave Mr. Raymond an embarrassed smile.

"You've misunderstood. I did lose. I was terrified by the plague doctor."

"That spell, the spell that tore the entire hell plane apart, was actually just a realistic illusion. Although I only found out later, as expected of the Plague Doctor, I was completely manipulated by fear."

"Everyone has been scammed."

"We're all fine, and Hell Dimension Six is ​​fine too. You can go see for yourself if you don't believe me, little Fermá."

That shattered apocalyptic scene was just... an illusion?

Chapter 403 We Won

"You knew all along, Brother Morokui?" The two dragon priests leaned against the black stone wall of the Black Abyss Arena, their eyes fixed on the Black Abyss Prince standing in the center of the stands, helping Lyle to his feet. "Was that just an illusion?"

"What do you think, my sister Irason?" The scholar didn't go out; he didn't need to get involved in Lyle's affairs, so he was happy to keep a low profile.

Irason shook her head, and the new buds hanging from the crown of flowers above her head emitted a sweet fragrance.

“I’m not sure. A skilled dream messenger can create illusions that indistinguish between reality and illusion, and so can a master of the soul. That resurrected omen has the ability to manipulate fear, which means it can corrupt souls and naturally create illusions. And another conjecture… Brother, isn’t that the reason you trained Lyle?”

“Lyle is a good student. Even if he didn’t have this talent, my attention to him wouldn’t diminish much.” The scholar emphasized his position. As a teacher and an older brother, he didn’t want Irason to leave him with a distorted impression of him as a mercenary spellcaster who exploited his students.

“But it will never be as special as it is now, Brother Morokui. He is nurturing your desires, your thirsts, and making your soul come alive again. Lyle has given you hope, even if it is a tainted hope. It has been so long since I last saw you act impulsively, when you were still alive.”

The scholar smiled simply.

"People are always willing to believe what they think, applying their own understanding of rules to things that are incomprehensible. They distort the unknown as the known and use rejection to escape fear."

"Are you referring to my prejudice against you, or their understanding of Lyle's behavior?"

The scholar did not answer, but instead raised a new question.

"Irason, which fact do you want to believe?"

"A false illusion of a shattered hell?"

"Or was it after the shattered hell that an invisible being, as the creator, reshaped all of this?"

The Green Dragon Priest took a deep breath and sprayed his minty breath into the cool shadows.

"I hope it's all an illusion. I hope... that the future is still within my grasp."

“But you mean, brother, that the ominous sign has acquired the divine power to distort and reshape reality…”

“No, Omen is not. He is merely Lyle’s vessel of fear, yet another half-body. The shattering of Hell was indeed just an illusion. Omen is not stupid; he understands his own weakness and will not provoke the fragile nerves of the demons. That vision of fear was merely a disgruntled intimidation.”

"Thank God." Everything turned out as Irason had feared; it was just an illusion. Irason looked at the scholar. "But doesn't that mean my brother's wish hasn't been fulfilled?" After all, what the scholar wanted was the power to distort and corrupt reality.

"Aren't you disappointed, brother?"

"Of course not, Lyle has exceeded my expectations."

“The Omen can’t shatter Hell and rebuild it, but [Lyle] can. The Omen is only a part of Him.” The scholar walked out of the arena. “That illusion was His protest against me, His displeasure at me for separating Nia from His wholeness. Leaving Him fragmented, now He can only spread fear through an illusion…”

"The resurgence of the new gods has exceeded my brother's expectations?"

“Yes. My original plan was for Lyle to begin reviving his divinity after reaching the fifth chain, which would ensure that humanity would become the absolute dominant force. However, it has now erupted. Something has stimulated Him, making Lyle's nature of existence less stable. Plans can't keep up with changes. The fusion has already begun, and our plan needs to be further implemented.”

Irasorn watched the scholar's footsteps, showing none of the cheerfulness he had expressed, maintaining a calm indifference. It shouldn't be a big problem, right?

"But the Black Abyss Prince who returned seems like a completely different person, as if he's been subjected to some kind of mind control..."

The scholar stopped and turned around, looking at Irason, who seemed to be waiting for some terrible news.

“You’re overreacting, my sister. Your sensitivity to the evil god has made you forget to stay calm, and you’re becoming easily startled. You need to go back to the dream world and properly regulate your emotions. Otherwise, another dragon priest will go mad.”

The scholar's fingers tapped lightly on the green dragon priest's face.

"Spiritual guidance, you can do that too, right?"

"The demon race is a race that reveres strength. They respect the victors, especially the strong who have defeated them."

“The ominous sign did not distort Gao Jialan’s mind, but he did what hypnotists would do: plant a psychological suggestion in his subconscious.”

"Gao Jialan's fear of the ominous sign, combined with his respect for the victor, created his fondness for Lyle. This is what the ominous sign wanted to see..."

The sound faded away as the dragon priest left, and the secrets within were concealed by the silence.

In the center of the arena, the Black Abyss Demons' exploration of the Hellish plane also came to an end.

"I am very sorry, Lord Raymondos, my child is right. There was no loss to the Hell Plane, nor were there any casualties (the demons awaiting resurrection do not count as casualties). It was all my overreaction. If possible, I would like to host a banquet for you to express my remorse."

Pomfrey Black Abyss handed the unconscious Lyle to Raymond, looking up at the towering Raymond. Raymond's beautiful golden eyes rippled like water; if Raymond looked directly into them, he would see a striking figure in those eyes—himself. No one could refuse the humble invitation of a queen standing at the pinnacle of her race.

Unless he doesn't watch it.

Mr. Raymond cradled Lyle in his arms and examined his torso from head to toe with holy light. Then he left on his own, leaving behind only a single sentence.

"Consider yourselves lucky, demons."

Throughout the entire ordeal, Raymond didn't pay a single glance at the alluring Black Abyss Queen, except when she blocked his path.

The surrounding hell lords all lowered their heads, not daring to look at the embarrassed queen, their eyes darting around, fearing they might have to return to hell to be reborn.

Gao Jialan's cheerful voice came from behind Pomfrey, "Mom, you failed to invite Lord Remontos again, didn't you? I told you not to look at those social guides produced by the lich."

"Demons should choose their mates in their own way."

The Black Abyss Prince, who didn't hesitate to reopen his mother's wounds, quickly received a heavy blow from maternal love, spitting a mouthful of blood onto Pomfrey's long dress. Looking at her son, who was hunched over and convulsing in her arms like a shrimp, Pomfrey's eyes were icy cold.

"You've failed again, my child."

Prince Black Abyss forced a smile. "There's nothing I can do. The Plague Doctor is very strong, as expected of Lord Remontos's offspring. Besides, I've lost to him more than once."

"After the celebration ends, you should go back to hell and continue challenging the Lord of Hell. What a disgraceful son you are."

Gao Jialan laughed it off, and Ferma Black Abyss stepped forward to defend him.

“Mother, my brother is not shameful. Among the demons under three hundred years old, only my brother has been able to challenge the Lord of Hell and not be killed.”

"And then they lost to the Lich," the Black Abyss Queen concluded decisively.

"...You were all clearly frightened by the Plague Doctor," Ferma complained in a barely audible voice.

The Queen of the Abyss clapped her hands, ordering the demons to immediately prepare the arena.

"The exhibition match is over. Next, the Wandering City Championship will officially begin."

The winner of the Hellfire Invitational.

Andre College, the Plague Doctor!

Chapter 404 Battle in the Abyss

The strong smell of sulfur was even more pungent in the scorching air, but Lyle struggled to get up despite the stimulation. He was plagued by nightmares and was locked in a small room filled with darkness.

Unable to open their eyes, their minds were filled with a wealth of information—sounds, images, and forces.

Lyle heard Gao Jialan's screams, saw his own tall, twisted body covered in black mud, and sensed his presence.

Something lingered in his mind, a mixture of familiarity and strangeness, an unease. It was like the discomfort he felt when Nia first hid within his body, the discomfort of being repeatedly smeared with mucus—a discomfort that Lyle had taken a considerable amount of time to adjust to. And now, he might have to repeat that process again.

Because the ominous signs exist in one's own mind.

Lyle "saw" him devour himself and Nia, gradually corrupting the power of hell, weaving fear in the hearts of every demon, planting that sinister laughter into their minds, and finally announcing his existence to everyone.

The existence of the ominous sign was itself a form of knowledge. The moment Lyle sensed its presence, it was as if a door to the mystical had opened before him. Pressing against the door, he could easily glimpse what lay beyond. It was madness and filth, profanity and corruption.

Lyle ultimately did not open the door; he was afraid. And the moment his fingers left the stone door, Lyle heard a mocking groan coming from the other side of the door.

The thick black fog gradually crept up Lyle's body, and in his dazed state, Lyle gradually lost consciousness.

Lyle opened his eyes.

A gentle breeze lifted the deep purple curtains, carrying the delicate fragrance of unnamed pale white flowers from the windowsill into my nostrils. Sunlight slanted across the bed, and the shadows of the fluttering fabric danced on the back of my hand.

Lyle felt as if he had returned to a landscape painting of Narnia, and began to wonder if he was still dreaming.

Or perhaps it's in a landscape painting of Naslan's secret realm, because Naslan's second daughter is resting her head on his chest.

“This looks like a hospital room, though it’s a bit too luxurious.” Lyle raised his head slightly and looked out the window at the chaotic architectural style unique to the City of Wanderings. “Ariana is taking care of me, but she probably doesn’t understand that pressing her head against a patient is not the proper way to care for them. I’m having trouble breathing.”

“I understand.” The head resting on his chest didn’t move, and the open eyes looked closely at Lyle. “I wasn’t watching over you, I was just listening to your heartbeat.”

"To assess my safety?"

“It’s just that it sounds nice. Your heartbeat is also a kind of beautiful music.” Ariana raised her head. “I’ve already confirmed your safety. Since I sent away the doctor from that wandering city, I’ve examined every part of your body very carefully. There’s nothing wrong with your body, Lyle.”

Lyle could understand the need to avoid revealing his human identity and evading the doctor's examination. But...

"Ariana, you examined my body, every part of it?"

"Yes."

"..." Lyle instinctively covered his lower body, his face beginning to flush red.

Lyle's embarrassment made Ariana raise an eyebrow. She reached out and forcefully brushed Lyle's hand away, then casually stroked his body. "I don't think there's anything between us to hide. Didn't you examine my body on Andre's lab table?"

"That was just a disguise of flesh and blood; I didn't pay any attention to those things at the time."

"So what are you concerned about now?" Ariana's eyes were clear, but that very clarity only made Lyle's mind more shattered. Lyle wasn't sure if Ariana was genuinely oblivious or acting on purpose.

In any case, Lyle recognized his inferior position compared to Lady Ariana.

The kind-hearted Lady Ariana mercifully let the embarrassed gentleman go.