Ch. 117
Chapter 117: Hundred-Eyed Specter
"By my will, I command you—summon the Hundred-Eyed Specter."
As the mist thickened, Janna swiftly recited the incantation.
Alongside a faint pulse of contract magic, the Hundred-Eyed Specter, in the form of a silver mirror, suddenly appeared by her side.
"Good evening, Master :)~"
Once again, it ended with that cheeky graffiti-style smiley face in blood.
Janna, having no time to respond to the Hundred-Eyed Specter’s friendly greeting, immediately issued a command via telepathic link.
"Create an illusion. Make sure no one finds us."
Wrrng— Upon receiving Janna’s command, a ripple like a water wave shimmered from the silver surface of the Hundred-Eyed Specter.
In an instant, the illusion took form.
Three mirror doppelgängers identical to Janna and her two companions quickly appeared not far from their actual location.
Their pace and demeanor were exactly the same, as if gazing into a mirror.
At this moment, the three mirror doppelgängers walked naturally through the forest in place of the real trio.
Meanwhile, Janna and her companions remained on the other side of the Mirror Illusion, effectively “vanished.”
"Janna, is this your new Contract Summoned Creature? It’s amazing!"
Even through a telepathic link, Vivian’s tone couldn’t hide her awe.
As a pure Elemental Plane apprentice, she had always been curious about apprentices like Janna, who possessed mysterious side talents.
Especially when she saw those obedient yet mystical Contract Summoned Creatures Janna had summoned, Vivian couldn’t help but overflow with admiration and envy.
"Yeah, it’s one I contracted a few days ago."
At those words, Bell Moonshadow also looked complicatedly at the eerie mirror-form creature floating beside Janna.
Having clashed with Janna twice before, Bell Moonshadow naturally knew how troublesome Janna’s Contract Summoned Creatures were.
Whether it was that bird-type Magical Creature skilled in guardian magic or the sneaky plant-type spirit that struck from the shadows—they were all difficult opponents.
Now, with the addition of this unheard-of mirror-shaped creature, Bell Moonshadow realized the gap between herself and Janna seemed to be growing even wider.
"The illusions can’t stray more than fifty meters from us. Otherwise, they’ll shatter on their own."
"So you’re saying...?"
"Vivian, I remember you brought some Explosive Runes, right—"
Creak—Creak—
Footsteps echoed clearly through the quiet forest. As time passed, a swampy mire suddenly appeared beneath the mirror doppelgängers’ feet.
"Now!"
With several whistling sounds tearing through the air, dense poison gas surged forth like a violet cloud, quickly enveloping the mirror doppelgängers.
Following it were several frost-laden Ice Spikes that easily pierced through their bodies.
"So these White Coral Academy apprentices aren’t much—should we just kill them?"
"No killing. Those white witches are extremely protective. If we kill them, it’ll only bring us trouble———"
"Exactly. Especially apprentices from a Wizard Family—their souls might have been marked with Spatial Witchcraft. If their souls are destroyed, our whereabouts will be exposed."
As the voices drew closer, four figures fully cloaked in gray Wizard Robes abruptly appeared in the trio’s line of sight.
"So they’re apprentices from Mist Tower—"
Mist Tower, one of the three major wizard organizations in Turin, specialized in poisons, curses, and trap-based witchcraft. They rarely mingled with the other two organizations and were a reclusive group of eccentrics.
Bell Moonshadow, due to her family’s background, knew relatively more about Mist Tower.
So even though the attackers were thoroughly concealed, she could still identify them by their magic attributes.
Blub-blub—
Bubbles gurgled from the swamp as the trap-based witchcraft combined with the poison mist’s stunning effect.
The three Mirror Illusions crafted by the Hundred-Eyed Specter now lay completely still, like fish on a chopping block—unable to move and paralyzed by the toxic fog.
"Let’s not drag this out. Grab the goods, and let’s get out of here."
Because of Janna’s prior instructions, the Hundred-Eyed Specter had covered the faces of the three with silver masks when crafting the illusions.
So far, the Mist Tower four still hadn’t seen the real faces of Janna and her companions.
"Should we take their masks off?"
"Remove them, and take some blood samples too. If we’re exposed, they’ll serve as counters in a curse ritual."
As the fog thickened and the surroundings blurred, the tall apprentice who was about to unmask one paused.
"This fog feels strange... Did any of you cast this spell?"
"You’re being paranoid. If you won’t do it, I will."
Seeing the tall apprentice hesitate, the sharp-voiced one walked up, ready to take off the mask.
"Wait! Use Wizard’s Hand—just in case it’s a trap."
"Coward."
Despite the jab, the sharp-voiced apprentice followed the suggestion and cast Wizard’s Hand, reaching for the mask.
"These masks are strange... They can’t be removed. Whatever, let’s just grab their stuff—this fatty’s Wizard Robe is top-grade—huh? Source Energy Fragments! Three of them!"
The “fatty” referred to by the sharp-voiced apprentice was the Mirror Illusion of “Vivian” created by the Hundred-Eyed Specter. As Wizard’s Hand rummaged through, three magic-infused Source Energy Fragments were pulled from “Vivian.”
"And they’re Fire-element Source Energy Fragments!"
"Wait!"
Boom— Just as the sharp-voiced apprentice took hold of the fragments, a powerful fire-elemental aura erupted from them.
Before the tall apprentice could fully shout a warning, a blinding burst of flame and a thunderous explosion engulfed the area.
Boom—Boom—Boom—
Like a chain reaction, a series of explosions tore across the swamp, unleashing scorching waves that blasted the Mist Tower four off their feet.
"It’s a trap! Retreat—!"
Following the flames, countless green vines burst forth like venomous serpents, ensnaring the group tightly.
Simultaneously, the mist thickened again. Hidden in the obscured view, a barrage of Ice Spikes, like a polar blizzard, surged toward the four with lethal chill.