Chapter 89 – Illusions in the Forest

The map to the Spider Cave route was left behind by Elinka’s grandfather. That old mage who loved exploration had a talent for cartography, and even the backup map kept in the Doctore Family was meticulously filled with numerous details by him.

Punk now found himself in the Lush Forest. The spot beneath his feet was already the central region of the forest, which could be called a forbidden land for ordinary people. Everywhere roamed magical beasts with formidable strength, while ordinary ferocious beasts were merely the lowest-tier snacks here.

However, most of these magical beasts only possessed Apprentice Rank strength. By merely releasing a hint of his Formal-Level aura, Punk deterred any magical beast from approaching!

Gently rubbing the parchment map, Punk halted and stood still. Golem One, cloaked in gray robes, followed Punk’s command to indiscriminately attack any object daring to approach (unavoidable due to its low intelligence and lack of discernment). Even a falling leaf would be torn to shreds by the fully alert Golem One, allowing Punk to safely examine the map left by Elinka’s grandfather!

The parchment map in his hand was drawn with intricate and mysterious ink lines, making it hard to believe such straight and precise markings were hand-drawn by human effort!

Punk carefully channeled mana into the spell core inscribed within the parchment. Energized, this seemingly unremarkable parchment began emitting a faint blue glow. Ink lines lifted from the paper, intertwining mid-air to form a three-dimensional map.

The map clearly depicted nearly half of the Lush Forest’s iconic terrain. From towering cliffs to small streams, everything was rendered in three dimensions with artistry rivaling any master sketch artist. Some areas even bore brief annotations in ornate script, resembling a simplified 3D model!

Punk manipulated the 3D map to zoom in. Using several Divination Spells, he easily pinpointed his own location.

According to the map, he was already very close to the Spider Cave—so close it could be said to be right beside him. But…

Puck quietly stored the map and frowned while scanning his surroundings. All he saw were monotonous trees and vines, occasional bird calls echoing through the woods. Due to the long absence of visitors, moss on the ground had even formed layers, covering small stones in blankets of green!

So the question arose—where was the Spider Cave?

Punk hadn’t found the Spider Cave, but he didn’t doubt his location. The Divination Spells clearly indicated his proximity to the Spider Cave, yet… his eyes showed no trace of it!

“An illusion, perhaps… Could it be hidden in another plane?” Punk muttered with faint sarcasm. He immediately dismissed the interplanar concealment theory—generally, only Master-Level spellcasters could open portals to other planes. If the master of the Spider Cave were a Master-Level powerhouse, there’d be no need to skulk around covertly in the Lush Forest.

Therefore… illusion remained the only logical conclusion!Now that the root of the problem was identified, all that remained was solving it. Breaking this bewildering illusion became Punk’s top priority!

To dispel an illusion, one must first correctly identify its target. If it was a mental intrusion-type illusion, it generally required mental defense spells to resist. If it was a fantasy-creating spell, then “True Seeing” was indispensable.

To be safe, Punk first cast the psychic spell “Mental Barrier” on himself.

A large amount of mana was rapidly converted into psychic energy. This energy, which strictly speaking wasn’t under Punk’s direct control, followed the trajectory outlined by the spell model and enveloped his soul in a layer of fortification.

But… nothing before him changed. When Punk opened his eyes again, he clearly sensed that his Mental Barrier showed no signs of being eroded by external energy.

So…

“A fabricated illusion then…”

Punk expressionlessly retrieved his staff from behind his back. The emerald-green staff connected with his psyche, and the glowing green orb at its tip began to radiate a pure, jade-like luminescence…

The moment he detected the illusion’s presence, Punk maintained an outwardly indifferent demeanor, but inwardly, he was instantly on high alert. The enemy could already be preparing a surprise attack under the cover of the illusion.

“Since you’re hiding, I’ll just force you out!”

Punk muttered coldly!

But only the rustling of wind through leaves answered him. The surroundings remained as eerily silent and empty as ever. Yet, a tense atmosphere had imperceptibly begun to rise.

As a mage, Punk wasn’t adept at this kind of covert confrontation. The situation of the enemy lurking in the shadows while he was exposed put him at a significant disadvantage. However, he had some experience dealing with this type of hidden foe.

If the enemy was hiding and refusing to show themselves, it indicated their lack of strength in direct combat. Forcing them into the open would immediately reverse the situation.

Having made up his mind, Punk ordered his golem to remain on alert while he quickly pulled out a handful of Liyan Powder. He then put on a look of intense concentration and began chanting a spell in a low voice.

Formal-Level Conjuration Spell—Incantation Fire

As the chant swiftly concluded, the Liyan Powder transformed under the magical energy into high-temperature green sparks, rapidly swirling around the small cluster of “green bonfire” that had taken shape in Punk’s hand.

At this point, most enemies would choose to launch a surprise attack on a mage preparing a spell. A mage is most vulnerable during the one or two seconds they are casting an unfamiliar spell; the slightest distraction from a sneak attack could cause the spell model to collapse, resulting in “self-inflicted” harm!

While preparing the Incantation Fire, Punk was secretly on guard. Outwardly, he appeared to be “struggling” to control an unfamiliar spell, full of openings. But in reality, he was fully prepared to disperse the half-formed magic in his hand at any moment. The moment any enemy appeared, they would mercilessly face Punk’s instant-cast Kinetic Burst!

But… the enemy didn’t show up…

“Since you still won’t come out, then don’t bother coming out at all!”A cold glint flashed in Punk’s eyes. He didn’t know whether the enemy was deliberately creating mystery or if the illusion’s creator was actually a magical item like an array. But regardless, an Incantation Fire that consumed nearly one-third of Punk’s mana was enough to destroy ordinary magical items and those Stalkers without any hidden cards.

As the blue magical radiance in Punk’s pupils spun rapidly, the flickering green flame in his palm suddenly surged into a massive emerald fire ring. The ring enveloped Punk and Golem One before expanding outward like a blazing shockwave. Emerald Incantation Fire spread across every inch of the woodland, green flames licking at every tree. The giant trees instantly transformed into dark green torches, crackling as they stood in place, their dripping sap instantly vaporized by the intense heat!

Incantation Fire: Creates a large area of flame that rages across approximately four hundred square meters for fifteen seconds!

Although the flames produced by this spell didn’t possess extremely high temperatures—a mere seven hundred degrees couldn’t even compare to some Apprentice-Level spells—the Incantation Fire had one characteristic that greatly impacted the battlefield: it was extremely difficult to extinguish!

This flame that could burn almost any substance was harder to remove than white phosphorus incendiary bombs. Once even a speck touched someone, the terrifying fire would continue burning on their skin until it slowly reduced them to ashes.

Using this spell could both deliver continuous damage to enemies and serve as a marker when attached to opponents!

But…

Punk’s pupils contracted slightly as he scanned the surroundings again. Beyond the raging green flames, nothing appeared unusual.

The Spider Cave still showed no trace of existence!

“So it’s not in the ‘surroundings’ then. It can’t be underground either, otherwise the Flesh Golem would have detected it… Therefore… it must be… in the sky!”

Simultaneously, Punk felt a shadow suddenly appear above him, the chilling sensation in his heart becoming crystal clear!

Yet instead of panicking, he felt a surge of joy. The enemy’s concealment ability was indeed remarkable—had they not revealed themselves, he would have had to search at great risk. But now… this fellow had ultimately lost patience and decided to ambush him while he appeared “perplexed”!

(End of Chapter)