How come this arcanist is invincible?

Chapter 11 The Dark Forest

The underground base, at the exit of another passage.

The mentor stood quietly at the entrance of the dimly lit passageway.

Beside him stood Ange, dressed in a red dress, and three silent killers, including One-Eyed.

"Laun is dead."

The one-eyed man reported in a low voice.

The tutor nodded and asked:

"Is it Kane?"

"Yes, there are multiple stab wounds and cuts from the dagger, but the fatal wound is in the neck."

A hint of surprise flashed in the one-eyed man's eyes as he murmured.

"How could he improve so quickly... He hasn't turned demonic, it's just..."

The mentor smiled but remained silent.

Ange sneered from the side: "Just a worthless failure."

The tutor turned around, his tone gentle:

"Let's wait a bit; this is the only way out of the base."

Upon hearing this, everyone waited quietly, looking back at the path they had come from.

In the distance, some black-robed cultists, holding bows and crossbows, whispered amongst themselves.

At this distance and in this terrain, even a level zero apprentice wielding a crossbow would be enough to pose a threat to a level one professional.

Time slips away, bit by bit.

The expected figure did not appear in the passage.

The originally somber atmosphere gradually dissipated during the long wait.

Doubt surfaced on the one-eyed man's face, and he subconsciously looked at his mentor, only to be glared back at fiercely by Anjie.

...crazy woman.

He couldn't be bothered to argue, since the other party was a magic-based professional who had always looked down on melee professionals.

"Wait a little longer."

The mentor smiled, his expression remaining calm.

After an unknown amount of time, when even some of the black-robed cultists began to relax, footsteps finally echoed from the depths of the passage.

Two figures dressed in black robes slowly emerged.

The mentor squinted.

The one-eyed man raised his hand and said, "Wait, they're one of us."

He shouted at the approaching man, "Take off your mask!"

The two believers obediently removed their hoods, revealing ordinary faces.

The mentor paused slightly.

The one-eyed man asked, "Why are you all out here?"

The black-robed cultist bowed his head and answered:

"The fire inside has been extinguished."

"The bodies have all been properly arranged. Also... we found the pharmacist's body."

"Walk."

The mentor suppressed his composure and turned to walk into the base.

He realized he had made a mistake.

The lamb did not take the expected path.

Could it be... that they escaped from the cliff?

No, it's impossible.

Flying is a third-circle spell, and besides, flying off a cliff wouldn't last long enough...

He pondered for a moment, then led his men back to the stronghold hall.

The smell of burning was still faintly audible in the hall.

Dozens of corpses covered with white sheets were neatly arranged on the ground, a horrifying sight.

Even Ange, who had always looked down on Kane, couldn't help but feel a chill when she saw this scene.

Although she was proud of her magical abilities, the efficient, precise, and even artistic killing methods before her eyes filled her with a sense of dread.

But she quickly suppressed her emotions and remained haughtily silent.

The one-eyed man kept his brows furrowed.

He couldn't understand how the wounds on Laun's back and even the scratches on his hind legs came about.

It couldn't have been him who bumped into it, or someone who could have silently gotten behind him.

No, the most likely scenario is... he was facing two enemies at the same time.

One-Eyed pondered in his mind, then reported to his mentor:

"It must have been done by Shar and Kane together, now..."

"Since the direction is unclear, I'll take over the tracking."

As a silent killer, he possesses the ability to track footprints, but the underground environment is complex and requires more time.

The tutor nodded in approval.

The three assassins worked together and quickly identified clues among the mixed footprints.

"Mentor, the footprints ultimately lead to... the cliff."

The group rushed to the cliff.

The wind was strong, making the robes flutter loudly.

The one-eyed man crouched beside the altar, carefully examined the area, and then reported back:

"The footprints disappear here."

He looked up and saw that Anjie and his mentor were both gazing solemnly into the distance.

Following their gaze

In the distance of the dense forest, a striking white cloth hangs on the canopy of a towering tree, standing out starkly against the lush green.

"Capture them before the Patriarch arrives."

The mentor finally spoke, his tone calm yet authoritative.

"Shar is at your disposal, but Kane must be captured alive."

One-Eyed and the other Silent Killers grinned, revealing bloodthirsty smiles.

Only Anjie's eyes flashed with a complex sense of solemnity, but it was quickly replaced by a maniacal smile.

At that moment, a believer rushed over and whispered an urgent message:

"Master, all the possession potions have been destroyed, and the Holy Mark ritual cannot proceed normally..."

Kane, Shar...

Anjie's eyes suddenly flashed with demonic vertical pupils, and a violent aura spread uncontrollably.

The mentor suddenly spoke up:

"Ange, would you be willing to undergo the new Stigmata Ritual ahead of schedule?"

Ange paused for a moment, then said, "It's not that we're out of medicine."

The mentor smiled.

"The potion is not necessary... but what will descend will be a more powerful and complete projection of a demon."

Ange let out a maniacal laugh.

"I do, mentor."

……

On the other side, in a dark forest.

Roughly made "parachutes" from bed sheets hang from the tree canopy, swaying gently in the wind.

Kane looked down at Shar, who was still clinging to him with her eyes closed, and said:

"Your Excellency the Lantern Bearer, you may now descend."

Shar suddenly opened her eyes, looked up and met Kane's dark eyes and black hair so close to hers. Her face flushed slightly, and she quickly let go of his hand.

"……knew."

She looked down to estimate the height, then nimbly leaped down, using the soft soil to cushion her landing.

Kane jumped down, glanced at his torn clothes, and said nothing.

Shar looked away somewhat embarrassed and instead began to examine the luggage that Kane had unloaded.

Kane frowned, because the impact of the landing had shattered many of the potion bottles in his bag, leaving only half intact.

After examining her, Shar said:

"Could you give me the ritual-related potion? I need to submit it to the Lamplighters headquarters in Nord. Of course, I will pay you."

Kane nodded and handed her the intact potion.

Shar took it, somewhat surprised by his decisiveness.

She gazed at Kane's familiar profile and finally asked the question that had been weighing on her mind:

"Can you tell me the truth now?"

Kane's heart skipped a beat; he knew the real test had arrived.

Whether he can clear his name and successfully infiltrate Nord depends entirely on the credibility of this story.

Upon arriving in Nord, Shar will undoubtedly report her situation to the Lamplighters' higher-ups.

After a moment's thought, he decided to embellish the truth.

After all, there are many ways to detect lies in the second and third ring spells.

The most truthful lies are often those that selectively reveal only part of the truth.

"I am Kane, but those 'sins' were not of my own volition."

He met Shar's gaze and spoke, word by word.

"After the first Stigmata Ritual, I was determined to fight against the Demon Cult."

"I hate demons, and I would never hand over this body."

These are all the truth.

He possessed a system that allowed him to know many major events that would occur in the future; how could he possibly willingly be transformed into an abyss demon?

After hearing this, Shar's eyes flashed with realization, and she asked softly:

"Is it mind control?"

Kane shook his head, looked away, and let the conversation end there.

Shar didn't press the matter further, as that would be tantamount to reopening someone's wounds.

She then asked:

"Then how do you know the meaning of the phrase 'By the lamp we swear, we will burn away the abyss'?"

Kane's lips twitched slightly, but he simply shook his head and said:

"I saw it on a piece of paper, but that paper... probably no longer exists in this world."

Shar's eyes dimmed slightly, and many of her guesses proved wrong.

But Kane had saved her after all, and she couldn't question anything anymore.

Kane looked around at the dense, boundless forest and was the first to stand up:

"It's time to go."

The two quickly tidied themselves up and carefully made their way deeper into the jungle.

According to memory, the Dark Forest is located at the southernmost tip of the Kingdom of Nord, adjacent to the Dark Region, with complex terrain and teeming with monsters.

"The cult of demons established its branch here mainly because many drow descendants reside here."

They harbored deep hatred for the six Nord kingdoms and colluded extensively with religious sects.

Shar whispered:

"Because of the complex terrain, even if troops are sent to clear out the enemy, it is difficult to penetrate deep into their territory."

The two had only walked a short distance when Kane suddenly raised his hand to signal them to stop.

"Lie down."

Shar lowered her body without hesitation.

The two men, using the bushes and tall leaves for cover, observed with bated breath.

Not far away, a man dressed in tattered mercenary clothes lay on the ground, calling out intermittently in Nord:

"Help me...help me..."

He had his back to them, so they couldn't see his face. He was trembling all over, and seemed to be in a critical situation.

Shar's eyes flickered.

She was kind by nature; she had only pretended to be indifferent while in the sect.

Kane grabbed her and warned her in a low voice:

"Calm down. This is deep in a dark forest. How could a lone mercenary have gotten here and wasted his energy calling for help?"

He slipped a spare dagger into her hand:

"I don't know if you can still use magic, but prepare for battle, we've been discovered."

Shar was taken aback.

The sound of something cutting through the air suddenly came!

Two crossbow bolts flew swiftly towards the spot where the two men were hiding.

Without hesitation, Kane used his Mage Hand to wield two daggers, sending them flying one square in mid-air!

With two clangs, the crossbow bolts were deflected and embedded themselves deeply in the soil ahead.

Kane's eyes narrowed, and the dagger flew back at his will, shooting towards the tree canopy to the side.

"Whoosh—"

Two bursts of blood erupted, and with a muffled groan, two dark figures fell from the branches and leaves.

Shar caught a glimpse of those pointed ears and dark skin, and whispered:

"Descendants of the Dracula!"

Before he could finish speaking, a sudden commotion arose behind him!

Kane shoved Shar away and retreated quickly to the side and back.

A scimitar slashed fiercely between the two men, severing the crossbow bolt on the ground in two.

The man wielding the knife was the "mercenary" who had just fallen to the ground and cried for help.

At this moment, she raised her head, revealing a dark-skinned face that belonged to a woman.

Kane spun around and swung his dagger, the blade slicing through the mercenary uniform on the other man's chest, leaving a trail of blood.

Na Zhuoer, in pain, retreated hastily, while simultaneously chanting strange syllables.

Not good!

Kane rushed forward to try and interrupt, but it was too late.

He clearly felt an invisible and sharp wedge taking shape in the air.

It is not a physical entity, yet it exudes a chilling spiritual oppression.

At the very instant the dagger wielded by the mage's hand plunged into the drow's heart.

The invisible spike pierced his skull with lightning speed.

Kane felt a sharp pain in his head, and his vision went black for a moment. Fortunately, the pain only lasted for a moment before it quickly dissipated.

But when he caught a glimpse of Shar's expression, he closed his eyes and "fainted".

The last thing I saw before I collapsed was Shar's panicked figure rushing towards me...