【Stinking Cloud】.
Although this special spell of the Conjuration school possessed a spell slot as high as "3," in the vast majority of cases, it was not cast as a harvesting-type damage spell.
Manipulating magic particles and using mental strength to drive a poisonous fog to block vision while causing physiological discomfort and infecting enemies with viruses were its basic effects.
Hailing from the Purgatory, the exceptionally long lifespans and superior talents inherent to their race allowed the devil nobles—provided they had the will to learn—to achieve their ideal results through an accumulation of knowledge that far surpassed those short-lived species.
Salyan's ambition was evident in his willingness to proactively project his consciousness into the material plane and attach it to a bottom-tier adventurer who had not even obtained a professional level and possessed a soul of ordinary quality. He was even willing to exercise maximum patience to "guide" the other, solely to deceive them into leading him to the planned destination to search for traces of something that might interest his superior.
He wanted to advance too much.
Under such circumstances, how could he neglect the crucial strength requirements for climbing upward?
His superb magical attainment and countless years of accumulated knowledge meant he was no longer limited to the rigid, stiff ordinary spells found in spellbooks; instead, he could make corresponding modifications based on the special felenergy inherent to his identity as a devil and the specific situation on the field.
The Stinking Cloud he released now had undergone earth-shaking changes compared to the original spell.
While the color itself was denser and heavier, carrying the scent of sulfur, the violent and extreme negative felenergy of Hell gave the mist a corrosive effect akin to acid rain, capable of easily etching through skin and dealing lethal damage to the creatures within.
Even the range had subtly expanded, and under Salyan's exquisitely precise control, it split into one large and one small cloud, drifting toward the Blackwood squad and Xia Nan on the other side, respectively.
A [Stinking Cloud] that used nearly a third-level spell slot was exhibiting the effects of a fifth-level [Cloudkill].
This was actually already the backup plan.
In Salyan's envisioned perfect scenario, everyone on the field would be intimidated and lose control simultaneously by the [Fear] spell he cast. In that case, he would only need to charge slightly more to finish them off with a single upcasted [Fireball].
But currently, not only was Xia Nan immune to the fear effect, but even the female swordsman who appeared to be the leader of the Blackwood squad had passed her save. If he used [Fireball] now, he might cause massive damage instantly, but those who survived would likely move in to interrupt the contract signing ceremony.
Therefore, the moment he realized [Fear] had not fully succeeded, Salyan temporarily changed his strategy, using the upgraded and improved [Stinking Cloud] for control and harvesting—stalling the two fear-save survivors while dealing damage to the living targets trapped in fear.
The first to be targeted was, naturally, Xia Nan, who had been the first to complete the [Fear] save and was relatively closest.
A thick stench of sulfur filled his nostrils; as he breathed, even his windpipe felt a searing, burning pain.
Facing the viscous poisonous fog surging from the front, Xia Nan did not hesitate for a moment; [Gravity Control] took effect silently.
It was as if an invisible protective shield had been erected around his body. When the yellow-green corrosive acid mist came within an arm's length of Xia Nan, it naturally drifted upward and to the sides.
Looking at it vaguely, he resembled a transparent boulder being washed over by a river.
Ultimately, it was only lv1. While [Gravity Control] might possess an exaggerated ceiling of ability and an extremely wide range of applications, its current intensity was still somewhat lacking.
While filtering out the vast majority of the poisonous gas, a small cluster of the most corrosive and concentrated yellow-green liquid mist remained suspended in the air before him, persistently swirling and shifting, attempting to break through the invisible shield to pounce on the target behind it.
"Proficiency +1"
"[Gravity Control] lv1: (15/100)"
Semi-transparent characters flashed before his eyes.
Complete mastery of his physical body, equipment, and combat techniques allowed Xia Nan to make the optimal decision the instant he realized [Gravity Control] had failed to completely disperse the poisonous fog and had allowed a portion to remain.
*Buzz—*
The invisible barrier was quietly withdrawn.
The small cluster of yellow-green liquid mist, like a shark smelling blood, pounced straight toward Xia Nan's body, driven by the devil's residual mental strength.
But in the next second.
Before it could touch even an inch of skin, a cold blackness scattering ghostly light met it head-on.
*Squelch.*
As if encountering a natural predator, this concentrated mist liquid—capable of corroding steel—left only a futile wail in the air before being slapped apart and falling to the ground, seeping into the mud.
[Phantom Scale Disk Guard] Effect 3 —Immunity to Corrosive/Acid damage (non-legendary sources).
Even if it had been rain, a few water stains might have remained, but facing the erosion of the Stinking Cloud's poisonous mist, the surface of the snake-scale arm shield bore no marks whatsoever, remaining as polished as new.
Feats, combat techniques, and equipment—in just a few short seconds, whether actively or passively, under Xia Nan's fluid and precise application, he had directly resisted two third-level spells.
Furthermore, he hadn't suffered so much as the slightest scratch.
In contrast, the response of the Blackwood squad beside him was clearly much more pathetic.
Under the effect of [Fear], their formation was instantly shattered: one fled, two froze in place, and one barely resisted but was clearly affected.
Once swept by the poisonous fog of [Stinking Cloud], it was like a landslide.
Margaret fared better; as the captain, she possessed the toughest will in the entire squad. After painfully passing the [Fear] check, there was no hint of retreat in her eyes as she faced the following yellow-green poisonous fog.
She even took a few steps forward, shielding her teammates behind her and actively meeting the attack.
Her legs were slightly apart, both feet planted firmly on the ground.
Though her long, powerful limbs were merely standing in place, her entire body gave the impression of slamming violently into the earth!
The clothes at her thighs, waist, abdomen, and arms were pushed high by the muscles beneath.
Her teeth were clenched, and a look of determination graced her heroic face.
*Swoosh—*
Her longsword danced, the silver-white sword light flashing faster and faster, almost forming a solid wall in front of her.
Sharp, cold light filled the space before her, and the gale whipped up by the swinging sword chopped and dispersed the incoming poisonous fog.
For the safety of her teammates behind her, Margaret had given her all.
Unfortunately, the [Swordsman] under the warrior class was, after all, a profession that sacrificed defense in exchange for attack and burst power.
She might be able to use this unconventional method to buy a little time for her teammates who were trapped in spell control and unable to break free, but wanting to completely disperse the mist was still asking too much.
*Sizzle...*
The ends of the dark-gold long braid swinging violently behind her as she swung her sword were scorched by the mist, turning slightly black and emitting a foul smell.
Under the sword-wind, the yellow-green mist was stirred and scattered; some dissolved into the air, while others were absorbed by the brick tiles and mud of the ground.
The remaining two-thirds, after twisting slightly, reconsolidated behind Margaret and surged straight toward her teammates.
First was the dwarven [Shield Warrior], Sordin. The professional quality and muscle memory accumulated over years of adventuring allowed him to keep hold of his iron shield and mace even as immense fear surfaced in his heart.
But facing the corrosive liquid mist, there was little possibility of resistance under the spread of fear.
He was enveloped in an instant.
Body hair scorched, wisps of white smoke rose from the surface of his coarse skin, as if he were being roasted over a bonfire; the temperature rose rapidly.
But just then, perhaps because the sound of the carefully maintained beard-braids on his chest being corroded by the mist was too piercing, the dwarf trapped in fear shuddered violently.
*Ding—*
Instinctively, a silver-white metallic luster emerged on the surface of his body, instantly isolating the mist that was about to corrode his skin and penetrate his flesh.
Then, there was the rogue, Shajin, who was positioned a few steps behind.
This thin, sharp-tongued, and caustic man possessed neither Margaret's tenacious will nor a body as hard and durable as the dwarf Sordin's.
But perhaps due to his past experience as an assassin and the training he had undergone.
Thus, even though he failed the [Fear] check, his performance was not as pathetic as the others.
He stood in place, eyes struggling, his arms gripping the daggers so hard they trembled, as if he were engaged in a fierce struggle with the fear in his heart.
Under these circumstances, the corrosive poisonous mist from the outside actually became the key to breaking his equilibrium.
Awakening from the stinging pain transmitted from the surface of his skin, he immediately executed a combat technique the moment he regained control of his body, letting the power of shadows wrap around his entire body. He became as inconspicuous as a shadow on the ground, isolating the acid mist.
Having barely avoided the spell, he didn't even have time to breathe a sigh of relief.
Suddenly, a shrill scream rang in his ears, making Shajin feel as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.
He whipped his head around.
He saw the mage, Joshua, who had previously thrown away his staff and fled backward under the influence of [Fear], now wailing and rolling back and forth on the ground.
Filthy soil mixed with pus and blood continuously leaked from his robes, which were rapidly splitting under the corrosion of the mist.
A low-level mage, if they lacked sufficient adventuring experience, lacked proper protection from strong teammates, and didn't even possess a firm will.
Perhaps in normal times, facing low-level opponents, they could showcase their excellence as casters.
But once they encountered an enemy whose strength was clearly much higher—a battle requiring a desperate determination to clash head-on—they became the weak link of the team, the most fatal point of breakthrough.
"Go help the captain!"
A sturdy figure reflecting a metallic luster rushed past him like a block of iron, leaving only a low, muffled thud in Shajin's ear. Sordin, tightly clutching a healing potion in his hand, rushed toward Joshua.
Without hesitation, the tacit understanding of longtime teammates and the professional quality of veteran adventurers were fully demonstrated at this moment.
Shajin turned abruptly, not glancing at Joshua or the dwarf again, and rushed toward Margaret to provide support, daggers in hand.
By this point, less than ten seconds had passed since the ripples of [Fear] had surged out within the lair.
The devil, Abi, the contract...
The scene before him and the information revealed by the Blackwood squad gradually overlapped in his mind, being linked together one by one.
Xia Nan had roughly figured out the cause and effect of the current development on the field.
While his brain thought rapidly, his body had already instinctively charged toward the magic circle ahead.
From his own perspective, he should not run.
The speed and burst power granted by [Fang Hunt] might allow him to leave the more distant Blackwood squad behind, but it was not enough to escape the lair before Abi completed the contract.
Xia Nan did not know the contents of the contract, nor did he know what would happen after the contract was finalized.
But if the worst-case scenario occurred, he feared that not only would he be unable to escape, but he would also have to face a devil avatar far beyond his capacity to handle alone.
He could not pin his hopes for survival on these vague possibilities!
Xia Nan was accustomed to keeping his life in his own hands.
He intended to interrupt the ceremony before him and completely thwart the devil's plan.
That way, given the strength he currently displayed, he would have the option to either face the enemy head-on or make a temporary retreat later.
Having made up his mind, his body arrived near the magic circle in the span of a breath.
*Awoo—*
A long howl, accompanied by the distorted black phantom of a wolf-beast, suddenly erupted around Xia Nan.
[Fang Hunt] + [Whirlwind Slash]!
The longsword in his hand had already completed its charge; as soon as the distance was sufficient, he could swing a sharp blade capable of severing the necks of ninety percent of the creatures on the outskirts of the forest.
His pitch-black eyes reflected the blood-like dark red flames on the ground.
Not just Abi—to be safe, if this strike landed, Xia Nan would slice the human-flesh "contract" in the center of the magic circle in half along with him.
However, Salyan's reaction was faster.
Rich experience that surpassed everyone on the field combined—even if multiplied by ten—and the negligible pressure of a consciousness projection regardless of the original body's death, allowed this devil baron to handle everything on the field calmly, meticulously, and comprehensively.
The moment the acid mist was blocked by the invisible shield around Xia Nan's body, he had already been chanting the incantation, preparing for the next round of casting.
*Sizzle-crack...*
A piercing explosive sound erupted in the void beside Abi. Contrasting with the dark red blood-light emitted by the magic circle was a dazzling, bright blue lightning bolt rapidly condensing energy amidst the gathering magic particles.
—3rd Circle · Evocation · Lightning Bolt
Even though Xia Nan's reaction was extremely fast—stopping [Fang Hunt] the instant he felt the dangerous aura of the lightning—before he could even find his footing, his body instinctively exerted force through his feet, attempting to dodge to the side at a ninety-degree angle.
But the erupting lightning was, in the end, one step faster than the flesh.
*BOOM!!!*
The dim cave was instantly as bright as day.
The lightning, condensed into a point, suddenly erupted in an instant, transforming into an exaggerated lightning beam five feet in diameter that nearly pierced the entire lair horizontally.
It vanished as quickly as it appeared.
His timely reaction prevented Xia Nan from being hit head-on by this imposing spell, but his body was still sent flying high by the massive impact force carried by the lightning, falling heavily.
The longsword remained gripped in his hand, but the half of his plate-chain composite armor grazed by the lightning beam had already turned into a molten state, flickering with fire as it crumbled away from his upper body.
(End of Chapter)