Chapter 162: Fear Slash

"S-Silly girl," Devin Booker’s fish-like mouth quivered. "I was already badly wounded before this. I’m old. I don’t have much longer to live."

He swung his trident, piercing a puppet’s forehead. "You’re from the northern snows, aren’t you? Would you rather see an old soldier who has fought his whole life be tormented by his wounds for another ten years, only to die of old age among the seaweed?"

"You’re strong. Stronger and younger than me—so get out of here, and take them with you!"

Devin Booker let out a high-pitched war cry, not in the Common Language. Surging currents of water from outside the cave and from beneath his feet answered his call, charging with him once more like the soldier of the Freshwater Legion he once was.

The rushing water converged around the Paladin, forming a massive vortex that pushed Ron and the others away while pulling the puppets in.

Many of the mass-produced creatures were torn apart by the vortex before they could even scream. Although the puppets resembling Ming Datiss were still struggling, very few managed to escape.

"You old bastard, you’re getting in the way!" One of the "Ming Datiss" puppets could no longer stand the Sorol Fishman’s interference. The four Treasure Pearls in the air descended above the Elf’s head, and the Lightning Gemstone began to flash with a dangerous light.

"Just go and die—huh?"

Saran’s voice cut off abruptly. He confusedly took the Gemstone down and held it in his hand, but couldn’t sense any remaining charges for Lightning Bolt inside.

"You... you used them all up?!"

In disbelief, he grabbed the Strong Acid Gemstone, but it too was completely empty. There was nothing inside.

"You can thank your excessive number of puppets for that!" Silvia sneered, raising her scepter. "Richthofen’s Dark Magic!"

As the darkness spread, Yelena plunged into it without a moment’s hesitation. Inside, she could use Shadow Jump to teleport directly in front of this "Ming Datiss"!

The Thorn Chain locked around his throat. He only had time for a brief struggle before the sharp barbs sliced his throat open.

"Is it over?" Aive stared in disbelief at the fallen "puppet." ’This has to be the real one, right?’

’Of course it is. He was the one who used the Gemstones, wasn’t he?’

"Cousin, I’m sorry, but I—" Yelena panted, gasping for breath. She had moved too violently. Ron’s Healing Potion had only just been enough to get her moving again, and now her wounds had split open once more.

She tried to say something more to the corpse on the ground, but a large hand suddenly clamped around her throat.

"You thought you could kill me?" Another "Ming Datiss" glared, watching Yelena slowly suffocate in his grip. "You’re a bit too naive, aren’t you, dear cousin?"

"The power of the Delusional Land couldn’t kill me, the mob in Green Swamp Town couldn’t kill me, and not even a Green Dragon and a Red Copper Dragon could lay a finger on me!"

"And you actually thought you could kill me so easily?!"

"You..." Yelena’s legs kicked and flailed in the air. Yet even in her weakened state, she continued to struggle relentlessly. Because behind Ming Datiss, in the vortex, she saw a sliver of hope.

"Got you!"

From within the waves, a trident burst forth. In the Fishman’s hands, the sharp weapon that had followed him from the deep sea to the land did not lose any momentum after piercing through two puppets. Seizing the moment while Yelena was captured, it hacked toward the back of Saran’s head, trailing an uncanny pinkish glow!

"Fear Slash!" Silvia cried out in astonishment. This Fishman’s strength was likely far beyond any of theirs!

A spell that could simultaneously pierce an enemy’s body and mind was not something just anyone could master!

However, even though Devin Booker had put his all into the attack, he still couldn’t hit Baron Saran’s true body. When the Fear Slash cut into the "Ming Datiss’"s head as if it were tofu, thereby freeing Yelena, almost all the puppets swayed in unison.

"A mental attack affects all of ’him’!" Ron’s eyes lit up for a moment before his expression quickly dimmed again.

’So what if we know that? Besides the Paladin, there’s no one else here who can pull off something like that!’

’And even then, Devin Booker only managed to ’injure’ Baron Saran. We’re still a long way from actually defeating him!’

’And that’s not even considering that he’s already wounded. Even in his prime, how many of those slashes could he have unleashed?’

"Watch your back!"

As Devin Booker was wreaking havoc with his Fear Slash, the vortex behind him dissipated. The puppets that had been trapped were now unrestrained and immediately regrouped. This time, their main target was not Ron, but the spent Sorol Fishman!

Aive and the others tried to rush forward to block the surprise attack. Silvia cast Dark Magic for a third time, and the Night Howling Hounds poured out in full force, trying to buy time for Devin Booker.

But in the face of the current situation, all of it was just a drop in the bucket.

"Urk—" A Ming Datiss puppet seized an opportunity, piercing Devin Booker’s shoulder with its rapier. Although the Fishman Paladin immediately smashed it into a bloody pulp, that momentary pause gave the other puppets the opening they needed.

Hand Crossbow strings twanged as volleys of bolts flew. Hidden amongst the sea of puppets, Baron Saran’s possible true body was even more insidious, casting Magic from various angles before quickly disappearing back into the crowd, leaving the heroes unable to find him.

"Booker!" Ron had already exhausted his prepared Magic. If not for the few Alchemy Potions left in his alchemy bag and the cantrips he could cast in the space his companions bought him, he would have been the one dragging everyone down.

’If this keeps up, we’ll end up just like Wilson and his group. I have to find a way to break this stalemate!’

’The furnace!’

"Sera, the furnace!" Ron forced himself to calm down. As the memory resurfaced, a spell from the *Weaving Introduction* reappeared on the page in his mind’s eye.

"Remember that madman Spike was talking about? And his prophecy?!"

"You actually believe that nonsense?!" Sera’s body rapidly expanded as Ron’s Giant Transformation Magic took effect. The puppets, more annoying than flies, could no longer block the barbarian’s path. Still, Sera had her doubts about Ron’s judgment.

"What should I do? Just walk over there and destroy the furnace with one swing of my sword?"

"This guy doesn’t seem that stupid!"

"If he were really that smart, he would have hidden it better!" Aive, already wounded in several places, roared. "Just go! Anything is better than this!"