248 Dekan’s Performance Art
Every level of the Demon Realm prison towered so high that its apex was unseen.
In this fifth level, one would always experience an illusion.
One would often feel that the dim sky would suddenly drop a blizzard.
However, it never snowed here. Instead, the cold was like an icy vault, with intermittent mysterious gusts tormenting the prisoners both physically and mentally.
Even with continuous food supply, the quantity of provisions was very delicate, allowing people to merely linger on the brink of survival.
Over time, even prisoners with sixth-tier combat strength couldn’t fully unleash their original power.
Of course, in front of Warden Faceless Ignar on this level, neither sixth nor seventh tier mattered.
Once the Warden locked onto a prisoner through fear, anger, or other negative emotions and began the hunt, no prisoner had ever survived.
The wilderness of this level was partitioned by walls of cold iron into several zones, each zone further divided by intricate barriers.
This level appeared more like a maze made of cold iron.
The walls were enchanted, so that anyone who touched them would have their skin forever frozen on the walls.
Even the Warden avoided touching these walls that exuded bone-chilling cold.
…
In the area near the teleportation gate leading to the sixth level,
they had reached the edge of the prison.
The frost-decorated walls stood silent and still, extending to the frozen ground.
Nearby,
one could occasionally hear deep roars, as if emanating from an insane, bloodthirsty troll.
Being caught by this voice’s owner would result in being shredded into pieces in an instant!
Every prisoner on this level was well aware of this.
He was a killing machine that no prisoner on this level could withstand—
Faceless Ignar.
He was somewhere close by.
They had to avoid him.
By the side of a wall, three figures slowly ventured out, cautiously observing their surroundings.
Apart from a tall woman, there was a young man and a red-haired girl.
Dressed in prisoner outfits, the group endured the cold, confirming that Faceless Ignar wasn’t nearby.
Without hesitation, they quickened their steps; the breaths from their mouths formed white fog as they rushed toward the supply collection box ahead.
The red-haired girl, who was in the best condition, lifted the supplies. The tall woman leading the group charted the route before they rapidly retreated.
“Well done; the next supply will appear approximately five and a half hours later.”
The leader quickly estimated the time in her mind.
It had taken them plenty of effort to find this box.
“Cornelia, you are truly remarkable, stronger and more resilient than I had imagined.”
The leader glanced at the red-haired girl beside her while evacuating. Although traces of fatigue were evident near her eyes, a look of warmth filled her gaze.
“It’s nothing, Sister Ilene.”
Cornelia had only to appear on this level when she spotted Warden Faceless Ignar at a distance.
Unsure of what to do, someone nearby noticed her in the nick of time.
They shouted to pass along information, stating that she shouldn’t be afraid unless she allowed herself to feel fear or negative emotions, which would prevent the Warden from detecting her.
Upon hearing this, Cornelia swiftly calmed down and successfully avoided the Warden.
Since Cornelia was usually with Dekan, she didn’t find the eighth-tier demon particularly terrifying.
Actually, the reason for her slight disquietude wasn’t because of the eighth-tier demon but because Dekan wasn’t around to save the day.
But it wasn’t a problem.
After the last return from the Shadow World’s “Elegy of Saintly Decrepitude,” Dekan had diligently prepared a manual for her.
It detailed various possible situations she might encounter if separated from him and how she should handle them.
Nevertheless,
Cornelia believed that Dekan would come to find her soon.
It was the same last time in the Shadow World.
No one had to wait long before Dekan appeared, finding her within a vast city.
Seeing Cornelia’s composed demeanor, Ilene, the leader, couldn’t help but remark:
“I knew from the first glimpse that you had remarkable courage, someone capable of enduring on this level.”
And alongside them stood a young warrior who felt guilty towards Cornelia, saying:
“It was supposed to be my job to gather these supplies, thank you.”
Cornelia shook her head.
“Think of it as my way of repaying you. It’s what I should do.”
As they talked, they quickly moved toward the human prisoner camp.
About ten minutes later, they maneuvered through layers of iron walls.
They reached an open camp area.
Two people were on guard, and there were a few sleeping.
Not counting the newly arrived Cornelia, only ten prisoners had survived on this level.
A mechanism had already taken shape in this group.
There were scouts, gatherers, and guards within the team.
The scouts mainly determined the Warden’s location near Faceless Ignar.
If the Warden got too close to the camp, at least one scout was tasked with returning immediately to report, leading to a rapid camp relocation.
The gatherers’ mission was to collect periodic supplies and bring them back to the camp.
Given the constant need to evade the relentlessly wandering Warden who destroyed indiscriminately, the prisoners could rarely rest well.
Their sleep was fragmented; a solid one-hour rest was a luxury.
The guards were responsible for quickly waking up their resting comrades when alerted of the approaching Warden by the scouts.
They needed to be ready to transport remaining supplies to a safer position.
The primary rule for the survivors on this level was no disputes, no anger, and absolute avoidance of panic.
Otherwise, it would easily attract the Warden.
Many early prisoners on this level had witnessed countless desperate scenes.
Scores of people could be exterminated in a night.
For example, two people quarreling over supplies, leading to arguments, being locked onto by the Warden, and brutally torn apart in despair.
Sometimes, even doing nothing could mean being implicated by someone suddenly overcome with fear.
It was also possible that a prisoner, too cold, too tired, too hungry, might slip into a deep coma, only to be killed by the indiscriminate attacks of the wandering Warden.
Surviving here was torture.
If the prisoners remained disjointed, it would be hell.
Many couldn’t endure after a few days and chose suicide.
Because self-inflicted death was better than being caught by the Warden and being torn apart alive.
They lacked the confidence to conquer their fear and saw no hope.
But now,
the survivors were able to support and help each other, which was indeed a miracle.
It was Ilene who gathered all of this and stabilized all the survivors’ hearts.
She set rules and plans.
And exhausted all her remaining energy to encourage people to live.
Or rather, what Ilene had truly done,
was to give these people trapped in despair a reason to live.
Because of that belief, that longing, they were able to endure for so long.
They also believed in Ilene’s words—that,
no matter how it might seem, as long as they lived and hoped for a better tomorrow, there would come a day when the demons would be defeated, and they would finally leave this Demon Realm prison.
Unconsciously, Ilene had become their pillar.
Cornelia initially met the scouts team comprising Ilene and the young warrior when she first arrived at this level.
The scouts mistook her movements for supply sightings as the Warden was nearby.
Due to the lack of manpower, and the severe exhaustion, the team was especially fatigued.
Cornelia’s help greatly relieved the pressure on the team.
After settling into the camp,
an older mage of the guard team inquired about Cornelia from Ilene and soon nodded.
Her gentle demeanor masked a surprising resilience; she was trustworthy.
There were many supply crates on the campsite.
Even empty ones served as valuable materials for makeshift mats or stools.
Ilene quickly counted the new supplies, pinched her temples as she tried hard to plan the allocation strategy in her mind.
Once decided, she began issuing orders instructing the young warrior who had just returned with them to distribute these supplies.
Subsequently,
Ilene finally sat down on a box with apparent weariness.
“How long has it been since you rested?”
Cornelia inquired from her side.
“Not too long. Let’s prioritize sending the supplies to the scouts first; their work is crucial.”
Ilene replied with a forced smile, her face slightly pale.
“Neither you, nor anyone else, should ever let you falter. Do not be foolish.”
At that moment, the older mage from the guard team sternly reiterated his caution.
There was no paper or pen here, so all maps, planning, were stored in Ilene’s mind.
If she were to lose her role, the entire group’s operation would be in chaos.
“Let me go. Both Cornelia and Sister Ilene deserve some rest.”
The young warrior who had just returned volunteered to deliver the food supplies to the scouting team.
“Alright.”
Ilene lifted her head to look at the older mage, then seriously nodded.
Ilene closed her eyes.
Calculating the estimated time again in her mind.
As prisoners on this level, they had gradually lost their temporal consciousness.
“Are you still tracking the time?”
The older mage asked.
He couldn’t bear seeing Ilene exerting more mental effort than necessary.
“Yes, Uncle Lain. It’s important. If someday we manage to escape, we need to know the year and the day.”
Ilene informed the older mage.
Uncle Lain, the older mage, was one of the two surviving seventh-tier warriors on this level.
The other was Ilene herself.
Even combined, they were no match for the eighth-tier demon, the Faceless Ignar.
“I’ve never fantasized about ever escaping, but I trust you, Ilene.”
The mage, Uncle Lain, said.
He soon walked away, returning to his guard position.
Ilene, with a kind smile yet a hint of sorrow lurking in her eyes, turned to Cornelia.
“Cornelia, I need to rest a bit. If you have any spare strength, could you help handle the guard duties? Uncle Lain is quite tired too.”
“No problem.”
“Thank you, Cornelia. When I wake up, you can rest. You’ve worked so hard.”
After this, Ilene lowered her head and fell asleep.
She had clearly been working for too long without rest.
Cornelia observed the people in the camp.
Regardless of age, everyone looked somewhat aged and weary.
Each day here was a test of their mind’s endurance.
But they stood as resilient young plants in the cold winter, surviving.
…
Tens of minutes later.
The young warrior finally returned to the camp and immediately approached Ilene, trying to awaken her.
Both Cornelia and Mage Lain noticed the young warrior’s strange demeanor.
His face was abnormally pale, his hands trembling uncontrollably.
Just as Cornelia prepared to stop him,
Ilene seemed to sense something and slowly opened her eyes.
“Ilene Sister, I have something to tell you.”
The young warrior seemed resolute, looking at Ilene.
Ilene nodded, signaling Mage Lain and Cornelia not to intervene.
The warrior quickly approached Ilene and quietly whispered in her ear:
“Philos and Ada are dead.”
Ilene’s eyes widened, completely awestruck.
Philos and Ada were today’s rotating scouts’ names.
“Alert everyone to immediately relocate the base!”
Ilene made an instinctive decision.
But just as she was preparing to interrogate the young warrior for more details,
“They were not killed by the Warden but were poisoned, their bodies oozing purple blood from all orifices. The bodies are…”
After whispering this in Ilene’s ear, the warrior left the camp resolutely.
“No…!”
Ilene stared wide-eyed, wanting to say something but was too late to stop the young warrior.
She now understood why the young warrior only relayed the information to her and why he decided to run.
If the two scouts had been killed by the Warden, it would just be an unfortunate accident.
If not.
And they were murdered by human interference,
Then it would take on a different meaning!
It meant that they had a traitor among their ranks!
Other than the Warden, some other dangerous elements were lurking among the survivors on this level!
Why did the young warrior run away?
Because he had already succumbed to fear.
When he witnessed his comrades’ brutal deaths,
And when he realized the real horror here—that there was a traitor,
His heart was filled with despair, unable to suppress the panic.
Fear in this level was like an escalating toxin.
It not only attracted the Warden.
But it also uncontrollably germinated and wildly grew in one’s heart.
If one could not calm their mind, they would only spiral into despair, a vicious cycle.
Realizing that they would likely be detected by the Warden, and seeing the Warden getting closer,
Seeing their inevitable dismemberment, they would lose all control.
The young warrior didn’t want to bring the Warden to the camp.
So after revealing the critical intelligence to Ilene, he made a final decision to leave.
This camp, if there was a traitor, the young warrior believed that Ilene was the only reliable person.
He couldn’t disclose the truth to everyone.
Because it would cause mass panic, leading to their extinction.
In the end, he chose to let Ilene handle it alone.
“Why…what is actually going on…”
Ilene clasped her head, feeling a sudden bout of devastation.
“Unacceptable!”
But she clenched her teeth and willed herself to carry on.
Ilene urgently looked over to the side where Mage Lain and Cornelia stood.
“Uncle Lain, Cornelia, you need to find him. Tell him not to be afraid. I’ll handle the camp relocation. Uncle Lain, you take Cornelia to area 335. If not, head to area 523.”
These numbers were designated names Ilene had labeled specific areas in the prison.
Through the time, Ilene had familiarized herself with the topography and roughly inferred the Warden’s patterns.
Although not entirely precise, her insights helped her guess the Warden’s location.
Among the entire group, Cornelia was in the best physical state, having just arrived.
Also, Cornelia had been with Ilene the moment she arrived.
She never had the opportunity to carry out any poisoning.
She was therefore not a suspect.
Mage Lain was someone Ilene trusted deeply as an elder.
Most importantly, Lain’s reliability made him the bedrock of the camp, resisting fear effectively.
Soon they split their tasks accordingly.
With Ilene commanding directly, she lead the group to new locations.
…
Ilene did not have to wait long.
Uncle Lain and Cornelia returned quickly.
“Has…he not survived?”
Ilene asked with a trembling voice, her expression in anguish.
Uncle Lain looked grimly at Ilene and shook his head.
“…He fell victim to fear and was captured and killed by the Warden.”
Both Uncle Lain and Cornelia had witnessed the horrifying sight firsthand.
“Ah…”
Ilene’s voice was hard to gauge whether it was more sorrowful or more powerless.
In this level, ironically, sorrow was an emotion that was not permitted.
Because it could attract the Warden.
Ilene managed to suppress her emotions and pressed her finger upward against her own jawline.
“During such times, we must never let our strength collapse…”
Ilene said, her voice choked with emotion.
Her smile was more pathetic than crying.
This was something that made both Uncle Lain and Cornelia feel heart-wrenchingly sad.
“What happened?”
Uncle Lain asked seriously, his eyebrows knitted.
He had realized that things were awry.
“…”
Ilene paused for a moment.
She decided eventually to divulge the truth to these two psychologically strong individuals.
“Philos and Ada were poisoned, not killed by the Warden.”
Ilene painfully vocalized the names of the fallen scouts.
“…”
This time, the other two fell silent.
“I want to go find Philos and Ada’s bodies. We must secure information, the murderer must be among us.”
Ilene said firmly.
With Uncle Lain and Cornelia’s return, she felt it was safe enough to depart.
“I will accompany you.”
Lain offered.
“Uncle Lain, I need someone to command when I’m gone, you, Cornelia— you come with me.”
In a certain sense, at this moment, Ilene trusted this newly arrived girl the most.
Since the girl had spent her entire time with Ilene since she arrived.
Lain understood this logic and didn’t argue, simply nodding his head:
“Proceed with the investigation.”
After quickly assigning new guard arrangements, Ilene took Cornelia and left the camp.
…
Two figures darted under the dim light, casting fleeting shadows on the cold iron walls that barely rippled.
The heavy iron walls with attached magical spells were like enclosures, oppressing every corner.
Cornelia followed Ilene, who was familiar with the route, rapidly heading towards the target area.
“Do you know where their bodies are?”
Cornelia asked.
“Yes, and if the intelligence is correct, their bodies are toxic, and the Warden won’t consume poisoned bodies, so there is a high possibility they haven’t been destroyed yet.”
The young warrior had previously informed Ilene where the bodies were.
“Cornelia, be prepared. Seeing the bodies can be shocking. We no longer have the support of the scouts group, so if any problems arise, please listen to my directions immediately.”
“Okay, alright.”
Cornelia responded.
Upon hearing Cornelia’s reply, Ilene running ahead blinked her eyes and slightly curved her lips in a faint arc.
The malevolence in her pupils occasionally showed and hid, as if she could barely repress her urges to kill.
There was no doubt: she was a jailer that had ascended to this level from the fourth.
She had been in this fifth level for quite some time.
After her long-term strategic moves and masterful acting, she had bound the prisoners’ hearts tightly.
Becoming their faith.
Though a seventh-tier Ilene could manipulate and hunt the prisoners on this level one by one,
It wouldn’t bring her joy.
What she enjoyed the most was playing with their minds and then watching their expressions when they finally broke down completely in despair.
Now, on this level, she had found a way to see the most exquisite expressions.
Even if there was no reward in Demon Points,
She would still orchestrate this game.
That was to become everyone’s savior and mental pillar.
And then, on a certain day, to start this game of suspicion and horror with the death of one or two individuals.
Then, she would implicate all the blame on Uncle Lain, the seventh-tier mage.
She would guide the group to murder Lain by their own hands, ensuring he died without closure.
Finally, when everyone believed they had survived the hardest test, the trouble had passed, and they saw hope again, trusting her even more,
She would reveal her true identity!
Then make everyone understand that all her previous actions had been manipulations to toy with this band of humans!
And the only seventh-tier mage who might save them has already been killed by the ignorant ones themselves!
Thinking about her perfect masterpiece about to succeed,
She could not help but feel her whole body trembling with euphoria, almost unbearable.
But.
This game, which should have opened today,
had been interrupted by an unexpected visitor.
Everything had changed from the moment the redhead girl appeared.
Initially, Ilene did not pay much attention to Cornelia’s arrival.
Since the game she had meticulously planned to start today would benefit from an extra victim.
However, when Ilene carefully arranged the toxins to eliminate those two scouting group members that morning,
She found that she only received 250 Demon Points from each!
It should have been 500 Demon Points each!
This meant only one thing.
There was another jailer on this level!
And that the Demon Points had been split evenly.
Certainly, the new redhead could not be a prisoner, and just by chance, the two recon members would die at the moment another jailer descended.
Based on Ilene’s assessment,
The psychological resilience of this redhead girl was extraordinarily strong, fitting the criteria for a demon.
It was not hard to determine that she was the new jailer.
Despite noticing that the redhead girl’s level was lower than expected.
But the monstrous strength and stamina of the redhead,
Suggested her true form was likely an elite upper dragon demon.
Once she unleashed her full power, Ilene had no confidence she could overpower her.
After all, Ilene wasn’t a combat demon.
She was a demon skilled in manipulation and deception, adept at playing tricks on enemies’ minds.
But this redhead girl appeared somewhat dimwitted.
She likely wouldn’t figure out Ilene’s identity in such a short span of time.
Even if she did,
It didn’t matter.
As long as she guided her close to the Warden,
She could lead to her death!
After all, no one knew this level better than Ilene.
Even other jailers wouldn’t stay as long in this fifth level purely for enjoyment.
She could quickly find where Warden Faceless Ignar was,
And use mind-magic to disturb the redhead girl’s emotions,
Anger her,
And guide the Warden to lock onto her and attack!
If Cornelia died,
This place would be Ilene’s paradise alone.
Ilene was already mentally preparing how she would torment the red-haired girl.
How dare she snatch away 500 Demon Points and disturb her plans!
Gradually,
As they moved forward, the roar of Warden Faceless Ignar began echoing from ahead.
The two slowed their pace and carefully moved forward.
“Big Sister Ilene? The eighth-tier demon is ahead. Should we take another route?”
Cornelia asked.
“No, the road is not easy to detour, lingering for too long could allow this demon to destroy the bodies. Cornelia, are you afraid?”
Ilene replied firmly.
“Not really.”
“Then, let’s go.”
“Sure.”
Ilene turned slightly to glance at Cornelia,
Seeing Cornelia follow her without hesitation, a smile flickered in her heart.
In a few seconds,
You will understand what real hell is.
Hoho.
Ilene silently chuckled inside.
Let’s cautiously approach.
Just as they turned the next corner,
Warden Faceless Ignar appeared before them.
Ilene was ready with her spells, waiting for Cornelia to get closer, then planning to stab her from behind!
However,
Ilene, whose magical power ran smoothly, suddenly halted.
She looked toward the Warden Faceless Ignar and froze.
Her expression turned bizarre, and her pupils couldn’t help but tremble.
She indeed saw the familiar eighth-tier demon, Faceless Ignar.
He was massive, wrapped in blood-soaked black bandages, with fierce teeth and the faint outline of sunken eyes, occasionally releasing a bloodthirsty and savage roar.
But,
This eighth-tier demon’s behavior was frightening.
“This…”
Ilene even began doubting if there was something wrong with her eyes.
She rubbed them.
Finally, she confirmed she wasn’t hallucinating!
At this moment, she had no other thoughts, completely forgetting her plan to harm Cornelia, as she witnessed the most bizarre spectacle of her lifetime.
Ahead on the long corridor,
A gray-haired girl was squatting and sobbing.
With the strong helplessness, fear, and despair emanating from her, Faceless Ignar immediately locked onto her position.
He began running toward her!
But just when Ignar was about to get close,
“Yahoo!”
The girl suddenly stood up, her expression changing instantly from stormy to sunny, joyfully shouting at someone oppositeside,
“Morion, it’s your turn!”
Then,
On the distant side of the gray-haired girl, exactly opposite to Faceless Ignar, a pearwood-haired youth frowned,
“Such frustration! Why do I have to work overtime to fight this eighth-tier demon?”
Ignar, detecting the youth’s irritability and annoyance, turned abruptly and charged toward him.
However, just as Faceless Ignar took a few steps,
The youth’s expression suddenly turned calm,
“What must be done shall be done, keep the path clear.”
He then shouted toward the gray-haired girl,
“Your turn again!”
So, the gray-haired girl clutched her chest, looking incredibly grieving,
“Pain! It’s so painful!”
Faceless Ignar: “???”
Faceless Ignar couldn’t understand at all. Nearby, negative energies seemed to appear and disappear randomly, leaving him utterly confused!
It was like a ghost was playing tricks on him!
And,
Faceless Ignar failed to realize,
That he no longer felt pain,
Because Dekan had already placed a “Pain Shield” spell on him.
And between Dekan and Morion, the ground was covered with lethal, spiked blades filled with lethal poison.
Faceless Ignar’s back-and-forth running was equivalent to rolling over them.
But Ignar himself did not notice. His blood had already saturated the ground.
Continuing this way, even with his powerful self-healing ability, he was bound to bleed to death.
“What… are these two?”
Ilene had completely stiffened in place.
Never had she imagined that anyone could dare play with an eighth-tier Warden as if it were a toy.
She felt like she was in a nightmare.
Those two distant figures laughing and crying intermittently looked like two lunatics.
Their unrestrained performances and abnormal psychological resilience left Ilene speechless.
So, you didn’t even feel any fear from the Warden,
Instead, you started self-hypnosis, controlling your emotions and started playing, right?!
Although Ilene didn’t know what kind of deities these two exactly were,
At this moment, she instinctively felt a chill down her spine.
She wanted to turn around and run.
No matter if these beings were a man, a demon, some other creature, or even not living entities altogether,
They were just… Too terrifying!!
