ALL NOVEL Chapter 280 277: Oliver’s Difficulties (b)
Chapter 280 277: Oliver's Difficulties (b)
Oliver has already spent an entire day in the lesser dimension, making him well-acquainted with its day-and-night cycle.
In the lesser dimension, there were 16 hours of daylight followed by 8 hours of night.
He had been diligent in tracking the passage of time ever since he arrived in this dimension, and he was certain that 5 hours of the night had already elapsed. In about three hours, the sun of the lesser dimension will swap places with its moon, and that'll signal the end of the hunting time for all the devils in it.
"Once dawn breaks, these fiends will be compelled to retreat to areas where the sun's shine can't extend to. All I need to do to stay safe is stick around in the cave until then."
The cave's confining nature provoked feelings of claustrophobia in Oliver, but he reminded himself that he didn't have the luxury to yearn for open spaces right now as he wasn't in a position to be choosy, enduring the discomfort in silence and suppressing his fears.
The daunting power emanating from these devils certainly dwarfed his own capabilities by a large margin. He lacked the courage to confront them directly as he was certain he lacked the strength to defeat them, leaving him with the sole option of lying low in the cave, and leveraging the amulet's protection.
Unable to enter the cave, the devils, with their distinctive donkey faces — often referred to as "Equus Demons" — showcased expressions of confusion and frustration. They had willingly accepted the task of assassinating Oliver from their summoner, who sacrificed several innocent lives just to summon them.
In their estimation, completing the mission would be swift and straightforward. After all, to them, Oliver was merely a puny human, a low-rank wizard, the kind of which they routinely feasted on. They hadn't anticipated that he would have an artifact that could hinder their approach, especially given their immense power that rendered most barriers that were effective against their kind inconsequential.
Ordinarily, the effect of a typical runic amulet wouldn't impede them from breaking into a dwelling. After all, they were so powerful they could effortlessly obliterate the protective layer erected by such common amulets and invade one's dwelling, killing them in their sleep. However, Oliver's amulet wasn't like the many amulets given to the residents of the Northern Frontier's Lower City. It was far more special than theirs as it had been enhanced by Lord Lucious himself, imbuing it with capabilities potent enough to repel both intermediate and high-tier devils.
Equus Demons were level 3 devils, but with several of them working together, they could even take down an intermediate-tier devil. It was their ability to work together with their own kind that made them a truly terrifying force in this world. But that didn't change the fact that they were helpless against the barrier as they knew nothing about it and it was strong enough to repel them.
This unforeseen obstacle was basically something neither their summoners, who orchestrated the assassination attempt, nor the devils themselves had anticipated!
They didn't know how to get past it and get to Oliver, so he was safe for now.
"What barrier is this to be able to repel even us?"
The inquiry came from one of the devils, his voice possessing a deep, grinding quality reminiscent of sandpaper being vigorously scraped against a rough surface. It was the kind of sound that, in tales of horror and the supernatural, would make the bravest of souls quiver in trepidation.
Oliver, despite all his experiences and encounters, found himself profoundly affected by hearing it speak. Each word that the devil pronounced resonated in his ears, making his heart palpitate with unease, its malevolent undertone chilling him to the bone.
Outside the cave, turning to the third devil, the second one, with a hint of impatience and curiosity in his tone, remarked, "You've always boosted yourself as the one with the most knowledge of barriers and magical fortifications among us. Can you make any sense of this one?"
Drawing a deep breath, the third devil replied with a touch of uncertainty, "Throughout my long existence, I've come across myriad barriers, each with its own unique construct. But this... this is unlike any I've ever seen. However, I can give it a try and attempt to decipher it, but I must admit, its complexity may be beyond even my comprehension, and it might as just a useless goose chase."
"Take your time and give it your best effort. I promise no one here will fault you if you're unable to comprehend its weaknesses." The first devil, in a reassuring tone, spoke to the third one.
"Wouldn't that be too wasteful?" the second devil said.
"I don't need all the time in the world. I just need five minutes," the third devil said, "If I'm unable to crack the code of this barrier within that brief window, then no amount of time will suffice unless I can somehow augment my wisdom."
The other four devils nodded, even the second devil who had a beef with him didn't cause any unnecessary trouble.
Gaining their approval, the third devil cautiously extended his hand towards the barrier created by the talisman dangling at the cave's entrance. As his fingers neared the invisible barrier, the barrier emitted a soft sun-like glow, its surface pulsating like the heartbeat of some mystical entity. Just then, the devil's fingers were met with what felt like an electric jolt, causing him to swiftly retract his hand in surprise.
The next moment, recovering from the unexpected shock, he rubbed his chin, eyes narrowing in contemplation, visibly determined to decipher this enigma.
While the third devil attempted to discern the characteristics of the enigmatic barrier, the remaining four devils maintained a respectful distance and silence, ensuring that they did not interfere with his crucial examination or risk interrupting his focus with unnecessary chatter.
After a couple of minutes, the second devil, with a hint of impatience in his voice, spoke to the third devil, who was working on comprehending the barrier. "The allotted five minutes have passed. Have you managed to glean any insights about it that could be of use to us?"
The third devil nodded.
"I've indeed comprehended it to a great extent. Firstly, it's intricately woven from the rays of the sun, our greatest weakness. Secondly, it's generated by that amulet you see there hanging at the cave's entrance. Moreover, the amulet might seem small, but inside its seemingly modest form lies a vast expanse, a kind of reservoir teeming with sun rays. Should the barrier sustain any form of damage, the amulet can promptly draw from this reserve to instantly repair it."
"So, if I understand you correctly, you're implying that simply using brute force might not guarantee us entry?" The second devil said.
The third devil shook his head and, with a measured tone, elaborated, "I didn't claim that."
"There's a way?" the first devil asked.
"Indeed, there is. The amulet's reserve of sun rays is limited, so it doesn't make our task impossible. Yes, it will be challenging, and yes, attempting to shatter this barrier will sap a significant chunk of our strength. However, if we pool our energies and maintain a relentless onslaught, I am confident we can breach its defenses before the first light of dawn makes its appearance," the third devil replied.
Without wasting another moment, all five devils raised their bone staffs and waved them. As they did, a menacing black skeleton head materialized around each staff, launching itself with great velocity towards the barrier.
There was a deafening Boom! as a series of ghostly skeleton heads detonated upon contact with the barrier. The force was so devastating that the barrier seemed to falter, quivering as if on the verge of shattering completely.
Just then, the amulet dangling at the entrance emitted a brilliant, nearly blinding glow.
From within it, countless rays of light poured forth, rushing to the barrier's aid.
The seemingly disintegrating barrier absorbed these rays, rejuvenating and restoring itself to its former intact state.
The devils didn't seem disheartened by this experience as they already knew what to expect. Instead of sulking, they attacked the barrier again, but it rapidly healed from all the damage done to it using the sun rays present inside its source.
This sequence of events repeated itself again and again. Although there didn't seem to be a difference and the devils looked like they were back to square one each time, each assault they launched at the seemingly eternal barrier was actually draining the amulet's reserve of stored sun rays.
Once the amulet runs out of sun rays, it will only take a few rounds of attacks to destroy the barrier and then there will be nothing left to stop them from killing Oliver.
The devils knew it.
Oliver also knew it, and he sucked in a cold breath.
Death has honestly never felt this close!