I Can Read People's Comments

Chapter 72 Retreating

[Chapter 71 Comment]

[Adam_Balch_7324: Is it easier in that sort of situation where they know nothing about the person you're creating or does it not really change since the details still need to be there?]

[Hunter_Keenan_2132: Glad you could find inspiration in my comment, well done Theo, you are welcome! I wonder, can you cast illusions on non-living things? Like…see more]

…

"What should we do?"

"Are we going to let him go like this?"

"We've been totally had. To think everything is just an illusion to distract us."

"There is a reason why he managed to clear that tower, which is said to be created by the greatest illusionist in history. Although he is a human, he is extraordinary."

"The question is, even if we do chase him, can we do anything?"

The high-ranking Marei suddenly fell silent. They looked at each other, but it was clear that they had no more confidence.

Theo alone had killed around eight to nine hundred Marei on their side. In addition to Baold's group, they had lost more than fifteen hundred.

With the remaining two thousand Marei, they could somehow put up a fight against the humans, but they didn't know whether it was possible to retrieve the treasure or not.

"The problem is… if the humans produce another illusionist like him, it will be troublesome for us."

"But without reinforcement, we won't succeed."

"Even if we know it's an illusion, we can't really cancel it without killing that human after all. How is your arm?"

"I can't feel anything from my arm, let alone move it."

"That's bad. Then, we'll let them get away?"

On one hand, it would be a great shame if they actually retreated without gaining anything. They had five high-ranking Marei and a few thousand Marei.

There was even a cooperation with Devian, which somehow got exposed. They even brought the Light Bead Cannon.

But despite all that, Theo's group managed to escape with all their treasures. Their casualties weren't that high either. This was a complete defeat.

If they returned home empty-handed, they wouldn't be able to hold their heads high anymore.

"Tsk. Instead of continuing the battle, how about we frame that guy?"

"Framing that guy? Do you mean that human's commander?"

"Yeah. We can just make it look like he is a double agent who is deceiving us and contributing to the failure of this mission. We've protected our side to the best of our abilities after that. This should relieve some pressure on our shoulders, right?"

"The only problem is… will all of us here agree to it?"

They fell silent, contemplating. From their expressions, it seemed they had a tacit agreement.

"In that case, we have to torture him to the point he can't speak and is half-dead. However, he can't die because his punishment will be delivered by the elders."

"Yeah. That should be the solution."

Although they didn't want to admit it, Theo was so strong that they didn't know if they could win or not.

Some of them might even die facing Theo without being able to kill him, so they should feel content they managed to survive.

"We'll have to bring a lot of spies to the surface and see the development of the items as well as the illusionists."

"Yeah. We have to rearrange our approach."

After a debate, they finally reached a conclusion. It was unfortunate for them to meet Theo, and it was even sadder when they didn't realize that Theo had exhausted a lot of his essence. If they persisted a bit longer, they would definitely win.

Theo had instilled enough fear to pressure them to retreat.

In the end, the high-ranking Marei ordered the remaining Marei to return.

...

On the other side, Theo was checking the comments he received while catching up with the main group.

"Yes and no. It's true that it's easy to create someone they don't know, especially with the difference in power systems between worlds. You could create basically anything. However, I also have to consider the details of that person to make it look consistent. Only then can the illusion look so real."

"Also, I haven't talked about Agata, have I? Agata should be fine. Remember that the original Theo died when I came here? I believe Agata is taking care of the enemies on that side, but the author hasn't written anything about her yet."

"As for non-living things, I'm not sure how to answer that question. Science does explain things about consciousness, but I believe there is no concrete evidence that can explain it like how they explain mathematical problems. I mean, some theories say the brain is the one forming our consciousness, while another theory says it's the spirit or whatever that is. To perfect my illusion, I'm also learning about science a bit, but unfortunately, I still haven't got a concrete answer about consciousness."

Theo continued to engage with his readers' comments as he moved forward, using the insights he gained from them to further refine his strategies and abilities.

After replying to the readers, Theo's focus returned to the path, wondering how far the main group had gone. Luckily, he managed to find them after running for another fifteen minutes. They had been moving at full speed because they didn't want the Marei to catch up.

It was clear that several of them were about to give up, but Theo brought them good news.

"Oi!" Theo shouted, alarming the others.

"Huh?!"

The people turned their heads around, checking the sound behind them.

"Mr. Theo?!" Baold was shocked.

"They have retreated." Theo pointed to the back. "There is no more threat. Though, we can't be sure either. I know that everyone is tired, but please bear with it for a bit longer. You can just decrease the pace."

Baold immediately relayed the message to the others, bringing joy to them. They instantly lowered their pace and started walking. It was still hard, but manageable.

"What's wrong with the Marei that were chasing after you?" Theo asked.

"The elite soldiers and a few others are stopping them. There are only two hundred Marei, so they should be fine."

"I see." Theo nodded, feeling relieved. "My students?"

"They are with us." Baold pointed forward.

Theo felt even more relieved. At least his students didn't try to become heroes of justice by participating in the killing of the remaining Marei. If that happened, Theo might have had to chase after them, knowing that the author might introduce another unexpected twist.

"We should be fine for now. I've caused confusion. If my prediction is not wrong, they should retreat."

"That's good." Baold finally dropped his guard, feeling tired. He had exhausted almost all his energy. "If we continue on this path, we should reach the reinforcements in two or three hours."

"The treasures?"

"Everything is secured. Of course, I haven't forgotten about the Eye of Truth."

"OK." Theo contemplated for a moment and asked, "How many people did we lose?"

"I'm not sure, but the total should be less than a hundred. After being chased by that number, we are extremely lucky to have suffered only this level of casualties. It's thanks to you, Mr. Theo. On behalf of everyone here, I'd like to thank you."

"You can thank me later once we get to a safe place." Theo waved his hand, treating it as not a big deal.

"Yeah!"

"By the way, do you still remember our agreement?"

"Of course. I'm going to help you with the investigation. I will personally go to ensure its success. I have also sent an elite team under me to investigate."

"You don't have to worry about that. If everything goes according to my plan, it should end soon. Judging from the time I've spent in this world... yeah, it should end by tonight. You should be able to contact your subordinates from here, right?"

"I can definitely tell the people near the portal and have him relay that message to the modern realm."

"Then tell them to capture them. Don't let a single one of them die… because I'll be the one taking their lives." Theo's eyes emitted a sharp killing intent.

Baold could feel the resentment in it. Theo must have held a lot of grudges after their attempt to assassinate him and his daughter.

Since his illusion allowed him to experience his own death multiple times, there was no telling what kind of illusions these people would experience before they died. Just thinking about it made Baold shiver.

However, Theo was bolder than Baold had thought. He actually allowed his daughter to participate in something that dangerous.

One wrong move might cause them to harm or even kill his daughter.

Unbeknownst to Baold, Theo had put several layers of protection around his daughter. The reason he was so confident was because of these precautions.

…

As Theo had predicted, an incident occurred at the academy, specifically involving his daughter.

In a warehouse not far from the academy, a chair was placed in the middle, and a girl was tightly bound to it. The rope was black and emitted a faint essence.

The girl hung her head low, seemingly unconscious.

A middle-aged man stood not far away from her, holding his Lumina near his ear.

"Yeah, yeah, alright!" he said into the Lumina. He then hung up and lowered the device, glancing to the side. A man approached him and asked, "Boss, we received the order to kill her not too long ago. Why did we only have to capture her this time?"

"I don't know. The one who issued the order asked us to do just that, and it's not our place to question him. It's better to follow his words if you want to stay long in this business," the middle-aged man replied, his gaze shifting to the girl. He sighed, "To think I would end up kidnapping an innocent kid. I should say she's unlucky to have parents like that. Not only is her father incompetent, but her mother is also a wanted woman in a different way."

Although the middle-aged man didn't reveal the details of the call, he provided a clue so that his subordinate would understand the situation. This was his way of expressing pity for the child out loud.

Unbeknownst to them, despite her head hanging low, the girl was actually wide awake. Her eyes were discreetly observing the situation, and her lips formed a mischievous smile. It was almost as if she wanted to convey that she wasn't trapped with them; rather, they were trapped here with her.

Amid her kidnapping, she was wearing a large smile, a smile that hinted at her mischief. It felt as though she wanted to convey that she hoped her presence could trigger a scene in the main story, given her newfound knowledge about her father's commenting system.

Even though her attempt was blind, she decided to try communicating with her thoughts. "If you can perceive my side of the story, could you please let my father know about my condition or location? I'm unsure about how much you can perceive or hear, but I hope it's enough."

"In any case, it's my time to shine. It's... showtime," she mused to herself, the sense of mischief in her smile growing even stronger.