Sumi watched Rope being knocked flying by her own attack, her brows furrowing tightly.
"Is this the power of time?"
Most powerful individuals can wield rudimentary spatial abilities once they reach a certain level of strength. Though to those who truly master spatial power, such applications seem like child's play.
Still, it is a power they can command.
But time is different.
The power of time inherently represented instability and endless possibilities.
Few could truly wield it meaningfully. Even those bearing the Spacetime Mark often grasped its utilization only superficially.
Within the void, those renowned for mastering temporal power were scarce. Primarily because the pool of practitioners was inherently small.
And among those connected to Rope...
"It's Year's power..."
Sumi swiftly identified the source of Rope's power. After all, the only one who could be so kind to Rope while wielding temporal power was the company's chairman.
Still, Sumi hadn't expected Year to be so generous toward Rope—even granting him access to his primal power. Yet understanding the origin of this power didn't ease Sumi's expression; instead, caution deepened.
Year was a genuine heavyweight in the void.
For such a figure to intervene on behalf of a mere novice was itself highly peculiar.
Yet in the next instant, Rope's form shifted.
Almost instantaneously, Rope materialized before Sumi, stunning her. Even with Year's power augmented, Rope couldn't possibly wield it with such mastery.
Such spatial leaps and time acceleration were exceedingly difficult feats.
Yet just as he prepared to defend, Sumi suddenly recalled another description of Year:
'Master of Illusions.'
Though the realization struck her mind, Sumi did not alter her movements. Instead, she accelerated her actions considerably.
She couldn't gamble on whether this was an illusion. Nor could she bet that Rope truly couldn't master this power instantly.
After all, if the current Rope truly struck her with a blade, she knew she wouldn't survive.
Thus, the white whip swiftly enveloped Sumi, stirring a fierce gale around them.
The moment Rope's figure neared Sumi's defense, it dissolved into a sky filled with blood rain.
Though Sumi couldn't see the outside scene, her senses remained perfectly intact.
Thus, she was certain that the Rope she'd just faced was an illusion.
Even so, the illusion had been so vividly realistic that even she couldn't truly distinguish it.
"Is that so? Is my illusion that impressive?"
Rope's light chuckle suddenly reached Sumi's ears.
Sumi gasped in shock, yet her reflexes remained lightning-fast. Without hesitation, she drew a bone sword and swung it fiercely toward the source of the voice.
Rope stood there, smiling, neither dodging nor flinching as he took the powerful blow head-on. Before the blade could cleave him in two, he thrust the flaming dagger in his hand deep into Sumi's side.
Sumi winced in pain. Simultaneously, a warning bell rang loudly in her mind.
She now understood the true nature of this illusion's power.
It transformed the pain you believed you were receiving into genuine, physical injury.
If, within this illusion, you believed yourself dead, then you truly were dead.
But the most crucial aspect was that this sense of reality wasn't something everyone could truly ignore.
Or rather, in a certain sense, the sensation within it was absolute truth.
Resisting it was incredibly difficult.
Rope stared at the enormous cocoon-like sphere, momentarily unsure how to react. After all, he'd intended to launch a surprise attack. Yet against this defense, he had no effective counter.
He could only watch from afar, inflicting damage upon Sumi within the illusion.
In the void, the powerful figures observing the situation all paused simultaneously.
Observing Sumi's current display, their wariness toward Year escalated to a new level.
"So this is President Year's primary ability? It's... truly dangerous."
The young attendant murmured beside Kiran.
Kiran ultimately couldn't resist watching the battle unfold once more. After all, he was genuinely bored. Otherwise, he wouldn't have wasted so much time chatting with Gerd earlier.
"Dangerous, yet such abilities come with constraints."
The Black Knight remarked calmly, "A power so clearly tied to personal experience carries significant limitations."
"To inflict grievous wounds upon another, one must first endure them oneself. To cause death, one must first taste it. Only through genuine experience can the intensity of that sensation be amplified to its peak, compelling opponents to believe it's real."
The young squire fell silent for a long moment before gathering his thoughts. "According to legends from the Void, Lord Year... it seems have died once."
The Black Knight fell quiet. He silently added Year's name to his mental list of those unsuited for combat.
He relished fierce battles and heroic, tragic deaths.
Dying in a phantom realm like this? What a pathetic way to go.
At this moment, he certainly wasn't the only one reacting this way.
Rope's phantom realm didn't last long. The more its inhabitants struggled, the weaker it grew—provided the struggle was effective. Pointless, futile struggles were meaningless.
Sometimes, the more terrified one became, the more solid the illusion grew—this largely depended on the creator's skill.
Rope was undoubtedly a novice at illusions. Consequently, his illusion didn't last long before Sumi shattered it.
A translucent white light emanated from Sumi's body. She gasped for breath, her hair disheveled, her clothes torn. Her plain white dress was stained with splotches of blood.
He looked at Rope across from him, his eyes filled with both apprehension and relief.
Thankfully, Rope hadn't truly honed his illusion abilities. A true illusion master designs unique illusions for each individual. A powerful illusion is one where the victim knows they'll be harmed yet still refuses to wake up.
Rope was equally troubled. Strictly speaking, this move hadn't inflicted truly lethal damage. Yet even so, it had taken a heavy toll on Sumi.
Whether it was the mental struggle, the physical wounds, or the emotional exhaustion—all had significantly weakened Sumi's combat effectiveness.
In this clash, Rope had gained the upper hand.