Chapter 146: Entangled in Shadows

After immobilizing Rience, Lann noticed that House, Levin, Milva and all of Cintra's cavalry were currently in that alley, maintaining a posture of being ready for battle, motionless, like sculptures.

Their hair was wet with rain and sweat, and rain mixed together and flowed through their eyes, but their eyelids only trembled slightly.

The witcher's vision allowed Lann to see in the darkness. He clearly saw the veins bulging out on the necks of the nearest people, as if they were making a supreme effort to move. Although they seemed aware of his presence, they could barely turn their eyes towards him.

They were still alive, but this state made Lann unfamiliar.

Lann kicked Rience hard. "What did you do to them?"

Rience, screaming in pain, let out a triumphant laugh. "Put away your sword, remove your foot and let me go, and I will tell you!"

Lann narrowed his eyes, his lion pupils full of anger,

He sneered, first took out a [Dimeritium Bomb], pulled the pin and threw it directly into the portal. The green dust expanded with a bang, and in the desperate eyes of Rience, the portal turned into sparks all over the sky.

Immediately afterward, he raised his left hand, which was glowing with a white light.

Rience shouted in an unpleasant voice: "It's no use, I'm a sorcerer! Those witcher tricks don't work on me!"

Lann, in a firm voice, replied: "That's not safe!"

He was no ordinary witcher.

[Axii Sign] + [Delusion] + Magic power.

One hundred points, two hundred points, three hundred points, five hundred points.

The magic flowed slowly, but the sorcerer seemed unfazed.

Six hundred points, seven hundred points, eight hundred points, one thousand points!

Rience began to show signs of surprise. He felt as if countless spiritual tentacles were pressing against his mind, trying to forcefully penetrate. His brain was about to give out. "What did you do to me? It can't be! I'm a sorcerer!"

Lann, without saying a word, doubled the amount of magic power: two thousand points!

The magic within him descended to an unprecedented level. The magical vibration made Lann's skin tingle intensely.

"I am... a sorcerer, it can't be..."

"I am... a sorcerer... ah..."

Rience's expression finally turned blank.

"What did you do to my soldiers? How do you undo their status? Speak quickly!"

Rian's eyes were fixed straight ahead, as if his mind and body were separated. His tongue and mouth began to speak uncontrollably. "It wasn't me, I found a high-level sorceress, she is..."

The griffin medallion on Lann's chest shuddered again. As Rience spoke, a surge of intensely penetrating magic filled the air.

Behind Lann, another portal appeared, but this time it was larger and shone with a brighter light, illuminating the alley as if it were daytime. Silhouettes moved within, suggesting that someone was about to emerge.

The powerful mage behind Rience was going to come out at this moment?

In order to interrogate Rience, Lann had used up almost all of his magic. He gripped the Aerondight and took out a bunch of [Grapeshot] and [Dancing Star] bombs.

He didn't take out the Dimeritium bomb, knowing that even if he sealed the enemy's magic, he probably wouldn't be able to defeat the person behind the portal: Vilgefortz.

In terms of spellcasting ability, he was perhaps not the best among all the sorcerers, but in terms of overall combat capability, Vilgefortz was undoubtedly the strongest among the current human forces.

Lann only hoped that the noise of the bombs would attract Oxenfurt's guards, using crowd tactics to interfere with the enemy, or that exposing his plans in public would force him to retreat.

Lann had many countermeasures, but he made a mistake. Because no one came out of the portal. Instead, a wave of pure chaotic energy poured outward.

And the target of this chaotic energy was not Lann, but Rience.

The Griffin steel sword was made with dimeritium, which prevented magic control. Therefore, the chaotic energy aimed at Rience's leg that was pinned by the sword.

It was as if there was an invisible sledgehammer in the air. Lann could almost see the air being twisted. The astonishing force hit Rience' thigh, and the impact force cut the nailed leg into two parts, leaving a thin piece of minced meat on the spot.

Rience let out an inhuman scream and fainted. He temporarily lost consciousness, but his body, like a puppet, continued to move. He raised his hands and six iron nails the size of his palms shot towards Lann at a speed far greater than a crossbow bolt.

Lann, sword on guard in front of the portal, was unable to dodge Rience's attack.

The first nail effortlessly broke through the [Quen Sign] protection, activating the [Exploding Shield] at the same time.

A shockwave erupted from Lann, not lethal but strangely difficult to resist.

The telekinesis of the person behind the portal wanted to control the remaining five iron nails to continue chasing Lann, but the iron nails were shattered by the impact force in front of them, and Lann was also pushed back by this force and gave up the battle.

But Lann was not relieved. He looked up and saw Rience flying up because of the impact of [Exploding Shield]!

The person behind the portal did not expect this turn and immediately controlled Rience's direction of flight towards the portal.

Lann's eyes were bloodshot, because his servants were still standing on the street like statues, not knowing whether they were alive or dead!

He lunged forward to grab Rience, but the person behind the portal didn't let go, instead intensifying his power, using Rience's body in a tug-of-war with Lann.

Rience, still unconscious, almost woke up from the pain.

Lann knew the situation was desperate. If this continued, he would be dragged into the portal as well. If that happened, he would have no way out.

He couldn't give up without knowing what Rience did to House and the others. Abandoning his comrades in arms, friends and family members here?

Impossible!

With bloodshot eyes, a light flashed in his hands, a pile of Dimeritium bombs appearing. He was going to seize the last chance to destroy the chaotic energy and the portal.

At that moment, a sound of flapping wings resounded in the air.

Lann felt a flash of light around him, and an invisible hand of chaotic energy tried to grab him. However, his armor, forged by Jerome, with dimeritium plates, instantly dispelled the hand, thwarting the attack.

A new enemy? Who else was in the alley? Allies of Rience or a third party?

Lann turned around and saw a black-haired sorceress standing on a roof about ten steps behind him. Her raised arms each emitted a dim light. The light should have grabbed Lann like a clamp and pulled him back, but now it could not get close to Lann at all.

The sorceress let out a sigh and showed an indescribable expression on her face. Seeing that this trick didn't work, she simply turned the magic energy into a long whip and swung it at Lann again.

The whip disintegrated in midair upon touching Lann, but the accompanying physical impact was not immunized by the Griffin Armor's anti-magic effect. The blow knocked Lann to the ground.

Lann immediately rolled over and could only watch as Rience was dragged into the portal, his figure rapidly fading away.

The portal also dissipated immediately afterwards, leaving the alley in a pitch-black darkness again.

The sorceress looked at Lann, whose eyes were burning with fury, and said in a voice devoid of emotion: "Don't worry, Lord Lannister. I can save your soldiers."

Lann panted and looked at the sorceress in front of him with cold eyes. "I could have caught him."

The sorceress chuckled. "You don't know what is behind the portal. If Rience doesn't go back, the people behind him will not stop. Your recklessness may cause you unexpected troubles, troubles that you are not able to deal with now."

"Besides." The sorceress raised her chin slightly. "Rience still has a use. It is a rare and valuable piece on the board, it cannot perish here."

The sorceress transformed into a large grey owl and swooped down from the roof, landing near Lann. She fluttered her feathers and took human form again.

"Let me introduce myself. I am Philippa Eilhart, the royal advisor of Redania. Don't look at me with such a wary look. I will say it again: I can save your men."

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