As Nu lay on the ground pressured by some kind of force field that seemed to reject her very being, she stared at Lilly that was screaming in pain, and quickly swirled thoughts in her head. 

The ones who distracted the bishop were probably Noah and his team that should have followed her and Lilly. She could not be sure, but that man was quite confident in being able to get out of the dungeon and follow them here. So she decided to believe in his ability.

But would they be able to get here in time to save the girl? From the looks of it, she did not have much time and every second spent connected to that strange device harmed her immeasurably. She had to free them both somehow and do it as quickly as possible. Now, while that crazy bishop was away it was the best chance to try something. 

Nu looked around, stopping her gaze at the two monsters nearby. A moment later her slime-like body shuddered and a thin tentacle-like protrusion extended from her body, slowly creeping toward the Tariaksuq monster, named Taur, that lay nearby. As she crept toward him he also noticed her moves and his eyes widened. He tried to do something, but could barely move. If only he could use magic… But that bastard bishop somehow stopped him from using it and even took away his ability to speak with that strange force field that surrounded them.

Taur struggled with his whole might, but the tentacle kept entwining around him, creeping up his whole body until it reached his head.

As Nu reached Taur's head, streams of slime poured inside him through all his orifices and soon he ceased to struggle as his moves now were more akin to jerking in death spasm. Which was indeed the case. Penetrating Taur's head, Nu attacked his brain, consuming it and then replicating it.

Earlier while that madman blabbered his mouth, Nu noticed that even though all three of them had their movements restrained, only Taur was keeping silent and lying like an obedient prey ready for slaughter. Most likely the bishop recognized his ability as a mage to be a threat and took away his ability to use it, somehow influencing his mind. But now that Nu has taken over his mind this seal was broken.

A few seconds later, Tariaksuq stood up straight and turned to gaze back at Nu. He walked over to her and Nu spread a few tentacle-like protrusions grabbing onto his body, climbing over him. Then she ordered her puppet to move toward Lilly's bed and dropped on it at her feet.

Taur bent over the girl and disconnected the device that harmed her, then he undid her bounds and picked her up into his hands.

Lilly was exhausted and in pain so she barely understood what was going on. With her hazy mind she just silently gazed at Nu, as the slime-like shape moved to the spot where Lilly lay before, taking over her place.

Then Tariaksuq growled something and a veil-like illusion surrounded the slime-like form of a doppelganger. A moment later, Lilly saw an illusion of her own form laying on the bed connected to the device that tortured her, and her own screams were replicated now by Nu spread around the room.

Tariaksuq walked back to the place where Nu was supposed to lay on the ground and put Lilly on the floor, before creating a new illusion. This illusion spread around the young woman making her look like a slime. 

Lilly understood what Nu meant to do and exhaled with relief resting down her head on the floor. They were going to ambush that bastard when he returned so she needed to restore as much strength as she could. She closed her eyes and used her meditation skill.

After exchanging the two ladies' places, Tariaksuq puppet lay down in the exact same spot where Taur died and pretended to be paralyzed.

This basement had only one exit and they would most likely have to face that man if they tried to leave. However, fighting openly against the ability to create a space where he was all-powerful was suicide. Nu decided that the best choice would be to take him by surprise and try to kill him before he could use that ability again.

*****

Mark dropped to the ground barely dodging the swing of the mace that drew a line in the air above him with its speed. He barely regrouped as the mace changed its direction and smashed down at him. Unable to do anything else he rolled on the ground as the mace shattered to splinter the wooden floor where he was a second ago. This was the first time he was so overpowered he had to roll on the ground to escape like a scared mouse from a cat, but still, he was better off than his companions.

Milla barely dodged a swing of her opponent's club falling back over the bench that shattered from the club's impact. She cringed from the pain in her broken arm that she held toward herself with her other arm and jumped to the side to dodge another swing of a club. Rivulets of blood streamed down her face from the gush on her forehead but she had no time to even wipe it. She was an experienced fighter but the difference in speed and strength between her and the opponent was too much. The next swing was about to catch her in the ribs, but at the nick of time, a beam of energy penetrated the wall of the kirk and hit her opponent, with a strange whooping sound following soon after.

However, a few inches away from her opponent's body, the beam of energy was met by an invisible barrier that diverted the beam to the side, only making her opponent step back from the force of its hit. This gave Milla just enough time to dodge away from that opponent to not be immediately killed with his next swing.

If not for these timely assists from the adventurers from outside the building, she and her companions would probably be long done in this rigged fight. 

Yes, the fight was rigged in their opponent's favor so much that they barely struggled to keep themselves alive, running around the small hall of the kirk, dodging their opponent's attacks.

As they entered inside the kirk they found themselves locked inside unable to leave. But the worst thing was that they found themselves being unable to use their power gained from years of monster hunts as adventurers. It was something unheard of but, for some reason, their levels were sealed. No skill, no magic, no ability could be used. All they had to depend on was pure experience and their normal human body with no power gained from the system Level ups.

Their opponents however had no such impairment. Hypnotized clerics that they were forced to fight, seemed to be at the peak of their power, could use their skills and healing abilities, and fought like inexhaustible machines, swinging their weapons full force without breaking a sweat.

Luckily the Tamer's team that stayed outside, analyzed their predicament and came to the conclusion that if they were to enter they would be sealed as well, so they stayed outside this strange building. Instead, they tried to assist the struggling fighters inside with their long-range attacks, shooting magic and projectiles from outside. However, even that was rigged. These hypnotized clerics had some kind of barrier that diverted any long-range attack and from the looks of it could be killed only in close combat. Which was close to impossible if you had to face them with your levels sealed.

This was a shitty situation and their time was running out as they were getting too exhausted to run around dodging full-powered swings that could shatter thick wooden benches into splinters.

Samantha, Kate, Wolf puppet, and Daniella that barely came to herself by now, were trying to assist the adventurers inside the kirk however they could. 

Throwing knives, magic, energy beams, and arrows were shot inside through windows and even through walls, however, once they got through some kind of layer that held the struggling adventurers locked inside, all projectiles drastically lost their power and were unable to kill the targets even when they hit them.

All their attacks barely managed to gain some time for the doomed adventurers inside the kirk. Samantha gazed to the side where Noah stood analyzing the inner magic layer of that building deep in his thoughts. Hopefully, he would find a solution soon, she thought, or her sister might die and she would be unable to help.

*****

"Damn it, what can we do Ugy? None of my skills are useful. Skills with malign energy get rejected by this barrier. I can't harm it with degenerating touch or a malign aura. If we get inside my skills would probably get sealed just like theirs." He said watching the struggling adventurers through the door. "And I can't connect to my medallion that I left in Lilly's hands just in case. Even minimap and change view skill don't show anything from the inside of this barrier, as if it is some kind of separate space altogether. But so are dungeons and my skill worked perfectly on them."

"This is troublesome." Said Ugy's voice inside Noah's head. "If my assumption is right, this barrier is made of divine energy."

"Divine? The same as Saintess' skill that let her infiltrate my dream?" Asked Noah surprised.

"Yes."

"Is this bishop on the level of that mad woman then?" Asked Noah worried.

"It did not seem this way when he talked with these adventurers. Also, why would he need all these tricks if he was as powerful as her." Thought aloud, Ugy.

"Damn it. We are short on time. I don't know what he's up to but, calling villagers here, and using these hypnotized clerics. It all looks like he is stalling for time, and whatever he does there it seems Lilly is crucial. If I am right, she doesn't have much time. We have to do something." Said Noah clenching his fist from frustration.

Ugy kept analyzing the situation, comparing it with the system's abilities, but had no solution to offer.

"Divinity… Divinity…" Murmured Noah thinking about the property of the barrier. Something about divinity did not give his thoughts a rest.

"Ugy, the Saintess left a crack inside my mind with her divinity, right?" Finally said Noah.

Ugy stopped his analysis thinking through Noah's words.

"That's it!" Exclaimed the plush bear a few moments later.

"You have an idea, Ugy?" Asked Noah hopefully.

"Yes. But this will be risky." Answered Ugy.

"Tell me." Said Noah with a firm voice.

"If we can't break this barrier. We call someone who can." Suggested Ugy.

"Saintess?" Said Noah surprised

"Saintess!" Confirmed his thoughts Ugy and then explained his plan, making Noah gulp with a nervous swallow.

"Sam!" Called Noah a few moments later.

Samantha lowered her bow looking at him questioningly.

"I might be able to break the barrier, but it is risky, I might be out of commission after that. I leave that bishop and Lilly to you." Said Noah.

Samantha gazed at him firmly and nodded in acknowledgment, before quickly raising her bow again and shooting another arrow to cover the adventurers inside the barrier.

"Now then…" murmured Noah. "Let's rouse the sun to fight a candle." He added with a sigh and closed his eyes.