This realisation changed the entire context of the battle. It wasn't a wall they were building in front of me; it was a net they were casting around my kingdom.
They weren't trying to slow me down personally—they knew I was a force of nature that couldn't be easily contained—but they were targeting my infrastructure.
"They aren't after me," I muttered, the gears in my head turning with cold precision. "They're trying to prevent my forces from securing more cities and towns. They want to choke my supply lines, stop us from killing monsters, and keep us from stacking the materials we need for the upcoming quests."
It seemed the news of my system punishment—the ban on stat point gains—had already leaked. My enemies had ears everywhere, and they were moving to capitalise on my temporary stagnation. But why the Succubi? If you wanted to stall an advance through trickery, the Illusionists were the logical choice.
