Round 33: The Portal to Another World
The old mage studied Forty-Seven for another while. He made a gesture and murmured spells under his breath. A crack appeared in the void, growing larger until it formed an oval magical portal ten feet in diameter—inside was a turbulent void, leading nowhere known.
“A unique lifeform… Though I must kill you and take what has become part of your body…” the old mage murmured. “At least I can prevent you from remaining here to be destroyed by foolish people… Now I send your remains to the River of Souls, to drift there forever…”
He raised his hand and gave it a gentle push. Forty-Seven slowly drifted toward the void portal and was instantly swallowed. Then the portal began to spin, shrink, and vanish.
Morrill suddenly screamed, raising her hand as if to attack the old mage. A mage beside her immediately directed a beam of magical energy at her—Morrill collapsed, falling into a deep sleep.
The old mage stared at where the portal had disappeared, paying no attention to this minor incident. Moments later, he turned and left—vanishing in just a few steps.
The mages also reactivated their portal and left, taking the unconscious Morrill, O’Sullivan, and the others with them.
The chaos in Rain City continued.
On the barren land at the edge of the swamp, only Old Tom’s wooden watchtower stood alone, having witnessed everything in silence.
Morrill woke from her sleep and found herself lying on a soft bed, the sensation of her skin rubbing against delicate velvet extremely comfortable.
“Klaustina… my favorite student. You’ve been gone for so long; I really miss you.”
A soft, charming voice came from beside the bed. Morrill trembled and turned to look.
The noblewoman by the bed wore an exceptionally exquisite and luxurious robe. Complex runes formed intricate yet beautiful lace patterns along the edges of her blood-red silk gown. Her long, pale fingers were intertwined on her lap, each finger adorned with rings that shone in different colors. A thin silver necklace rested on her graceful neck, its end buried deep in her cleavage, hiding what pendant it was. Her face was dignified, but her eyes carried a seductive gaze. A small blood-red aeonite adorned her forehead, like a third eye.
Seeing Morrill awake, she leaned over the young mage and touched her delicate cheek. “My poor Klaustina… Look… your skin has become rough… But it doesn’t matter. I’ve developed a new magical potion that can effectively nourish the skin, making it vibrant and supple… How about we try it together later? It’s been so long since we bathed together…”
Morrill recoiled, as if the noblewoman’s hand were a venomous snake.
But then she stared at the enchanting noblewoman fearlessly, even with a hint of mockery in her eyes. “Respected Teacher Isabella, it’s great to see you. I was worried that the accident might have damaged your beauty… After all, among people over sixty, your outstanding beauty has always amazed me!”
“You little wretch.” Isabella still smiled, her tone as gentle as before.
She slowly reached under the covers, feeling Moriel’s completely naked body, then suddenly squeezed tightly: “Don’t be so proud. I have all the time in the world… enough to find some pleasure with you.”
The tides of the River of Darkness had just receded.
The wind carried the smell of sulfur and blood.
“Over here! Over here!”
A small black figure fluttered ahead of a group trudging along a dark tributary of the River of Darkness, its limbs and triangular tail all pointing in the same direction.
Chapter 2: The Steel Demon