Round Sixteen: Stephanie’s Disillusionment

The succubus groaned in despair—especially when she saw that red demon who had once nearly killed her appear.
Merganis also noticed the succubus by the mage’s side. This unexpected discovery made the flames burning on his massive horns burn even brighter, and his skin turned red as if scalded by abranding iron.
It was so hot. Merganis waved his spear of flames, piercing through every demon that dared to block his path—thirteen at a time—before burning them to ashes.
The elite forces of the demons kept pouring into the fortress through the portals opened by the old witches, with one goal in mind: the molten iron lake deep within.
The demons left behind were utterly unable to stop Merganis’ onslaught. They retreated step by step, eventually forced into the scorching iron lake where they melted away.
After firmly controlling the iron lake and its surroundings, the mastermind of this operation appeared. At first, he seemed like a shadow that suddenly coalesced, but soon he took shape, expanding into a twisted human figure wrapped in a cloak. He drifted aimlessly; wherever he went, the light dimmed, and he seemed to grow slightly larger, eventually becoming taller than all the demons. The vast steel hall was unbearably hot and brightly lit due to the demons and the iron lake, but this entity seemed unaffected by any light or heat, remaining a vague mass of darkness. It resembled a human, but its limbs were indistinct, with faint white lights emerging from the shadows—eyes, hinting at cruelty.
The demons stared at him in fear, trying to stay as far away as possible—from such proximity, even the flames on their bodies seemed to be sucked away!
Finally, the shadow hovered above the iron lake.
The flowing red-hot molten iron gradually took on a hint of blackness, which spread steadily. In just a short while, half of the lake was covered with hard crusts that began to merge together. Meanwhile, the shadow grew denser, heavier, and clearer, seemingly devouring all colors, leaving only those blinding white lights in its head that were too intense to look at directly.
Seeing everything on track, Merganis turned to look at the traitors inside the fortress.
The leader of the old witches—the one disguised as a blue elf—smiled seductively.
“Honorable Lord Merganis… the plan is going perfectly… The dimensional barrier created using souls as raw material is sufficient to prevent any demons from using teleportation spells to get here… By the time they break through layer by layer from the outside, the entire iron lake will already be blocked… What a perfect plan…”
Hmph. Merganis actually disdained this plan. What did it matter if the iron lake was blocked? It was just one less source of iron ore… And the largest iron ore lake in the Abyssal Plains consisted of hundreds such lakes and dozens of even larger ones! The demon armies stationed there were directly under the command of the Demon Lord. Such a small place was barely worth mentioning…

But he didn’t dare express any dissent, for he was still far inferior to that shadow gathering heat in the heart of the lake. It would take him at least several centuries to slowly try to undermine that figure who dominated him through schemes and deceptions…
It was better to deal with the immediate situation first and find some fun.
“Very good! You will receive your due reward!” Melganis declared loudly. “I will keep our agreement! Take your payment and leave! The portal to the Gray Wastes is open!”
“What about me! I was it who helped create this dimensional barrier!” Stephanie cried out in annoyance.
“Hehehe… Don’t worry… We’ve already prepared a portal for you back home—just come with us, and you can return to your world right away…” the old witch said with a smile. Her elven features seemed to be deforming and melting under the heat, looking utterly disgusting.
“She’s lying to you! The Gray Wastes are a land of eternal despair! Once you go there, you’ll never be able to leave! That endless despair will destroy you instantly!” the demoness shouted.
“Hehehe… How could that be… We have an agreement… And it’s just a transit point. As soon as you step through this door, you can go home through another…”
“Yes!” “That’s right!” “Come on, young man!” The old witches chattered like a group of foxes watching chicks.
Stephanie hesitated.
“Mage, I have a deal for you,” Melganis said, staring at the mage with burning eyes.
“Great Demon General, what’s your plan?” Stephanie didn’t dare be presumptuous, and this flattering title also excited Melganis somewhat.
“Is that demoness yours? Give her to me! I’ll be the guarantor for your deal with these old witches! And I’ll save you half the cost! With me around, they won’t dare deceive you!” Melganis swung her spear across the old witches’ heads, setting their hair on fire and changing their expressions.
Stephanie pondered. The demoness looked at him pitifully, trying to use her delicate demeanor to persuade him not to sell her.
So he couldn’t keep this perfect toy after all… But refusing a powerful demon’s request wasn’t a good idea, especially since he had already offended demons. Moreover, Stephanie really had reservations about going to the Gray Wastes—there were too many negative legends about it being a battlefield of true evil… And the old witches didn’t seem very trustworthy, though demons generally had excellent reputations…
Melganis watched him more and more intently.
“Alright, I agree…” Stephanie finally made up his mind and uttered words that filled the demoness with despair.
“This mage has been corrupted by the old witches!” the demoness suddenly screamed. “Demons! Look at this mage! Look closely! Look at his soul! He’s no longer human! He’s food for the old witches!”
Before Stephanie could understand what the demoness meant, the old witches were already in shock.

Melganis’s flaming eyes narrowed, revealing a kind of truthful light that pierced through everything to reach its essence—then he burst into excited laughter. His body, already burning hot from the succubus, was now fully ignited by this unexpected joy.
“Mage! No wonder I thought you were a bit strange! Those old witches are quite skilled! Corroding a powerful mage like you from soul to flesh—part of that credit goes to that little succubus! You’re just one step away from becoming a cute and delicious larva! I’ve changed my mind! I can’t let away such a delicacy!”
What? Stephanie felt a tingling sensation spread throughout her body in shock—
She screamed as her stomach twisted in agony, as if all those larvae inside were causing chaos. She scratched at her skin, sensing tiny worms with human faces emerging from her muscles, desperate to break through and crawl out. She tore at her robe to examine herself and horrorously discovered that she now resembled those swollen, worm-covered spirits…
The old witches also pleaded in terror to Melganis, “This isn’t proper! This mage is something we’ve worked so hard for…”
“You bunch of liars!” Stephanie howled.