NOVEL WEB Chapter 150
When I opened the door, there was nobody inside. As expected, the Butterfly of Covenant was absent. The Wolf, who had spread his keen senses and detection, walked into the room.
But there was nothing unusual. Only bleak furniture was placed inside. It was neatly organized, yet the lack of warmth made it feel rather stifling.
This must surely be the room of the Butterfly of Covenant. My nose could tell me that. But this was merely her private chamber, not a mage’s workshop.
As the Wolf briefly surveyed the room, he peered around but found nothing that seemed connected to the wayward sons. Right. No items were visible, but… he could feel the presence of a hidden room.
It was well hidden as if it didn’t want to be discovered, yet he could sense it faintly.
Still, having come this far, the Butterfly of Covenant would eventually notice the intrusion. Retreating would change nothing. So he had no choice but to go in.
But while there was a room, the passage was nowhere to be seen. How did the Butterfly of Covenant even get inside? He would quickly find the answer.
In the drawer of the room lay a Short-distance Teleportation Scroll. The Wolf, maintaining a reasonable distance, tore the scroll apart.
Before long, light swirled around him, and without resistance, he found himself in another space. And he couldn’t help but frown.
The smell of blood filled the room… As he looked around, he noticed countless magic circles etched into the floor.
Magic circles inscribed with blood.
The Wolf lacked the knowledge to understand those magic circles. But instead of knowledge, he had skills.
However, it wasn’t easy. These magic circles were so high-level and complex that they were impossible to read. The only thing he could recognize was that it was a summoning circle. Focusing long on the summoning circle, the Wolf frowned at the odd sensation.
It was a sound.
Had it not been for the enhancement of his hearing skills, he would have never been able to detect it—it was so faint. But now that he was aware, finding the owner of the breath wasn’t difficult. The Wolf, creating a void, broke through the walls several times, finally laying eyes on someone.
***
As he exited the plaza, the city that had been stained red regained its original appearance. A monochrome city… a floating island that was nothing more than a single city without layers.
When the red mages arrived, the blue mages had already taken their positions.
Their lips were continuously flapping as they prepared their spell chants. Glancing down at the ground, he could see the tainted hordes advancing.
They were already close to Tehran. The mages of Indigo had begun using their magic first. They were faster than he expected… It made sense since they had already mobilized after hearing news of the plague’s manifestation.
Then, the voice of a woman with sky-blue hair caught Hong Yu-ri’s attention.
The calm yet swift words flowed. When she raised her hand, an iceberg formed in the air. The sharp-tipped iceberg fell to the ground, following her gesture.
The magic of Indigo Square’s Master, Winter’s Master, was certainly formidable.
The biting cold instantly froze the horde, halting their advance. As the iceberg crashed down, the impact caused buildings in the city to crumble, and the debris became an obstacle for the horde.
The crushed horde must have turned to a puddle of blood, and even if not, the ice shards became jagged blades that pierced and shredded them apart.
But that was all. The forces of the plague wouldn’t perish so easily. The unfrozen horde bit and shoved away the frozen ones, continuing their advance. An army that wouldn’t stop could never be halted by mere icebergs.
If it were so easy, this long and drawn-out battle would have ended long ago.
Moreover, they were just the horde. They were merely the consequences.
When she rolled her eyes to see it below, Hong Yu-ri trembled.
“…What happened to the Disease?”
Aster’s question was answered by Indigo Square’s Master, Winter’s Master, who clasped her hands together.
“It’s still not visible.”
“Thank goodness the only one that showed up is the plague. Will you continue?”
Though it seemed they were all casting magic together, the synergy between Red Square and Indigo Square wasn’t good. If they used magic together, the flames would extinguish, the ice would melt, and the water would evaporate. Nodding at the question about the order, Winter’s Master agreed.
“Let’s do that.”
The cooling air turned frigid. Forming the pact and chanting spells, the magic of Indigo was nearly complete. As time passed, one after another, the magic was completed, and the bombardment of water and ice from Indigo Square targeted Tehran.
Flood, tsunami, collapse… the collaboration of the outstanding mages could indeed summon disasters. At that moment, one of the Indigo mages cheered.
…A face she had never seen before. Surely a rookie. Hong Yu-ri shook her head at the sight.
Yeah. If things were solved that easily, how grand would that be?
“Hmm…”
Aster and Winter’s Master both held their breath.
Finally, the plague stood at the front lines. Even as the flood and tsunami surged, sweeping everything away, a gigantic monster that looked like it had inflated thousands of rats stood in its vicinity, untouched.
Magic power and even magic itself was corrupting. Nothing was exempt. Regardless of whether they had shape or not, everything was rotting away. The massive power of the flood vanished, and the land struck by death became even more parched than drought.
At that moment, gunk burst from the monster’s back, oozing down. A thick green smoke flowed forth, then spread out, forcibly piecing together the torn and crushed horde anew.
A total mess… The face of the mage that had cheered a moment ago turned a sickly hue. Figures of monsters, humans, and animals alike crudely fused together squirmed on the ground and occasionally rolled about.
“This is just the beginning.”
At Aster’s words, Winter’s Master nodded.
From its back, dozens upon hundreds of heads resembling gunk began to scream.
Once Indigo’s turn finished, Red Square took over the baton. As it was time for their turn, mages in purple robes started to appear from afar.
But Hong Yu-ri could only frown.
Because she couldn’t see the Purple Mage she knew. When she couldn’t find Anela, she anxiously bit her lip.
‘Could it be…?’
A sense of inexplicable unease washed over her. Swallowing dry saliva, her heart raced.
But pondering wouldn’t yield answers. Right now was a time to chant spells. Ignoring Dorothy’s babble, Hong Yu-ri looked down.
– For her, that was the only best choice at the moment.
***
“Why are you here…?”
The figure of a tightly bound person. It was hard to recognize, but that was definitely Anela. There were no visible wounds, but she was struggling to breathe. Trapped in this narrow space, the more she breathed, the shorter her time would surely grow. As oxygen began trickling in from beyond the walls consumed by the void, she gasped desperately for air, even while her consciousness was fading.
Tears welled up as she inhaled deeply, but soon she choked as if in a fit.
Startled by her condition, the Wolf gently patted her back, and her ragged breathing gradually steadied. Surprised by the sudden influx of air, there was only astonishment on her face. The Wolf couldn’t hide his bewilderment. – He had gone all the way to the top without detecting anyone’s presence. But even that wasn’t unusual. If she was relocated using a scroll from the lower levels, it made sense that the scent would cut off.
If he had been just a little late, she would have undoubtedly perished.
It was obvious who had done that. After all, the only resident of Butterfly Castle was the Butterfly of Covenant.
She must have noticed him. The thought of having made an unnecessary request made the Wolf grit his teeth. His questions went unanswered. Rather, they seemed to swell.
“Wh-who…?”
With her hazy consciousness, Anela soon let out a sigh of relief. A tiny black puppy. Alpha had come to rescue her… Though the irony didn’t escape her, it brought her a brief moment of peace.
“Anela Morest. Why are you…”
With a low voice, Anela tried to swallow, but there was no saliva left. Gripping the Wolf, she struggled to utter her words.
“…You came… too late!”
Though she could barely be heard, it was undoubtedly referring to her mother. Could it be that the Butterfly of Covenant still remained in the mansion?
She’d think about that later… First, saving her was the priority. He couldn’t just leave someone who was nearly killed due to his request. Lifting Anela, the Wolf quietly held his breath at the sound of clattering shoes.
– The lord of the castle. Although there were walls in between, such walls wouldn’t hinder him in the least. He maintained his stealth, so even if the intrusion was noticed, they wouldn’t know his exact location.
This was an opportunity that might never come again. Right now, he could take down the Butterfly of Covenant. With the plague present, the Butterfly of Covenant would be alone.
…To save Anela or kill Ameloria.
There were two choices, but the Wolf eventually turned away.
The void rose and steadily consumed the wall.
Until it connected to the outside of the castle. By the time he did, the Butterfly of Covenant seemed to have caught on, and her footsteps quickened. Finally, she summoned a black mist to erase the inexplicable summoning circle.
He didn’t know what it was. But if it was Black Magic, he could surely devour it. There was no need to leave behind that ominous summoning circle made of blood.
Having removed the variable, the Wolf hurled himself towards the passage leading outside.
***
“Anela.”
The Butterfly of Covenant called her daughter’s name, but there was no answer. Already, no one was left in the room.
Walls that had vanished as if devoured, leaving not even debris behind. Something had taken Anela away…
The Butterfly of Covenant waved her hand, and purple magic encircled her, soon enveloping the walls of the castle.
It was just that, yet it was infinitely closer to reality than anyone could recognize.
However… the broken walls weren’t just one. The realization that it connected to another hidden room stirred a hint of agitation in the Butterfly of Covenant’s expression for the first time.
And when she beheld the vanished magic circle, her expression fell cold.
The warmth still lingered. That meant they hadn’t gone far…
As the purple magic spread out, the Butterfly of Covenant disappeared like a dream.