Chapter 26: Chapter 25: The Light in the Dark (4)

The morning dew of Spring graced plant life all throughout the mountain range. Sunlight poked through the foliage above, bestowing warmth to the wildlife below.

Within this mountain range, a lone carriage pulled by two magnificent, horse-like beasts shuttled along a beaten path.

Normally, a traveling carriage wouldn’t garner any attention, and this one wasn’t exempt from such treatment. However, should one look closer, they would see that the road traversed by this carriage was constantly reforming and flattening underneath, creating the most pleasant and smoothest of ventures.

How was it possible to manipulate the ground in such a manner? What level of strength or skill was required, and who could possess such a thing?

The driver of the carriage twirled his fingers, with each twirl the ground shifted underneath. It was a practiced motion, developed over many years of carriage driving.

One might assume that the driver required the utmost concentration for such a task, but that was far from the case.

Why are we stuck driving from city to city? Is she really trying to search the entire first floor for that blasted boy?

Elder Bai twirled his fingers subconsciously while buried in his thoughts. Elder Bai, a ninth-floor powerhouse, was now reduced to a mere carriage driver peddling around on the first floor of the tower.

The sun is rising, maybe she’ll wake soon.

There was a shift in the air; like a ghost, another man appeared next to Elder Bai.

“Another beautiful morning. I often forget what it’s like traveling by foot.”

A deep voice came from the cloaked man beside Elder Bai.

“Good morning, Sir Lian. Is she awake?”

“Even if she were, she probably wouldn’t care to join us. Though, it’s strange…”

“What’s strange?”

Elder Bai and Grandpa Lian were long time friends. Elder Bai often referred to his employer respectfully, although their interactions had always been informal.

“The only time I see a smile on my beautiful granddaughter is when she sleeps. It bothers me.”

“Young miss has always been a dreamer.”

“Indeed so. Sounds like her dreams are better than reality.”

The sound of clomping hoofs and creaking wheels filled the air. A strange sense of peace followed the carriage, but this peace was only brought upon by the unfathomable aura displayed by the two men. Although both men were outwardly genial, the beasts within the mountain range felt otherwise. Their mere presence was enough to send the mountain range inhabitants fleeing in terror.

The morning air grew warmer as time passed, and before long they were able to see the trail leading out of the mountain range.

“Ah finally. I was getting bored staring at trees all morning.”

Grandpa Lian stretched his arms overhead and gave a yawn.

“Trees aren’t so bad.”

Elder Bai grinned in response and continued.

“We’ve been traveling for a month now. One would think you’d get used to it.”

“Ugh, a month of this. I thought we would have seen the end of it after visiting every single starting city that had portal access.”

“Mmm…”

Elder Bai acknowledged with a hum.

It was determined that Elder Bai and Grandpa Lian would escort the young miss around while she explored the first floor, at least for a while. Although her father and mother wanted to join, they had already taken too much time away from their own trials.

It was a simple matter for the two veterans to track her down once she activated the family token—an artifact that all members entered the tower with.

Upon finding her in one of the starting cities, she merely turned to them with a pout.

“I want to go to a different city.”

With that, they began their traveling frenzy. Each starting city had a central portal that was linked to the other starting cities, and they made liberal use of that despite the cost.

However, no city was good enough for the flower of the Lian family, and eventually they exhausted all their options. Upon questioning her what she would like to do next, the young girl had already purchased a carriage, tapping her foot impatiently.

Elder Bai smiled ruefully as he recalled her unwavering determination to travel by foot. Naturally, traveling by foot meant that for him… he twirled his fingers robotically.

“So, what city is up ahead? It’s been so long that I’ve explored the first floor.”

Grandpa Lian rested his head on his palm in boredom.

“It’s the city of Moldun. The city itself is made up of five smaller cities, each named after their cardinal direction. The main city is Central Moldun, known for its thriving… night life.”

Elder Bai responded in a dull manner. It didn’t really matter what city was up ahead, they would likely pass through it regardless.

“Thriving night life huh. Reminds me of my youth.”

“Your youth? You old bat, that was hundreds of years ago. You can’t even remember what you ate yesterday.”

Elder Bai chided Grandpa Lian.

“Just because I can’t remember the delicious boar stew we had; doesn’t mean I can’t remember my youth.”

Grandpa Lian retorted with a frown. How could this friend of his defame him so blatantly.

“We had boar stew two days ago… yesterday was a savory chicken salad.”

An awkward silence hung in the air.

“I was just testing you…”

“Sure.”

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The carriage sped its way out of the mountain range and soon caught up with the traffic going into East Moldun. The sun reached its peak in the sky, beginning its descent.

“Do you think she’s discouraged?”

Grandpa Lian glanced at the cabin where his granddaughter remained noiselessly within. He was worried since he hadn’t seen her all day.

“Not at all. If I know the young miss well enough, I can tell you that she’s never been wrong in her judgement.”

Elder Bai responded immediately. Before becoming a guest elder for the Lian family, his life had been quite dull. That all changed upon meeting the young miss.

He never ceased to be amazed with her endless talent and foresight. He was with her every step of the way, watching her develop into the genius she is today.

He was even there to witness her defeat her own father in a duel. A foolish endeavor for her father to even attempt.

“But she’s been searching for, what was it now?”

“A young boy. Never got a good look, but he should be a rather pedestrian fellow.”

“Right… why though?”

Elder Bai shrugged.

“Why do cows eat grass?”

“Don’t get wise with me young man.”

“Define young.”

“Younger than me.”

“Noted…”

Elder Bai stoically drove the carriage forward, but Grandpa Lian didn’t let the matter rest.

“So, why is it? Why is she looking for that boy? Surely, she must have told you after all these years.”

“She never did-“

“Because he’s mine.”

A sonorous voice interjected.

“Ah, my lovely granddaughter finally graces her humble slaves with her presence.”

Grandpa Lian mused and turned to face the girl who mysteriously appeared behind him. Not even he could sense when or how she arrived.

His granddaughter, adorned in a stylish black outfit, sat cross legged atop the main cabin.

She wore a white coat over her outfit that fluttered in the wind behind her, intermingling with strands of her long hair. A white floppy hat with a black band rested upon her head, hiding her eyes out of sight.

“We were just going to ask if you’d like to explore a bit of East Moldun. Little Bai what did you say it was known for?”

“It’s alchemy, Sir.”

“Alchemy, that’s right! Don’t you enjoy alchemy? We can buy out an entire alchemy shop if you wish to play around.”

Grandpa Lian beamed happily while Elder Bai gave an internal sigh—his friend doted on his precious granddaughter way too much.

“No… We need to go that way.”

She pointed towards Central Moldun. Her expression and tone of voice were a level of gravity that Grandpa Lian had never experienced before.

Elder Bai quietly looked in the pointed direction before giving Grandpa Lian a glance. Listening to the way she spoke brought back memories. Memories of a certain night that became the spark of change in his young miss.

“Right away, young miss.”

Elder Bai hid a smile. There was one thing he was sure of; soon his old friend would witness a side to his granddaughter that he had never seen before.

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In the depths of Rose Manor, Marcel stared at the towering metal door before him. His timid nature prevented him from opening it, but his duties required otherwise.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

A month ago, the head servant Jun, and the youngest servant, Little X, tried to flee. Somehow, in the process, Aines and Jun were killed. How did they die? No one would say.

As for Little X?

Well, the servants no longer talked about Little X. It became something of a taboo subject, but each of them understood that the recipient of the rumored torment just beyond the metal door was, in fact, Little X.

Marcel understood that this door was shielding him from a hellish sight never meant for his eyes. Thus, he was now in a conundrum.

He fidgeted before mustering what little confidence he had. He knocked on the door.

Taking a step back, he waited patiently. If it were any normal day, no one would have dared to interrupt Madam Lexene during her daily session, but today was not a normal day.

The remaining servants never knew what went on during these sessions, and the guards were as silent as ever. When asked, they would immediately decline and walk away, muttering to themselves.

However, they had seen the different devices, medicines, and even centipede-like insects that were transferred into the room. Marcel shuddered as he recalled a horrifying wail some weeks ago when the insects first arrived.

With a heavy bang, the door opened from within, and Madam Lexene stepped forward.

Her face was flushed, her eyes intoxicated and cloudy. Her lingering smile swiftly formed into a frown now that she had been bothered.

“What is it? You understand the consequences if this isn’t worth it.”

She snapped at Marcel, who unconsciously cowered back.

“Y-Yes. W-We have guests, Madam.”

“Guests? Send them away. I’m busy.”

“I-I tried, but… here.”

Marcel stretched out his hand and a small token rested within his palm. Madam Lexene curiously inspected it—her eyes widened in shock!

“Where are they?! You didn’t send them away, did you?”

Madam Lexene sobered immediately.

“No Madam, Sonne is hosting them on the main floor.”

“Who is it? Which tenth floor monster is here? Was it a middle-aged looking man with brown hair?”

The token that Marcel presented was something only tenth floor adventurers could possess. It was the entry key to the tenth floor itself! A most irrefutable symbol of status.

“Y-yes, also another older man, oh and a very beautiful girl too.”

“Good, good. Join Sonne and be most respectful. Do not offend our guests in any way or I’ll have your head.”

Marcel quietly gulped and performed a small bow before scurrying away.

Madam Lexene didn’t linger either and soon found herself in her room freshening her appearance. She quickly changed into a modest business suit and performed a simple cleansing spell on herself, removing the thick scent of blood that followed her.

“That bastard king… could he have been spying on me? But I was so certain to cover all my traces, even the walls are lined with aura concealing formations. If only he weren’t the only supplier of Heaven’s Tears.”

Madam Lexene brooded through the hallways as she made her way to the main entrance.

“He even brought that naïve daughter of his. For what? World experience?”

She scoffed at the thought, but then her eyes widened.

“No way… what if he really did discover Little X? Wait, what if he’s eyeing my love as a candidate for his daughter… no. No, no, no. This cannot be.”

Her breath quickened as well as her steps.

Although she had a powerful background amongst most people on the first floor, she could only be considered an insignificant ant in front of the king and his ancient adviser.

Today was quickly turning sour for Madam Lexene.

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A blanket of dark clouds stifled the moon’s light, but the Rose Manor courtyard still blossomed brilliantly due to a series of methodically placed lampposts.

Within the courtyard, a soul-stirring beauty inspected a particular hedge carving, each intricate detail carefully examined with rapt attention.

“This one as well…”

She murmured to herself while standing alone in front of the carving.

Some distance away, Marcel nervously waited for any orders she might have. So far, he received only a single order—stay away from me.

The girl lingered for a moment longer before turning away. It was time to rejoin Grandpa Lian and Elder Bai who were receiving tea within the manor.

On an average day, her face would remain cold and impassive.

Rarely would something occur to warrant a smile. However, as she walked towards the manor entrance, a small smile found its way onto her picturesque face.

“You there, servant boy.”

“Y-yes.

Marcel floundered slightly after suddenly gaining her attention. Not only did she look impossibly beautiful, but the girl also commanded a powerful aura as if the entire world were within the palm of her hand.

“Your master seems to take good care of you.”

“Pardon?”

Marcel, caught off guard by the comment, adopted a strange look.

With everything he and his fellow servants had been through, he felt wronged by that sort of conclusion. However, it couldn’t be helped as he currently didn’t show any signs of mistreatment.

Marcel and the others were in the best condition they have ever been in during their tenure at Rose Manor. This was because Madam Lexene’s attention was solely focused on Little X for the past month. Any type of wounds they had were long healed.

He cleared his throat.

“Apologies, yes, our master takes good care of us. She provides us with plenty of clothes, food, and the roof over our head. Most of us are heavily indebted to her. If it were required, I would even give my life for her.”

Marcel occasionally received a bit of punishment, but everything he said came from the heart. The serious look in his eyes also held a trace of nostalgia, something that didn’t go missed by the attentive girl.

“I see…”

The girl’s smile widened a bit further.

I’m happy he was able to experience a better life in the tower after everything he had been through. Perhaps, I might even be indebted to this, Madam Lexene, for saving him.

Soon, she and Marcel rejoined Grandpa Lian and Elder Bai in the main lobby, just in time to witness a slightly frantic Madam Lexene briskly walk into the room.

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Eyes full of surprise and a heart overflowing with relief, Madam Lexene greeted her visitors with curiosity and enthusiasm.

“What brings these honor guests to my humble Manor?”

Her eyes drifted to the young woman as she continued speaking.

“Could it be the start of a new journey?”

Her genial smile was especially welcoming after realizing her guests weren’t who she thought.

“Ah yes, the young miss indeed started her first-floor journey. Although, she deigned to release the particulars of her trial.”

Elder Bai responded to the woman while Grandpa Lian’s eyes roamed the overarching ceiling and walls.

“Good, good! I’m sure she must have prepared greatly before entering this unkind place. After all, only strength is law within the tower.”

Madam Lexene continued to make small talk when Grandpa Lian interjected.

“Are these walls lined with Black Star Resin?”

“Ah, y-yes, but think nothing much of it. I only like my privacy.”

“Is that so? Typically Black Star Resin is only used to conceal auras from apex figures… such as myself.”

Madam Lexene shifted in her seat uneasily before replying.

“Of course, although I don’t mean any disrespect. It’s merely to prevent any unwanted attention from passersby. As you can see, I am merely a sixth-floor ranker who was too incompetent to finish their sixth trial.”

She gave a small laugh.

“Don’t mind this old man, we don’t intend to pry into anyone’s business. We’re just looking for a place to stay before continuing our journey. But I am curious, how did you source such a rare material? Perhaps your business is more lucrative than I initially presumed?”

Grandpa Lian swept the topic under the rug. Everyone had secrets, including himself.

“I’m going to take a look around, is that fine?”

Without waiting for confirmation, the granddaughter stood up and walked towards a random hall. She wasn’t here to exchange pleasantries.

“O-Oh! Yes, that’s perfectly fine. Marcel, please accompany her and give her a tour.”

“Yes, Madam.”

With a bow, Marcel scurried after the ethereal figure.

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“Here, and here too. This place is very well kept. I’m happy.”

The girl muttered to herself with Marcel trailing behind her. Just as she was going to pick a certain direction, Marcel barred the way.

“Um, young miss, if we could. Can we not go this way? That would make things easier.”

His arms were spread to the sides with a slight worried look.

“Why is that? I would like to go this way.”

“Well, this area is closed off from outsiders. There’s nothing I can do about it, I’m sorry.”

“I see…”

The girl tilted her head upwards, allowing Marcel to finally take in the exotic painting that was her face and eyes. Till this moment, her features always remained hidden beneath her wide-brimmed hat.

It was only now that Marcel understood why.

With an emotionless expression, the girl’s eyes flashed a myriad of colors, both captivating and alluring. Seeing this, Marcel’s mind went blank, allowing a string of drool to fall through the corner of his mouth.

Marcel’s eyes lost focus and his mind entered an endless dream.

“Forget everything that happened so far tonight. Now go back to your room and rest, yes?”

The mindless servant merely nodded vacantly and ambled off into the distance.

“Hmpf.”

She snorted and continued down the passage.

Why was she so adamant about going this direction?

She placed a hand over her chest, calming her loud heartbeat. An indescribable pull, originating from the depths of her soul, guided her in this direction!

Various dreams and memories flashed through her mind as she walked the silent halls. A dumb smile was concealed underneath the large hat, while her doe-like eyes raced from side to side as if she were experiencing her thoughts in real time.

“It’s here… somewhere here.”

She muttered after finding herself in a sparsely decorated room. Her eyes went to the floor.

“Somewhere below.”

She closed her eyes. An invisible wave pulsed outward from her body before immediately rushing back in.

Without another thought, she placed her hand on a slightly protruding stone. With a bit of pressure, the stone sunk back into the wall, which began to quietly shift.

“A rudimentary concealment formation.”

She walked through the entrance, finding herself traversing down a stairwell.

“I guess it makes sense. Perhaps she lined the walls with Black Star Resin to keep him out of sight. She must care a lot about his safety. Hmmm.”

The girl nodded in acknowledgement as she descended into the dark depths of the basement floor. Flickering candles struggled to fight against the infinite shadows, causing a foreboding and gloomy atmosphere.

She paid the lack of lighting no heed and proceeded in the direction of her heart.

“This door…”

She curiously gazed at the massive metallic monstrosity in front of her. The materials to create the room in front of her were all high quality, and absurdly rare for a mere sixth-floor ranker like Madam Lexene.

“Just how was she able to acquire such materials without entering the tenth floor? Does she have a hidden backer?”

With a loud clank, she pushed the door wide open and stepped into the dark room, allowing the door to shut behind her.

Blue tubes of luminous substance could be seen flowing towards the back wall. Although the blue lighting wasn’t enough to illuminate the room, the girl didn’t require a light source to see clearly within the dark.

Her heart stilled, and her eyes grew distant. She slowly walked deeper into the room.

To her left, a multitude of torture materials were lined neatly along a table. Her face grew colder as she inspected the table.

Sinister forms of writhing centipedes, each of them trapped within clear containers, attempted to claw their way to freedom. Buckets of stagnant acids were sectioned off—some were half empty.

Rows upon rows of serrated metallic stakes lined the walls, and at the tips of most of the spikes were layers of dried blood, as if the blood were part of their aesthetic design.

Various pills and medicines were labeled accordingly, some were used for psychological damage, while others were pain enhancers. Hidden within the plethora of medicines were even a collection of common aphrodisiacs, although they seem untouched.

The girl’s body shook unconsciously. Her fingers twitched by her sides, and soon small leaves of white fire flickered in and out of existence around her body.

She went deeper and deeper into the room, until she found herself standing in front of her one true desire.

The man of her dreams, hung in the air by suppression chains like a sacrificial lamb. Only the subtle movements of his chest gave him any sign of life.

A solid metal helmet covered his head. Numerous thick poles protruded from his body at different angles.

Judging from the length of metallic stakes along the wall, these were the same ones buried deep. She could only imagine the surreal pain of bones grinding against metal.

Even with this, it wasn’t enough. The girl saw the boy’s skin bulging and moving in various locations. Her heart sunk lower as she realized these were the same centipedes from earlier.

These insatiable insects were known as Hollow Flower Centipedes. Within nature, they were relatively harmless, true to their name, they only ate flowers.

However, with the right combination of medicine and training, they could be repurposed to gnaw on a human’s bones and organs. It was a most extreme type of torture that required a constant flow of high-grade healing medication.

The girl glanced back at the various tubes that were injecting fluids into the boy’s body; most were blue, however there were a couple that constantly flowed with a subtle green substance. These tubes held the healing medicine required for his survival.

She glanced back at the blue tubes. Out of everything within this picture, the blue tubes were what angered her the most.

She understood exactly what fluid was being pumped into the boy before her. The same boy who was to be the love of her life, her star-crossed soulmate.

Heaven’s Tears, a talent reducing agent that stifled the growth of anyone it was injected into. Should any normal person receive a cup of the substance, they would be forever capped at their current strength unable to progress.

Their muscles would fail to grow, and their mana affinities would become polluted. With their body deteriorating against their will, their only fate was to accept stagnant weakness.

That result was just a cup full of Heaven’s Tears, let alone a constant stream of it for over a month’s time.

The worst part was, she still remembered the day she invented the toxin.

The girl bit her lip and a small tear lost itself across her cheek. Raising her arms from her sides, she called forth an intense level of heat and pressure.

Raw and unbridled energy seeped out from her body, causing her hair to flutter about violently. The floor beneath her cracked and crumbled, and pieces of stone floated upward against gravity.

An angelic embrace of white, silken flames spilled forth; and like a star’s final breath—she exploded with energy!

Everything within the quaint room was caught within the firestorm of fury. Anything the white flames touched instantly evaporated into particles and then was purified further into nothingness.

She stepped forward to embrace the boy, allowing her flames of wrath to incinerate his bindings. The metal sphere that covered his head gave way like a ball of chocolate discovering boiling water.

The boy’s eyes were listless, and his perfect mouth presented a pair of cracked lips full of self-injury. Blood streamed from every orifice he had: his mouth, nose, eyes, and ears.

The flames that circled the pair grew more violent, creating a whirlwind of destruction that ate the walls and ceiling away.

She grasped his face with both hands and brought her lips close to his. Pushing her mouth onto his, she then breathed the same silken flames into his body.

Tears cascaded down from her tightly shut eyes as she kissed the young boy. Her only thoughts were to cleanse his internals from the massive infestation of chemicals and foreign creatures that plagued his wretched body.

She cried and cried some more.

All these years of living in her dreams created a blind level of worship for the boy. Her confidence in him refused to envision a scenario of pain and sorrow.

Never once did she imagine him to suffer such blatant and grotesque treatment.

Minutes passed by before she finally released him. By now, the firestorm was more subdued, only radiating in a circle around her.

She cradled his unconscious body into her arms before leaving. It was time to exact revenge, and she knew just who to target.