Volume 1 Chapter 518

Chapter 518: Let’s Leave This Place and Go to the Other Side of the Continent

After giving the other person their deserved reward, Lolth left the room.

As for where the chef would go, she would not interfere.

Of course, Lolth didn’t really care about that.

For her, she had already gotten what she wanted, and she had been quite generous to this stranger.

After breaking the barrier of the room, she returned to the city of Silver Citadel of South Sotua.

Then, Lolth realized…

"This is really more chaotic than I imagined."

She looked at the burning city and buildings, and the people fighting each other, and couldn’t help but exclaim.

Lolth thought this country had some serious problems.

Ever since she arrived in the United Kingdom of South Sotua, whether in the half plane ruins or in this city, there has always been this chaotic fighting.

There was not a day without exception; even on the first night she arrived, she and Yi were attacked hard by the "Day of Revival" cultists.

Perhaps it was because her timing was not great and she had a tendency to attract these kinds of trouble… but Lolth always felt that the United Kingdom of South Sotua itself had some issues.

Earlier, while learning to cook, she was focused and didn’t notice these things.

Now, seeing the chaos happen again, Lolth realized she would not have peace again.

"Do the people of South Sotua have nothing to do all day except fight and scheme against each other? Can’t they focus on studying cooking, magic, or art instead?"

Quietly dodging a misfired spell and tilting her head to avoid two flying weapons, Lolth sighed and started walking through the Silver Citadel.

She had already noticed that those mercenaries probably did not need her help anymore; it was easy to see some familiar faces in the chaos.

They were the mercenaries she had worked with before in the half plane ruins and had seen a few times at Wild Boar Mountain.

They were helping South Sotua’s spies create trouble for the guards of the Silver Citadel.

However, the more important friends she felt responsible for, like Old Harper’s comrades from the Victory Mercenary Corps, Qiong and Julie from the Fish Eye Mercenary Group, and even Yi and Kanor, were nowhere to be found.

She wanted to find Hobbit Florence and the red-haired Hood, but she found nothing.

It was as if they had left the city altogether.

But it was also possible they were hiding using Kanor’s Versatile Kitchenware’s concealment and disguise effects… those were indeed methods so hidden that even she wouldn’t notice them.

Unable to see them, Lolth felt a little more at ease.

The mercenaries had all run out, showing that they must be safer now.

She had no strong feelings for the remaining mercenaries; if she were still with Kanor and the others, Lolth might help them out a bit…

But for now, let them fight.

South Sotua looked like it was in a civil war… but what did that have to do with her?

Although the City Master of Silver Citadel’s collusion with demons made her want to get rid of him, the Chancellor and King of South Sotua were not good people either, and Lolth felt the same way about them.

She was never someone with very strong motivation to act.

"Well… since that’s the case, let’s leave this place for now…"

Lolth pondered to herself.

Just as she was about to deactivate her Magic Perception and depart from the city of South Sotua,

she suddenly detected a faint, yet familiar surge of magical energy.

It belonged to one of her disciples.

Not Kanor…

but another.

"Dorothy?!"

Lolth caught this fleeting presence and her expression turned to one of surprise.

Then, she sensed that something was amiss.

Dorothy’s energy was not only weak in magic but also… in life force.

"Damn it!"

Lolth frowned and swiftly cast a teleportation spell towards the direction she had sensed.

Soon, she found…

Dorothy, unconscious and leaning against the wall outside the Silver Citadel City Master’s residence.

Beside her was a protective aura of epic strength, shielding her from discovery or harm for the time being.

Lolth then dispelled the protective barrier and stepped inside.

Feeling Dorothy’s weak yet steady breath, Lolth sighed in relief, but then frowned again.

She sighed in relief because Dorothy was indeed safe; though weak, her condition was stable. Now that she had found her, there should be no further issues.

The reason she frowned again was because…

Her condition was quite complicated; keeping her alive was easy, but facilitating a quick recovery was challenging.

Because she hadn’t sustained any "injuries."

Dorothy’s soul seemed to be "sealed."

The hero’s bloodline, the "curse" of hell, and the divine power bestowed by the plague had previously coexisted in her soul in a stable and balanced manner. With Lolth’s long-term care and extraordinary culinary skills, which helped to release her own power, Dorothy’s condition had been improving daily, even though the root problem hadn’t been resolved.

And now, this balance appeared to have been disrupted.

"It seems as though she was forced to use an excessive amount of magical power, which led to an imbalance in her strength…"

"The power of the hero’s bloodline and the divine power of the plague sought to protect her, but instead, they have plunged her soul into a state of silence."

Lolth carefully examined Dorothy’s soul and drew a conclusion.

Matters concerning the soul are exceedingly complex; otherwise, the creation of "Five Colors" would not be regarded as a forbidden technique and a pinnacle achievement of ancient civilization.

Moreover, Lolth is not particularly adept in this area.

Thus, she is uncertain how Dorothy ended up in this state and can only make an educated guess.

Of course, she does not dismiss the possibility that someone could have disrupted the balance… but who would go to such lengths to do so?

This must simply be a coincidence.

Perhaps they encountered some kind of crisis, forcing Dorothy to act and overexert her magical energy.

This also explains why she was left behind here.

Kanor had left a signal for herself, and that young girl knew she would inevitably come to this place.

The current state of Dorothy is beyond her ability to manage.

Thus, she did her utmost to protect her junior sister, waiting for the moment she would be discovered.

If this is indeed the case, then this was undoubtedly the best decision.

"Well done, Kanor."

Lolth murmured her praise softly, infusing a gentle, pure stream of magic into Dorothy’s soul, while simultaneously enveloping her with a similarly gentle yet potent magical shield.

Once the magic had secured her, Lolth retrieved the magic cube, which transformed into three flowing purple lines that adhered to Dorothy’s body, forming a purple band beneath her neck, resembling a necklace.

Upon closer examination, Lolth realized that Dorothy would likely recover on her own in about a month if left undisturbed.

The only issue is… her soul and internal magical environment are currently extremely fragile, and any significant magical disturbance could exacerbate her condition.

According to Lolth’s estimation, the Superlative Level… should be the threshold.

In other words, for the next month or so while she is with Dorothy, it would be best to avoid any confrontations and steer clear of any disturbances exceeding the Superlative Level.

Most importantly…

Space magic must not be used.

Being a unique form of magic, space magic and Star Spirit magic inherently have an additional impact on life, so it’s best to avoid using them entirely.

With Dorothy in tow, their only means of travel was… to move as ordinary people do.

At most, they could ride in a carriage or on a lower-tier magical creature.

Common sense would suggest that the best course of action would be to find a place to hide.

However, unfortunately… both Silver Citadel and South Sotua are currently in turmoil.

The war, which previously seemed inconsequential, has now become a source of concern for Lolth due to Dorothy’s condition.

"We must leave this place quickly… to a peaceful area, and ideally find a quiet place for Dorothy to recuperate."

Lolth sank into deep contemplation.

In her mind, a complete map of the mainland plane unfolded.

Centered around Silver Citadel, it stretched out in all directions.

"South Sotua, South Sotua…"

The first thought that came to Lolth was to find a way back to Hillenbrand Town.

After all, it was her domain and could be considered entirely safe.

However… there was no safe path back.

Not only would she have to navigate through the frontlines between the Holy Alliance and the demon race, but even departing from South Sotua would lead to the Republic of Seychelles.

Based on intelligence gathered from her spies and the predictable military strategies of the world’s leaders, Lolth could easily discern one simple fact…

The movements of the South Sotua army seemed to indicate plans to engage with Seychelles.

By then, Seychelles will be many times more dangerous than it is now. At present, it’s merely a clash at the legend level. However, when the time comes, Prime Minister Osmeda of South Sotua and the enigmatic Sword Master from Seychelles might both intervene.

Heading west is out of the question, and going north… isn’t feasible either.

Because to the north lies the Golden Peacock Kingdom.

Given that the Golden Peacock Kingdom likely harbors the most individuals wishing Dorothy dead, Lolth doesn’t consider this a wise choice.

The south was never in Lolth’s plans from the beginning.

The coastline, areas teeming with monsters, and the unruly Orc tribe…

Although there’s no "war," running into a super monster could be quite troublesome.

After much deliberation, Lolth could only decide to head east…

Holy Lieto Empire, Eastern Seven Kingdoms, Wizard Association…

It’s a far better option than the other three directions.

In fact, if we’re talking about a country on the continent that has been the most stable since its inception and has never experienced a local war, it can only be the Holy Empire, which is effectively controlled by The Church of Light.

Perhaps she can even find a larger church where Dorothy can soak in the Holy Spring, which nourishes the soul.

That would be an excellent choice for Dorothy at this moment.

"Well, it seems we have no choice but to go to the Holy Empire…"

Lolth sighed softly.

As an Abyssal Succubus, infiltrating the main base of The Church of Light seems like a perilous endeavor.

But upon careful consideration, it’s actually quite safe for her.

Just as she taught Kanor, in this world, Superoperators identify each other primarily through their power fluctuations.

All I need is to be imbued with the power of Holy Light, and no one will suspect me.

Even the leader of the Oracles Knight Order and the Lady of Light were deceived by me.

It would be impossible for ordinary church officials to uncover me.

At that moment, after fully absorbing the bit of magic that Lolth had infused into her, Dorothy finally awoke.

Lolth was certain that Dorothy’s soul had been affected in some way, but she wasn’t sure what kind of effect it would manifest.

So, she looked at Dorothy with deep concern.

"Dorothy… how are you feeling?"

She gently knelt in front of the girl.

As Dorothy opened her eyes, which were quite adorable yet often shadowed and evasive, a hint of confusion appeared.

Like a helpless little animal that has just been born.

She opened her mouth, looking at Lolth before her, with a pained expression.

"You are… who are you?"

Then, she bit her lower lip and frowned slightly.

It seemed like she had a bit of a headache.

"Dorothy… is that me? Where am I?"

"What is this… place?"

She wore a look of confusion and unease, her eyes darting around the surroundings.

Explosions, surges of magic, screams…

The girl, just awakened, was startled once more, curling up slightly as if to shield herself.

Lolth observed Dorothy, listened to her words, and was momentarily stunned, quickly grasping the situation.

Her own disciple had lost her memory!

The "anomaly" in her soul manifested as amnesia.

Then, Lolth felt a surge of heartache and guilt.

"It’s alright, who you are isn’t important… I’ll explain everything to you gradually."

"You’re safe now, don’t worry, I’m here with you."

Lolth gently embraced the young girl, pulling her close and softly stroking her head.

Dorothy’s body tensed momentarily, then she seemed to catch Lolth’s scent and gradually relaxed.

"Mm…"

She let out a soft, muffled sound.

Though she couldn’t recall who the girl holding her was, that scent…

It was familiar and comforting.

Then, Lolth carefully lifted her from the ground.

"This isn’t a good place to stay. Let’s leave here first, and I’ll explain everything to you slowly. Is that okay?"

Lolth spoke in a gentle tone, releasing Dorothy and instead taking her hand.

Dorothy looked at Lolth and nodded silently.

"Okay."

She responded succinctly, without hesitation.

Lolth nodded, then once again cast a layer of Elite Level protection, and together they slowly departed from the scene.

After the two had left, near the wall where Dorothy had been leaning, a section of the wall suddenly turned into a cascade of silver liquid, revealing a small hidden girl and a young girl holding a long box.

It was Kanor and Ann.