Volume 1 Chapter 531

Chapter 531: As You Wish

The surface of the lake trembled, and ripples spread across the dark night sky, as if stars were collapsing.

Soon, in front of Lolth, the lake slowly parted to the sides, forming two towering walls of black water.

The stones at the bottom of the lake rolled and piled up in front of Lolth, creating a long staircase leading down into the depths of the lake.

It stretched forward in the direction of the compass needle, its destination uncertain.

"Wow."

Lolth murmured softly, her voice filled with awe.

This dark lake was even deeper than she had imagined.

The long staircase was narrow, barely wide enough for two people to walk side by side, and it descended so far that the bottom was invisible.

Using Magic Perception, she estimated it to be about a hundred meters deep.

"Teacher…"

Dorothy gazed at the endless staircase and the dark abyss below, instinctively clutching Lolth’s sleeve.

"It’s alright."

Lolth reassured Dorothy, then gently took her hand.

She led Dorothy onto the staircase that seemed to plunge straight into the heart of the Earth.

The silent black water was held back by an invisible force, its opaque nature making it almost indistinguishable from the walls.

The only indication that they were still at the lake’s bottom was the damp, slightly slippery texture of the stone steps beneath their feet.

After walking for another five or six minutes, the staircase finally came to an end.

Lolth and Dorothy stepped onto the lakebed.

To their surprise, the bottom of the dark lake was not covered in mud.

Instead, it was a smooth, even surface made of small stones.

It looked less like a natural lake and more like something crafted by human hands.

Considering the dark water’s ability to block magic, Lolth thought this made sense.

She led Dorothy forward, glancing up to see the sky reduced to a narrow slit.

On either side, towering walls of flowing water rose high above them.

The compass needle still pointed straight ahead—of course, there was no other path to take.

Lolth could finally sense the faint but unmistakable waves of magic emanating from ahead.

Though weak, the magic carried an extraordinarily high level of authority.

It reminded her of the first time she had sensed the presence of the Rod of Eden from afar in the Disease God Kingdom.

"Be careful."

Lolth said softly, gently shielding Dorothy behind her.

Perhaps because the slope was so gradual, after the long descent, there wasn’t much left to traverse at the bottom of the lake.

Soon, the two of them arrived at the "end."

It was a small altar, quietly nestled at the bottom of the lake, encircled by a curtain of black water.

The altar’s design was rudimentary, merely a stack of tall stones etched with runes.

At the highest point in the center of the altar lay something that even made Lolth’s heart skip a beat.

It was a tattered piece of red fabric, no larger than a palm.

With a faint ripple of magic, though only two threads were intertwined, it exerted a pressure on Lolth akin to facing Murphy Yates, the God of Demise, in person.

It was as if something terrifying had been torn from another dreadful entity.

Lolth swallowed softly.

After much deliberation, she finally decided to place her trust in Miss Witch once more.

"Dorothy, please stay a bit farther from me."

Lolth instructed her apprentice, then stepped forward onto the edge of the altar and reached out to grasp the red fabric.

But the moment Lolth touched the red cloth…

"Hiss—"

The fabric suddenly began to move on its own.

Lolth felt her magic being drained in an instant!

This startled Lolth.

Not even a god could so effortlessly siphon her magic!

And the vast amount of magic that vanished unexpectedly felt like a stone sinking into the sea—after all, the same quantity of magic could enable Lolth to create a rune circle powerful enough to challenge a god’s projection!

"What is this thing?"

Just as Lolth hesitated over whether to protect Dorothy and how to handle the cloth…

Suddenly, a powerful surge of magic erupted from the red fabric.

The absorbed magic spread across the torn cloth, and then…

At the center of the red fabric, magic conjured a vivid scarlet image, "completing" the piece of cloth.

Red silk threads appeared, spreading and intertwining, finally forming in front of Lolth…

A long, scarlet gown floating in the air.

The deep neckline and high slit design did not appear indecent; instead, they exuded a sense of nobility.

Behind the gown, a blurred silhouette began to materialize with pure magical radiance.

A woman appeared, with a voluptuous figure and gentle features, though her exact appearance was difficult to discern.

She lingered for a moment, then slowly began to speak.

"As you wish…"

A voice, long and sigh-like, echoed through the dark depths of the lake.

It resonated throughout the entire Black Lake Marsh area and above the mainland plane.

Even in the depths of the abyss beyond the main plane and the depths of hell, the kings of the demon race and the Demon Gods lifted their heads, as if straining to listen to something.

Even in front of the judgment place in hell, the Abyssal Demon King, who had been grabbed by the collar, and Murphy Yates, who had been pulled by the hair, both released their grip and turned their gaze beyond hell.

However, the "presence" of that woman lasted only for a fleeting moment.

After this brief instant, her voice and hazy figure vanished once again.

"Rustle…"

Accompanied by a soft sound, like sand scattered by the wind, the image faded away.

Then, Lolth sensed a sudden change occurring in Dorothy behind her.

Dorothy herself voiced her surprise.

"Ah… Hey?"

She felt as if something was dissipating within her body.

Lolth was momentarily stunned.

"What’s going on?"

She didn’t have time to ponder the origin of the woman who had suddenly appeared and quickly ran to Dorothy’s side, carefully examining her disciple’s body.

Then…

Lolth discovered that Dorothy’s soul was still in a fragile and delicate "locked" state.

However, other changes had taken place.

It seemed as though something was "separating" from Dorothy’s body.

An intangible kind of "existence" or a certain "fact" was being altered.

Soon, Lolth finally realized what it was.

It was… the bloodline of a hero.

And entwined with the hero’s bloodline was the "cost" passed down through generations from the Hell Plane to the "Diana family."

"Dorothy, don’t move… Let me see your body."

As Lolth said this, she reached out and gently lifted the hem of Dorothy’s clothing.

Dorothy’s face flushed slightly at her teacher’s sudden action.

Although she had willingly removed her clothes the previous night, the meaning of this was entirely different for Dorothy!

"Teacher… what’s wrong?"

She even forgot that her body was turning red and asked shyly.

"It’s nothing… just wanted to check."

Lolth gently touched Dorothy’s skin with her fingertips and whispered.

The sharp black marks still remained on Dorothy’s skin.

But they no longer held any magic.

They were like mere color stains, easily wiped away with a bit of magic.

The source that rendered Dorothy physically frail, causing her magic to backfire with even the slightest use, and made her lifespan, constitution, and magic highly unstable, alongside the source of her talent that allowed her to accept any form of magic without rejection and learn any magical technique…

Both were dissipating.

It was an inconceivable, miraculous power.

Lolth set down her garments and once again carefully sensed that she had lost a significant portion of her magic.

She understood that all the operations and transformations occurring within Dorothy were sustained by the magic she had just lost.

Yet, even though her own magic was at work, Lolth couldn’t comprehend how this was happening—despite her mastery of magic and its fundamental principles, she couldn’t fathom the events unfolding before her.

If merely half the magic of a small realm could resolve Dorothy’s issues, Lolth wouldn’t have been so troubled before!

"What the hell… is going on?"

Lolth vigorously ran her fingers through her hair.

Though she knew Miss Witch meant no harm, this gift was beyond all reason.

Lolth had prepared for a prolonged struggle against Dorothy’s "curse."

But here, it was suddenly resolved in such an inexplicable manner…

Almost effortlessly.

As she meticulously examined the equally bewildered Dorothy, Lolth was even more astounded.

Because the "blocked" state of Dorothy’s soul hadn’t changed at all.

The delicate and peculiar balance of her soul remained entirely intact.

Only the bloodline inheritance from the hero and the curse from hell had vanished.

Red fabric, shadowy figures, Trish Diana’s friend, Abyssal Demon…

Everything about Black Lake Marsh became even more enigmatic in an instant.

There was no time for Lolth to ponder deeply, and soon…

The water curtains formed by the pitch-black lakes on either side suddenly collapsed towards her and Dorothy.

"Whoosh—!"

The dark water, capable of blocking magic, instantly engulfed them both.

But before this engulfment occurred…

Lolth found herself losing consciousness.

No, it wasn’t the sensation of "losing consciousness."

Because the next moment, she found herself seamlessly back among the mercenaries of the "Great Mercenary Guild."

The dense fog was gradually dissipating, and Lolth looked around in confusion as the mercenaries who had collapsed on the ground began to stir.

"Is this some kind of mental spell?"

"No, that can’t be. If it were, Xiletor would have alerted me…"

Lolth even doubted her own senses.

She glanced to the side, where only the equally astonished Dorothy and the completely vanished curse aura remained, still bearing witness to the events that had just transpired.

"Teacher Lolth, that wasn’t a dream, was it?"

Dorothy looked at Lolth, lowering her voice as she asked with curiosity.

"It wasn’t a dream, but it’s hard to call it reality either," Lolth sighed softly, "But… it’s a good thing."

She gently patted Dorothy’s head.

Even though she wasn’t entirely sure what had happened, Lolth still adopted the rare demeanor of a teacher.

Not the kind that scolds, but one that reassures, "I know everything, so don’t worry."

"I’ll tell you what happened later."

As Lolth spoke, Dorothy nodded gently.

"If it’s a good thing, then that’s great," Dorothy said, a slight smile appearing on her face, with two innocent dimples forming at the corners of her mouth. "But with Teacher Lolth here, even if something bad happens, I won’t be scared."

As she spoke, the surrounding mercenaries began to wake up one by one.

"What happened!"

"Alert! Alert!"

"Quick! Protect Lady Paqi!"

"It must be the work of a magical beast!"

"Count the heads!"

The mercenaries, who had just regained consciousness and were still disoriented, made a commotion, interrupting the quiet conversation between Lolth and Dorothy.

Lolth looked at the group of mercenaries and cleared her throat.

"Ahem, here’s what happened…"

"You just encountered a very dangerous ‘Sleepy Rapew Beast.’ Its main feature is that it can make people lose consciousness silently and then do things to you."

"But don’t worry, I battled it with the God of Light spell for three hundred rounds and finally managed to drive it away!"

Lolth spoke so seriously that the mercenaries exchanged puzzled glances.

Finally, the leader of the large mercenary group stepped forward again.

"Thank you so much, Her Excellency Doyle. You are the savior of our entire team!"

The leader spoke sincerely, making Lolth feel a bit embarrassed.

"No, actually, that kind of magical beast isn’t that dangerous…"

Lolth waved her hand dismissively.

"Regardless, you have protected us. Although our mercenary group is not very strong, we are at your service from now on!"

Seeing the leader’s serious expression, Lolth began to sweat even more.

In fact, after the leader finished speaking, all the mercenaries chimed in agreement.

"Yes, this isn’t the first time you’ve saved us!"

"I’ve heard of that type of magical beast; it’s actually very dangerous!"

"Then we must repay you… Please tell us which church you serve at?"

"Yes, let’s have a way to contact you, Her Excellency Doyle!"

The mercenaries were all talking at once, leaving Lolth at a loss for words.

She really wanted to question the guy who claimed to have heard of the Sleepy Rapew Beast!

"Oh dear, um… that won’t do," she nervously rubbed her hands together and, after a long pause, finally came up with a suitable response, "You see, I am a priestess of The Church of Light. Helping others is part of our teachings, so I’m just doing my duty…"

With that excuse, the mercenaries finally stopped pressing Lolth about her work in The Church of Light.

At that moment, Dorothy gently tugged at the hem of Lolth’s clothes.

"Teacher, teacher… is that kind of magical beast real?"

The little girl asked with curiosity.

Her concern was even greater than her worry about her own changes!