Chapter 755: The Inverted Tower
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 755: The Inverted Tower
"Miss Muse, you're so kind."
Ariel gave a shy smile, showing not a hint of reserve as she leaned onto Muen’s back. She reached out with two slender arms that bore no visible trace of training and gently looped them around Muen’s neck.
Her figure was as lithe and light as ever, her legs long, firm, and powerful. Her only flaw was that her chest was far too flat; even with such close contact, the "elasticity" one could feel was merely at the level of a budding lotus flower just beginning to show its tip.
Small had its advantages, though—at least there was a sense of delicacy that a "cow" like Liya could never possess.
Of course, when she was swinging that greatsword of hers, "delicate" was the last word anyone would use. "Violent" was more like it.
Muen tilted his head slightly, watching Ariel’s cheeks flush a soft peach-blossom pink. She rested her head on his shoulder as quietly as a rabbit. The sheer dissonance between this and her usual self left him in a brief daze.
"Is something wrong?" Ariel asked, twirling a strand of hair near her face. "Do I have something on my face?"
"No, it's nothing."
Muen quickly snapped out of it.
It wasn't anything to get hung up on. After all, this wasn't the first time he’d seen this girl acting weak and injured.
"Are you holding on tight? We’re heading out."
"Mm."
Muen moved to the entrance of the sealed room.
He pressed his ear to the door again, listening intently to ensure there were no monsters moving outside for the time being.
Though he hadn't been awake long, the brief skirmish earlier had given him a basic understanding of those monsters whose appearances could best be described as "unrestrained."
They were fast.
Their strength wasn't lacking, either.
The claws on their forearms were extremely dangerous.
While they could only operate within the mist, their numbers were vast, and they seemed capable of resurrection.
Most importantly, they could influence human emotions based on the different expressions on their faces.
Because of this, as they wandered, they constantly emitted a cacophony of eerie laughter, low growls, and sobbing.
It was a small mercy that these traits allowed one to judge—though not with absolute certainty—whether an area was temporarily safe.
"By the way, Ariel, there should only be two types of monsters you've faced so far, right?" Muen asked.
"Yes, in terms of categories, there are indeed two."
Ariel nodded. "Those Ghouls that affect your emotions, and a type of massive Alchemical Golem that suddenly appears. However, according to my deductions, they both belong to a single species of monster called 'Corruptors.'"
"Corruptors?"
Muen blinked. "You recognize these monsters?"
"I don't."
Ariel shook her head gently. Perhaps because they were so close, her cheek would occasionally brush against "Miss Muse’s" silky hair.
"It’s just that before I came here, I ran into a white-haired loli. I got the term 'Corruptor' from her."
"A white-haired loli?!"
Muen’s voice suddenly jumped an octave.
"What white-haired loli? Long white hair, red eyes, likes to wander around in pink strawberry pajamas—that kind of white-haired loli?"
"Miss Muse, you really do know her." Ariel gave him a look that said how do you even know such a weirdo? "It’s pretty much exactly as you described. It must be the same person."
"It really is that woman... Besides that, what else did she say?"
"Nothing much, just some confusing nonsense."
"Confusing?"
"She’s like a professional riddler. She only speaks in half-sentences. The kind of person that makes you want to punch that 'acting-cute' loli face of hers."
"I feel you... So, did you punch her?"
"No. She didn't look like the type you could take down with just fists. Besides, those old hags are usually very petty. It’s better not to provoke them needlessly."
"A pity..."
Muen clicked his tongue.
He hadn't expected that shameless old hag Mela to be here as well.
Given that he hadn't been able to see her before leaving the Academy, she must have been plotting something early on. She had likely anticipated the anomalies on the Demon Tribe’s side long ago. He just hoped she wasn't using him as a lab rat for some experiment again.
The waters of Gutons Fortress were getting deeper and deeper.
But looking on the bright side... since the old loli knew where he was going and hadn't stopped him...
"Does that mean... I’m on the right path?"
In that case, things were simple.
Muen’s gaze sharpened, and his hands, tucked behind him, suddenly crossed.
As his sleeves brushed together, there was a faint, almost imperceptible sound of metal clashing.
Faint arcs of electricity spread from his sleeves, quickly enveloping both him and Ariel.
"This is..."
Ariel’s eyes widened in surprise. "An Alchemy Domain?"
"That’s right. Just a simple Alchemy Domain. It can mask the sounds and presence we give off while moving."
Muen brushed it off quickly.
He didn't want to explain too much because he had used his Alchemy Domain in many public settings. He couldn't be sure if Ariel had seen it before.
Therefore, this was a simplified version; even the glow of the electrical arcs had been significantly dimmed.
"That’s amazing. I didn't know Miss Muse could do something like this."
"Ariel, you have far more tricks up your sleeve than I do. After all..."
Muen suddenly stopped.
Crap. He’d started complimenting her out of habit, but saying that would just prove he was overly familiar with her again.
"Haha... Not really. Oh, Miss Muse, honestly, why does it feel like you know me better than Liya does?"
Sure enough, Ariel began to wriggle excitedly, looking like a maggot that had just reached the sweetest part of a romance novel in the middle of the night.
Muen’s expression froze. He didn't dare respond.
How could he? Any answer was a death trap.
Instead, Muen focused his mind and flicked his fingers. The light around them warped, causing his and Ariel’s figures to gradually melt into the surrounding shadows.
"This is..."
Ariel’s eyes went even wider. "An Illumination Spell? How exquisite... To think a simple Illumination Spell could be used to this extent?"
"Just a simple application. It’s nothing special," Muen said with a hollow laugh.
"No, it’s incredible. I’ve seen so many powerful mages, but Miss Muse is probably the only one who can use an Illumination Spell at this level."
Ariel looked at him with pure admiration.
Powerful, beautiful, and brilliant.
Was there anyone in this world more perfect than Miss Muse?
"But speaking of the Illumination Spell, it reminds me of a certain someone."
Ariel suddenly let out a cold snort.
"A... certain someone?"
"Actually, he’s a bit of a joke that everyone at our Academy knows. Some magic idiot who took an entire semester just to learn a single Illumination Spell. His talent wasn't even as good as the professor’s cat."
Ariel leaned close to Muen’s ear and giggled. "He can't even be compared to you, Miss Muse. Don't you agree?"
"...Heh, hehe. Yeah, I... I guess so..."
Muen’s cheek twitched.
This conversation was officially impossible to continue.
"Let’s stop talking for now. We need to get moving."
"Okay."
Ariel replied sweetly and immediately fell silent. But from an angle hidden from view, she stared at Muen’s fair neck, her deep eyes swirling with an unreadable light.
Muen reached the entrance he had previously sealed and traced a square with his finger.
Understanding his intent, Ariel thrust the Heavenly Fire Greatsword silently into the stone wall. Like cutting through tofu, she carved out a hole large enough for two people to pass through.
Muen stepped forward, catching the neatly cut stone block to prevent it from making a sound as it hit the floor.
"Sss... so cold."
The moment the passage opened, a dense chill swept over them. The temperature outside the stone house seemed at least twenty degrees lower than inside. As soon as Muen poked his head out, a layer of frost coated his eyebrows.
The temperature seemed even colder than when he had first arrived.
Fortunately, just as he had predicted, there were no Corruptors wandering nearby.
Muen looked left and right, and once he confirmed it was safe, he led Ariel quickly out of the stone house, continuing toward the direction indicated by the branch of the Eternal Cycle.
The path was as narrow as ever, far worse than even the Lower District of Belland. However, Muen was able to maintain a decent speed thanks to his agility and superior body control.
"Miss Muse," Ariel whispered in his ear.
Muen glanced out of the corner of his eye. At the four o'clock position, a grinning Corruptor was indeed perched on the roof of a house, gazing aimlessly into the distance.
The mist was thick, and most of the Corruptor’s body was hidden in the gloom, but that only made the flickering glimpse of its half-smiling face more terrifying.
"What do you think these things look like?" Muen asked.
"Look like?"
"Yes. This bizarre appearance, these strange abilities, and..."
Muen suddenly ducked behind a corner.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
The ground vibrated slightly as a massive figure walked past on the slightly wider main road.
It was an alchemical golem, pitch-black and devoid of any sign of life. But as it passed them, both Ariel and Muen could clearly hear a sound like squelching flesh coming from beneath that cold outer shell.
More importantly, there was a massive gash on the golem’s chest. The wound was slowly shrinking in time with that squelching sound, but...
"I’m certain I dismembered that thing earlier," Muen murmured grimly.
The two shared a look and spoke the answer in their hearts simultaneously:
"Evil God Creation!"
Pollution or power leaking from some Evil God had attached itself to these monsters, creating these twisted abominations.
That was why they were so difficult to kill—or rather, why they could resurrect after being slain.
By now, such things weren't rare to Muen, but even with his knowledge of various Evil Gods, he couldn't identify which deity’s Authority this eerie power belonged to.
"It’s strange. Would Divine Will really allow the ground beneath its feet to be polluted by the power of an Evil God?"
"I was wondering the same thing, but I don't have any leads yet."
"It doesn't seem like something we’ll find an answer to anytime soon."
Muen didn't dwell on the question for long.
He knew his current level wasn't high enough; pondering such abstract mysteries was just a waste of time.
He focused all his attention on the present.
"We’re here."
The chain on his wrist trembled slightly.
Following the direction of the vibration, Muen slowly raised his arm. His gaze followed the upward-floating end of the chain, looking toward...
"This is..."
"What is it?"
Hearing Muen’s startled voice, Ariel instinctively looked up. Even her pupils shrank in shock.
Above them.
The mist swirled.
No, when mist reached this level of density, it shouldn't be called mist anymore. It was... a cloud.
A vast, expansive, heavy layer of clouds existed within this underground space.
And at the very center of those swirling clouds, a four-sided, silver high tower stood majestically, like a colossal pillar reaching for the heavens.
However, from their perspective, the tower wasn't standing. It was... inverted.
"A tower hanging upside down from the ceiling... Is that our destination?"
Ariel snapped out of her daze. "But how are we supposed to get up there?"
Right.
How?
Muen paused, then said tentatively:
"Fly up with magic?"
"I don't have enough mana left to support flight for two people."
Ariel shook her head with a wry smile.
"Is that so... then this is going to be difficult."
Muen rubbed his chin, falling into thought.
Although Ariel’s expectant gaze from behind was quite intense, he really wanted to tell her that he didn't know any flight magic at all.
Sorry for only knowing the Illumination Spell.
"Wait, this!"
Remembering something, Muen’s gaze fell back onto the chain on his wrist.
If anything could take them into that tower, it had to be this.
The item An had left him—the branch of the Eternal Cycle!
And... come to think of it, why would an Ancient Artifact named "Eternal Cycle" have the power of teleportation?
Those dense, overlapping chains didn't look like the manifestation of a "teleportation" ability.
Which meant...
"Could it be that teleportation isn't an inherent power of the Eternal Cycle, but a specific function attached to it?"
Like a "one-tap home" service installed for convenience. This "teleportation" probably didn't go to any arbitrary location, but to a fixed coordinate.
That coordinate was this tower.
It was just that during the emergency, An hadn't gained full control over the Eternal Cycle, so it had only teleported him halfway.
"Now that we’re this close, as a branch of the Eternal Cycle, you should have the power to take us inside, right?"
Muen tapped the chain. As blood-red runes surfaced, the star-ring-like "interface" appeared before his eyes again.
The strange runes were still somewhat baffling, but after his previous tinkering, Muen was much more familiar with the device. He flipped through the menus quickly, searching for the hidden function that had to be there.
"Miss Muse..."
"Don't rush me. I should figure out how to use this thing to get us in any second now."
"What I mean is... if you really have a way, please hurry."
"Is there an enemy? Ghouls or Alchemical Golems?" Muen frowned, not looking up.
"No. I think... it’s neither."
Ariel lowered her head. Her gaze followed her arm, where her hair was standing on end, and moved past the Heavenly Fire Greatsword she had already raised, looking into the distance.
The mist there had suddenly stopped flowing. It was frozen.
"Something... something terrifying is coming."