Chapter 87: Bilan's Request
Bilan had fortunately survived a crisis, yet her heart remained unsettled.
In an inner chamber on the side of the White Tower, the Room was as empty and simple as ever, perfectly matching Punk’s minimalist style of arrangement. Aside from a bed, there were no “superfluous” pieces of furniture in the room. The “lamp” illuminating the Room was merely a small sphere of light conjured by Bilan herself. The dim “lamplight” fell upon the girl’s sweat-drenched face, casting a beautiful silhouette on the pristine marble wall!
Sitting on the bed, Bilan anxiously wiped away her cold sweat. She had just awoken from a nightmare, and the terrifying sensations from the dream still lingered in her heart like a dense fog.
Ever since her failed attempt to help the slaves escape and being “rescued” by Punk, a persistent nightmare had clung to the girl like a stubborn parasite.
The nightmare was filled with the agonized screams of the poor slaves as they met their tragic ends, their desperate eyes bloodshot, and… a pair of chilling, sinister eyes hidden in the shadows of a hood, radiating an aura of terror!
Taking a deep breath to calm her pounding heart, Bilan, finally free from the nightmare’s grip, reached out and summoned the small sphere of light floating in midair. The pure white orb rolled across her slender fingertips, emitting a faint warmth that helped dispel some of the cold and fear.
Even without dwelling on the nightmare’s contents, Bilan found it difficult to fall asleep as she lay in bed. Over the past few days, Punk had frequently brought her to the Experiment Table, forcing her to listen to the screams and wails of the “experimental subjects” and to “appreciate” the gruesome dissections and cruel soul experiments!
By now, Bilan felt her spirit was slowly being corroded and consumed, for she realized she was gradually growing accustomed to the pitiful slaves’ piercing cries. Even when blood splattered onto her face, she no longer trembled in fear as she once had.
Moreover, she occasionally experienced an undeniable intuition in her dreams—that some immense, indescribable danger was steadily approaching her. When that danger arrived, her mind, body, and soul would all face eternal damnation!
Yet, she was powerless against this almost overt threat. Though she was certain this great danger almost certainly originated from that evil, terrifying mage, facing a formal mage left Bilan with no recourse but to beg for his mercy.
She couldn’t accuse her nominal mentor without evidence, and attempting to escape under the watchful eye of a formal mage was nothing but a laughable absurdity!
Dispelling the sphere of light in her hand with a sense of desolation, Bilan lay back on the cold, hard bed and sighed. The White Tower, filled with the stench of blood and decay, nauseated and oppressed her. A faint despair and self-abandonment enveloped her heart. She had a profound feeling that if she stayed in the White Tower any longer, near that perverted mage, even for just another minute or second… she would be driven mad in a very short time.
“Perhaps I’ve already gone mad, who knows…”Bilan found herself missing the noble ball of Doleiz City for the first time. She had always considered it a hypocritical gathering steeped in filth and darkness, but now, upon reflection, at least there had been delicious honey-cured meat to savor at those events!
“Dichiduo…”
In the darkness and silence of the White Tower, the exhausted young girl soon drifted back into a hazy state. A youthful, cheerful face unexpectedly surfaced in her mind with startling clarity.
“I remember… he said… he would go to the plaza at six every day to sing hymns… I really want to listen…”
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“You say you want to go stroll around the town?”
In the main hall of the White Tower, the faint light of early dawn still couldn’t dispel the eerie, bloody atmosphere. The taint of the Abyss permeated everywhere, and Hotte’s corpse on the experiment table still twitched intermittently!
Punk carefully stored the completed Activation Potion on his person, then meticulously checked the potions and equipment he carried.
He was preparing for an expedition to the Spider Cave when Bilan suddenly approached him with a rather peculiar request!
Under normal circumstances, Punk would have outright refused Bilan’s request without a second thought. This naive girl was far too prone to causing trouble, and he had no time to deal with a little girl’s messy problems. It would be better for her to remain quietly in the White Tower, awaiting her fate on the experiment table.
But now… There was no question of bringing dead weight along to the Spider Cave, yet simply leaving Bilan in the White Tower…
Punk observed Bilan, who appeared anxious on the surface but occasionally flashed determination in her eyes, and silently shook his head inwardly.
The White Tower was now equipped with numerous warning systems and magical traps he had set up. The interlocking protective mechanisms made it impossible for any Apprentice Rank professional to breach. If Punk didn’t want Bilan to leave, she absolutely couldn’t get out!
“It seems even if I force her to stay in the White Tower, this impulsive fool won’t listen, will she? And… given Bilan’s personality… she probably wouldn’t give up when facing danger or difficulties but would recklessly charge forward instead. It wouldn’t do for her to get accidentally killed by the protective arrays. After all, with the ‘farming and development’ mode needing to continue for a while longer, a mage test subject isn’t easy to come by…”
“Never mind, there’s no way an apprentice could evade capture by a Formal-Level Mage like me. Letting her go to the town will save me the trouble of worrying about feeding the little girl too!”
After careful consideration, Punk decided that occasionally allowing Bilan to leave the White Tower wasn’t a major issue, so he might as well casually agree.
“Fine, but you must ensure the daily cleaning of the White Tower doesn’t fall behind!”
Having said that, Punk paid no further attention to Bilan, who stood frozen in place. He still needed to recheck Golem Number One’s control system. When dealing with a mysterious cave that could make a Formal-Level Mage disappear without a trace, Punk didn’t dare take anything lightly!Hearing Punk’s nonchalant reply, Bilan, who stood with her head bowed in the center of the hall, felt a surge of immense joy welling up from the depths of her heart. She had originally thought her request would be mercilessly rejected by Punk, and had secretly resolved in her mind: if Punk forbade her from going to the town, she would “fight to the death” in protest!
Yet, to her surprise, Punk had agreed so casually (in Bilan’s view, it was casual). She felt an impulse to cheer with elation, wishing she could immediately turn and rush out of the White Tower, head to the beautiful town, cast all dangers, nightmares, and horrors behind her, and run freely through the grassy fields while singing with abandon!
Forcing herself to suppress her excitement, Bilan bowed deeply to Punk and expressed her gratitude in a trembling voice:
“Thank you very much, Mentor.”Punk, who was busy inspecting the solidification magic on Golem Number One, merely waved a dismissive hand at Bilan.” To him, Bilan was merely an “immature” experimental tool, and allowing her to stroll around the town for a couple of rounds was nothing more than a “final outing” before her demise—hardly something worth thanking him for.
Right now, only one thing deserved Punk’s undivided attention—exploring the Spider Cave!
(End of Chapter)