e-booksonline Chapter 197 Morbid Pleasure
Chapter 197 Morbid Pleasure
Chapter 197 Morbid Pleasure
Bella's voice came from all directions through the illusion spell.
"I once had a colleague in the Prosecution Court who was obsessed with taboo research such as the reunification of the soul and the body."
He was thus expelled from the academy and placed under the service of a grand duke of Sussas.
"Even so, I still gained a lot of valuable research results from him."
Bella's tone rose.
"For example, my servants are an improved version of a formula he developed based on a demon cult called Possession Potion."
The morbid pleasure in her voice became increasingly apparent.
Who could have imagined this?
These were clearly just weak, ordinary spellcasters, yet after taking this improved potion, their bodies were able to be enhanced to the point of—
It is not afraid of a head-on attack from a second-tier warrior.
Kane's gaze remained indifferent.
"So, you transformed the mages in the academy into these monsters."
"Of course not."
Bella chuckled softly, a short but clear laugh.
"Those precious, promising spellcasters in the academy? How could I waste them like this?"
She seemed to be talking about the flowers and plants in the garden.
"I only used some spellcaster prisoners who were ignored in the dungeon."
In any case, that's all the point of their existence.
"And those young students in the academy, they will all be my valuable apprentices in the future, my future companions."
Before the words were even finished, the fog began to billow.
Three white shadows tore through the thick fog without warning: one to the left, one to the right rear, and one directly in front.
Their scimitars, whistling through the air, pierced towards Kane's ribs, knees, and chest!
Kane's muscles tensed suddenly as he twisted and spun around.
The shadow blade in his right hand drew a dim arc as he parried.
Then, using the recoil, he avoided the other two blades.
The sounds of impact rang out one after another, and Kane frowned slightly with each clash of weapons.
These white monsters are not only incredibly strong and fast, but they are also ruthless and decisive in combat, never engaging in close combat.
With each strike, regardless of whether it hits the target, it immediately retreats and escapes.
"but----"
Kane's eyes narrowed.
"Their attack trajectories are too predictable and lack adaptability."
Two sharp whooshing sounds came from different directions.
Kane flicked his wrist, his Shadow Blade continuously parrying, his footwork shifting rapidly.
He dodged several attacks by sidestepping.
As he brushed past an attack, the shadowy scimitar in his right hand vanished.
At the same time, a shadowy scimitar instantly formed in his left hand, rising from bottom to top.
A black shadow flashed by!
"Pfft!"
A dull thud of a sharp blade rang out, blood splattered, and a white arm was severed at the shoulder.
The severed limb lay on the ground, its fingers still twitching slightly.
The monster let out a sharp, painful screech that sounded inhuman, and staggered backward.
"Wind-making technique!"
Bella's cold female voice exploded out of nowhere in the center of the cabin!
call!
The air currents generated by the second-circle spell suddenly burst out in all directions!
It swept everything away violently.
The thick white fog was easily enveloped and poured out of the house through the open wooden door!
In the blink of an eye, the fog inside the room dissipated, leaving only a mess on the ground.
Kane stopped, his gaze suddenly becoming slightly serious.
The monster with its arm severed picked up the severed limb.
He aimed the cut surface at the still-bleeding wound on his shoulder and pressed down hard!
A buzzing sound rang out.
The muscles and blood vessels at the wound site wriggled and tangled together wildly, like living things.
Dark red granulation tissue grew and merged rapidly.
Within a few breaths, the severed arm had been reattached.
Although the skin color at the seam is different, it is grotesque and twisted.
But its five fingers are already able to open and close.
"Flesh and blood regeneration —"
Kane began to consider his options.
He wasn't surprised; the potion Bella used originated from a possession potion.
Even after improvements, it is still essentially a product of docking with the power of the abyss.
It is not surprising that it has acquired some regenerative properties.
Moreover, this forced continuation obviously cannot be repeated multiple times.
The fingers of the newborn arm were noticeably stiff and sluggish, far less mobile than before.
Bella seemed to take Kane's thoughts as surprise.
With an indifferent smile that seemed to control everything, she slowly spoke, her voice calm: "Mage Kane, I know you have killed several troublesome Wax Demons."
However, my servants are not demons, strictly speaking.
"If you can't use protection against evil spirits, what else can you do?"
To her surprise, Kane didn't look frustrated at all; he just seemed to have confirmed something.
He simply reached into his pocket and pulled out two crudely made, low-quality daggers.
"Have you already given up?"
A hint of undisguised mockery flashed in Bella's eyes.
Three white monsters simultaneously bent down, gripped their weapons, and charged forward again at an even greater speed!
Kane remained unfazed by the onslaught.
He suddenly exerted force with his wrist and threw the two inferior daggers in his hand straight out.
"Fragment scattering".
The moment the words left his mouth, the dagger suddenly exploded, turning into two extremely fine plumes of iron dust.
A dense mass of people enveloped the three white monsters.
"Creating wind—"
Bella frowned, about to perform the spell.
But before that, the Burning Hand spell had already taken shape, and it slammed down right in front of him!
"boom!!"
The flames made instant contact with the billowing iron powder.
The temperature soared to a terrifying level in an instant!
It burst forth with an extremely blinding, blazing white light! The three monsters were instantly engulfed!
Bella felt that everything before her eyes was completely white.
Then came a burning pain, and my vision blurred and disappeared instantly.
The spell she was preparing was instantly interrupted!
"Well!"
Bella instinctively closed her eyes and stumbled backward.
Even so, her mouth didn't stop, and the incantation continued.
Shield spell, Mage Armor, Blade Protection —
One after another, the aura of magic tricks and low-level protective spells appeared in front of her.
Only then did she open her eyes, enduring the pain, but a hint of shock appeared in her eyes.
Flames still lingered on the ground, but the smell of burning instantly filled the entire cabin.
Her three servants were charred black, their flesh burned, and collapsed to the ground.
Only the body was still wriggling slightly, like a worm with severed limbs.
Logically speaking, even if they were attacked by a second-tier energy destruction spell, they should be able to slowly repair their injuries by relying on their powerful flesh regeneration.
However, Kane's spell this time has completely destroyed the regenerative limits of their bodies.
"Third Ring Spell — no —"
Bella stared at Kane, her fingertips trembling slightly.
"The fluctuations in ether are far lower than those of third-circle spells—the range of influence is minimal, and it is not a regular evocation spell."
She looked up and stared intently at Kane, all the mockery in her eyes vanishing.
Instead, a hint of greed took its place.
"Using unknown magic to create iron powder, igniting it, causing a violent fire or even an explosion —"
But the most crucial step lies in the spell itself that creates the powder!
Bella smiled.
"Mage Kane, give me the model of this spell."
In return—I can give you another chance to join us.
Her voice was seductive.
Kane frowned slightly.
He had thought that killing her three test subjects would at least make her behave herself a little, but he never expected—
However, the opponent's forte is illusion.
To date, not a single third-circle spell slot has ever been actually used.
He had already revealed a crucial trump card.
However—it has been delayed until now.
His "backup plans" should be arriving soon.
Seeing that Kane remained unmoved, Bella suppressed her smile and her lips moved slightly.
The next second, her figure began to sway and disperse.
In the blink of an eye, six identical "Bellas" appeared on the field.
The figure was blurry and its location was uncertain, making it difficult to distinguish between the real and the fake.
These "Bellas" hold short staffs in both hands, with the tips pointing at Kane, their movements perfectly synchronized.
"Mage Kane,"
The "Bellas" spoke at the same time, their voices overlapping.
"Even if you could use that strange spell again, facing so many of me"—
What do you want to do next?
Just then, an old, weary, yet heartbroken voice rang out: "Bella! You have tarnished the honor of the spellcasters of Susas—how far will you stoop?!"
Footsteps could be heard clearly.
Three people appeared at the door of the messy wooden house.
It was Alaric and Lenora, who had recently separated from Kane.
The two men were helping an elderly man who was wearing an old gray robe and had a hunched back.
He stared intently at the six "Bellas" on the field, their identities indistinguishable from the real ones, his eyes filled with rage.
Bella's formulaic smile paused slightly.
She then smiled even more broadly and lowered her staff slightly.
"Flint—the prophet of the academy."
She pronounced the name clearly, her tone full of undisguised sarcasm.
"I knew it wouldn't be that easy to completely get rid of you. But—"
She changed the subject, her gaze sweeping over the old man's left and right.
"Where is your friend, our dear Dean Irwin?"
Why didn't he come to take care of his ailing old friend?
The old man, called Flint, trembled slightly with anger.
He pushed away the two people who tried to help him, his finger trembling as he pointed at Bella, his voice hoarse: "Why—Bella, tell me, why?!"
Why?
Many "Bella"s spoke at the same time, each with the same light laugh.
"Your astrological predictions always seem to reveal things that shouldn't be seen, which seriously hinders our plans."
Flint, that's the biggest reason.
She paused, her tone playful.
"And isn't the clue you obtained about that ancient labyrinth genuine?"
Didn't you also personally perform a divination and conclude that the risks of exploring that area were manageable?
Flint's expression instantly turned even more unpleasant.
He seemed to have been struck in his most sensitive spot, and his body swayed slightly.
Alaric and Lenora immediately stepped forward and stood in front of the old man.
They simultaneously raised their short canes, the tips pointing at the "Bella" door, their eyes cold and wary.
The situation on the field has changed.
It went from one-on-one to four-on-one.
But Bella remained completely calm.
The six "Bellas" began to stroll, their posture relaxed, as if taking a walk.
They moved slowly around the crowd, forming a loose circle.
"A patient who is still recovering from serious injuries and can only perform prophetic spells, and one—"
Her gaze lingered on Kane for a moment, as if she couldn't find the right words.
"An incongruous arcanist, and two more—vulgar little mages."
All six "Bella"s smiled at the same time.
"What can you do?"
Apart from Kane, the others looked grim, as the other party made no attempt to conceal his contempt.
Upon seeing this, the "Bellas" revealed a unified, mocking smile.
But at that moment...
Bang! Explosion!
The wall on the right side of the wooden house suddenly shattered!
Planks and debris burst and flew inwards!
A dark, grayish-white figure crashed through the wall and rushed into the wooden house!
Holding a scimitar with an astonishing curve in each hand, it charged straight at the last of the six "Bellas" without the slightest hesitation!
As the situation changed, the expressions of the "Bellas" changed simultaneously, and they waved their staffs!
Shadow tentacles, icy blades, greasy ground —
One after another, instant-cast or rapidly-pulled spells attacked that figure!
But the grayish-white figure neither dodged nor evaded; the black light emanating from its body blocked most of the spells.
It silently charged straight at its target, wielding its blade with tremendous force!
boom!
The curved blade slashed down, as if shattering something.
The attacked "Bella" exploded directly, and the other phantoms on the field also shattered instantly.
In another corner of the wooden house.
Bella's true form was revealed.
Her face turned slightly pale, and she no longer possessed her previous composure.
She covered her left arm with her right hand, and a trickle of blood seeped from between her fingers.
She stared at the third-tier drow corpse servant who had stopped moving and was standing with a knife in hand.
His eyes turned incredibly ugly.
She said fiercely, "Dry bones—come out."
There's no need to insult me with just a corpse servant.
The sound of unhurried footsteps came from outside the hole that had been smashed open.
The headmaster of the Necromancer's Division, "Kugu," appeared at the entrance.
He scanned the room, finally settling on Bella.
His student, Logan Susas, stood silently a step behind him.
"As expected," Kane said, looking at the corpse of the Tier 3 Drow who had turned the tide of the battle, without any surprise.
The same corpse can have vastly different effects in the hands of different people.
Moreover, intelligence is extremely important in battles between spellcasters.
Similarly, the ability to counter spell properties is also crucial.
Flint, whom Bella mocked, was a third-circle prophetic mage, so Bella felt emboldened.
However, as a third-tier mage specializing in necromancy, Kugu was able to quickly eliminate numerous illusions by utilizing his servants.
After all, in the eyes of those undead creatures, the illusions of the living cannot hide their tracks at all.
Most importantly, high-level necromancers have no shortage of wide-range attack spells.
Bella took a deep breath and forced a smile.
"Our meeting this time was really inelegant."
The skeleton looked at Bella and let out a sigh with complex meaning: "Why, Bella?"
"Why? Why?! You're all asking me why?!"
Bella suddenly laughed, first a soft laugh, then her voice grew louder.
A mocking expression appeared on her face.
"As a spellcaster, is it wrong to pursue greater power, longer life, and deeper mysteries?!"
Are you—Flint, skeletons, are you willing to be trapped in the third tier for life?
And then watch helplessly as your mind becomes dull, your body decays, and you ultimately die in your bed for that ridiculous reason?!
"Surrender, Bella. For the sake of our years as colleagues."
The voice of the withered bones was devoid of emotion.
Do you think it's possible?
Bella stopped laughing, her eyes turning cold and resolute.
"All right."
The skeleton finally revealed a cold expression.
His mind stirred slightly.
The third-tier drow corpse servant's eyes blazed with ghostly flames, and it pounced on Bella once again with even greater speed than before!
At the same time, three corpse servants, each with a different form but exuding an aura of death, silently stepped out from behind him.
But at that moment, facing the approach of the powerful corpse servants, Bella's face showed no despair.
She revealed a strange, almost insane expression.
Then he suddenly pulled out a scroll that was shimmering with light from his pocket and tore it to shreds without hesitation!
"Then—stay!"
Rumble!
Centered on Bella's feet, the solid ground began to shake violently, twist, and then collapsed with a crash!
The collapse spread rapidly, and the entire floor and foundation of the wooden house shattered and collapsed amidst cracking sounds!
Dust, sawdust, and gravel shot into the sky, instantly engulfing everyone!
After a long while, the dust dispersed.
Those gathered at the site of the collapse exchanged glances, and the skeletal figure said with a grim expression, "She escaped—"
"
No, someone has caught up with them.
""
Logan looked to the other side, but the figure that had caused her to fail several times was no longer there.