CHAPTER 79: SAINTESS’S BAIT AND LUST’S OSCAR PERFORMANCE!

Mel’s eyes locked with the skeletal fires within the skull head, frowning slightly.

As expected, the lich kept its head bowed in respect to Nyrel. The cackling echoes of flames drummed in Mel’s ears like a warning.

After considering a moment, a flicker of ’confusion’ crossed Mel’s eyes, as she asked with a relaxed tone. "Witches? Wasn’t the Witch of Pride just defeated?"

The flames wavered within the skull and flared briefly, as if trying to sense if Mel’s words were a lie.

As ’it’ observed Mel’s faint, unreadable smile, it continued. "It must have served quite a surprise to you, Miss Sakura."

"Hehe. It is quite a lot, actually."

Mel reevaluated the information in her head.

Nyrel, the Witch’s Cult Leader and Pride’s familiar, was deeply distrustful but obsessed with manipulating human powers to free her mistress - and to either kill or control the Witches.

Someone as cautious and distant as her wouldn’t reveal the cult’s purpose so quickly, even to a stranger who might be a ’valued asset.

In other words...

Mel’s lips curled as she taunted openly. "Can we drop the theatrics for now? I hate being tested."

The Skull’s fire dimmed a little, as if in contemplation.

Mel relaxed her shoulders, briefly glancing at the Lich before approaching the counter.

She pulled the stool from underneath, the wooden legs scraping against the soft ground, before casually plopping down on the seat.

A gleam crossed her expression as she hugged her staff, staring casually at the Skull.

"So, Miss Cult Leader. Why did you trap me here? And what do you mean by Witches? I thought there was only a Witch of Pride."

Mel steeled her mind for the coming information war.

She needed to test how much Nyrel knew, and she presumed it was the same for Nyrel as well, based on her mysterious attitude just now.

Within the starlight, the skull’s gaze remained on the lounge, unbothered by Mel’s casualness.

Amusement flickered across Mel’s gaze, but a cold chill ran down her spine as the purple flames flickered sideways, snapping to meet her eyes.

The skull whispered again, in a husky and graceful tone. "What a surprise. I do believe you’re either a lucky blessed or a dangerous enigma."

The flames shrank slightly, as if the skull was squinting its eyes. "Do you believe yourself invisible, Mel Sakura?"

"Frankly, no." Mel shook her head, though her smile didn’t falter. "But since I couldn’t figure out how to leave this place, I might as well keep my attitude until my last moment."

As Mel lied as natural as she breathed, the flames arced through the air, flickering with an almost pleased rhythm.

Nyrel’s voice cut in, laced with mocking amusement. "Even clowns wouldn’t stop their show until it reaches its end. You deserve my sincere respect, Mel Sakura."

The skull’s hollow eyes seemed to darken as it monologued, as if convinced Mel was painfully aware of her captivity.

"Let’s see... About ten years ago, I embarked on a journey to gather humanities, driven by a Prophecy, one that spoke of other Witches beyond this realm."

Mel noticed the flames flicker slightly, as if offended by an unseen insult, before it muttered:

"Other Witches do exist... unfortunately. The Prophecy may be full of holes, but accurate considering who spoke of it."

Tilting her head, Mel brushed away a lock of hair before she asked, like a friend in a bar listening to a friend’s complaint. "So what did you do afterwards?"

"Simple."

The flames twirled, mimicking the motion of rolling its eyes. "I poisoned one of them. Or who I believe was one of them myself, as the Prophecy indicated."

Leia. Lila’s sister...

Mel’s breath shuddered, her jaw clenching to prevent the Skull from seeing through her act.

Yet the Skull chuckled, unbothered. "You must have figured it out. Yes. In your Heima Village, I was the one who poisoned your companion’s sister, disguised as a wild rabbit."

Its tone dropped slightly. "It was a shame. I was aiming for her right eye at the time, yet she was lucky to have dodged my poison-coated paw."

A flash of anger, masked by surprise, passed briefly over Mel’s face before she quickly masked it with a casual, unreadable smile.

The Skull’s flame danced in delight. "You were crueler than I imagined. Is it because your friend’s sister might be the Witch of Envy? Or perhaps desperation to hide your anger?"

A test, again. Mel reminded herself as she mumbled. "How should I answer? That you were wrong about both? Or that I’m so shocked I don’t know what to feel now?"

"Oh? Ho ho... I appreciate your honesty...."

The flames swirled like a playful temptation, casting blinking shadows across her face as if to tease. "As expected, the Second Holder of Mind-bending magic is no fool. I’m quite pleased to find you so formidable."

"Well, my honesty is all a performance to you, right? Like a clown?"

Mel retorted with a wide grin, her elbow propped on the counter as her cheek rested against her hand. "So is there no way out? Unless I follow you out wherever you want me to be?"

Her golden eyes glanced over to her System Panel before returning to the swirling Skull Flames.

A low thrum echoed in the silence, before it muttered again. "I must confess. I only plan ever to have this conversation with you, because I have already seen you as the most valuable asset this Cult will ever welcome."

The flames flickered again, before stating. "I dislike the inability to manipulate humans absolutely. I have my doubts when I first received reports from my subordinates, but with your appearance, things can finally change for me."

Me... not the cult, huh?

With a clatter, Mel turned as the Lich straightened up and offered her a hand.

"Join me, Mel Sakura." The Skull continued. "The Witches must be controlled. I’ll help you grow your Mind-bending Magic... so you can become the first Archon-ranked Mind-bender to control all the Witches of Calamity."

Mel’s golden eyes glimmered as she pieced the threads of information back together.

It was clear now: the earlier trial had tested her ability, this conversation, her competence, and how much she already knew.

Nyrel wouldn’t trust her fully, not yet. But Mel could tell one thing with certainty: the Necromage believed she herself held the upper hand.

As expected of an arrogance, stemming from Pride, one of the four familiars.

Still, a few questions remained.

"But how do you plan on getting me out?" Mel asked, her tone level.

Even if Mel couldn’t quite understand, let’s presume, for now, that a Mind-bender is rare and valuable enough for Nyrel to reveal herself.

The ultimate questioned lied not here, but in her Partner.

What was her partner’s goal in setting the bait? Was it really for Nyrel herself?

"Oh, don’t worry." The skull cackled again. "Conversing with you is my primary goal. And while I cannot pull you out of this Dream realm directly, I have a chance to invite you to us while humiliating that damn Devil."

Referring to Saintess as the Devil as a Necromage...ah, the irony.

Mel mocked inside as she stood from the stool, fingers clenching around her staff as her eyes flickered towards the Lich’s outstretched hand.

"Humiliating?" Mel echoed, tilting her head slightly. "You must mean the Saintess... right?"

Further probing, subtle, deliberate. But then, the skull, perhaps blurred by arrogance or emotion, slipped.

"Exactly," it blurted out. "Imagine her own soldiers slaughtering each other in her own summons. How pitiful would that be?"

The words hung in the air like poison, too eager, too revealing.

’Ah...’

Mel almost hummed as her eyes flickered towards the System panel. ’So there are some spies onboard, huh? So that’s what you’re planning.’

Mel recalled distinctly how the Saintess mentioned the Royal Armies were outside her influence, which then gave way to the Cult’s possible intrusion.

Though, would it really slip the Emperor’s attention if that were to occur? How curious.

Before she could figure it out more, her Partner praised her.

[ Good on you to figure it out on your own, Mel! ]

’But why let the final boss do all the talking? You could’ve told me yourself!’

Mel fiddled with her staff strapped to her back, freezing as she stared at the Lich’s outstretched hand hanging awkwardly in the air.

[ Well, I need Nyrel to be fully convinced she was the one in control. ]

[ I know you’re good at acting, but it’s crucial to keep you in the dark. Nyrel must get so full of Pride that she won’t see how everything’s unraveling. ]

’How ominous.’

Mel sighed as she glanced behind the Lich, a crack in the air appearing, thin and cracked, as though reality itself was being slashed through.

"Well."

She put on a solemn voice, as the Lich’s eyes shivered slightly.

"Not today, Miss Nyrel."

Summon: Ka-broom.

In a charged silence, she summoned her flying broom and grasped its wood, soaring toward the wall.

Crack!

Reality split.

From the fracture in the Dream Realm, a figure leapt, graceful and blazing with authority. Her rainbow-colored eyes locked onto the Lich with unwavering intent.

Without a word, she clenched her fist - and drove it forward.

The blow struck the Lich’s skull dead-on. Bone cracked with a snap as the skeleton’s jaw unclenched, the skull whipping backward before slamming against the counter’s edge.

It spun once, almost comically, before rolling off the other side, a rattling thud echoing in its wake.

The figure landed gracefully, gazing at the grinning Mel who sat casually on her broom.

With a relieved sigh, Samantha exhaled. "Glad you’re safe, Mel."

Mel gave a thumbs-up to the adult. Her promise to protect her student remained intact.