Evangeline slowly opened her eyes, finding herself sprawled across the cold stone floor… The warm heat of the hearth spread through the room, but her wrist throbbed with a dull, cold pain—sothing biting into her flesh.
Groggily, she raised her head… her skull pounding with pain. She looked down—her wrist was shackled in a cold black cuff, a chain rattling from it, anchoring her down.
Her eyes flared. She yanked on the chain with all her might, pouring her first-class advancent strength into the pull.
The tal rang out with a sharp clang, but it didn't break. The chain shimred faintly—runes etched across its length, glowing in response.
"Don't try to escape… you won't."
Her heart sank. She raised her head toward the voice—and her face went pale.
"Da… Damon… why? What did she do to you…?"
Damon turned his head, expression blank. The Beldam stood beside the furnace, her hideous silhouette frad by flickering firelight. She stirred a bubbling pot of green sludge.
"Hehe… Double, double, toil and trouble… fire burn and cauldron bubble! Hehejejej…"
Her laughter echoed like cracked bones in a tomb. Damon barely glanced at her before speaking, loud enough for her to hear.
"Mother opened my eyes to the truth."
He looked around at the others—still unconscious.
"They should hear this too… Mother's almost ready."
Evangeline's face contorted in fear. She yanked at the chains, each pull creating a thunderous clatter.
"Damn it, Damon! Co to your senses! She's going to eat us—please, wake up!"
Her voice rang through the chamber—and though it may have fallen deaf on Damon's ears, the others began to stir.
Leona's eyes snapped open, sweat beading down her forehead.
Xander coughed, tugging at his own shackles. Matia's wings fluttered—but she couldn't fly. She couldn't even feel her magic. Her mana had been sealed.
Sylvia sat quietly, staring at Damon with glassy eyes.
"I… I'm sorry, everyone… I'm sorry, Damon… My plan wasn't good enough… I couldn't anticipate everything… I couldn't be more patient or cunning…"
Tears stread down her cheeks. "I'm so useless… even with limitless knowledge in my hands… I'm still so weak…"
Damon looked at her, eyes empty.
"Shut up. Your tears will ruin Mother's soup."
Xander growled, biting his lip, glaring hard at Damon.
"Shut up. Since when did you beco so pathetic? The Damon Grey I know is too damn insane to bow to anyone."
Damon's eyes flared. He raised a leg and kicked Xander hard in the chest. Xander flew backward, yanked to a halt by his chain.
"Shut up. Don't act like you know … you don't."
Leona bit her lip.
"I do know you."
Damon raised his hand—but hesitated.
The Beldam walked over, waxy skin sagging in grotesque folds. Her fingers—long, hideous, and slick—gently stroked Damon's head from behind.
"Good, my child… the preparations are almost done… hehe… Now then… which one should I eat first?"
Her mouth twisted open in a crooked smile—maggots writhing between her yellow teeth. Damon stood beside her, a serene smile on his face.
"Whichever one you want, Mother."
The Beldam's grin widened. Malice oozed from every inch of her.
"In that case… why don't we pick which one will be roasted alive first?"
She cracked her neck—emitting a horrid stench that made them all gag.
She raised a small vial of flickering fire.
"Hehe… This little thing contains fla from the dragon Ashergon… Good thing I gathered so while he rampaged recently…"
Sylvia's eyes widened—recognizing it instantly. Ashergon's fla… The sa inferno that had reduced an entire region to ashes.
That explained why she hadn't been ho when they'd first co.
The Beldam sauntered over to Evangeline. Her hand slowly crept toward Evangeline's chest—groping without sha.
Evangeline snarled and smacked her hand away. "Don't touch , you filthy creature—!"
The Beldam's face twisted in rage. She raised her hand to strike—
But Damon moved first. He slapped Evangeline across the face—then followed up with a hard kick to her gut.
"How dare you strike Mother."
The Beldam let out a satisfied purr. "Hehejeje… Good boy…"
She turned her attention elsewhere. "That one's quite fatty… but not good enough…"
Leona's jaw clenched, sparks of lightning flashing in her eyes despite the mana-suppressing shackles.
"What have you done to him…" she spat. "Doesn't matter. When I break out of these… I'll kill you."
The Beldam leaned close, drooling spittle onto Leona's face. She turned next to Sylvia, who simply stared at her, unflinching.
"Yes… this one will do just fine."
She turned toward Damon and snapped her fingers like he was a dog.
"Bring that one to the furnace. She'll be the first."
Damon smiled. "Of course, Mother. She would be honored to be of use to you."
She walked away.
The Beldam stood by the cold furnace. She uncorked the vial. A spark of dragonfire slipped out—landing on a massive pile of magical wood. The flas exploded instantly, licking the walls of the iron furnace.
She chanted, raising her arms to the fire. "Bring her here… hehe…"
Damon pulled Sylvia's chain. Evangeline tried to stop him, biting at his ankle—but he kicked her head away with no hesitation.
"Don't interfere."
He grabbed Sylvia by the hair, dragging her across the floor.
"No—let go! Damon, please—don't do this!"
She struggled, kicked, fought… His face twisted with anger. He slamd his fist into her gut.
"Shut up. It'll be over soon."
He kept pulling—her nails scraped the floor, leaving bloody trails behind. Her screams tore the air. The others pleaded, begged—Xander roared curses, Leona watched in silence, Matia trembled with resentnt.
Evangeline scread until her voice broke.
But Damon didn't stop.
Sylvia struggled, crying, bleeding—her breath ragged.
The Beldam didn't even turn around. Damon dragged Sylvia right to the edge of the furnace.
"Throw her in," she commanded.
"Sure," Damon said casually—and then, with all his strength, he kicked beldam forward.
Her body jerked caught completely off guard, and her eyes widened as she was sent flying into her inferno.
"You talk too much."
Before the Beldam could even react—Sylvia's bloodied hands slamd the vault door shut. The furnace roared.
The dragon fla surged violently—engulfing the room.
And the Beldam scread—her shrieks high-pitched and inhuman—as the flas consud her.
The others could only stare in shocked silence.
Damon turned to Sylvia—who imdiately threw herself into his arms.
"I was so scared… I almost thought your plan wouldn't work…"
"I'm glad you did," he whispered, holding her close.
Damon finally let himself relax the tension slowly leaving his body. He held Sylvia tight. She felt warm and alive. He wanted to keep it that way.
A soft system chi echoed in his mind.
[You have slain: Beldam of the Whispering Forest]
[You have leveled up]
[You have gained 80 Attribute Points]
[You have awakened the Skill: Shadow]
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