V2: Chapter 66: The Beginning of Tragedy
Bellica surveyed her surroundings, her mind in turmoil, unsure whether to listen to the woman before her. She'd heard of magicians before, but those were things of horror stories or mythology; she'd never seen one in reality.
However, this woman had managed to pull her into this unfamiliar environment; there was definitely something unusual about her. In this place, even if she wanted to escape, she couldn't. If this woman wanted to harm her, she would have already done so, not wasting time talking.
So…
“Tell me.”
Though she said this, Bellica didn't lower the knife she held, her eyes still fixed on the woman with wariness. If anything seemed amiss, she would stab her.
Octaville, however, remained unfazed.
“Don't worry about killing me; you can't kill me.”
“Nonsense,” Bellica muttered.
Octaville smiled.
She began, recounting the day she found Liang Di.
It was a stormy day, with howling winds and lightning.
On the edge of a dangerous forest, young Octaville stumbled and struggled towards the magic tower. She wore a tattered black cloak, barely shielding her from the torrential rain; her face was covered in mud, but her eyes shone with determination and courage.
"Phew~"
She'd dealt with a tentacle monster, and her mood was inexplicably good.
This ancient forest was a forbidden land in the villagers' eyes, rumored to harbor ferocious beasts and evil witchcraft. However, this was where Octaville had grown up, and she knew every inch of the forest like the back of her hand.
The rain that day was exceptionally fierce, as if the sky itself was weeping for some unknown disaster. Octaville trudged along the muddy path, a vague unease creeping into her heart. She had a feeling that something was about to happen today, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
Having avoided all poisonous plants and the lairs of ferocious beasts, Octaville was relieved that her return to the Magic Tower hadn't caused any unnecessary trouble.
Just then, she heard a faint cry.
The sound was as thin as a whisper, yet remarkably clear in the storm. Octaville's heart tightened, and she immediately followed the sound.
Under a withered tree, she found an abandoned infant.
The baby lay on a patch of rain-soaked grass, pale-faced, eyes tightly closed, as if about to die at any moment. Octaville's heart clenched instantly. She hesitated for a moment, then rushed forward and carefully cradled the baby in her arms.
The baby's body was cold and stiff, with marks on its neck from being strangled.
Octaville knew that if she didn't warm the baby immediately, she probably wouldn't survive. She took off her cloak and wrapped it tightly around the baby, using her own body heat to warm her.
Ah… there’s a strong surge of magic emanating from this child.
Octaville was quite pleased; she hadn’t expected such an unexpected gain.
However… the child’s breathing was growing weaker and weaker; I don’t know how much longer she could hold on.
In the torrential rain, Octaville carried the infant, struggling towards the Magic Tower. Her heart was filled with worry, but she didn’t give up.
“Damn it… if only I hadn’t run out of magic for today…”
If only she hadn’t run out of magic for today, she could have drawn a teleportation circle. But it was good that she had run out of magic; if she hadn’t, she could have drawn the circle and teleported back to the vicinity of the Magic Tower, and then she wouldn’t have found this baby.
She told herself that as long as there was a glimmer of hope, she would do everything in her power to save this innocent life.
That’s right! I'm the future Tower Master!
After a long journey, Octaville finally returned to the Magic Tower. The guards outside, seeing it was her, neither stopped her nor examined her closely; after all, it was common for magicians to take magical children to the magic tower.
Back in her room, Octaville placed the baby on the bed and wrapped her tightly in a blanket. Then, she lit a fire, the flames illuminating the fireplace and warming the baby to dispel the chill.
In the firelight, Octaville carefully observed the baby. She noticed that although the baby was thin, her features were exquisitely delicate, like a little angel. A strange emotion welled up within her—a maternal tenderness and compassion.
"White hair..." Octavian murmured, "Such an unusual hair color... wait...?"
Besides the surge of magic, what was this unsettling aura? Is it my imagination? Or am I still recovering from dealing with the tentacle monster?
Octaaville shook her head vigorously.
“This is…”
She noticed a small crack at the corner of the child's eye. Puzzled, she reached out and gently touched it.
With that gentle touch, Octaville was horrified to see the skin around the child's eye begin to peel away.
The touch was icy cold, like the child's body temperature, sending a chill down her spine. As the touch deepened, Octaville felt a sharp, stinging pain, as if pricked by needles. She gasped and immediately withdrew her hand.
The surrounding air seemed to become unusually heavy and oppressive, making it hard to breathe. Octaville's hands, holding the baby, trembled uncontrollably. She had thought she had just found an ordinary baby with some magical power, but now it seemed… things weren't as simple as she had imagined.
There was a magic spell to peek into other people's memories. Octaville scratched her head in frustration, but she couldn't use it today; her magic was used up.
Wait until tomorrow?
Or should I tell the Tower Master about this now?
Octaville had read about hybrids between humans and monsters in books.
If she told the Tower Master… could she really protect the child? Or was it possible to use the child's power to ascend to the Tower Master's position?
No, that wasn't right.
Octaville shook her head vigorously, clenching her fists tightly. The Tower Master's position was something she could earn through her own strength, and she was quite powerful, even very strong; there was no need for underhanded methods. However, if she didn't tell the Tower Master, and the child caused trouble in the future, it would be difficult to explain.
Thinking this, Octaville went to the current Tower Master and told him everything.
The current Tower Master was overjoyed upon learning this.
“I’ve wanted to study tentacle hybrids for a long time, but I haven’t been able to catch a single one alive. All I’ve managed to catch are the remains of those monsters, which doesn’t yield any useful information.”
He laughed, patting Octaville on the shoulder. “Well done, Octaville, you’ve done a great job this time! Quick, bring this child to the hall. We need to start the research right now.”
Octaville froze, the image of Liang Di’s weak, pale face flashing through her mind. She immediately shook her head.
“No, teacher, the child is too weak right now. There are strangulation marks on her neck; it looks like she was strangled and then thrown into the forest, where she was caught in the rain. She probably has a fever now. If we start the research now, she probably won’t be able to handle it and will die.”
The Tower Master, however, didn’t seem to care.
“You’ve dealt with monsters for so long, don’t you know how strong and abnormal their self-healing abilities are? It doesn’t need any treatment; it will recover on its own.”
“But…” Octaville still wanted to refuse.
“No buts.” The Tower Master interrupted her without hesitation. “Bring it out now. Fine, I’ll go with you.”
Octaville felt uneasy. She knew what those people’s methods were. She suddenly hoped that Liang Di would become even sicker, looking like she was about to die, so she could escape their torment for a while.
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