After that day, Queen Lilith began reclaiming every resource related to magical cultivation—redirecting it all to herself.
In the past, when Lilith had plateaued in her cultivation, she had chosen to step aside with dignity, no longer consuming Babylon's scarce magical resources. Instead, she focused on nurturing new talent to one day take her place.
But geniuses were rare.
The most promising orthodox witch had only recently broken through to Level Five—and even then, she was still leagues beneath Lilith, the veteran queen of the Fifth Level.
> "The Queen's reclaiming all cultivation resources? Is… is she preparing for a breakthrough? Could she really be stepping into the Sixth Level? Becoming a Legendary Witch?!"
> "This is a miracle for the Kingdom of Babylon!"
Old scholars wept in the streets.
> "As long as we have one Sixth Level Witch—just one—we might have a chance against the Empress of Death. Medusa hasn't reached Level Seven yet. There's still hope!"
> "Level Seven?" another scoffed. "That's just theory. Not even the Three Witches reached it before death. Medusa may be strong, but she's not invincible."
---
What the people didn't know… was that Lilith's apparent resurgence was all a façade.
Everything—everything—was being funneled to one creature.
A Slime.
Future Skywhale's existence remained completely hidden. He was the real reason behind the resource drain, the secret behind Babylon's sudden shift in focus. Lilith granted him unrestricted access to the kingdom's arcane libraries, including the sacred tomes left behind by the Three Witches. Whatever he asked for—she delivered.
---
The Kingdom of Babylon, Year 341
Lilith consumed vast magical resources—but showed no progress.
The public grew uneasy.
The Kingdom of Babylon, Year 362
Another round of resource allocation. Another fruitless year.
The disappointment was palpable.
> "Your Majesty, why persist if you can't break through?"
> "We could have raised multiple Level Five wizards with what we've spent!"
Disillusionment spread like rot.
The people's faith in Lilith—once unshakable—was waning.
---
The Kingdom of Babylon, Year 381
CRACK!
A bolt of thunder tore through the sky.
In the streets, people looked up in confusion as the once-clear heavens grew dark with swirling clouds. From every alley, every market, citizens poured out to see what was happening—even men clutching children ran into the open.
> "What is that?!"
More clouds gathered, spinning into a vast vortex.
> "Is it a storm?! Are those rain clouds?"
No.
From the roof of the royal palace, Lilith stood alone, her staff trembling in her grip.
She stared skyward, pale and stunned.
> "No… those aren't wind clouds…"
Her voice shook.
And then—
A massive black rose bloomed in the sky.
Petals of darkness spun in the air. At its center, floating like a deity, stood a woman clad in crimson. Her mage's staff was adorned with thorned roses, and her gaze was fixed directly on the capital below.
Medusa.
The Empress of Death.
She raised her staff slowly. The skies turned black. The rose vortex expanded, drawing in unimaginable magical power. The city trembled. The flower hovered—ready to descend and erase Babylon.
Time stopped.
Winds howled like banshees.
Lilith couldn't move.
Death had arrived.
And yet, in the next moment… the pressure vanished.
The rose halted.
Medusa twirled midair and began strolling casually across the sky. She cast a final glance toward Lilith, her expression unreadable.
> "What a shame… I heard you were reclaiming resources. I thought you might've been attempting a breakthrough."
Her voice drifted on the wind as she turned away.
> "In the age of the Three Witches, power was born of rivalry. But now, I rule alone. I've dominated this world for two centuries… and still, no equal has appeared. Without opposition, there can be no true growth. No Seventh Level. My tragedy… is that I was born into a weak era."
And then she vanished.
---
Her strength had far surpassed that of the Three Witches. Though she had not yet reached the mythical Seventh Level, the sheer pressure she exerted was overwhelming.
Lilith collapsed to her knees, trembling. Blood trickled from her lips, clenched too tightly in fear.
> "She's surpassed the Three Witches... completely."
> "Can we really stop her…?"
"…I don't know."
In a secret lab deep beneath the palace, a small green Slime wiggled his ahoge thoughtfully.
> "I thought I was close. I'm already a Level Five Wizard. If I suit up as Grantham and launch from my alchemical fortress, I might stand against the Three Witches. But her…?"
He hesitated.
> "Give me ten more years."
Lilith was silent.
Then—she smiled.
> "Then I'll continue to bear the blame. I'll carry the people's disappointment. I'll give you everything I can."
> "Ten years from now… the world will change."
Her eyes gleamed with determination.
If Babylon's Dark Age, which had lasted nearly two hundred years, could not be ended… then there would be no salvation—only ruin.
And so…
The Kingdom of Babylon staked everything on a single Slime.
---
"That's enough research for today," Future Skywhale said, hopping out of the lab. "I'm heading back to the coven. The girls will be worried if they can't find their little magical pet."
Lilith swayed slightly as she watched him leave.
> "Even now," she whispered, "even with all this power… you still let them cuddle you, squeeze you, toss you around like a toy…"
> "You're one of the strongest beings in the world. And yet you live among a bunch of Level Three Witches as their pet."
The Slime looked back and smiled.
> "Because that place is home."
He bounced happily away.
> "In both my past life and this one, I lost my family early. Those girls… they're all I have."
Lilith didn't speak.
She understood.
He wasn't lying.
The Slime species had been brutally mistreated in the Rose Kingdom. He shared her enemy—and her grief.
> "Home, huh?" she murmured. "I envy them. And I envy you, Grantham—King of Alchemy—for having someone to return to."
She smiled faintly.
Then turned to the sky, her eyes distant.
> "Garfield… how long has it been since I last saw you?"
The name lingered like a wound.
Her former lover. The knight who had once stood by her side. Now taken, forced into the role of Royal Consort of the Rose Kingdom.
Tears spilled down her cheeks, unbidden.
> "When… when it's all over…"
> "I'll leave the throne behind. We'll disappear together, into the forests and the mountains. No more battles. Just peace."
At that moment, a witch minister entered.
> "Shall we send the next batch of resources to the palace, Your Majesty?"
Lilith turned.
Her face, now composed—like stone.
> "Send them."
The Queen of Babylon was not permitted to cry.
---
Meanwhile, at Elizabeth's Coven…
The same cozy, dilapidated room. The same seven girls pacing anxiously.
Then—bouncing down the street outside—
> "You're back!"
> "Where have you been?! We were so scared!"
> "Yeah! You're only a Level Three Wizard—and outside, it's dangerous! Just a little while ago, Empress Medusa appeared at the palace. Her magic blotted out the sun! She could've destroyed the entire city!"
The girls tackled the Slime with worry.
They scooped him into their arms, hugging him tightly and playfully pinching his cheeks.
> "I'm fine," Future Skywhale said with a bright grin. "Just went for a walk."
His ahoge bobbed cheerfully.
None of them—not one—knew the truth.
That this adorable little Slime, their pet, their friend…
…was the final hope of the entire Kingdom of Babylon