Chapter 302: Flamme Senses Something Wrong
Carlo took a deep breath and decided to test her.
He stared intently into Ariel's eyes and said in a low voice, "Miss Ariel, I have already mentioned your suggestion about utilizing demonic life force to Lady Flamme."
"Oh?" Ariel raised an eyebrow slightly, her smile unchanged. "And what did she say?"
"Lady Flamme did not give a clear answer." Carlo chose his words carefully, observing Ariel's reaction closely. "However, Miss Ariel, I am curious. Why did you think of this direction? And you seem to know a lot about demons?"
Hearing this, Ariel laughed softly. Her laughter was pleasant, yet it carried an uncomfortable undertone.
She didn't answer the question directly. Instead, she countered, "Mr. Carlo, don't you think the most interesting part of magical research lies in exploring completely unknown directions?"
"But this unknown is too dangerous!" Carlo emphasized.
"So what?" Ariel tilted her head. "What are you worried about? That insignificant compassion in your heart? The boundaries between species? Or the panic of the world?"
"But none of those can affect the truest desire deep within the heart of a dying person, can they?"
Yes.
For a dying person, as long as they could live, using demons as material was nothing. They might even use their own kin, or friends and family.
"And you, Carlo," Ariel's gaze seemed to penetrate his body, seeing his dwindling life force, "you do not have much time left."
Carlo shuddered, his face turning pale instantly.
He had indeed felt physically exhausted recently, his spirit not what it used to be. He had assumed it was just overwork from research and hadn't paid much attention.
But hearing Ariel say this, a sudden chill rose within him.
He subconsciously checked his own condition and discovered that his source of life seemed to have been depleted far more than he had anticipated.
This wasn't right!
He had been extremely careful with every experiment, strictly controlling the cost.
Was it the risk of the experiment itself? Or does this magic have side effects I don't know about? But why didn't Ariel tell me?!
Thinking of this, he looked sharply at Ariel. The smile on her face, usually so familiar, now looked incomparably eerie in his eyes.
Solitär sneered inwardly.
She had long ago secretly altered several key runes in the temporary magic circle Carlo used for his experiments.
A test that was supposed to consume one month of lifespan might actually cost two months, or even more.
If Carlo had used other humans for experiments, she wouldn't have done this. But this fool insisted on using his own life force.
To force him to abandon those pathetic moral concepts as quickly as possible, Solitär didn't mind giving him a push.
Sometimes, pressure was the best catalyst to drive a test subject onto the designated track.
She said nothing more. Leaving him with a meaningful look, she turned and left.
She knew that once the shadow of death was clearly perceived, the desire for survival would overwhelm all reason and scruples.
Carlo would soon actively embrace the path of life she hoped to see.
A human... a human mage obsessed with immortality yet filled with inner conflict. If he absorbed the powerful, chaotic demonic life force from the abyss for a long time...
Then, what changes would occur in his body and soul?
Would he become stronger? Or would he be gradually eroded and assimilated by demonic characteristics? Could his will resist the pollution from the source of life?
Ultimately... what would he become?
A demon with human emotions? Or some entirely new, unprecedented existence?
Solitär was very curious.
She looked forward to the arrival of that day.
Just as she predicted, driven by the fear of his abnormally accelerated loss of life force, Carlo's internal struggle regarding morality and risk collapsed rapidly.
He began frantically collecting all information regarding demonic characteristics, throwing himself recklessly into research on utilizing demonic life force to extend his own.
In fact, not long ago, he had left the Magic Association and officially headed for the northern battlefield.
That was the battleground between humans, elves, dwarves, and demons. It held countless monsters and numerous demons—the best research field for Carlo's experiments.
And Solitär, having confirmed that Carlo had embarked on the path she paved without turning back, decided to leave the Magic Association.
A seed full of potential had been planted. She only needed to wait patiently to see what kind of beautiful and twisted flower it would eventually bloom.
More importantly, she had stayed here too long.
As a Great Demon born shortly after the end of the Mythical Era and surviving until now, Solitär was very skilled at surviving in this world.
Not staying in one place too long, especially in human territory, and constantly changing residences and names were her little survival tricks.
Although there were still many magical books she hadn't read, the thought that Rhodes and Serie might return at any moment terrified her.
This exploration had to end here.
Just as she packed her bags and prepared to leave the Association tower quietly, she ran into Flamme at the exit, who seemed to have been waiting for her.
Looking at the bag on Solitär's shoulder, Flamme revealed a perfectly measured look of surprise. "Miss Ariel, are you leaving the Association?"
Alarm bells rang in Solitär's mind, but she maintained a calm smile on her face. "Yes, Lady Flamme. My study at the Association has come to a temporary end. I plan to travel for a while to prepare for the First-Class Mage exam."
"I see." Flamme nodded and asked seemingly casually, "By the way, I have seen you coming out of Mr. Carlo's research room frequently lately. Were you discussing some interesting magic?"
Ariel's heart tightened. She knew Flamme was suspicious.
She answered calmly, "We just happened to share an interest in runes from the Mythical Era and exchanged a few words."
"Oh? Is that so?" Flamme's gaze sharpened slightly. "I have more magical runes from the Mythical Era. Why not stay a while longer? I can lend them to you for research."
Her two teachers had just sent word that they would return to the Magic Association soon, so Flamme planned to stall this Ariel for a while.
Mainly because she didn't know the highest-level detection magic—Master Rhodes hadn't taught her—and basic detection magic revealed nothing fishy.
She just felt this Ariel was strange. Especially since her search for information about Ariel within human territories had yielded absolutely nothing!
This person was like she had appeared out of thin air. There was no news about her whatsoever.
If Ariel were an ordinary mage or apprentice, Flamme wouldn't care so much.
After all, human territory was vast; failing to find specific information about one person was sometimes normal.
But Ariel was a mage who had passed the Second-Class exam. That was very abnormal.
"No, thank you." Solitär refused hurriedly. "I prefer to research magic in other fields."
Are you kidding?
If she stayed any longer, Rhodes and Serie might return.
If they discovered her identity—and worse, what she did to Carlo—she wouldn't have enough lives to die.
Moreover, Solitär realized now that Flamme must have sensed something wrong, which was why she appeared here.
"Speaking of which, what type of magical runes were you discussing with Carlo?"
"Just some very common runes from the Mythical Era."
"Really? I thought you were discussing more... special fields. Like, regarding life energy?"
She deliberately emphasized the words "life energy."
Ariel cursed Carlo in her heart. She didn't need to guess; that guy must have told Flamme it was her idea.
And that was why Flamme sensed something wrong.
But Solitär still put on a confused expression, pretending ignorance. "Lady Flamme must be joking. I am just a Second-Class Mage; how could I touch such profound knowledge?"
Flamme didn't press further, but the suspicion in her heart grew stronger.
She remembered the scene when she conducted the Second-Class Mage exam for Ariel.
When facing her attacks, Ariel always gave off a strange feeling of "trying her best"—not purely for defense, but more like defending while trying hard to suppress or hide something.
At the time, she thought the girl might just be nervous. But combining it with Ariel's contact with Carlo and Carlo's recent bizarre behavior, a vague guess formed in her mind.
This Ariel definitely had a problem!
"Since Miss Ariel is leaving, and I happen to be free today, allow me to see you off," Flamme said suddenly, her tone allowing no refusal.
Solitär wanted to decline politely, but under Flamme's unquestionable gaze, she had to nod. "Then... I will trouble Lady Flamme."
Walking one after the other, they left the Magic Association, crossed the streets of the Royal Capital of Ersten, and headed out of the city.
Flamme chatted seemingly casually, but the topic always inadvertently circled back to Solitär's origins. It was clearly a probe.
Solitär did her best to deflect, her uneasiness growing stronger.
When they reached a secluded woodland about ten kilometers from the capital, Solitär finally couldn't help but stop. She turned to Flamme. "Lady Flamme, you have seen me off far enough. Let us part here. Thank you very much for escorting me."
However, Flamme did not respond.
The surrounding air seemed to freeze instantly.
Flamme looked at her quietly. Powerful yet obscure mana fluctuations began to ripple around her.
Just now, a very obvious loophole had appeared in Ariel's responses.
"Miss Ariel," Flamme's voice was cold, stripping away all pretense. "The Siegfried Plains in the South disappeared completely in a disaster fifty years ago. There can be no villages there, and it cannot be your hometown. Who... are you really?"
Solitär's pupils contracted. She knew she couldn't bluff her way out anymore.
She hadn't expected the Siegfried Plains, which she had passed through previously, to have vanished fifty years ago.
Flamme wasted no more words. She decided to use the most direct method to tear away all disguises and verify her guess.
"Lady Flamme, what is the meaning of this?" Solitär made one last attempt, but her body had already tensed quietly, mana flowing silently within her.
"Meaning?" Flamme sneered. Mana began to fluctuate around her, ready to strike at any moment. "I will give you one last chance. Confess your true identity!"
Before her voice faded, Flamme attacked.
She knew the value of striking first. The "last chance" she mentioned was merely to buy time.
Flamme unfolded magic circles with both hands simultaneously. Several chains made of pure mana appeared out of thin air, rushing directly at Solitär.
This strike was fast and contained dense mana, far surpassing the level of ordinary mages. Clearly, Flamme was getting serious right from the start.
However, she didn't have killing intent yet; her main goal was to capture the opponent.
Seeing this, Solitär realized Flamme was even stronger than she had anticipated.
She dared not be careless. The aura she had been suppressing erupted suddenly.
Magical brilliance burst from her body. She instantly unfolded a magic circle as well. Countless sharp blades of light flew out, slamming fiercely into the mana chains with the sound of clashing metal.
Flamme's chains were shattered directly, and Solitär's light blades vanished into the air as their energy was exhausted.
"Hiding your strength, as expected!" Flamme's gaze grew colder.
That magical control and mana quality were definitely not what a mage who just passed the Second-Class exam should have.
"But that is not enough!"
She attacked again immediately. Countless golden energy arrows shot toward Ariel from the sides and rear.
Seeing Ariel possess such strength, Flamme shifted her goal from capturing her alive to defeating her thoroughly first.
Ariel snorted coldly. Tapping the ground lightly with her toes, she retreated rapidly while firing dozens of black magic bullets like a machine gun at the light arrows and Flamme.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Magic bullets and light arrows collided and exploded constantly in the air. The escaping energy snapped surrounding trees in half and blasted scorched craters into the ground.
Flamme raised her right hand. A golden magical shield appeared in front of her, blocking all incoming light bullets. The shield fluctuated violently, indicating the impressive power of the opponent's attack.
But it was still within her tolerance range.
"Fast reaction, strong attacks. But your mana... carries a disgusting stench."
From the opponent's attack, Flamme keenly sensed that trace of repulsive aura.
Perhaps because Flamme's full-force attack forced the opponent to respond with full force as well, leaving no room for disguise, that trace of dark aura—completely distinct from human magic—was revealed.
She held nothing back anymore. She decided to increase the pressure, determined to force this guy's true identity into the light.
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