Chapter 71: 71. William’s plan – 2

Inside the control room, the tense sounds of overlapping arrays and humming mana abruptly faded into an uneasy silence as the door slid open.

Every head turned at once.

Yue Qinglan stepped inside without announcing herself.

She moved slowly inside; perched calmly on her shoulder was a slim cat. Its fur was pitch black, and its violet eyes scanned the room with unnerving awareness, but it still looked like a normal cat.

Yue’s right hand gripped something heavy.

The body of a dragon woman dragged behind her left a thick trail of blood across the polished floor.

The sound of flesh scraping against stone was quiet, but it echoed loudly in the strained silence of the room.

The woman was barely conscious, her breathing was shallow and irregular, and it was clear that she had been beaten badly.

Black scales covered much of her body; some were cracked and broken freshly, with blood seeping from the gaps.

One of her wings was bent at an unnatural angle, the membrane torn and useless. Her eyes were now clouded with demonic energy; her pupils were pitch black as if they were eating light itself.

When Yue reached the center of the room, her gaze lifted and met Andrea’s.

For a brief moment, nothing was said.

Then Yue nodded once.

Andrea returned the nod just as subtly.

Without ceremony, Yue released her grip and let the half-dead dragon woman drop onto the floor. The body hit with a dull thud, eliciting a faint, broken groan from the woman’s throat.

She twitched weakly, claws scraping against the ground as if trying to crawl away from something.

The black cat on Yue’s shoulder did not stay still and jumped on the woman before hitting her paws and making the halfling unconscious.

The room stirred as the people in the center leaned forward instinctively, eyes narrowing as they recognized the scales, the horns, and the unmistakable signs of demonic influence.

“A demonic half-ling?” the Storm Dragon spoke at last.

His ancient eyes studied the broken woman carefully, definitely not with pity.

Of everyone present, only he dared to address Yue directly at this moment; after all, Yue Qinglan was the disciple of his mistress. So in theory she was like his disciple too in some sense.

While the rest of the people in the room didn’t have the ability or guts to question her.

Yue Qinglan replied with a cold expression, saving herself from greeting the old man; it was something her master had taught her to do.

“She is Vorin’s daughter,” Yue said coldly. “She may be useful for negotiating with him.”

The words struck the room like a physical blow. At first no one reacted; they wanted to un-hear what they had heard.

Then the shock spread.

“Vorin?” The Elven Empress spoke sharply, her composure cracking for the first time. “You mean Vorin of the Cult of Amon? That Vorin is inside the trial domain?”

Her voice faltered despite being an empress.

Yue nodded once, offering no further explanation.

That single gesture was enough.

A chill ran through the room, crawling up spines. Vorin was not a name spoken lightly, not among rulers, not among ancients.

He was not merely a high-ranking cultist; he was a butcher who had survived centuries by turning battlefields into mass graves. If he was inside the domain, then the situation was far worse than they had initially feared.

No one doubted Yue’s words.

No one asked how she had captured the woman.

They did not want to know.

***

A few hours earlier.

“Leave me alone, Yue!” Tamasya screamed, her voice raw with fury as she struggled violently against the restraints binding her. “I have to kill that demon today!”

Her movements were wild, unrestrained by logic or caution. The bonds of energy restraining her shook violently; the pressure she exerted was enough to distort the air around her.

Her eyes burned with barely contained madness, grief and rage mixing into something dangerous.

“Tamasya, you must control yourself,” Yue said firmly, standing her ground despite the overwhelming pressure. “This is not the right time. Your disciple is in danger.”

That only made it worse.

Tamasya roared and strained harder, power flaring uncontrollably as she tried to break free. The restraints broke, and she was just about to launch herself, but something happened.

Yue braced herself, expecting a fight, when she saw Tamasya frozen in shock.

Tamasya’s movements had halted, her breath hitching sharply as if thunder had struck her directly in the chest. Her eyes widened, pupils contracted, as a voice echoed inside her mind.

“Hello! Master, can you hear me?”

Her heart nearly stopped.

“William!” Tamasya shouted aloud, panic and relief colliding violently in her voice. “William, are you there?”

“Yes,” his voice came again. “I need a bit of help. There is… a small situation here.”

Her knees almost gave out.

“Yes, I know,” she cut in immediately, her voice trembling despite her attempt to stay composed. “Tell me, are you safe?”

“Yes, I am,” Will replied.

Tamasya exhaled shakily, relief flooding her so intensely it almost hurt. “Good. Good. Do not do anything reckless. Your master will come and save you. Just stay careful, alright?”

There was a pause.

“Um, master,” Will continued hesitantly, “Can I ask you for something? It might help me here since—”

“Yes,” Tamasya interrupted again without hesitation.

As the conversation continued, Will explained the situation inside the domain. He spoke of Vorin, of the sealed space, and of his plan. He did not tell her everything, carefully omitting certain risks he was about to take, knowing she would never allow it, but enough reached her to make her blood run cold.

Then his tone shifted.

“Master, the moment I saved you in the Prison of the Underworld, my mark was placed on you.”

Tamasya froze.

For half a second, color rushed to her face before she could stop it. Her thoughts went somewhere they should not have.

Then Will continued, oblivious.

“It is called the Mark of Destiny,” he said calmly. “It allows me to communicate with those bound to me over long distances. You can also talk to me freely. You just need to will it.”

Her breath caught.

She had never heard of such a talent.

“Master,” Will added, “the mark also lets us share talents. You can lend me yours, and I can lend you mine.”

“So, you want my talent?” Tamasya spoke in a tone from which William was unable to gauge her emotions.

***

Back to present…

“The link has been established,” Instructor Kevin announced after several tense minutes of working on the orb. “We can now communicate vocally. The visual feed is also active.”

A massive screen flared to life.

Silence followed in the control center.

Every powerhouse in the room watched as scenes of devastation unfolded before them.

The cult army moved like a tide, coordinated and merciless.

Dragonkin and Phoenix participants fought desperately, their pride and power on full display, yet one by one they fell.

Explosions of mana lit the battlefield, only to fade into smoke and blood.

“Where are the other races?” the Elven Queen asked sharply, her voice tight with dread.

“Hmph,” the Dragon Emperor snorted. “Probably hiding behind their tails.”

Several eyes turned toward him, disapproval evident, but no one challenged him before knowing the full story.

Yet unease spread regardless.

A thought crept into the minds of several leaders simultaneously.

What if they were already dead?

No one voiced it.

But everyone felt it.

Vorin was inside.

And Vorin did not leave survivors.

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