Ah, I do hope Leona's mind is stable enough.

I looked around the glowing, dark cavern, bathed in soft shades of orange and red. The lower part of the walls shimmered like molten glass, alive with light, but the air wasn't hot. It wasn't even cold.

I swept my hand through the air, half-expecting a tiny breeze to follow. Nothing. The atmosphere was utterly still. And my hand felt heavy and slow.

It reminded me of the Desolate Desert. That place had no scent—unnaturally so. Leona's second stomach, which she used for storage, was the same. Empty of temperature and scent. There wasn't much in the way of sound either. The only sound produced was by me and my companions, which came out oddly fuzzy.

"This is an incredible bit of magic," Fleur breathed, her bright blue eyes wide as she took in the cave's glow. Her platinum blonde pixie cut shimmered red in the light.

"It is," Micah agreed.

Their voices came out with a slight hum as if they were on the other side of a glass wall.

Fleur turned to face me. "Ridley said you didn't have much of a magic core, but you still managed to produce this?"

I coughed, keeping my voice casual. "Like I said, it's the artifact," I said. "I'm no mage."

Leona's identity was my most significant concern, so I'd had her store Micah, Fleur, and me while she was cloaked in invisibility by the power of the Pull Tab artifact. One moment, we were in the abandoned building near the orphanage and The Alchemist's tower. The next, we were pulled—seemingly teleported—into this surreal cavern.

An ancient artifact that provided teleportation with a bit of lag: that was how I had explained away Leona eating us.

Besides, my explanation wasn't entirely a lie. The plan was for Leona to eat us, fly in through a small sliver of a window on the second floor of the tower, and spit us out. It was essentially teleportation, with a notable lag time to account for travel time.

This way, we would forgo working our way around the guards and the first set of traps, while remaining entirely invisible.

"Still," Fleur rubbed a hand across her sharp chin, "Powerful artifacts of this magnitude typically have to draw on one's core when activated. It probably didn't even pull from it if this was accomplished on your puny-sized mana core. Quite the impressive artifact."

"I'd appreciate your discretion," I said.

"Of course!" came a quick reply.

I gazed at the ceiling, veiled in darkness that the light of the walls did not reach.

Just how much could Leona store in here? It was, as Fleur said, indeed impressive.

As long as it all works out as intended.

Concern swirled in my mind as the seconds ticked by.

What if Leona doesn't spit us out? Her mind wasn't fully healed. It couldn't have been, given the limited time she spent with the monks. What if something slipped—if she forgot, panicked… or worse? Did I prematurely get her involved?

Besides, the location where she is to take us is anything but pleasant—I had purposefully avoided taking her there in the past. How would her mind react to the sight of those mutated creatures that were once upon a time children? Young children. Toddlers.

Unease stirred in my chest.

What if The Alchemist is there? What if Leona died with us still inside?

I clenched my fists.

Damn it, I didn't think this through nearly enough.

Sure, the giant cake had proven it was possible for Leona to pass items between Rounds through her stomach, but the Game only ended when I died. And in here? In this place that manipulated the flow of air, time, and decay?

I glanced around at the still, glowing cavern again. The stillness and Leona's use of this space as a means of long-term food storage suggested that time and the natural order of decay moved differently in here.

A bit away, Micah and Fleur appeared nonchalant and unaware of my internal unease.

If I couldn't die here… would I have to wait? Centuries, maybe—trapped in a timeless stasis—until somehow I could restart?

My hand moved over the canister of deadly strawberries and the dagger inside my jacket.

No. Perhaps I could still kill myself here despite the unusual environment.

My thoughts began to spiral, pressing at the edge of panic—

—and then everything shifted.

We were yanked forward and spit out into a shadow-drenched room on the tower's second floor. The transition was so sudden it almost knocked the breath from my lungs.

The smell in the room hit hardest, as scent was a sense entirely absent for the period we were in Leona's storage.

"Not much of a time lag—" Fleur checked her watch, then blinked. "Never mind that. Seven minutes passed while we were in that space for… what? Forty seconds?"

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A loud squawk cut in.

"SCAW!"

The room was cloaked in murky darkness. Slivers of sunlight stabbed through the cracks in the boarded windows—one of which Leona must have used to enter. Iron cages embedded with black mana stones were stacked wall to wall, floor to ceiling.

Dozens of wide, unblinking eyes turned toward us. Children.

Or at least, they had been. Now, they appeared twisted, warped and mutated past the point of recognition of ever having been human. They could even be described as beautiful in an otherworldly way. One child I recognized from earlier Rounds flopped helplessly in its cage—its twenty seaweed-like limbs twitching weakly. Yet its eyes, large and guileless, still held the innocence of a toddler.

"I'll stay and get these kids out," I said, calming my heart rate with the techniques learned from the monks. "You two head up. I'll catch up."

Fleur nodded sharply. "I'm sensing a strong reinforcement," she said, already halfway to the stairwell and beginning to disable the traps.

Micah followed close behind. "That's likely where the documents are with the names of buyers and funders. Evidence."

As they slipped from view, I felt the familiar warmth of Leona land on my right shoulder.

[[ Good job, Leona. ]]

Relieved that my earlier fears had been unfounded, I sent the message through Illusion Magic.

[[ Seven minutes, though? I didn't expect that long. Did you run into some trouble? ]]

Her voice flowed into my mind, bright and composed.

Getting in required some delicacy. I could've burned through the boards instantly, of course. But that would've drawn every eye within five blocks. So I took my time.

[[ I'm glad you were careful. ]]

I felt relieved to know Leona's mind was mended enough to understand the importance of restraint.

Her tone then shifted to a sharper and darker one.

These cages... This is the work of that woman? The Alchemist? The one who caught and locked me away once?

[[ Yes. ]]

My gaze swept over the cages and their trembling, disfigured occupants.

[[ Apophis said he would find a way to reverse the damage, both mental and physical. ]]

I already understood his solution for the mental component: the monks. However, the physical component was another mountain altogether. I hadn't heard of a single person who could reverse the magic of The Alchemist.

Might Chaos magic help with this? Or would I need someone who practiced a form of magic similar to The Alchemist?

Leona's fury flared in my mind, searing and righteous.

To imprison me was one thing. But this? Children? If I ever see her again, I'll burn her to ash.

I smiled inadvertently at her continued stream of seething words.

Apophis and her certainly shared that in common. I'd better ensure we get out before that woman comes.

Of course, I shared the sentiment. And although I knew when The Alchemist should show up here, now wasn't the time to fight her. She wasn't just some rogue mage. Even the syndicates, ruthless as they were, steered clear of her path. People often said it was a blessing that her twisted obsessions were limited to mutilating a select few into her grotesque "art." If she ever turned that power outward—toward cities instead of individuals—the results would be cataclysmic.

Recklessness here could get us all killed, or worse. I had other intentions for this and the next couple of Rounds.

The Alchemist, as evil as she was, could wait.

[[ Leona, I will put the children to sleep now. Please keep clear so it doesn't affect you. ]]

I slipped on the mask and pulled from my pocket the dark yellow vial Jarvis had brewed.

Don't you worry. I'm a magnificent phoenix. Trifling concoctions like this don't affect me.

Still, I felt the warmth on my shoulder vanish as she lifted off.

I smiled.

[[ Taking precautions anyway, huh? Sensible and magnificent. ]]

Uncorking the vial, I released a fine mist into each of the cages. Slowly, the mutated children began to sway, their heavy-lidded eyes fluttering shut as the soothing aroma took hold. One by one, they drifted into a deep, gentle sleep.

However, unlike in the previous Round, instead of meeting a quick and painless death, they would be transported to safety and healed.

Although I could have kept them awake for the transportation, I sensed that it might be less distressing if they were asleep for the whole of the transportation inside Leona's stomach.

After waiting a few moments and confirming that they had all fallen asleep, I motioned to Leona, or rather, to where I believed her to be.

"Leona, can you swallow the cages now?" I asked her.

Yes. But they're not going to be tasty. I don't wish to store them for too long.

Cage by cage, the air shimmered. Then they vanished without a trace, and Leona's warmth returned to my right shoulder.

I turned my gaze up toward the staircase. It was time to reintroduce myself to Apophis.

***

Micah and Fleur nodded at my arrival, then returned to their tasks without a word.

The third floor was brighter than the ones below. One of the tower's narrow windows stood open, sunlight pouring through and cutting clean lines across the gloom. Dust speckles drifted in the golden beams, swirling in the stillness.

[[ Leona, why didn't you use that window? ]]

I smiled, noting the opening was far larger than the slithers below.

Because it was a trap, Leona's voice replied. See the dead bird on the sill? It must've tried to fly in. That's what became of it. I could've blown it up, but—

[[ —it would have drawn unwanted attention. ]]

I finished her words, already following her logic.

My eyes drifted to the lone desk in the sunbeam's center. There, in a small cage, coiled tightly and watching me with steady, deep purple eyes, was Apophis.

I smiled and approached.

[[ Hello, Apophis. My name is Luca Frey. ]]

I introduced myself to the black snake using Illusion Magic.

[[ You may not remember me, but I remember you. ]]

[[ We formed a contract in the previous Round. ]]

The snake fixed his purple gaze on me, silent for a long moment. To the side, I could still hear the soft rustle of Fleur and Micah as they sifted through documents and scrolls.

Then, finally, he hissed.

Ah~ So you're the fellow I made the promise tattoo with? I'm curious who it was. And the children?

[[ I've taken possession of them. ]]

Apophis shifted, slithering closer to the bars of his cage.

I see… And apparently, I agreed to teach you Chaos Magic? Tell me, do you have any talent for it? I would hate to waste my efforts on the hopeless~

His purple eyes took me in, evaluating something unseen to me.

[[ In the last Round, you were rather impressed I could handle a Chaos artifact without even having a Chaos rune inscribed on me. ]]

[[ So, I suppose I've got some talent for it? ]]

He stared a moment longer, then let out a slow hiss.

Ah~ I see Master has a sense of humor too.

I couldn't help but smile.

If he thought I was joking, handling a Chaos artifact without a rune was truly an impressive feat. But even if he believed I was jesting, his tone had nonetheless shifted.

His gaze slid toward my right shoulder.

And who might you be? It's been quite some time since I last saw a phoenix~

Leona stirred. Though still cloaked by the necklace's magic, her presence was not hidden from Apophis's trained senses.

I am the great and magnificent Leona, she declared, her bright voice ringing in both our minds. Though it may be inconvenient, I shall take it upon myself to reeducate you on what has come to pass in the previous Round.

Her tone was lofty, almost regal. An intentional power move on her part.

I suppressed a grin.

She was attempting to establish a new footing in this Round, recalibrating their dynamic to one where she held the upper hand.

Apophis let out a rumbling hiss of amusement, almost like a grandfather chuckling at a precocious child.

I see~ Then I shall be in your care, oh magnificent Leona.

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